imho bots in pvp are not really a factor, as in most games they do not persist long enough, to make any impact. and if they are present, the population is too low anyway. it’s a gimmick, which i would remove aswell.
SCL focuses on small scale pvp, any random match has more players and variety in it, there is just nothing interesting in a cookie cutting 5v5 mode, even if its better than the 4v4 mode it once was; if i want to play “skill based” “small scale” pvp games, i just play another game entirely. simply because star conflict was always designed as a f2p arena shooter for medium sized battles. below 6v6, most of the ships do not make a lot of sense, even 8v8 often feels incomplete, 10v10 and 12v12 is where the game shines, because it is arcady, fast paced, and most of the imbalanced* stuff gets “ironed out” if you have more chaotic environments.
The problem with SCL was always, that it simply came too late. And by introducing it, a lot of effort was put into making people go over there, if they want squad based pvp, by discouraging them to get games otherwise, or even the ability to play at all.
Instead of moving, people left. Who would have guessed.
That mode would have made a lot of sense in 2013&2014 when the population was craving it. The system might have helped tournaments in general by providing the mechanics for it. In fact I would have concentrated on developing it more for that purpose, and I also think the appeal came for that, which made me an initial supporter, when I first saw that mode’s ladder mechanics being introduced (but not yet as SCL)
Personally, I felt it tiring, to prepare for a “true skill based game”, to see the other team just rushing beacons, abusing current op/meta ships, etc., so I understand measures taken against that, but I can also understand why the thread starter argues like he does.
*) note: imbalance for me does not mean it is not valid, or already op; some imbalance is healthy.