NOT HIGH PRIORITY Here is an explanation of GabrielQ of how deploy order affects multiple instances of knockback and therefore damage resolve. I find this mechanic very unintuitive and uninteresting to remember and apply. I would like it to be consistent, and the easiest way I can imagine is to reprogramme Gale Force and other AoE knockback spells and abilities to start the trigger secuence from the center rather than deploy order of affected units. The problem is I won't / don't want to remember the deploy order JUST to be sure of some knockback damage. I would like it to be consistent.
May I know which other effects are dependant on deploy order? For AoE knockback I suggest in OP to check units starting at the center of the ability / spell. This would be intuitive.
It's… not inconsistent though. So how would it work if there are 2 people knocked back, would they take knock back damage but stay in place, or would they all just be knocked back and not take knock back damage? And almost all effects (End of Turn and Beginning of Turn effects for example) proc according to turn order, etc.
If the order were determined from center to outside like you propose, how would be determined the order if two units were in the same layer of action (both 1 space outside the center)? There is something really important to consider and that is that is impossible to have two runes deployed at the same time, so every time you are ordering something through deployment order you are making sure the order will be never in conflict.
Like Relocate works finding an available empty space. If the closest to the center unit goes first, then Gale Force would allways proc damage and won't knockback it, if it's path is blocked. I don't know how many abilities could have different results depending on deploy order. But talking of Beggining / End of Turn procedures I feel like it is applicable, like it's valid to think that the first deployed unit should die first by a Damage Over Time effect than the last.