An easy way to talk about two basic characteristics of a progressive style is to refer to them as hard and soft styles:
Hard styles: Bad regions are confined in a smaller area, but the maximum values of astigmatism are higher. You get wider fields of clear vision, but the transition through the bad areas is more uncomfortable. Harder lenses are usually preferred by experienced users.
Soft styles: The maximum values of astigmatism are lower, but the bad regions are spread over a wider area. You get a better feeling of comfort when moving your sight through different regions of the lens.