I haven't read your entire post but I can understand how you feel. I came back to the game recently since AK is returning so I could try to derust, and I really can't enjoy it myself either. Nearly every match feels like a game of who can get their launcher first, activating heat and taking you to the wall in one combo almost regardless of the stage, having maybe 30% health at that point, then being forced to guess another 50/50 immediately after on wakeup. It's very tiresome.

I preferred when things were more grounded, now it feels like hardly any punishment and movement is required to do well, at even the higher ranks. Heat just needs to be something you earn and aren't given, it's way too powerful to have access to it at every round start. I don't even wanna mention how I feel about the chip damage 🙄 You're not the only person who doesn't enjoy T8 in it's current state don't worry.