Can a validation node be excluded from the block/chunk production schedule if it does not produce enough blocks (e.g. the node is offline) during the current epoch? Will it reduce the number of skipped blocks? Will other nodes produce more blocks to fill the blocks allocated to the seats of the banned node? Will it improve block production?
It is a follow-up question to What is the condition to be banned by the network in NEAR?
They will get kicked out if they do not produce enough blocks. It is possible, as you suggested, to proactively ban them if they have missed more than what is allowed in a given epoch, but this is not implemented today.