There where sooo many guesses on patterns already ...
but we won't be able to get a real clue about it anyways as we all would have to be able to post "our personal time" correctly in UTC /GMT (some ppl even don't know whether it's EST or EDT...

) to be measurable, also we would have to have knowledge about how networks work and how to determine the individual factors (do you know how many times a day your provider is switching routes your data is going?) ...
i.e.
EST 10PM is GMT 2.00am
EDT 10PM is GMT 3.00am
Germany is at UTC/GMT +2 atm
so EDT 10PM is 5AM next day in germany
now an example of "my personal network factors":
time 11:45 UTC/GMT - connection via UMTS / 3G
tracert moltke.seatribe.se
1 my PC to Provider network
2 608 ms 398 ms 398 ms 82.113.122.198
3 356 ms 398 ms 398 ms IARMUN1-Gi0-2-199.net.de.o2.com [82.113.122.2]
4 366 ms 398 ms 398 ms xmwc-mnch-de01-gigaet-5-1-510.nw.mediaways.net [195.71.164.209]
5 356 ms 398 ms 418 ms decix-gw.hetzner.de [80.81.192.164]
6 347 ms 418 ms 398 ms hos-bb1.juniper2.rz12.hetzner.de [213.239.240.252]
7 356 ms 398 ms 398 ms hos-tr4.ex3k15.rz12.hetzner.de [213.239.228.240]
8 376 ms 418 ms 418 ms moltke.seatribe.se [178.63.100.209]
2 - 4 my Providers network
4 - 5 Transfer point (my providers network - Hetzner network)
5 - 8 Hetzner network - rz12 is where the server is located, hos are switches
now imagine this ping + servers lag (client uploading but not receiving data) = stop motion HnH

but i won't see a difference when player count changes

I know certain reasons for my high ping like the provider has a jamming in my area atm...etc.