The first change would be to remove the "choose faction" on the functions panel, and replace it with the faction you have reputation with in the system. As it is now, people just switch factions back and forth and it's kind of meaningless. If you are doing missions for crimson state during the war, the federation, or maybe just the the minor faction should become hostile - and that would be how you join sides in a CZ.
The second change would be to match up players based on the total ratio of players in the conflict zone. If there are 64 crimson state players and 32 federation players in a conflict zone, the matchmaking should try and keep it a 2-1 ratio across the 3-4 instances that would exist. Right now you might drop in and be 15-1, go back to supercruise and drop in again and now its 5-15. An less "realistic" but more fair gameplay alternative would be to try and keep it 50-50. Obviously it would just be best-effort since if there is one crimson state, a wing of federation, and nobody else its going to be 4-1 no matter what.
The last would be what has been suggested before, a sense of winning or losing a battle by making conflict zones more dynamic - one side or the other would eventually pull back/push forward. In the end we might be fighting right at the station being fought over.
Single/group and open play could possibly be somewhat tied together via NPC spawn rates
The second change would be to match up players based on the total ratio of players in the conflict zone. If there are 64 crimson state players and 32 federation players in a conflict zone, the matchmaking should try and keep it a 2-1 ratio across the 3-4 instances that would exist. Right now you might drop in and be 15-1, go back to supercruise and drop in again and now its 5-15. An less "realistic" but more fair gameplay alternative would be to try and keep it 50-50. Obviously it would just be best-effort since if there is one crimson state, a wing of federation, and nobody else its going to be 4-1 no matter what.
The last would be what has been suggested before, a sense of winning or losing a battle by making conflict zones more dynamic - one side or the other would eventually pull back/push forward. In the end we might be fighting right at the station being fought over.
Single/group and open play could possibly be somewhat tied together via NPC spawn rates