This could fix population unbalance. 2 solutions

Smaller population limits but more numerous continents is how Planetside 1 achieved superior population balance.

Planetside 2 method (fewer continents; larger pop caps)

• Empire Pop: 2000 (44%), 1500 (33%), 1000 (22%)
• Continent 1: 2000 vs. 1500 vs. 1000
• Percentage of players in unfair fights: 100% (56% of players are at pop disadvantage)

Planetside 1 method (many continents; smaller pop caps)

• Same empire populations.
• New pop limit of 275 players per cont.
• Continent 1: 275 vs. 275 vs. 275
• Continent 1: 275 vs. 275 vs. 275
• Continent 1: 275 vs. 275 vs. 275
• Continent 4: 275 vs. 275 vs. 175
• Continent 5: 275 vs. 275 vs. 0
• Continent 6: 275 vs. 125 vs. 0
• Continent 7: 275 vs. 0 vs. 0
• Continent 8: 75 vs. 0 vs. 0
• Percentage of players in unfair fights: 25% (6.7% of players at pop disadvantage)

So with the same dramatically uneven empire pops, a system of More Continents with Smaller Pop Limits creates way more balanced fights, with hardly any players at a pop disadvantage.
A secondary trait of this system is that the main penalty for joining the wrong empire exists by joining the full empire (where you can get stuck having no fun on an empty continent) so you'd be strongly motivated not to empire-stack.
The actual implementation would center around:

• Continent Creation: A new instance of a continent is created when the previous continent is 75% full.
• Continent Completion: Continents are locked once dominated, and no more respawning may occur.

So with a couple simple rules, the system dynamically scales to however many players are online. Plus as an added bonus you get the feeling that you truly conquered a continent because it locks behind you and you cash in on the domination bonus (which provides -5% resource cost of the appropriate type for 6 hours (stacking up to -30%, if you manage to dominate multiple continents of that same type within those 6 hours.))

How about we just give free server transfers to anyone playing on a overpopulated server/faction?

This solution has been proposed time after time again, only for the SOE developers to ignore the problem and focus on providing helmets and uniforms enhancements for purchase.

The fix is a lot simpler than everybody thinks... just add an ARMOR BONUS proportionally to the INDIVIDUAL HEX pop differential, if the fighting is taking place and...lets say you are outnumbered 3 to 1 in a tower fight, give the underpoped faction 3X health points to everything... infantry, base guns, aircrafts, armor, etc...then NOBODY will want to be a part of the zerg, and combat would be spread as much as possible...The first time you have to unload an insane amount of fire to kill an opponent would be the death sentence for the zergs/4th factioners.
Can anyone explain to me why such a simple mechanic was not implemented from the start please?? what are the cons of such a thing?? because I cant find any.
You even will be encouraged to take on bigger forces... something that NEVER happens now

This is well thought out man I would love to be able to log into a good fair fight. A side effect to your system here would be more people would sub to Ps2 to get on whatever continent they choose. I think better ideal then A new server at 75% pop would be better to just another full server. Because when they add continent locking this is only way it would work. Honestly ANYTHING would be better then this crap we have in-game atm.

Lol, this cat has some of the funniest **** posted to this forum I've ever read.

His history reads like a comedy routine.

He speaks the truth.....

1. 24-hour lock on characters used on the same server of different factions. This is to stop the 4th factioners going for easy XP, or in Mattherson's case, trolling. Allowing different faction characters on the same server is one of the most laughably ridiculous ideas ever in a game like this where it's all about the #'s.

2. Increase XP gained by shorted factions significantly. This is to counter the frustration of being farmed via zergs of larger populations. Something that's causing players to flee "Alert zones", going 4th faction, and just logging out.

3. Merge servers. I would say allow other servers to have transfers, but considering only 2 servers ever have "medium" population, the rest low, taking people from one would turn that one into a barren wasteland of boredom and pop advantages. Time to merge servers.

Zenanii has a good idea for when server transfer tokens come out. Otherwise we'll watch the small populations get smaller.

For 4th Factioners, why not just institute a two hour lock starting at the start of the alert? Sure some people would go "zomgalertmusthopfast!!!". But it would stop the rage quitters who ditch their faction at 20 minutes to the end.

Because the lock will only work on people that sub the game normal no pay people use 3 accounts. So why hassle the people that pay for the game? And give the free to play crown advantage.