I'm wondering what would happen if CHAOS basically said, "Everyone who feels confident soloing, go solo. Run around the sides, whatever, cause trouble and ignore all orders from here on out. Everyone else fight as a clump and listen to orders."
I'm afraid in the case with DRZ, where they have so many archers supporting them, the front may more or less be equal on infantry, but the ranged would light them up, they'd get overrun, and they'll still have arrows leftover for the skirmishers. Not to mention cav. Plus, when the group gets split up, the chance they'll push straight through the middle of the (diminished) lines and capture the flags, instantly putting an end to the battle, grows.
The thing about the skirmishing that was going on was, I think it was largely unexpected as you said. I could flank archers, personally, and score a kill and(or) chase them off a little ways. It would usually attract the attention of some of their infantry and cav, too. That's a bonus. When you have a lot of people doing it, it just makes the whole thing chaotic, and I think with superior gear and ranged support, they would be able to take advantage of that situation, as opposed to us taking advantage of the former.
Honestly the vast majority of my deaths in these battles was to archers, typically headshots. Pretty much, regardless of my position on the map.
I think that's really where they had us. Volleys of arrows blotting out the sun, falling down to headshot us all. Ping no longer matters. It's just dark and cold.