I'm not sure we should let our fear of bot superiority be a cause for stifling innovation.
After all, in which case does a bot NOT have the potential to be superior? No matter what the game or the game dynamics...whether the game is basic or complex...it all boils down to the simple fact that any bot which is programmed with a carefully crafted algorithm and given access to all relevant, supporting data will have an advantage against human opponents.
In theory, any game more complex than a coin flip is "making it easier for bots". But I get what you're saying. I understand the overall concern. If the new features make it easy for bots to farm in an exploitive fashion, the balance between bot and human may skew dramatically further to the bot's advantage.
I think a reasonable first step would be to address any bot imbalances that we experience right now within our current system. Then, we can take those solutions and see how well they apply to upcoming features before implementation. Your feedback in that regard will be highly valued.
RE: SPLINTERLANDS: A Bright Future