May I suggest a different approach to nerfing the ship hulls? Try nerfing the fleet commanders?
When I fit a hauler with inertial stabilizers or reinforced bulkheads, I get the fitting warning about diminishing returns. When a fleet commander decides 5 Golems, or 15 Catalysts, or zerg Vexors, there is no diminishing returns.
Smart fleet commanders mix the fleet with various hulls for optimal success. Like sending 46 titans plus supporting forces. Spam fleet commanders just pick a hull and figure add more accounts until they have success. Like attempting to destroy 46 titans with Vexor cruisers. Spam enough might work. Either that or crash the game server. According to the Clash at Atioth news, crashing the game server with Vexors still gives them the win.
How about reducing DPS and EHP for spam combat fleets (explicitly not mining/industry fleets). If someone forms a fleet with a pair of identical ships, no reduction applied; start nerfing the fleet stats when they add a third identical ship. A 25% reduction to DPS and EHP for 3 identical ships drops the 3-ship fleet down to 225% of a single ship. Ramping up the nerf for higher ship counts will seriously send a message to the “5-Marauders Wins” fleet commanders.
This fleet mechanic change will not work without ensuring players cannot exploit their way around it. Only limiting the nerf to specific ships, like Golems or Vexors, will just have players mixing the ships within the hull category, like Marauders only or Cruiser only. As fleets grow, this game mechanic must also grow into hull classes and sizes. Battleship or cruiser only fleets cannot be immune from this. Force players to add more complexity to larger fleets. Make them play smarter.
Who cannot adjust their fleets for this game mechanic? This player category:
Forcing different weapon systems, hull sizes, and other variations onto someone currently piloting 15 Catalysts will make automation more difficult. I have no sympathy for those players.
Another work-around to prevent is docked pilots counting towards the variation mechanic. The nerf must be limited to specific combat locations. For faction warfare complexes, only factor ships within the mission reward area. So, if it is a defense grid with 3 sub-complexes, all sub-complexs and players warping between those locations count towards the fleet stats. Warping the marauder fleet onto grid with some frigates will be treated as a whole fleet. Warping the frigates out to safety immediately removes them from the fleet calculation. Ships lost in hostile combat (cannot just kill your fleet frigates yourself) will have a nerf delay timer. The nerf change may be either progressive or implemented in full at expiration, however Fenris Creations decides.
TLDR: Please nerf bottling and spam fleets instead of everyone. Everyone except the offenders will appreciate the change. Lets support the majority of players on this issue.