95% of the map is irrelevant... to 95% of the players in the match. What about the other 5%? Who is me, btw. I want some empty map to help control my pace-of-play. I don't care what other players do, even my own teammates. As a matter of fact, my entire play style is dependent on most players in the match having the hot drop mentality. It's been true for me in trios since day one and it's still true now in Wildcard.
And if you're that player who thinks you have a binary choice, hot drop with seven other squads or cold drop and not get action until the very end of the match... then you are definitely the player for whom the larger map is a benefit. The great thing about Wildcard (I can't believe I'm praising anything about this s idiotic mode, but here goes) is that the map is exactly the size that you want to be at any given moment. Thanks to the endless zip lines. If your hot drop turns too hot then just zip away, and for once your squadmates who you hang out to dry will actually thank you for giving them a way back into the match. And if your drop turns out to be a little too cold then you can zip directly into the action in about five seconds. And you can even do it alone. You probably SHOULD do it alone so you have a guaranteed respawn. Because it's Wildcard and actions have no consequences until the end of the match, and even then very little.
So, imo, the big map is not a bug. It's a feature.
