Didn't see this topic in a search so started one. The first step in solving a problem is admitting the problem exists. In every MMO PvP game I've played where there is 'capturable' assets almost every time it was the team/faction/guild with the most players that wins, period. Trying to do the rock/paper/scissors balancing act doesn't usually work, zerg numbers will win out if not in the battle instance then in the number of time zones covered and online endurance such groups have over smaller, even more skilled, opponents. I would like the Devs to please acknowledge the problem exists, then seriously craft a plan to deal with the problem because it's a game killer in every other game it has gone ignored. Remember gentlemen, this is a game, not a simulation, game balance and entertainment is more important then historical authenticity.
One possible solution, although I don't know how successful it would be in this game, is locking/unlocking factions that outnumber other factions by a preset ratio (I've seen this done in other games when the moderators could see players dogpiling into one faction/race/class/etc). This prevents Zergism but at the expense of player satisfaction if the Zerging faction/race/class/etc was very popular, which should tip the developers off they've created an obviously overpowered facet in the game. I understand that a lot of Naval Action nation selection is along language lines which will make player balancing a significant challenge. Oh, and wiping the map will not fix the problem because the problem is a root systemic one and with time we'll get the same map we have now.
Another issue, that is tangent to the player imbalance issue, is that very important assets (production buildings) are forced to be in National Ports and thus very vulnerable to loss. This is where I'm at a loss as to why Game Labs would chose such a game mechanic when other successful games know that when the inevitable happens there will be extreme customer dissatisfaction at the loss of expensive assets (expensive in both time and game currency). It is currently possible to drive a nation completely out of crafting which in my opinion seems obvious. The trite answer of "trade" is not a reasonable solution, reworking production buildings is the reasonable solution. I understand the devs wish to 'force' players into conflict, which leads to great PvP, but coupled with the player imbalance mentioned above it tends to have the blowback effect of people choosing to not play the game (already I'm seeing a 10-20% reduction in online numbers in the last two weeks).
In closing I'd like to say that players are extremely poor at policing their own behavior, even if it's ultimately going to destroy a game. Humans don't like challenges, they prefer easy grossly onesided victories. We all have this trait, it lurks in that dark part of our soul that never admits it in public, even to ourselves. We say we want even odds, but when you look at actions taken in games it tells a far different story. I would truly like the Devs to take my suggestion seriously.