Guilty as charged, lol.
I think what happened was with all the emphasis put on weight savings, manufacturers figured out how to make lighter gear. The assassin was reborn as the ambush and lost a pound. The .5 is the lightest cast hang on that's ever been to my knowledge. Carbon sticks. Mesh saddles. Lighter insulated clothes.
I can now carry an in-production, unmodified stand and sticks for about 10lbs. Show of hands, how many folks have a sub 10lb saddle system? What does an assault and 4 full length sticks weigh? 20 something?
I personally went minimalist because gear was over built and not made to carry. Now that stuff is built lighter and with packing in mind, I start thinking about the advantages stands offer. A place to sit when hip pinch bothers you. No tree in front of your face blocking your shot. No thinking about the weak side shot. Being able to face away from the high side of a leaner. And I can always wear my saddle in the stand and have a lot of the best of both worlds.
Dont get me wrong. You wont see my treehopper or my last few ameristeps or squirrel steps for sale. But stands are more appealing now than they've ever been