I say we abolish the team counter... so no one knows how many are any side and balance the team by adding AI drones.
The next step is to balance the skill level of the players, by handicapping players and giving bonuses to those that are very good.
For example, if statistically a player has higher hit percentage, then their bullets are reduced in the amount of damage they do, and vise a versa..
This way everything is nice and even... it's balanced.
Perhaps an example is a better illustration of this idea:
NOOB is a first time player - never played AH before, doesn't know a rudder from a propellar. Least of all, what a merge is.
NOOB is flying along trying to figure out what all the pretty dials are for.
AH SUPREME ACE HOLE sees NOOB's plan flying along and manuevers into position for an attack, he easily wins the merge, and lines up for the kill shot.
NOOB has no idea he's being attacked, has no idea what SA is, has no idea what's outside of his cockpit, nor that he's just lost the merge and is about to be shot down in flames.
SUPREME ACE HOLE squeezes the trigger and plasters NOOB for a good 5 seconds. Yet, nothing falls off.
SUPREME ACE HOLES spits invectives to network lag, mean while maneuvers in to 50 yards, for a point blank kill cannons blazing.
NOOB notices a rattling sound, and proceeds to fly around in circles trying to locate its source.
SUPREME ACE HOLE follows NOOB getting ever more frustrated with the blanks.
Mean while CHERRY PICKER SOB from a third world country flying in his ME262 at 25k, looks down and notices the intense dogfight below on the deck, he rolls over, dives down, waxes ACE HOLE and NOOB in one pass. CHERRY PICKER isn't as good a flyer (he doesn't even know what a merge is). He's not even very good shot so his bullets actually do some damage.
So, there everything is balanced. Everyone flies around and has a good time, everyone is equally handicapped by their skill or lack of skill so NO ONE HAS AN ADVANGE - After all that wouldn't be fair.