It would be interesting to know what the motivation(s) people have for voting on each pairing are, as I imagine that the reason would likely change based on the ships involved...
Some of the reasons I can see people choosing one ship over another are:
- They think the ship is better than the alternative
- They own the ship and want a reward\new paint for having it
- They hope for a WarBond (discount) CCU for the ship at IAE if it can make it to the final 4
- They don't want the other ship in the pairing to win (Terrapin Vs Carrack?), due to not having it/it has won enough in the past/not liking it/etc.
- They want the (cheaper) ship to win as it's something they (or others) may be able to afford at the event
- They hope it will become a referral reward (generally for ships with an MSRP under $40)
- CIG's "bribe" (1 month of free access\use of the ship) would allow them to fly something they can't afford either via cash\credits or aUEC.
I'm surprised that CIG don't try to capture this sort of information, as it would seem to be something that would help their marketting teams, as well as possibly provide direction for future ship development.
This is not asking for people to provide their reasons for specific choices here, but was merely something I had wondered about and hadn't seen anyone discuss here or elsewhere.