Trong, thank you for opening this thread. The first reply to you ended with an 'end of story' but that has proven to be anything but the case.
I don't think any thread on these forums has ever changed my opinion more about the game than this thread and it's basically from reading Statesman's replies that I've come to realize that at least some of the devs are thinking way too much in inside of the box that was their original vision.
It's hard to blame them. They cannot play the game from our perspective because (1) they know it intimately inside and out and (2) they cannot afford the time to play even 1 average AT from 1 to 50. I hope for their sakes they find a better way to connect with the game.
It's is clear that MANY people want to solo and MANY people would like to group if it were more productive/convenient/etc. As it is, grouping is not productive for many people and simply forcing people to do so by hurting soloability is the wrong way to go. If you want me to eat the plate in front of me, don't force it down my throat - make it taste better.
Making the game harder will alienate casual players. If people want challenge, there are so many ways right now to get it. For example, just roll another AT that is more challenging to play or try hunting a different group of villains.
I would like to see the game become like a good ski resort. Where the beginners/intermediates/experts can all get to the top of the mountain, but each gets to choose which way they go down (easy/medium/hard).
