I think during ptr, there like 15 clans put into a server and only 7-9 came online to try out the test.
It was much better war experience as people were not to identified to their alliance. Even wars back in 2014 there was no alliance and it was rather small bands of people or organization (I think clan size was just max slot 40) just fighting for themselves... That was the peak of Ds.. there were only 3 maps few gates so the competition to fight was tight and not all will have a space in being a mapholder.
Around 2017 - current, CCV and mm were added in this ,so it open up 2 more choice for map holder to come in. And clan size got increased to 80. That's where alliance started to be a thing majority is always right, minority is always seen as trouble maker. To the point we need a long goal update to help the attackers lmao

. And people are so identified in their own DS alliance xD.
Playing ptr have that 2014-2016 feeling again when people were not so identified to some alliance thingy.
So PTR had about only 9-11 ppl per clan , so down sizing the clan to 20 clan slot can be good start. This create more clan numbers in saloon. Meaning tighter competition to be a map holder... Naturally alliance will still be there but.... It's more of an organization now... And not some 60 clan alliance hard camping all maps.