Side note: No one will ever convince me they would pay to play AH3 so they will have the opportunity to drive M3s to town to resupply. Yet, I dare say the majority of the current and future subscribers do so, with the intention of experiencing online air combat.
I e-mailed AH and indicated I would quit the game if the m3 neutering experiment several months ago turned out to be permanent....NOT because I got thrills and chills driving an m3, or because I got a perverse sort of pleasure defending a base in a subtle way, but because it is an essential base defense ingredient when your team is outnumbered at the point of attack.
The point I'm making is that I did not "pay to play" so that I could drive an m3, but that I would NOT "pay to play" if that aspect of the game were removed. That's a big difference. Think about it.
As for your "majority" comment...the game appeals to different people for different reasons. A lot of the long term players play big picture vs furball picture. The furball people want others to play their way, and that's simply going to drive even more players to AH3 alternatives if the game is tweaked to force them into play modes they don't enjoy.
Again, think about it.