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The randomness declines from lobby to pickup to mix as you get more control. pug2 is an exception I guess.

Depends on the players you want to target, there will be overlap on the individual players’ wishes, but not everyone wants the same all the time.

Quoted from AnimaL

[…]depends whats your point of view.. It was still aids compared to high skill mixes which is why it died. But once you compare it to d3 mix then pu2 would be better

Admittedly I never played in pug2 therefore I can only guess and would take your opinion for it. :) I imagine a proper highdiv mix is less aids than pug2 then, following my original line of thought?

Quoted from foxy_dave

So, I have an idea of the differences of these in my head, but I’m keen to get general opinions on what the difference between these game modes are. Is it just a case of organisation? Forcing use of voice communications? Skill levels?

*You can replace 6vs6/6’s with highlander anywhere as well of course*

They are all a form of organization to play 6vs6-format TF2.
Since the competitive format is not the normal/regular format (as in LoL/Dota 2), and the creators of the game don’t give official recognition to the format (as in CS:GO), there is a need to organize to play in the 6’s format.

Mix:
A mix is a form of players organizing themselves to play in the 6’s format. 6 friends playing against a clan or another mix.

Pro’s:
-Fun because it is with friends.
-Close skill level (if u actually try/aim to get same level opponents)

Con’s:
– Takes a decent amount of time to organize (don’t even want to imagine how long a highlander doublemix takes to start), you have to be in the server and in mumble during organizing time. (unlike a pug where you add and can do whatever you want while waiting for it to start)

Lobby:
A lobby is a self-organizing system to play in 6’s format. You just add up, when enough players are in and ready, it starts. You get the class you chose, everybody is happy. There is no voice communication, you just get to play in competitive format. An analogy would be the casual/public mode and the competitive/5vs5 mode in CS:GO.

Pro’s:
-Self organizing
-You get to play in 6’s format

Con’s:
-No voice communication

Pickup:
Like a lobby, a pickup is a self-organizing system that lets you play in competitive format, but it has voice communication.
It is taking it one step further, giving a real 6’s environment where communication is key.

Pro’s:
-Self organizing
-You get to play in 6’s format
-Voice communication

Con’s:
– Most games have a big gap in skill level between teams. (can be fixed/partially fixed with a Skill Rating system)
– Can be used to troll and abuse, people can not show up and/or go AFK randomly. (can be fixed by giving out 2 week minimum bans for the smallest things, auto-banning people that didn’t show up/went AFK/were reported) Hello TF2Pickup.net/Lamqta :D

This is the way I see it I hope it was worth something to you.