I would like to give my opinion on this, and I apologize if this is not exactly the right place, but; I think OTA are overused as fuck. Idk how much retconning occurred when writing the faction, but it doesn't feel high stakes when you see them. YES, IT IS TERRIFYING. Let me clarify that, the OTA when deployed are extremely dangerous, and a force to be afraid of. However, you don't feel like you deserve to fight them most of the time.
You should feel like you either beat the Combine in some way, and therefore OTA must respond or the consequences will be way too dire..
(A good example of this is when the OTA + strider + heli deployed to attempt an attack on the infestation, a bad example is 4 OTA sweeps in a row in the sewers, realistically for no reason other than to justify red socio, which, side bar, but wtf?)
..or you failed/lost/fucked up in some way in an important way that justifies OTA deployment to punish you for it.
(A good example of this is Gunship/OTA deployment when a vital plutonium shipment gets blown up, and causes radiation to threaten a city, a bad example of this is sending in an OTA sweep because cops are being killed in their sewer sweep)
I would encourage disagreement if anyone thinks my statements are incorrect or don't follow the server's vision, but OTA ARE NOT CHARACTERS, as someone has stated above me. So, related to the original post, any slight advantage that OTA gets through gameplay mechanics outside increased stats/HP/better weapons SHOULD NOT EXIST, and honestly I think rebel/CP characters should get more leniency when it comes to 'abusing' gameplay mechanics as they actually have something to lose.
Dying on OTA means nothing, the faction purely exists to make harder enemies. To sum up this rant, I would say OTA should be hard and scary, but not frustrating to play against. I have not fought a large enough quantity of OTA soldiers personally to fully grasp what would exactly need to be changed, but the server has felt the effects of some of the transgressions listed, and I think we would all be better off with some slight tuning. TY