Khobai, on 22 August 2017 - 03:50 AM, said:
its not really a bandaid since 8v8 fixes way more problems than queue times
1) increases TTK back to where it should be
2) helps make long range meta less dominant since no more 12 mech firing lines
3) light and medium mechs are less obsolete in 8v8
4) individual skill gets blotted out less
8v8 is just plain better
1. It doesn't, TTK will remain the same or even shorter because of high kill value and heavy kill focus to the landslide breaking point, lower sustainability requirements will push alpha heavy builds, SQP never had any practical focus fire use, at least not by more than 4-6 players. so there is no difference at best.
2. It doesn't, why would it. Higher omnipresent risk averse behaviour and higher kill value will push the long range meta viability and it might be even more popular than now, if you can manage to get a kill or two before the enemy even gets into range or has the time to kill yours then you are at an immense advantage already. Also there have never been 12 man long range firing lines let alone any firing lines nor very often more than 4-6 men focus firing in solo quick play. But I can assure you will see near 8 man formations and firing lines as more regular or even standard in 8v8 because it will be devastatingly effective to get quick kills as they can much more easily apply full movement and focus against an enemy in the current geometry, geometry that simply could not host 12 players very well without spreading it too much or causing LOS issues within the team itself.
3. "Less obsolete", that is hyperbole. Lights and mediums are not obsolete in 12v12 SQP, it just requires some more patience and wit to make it work as well as heavies. But I agree that the less enemies on field the better fast and agile mechs will perform in general, I just question the relevance of your argument. Should we make it 4v4 or even 1v1 because lights in general benefit from that too? There are design criteria to be considered beyond what we ourselves prefer in terms of maximum performance in the most optimal context possible, should we make maps with only tunnels and caves because someone happens to like assault brawls? If lights and mediums need adjustments then they should be adjusted accordingly, we should not limit the whole game context and remove fun and popular game modes just to do that.
4. Individual skill does not get "blotted out", your effort and skill is still 100% guaranteed and recorded even if it was 100v100, you just have a smaller part to play of the whole team and your contribution can only extend so far, it doesn't take away anything. Since when did a team become a problem description anyway? For that matter Solaris is coming soon, so you can carry 100% in 1v1 as much as you want in the ultimate game mode design you could possibly think of I reckon. Other people feel differently and I belive there is room for both warfare and arena fighting in a casual manner, let people pick what they like themselves, you get Solaris, let us keep 12v12 SQP for our casual kicks as the only possible game mode for it.
8v8 is simply more dysfunctional for a solo casual game mode and it is also the polar opposite direction of what I want to see in MWO purely subjectively.
PGI needs to stop this 8v8 SQP regression of MWO, after implementing Solaris they should focus on how to make grander 12v12+ warfare oriented casual game modes, focused on fun war elements and persistent combat, maybe even making it as a non-trivial part of FW influence but as an easily accessible casual component thereof.