Quote Originally Posted by Aravell View Post
While I'm not certain how NA will react to an increase in commanders and premades (probably negatively, if current sentiment continues). JP actually reacted positively to the very same thing. They have, I think, 8-10 famous commanders running around, dodging a premade is basically impossible, the players adapted by filing in behind the premade on their team and doing everything they can to support them.

As a purely solo player myself, I personally view the increase of commander types and premades as a good thing. If people are sick of dying all the time, it forces them to learn map awareness and positioning. It's also fun to get matches where everyone on the scoreboard has died at least once, I'd prefer that over one-sided stomps.
One-sided stomps are definitely a possible negative outcome of premades that make the match dull for nearly everyone. But I think it's inaccurate to conflate the positives of a commander with a commander of a premade. Some direction helps, and the weaker the team, the more useful a forceful commander becomes. But a solo commander produces a very different match from a premade leader who is also shot-calling.

Some of the most enjoyable matches I've had feature very little chat at all. I guess there's some selection bias in there, in the sense that if the match is competitive without commands, the players are more competent than usual.

I do worry that, with a new generation of mini-Olivias taking the helm, the times they end up on the same team will just magnify the current problems. I guess I can hope they'll self-destruct through infighting.