Why are researchers more interested in rocky planets that might be found in a star’s habitable zone, then in gaseous planets?

Question

Why are researchers more interested in rocky planets that might be found in a star’s habitable zone, then in gaseous planets?

Answer 1

One of the main motivating factors of exoplanet research is the search for life. I would not say that researchers are more interested in studying these planets rather than gaseous ones, but I would say that more researchers are interested in these types of planets. To be considered habitable for any complex life, a planet must be in the habitable zone of a star, and it must have a surface on which this life can evolve. While gas giants can be found in the habitable zone of a star, they do not have a solid surface.