For my AO tables, I tried to make some encounter adjustment stuff clear. Especially at high levels, encounters can go sideways for both players and the DM very quickly, and the admins have been taking a lot of feedback and input on this over the last couple months. Personally, I generally keep the following in mind:
* simulacrum = +1 character
* GWF/ Sharpshooter feats = +1 character/ 2 feats
* sentient items (Hazirawn, Dawnbringer, etc) = +1 character/ 2 items (sometimes; depends on party composition and adventure structure)
All that aside, scaling is still a huge point and is not entirely/ flatly dictated by AL guidelines. Make the game fun for the players, but overall everyone - including the DM - is there to have fun. Be ready to adjust up & down as-needed to keep the flow going for your table.
We're not quite ready to launch the high-level spell guidance, but it's coming. Events like WF give us a great opportunity to gather that input - if you would like to share your own, please feel free to hit me with those thoughts here, on Facebook, or via Twitter. Emailing community@ will also get Robert's attention.