Signed up for both parts of the current CG. Jumped into my Keelback (it's my favourite ship, and the one I spent most of my time in) and set of to pick up some Superconductors to deliver. I hoped to be interdicted by pirates on the way to drop them off, but as that didn't happen I took on a pair of pirate assassination missions instead. Both turned out to be in corvettes: The first one jumped me at the nav beacon, resulting in the entire instance jumping him in return (always very amusing), and the second I had to hunt down; ending in a very enjoyable 1v1 fight. On my way back to turn in the missions, and bounties, I came across a threat lvl 3 signal source and decided to drop in. Turned out to be a pirate mamba attacking a Type 7. So I took out the pirate to save the hauler, and continued on my way to the station.
In less than an hour I had earned the CG rewards, that we all know matters, by doing an organic, varied, and engaging game loop, in a ship I really like flying. I wasn't "forced" to use bigger and more powerful ships, or put in 50 times the effort in ships I like flying, mindlessly delivering thousand of tones of cargo or killing dozens of pirates to reach whatever % is required for maximum "special items" reward. Using special rewards is of course a good way to drum up extra interest from the community, but it shouldn't be what decides what side you chose. With how you did it this time I was engaging with the Elite universe, I could roleplay, and I had fun. So please keep doing it like this Fdev, even when there are competing CGs (Though you should of course not be able to pick both sides then).
In less than an hour I had earned the CG rewards, that we all know matters, by doing an organic, varied, and engaging game loop, in a ship I really like flying. I wasn't "forced" to use bigger and more powerful ships, or put in 50 times the effort in ships I like flying, mindlessly delivering thousand of tones of cargo or killing dozens of pirates to reach whatever % is required for maximum "special items" reward. Using special rewards is of course a good way to drum up extra interest from the community, but it shouldn't be what decides what side you chose. With how you did it this time I was engaging with the Elite universe, I could roleplay, and I had fun. So please keep doing it like this Fdev, even when there are competing CGs (Though you should of course not be able to pick both sides then).