Most new players don't know how to work the radio to ASK about the game.
I think you're grossly underestimating the capability of the average new player. Text channels are not that impenetrable to the average person. If they can't figure that out, I doubt they'd be able to figure out how to choose a plane and launch it.
Personally, I see little difference between being horded by high ENY planes versus low ENY planes, but apparently HT feels differently. If people treated the game more like a pickup game of football instead of sticking to their side no matter what, it wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately people have the attitude of "chesspiece or log out" with no room for compromise.
HT apparently made the decision that people logging off the high side is preferable to the kind of side imbalance they get without ENY. It's designed to be punitive. All the "tweaks" are ever talking about is making it less punitive so the side imbalance is less painful for the side on top.
Wiley.