Well that covers pretty much everything I wanted to say except..
Why does everyone want to punish the top just for being the top? If you really want to stop 1 alliance from overtaking every other alliance by so much, get a resistance together, and force them to participate.. It has happened successfully in the past (rarely.. but it has happened) and do it before they get too far ahead..
They dont want to punish the top players, just let other have a chance of making the top.
It doesnt matter as far as im concerned. Rank 3 is where its at
the flaw is if one alliance is willing to put the work in to win the round in 5 days. no matter how you change the system. those people will always try harder than the others. or find a way round it.
this idea for example. is punishing (if not by design) those that take a lead. by splitting up an alliance that gains "too much" lead. they work hard for that lead. only to be punished for it. to give people trying less hard a chance, or people with less knowledge and activity that get poorer starts a chance? why?
tbh IF YOU want a go at winning, make a name for your self, by doing the best you can do in the alliance you are in. when suddenly some good players that didnt quite make rank 1 but Are in a rank 2 or 3 alliance are hitting lower down, and they see this awsome player always defending and defending well against thier attack, they will think wow we should recruit him/her next round (or b4 if u jump ship). Then suddenly the following round you are helping an alliance that has a better potential to win and get noticed by more people higher up the 'i want to win' food chain. And eventually you get to play with other people that want to win enough they put in as much effort as you.
its how it goes. look at lilow this round. i spoke to her 2 rounds back when in #prest. Thats the first time i had spoke to her & had seen her public profile on her ingame id's maybe 1-2 rounds before. But soo many of the player base considered experienced, and who know thier stuff and whose opinion i value, commented at how good she was, because they have seen first hand what that player can do defending against them some oe previously ffew may have even noticed if they hadnt directly played with her. also like yochoko, i hadnt heard of before a few rounds back but she is another awsome new/ish player, active and good.
You dont win rounds by changing the system you win rounds by playing well and actively, and making the difference to the group you are in, and doing so noticably enough to have people want you with them that next peg up the food chain.
right now i know a few players i met in discworld. rarely considered a FTW alliance. but i noticed them when i played thier as good players. and im playing with one of them next round (ftf). and i know several of them have been in a winning alliance, so even the alliance you are in now if low ranked, or not could have an old school pro hiding away, or some one who is good but not in the best alliance to show off thier activity and knowledge, and you can get noticed by playing well, and people will rather play with you than against you. thats how you get to an alliance with other people willing to try as hard as you. and you also then garentee you have the knowledge and experience to play at that level.
any sugggestion to make it easier for others to win rank one beside those that put in the most effort is riddiculous. it makes it harder for those that try hardest to win rank one. it makes it more random, and luck based. not "skill" (activity/contactability/knowledge/desire/ability)