Build a Better Review System, Templates might help -- but they just as easily hinder Options

[ZarroTsu]

Wanting to write reviews, I decided I'd use the strategy discussed by one Yatzee Croshaw here.

The problem is that, because I don't give an "overall rating", this kind of review is rejected from the forum.

What reason is there for there to be an "overall rating"? Isn't it suppose to be what I think of the game? Giving it an overall rating because that fits your format is fine. But forcing me to follow this strategy isn't asking for what I think of the game; it's asking me for what you WANT me to think of the game. And that defeats the purpose of writing in general.

Moreover, their presence from a reader perspective is solely to ignore the rest of the review and judge the game on a given number. Some here might say they don't do this, but often times even they are guilty of it. Even I do it. But if these numbers don't exist, then it compels me to actually read the review. So...


Generic forum discussion question for the reasoning impaired:
Why do "Overall Ratings" exist? Are they there to help, or are they there to defeat the purpose of writing a review when you could just write a number?



This post has been edited by ZarroTsu: Oct 4 2012, 02:51 PM

[Jonnie19]

As Amerk has said, these "Reviews" aren't really reviews they are just an excuse for you to slate the developers. Reviews are meant to help the developers. There is a difference between harsh critique and just pure slating. Sometimes it can be a fine line, however it's not the case in all three of your reviews. You do not give any ideas on how the games could be improved without this it is just flaming, which of course isn't acceptable in any format.

It takes very little effort to add in constructive points. and from a developers point of view, gives a developer a feeling that they are actually going somewhere.