It seems that there is a lot of people replying with some variation of, "Gee, I fly a high ENY ride all the time, a ride that I've got down absolutely so that I can win, so it doesn't affect me at all," which is not exactly what the question was pointing to.
While that may feel somehow virtuous ("I fly a crappy plane and I still win!"), its pretty well known that a good pilot can win a broad range of planes so it doesn't really prove anything. We gravitate toward rides that "fit" us somehow, despite what the ENY rating is. I think it would be fairly unusual for someone to use the ENY list to go to the worst plane to fly, which from this point of view would be the ultimate of virtue. Having said that I know that someone will pop up and say, "That's exactly what I do!" Maybe so, but its rare.
Based on the ENY changes we've been seeing, ENY has little to do with relative performance and everything to do with relative popularity. If the plane starts to be understood and flown well by a sufficiently large group, it will draw a low ENY. The settings for ENY are subjective and not objective, otherwise it would be simple to publish the criteria and let everyone take a look at it.
Does ENY exist to keep the uber performers to a minimum? Nope, we have the perk system for that.
Personally, with no disrespect to HT and company, I think that ENY is a totally failed system that absolutely doesn't do what is purported to do (even out the effects of numbers in an arena). The idea is nice but the actual execution seems to break down at every opportunity. Just this Sunday evening, I was on when the Knights were outnumbered by 20 (Rooks) and 40 players (Bishops) respectively. The ENY penalty for the Bish? 4.3 This was effectively nothing.
On the other hand I've been on when the numbers were the other way and been hit by ENY of 20+. This tells me at least that the thing doesn't work reliably. There is something wonky in the code is failing. As such, it only works to tick people off, which I doubt is the desired outcome. If it is a reliable and impartial system it should work evenly. It doesn't and acts to keep a set of players, unintentionally, in the hole.
Side switchers aside, I think the most common reaction is to change arenas or leave, which again, is not what its supposed to do. So if the dang thing doesn't work, why keep it?
Put another way, who would really shed a tear if ENY went away? If the majority of the players aren't active proponents, why does it exist? I have yet to hear anyone say something to the effect of, "thanks tall that is holy, there's ENY!"
Just a thought.
