How to make a good review and/or become a good Level Judge
Dec 19, 2016 3:04:16 GMT -5
Rexone, yourbuddy, and 1 more like this
Post by skylighter on Dec 19, 2016 3:04:16 GMT -5
This guide, if you couldn't tell, is specifically for the GD Forums.
I have written this on the Official Rules for Level Judging several months ago, but I want to write it here because people complain about how they can't make good reviews because they aren't suited to be level judges (and also people don't always check those rules). This is false; anyone can become a level judge if they really want to. I've decided to revise this guide a bit and add more content. Here are a few guidelines to making a good review:
1. Take note of both the flaws and strengths of the level you're reviewing. It's good to tell the builder what you think is good and what needs to be improved.
2. Being non-descriptive and just giving a score won't help the builder. The score doesn't do anything to help the builder become better. It's the description that helps the builder become better. For example, don't just saying that "this part is good but needs working". A good example would be this: The ship part between 42-46% has a good overall design, with lots of activity because of flashes and pleasing block design. However, decoration is a bit lacking, especially with the background." You want to be as specific as possible.
3. Don't just say that "this part is fun" or "this part needs more improvement". You can't just say that because the builder may not know what needs improvement and what makes that part fun. You have to EXPLAIN WHY this part is what it is. In other words, you need to justify what you say. The example above applies to here as well as the first tip.
4. This is obvious, but make sure your review is legible and isn't filled with errors that can impede understanding. You always want the builder to know what you're saying! It's also good to be somewhat formal with your review, as your review is what people either see as agreeable or a joke depending on how you word it.
Bad: Teh use of jup rigs to giv a greatar emphaseis en da deceration is wat make tis lvl g8.
Better: The use of jump rings to give a greater emphasis on the decoration is what makes this level great.
5. If how you score gives a rating (Feature-Worthy, Decent, etc.) that is much different than what you really think, then put in your preferred rating and then explain why you chose that rating instead of the score rating. This is common for judges who don't have a consistent rating system. If you get this often then it's time to tweak your system!
My rating system is ((Design+Decoration+Gameplay+Music Sync)/4)/10. All four categories are out of 10 points. For this system to work well, you'll need to follow this rating scale:
0-4.9: Needs Improvement
5-6.9: Decent
7-8.4: Good
8.5-10: Feature Worthy
This is only if you're going to just copy this. Every person has his or her ranking system, and this is just mine. There are better rating systems out there, and the one's without numbers are usually pretty good. You'll have to consider guideline #2 if using a system with numbers.
6. Don't try to be biased or only focus on the good or bad (unless that's your true opinion). Giving what need improvement is what makes good criticism, which is what the person that you are reviewing (hopefully) wants. Even if the creator is Robtop or someone famous, it is important to continue judging fairly. A builder is a builder regardless of how popular he or she is. Say your true opinion on the level and mention the pros and cons of it. Don't try to give the person slack just because he is well-known.
A review for Robtop should be the same bias as a review for <insert more unknown person here>. A review for <insert liked person here> should be the same quality as a review for <insert disliked person here>.
These tips really only applies to ORIGINAL levels. If it's just copied or is a harder or easier version of another level, then it's basically an automatic 0 unless there is highly new design/decoration added to the level.
By following these 6 tips, you'll be able to easily make good reviews (that the level judges will verify), and continuing making good reviews frequently will get you with the Level Judges. This is coming from a (retired) senior level judge who has been reviewing for 10 months, so all of this is from experience. As long as these guidelines are followed, your reviewing quality will become much better, and you'll be able to give better criticism for the level that you are reviewing so that that builder will be able to improve from what you tell him.
I have written this on the Official Rules for Level Judging several months ago, but I want to write it here because people complain about how they can't make good reviews because they aren't suited to be level judges (and also people don't always check those rules). This is false; anyone can become a level judge if they really want to. I've decided to revise this guide a bit and add more content. Here are a few guidelines to making a good review:
1. Take note of both the flaws and strengths of the level you're reviewing. It's good to tell the builder what you think is good and what needs to be improved.
2. Being non-descriptive and just giving a score won't help the builder. The score doesn't do anything to help the builder become better. It's the description that helps the builder become better. For example, don't just saying that "this part is good but needs working". A good example would be this: The ship part between 42-46% has a good overall design, with lots of activity because of flashes and pleasing block design. However, decoration is a bit lacking, especially with the background." You want to be as specific as possible.
3. Don't just say that "this part is fun" or "this part needs more improvement". You can't just say that because the builder may not know what needs improvement and what makes that part fun. You have to EXPLAIN WHY this part is what it is. In other words, you need to justify what you say. The example above applies to here as well as the first tip.
4. This is obvious, but make sure your review is legible and isn't filled with errors that can impede understanding. You always want the builder to know what you're saying! It's also good to be somewhat formal with your review, as your review is what people either see as agreeable or a joke depending on how you word it.
Bad: Teh use of jup rigs to giv a greatar emphaseis en da deceration is wat make tis lvl g8.
Better: The use of jump rings to give a greater emphasis on the decoration is what makes this level great.
5. If how you score gives a rating (Feature-Worthy, Decent, etc.) that is much different than what you really think, then put in your preferred rating and then explain why you chose that rating instead of the score rating. This is common for judges who don't have a consistent rating system. If you get this often then it's time to tweak your system!
My rating system is ((Design+Decoration+Gameplay+Music Sync)/4)/10. All four categories are out of 10 points. For this system to work well, you'll need to follow this rating scale:
0-4.9: Needs Improvement
5-6.9: Decent
7-8.4: Good
8.5-10: Feature Worthy
This is only if you're going to just copy this. Every person has his or her ranking system, and this is just mine. There are better rating systems out there, and the one's without numbers are usually pretty good. You'll have to consider guideline #2 if using a system with numbers.
6. Don't try to be biased or only focus on the good or bad (unless that's your true opinion). Giving what need improvement is what makes good criticism, which is what the person that you are reviewing (hopefully) wants. Even if the creator is Robtop or someone famous, it is important to continue judging fairly. A builder is a builder regardless of how popular he or she is. Say your true opinion on the level and mention the pros and cons of it. Don't try to give the person slack just because he is well-known.
A review for Robtop should be the same bias as a review for <insert more unknown person here>. A review for <insert liked person here> should be the same quality as a review for <insert disliked person here>.
These tips really only applies to ORIGINAL levels. If it's just copied or is a harder or easier version of another level, then it's basically an automatic 0 unless there is highly new design/decoration added to the level.
By following these 6 tips, you'll be able to easily make good reviews (that the level judges will verify), and continuing making good reviews frequently will get you with the Level Judges. This is coming from a (retired) senior level judge who has been reviewing for 10 months, so all of this is from experience. As long as these guidelines are followed, your reviewing quality will become much better, and you'll be able to give better criticism for the level that you are reviewing so that that builder will be able to improve from what you tell him.
