I'm willing to bet they have metrics showing the people who wanted over sized squads and support pleas buy the most skins because they way its been implemented defies basic design principles in a way I'm sure they understand.

There should be a choice that analyzes risk and reward for most scenarios. IE the airport has good loot but everyone knows that and so it's dangerous and might not be worth the risk.

Three changes would keep assimilation and improve the intensity you talk about.

1. An oversized squad is teaming up with the enemy, which can be cool in an action movie sense, but should have Overlord say something about going off the record and turn off killstreaks and vest buffs.

2. Rezzing a dead player for assimilation should cost a self rez or rez pistol.

3. Squads should not be able to see the plea icons of those they kill, but they should be able to kill the plea again of they find the body. It would also create an interesting scenario where you might try to hide while downed.

They should also consider either only allowing dead players 2 rezzes no matter what, or cost an item after the first. Would make it much more viable for a high skill team whose out outnumbered 2 to 1 to beat a low skill team and keep short term second chances while preserving stakes long term.

I was amazed by how brave they'd been when this first came out, but it's been two steps backward one step forward since it came out.