Forms were developed for a mired of purposes including cataloging techniques and training moves that the founder of the form found that worked for him and perhaps his students.
Forms were never meant to be "etched in stone" and we can see that in how a teacher may have taught the same form in different ways to different students at different times.
Forms were meant to be "deconstructed" and the "bits and pieces" used in combat and trained more like "shadow boxing" than "performance".
Yes, something got lost in the translation from fighting systems to "whatever" MA are being trained for today and were marketed as in the past/currently.
Psalms 144:1
Praise be my Lord my Rock,
He trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle !