From what info has already been released, it sounds like while maps may be persistent, you'll constantly have teams entering and exiting ongoing games.
So no; you won't be waiting in a lobby for up to 256 players to join. That pretty much goes beyond the boundaries of common sense.
It almost sounds like an MMO FPS. Presumably, maps will be large enough to be segmented into different regions, the key difference being that teams from different areas can still interact with other teams/missions and cross over boundaries.
Technically, you should be able to play on the same map with other squads on your side and never actually see them or interact with them directly, just like a real battlefield.
Should be interesting to see how it actually works.







