I agree - but you're just in the wrong game if you want to play at a high level (I'm assuming big chrome purchases) and be challenged. These types of games span free players to mega mega whales. So they have to balance content to something in between. If you are on either extreme, you may tend to find the game either too easy or too difficult and neither is a good place to be in. You're either bored or really frustrated.
In these games, and any game really, this is the P2P whale's curse. You outspend the content and difficulty level. I like to use chess as an analogy vs. these games as it's an age old game that's very well balanced with the pieces. If there were purchasable upgrades in chess...imagine how boring it would be if you eventually got to where you had a team of full queens. That would make the game stink as it would be too easy. The other option is you play other large whales that have all queens too...but then you're just fighting clone battles, which also stinks. Essentially purchasable upgrades in a game ruins the game aspect of it and the planned content. It makes $ though...so there they are :)
The sweet spot is low-spending or mid-spender maybe. Otherwise you'll have to decide if being #1 and having all the best stuff is worth making the game boring because of advancing too fast.
In these games I think mentally you always want to keep a carrot dangling out in front of yourself - if you spend enough, CG will let you eat all the carrots - but you won't have anything to eat later (work toward). This leads to whale burnout.
Good luck OP - I'd consider things in how you play. Probably only if guild wars come soon will you feel like your high level roster is being put to good use.
Lastly, this isn't a criticism, just an observation having been around these games a while - I'm a much higher than average P2P myself so this isn't a F2P / P2P war attack. Your complaint is valid, but it's something you'll want to consider in your playing style. Either way you need to find peace in your approach.
