It's not about punishing them. That argument about "punishment" is as old as Bushtarion, and a ridiculous argument at that. The fact is that the very nature of Bushtarion allows an alliance to get themselves in to a position of having a huge lead early on, by which point the rest of the round becomes incredibly easy (usually alliances at the top can go incredibly idle, and just rely on somebody texting them for the odd incoming, once they get enough lead) - while inversely, it becomes extremely (disproportionately) hard for everyone else (the challenge of trying to not grow in to range of the top alliance, competing with the rest of the game, and having the top alliance wipe you all out in the blink of an eye should you accidentally get in to range, does not match the challenge of outgrowing everyone in the first few days). This can almost be seen as a 'flaw' with the very core of Bushtarion that allows this situation to happen - it should be impossible to "win" a 75 day round a week in. Yes it doesn't always happen, sometimes a resistance can actually work, at great effort to a great many people, and it's relatively rare.
Players do need additional facilities to help keep a round interesting all the way through to the end. There should always be a genuine possibility that you don't know who's won it until the last week of a round (even the last day!). Players have proven time and time again that players alone are not capable of this, due to the difference a fast "Pull-away" at start round makes (once you are at the "top of the hill", it becomes incredibly easy to remain there and keep everyone below you down, the challenge at MAINTAINING the position once there is nowhere even close to equal to the challenge of successfully taking down an alliance with a gigantic lead).
Punishment is not what I would describe a mechanism of a game providing tougher and tougher challenges for those that strive to be the top (I wouldn't call monsters getting harder as I level up in an RPG as punishment for levelling up)...
I'm truly fed up of seeing some members of top alliances, past and present (it's not all, only a handful - some actually selflessly think beyond their own little worlds and ranks and agree with me) defend their "right" to stay at the top, farm everyone below them, and stagnate a round, and then moan when anyone even hints at something that might actually provide further challenge beyond the first week or two of a round.
