I know you are trying to get to me with referring to the low speed damping as sticktion by the way... I blame mostly Manitou for the misconceptions about the control valve by calling that stupid thing the Stable Platform Valve. All anyone thinks of when talking about the control valve is the "platform".Right, well since I've been comprehensively smacked down on that front, I'm going to fall back on my original point and say I still think "conventional" SPV shocks, where the CV is a "normally closed" valve, are fundamentally flawed for DH purposes, because the CV as it stands creates unnecessary extra "stiction" (there's your favourite word again )
And again, maybe you can make the shock work well with mods, but if it doesn't do it out of the box then I'm just not that interested.
One thing I am interested in though, is why you think the shaft displacement fluid is less well controlled through fox's boost valve than that passing through a main piston CV?
It had its place in the market back when it was introduced, but then the market changed and the shock didn't, so that's why it died. You are not the only one that thinks platform doesn't belong, not only on a DH bike, but just about any bike for that matter. I even agree with you to some degree on that front. I'll never say that it's perfect, it has it's inherent design characteristics, some of which are less desirable. My biggest gripe is the lack of mid stroke / speed damping, which is only emphasized worse on the 5th air and vpp type bikes with "smiley face" leverage ratio curves...
Metering shaft displacement oil is less effective because you are metering a smaller flow rate of oil, if that makes any sense. The cross section of a 1/2" shaft is only .196 in^2. The cross section of the face of the main piston is just under 1 in^2. You have a greater effective area, and greater oil displacement (flow though the ports) on a larger piston, giving you greater control.
I have lots of ideas for future incarnations of CV/t shocks that I hope to soon get to build. One of the biggest cons to the control valve is that it makes for a tall piston stack height assembly, so it can be a challenge to fit it in rear shocks where dead length is an issue.
BM