Well, I've got to give it to you that even if you bitch when we get an antag you kinda crawl with it. However, even if rewards are not that great remember when we beat a top anta? It was really cool, the least thing we care about was the rewards.
People focusing too much about balance and rewards are missing out on beating out the odds. Aside from that there is a lot you can learn from watching antags. I thought for some stupid reason that Alicia was one of the worst raiders. I was playing antag getting loss afer loss, then I realized that the common factor on those matches was Alicia!
I saw how other people played her and gave me some ideas to beat them as antagonist and then used her against antagonists. IT IS A CORE part of the game we shouldnt really get rid of it. Its like playing a moba and saying you know it would be better if it was more like an RTS, its not that type of game. Same with raiders it has that particular point. For me it really gets me nuts that it doesnt have side weapons AND grenades. WTF Mercury but I carry on because its their particular point of view on the genre.
Still I think Mercury should just make the option to play antag free with a little less rewards if you detest it that much and boost a little bit more if you are willing to get antag. They would have to get rid of the affinity thingy for weapons, maybe adding a faction point cost would be a solid option. Still keep the Aequilibrium I think that part benefits you and your team whether you antag or not.
Another game mode that I think it would be cool is several antagonist vs themselves and the CPU. That way the "psychos" that still want to play antag can do it while not "trolling" raiders. That or bot Raiders. It would be a really nice complement to single player mode. Having a solo antag mode would rock! Just imagine up to 8 bot raiders vs you and an army of minions!
As a final note I think threads like "OMG THIS GAME SUCKS" "ANTAGONISTS KILLS ALL THE FUN" should stop or at least argument a little before just ranting along with a less clickbaity title. You will get more "exp" I mean real experience by getting mobbed down, yes is not fun but when you win and you eventually win is so rewarding.
Personally I stand at level 49 and just get great joy from beating a team of 4 in 150-250 level. They are like "pff we are going to wreck this guy" and then I win. All the odds were against me and coming on top of it that is something I wouldnt trade for "fairness" sometime I get owned and thats ok too. If you really dont want to "endure" this mechanic you can play less or quit a week or so and then come back I have done this and it really refreshes your look out of the game.
Mercury steam has the complete right to make the game however they want they will succed or fail but they know that it was their decision, not the publisher, not the marketing, not the press. It was theirs. Players not wanting antag mode, fine. Nobody forces you to keep playing. But certainly you just dont have the right to FORCE Mercury to change it. It was announced quite early, even as the premise of the game, 4vs1. You knew what you were getting into it. I remember when they said that it was going to be a hard game and I just laughed "Sure buddy just like COD or Gears 4 hour campaigns". They keep their promises we have to give them that.
There is always Overcrap if you want your user family friendly experience. (I just played it in a free weekend, the lore is cool and the characters are fine but what an underwhelming game feel. Floaty, cheap, alpha like...its way worst than I imagened it, it really felt like a weird mod for Quake 3 with downgraded speed, classes and a cell shaded look)
Just remember you can be instabanned for undesired "behaviour" along with vastly inferior graphics and dumbed down mechanics.