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Annoying Reviews

We all love reading our reviews, most people are kind, but sometimes we get that occasional review that pushes our buttons.
I can't decide what pushes my buttons the most between people critising my Lore when I always do my research ... or ... people critising my spelling.

What annoys you the most?
Any horror stories or trolls?


I posted this discussion to allow my fellow authors to blow off some steam. ;)
STAR TREK CONTINUES
Episode One - A Single Moment Episode Two - Infancy Episode Three - Unto the Breach
Episode Four - Head Of A Needle Episode Five: The Duality of Men Episode Six - Redemption Earned
Episode Seven - Shattered Universe Episode Eight - The Gepetto Condition Episode Nine - One Room, Two Officers
Episode Ten - Beyond The Farthest Star Episode Eleven - It's OK, It Won't Hurt Episode Twelve - A Protracted Officer
Episode Thirteen - Somewhen Episode Fourteen - The Boy Who Lived Episode Fifthteen - Empathy

Comments

  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,263 Arc User
    What I dislike the most about reviews be summed as "not enough information", "you suck!" or "I hated it" doesn't really give me anything to allow me improve to my skills as a Foundry author. Same with when people point out a flaw but do in a very vague and general sense so it'll be very hard for me to pin point the flaws (for example "there is grammar errors" isn't gonna tell me much since I speak/write/read english as a second language and sometimes don't see the flaws).
  • ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
    So far, i haven't really gotten any negative feedback for my Foundry series, although i did get a couple of one star ratings coming from people who didn't even bother explaining what they didn't like (which would lead me to think they were just trolls bent on handing negative reviews without any reason, but that's another story...)

    Another thing i find annoying is people basically complaining about the plot because it doesn't fit their taste... I mean, i have clearly indicated in the mission's description that it's about a mirror version of the Delta Quadrant. If you don't like that kind of story, why play it in the first place? <.<
  • rickysmith1rickysmith1 Member Posts: 610 Arc User
    edited February 2018
    spiritborn wrote: »
    ...doesn't really give me anything to allow me improve to my skills as a Foundry author.
    ashstorm1 wrote: »
    If you don't like that kind of story, why play it in the first place? <.<

    I KNOW RIGHT!
    STAR TREK CONTINUES
    Episode One - A Single Moment Episode Two - Infancy Episode Three - Unto the Breach
    Episode Four - Head Of A Needle Episode Five: The Duality of Men Episode Six - Redemption Earned
    Episode Seven - Shattered Universe Episode Eight - The Gepetto Condition Episode Nine - One Room, Two Officers
    Episode Ten - Beyond The Farthest Star Episode Eleven - It's OK, It Won't Hurt Episode Twelve - A Protracted Officer
    Episode Thirteen - Somewhen Episode Fourteen - The Boy Who Lived Episode Fifthteen - Empathy
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    You know, this isn't going to help your cause.

    Why don't you leave feedback about the comments you found helpful, instead of making fun of the bad reviews and of the people who made them?
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    Sorry...had to leave there for a min...

    From my other thread, I am thinking Foundry authors would like feedback on everything from story, progression, and environment, and functions....even time it took me to finish.

    And any problems I have with any of the above.

    Is this close to what you want?
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
    edited February 2018
    where2r1 wrote: »
    Sorry...had to leave there for a min...

    From my other thread, I am thinking Foundry authors would like feedback on everything from story, progression, and environment, and functions....even time it took me to finish.

    And any problems I have with any of the above.

    Is this close to what you want?

    That would be close enough to what i expect from a review, indeed. I want those who play my mission to tell me what they liked more and liked less, and how they think i could improve my work in a future update. Some time ago, for instance, a single player left a critic letting me know that one of the fights was too hard for him, and i took his opinion into account, going as far as publishing the whole mission anew after toning down said battle.

    On the contrary, when all you read is either nothing at all, or stuff like "IT SUCKED" or "BOOOOOORING", well... There really isn't much a Foundry author can make of such advanced critics, aside from snickering at them.
  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,263 Arc User
    where2r1 wrote: »
    You know, this isn't going to help your cause.

    Why don't you leave feedback about the comments you found helpful, instead of making fun of the bad reviews and of the people who made them?
    I what would think to be a good review would something along the lines of "I didn't like because of this..." followed by what the player didn't like, or "good mission apart from..." and again followed by a summary of a the parts the player didn't feel worked or (s)he didn't like.

    stuff like "fights are too hard" or similar is good as well. I don't need a full list of what player thought about absolutely everything in the mission, nor could such a review be posted due to the limit to review lengths, however I want some details like "I thought this part didn't work".

    The more information I can get as to what people liked and didn't like about the mission the better. I can't get much out of vague positive reviews either but I don't mind those as much as at least they're not insulting.

