There's basic issues I have with both QP and CW in that I have enough mechs (28-30 depending on where I am finishing up XP dumps) to create specialized builds for certain situations. Going blind into a map like the Grims with LRM boats is a waste of a mech. Similarly, a fast mech with flamers on any of the frozen maps is just stupid fun (flamers do **** damage and have miserable range, but mech shutdown lasts several seconds, and can turn a tide, especially if you can shut down two or three bunched up), but the reward system rewards damage done and kills above and beyond any other measure, so flamer heavy builds just don't measure up.
If there were a way to tailor drops available in my bay to a particular map and/or team (knowing their composition BEFORE dropping) especially for FP/CW and PUGS, I would play FP/CW more often. I think multiple drop sets are a preparation for this sort of functionality in the long run.
The scouting aspect of the FP/CW and it being lance vs. lance was a wonderfully interesting move in what, I feel, was the right direction, but has devolved quickly into a sitch where it's an auto clan-win if it's IS vs Clan.
A lot of naysayers in the last 7 pages comment on Russ and how he responded VERBALLY. Having worked at multiple jobs as a telephone CS person, and many more years in retail, I caught something very different. A) He sounded tired. (He even pointed out a 6 hour meeting in-house. Trust me, those suck, and I doubt he had an opportunity for a nap.)
He's limited by what can be done in a 6 month window to turn things around.
I feel that an immediate patch for the main problems, with the available functionality, would be to turn off virtually all CW functionality and force PUGs, taking the power out of the players and leave the "powers that be" determine planet flipping based on success of matches. Basically, reset CW so that it's like QP, but allowing the 4 mech drops per player. Beats turning off CW alltogether while things are given a major overhaul.
Luerim