The poll you see in the game is portrayed as your option to choose between two steaks. Your role is to pick which one would you like better than the other. Thats the illusion of choice you are offered. In reality the the classic AC variant was the stake with tasty vegetables in the butter.

The present AC variant stripped off the vegetables, but still left the stake in the plate. It condensed the AC in less days in which you do higher limit, which keeps you more occupied in the game, with a lot, but in reality you invest a lot more time and get less, because you are able to do 90 less combats in the months.

The present two options offered are pig food in disguise, to not do another analogy. In both cases you will spend thousands of golds more each month, without getting the equivalent raise in resources gained. And the cheese in the mouse trap is the idea that it will take you less time to do the AC than now.