    "It sucked", "booring" or "I hated it" not only are vague to point of being useless there's the insulting implication that there was nothing of worth in the mission. Then there's the actual insults to contend with.

    TL:DR good critism allows the Foundry author to improve their work, bad critism doesn't.
  • captainhunter1captainhunter1 Member Posts: 1,627 Arc User
    I'll mirror what others have said. I love reviews on my missions - good or bad. But a review with no info is basically useless.

    My favorite so far is, "Needs work" One-Star.

    Needs work as in it bugged out? Didn't like the plot? Doesn't feel finished? Or ??

    This same mission has dozens of 4 and 5 star reviews of people who enjoyed it, so obviously it isn't broken (for them). I went so far as to send the reviewer a polite PM, asking what needed work in the mission. No reply. :'(

    Stealing what Spiritborn said just above because he said it so well, "good criticism allows the Foundry author to improve their work, bad criticism doesn't."
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User
    edited February 2018
    where2r1 wrote: »
    You know, this isn't going to help your cause.

    Why don't you leave feedback about the comments you found helpful, instead of making fun of the bad reviews and of the people who made them?

    Agreed. The review pane is a space of the audiences own to do with as they please. If that's "leave 'bad' criticism" or a random series of characters that relates to the disinterest they felt to the whole experience then that's A-Okay. It's a moment of personal expression related to the experience that user just had. In best practice, we can't mandate (or even directly suggest) how much effort they put there because we don't want our own out-of-mission input to bias the tone or content of the review (beyond being honest in turn that you, as the author, would appreciate feedback.)

    You want review to be as honest as possible to your audience and their natural reactions, and that does include honestly not caring about the mission or your development as an author. At the very least, that makes the 'good' feedback so much more impactful, since it's given authentically as opposed to as a perceived requirement moderated by expectations of tact. But, I feel its important to consider the full breadth of your audience for the fullest estimation of your own performance as an author. Just the simple frequency of 'bad' criticism is a useful data point in reflecting on elements like action-story balance, flow, verbosity, and presentation. The more you get, the more your mission may be having issues with the above elements.

    So accept it as feedback by other means. Even if you can't connect the literal word combinations to what you did in your mission, you can still take the incident and star review into consideration (along with all the other feedback you're getting as well.) It may lead to a greater understanding of your audience.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • helixfungushelixfungus Member Posts: 172 Arc User
    The truth is, at least for me, that "bad" reviews most of the time are just rushed whinings. "I can't find the insert point..." Written in plain sight on grant text. "There's no pew-pew". Stated in grant text that there is almost no combat. "Can't finish the mission due to your glitch" Was it his/her Internet connection, or who knows what? (Tried the mission for glitches after, nothing come about.) Then again, tastes are tastes. But generally speaking ppl have o idea how much authors pour from theirs to Foundry missions., so maybe sometimes out reactions tend to be an overreact.
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    Now, I was under the impression that these review boxes do not pop up until a player gets to the end of a mission. You understand, these folks played your mission, right? Player using your mission. It is optional.

    AND...I am going to assume from the disdainful attitudes toward these "bad" reviews, you have somewhere else you can check to see how many people complete your missions?

    I have never seen the interface the Foundry Authors have after getting past the review process.

    Don't authors review each other's work to iron out bugs? THAT is where you should be learning about the faults and weakness in your missions.

    But expectation of players giving you "insight"? Really?
    Player reviews. It is optional, too.
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
    edited February 2018
    where2r1 wrote: »
    But expectation of players giving you "insight"? Really?
    Player reviews. It is optional, too.

    They're indeed optional, yet i do value them when they're constructive. And many of them actually are. Like i said above, i learn from them and i don't mind regularly republishing my missions to improve them, based on the feedback i receive.

    Now, if someone leaves me a review that, by what has been said above, would enter into the 'annoying' category, it's not like i'm going to flame-mail them or something like that anyway. If they didn't like it and didn't bother leaving some constructive criticism, fine with me. Sadly, there isn't much i can do to make it better for them if they aren't slightly more specific about what they disliked.
  • where2r1where2r1 Member Posts: 6,054 Arc User
    ashstorm1 wrote: »
    where2r1 wrote: »
    But expectation of players giving you "insight"? Really?
    Player reviews. It is optional, too.

    They're indeed optional, yet i do value them when they're constructive. And many of them actually are. Like i said above, i learn from them and i don't mind regularly republishing my missions to improve them, based on the feedback i receive.

    Now, if someone leaves me a review that, by what has been said above, would enter into the 'annoying' category, it's not like i'm going to flame-mail them or something like that anyway. If they didn't like it and didn't bother leaving some constructive criticism, fine with me. Sadly, there isn't much i can do to make it better for them if they aren't slightly more specific about what they disliked.

