2nd edition and Alpha 3 are almost the same. There are differences, I think, mostly in the unit placement. You can down load the rules from Avalon Hill and the set up charts are on this site for 2nd edition.
I’m glad he rescinded the sub rule - it’s one less thing to worry about.
If you want Larry to see your ideas, why don’t you go to his site and PM him or write in a thread called “talk to Larry”? He doesn’t visit A&A.org at all, IIRC.