I've been thinking quite a lot about what I like and dislike about different game styles and was thinking about making a thread about it but a post here will do. The cut off between team games and lobster pots is necessarily a somewhat arbitrary one, but I'm going to call it 8v8.
1v1
The main pro and con of a 1v1 is that the outcome is dependent solely on me. On the one hand it's nice to know no one else can take the credit for my win. On the other, there are far fewer second chances than in a team game and my early game is pretty uneven. If I squander those raiders, I'll likely hand you the match. At least there's a chance I can identify a specific fault to work on. A further positive is that I have the resources of a whole map to play with, which means I might have cause to build and use a wider variety of toys. On the other hand, that's a lot of ground to keep an eye on. A 1v1 game also moves pretty quickly and usually gets decided before entrenched stalemate (which is usually bad for me as I like mobile, open games). However, there is also the fear of meeting someone much better than me, or cocking up so bad that someone ostensibly worse can kick my teeth in.
Although there are elements of 1v1 games I appreciate, they are counterbalanced by things I don't like.
Small teams (2v2-4v4)
For me, these represent the sweet spot where personal agency (which is important- I want to feel like I made that victory happen) is complimented by support. I've still got to work for it, but when I screw up, the team might be able to cover for me until I get back to contributing (and if someone else is suffering, perhaps I can enjoy the warm feeling of punching back and taking the heat off them). I've still got a big share of the resources on the map to play with and can diversify (or double down). I still have space to do more than throw units at the front. Of course, there is still the possibility of dark blues and me queueing up and me being a drag on someone but even if I can't beat @Sparkles, I can still sidekick pretty well for someone who can. I've played 2v2s where I've been teamed up with a pro against another pro and someone of a similar skill level to myself and my role has really just been to avoid dying long enough for my team mate to roll over his opponent's sidekick without diverting too much of his strength to save me. That's fine. That's a plan, that's a goal to accomplish, and satisfying when I achieve it.
Medium teams (5v5 to 8v8)
These are similar to smaller games, but with somewhat less personal agency (though there is still some) and more support. It's a more comforting spot - I might not have to work so hard, but the achievement will be correspondingly less. I have less space to play around with and fewer resources, but there are still some. On the plus side, with more players, it's easier to come up with roughly even teams.
Lobsterpots (9v9+)
Personal agency suddenly dies. I'm not being supported by my team, I'm dependent on them and possibly stifled by them. If my team wins, did I actually accomplish anything to achieve this? If we lose, was it something I did or was I just dragged down with the sinking ship? It's better than no game, but in my calculus, the choice between playing a lobsterpot and a 1v1 is whether at that moment, I'm less bothered by the fear of meeting someone much better or letting myself down or the probability that what I do won't impact the outcome.
About the only good thing in a lobsterpot is the possibility of seeing endgame stuff that doesn't normally get trundled out. Shame I won't be the one wielding it.
Co-Op
A change of pace, I'd like to do some more of it, and perhaps chicken defence will hone parts of my game that I'm really not very good at.
FFA
Difficult to access, so I've not played enough to be good at it, but the metagame element is quite intriguing. Winning doesn't just depend on how I handle my stuff in game, but on how I read my opponents and pick targets and allies (and who to backstab and when). With more practice, I feel like it would share the same sweet spot between agency and dependence as small teams, with the added benefits of (when it lasts) getting to play around with endgame stuff I'd never normally use.
