It is a game first and foremost. As a game, it has to try to keep it playable for all the subscribers, not just the side with massive numbers.
I couldn't agree more - the problem is that ENY as currently implemented ( or so it appears to me) performs only a token amount of leveling, and in fact worsens the situation a lot of the time, because it's a "shotgun" approach when what's needed is a scalpel. With all the issues surrounding it, I can't help but feel that in many instances it's the bathwater that drowns the baby.
What I would do if it were my game and the goal were to force a more level playing field across the map is apply ENY calculations to a circle around each field - or at least use the "sector tallies" that are already calculated. I've diagrammed it so it's more easily communicated. The larger squares around each field show the 9 squares used to calculate the ENY for the field that's enclosed in the same same color box, except that the yellow square around A15 designates the larger area examined to determine whether to ever calculate ENY for that field. Imagine the scenario described below:
Total Players in the Arena -Rooks 104, Bishops 70, Knights 85.
Total players in NE corner ... Rooks 14 - Bishops 29
If we were to apply the current "overall ENY" calculation, it wouldn't have any effect, or only marginal - and what's more, against the guys who are already outnumbered in the area of the map shown. But if we were to apply a "9 square ENY calculation", we'd see each base shown as being affected so:
A9 14 Rook-29 Bishop (Red Square) Harsh ENY on Bishops
A10 6R-9B (Blue Square) Less Harsh ENY on Bishops
C13 1R-7B (Purple) No ENY, (numbers below thresholds)
A10 0R-0B (White) No ENY
15- N/A No enemy base w/in this sector or 2 on either side, No ENY calc at all.
What does this do? First of all, when a few more Rooks sign into the game, the few defenders up here aren't further hampered by suddenly being smacked with ENY when the majority of new guys signing in go join the horde overrunning the Knights elsewhere on the map. Instead of bailing on the defense and going to join the horde too, it breathes new life into this corner of the map - the new guys joining the game can come up here and fight with an ENY advantage, or go horde up elsewhere and suffer an ENY penalty.
Secondly, it spreads the fight out. Players are going to be taking off from A9 (because it's close), A10 (because they can get a little better plane), A11 (get any plane) , and C13 (get any CV based plane no problem) . This means that theres no longer a horde, since it's been broken up by the game mechanics, and the defenders get a chance to fight against locally diminished odds.
Thirdly, it means that somewhere on the map a squadron can always get their ride, they just have to "pay" with implementing some fuel management and longer flight time. There is also some incentive in general to fly further distances at reduced throttles, which adds an element to the game that's currently largely missing.
Just my thoughts, anyway.