I'm beginning to wonder if a 5x5 MA terrain type and all of the multiplied gaminess due to the small venue wouldn't solve some of the constant moaning about the running away and unwillingness to fight. Scale wise, a 5x5 and our current average max of about 170 would be an equivalent to a 10x10 with about 250-275 players. No field would be deeper than about 2 sectors from the center, and all three countries furball fans could easily get at each others fights. And into everyone's best attempts to have out of the way field grabs or bomber missions.
For all of those who fly FSO, during prime time it would be a lot like when all the target feilds and RTB feilds get covered with fighters just after the bomber strikes finish. After that window during low numbers, it would be easier to get at people during the slow time.
I've been lurking Oceania this week looking at it from a 5x5 perspective. I think it would work from the bored player perspective and it would concentrate player density which psychologically may help players to initiate more than sit back and be tentative like is today's norm. Numbers = More Possibilities even if it's a purpose created illusion by manipulating scale. I manipulated scale with shorter field placements on my three terrains and they generate a lot of activity during prime time. In a 5x5 even 120 players and the resulting darbars would give an illusion of numbers and multiple activities to take part in. Numbers has always been the key to the tipping point that fires up players. It may even cause the prime time window to last a bit longer. I guess being HO'd for 4 hours is better than only being HO'd for 2hours....
From the stand point of our unique venue, 20x20 and 10x10 are a signature feature, while a 5x5 is conceding to the low numbers reality. It would be a fair Titanic Tuesday kind of change to feel out the low numbers proportional to when we had too many players and split into two MA arenas with Titanic Tuesday.
I think today the 5x5 is doable, while in the end The AH identity is Hitech's dream to guide into the future.