The OP is frustrated, I get that. I don't think the change in the arenas is the cause. It could be that he averages over 100 hours of game play a month this being 10% of the whole squads time in the air meaning he doesn't always have that squad power behind him and helping to grab the next base. Thus frustration....if the main line of your play is base capture.
On the other hand as Guppy said there is so much more to this game.
DMGOD, complaint about the hit run wusses is closer to the mark I think, though he knows I don't fall under that blanket...you got me what 3 times on that one run in your 110?
The point is that game play has changed, alot!
Years ago, before the Lusche graph era, game play was a lot different than it is now, and I can see the changes HTC has made to try and get some of that back. In the old days there was squad rivalries. Squad were very rarely more than the one wing, and you could count on at least 1 if not 3 or 4 being your "bestest" enemy. Those squads that you would spend the whole night banging heads with.
Maps were small, and each base was important, so squads would defend them. Sure you could try and capture bases for the win, but the enemy was just as good as you and could capture them as fast. You can't win the war if you loose a base for each one you grab. We knew this and defense was almost as important a grab because of it. Grabbing bases or defending bases, both generated fights. Today, most players are looking to grab bases as fast as they can because that is the be all and end all of their game. Most haven't a hope in hell to see a reset. So the "win" is the base grab, not the war, nor the save of a base.
Of the recent changes, lowering dar took away "easy NOEs" they are more easily spotted. This makes it easyer for other to spot them so they are more prone to defend just because it's another place to fight. The new towns do the same, only they do it due to size. Old days a few 110's could drop a town in minutes and troops were running before anyone could get there to fight. Now the town takes longer to flatten and thus more people have time to defend/fight.
So while I see the changes as HTC trying to bring back these smaller fights like we use to have with the small squads going head to head, I can see the OP's frustration. His game has always been hit quick and and grab another base because that IS his end game. Now he has to work for it and in his year of playing hasn't built the skills he needs to rise to the occasion. Without his squad it's NOT FUN ANY MORE.
I for one am VERY glad of the changes. Anything that adds more fights, IS more fun. I'm hoping that those hit and run ponys take the time to learn a few ACM's and start employing them. It will take time, but those that still want to grab their bases will learn to fight for them. You may loose a battle because the arena reset will come just before you win a base, but you will win a few just before the arena reset too. In the end it will even out. But the fight I'm happy to say looks like it is coming back to the game.