Defensive pact up a few alliances - say LaF, EvO, Omega, LCN, and the New Monsters. Set a threshold for provocation - maybe retal policy disputes aren't enough to trigger the DP, but anything beyond that is. You would have about 200 countries, which would deterrent for the SOLs of the server from hitting you without reason. One of two things would happen - SOL would hit the other mid-ranked alliance, a few at a time, or build a coalition out of them. If they make a coalition, then we'd be back to the days of server wars, with a clear good guy and bad guy side to make things fun.

Since this is only my second reset playing EE, and I hadn't played 2025 since 2003, I'm not able to answer your question. But I remember SOL being in the thick of the various coalition wars, not ambushing netgainers.