Actually (letting a secret out of the bag)--most of these systems are randomly generated. I don't mind the lack of the R-word, and it definitely makes crystalline races more effective. Nonetheless, I'm going to hand-sort through all the systems and tweak them some more.
What did you use to randomly generate them?
With the exception of Proportions-style economics, any discrepancy can be quickly made up with aggressive colonization. Hitting a couple roomier planets while your opponent hits more restrictive ones evens out the difference. I won't even drag in the hated R-word to defend myself.
I like realism.
But sometimes, realism must be sacrificed for game playability. In some situations, aggressive colonization can help, but not all. What about times when 1 player gets large homeworld(s) and has large planets around them, and the other player gets small homeworld(s) and has small planets around them?