bdonovanw

This is one of the most essential features of a layout program. I recommend to have a look at Grid Calculator Pro for InDesign. This plugin calculates typographically correct grids based on a base line height of Body text, allows for modular and baseline grids, correct line-height-based margins, draws image alignment lines on x-height and many other features. Professionals use that plugin, not the rudimentary, but still not typographically sufficient InDesign features outlined here, even though that is a start. https://www.designersbookshop.com/grid-calculator-pro-edition.html
Also, conceptually, having a different grid on every page is a recipe for disaster visually. The purpose of a grid is to enable the designer to be consistent over vast amounts of pages. This is not a drawing program like Affinity Designer where I design a poster or small publications at best, this is a program meant for hundreds of pages. The focus must be on reusability, smart rescaling, snapping, grids, masters, styles (object styles are missing as well!), import features.
That Affinity is lacking ANY sort of grid calculator is dissapointing and a reason for me to stay away. This is the one thing that is a huge pain in InDesign.

+1 for the gutters. I was kinda shocked to see they did not exist. I can set an inner margin on a master page but it would be nicer to just have that as part of the initial document setup. It just makes more sense there. The only advantage I can see to doing that in master pages is having images or backgrounds spanning 2 pages through the gutter. However, if I understand this correctly, the margins are just guides anyway and do not prevent anything crossing them. Maybe it is just my inexperience but gutters are generally going to be in the same place across the entire document for anything published correct? I guess the exception is the cover and rear page?

The InDesign feature I use most—weirdly—is the INDB book feature, where InDesign creates a container file of sorts to hold a pile of individual InD files that make up an entire book, as well as manage their page numbers. Being able to manage chapters individually is vastly easier than working on a 300+ page single file. Would love to see this implemented—or something like it. 

Ah, yes, that makes more sense. They definitely are, and will not be upgraded—Adobe has said so publicly—so for anyone hoping to migrate from ID CS6 or earlier to Publisher, this import will be absolutely essential. Like many others on this thread, I'm quite disinclined to rent InDesign indefinitely, and purchased Publisher specifically to alleviate my concern there. The import of ID files is a personal necessity, but it is not so critical that I can't move forward with new projects in Publisher now. I am eagerly anticipating the ability to import existing ID files into Publisher, however, and look forward to being able to jettison ID (and eventually CC) entirely.