The future of the game lies in dueling, unless Dominion and some core game mechanics, get an overhaul.
So, Dominion is the most popular mode as we well know, but that's because it's a casual player shit show. Most players are terrified of 1v1 in a straight up fight. Dominion let's them dominate lesser geared folks, blame losses on greater geared folks and be carried along by their team - again, where when they lose they have people to point at and blame and win they win they can assume personal responsibility for that win.
The problem here is two-fold. One, these players get to rep whatever and start to get bored, so they wander into the dueling modes and get completely and utterly annihilated because they genuinely don't understand the game. This isn't conducive to converting most players to a more competitive/serious mindset. Sure, a few will say 'fuck these guys im going to learn this and come back and rofl stomp them' but most are going to scream and cry ineffectual, barely post/current pubescent tears into their couch while yelling about balance or cheating or whatever. When someone waltz's in with an ego from 120hrs on Dominion and gets just monkeystomped, they will turn tail and ho back to their mode of choice. Which leads to problem number two: Boredom. Dominion is almost never played with any kind of strategy beyond maybe 'stick together' and eventually people will get tired of that. Especially as the gear divide minimizes and players have fewer matches where are demigods compared to much lesser geared individuals. Even if it DIDNT, most people will burn out on meaningless Dominion play eventually. Gear balancing is also going to increase the attrition rate, because you grind and grind for that one Hat of Gooder Punchkicking that lets you one shot the guys who dont have Chests of Stopping Gooder Punchkicking, but all of a sudden, you dont one shot them. Your Punchkicking is still gooder, but its not as gooder. The carrot isnt as big and even when you do get it, it has less shelf life because the rewards are less ridiculous.
Mechanically the game just doesn't lend itself to group fighting.. I can - and have numerous times - been working on my opponent, only to get knocked out of my own rhythm by a Raider, spinning around like some lunatic, mongoloid ballerina, screaming CREAM FOR MOLDY PIZZA, and interrupting not only the enemy, but his teammates as well. The lock on system doesn't allow for terribly detailed movement in a group setting either which makes coordinating attacks extremely difficult. Moving around and getting close enough to take advantage of a knock down from such and such a move, or getting far enough to not get decked by the Raider's PIZZA attack, or any number of similar, wide-berth aoe type stuff. Essentially in a group fight setting characters are stripped of multiple tools and kind of rendered down to a few moves that don't interrupt, or get interrupted, by teammates. Hell, doesnt Valk sweep knock down teammates too?
Now, I understand that Dominion and such isnt about just team fighting. There is obviously some strategy to holding capture points and the movement and theory behind the best way to do that, etc etc, but if that's your primary goal, there are a hundred other games that do that better. FH is unique and interesting because of its combat and how precise and intricate it *can* be under the right circumstances.. but its inbuilt mechanics work directly against large team fighting.
There is def skill there, of course, but its the more generic skill inherent to any game with a point capture type mode. I mean, you are taking this really interesting set of systems and how they interact with each other on each character and boiling it down to a LB and 4 Wardens as a team comp. LB does his over the shoulder grab and the Wardens all spam top heavies, cause that doesn't interrupt anyone elses moves.. And thats assuming your guys can get in to anything resembling the correct position when the LB chucks the guy.
