Edit: Keep in mind this thread is about a solution. There's no getting around the fact that zapping is unfair. Please read through all the posts before posting to prevent duplicate arguments.
Many farmers are being faced by a similar problem. Our farming of DE is being hindered. Because our base isn't good enough to protect our resources? No. Because we aren't good enough to take DE from other players? No. It's because we're being hit with something that is impossible to defend against, zapping. This makes it difficult to save up DE, especially in large amounts for big upgrades (Especially with 1 gem spell factory boosts!).
The Problem: The bottom line of why zapping is unfair, is the fact that it can't be defended against. What's the response people get now when they complain about hogs? "Go use an anti-hog base." What am I supposed to do when someone drops 3-5 lightning spells on my storage? You can revenge, that is if they aren't constantly online/shielded and if they even have any resources. Not only this, but this "strategy" takes absolutely no skill or effort. It's used as crutch for those who can't farm DE, and it punishes those who can. Every other strategy in the game takes some skill and runs the risk of failure, why should this be any different? Why should this be a 100% guarantee to take resources you normally wouldn't be able to get?
Also don't start using the common "this is a war game, anything goes!" This game isn't a simulation of actual war, basically nothing at all in this game is realistic. It's a game, it's meant for entertainment. Games aren't very entertaining when they aren't balanced or fair, and zapping isn't very fun or fair. :(
The Solution: It's really quite simple. Just make lightning spells do the same damage to storages they do already, just not take any resources. Sometimes people use lightning spells to go from 49% to 50%, so this wouldn't hinder that.
Edit: There are multiple DE farming guides for TH7s. Not to mention zapping as a TH7 will just cripple you for when you go to TH8 because you won't be a good DE farmer.
