LAVALLOIS Nash wrote:
And its been hobbling along since. Its got to the point where CCP is ready to toss the entire thing out and start over under a new name on a new platform.
Right now all 3 modes (Public, Faction, Planetary) allow for squads. Whats the big deal if that number is reduced to 2/3 so that Public matches can remain the casual, quick matches they are supposed to be?
A proto guy vs a new player is already incredibly unbalanced. Putting 6 of those proto guys together against a bunch of random new players is a sure way to make sure the community growth gets choked off before it can really plant down some roots.
If Public had no squads and everyone had to queue solo and got sorted solo, matches would be far more balanced, because those 6 proto player would now be divided into 3 on one side and 3 on the other side. People have all sorts of solutions to matchmaking, but they ignore the balance fact that you cannot evenly match groups of 6 super players with "everyone else".
The only people who could possibly oppose this are those who need a squad to have any kind of success, or those who need a squad to have instant friends. Neither is worth ruining the game to appease.
The problem with removing the ability to squad up with others in public contracts is that you remove the social aspect from the game, which is what keeps the vast majority of the playerbase playing.
If you could only squad up in Factional Warfare, it would cause a separation among friends simply because not everyone fights for the same Faction(s). Not to mention that it would ruin a corporation's chance to get into PC, as your players wouldn't have the 'Synergy' needed to perform well in it. as they wouldn't have as much experience playing with each-other to know their strengths and weaknesses.
Not to mention, that removing the ability to squad up in public contracts doesn't change the fact that the 'proto stompers' will still be inside the public contracts, and they'd continue to do what they did while in their squad, which is 'stomp'. You seem to be under the assumption that the 6 players using PRO gear would be divided to each side, while there is actually no system which would allow that to be the case. It would be equally probable to have the 6 PRO players on the same side as it would be to have them divided evenly among teams.
Taking a second look at the social aspect of DUST 514, I encourage you to visit the Rookie Training Grounds. You'll find several instructors and tutors who squad up with new players to teach them the basics of DUST 514. This, is one of the key (if not only) components in the New Player Experience. Should the ability to tutor new players be removed, you'll quickly find players who are not learning how to play DUST, and simply stagnating in terms of skill level.
On a final note, what would the point of a corporation be if you cannot squad and play with your friends, and why would we even bother with communicating with one another? Your suggestion is not only based on an assumed premise, but it only serves to remove the key aspects that separate this game from other FPS titles...
Social Integration