Instant Action but that is only due to the PC version having a high player count. If a map is designed for 8v8 that doesnt mean a 16 man FFA will work on it. Its just far too crowded for me and its nothing but who shoots who in the back the most.
After that its Extraction. It would be a much better mode if the defenders could recover the ticks and get them back to the podiums. There is no strategy involved. You just grab a tick and brainlessly sprint to the extraction point. Repeat until its captured.
Instant Action. Back in the demo with only six players per team you had time to plain your attack. Instant does not allow that time plus adding 4 players on top of some very small maps was a stupid Idea. I never understood WHY we had to have 16 players I enjoyed the demo fine with 12 and most of the maps are better that way. 16 was too much.
IA least favourite as it's very boring, after that TIA because again that is quite dull but at least you get the chance to stay alive longer than 10 seconds. CtR & Extraction are very similar but I disagree with previous poster that the ticlks should return to base when dropped - one of the things I find quite tedious about CtR is the difficulty in actually getting a relay outta the base before the camping defenders shoot you in the back.
i think you guys are nuts. Instant Action is fantastic, I feel it takes a little more skill, and yes, it does have more "wtf there's no way i could have not died" moments. I'd have to go with CTR, borring. capture the flag is overdone and overrated.