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

[X-M-O]

All right, just trying to clarify. ^^

It's completely reasonable to require a "grade" or "score" for multiple design categories/aspects of a game when reviewing the game, and I'm not at all opposed to making that a requirement.

I also agree that we cannot be presumptuous and assume that members will (or should) read every bit of text within a review, especially if they are just trying to confirm that the reviewed game is worth trying out. Most members hardly spend time going through all that just to play a game, and will likely download it and start playing by the time they've read most reviews. As this is primarily the case (and the average member does not read more than a few lines of text anyway) I am not convinced that we should be without the overall rating requirement (however I am convinced that adding ratings for different aspects of the game would be beneficial). =]