Adding some form of penalty would help, I agree. I used to play League a lot and it worked there.
I'm assuming you're a good player having played the game/spent so much, so this might not apply to you but I've noticed the better I get at Apex the more enjoyable pubs have become. Less people quit upon dying quickly when you're getting a knockdown or 2 early on. If you aren't too good at the game then that's really part of the problem, your success in games will definitely be based off of the other 2/3rds of your team.
There are a lot of leavers, absolutely, but I'm sorry I'm just not having even close to the same experience as you in terms of those numbers, and I almost exclusively use pubs to hot-drop and W-key/* around.
That being said, while I still don't believe solos makes sense in this game in terms of how it's designed (and personally I don't see how it's all that fun in practice with how camp-y and slow the game is after early game with 60 solos), I really don't have a problem with it becoming an additional mode. Some people really just want to not be a teammate or have them and that's cool, I'd rather they not be in my games either tbh if they don't even want to be.
I'm with you but 100%..but
"I still don't believe solos makes sense in this game in terms of how it's designed"
A map is a map. Whether there be multi-level buildings, mountains or flat lands, a map is a map and it should not matter whether there are squads or solos imo. Honestly, what's the difference in comparing the present map to other maps in PUBG for example? Nothing is changed..same map, same style of game play and same, dare I say, rng. Either way, like you said...you need to drop smart, loot and kill. Pretty basic.
They should increase the number of combatants in solo if it does return. Either way...good riddance to the quitters!
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I think I keep doing my survival thing!
It's thrilling and funny...
