Re: People not playing because they can't be solo
If you are not active and / or contactable, then gaining a high rank in an alliance is just not an option. For this reason alone many people will be going back to solo play next round, and who can really blame them! While people can survive so much easier as a solo, it was always be a very appealing option to players. I don't think that this mini-round is going to make too much of a difference on that account.
However, I'm not complaining at all, I love lots of solo players and I love playing either solo or allied, I always manage to find some way to enjoy the game whatever situation / Age I am in