Actually off hours is providing more choices again. When you log in and have 50 players on a large map... what choice do you have? Can you find a tank battle, a furball, a huge raid to bust, a battle that lasts more than 15 minutes? You see a base flashing here and there, mostly bý a single con. There will be the odd town flashing, but also by a single player in a tank most of the time. You kill him, he's gone. You wanna take part in a base grab? Good luck in trying to convince the other 10 guys going for the same area, not even speaking about the same base. Most of the time you are looking for action, and if you finally find some it quickly dies
As much as I love large maps and the opportunities for very different battles they do provide in theory: A large map for less than hundred players simply doesn't work. The "choice" you have is bogus then, unless no fighting at all is you choice.
The offhours arena gives those guys flying at offpeak times to participate in the same kind of multiplayer environment the peak flyers can enjoy.
And another word on choice... What choice has a player facing 150/100 20/100 at his prime time, not only for a few minutes but for many hours? Because that's what happened before this new system, every day.
Now, there is no rush to get into LWO before the cap lock anymore. With the old system, you had to get in before the lock, or you were screwed when caps kicked in. Now a offpeak player can log on any time of the day and find action again.
The old system was designed for (and did mostly work) for different player numbers. Those numbers have changed. The parameters had changed, and so the system had to change too.
But I'm looking forward for you to come up with a system that's providing a better gaming environment for all players.