MoonBlazE
Sep 17, 2007, 11:07 AM
Right, so some of you might remember me rambling in that dramatic thread. But I was actually quite serious and have talked to Frank about it since then. I mean no offense to anyone.
1. The site has become a file dump
When a poorly done file is uploaded, it gets one or two negative reviews warning others not to download it and then that download is dust. It just remains in the file section for centuries without ever being downloaded. How many percentage of Jazz2Online's downloads do you honestly think are being downloaded? I'm shooting at 10-25%, the rest are just junk nobody cares about.
2. The review system is more focused on quantity than quality reviews - Scratch this, check Flash's post.
To promote reviewers to be active on the site they are rewarded by a rank system. This system however only counts your number of reviews; there are no reward in making a well thought, posetive, and helpful review.
3. The reviews are only useful to the downloader and not the uploader
Reviews often don't suggest at all how the creator could have done a better job. It is a solo task to learn everything about creating levels and tilesets and while there are sites that suggest the technical parts the kind of advice that helps you to understand how to make a better game play are not there.
4. The uploader gets nothing in return
Perhaps except for the happy feel if your download actually gets some attention, but otherwise the site is extremely focused on labeling downloads than actually promote more uploads. I don't get a reward from the site for contributing with good downloads.
---
These are the problems that I see with the site. I have suggestions as well:
1. If a low rated file (not counting N/A) is on the site long enough, archive it. It should not be amongst the download section but the author can have it reappear by re-uploading with a better version or request an administrator to enable it for another period of time.
2. Change the values of the review system to be more motivate for helpful reviews. For example, posting a review could give one point. Getting an upvote could get you three. Also make ranks more visible, perhaps by tiny icons to make it easier to recognize good reviewers.
3. This is an extremely big problem because a lot of people lose the motivation to create more and improved files for J2O and a lot of "noobs" will never go through a learning curve simply because they don't see more than that 1.00-3.00 rating with a few negative words and then that's the end of their JCS career.
Some things that need to be considered are:
- Helpful criticism. It's not enough saying "There wasn't enough slopes.", telling where more slopes could have been placed will greatly help the understanding of how to do better next time.
- Lose the attitude. If there's one experience I have from J2O, it's that often I get the feel that from many "professional" reviewers it's whenever my download was worth their time or not. "FINE! If you don't like my download then I'll just spend my time doing something else, something that is more rewarding." That sums up my feelings on how careless some people put their reviews, and this attitude needs to go before more people get scared away. You want to tell whenever a download is good or not but you also want to keep it on a personal level because it's not some newspaper review - it's personal.
- Possibly allow responses to replies. Not re-reviews but so that the author can evaluate a review with the reviewer. Sort of like how I explained how to use a tileset in a thread on the JCS forum except for it would actually be on the spot.
4. These are just random ideas (didn't think it too much through).
- A rank system for quality downloads would be really awesome.
- Receiving optional automatic messages when your download gets a review would be dandy.
"k"
I've said what I've been meaning to say. It's not because I'm angry with the site. (I stopped playing the game a long time ago, but because of the friends I have here I felt like sharing my thoughts in an attempt to help). I would prefer not start to aggresively "argue" my feedback, rather discuss in a constructive manner.
1. The site has become a file dump
When a poorly done file is uploaded, it gets one or two negative reviews warning others not to download it and then that download is dust. It just remains in the file section for centuries without ever being downloaded. How many percentage of Jazz2Online's downloads do you honestly think are being downloaded? I'm shooting at 10-25%, the rest are just junk nobody cares about.
2. The review system is more focused on quantity than quality reviews - Scratch this, check Flash's post.
To promote reviewers to be active on the site they are rewarded by a rank system. This system however only counts your number of reviews; there are no reward in making a well thought, posetive, and helpful review.
3. The reviews are only useful to the downloader and not the uploader
Reviews often don't suggest at all how the creator could have done a better job. It is a solo task to learn everything about creating levels and tilesets and while there are sites that suggest the technical parts the kind of advice that helps you to understand how to make a better game play are not there.
4. The uploader gets nothing in return
Perhaps except for the happy feel if your download actually gets some attention, but otherwise the site is extremely focused on labeling downloads than actually promote more uploads. I don't get a reward from the site for contributing with good downloads.
---
These are the problems that I see with the site. I have suggestions as well:
1. If a low rated file (not counting N/A) is on the site long enough, archive it. It should not be amongst the download section but the author can have it reappear by re-uploading with a better version or request an administrator to enable it for another period of time.
2. Change the values of the review system to be more motivate for helpful reviews. For example, posting a review could give one point. Getting an upvote could get you three. Also make ranks more visible, perhaps by tiny icons to make it easier to recognize good reviewers.
3. This is an extremely big problem because a lot of people lose the motivation to create more and improved files for J2O and a lot of "noobs" will never go through a learning curve simply because they don't see more than that 1.00-3.00 rating with a few negative words and then that's the end of their JCS career.
Some things that need to be considered are:
- Helpful criticism. It's not enough saying "There wasn't enough slopes.", telling where more slopes could have been placed will greatly help the understanding of how to do better next time.
- Lose the attitude. If there's one experience I have from J2O, it's that often I get the feel that from many "professional" reviewers it's whenever my download was worth their time or not. "FINE! If you don't like my download then I'll just spend my time doing something else, something that is more rewarding." That sums up my feelings on how careless some people put their reviews, and this attitude needs to go before more people get scared away. You want to tell whenever a download is good or not but you also want to keep it on a personal level because it's not some newspaper review - it's personal.
- Possibly allow responses to replies. Not re-reviews but so that the author can evaluate a review with the reviewer. Sort of like how I explained how to use a tileset in a thread on the JCS forum except for it would actually be on the spot.
4. These are just random ideas (didn't think it too much through).
- A rank system for quality downloads would be really awesome.
- Receiving optional automatic messages when your download gets a review would be dandy.
"k"
I've said what I've been meaning to say. It's not because I'm angry with the site. (I stopped playing the game a long time ago, but because of the friends I have here I felt like sharing my thoughts in an attempt to help). I would prefer not start to aggresively "argue" my feedback, rather discuss in a constructive manner.