A lot of the FSO guys dont like the MA due to the type of play that we have in the MA. They come in before FSO and "warm up" but move on to FSO.
Titanic Tuesday was something all to gether different. At the time we have 2 MAs, both able to sustain 300+ numbers during US prime time. HTC made the 2 arenas to keep the numbers in a more socially friendly setup believing that new players would feel lost and excluded in a single higher population arena. They did relent one night a week, Tuesdays, where they would close down one arena and only have the single MA and so we had "Titanic Tuesdays". 600 players in a single arena.
Many FSO players don't like the game play in the MA arena because it no longer supports the team/historic/battle type play it use to. IF FSO/scenario game play shut down HTC would lose more than half of their subscription base. This game has shifted away from that type of game play, for better or worst over the years. We use to have missions planned and post every 20-30 minutes and players joined them. Instead of players yelling out on the radio after a base capture "which one next?" like we do now we would get the same question but the answer usually was "hold on I'll load up a mission!"
The way to bring FSO players back in on a more regular basis would be to have that type of game play again. I doubt with todays "need it NOW!", or want action yesterday! type players we will see that any time soon, but there you have it. Numbers will help. If we get 300 players a night in the arena again think half of them might like that type of play could help bring it back while the other half continues with what we have these days.