    But I am saying is: making FUN of people for it does not serve your cause.

    Your cause being: how to get feedback that is meaningful.

    Especially since it is entirely on the player to say what they feel.

    ++++++++++++++++

    You as a Foundry Author, just found a new mission by a new author...one you never met before. You don't know them....they don't know you....it isn't one of your friends or fleetmates.

    (How the heck did this get by the review process, and the Roundtable folks and YOU??? After all you are very attentive to content coming out of the Foundry.... But who knows....it happened).

    You do the mission out of curiosity... It's perfect.
    (It's gotta be a Dev messing in the Foundry, right?)
    What sort of review do you leave????

    Same scenario as above... but it has some small errors.... but you got through just fine, no biggie.
    What sort of review do you leave???

    Same scenario as above... but from the description you thought it was going to be straight combat but it turns out to be a novel to read. What sort of review do you leave????
    "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people." -- UNK

    “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” -- Benjamin Franklin
  • rickysmith1rickysmith1 Member Posts: 610 Arc User
    Personally my rule for 'leaving' a review is keep it positive
    where2r1 wrote: »
    But I am saying is: making FUN of people for it does not serve your cause.

    Your cause being: how to get feedback that is meaningful.

    Especially since it is entirely on the player to say what they feel.


    I didn't create this discussion to have a meaningful debate or find solutions, but to let of some steam and have a good old moan. :smiley:

    Speaking of which, it is armoUr, not armor. :tongue:
    STAR TREK CONTINUES
    Episode One - A Single Moment Episode Two - Infancy Episode Three - Unto the Breach
    Episode Four - Head Of A Needle Episode Five: The Duality of Men Episode Six - Redemption Earned
    Episode Seven - Shattered Universe Episode Eight - The Gepetto Condition Episode Nine - One Room, Two Officers
    Episode Ten - Beyond The Farthest Star Episode Eleven - It's OK, It Won't Hurt Episode Twelve - A Protracted Officer
    Episode Thirteen - Somewhen Episode Fourteen - The Boy Who Lived Episode Fifthteen - Empathy
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,867 Arc User
    ashstorm1 wrote: »
    Sadly, there isn't much i can do to make it better for them if they aren't slightly more specific about what they disliked.

    Again, that's presuming a very particular relationship between author and audience that not all audience members aren't willing to partake in. Take for example people who liked a mission but didn't post specific feedback to either the effect of "here's all the elements that I think worked" or "here's what could still need improving." Or, take the reviewer who opts to focus on a few highlights in a specific review but refrains from mailing the author every recommendation that might be considered helpful. We could ask for that, it would help make our missions better, but that's over-reaching (by a long way).

    Basically, specific feedback is a rare commodity and one we can't mine for without putting off the audience in the other important respect. Ie. generalized feedback. A creator should learn to not only process written reviews but the cheers, groans, and disinterested shuffling out of their audience, as then they're processing the full depth of the audience's experience (not just the conscious reactions and attendant arguments about the quality of a creative work.) It may be difficult but it's a core part of our job as story teller.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
    Well said, I would just add that there are those people who are just jealous that they can't create anything, the only thing they are good at creating in life is misery, they gain enjoyment out of other's misfortune, the Germans have a word for it - schadenfreude, and there is literally nothing you can do about it other than feel sorry for them and then put them on ignore.

    Exactly what i'm thinking.
  • starswordcstarswordc Member Posts: 10,963 Arc User
    My favorite negative review of "Bait and Switch" went something like, "Really boring. I ended up skipping most of the dialogue."

    Well, no duh, I freaking warned you at mission selection there was a lot of dialogue.
    "Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
    — Sabaton, "Great War"
    VZ9ASdg.png

    Check out https://unitedfederationofpla.net/s/
  • evilmark444evilmark444 Member Posts: 6,950 Arc User
    Only one that really annoyed me was an obvious retaliation for a negative review I gave them on one of their missions.

    Some people (possibly Dental? can't remember for sure) on the forums were slamming a foundry author's mission with negative criticism that the author claimed was unfair. I said I would play through the mission and provide some honest feedback, played the mission, and gave a negative review for a variety of reasons, the only one I can really remember being some overt sexuality (part of the story included your character sleeping with one of the NPCs ...). He then said he would play through my mission, and ended up giving me a one star review as well. I haven't checked them in awhile, but at the time it was my only one star review.
    Lifetime Subscriber since Beta
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  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,263 Arc User
    Only one that really annoyed me was an obvious retaliation for a negative review I gave them on one of their missions.

