I was extremely boring bored as always then I decided to make a new sexy poll. What is more important for you when you're reviewing or making a level - the layout or the eyecandy?

Myself, I think the layout is more important, a level with a very good layout and an average eyecandy always get high ratings.

What's your opinion?

Same here.

This topic should be:

Layout eyecandy or originality; because when I actually do review a level, even if it has decent eyecandy or a good, solid layout, I won't give it a really high rating, in fact 8 at most, if it doesn't have anything original about it.

I'd tend to prefer solid, easy to learn and varied layouts over eyecandy. Because layouts need to be solid for the competeitive players. Else they'll get very frustrated.
An example of levels with very good eyecandy but troublesome gameplay are MidN's. No offense to her or anyone who likes her levels, but they are obviously not built for the competetive players. And feature concepts like blacking out, a thingy that spins you around for a long period of time etc. Eyecandy is a huge factor though, and the fun factor is determined upon sight and seeing your rabbit playing on a screen. I guess on a very, very deep philosophical way of saying it, everything about playing Jazz or any game is based on looks/eyecandy.


Just my thoughts.

Here's what I think it is:

Layout - 45%
Eyecandy - 25%
Fun Factor - 20%
Originality - 10%

More or less. However, it is rare you find a level that has poor eyecandy but a great layout. Sometimes you will find a level that has fairly good eyecandy but poor layout, though. Originality is a different matter.

Things like flow are a combination of multiple aspects. Flow consists about 20 out of 45 percents in the layout and about 5 out of the 20 percents in fun factor. Thus, it is about 25 percent overall. There is a certain amount of eyecandy that goes into the fun factor (5%) and originality as well (10%). The remaining 5% of originality is made up by miscellaneous factors such as music, which probably makes up about 2% of my final rating. Not enough to sway anything.

There is more or less a barrier it seems that keeps levels from going over 8.0 without really great originality. 8.5 would be the absolute maximum for just a standard, little-new level.

I couldn't imagine that MidN would be offended by what FS said; it is more or less accurate. Her levels generally do focus more on originality and fun factor than the more technical stuff (layout and eyecandy.) I'd think that MidN's levels would score high in originality and fun factor (30%), fairly well in eyecandy (25%), and middle-of-the-road in layout (45%). This is an odd case where my rating would be slightly higher than the level would merit; I make subtractions for some technical things. MidN's levels are well-done, but not professional-feeling. This is worth some.

This isn't scientific or anything, but is a more or less accurate measure of how I find that I rate. In reality, though, I simply look at a level for about thirty seconds to a minute and come up with a rating. The more one reviews, the easier it is to judge ratings. I generally have a good idea within my mind at this point, within 0.2 or 0.5, with 0.7 or 1 at the maximum.

Even though most people prefer layout, I still concentrate on eyecandy more, but levels with a great layout and an eyecandy at least tolerable would go alright with me.

My review system doesn't allow for any one factor to have more importance than the others, but I consider originality important enough that I will generally not review unoriginal levels, eyecandy is quite important, fun factor is high, and I generally don't mind the design much unless it's just another symmetrical random passages CTF level.

Layout....

Priceless = A level with excellent layout and awful eye candy

I can always overlook bad eyecandy if the layout is good and it's FUN to play in.

Layout... And originality.

I think layout.

Layout ^_^

I can always overlook bad eyecandy if the layout is good and it's FUN to play in.

But that won't always work if the background is this eye hurting bright shade of yellow...

Both!