This is the key, 343/MCC MUST, i repeat MUST, incorporate these two vital features.
If halo has any chance of making a comeback they need to focus on a BALANCED matchmaking.
Searching by yourself to come up against a party of 4 players together and that are level 50’s is absolutely mind boggling, and the only reason they have it is because it will allow quicker matches.
Party matching & rank matching serves BOTH the casual player and the competitive players. If you are a casual player, you are not going to enjoy versing people who are a lot better than you for more than about two games. If you are a competitive player you are not going to enjoy demolishing casual players for more than two games. Players want to verse players who are at a similar skill because it makes for a QUALITY game of halo.
Halo 3 had an almost perfect match making system, and counter strike: Go has an almost identical one and is very successful.
THE QUALITY OF THE MATCHES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE QUANTITY.
AND IF YOU IMPROVE THE QUALITY THE QUANTITY (Population) WILL BE A BY-PRODUCT OF QUALITY.