Game Balance is an illusion, along with all other forms of balance or equality (in games and in life in general). There is no such thing as a "level playing field." It's only those who fail to see the inherent weaknesses of such systems that retain a false sense of fairness. Exploiting the weakness of the system is expected as a natural part of the evolution of that system. At some point, everyone involved recognizes the weaknesses so well, that verisimilitude is impossible to achieve, and the next "version" of the game must be developed.
My advice? Just go with it. Don't try to fix what can never be fixed. Have fun. Play games. Tell stories. Enjoy one another. As long as your table is entertained, that is all that matters. If not, then, by all means, try one of the many, many other Scifi systems out there and see if it can fool you into thinking it's "balanced." Heh.