There is some difference, the difficulty was re-balanced towards knowing more about patterns. In the old version even without knowing monster mechanics you could still deduce the placements with just numbers and math.
In the new version you still can most of the time, but now, if you want more consistent runs, you have to observe the monster patterns. The most important tip from the instructions/Monsternomicon is this "Observe monster patterns when dead".
When you will figure out more about monster patterns you will rarely run into a dead end even in this new version.