So you are saying that attacking a completely empty base with no defense is better game-play?
Maybe we should get rid of the ack too? Does that get in their way too much? Poor little things.
If the base was an important strategic base marked on the map than attacking it would be ideal and provide an objective or path to action. This would also provide incentive to defend it. The whole point of the war in the MA is to attack bases. I'm telling you that players who like to Jabo empty bases are going to hate having to deal with 2-3 AI trail them on their way to a base. Then you have to ask, what kind of planes would the AI be? Why hurt the attackers of the game spending the time to fly to the base in the first place? If the AI gets shot down by the group and they cap the field. It defeats its purpose anyway. I think players need to get better at base defense, but many are too impatient to roll from a back field.
I agree with you about short base distances and smaller maps, but a path to action that is optional is the best way to go about it.