I feel something is slightly off about the voting format of the Warzone, I'm not sure the remedy, but it's been something I've thought about before.
I think it's to do with the 'everybody goes through' in R1.
If you look at the final rounds, there's often some pure dud beats there.
R1 winners are punished by going up against other winners, whereas R1 losers have an easy route to the final.
So you end up with 4 of the best beats going out, and 4 of the worst beats going through.
In sports tournaments, usually winners go up against losers. Or rather, Winners are rewarded for winning by facing up against opposition that didn't do as well to get there. (i.e 1st seed vs 8th seed, 2nd vs 7th and so forth.)
So I don't know how you'd make that work in relation to Warzone...But at the moment it seems like, winners get harder battle and go out, losers get to the final. And I know you don't like the idea of people getting participation awards, but isn't that what the losers are getting?
Would it work better more standard...?
Quarter final
Semi final
Final
Runners up battle for 3rd-4th
That way you win you win, you lose you lose? Otherwise it seems more desirable to intentionally lose R1?