I always thought 3 hours was the golden #. This way you could switch between off hours and prime time a lot easier if needed, but must help that team for atleast 3 hours. Most players would switch twice per day rather than 1. I never liked direct switching due to positional awareness of the side you were just on and can use that to your advantage against them. Tbh, I dont think most players like being followed by one supreme jackpot squad all over the map which is why having 3 sides is good to fight other guys. However I totally understand when youre on a side with no fight and the other teams refuse to fight back while your side is hording. That is why you should be allowed to switch once for that instance, and then 3 hours later, switch back again when the tide changes. IMO, the green guys going from side to side dont do much for the game.
