That's a tough one to answer. I've heard from some that the CPU Defense sliders affect how the CPU defense plays, but I've heard from others that the CPU Defense sliders affect how the User defense plays.
I haven't had any time to play the last few days, but once the family leaves I'll try to figure this out.
Glad to hear that you guys are having to adjust against the CPU!
As for updates on the Pre-Patch version of my sliders, there's no need to worry. The patch won't drop for another two weeks, and I expect to have all of the remaining issues ironed out by then