My opinion is that new players needs to play with someone of same level. And maps are just empty.
What about a “permanent event” that gives extra exp after finishing a map, and the map change every hour or so. This would gather people in the map, meet more people, make friends (that is all about what made me love pve in AL).
Or showing in world map how many players of your level are running maps, so you can try to join them.
Trying to gather people together to me is the key for new players to play AL. The rest will come.
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