The greater plexing power is a consequence of victory point values, and is not only a separate issue but probably a bigger one. I addressed the plexing power as the weakness of cruiser upward in the FW meta (which is certainly exacerbated by gatesliding) cannot really be discussed without mentioning it.
Even the relatively conservative adjustment of normalizing VP to plex duration would retain an advantage for those in smaller ships, due to travel time between sites, the more durable NPCs and even the greater potential for wasted time when forced from a site.
The phenomenon you’re talking about here is precisely the kind of content I was suggesting that the gatesliding minimizes. It’s an option for FW groups never to engage above destroyer and take all of the objectives. Which means many of them exercise that choice, and while remaining difficult to tackle at any point other than the plex itself, and formerly impossible to tackle on the gate outside it, they justifiably announce to anyone who’ll listen that they’re winning; I don’t think the loss of an occasional inattentive pilot is a tremendous price to extract for that victory.
And if your counter scenario sounds like something you’d see in Tama, I’m ok with that. Because you’ll probably only see it in Tama.