@NullEffective9Why not do both? Instead of combining lobbies after a set amount of time (i.e.- dumping preds & premades in with lower skilled players after the MM timer goes off), why not shorten/shrink the game? Set a player minimum and then scale the ring at the start based off the resulting player count. Say you set the min at 30 players (10 squads), then start the game as is once you have at least that many and the timer goes off. Then have the ring start moving forward based on how full the lobby is. For example, if you have 30 players, the ring would start moving uninterrupted straight to round 2 or 3 right off the drop.
I'd personally prefer smaller, faster matches with players truly of equal skill than the cluster fiesta we get now where you get melted repeatedly by people you have no chance against before the game throws you a bone.
@HappyHourSumwur This is an interesting thought, but it would change other dynamics of the game such as drop spawns, armor progression, etc.
