You can't lower the number of people on teams - you just gotta deal with what they give you. I think the main reason that it's more chaotic now is that there's a lot more abilities now that can kill you instantly (Shuck Shot, Barrel Blast, Super Ultra Ball, etc.). In GW1, my main issues were Sprint Tackle and Chili Bean Bomb. Now, most of the game is just dodging random explosions.
