(Edit: just an idea for planetside 3 maybe. If they ever get that far) An average DOTA match lasts about 35-45 minutes. In planetside 2 an alert is 90min. This is a good amount of time as a design philosophy to play a "round" of a game. I think one way to quell balance concerns and issues would have been to have the players themselves rotate factions and be locked in for the "match" (alert). Since all 3 factions have analogous equipment certing a magrider would have certed the prowler and vanguard. It's a good design philosophy overall because: 1. it takes a lot of salt out of the game. Factions and items might be overpowered or underpowered, but they aren't MY faction or YOUR faction. It stop people's partisan lobbying for their faction and perception bias, and it becomes apparent to the entire playerbase what is and underpowered. 2. Players locked into single factions are in some ways missing out on 2/3 of the content; all that artwork for the gun models, sounds, and feel of the unique faction gimmicks. 3. Switching up teams allows for people to meet more of the playerbase, playing alternatively with and against players they've met.
So... are you suggesting the game force us to switch factions when an alert starts? That's dumb as heck.
