HiTech,
I'm way late on this issue, but I've been thinking...
I've tried to read all the posts.. HA..
The real issue with numbers imbalance, I believe, is having no chance to fight from a good position.
There are a number of squads that fly to a base in groups of 4 to 6, get it flashing and vulch for points. They'll stay there for as long as they have the advantage and then leave when the fight gets equal. They have no intention of taking bases and no interest in a reset.
Having a large imbalance at any particular time creates the same situation. With only a few fields left, it is very difficult to get up into a position to fight.
When I run into the perk-hunters, I up from another field and try them on from a position of advantage. It may not work, but it beats dying 10 times to get into the air.
I looked at the options. I believe "hardening" the losers as they lose more only slows the game. Limiting rides really makes folks mad. Perking all planes puts newbies at a real disadvantage but comes close to balancing the situation.
I do not know how to implement a "climb" advantage to simulate taking off from a field at a distance, but perhaps one or two "off map" fields could become available when one side is down to 3 or 4 bases, maybe more. This would allow the "underdog" to arrive at a reasonable altitude and have a chance to have a reasonable Kill to Death ratio in the fight. Everyone gets their ride, the reset goes to the organized and the low side gets kills, too.
When 30 folks are vulching a field immediately after a reset, nobody complains, they up their favorite ride from somewhere else and jump the gaggle, or they, themselves, attack an alternate base.
If you could create this situation when the reset is almost accomplished, I think you’d have a solution almost everyone could live with.
( I’d also vary the spawn location for gvs by 500 meters or so randomly in direction and distance to discourage spawn-campers, but that is another thread… )
Respectfully,