John Porno, i like time windows. They have good effect that concetrate players at certain time in certain location, if the purpose of concetration is entertaining and useful for players.
So i can imagine 2-3 time windows for recruiting during a day (afternoon, night and after midnight) for players from different timezones. That means that maximum avaible recruits could be strictly limited. Of course, better team wins, but you can form alliances, or just ruin best TR attempts of huge teams etc.
Permanent effect is not so high, that it would ruin whole balance of game. This and previous era, you were able to use non drug char in PVP and replace absence of drugs or best armors by your human skill. I know that +1 special point could make whole new build, but not ultimate one and not for everyone.
Also i think that competion with very different outcome, recruits, is new motivation for players, who likes to test new PVP builds. Look, my whole team left fonline because there is not any new challenge. We collected every possible item, tested every quest, participate on every multiplayer element of the game and we are bored.
Town raids with recruits and TC multiplayer parts of fonline could coexist together, but first or second has different purpose and different gameplay. And everyhing could be changed, if there is better idea.
Also another thing, if there exist only one multiplayer game mod = TC, it is good enough for certain types of players. Also it could be bugged, unfair, .. . Two game mods offers more variety. Also i dont want to create something absolutely new, that needs a hard days of scripting and testing. Every single mechanism i suggested is or was already implemented in fonline. Time windows, controlable NPC, beacon, perks..