    Some people (possibly Dental? can't remember for sure) on the forums were slamming a foundry author's mission with negative criticism that the author claimed was unfair. I said I would play through the mission and provide some honest feedback, played the mission, and gave a negative review for a variety of reasons, the only one I can really remember being some overt sexuality (part of the story included your character sleeping with one of the NPCs ...). He then said he would play through my mission, and ended up giving me a one star review as well. I haven't checked them in awhile, but at the time it was my only one star review.
    That kind of vengence reviewing is not only stupid and childish, it shows the author had missed the point of a good negative review, aka to point out where the reviewer thought you were weak so that you can improve.

    I mean sometime ago the "Legion of Myth" crew played thru my mission (it's taken down while rework it atm so don't try find it in-game) and gave a rather harsh review, however I accepted that and took what they said to heart and I'm using it (along with other feedback) to make that mission better (granted the rework is still in the planning stages atm).
  • ashstorm1ashstorm1 Member Posts: 679 Arc User
    edited June 2018
    spiritborn wrote: »
    Only one that really annoyed me was an obvious retaliation for a negative review I gave them on one of their missions.

    Some people (possibly Dental? can't remember for sure) on the forums were slamming a foundry author's mission with negative criticism that the author claimed was unfair. I said I would play through the mission and provide some honest feedback, played the mission, and gave a negative review for a variety of reasons, the only one I can really remember being some overt sexuality (part of the story included your character sleeping with one of the NPCs ...). He then said he would play through my mission, and ended up giving me a one star review as well. I haven't checked them in awhile, but at the time it was my only one star review.
    That kind of vengence reviewing is not only stupid and childish, it shows the author had missed the point of a good negative review, aka to point out where the reviewer thought you were weak so that you can improve.

    I mean sometime ago the "Legion of Myth" crew played thru my mission (it's taken down while rework it atm so don't try find it in-game) and gave a rather harsh review, however I accepted that and took what they said to heart and I'm using it (along with other feedback) to make that mission better (granted the rework is still in the planning stages atm).

    All could be said is, "welcome to the Internet", where knowledge and information are shared between everyone in a common goal of enrichment, entertainment and prosperity where anonymity allows anyone to openly reveal himself as the sociopathic a**hole he might happen to be in real life and get away with it unpunished.

    +1 to your reaction in front of negative feedback, at any rate :)
  • spiritbornspiritborn Member Posts: 4,263 Arc User
    ashstorm1 wrote: »
    spiritborn wrote: »
    Only one that really annoyed me was an obvious retaliation for a negative review I gave them on one of their missions.

    Some people (possibly Dental? can't remember for sure) on the forums were slamming a foundry author's mission with negative criticism that the author claimed was unfair. I said I would play through the mission and provide some honest feedback, played the mission, and gave a negative review for a variety of reasons, the only one I can really remember being some overt sexuality (part of the story included your character sleeping with one of the NPCs ...). He then said he would play through my mission, and ended up giving me a one star review as well. I haven't checked them in awhile, but at the time it was my only one star review.
    That kind of vengence reviewing is not only stupid and childish, it shows the author had missed the point of a good negative review, aka to point out where the reviewer thought you were weak so that you can improve.

    I mean sometime ago the "Legion of Myth" crew played thru my mission (it's taken down while rework it atm so don't try find it in-game) and gave a rather harsh review, however I accepted that and took what they said to heart and I'm using it (along with other feedback) to make that mission better (granted the rework is still in the planning stages atm).

    All could be said is, "welcome to the Internet", where knowledge and information are shared between everyone in a common goal of enrichment, entertainment and prosperity where anonymity allows anyone to openly reveal himself as the sociopathic a**hole he might happen to be in real life and get away with it unpunished.

    +1 to your reaction in front of negative feedback, at any rate :)

    I'm old enough that my ego won't get bruised from a few negative reviews, what I dislike "pointless" reviews in the wasted potential, they could helped me grow as an author instead they wasted that in a pointless jerk*ss behaviour.
  • starswordcstarswordc Member Posts: 10,963 Arc User
    > @evilmark444 said:
    > Only one that really annoyed me was an obvious retaliation for a negative review I gave them on one of their missions.
    >
    > Some people (possibly Dental? can't remember for sure) on the forums were slamming a foundry author's mission with negative criticism that the author claimed was unfair. I said I would play through the mission and provide some honest feedback, played the mission, and gave a negative review for a variety of reasons, the only one I can really remember being some overt sexuality (part of the story included your character sleeping with one of the NPCs ...). He then said he would play through my mission, and ended up giving me a one star review as well. I haven't checked them in awhile, but at the time it was my only one star review.

    Well in all fairness, if the mission had overt sexual content of that nature, it might actually break terms of service.
    "Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
    — Sabaton, "Great War"
    VZ9ASdg.png

    Check out https://unitedfederationofpla.net/s/
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