Major difference here between the US peak time and Euro peak time.
US peak time you have about 400 odd people. Don't know exact numbers, I'm never up at that time. Split it between 2 arena's, yea good. 200-250 people per arena with caps. You got good fights without MAJOR horde action. OK you have to CHOOSE what arena you go in, and you may not get in the one with your squaddies, but they could move to help you. Or you could go into the other arena and see if you can make new friends.
Euro Peak time. 100 people. Split between two arenas. 80 people and 20 people in LWO and LWB with caps. One arena you can't get in, the other you don't have anyone to fight. Even saying that the three countries in LWB are evenly split that means you get 7-7-6. That's fun? Only people that's fun for are milkrunners. No one else, cause you can't find a fight, specially on a LARGE map. You get 7 people, you need to fly 3 sectors to find one person.
US guys cried because they couldn't fly with their mates. I can understand that. Just. My squad has a lot of US guys. That means that before the Offpeak arena, I didn't have squaddies. If I did, it was maybe one guy who couldn't sleep. Now I can log on and find a few, because I know they're in the only arena.
The Euro guys cried because there was no point playing anymore. With 20 people, even in the arena with 100 people max, if you were lucky to catch the caps, The fights were few and far between. Personally, in my bias opinion, we had a much greater reason to cry. Paying $14.95 for a game where you were lucky to get a fight? Not my idea of fun. Then with the typical game style nowadays, you got HO-ed on the first pass! Fly 3 sectors because you saw a single Dar bar, then HO. Damn right I'd had enough.
You US guys get booted so the arena splits in two (Or back). Least when you log back on you know there is going to be people there. We never. It was money being wasted. As I stated I was on the verge of quitting because I was tired of logging into an empty arena. If the boot were on the other foot you can guarantee you would be in the same position. Since the change, I have logged on at least three times a week. Not major for the diehard players, but more than I have ever played. Check the stats if you don't believe me. If it gets changed back there will be nothing to keep me here, I may as well play offline. At least with the drones I can find more than one plane in the area!
Jamdive. I have just said I am happy playing now. Read above for the reasons. If they change it back then all the reasons I have for playing and I'm sure for many Euro players, will go.