Reviewing Idea

[LD]

Hi. I know that I'm new here, but I recall seeing a post in a thread wondering about how to increase the "quality of reviews." and to encourage people to update their settings.

My take on the situation is this;

- It's not necessary to write a detailed review (although that is best)
- It is not even necessary to comment in-depth on a particular section of a setting (although that is good)
- Or to come up with ideas to use (although that is greatly appreciated)

What is most useful are two things:

1) Questions
and
2) Could You please develop X next?

* Responses like those two give guidance to designers and helps them think more about what they should add to the setting to make it great.

* Comments of this sort are especially great since these settings are mostly created for the designers' own personal enjoyment; and Questions get the creative ideas flowing and help give a sort of guidance to the designers, who then feel fulfilled when they can provide something of interest or use to other forum posters who want to see a part of the designers' worlds. :)

Best
~LD.

[Ninja D!]

Yep.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

I like your idea for requesting authors to develop specific ideas next - I think that's a good idea for sending in some guiding light on the aspects of a campaign setting that people find interesting.  Good post!

[Eladris]

Any thoughts to introducing a karma system of some kind, where the reviewed can give positive or negative karma (+/-1) to a reviewer?  

[Nomadic]

I am with Eladris... that thing is used very effectively over at the Cartographer's guild.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

That would be an option, but hopefully it wouldn't be abused in such a way that the reviewee just didn't like what the reviewer said (maybe they were too critical) and gives out negative points because of that?  We have had members here before who took criticisms, even positive, very personally.

[snakefing]

That's could happen. One might just hope that such cases would be rare so that the mechanism would have some value anyway.

[Eladris]

If building a karma system is too time intensive and you worry about its validity, you could always reinvigorate the badge program.  Personally, I've never really bought in because I don't have a badge to give, but if you made like... a badge committee (gold stars and hallway passes tee hee)... that tried to set new members up with a badge.  Or automated badge awards, with an option in user space to "show awarded badges in sig".  Sentence structure collapsing as work invades augh.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

The badges were cool, but I'm not sure they carried the same force as what I think you are talking about in the karma system. Automated might be an interesting idea to incorporate in CBG 2's campaign setting spaces.

Also, the badges were kind of a pet project for Raelifin, who hasn't been around lately, at least not that I've seen. So we'd need someone else to make and promote them.

What's the point (can you clarify for those that spend little time at Cartographers) in having the option to give out negative karma, anyway. If a critique was hostile, that sounds like something that should be reported at an admin. If it was only an opinion, that person is entitled to it.

I can see varying degrees of positive (0-3 maybe?) based on how helpful a review is, though.

Or maybe people can become official "fans" of setting. Which would carry with it a certain implicit (or explicit) responsibility to the setting, but also privileges (anybody think of anything besides badges?).

[Nomadic]

That would be an option, but hopefully it wouldn't be abused in such a way that the reviewee just didn't like what the reviewer said (maybe they were too critical) and gives out negative points because of that?  We have had members here before who took criticisms, even positive, very personally.

Just make it like the cartographer's guild. You can only give positive karma. That way people get noticed for good reviews and write ups and not punished because someone doesn't like them.

[LordVreeg]

That would be an option, but hopefully it wouldn't be abused in such a way that the reviewee just didn't like what the reviewer said (maybe they were too critical) and gives out negative points because of that?  We have had members here before who took criticisms, even positive, very personally.

Just make it like the cartographer's guild. You can only give positive karma. That way people get noticed for good reviews and write ups and not punished because someone doesn't like them.

I am all for that.  

[Ishmayl-Retired]

Sounds like a plan, I'll hop to it!

[beejazz]

Or maybe people can become official "fans" of setting. Which would carry with it a certain implicit (or explicit) responsibility to the setting, but also privileges (anybody think of anything besides badges?).

Just being able to "favorite" threads and settings so they're always accessible from the front page would be nice. No need to dig. And hell, if your favorites were publicly displayed, everyone would know who followed what too, in a manner similar to the badges.

I don't know what responsibilities or privileges would go with fandom.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

What a lovely idea, beejazz.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Perhaps then we should have a special section for "new" settings. Those in the first month of their premier on the site. Or maybe just a list with links.