Combat is now an opposed roll. If you miss it is only because the other person rolled better than you for their defense. Figuring it out is a bit more math than before, but just simple subtraction. I may not explain this very well since I'm on my way out to work and sort of rushing the post, but I'll give it a shot.
The tens digit for your characteristic or skill is an important number. When you make a Dramatic or Opposed Test you subtract the tens digit of your roll from the tens of your characteristic or skill. That gives you a Success Level.
The attacker rolls Weapon Proficiency to hit and the defender rolls the same to Parry or Dodge to dodge. Whoever gets the better Success Level wins and builds up Advantage. Advantage gives you an increasing +10% to your rolls until you get damaged, then you lose it all.
Damage is based on your Success Level. So if the attacker has a Hand Weapon and Strength 30, the base damage is 7.
Say our combatants have 40 for their Weapon Skills. The attacker rolls 60 and the defender rolls 90. The SLs are -2 and -5, so the attacker wins, but the SL is -2 for the attack so the incoming damage is 5 wounds.
Take the same set up, but the attacker has a 60 for their weapon skill. The SLs are +0 and -5, so the attacker wins again with the full 7 wounds.
Crappy fighters aren't going to just sit there swinging at the air for an endless series of wiffs, but their blows aren't going to be as good as skilled fighters. Still, with Advantage in the mix, even a crappy fighter might be able to beat an opponent into a corner and land a telling blow.
Also, even if Toughness + Armor is more than the incoming damage, the target still takes one wound.
Hmm I didnt understand it this way, but I might have misunderstood. I thought someone had to "hit", ie if both parties get -ve SLs, no-body hits. I don't actually like the idea of someone
always hitting. That's a bit too far the other way I fear. Althooough, on reflection, shadowrun does melee this way and it works fine, really. Hmmm!
Edit: just re-read the attack section p.158 and 159, inc the example on 159. Only the attacker has a chance to hit. If the defender wins the opposed test, they get +1 Adv, but don't hit. But seems like yes you can hit on -ve SLs, if the defender rolls worse than you did. I think - edit: yes you can, p.259. That's good enough for me, there will still be some missing, but not nearly as much as in older editions (which I gather is a major complainant of the older game).