√ Process of reviewing maps

[Rui]

This thread was designed to provide a reviewing guide for any new map moderators, and to also let users know how the reviewing process works, as well as teaching them what is a good comment, and what is not.

1. Criticizing
2. Map moderator reviewing process

Criticizing

The worst you can do when commenting a map is posting "good map i like it!! 5/5" or "this map sucks 1/5". The reason is simple: those posts lack criticism, suggestions and everything a good review should have, and as such, they do not tell the author where or how to improve.
The first part of your comment should contain a brief description of the game: what type of map it is, what is it about, how do you play, etc.

[highlight]NOTE:[/code] You should not reveal details of a campaign or cinematic's storyline. Instead, you could tell the user how the story starts, and classify the overall story as "interesting", "boring", whatever you think it is.

Next, the review itself. You can tell the author where you think he got it right, where you think he made it wrong, etc. If you are a map maker, you can always tell him how you would have made this or that. Remember, though, that what you're trying to get through is a critique, an overall appreciation of the map you played, and how you liked it. Do not get influenced by other peoples' opinions or criteria, what counts is YOUR own opinion. Do not ignore them completely either, since their comments may refer something you missed.Try not forgetting the following points when commenting a map:

• Packaging (The description, mostly. How well is the map presented. Did the description cover up all the map's features? How all the game modes (if existent) work?
• Terrain
• Imported Material (Was all of it necessary?)
• Balance
• Originality
• Object editor work (Was every object necessary? Is every unit, item and spell well described? How organized were the command buttons?)
• Machine/Net-friendly (Nobody purchased Warcraft thinking they'd get heavy maps. Was the map within Warcraft III's requirements, does it allow everyone, no matter the quality of the computer, to play? How well is the map's lag justified?
• Spelling & Grammar
• Bug-free

[highlight]NOTE:[/code] These are just points you should keep in mind, you don't necessarily need to evaluate all of them. I do not encourage nor discourage point (+, -) reviews. In my opinion, as long as the author gets to know what he needs to improve, everything's fine.

"How to give good Critique", a tutorial by Ash.

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{THE SECTION BELOW IS DEPRECATED}

Reviewing process

^{(moderators only)}If you are a moderator, then you must follow these steps whenever you review a map:

• Submit your review (post) in the map's commenting area. The first part of this sticky thread serves as a guide to how your critique to the map should be written.
• Rate (from 1 to 5), as a user, and vote in favor of the resource's approval or rejection, referencing your post number in the box that spawns. The post number changes when comments are deleted, but you do not need to change it if that happens.
• Enter the moderation panel. Scroll down until you find the field "Moderator's Review". Your message here should be written like this:
  • Time, comma, date (by day, month, and year), comma, "by <your nickname here>", with the entire text bold and size 1.
    Paragraph. A short summary of your review, not including the tell-about-the-gameplay part, in a font that does not take too much space. I, for one, use Palatino Linotype. You should also mention the rating and the status you set the map to. These status should be Rejected if the rating is lower than 2 and Approved if the rating's 3 or higher.

Example:^{(from "Symmetrical Chaos")}
17:33, 22nd Feb 2009, by Rui
The map supports 8 players and is symmetrical, that's a plus. However, the terrain, allied to an already difficult tileset, is not the best. The worst are definitely the drops, however, and the neutral buildings guarded by the creeps who drop them can't receive a plus either.
All in all, a 2/5 (Lacking) map. Seeing as how the creator is willing to improve, this map's status is Approved.

[highlight]NOTE:[/code] You can color your nickname, it is even recommendable that you do so in order to make it stand out, but try not to use the colors already in use. I (Rui), for example, use the royal blue.

[highlight]NOTE:[/code] In the example above, the map was approved with a rating of 2, which goes against what I had said earlier. If the author is willing to improve, you can always approve the map, at least until we don't get a status specifically for maps rated 2.

12:04, February 24, 2009

 

[Septimus]

The first part of your comment should contain a brief description of the game: what type of map it is, what is it about, how do you play, etc.

I do believe this are responsibility of the map author itself because they are suppose to write a detail information of what is their map about and put it at proper category. If they don't, then the user should tell them to give a proper description.

You miss out scripting. If the reviewer know a much better way to script GUI/JASS/VJASS in effective way, they are encourage to tell the map author of the way of better scripting.

For example, the map author probably create this scripting.

• Initialization
  • Events
    • Time - Timer expires
  • Conditions
  • Actions
    • Game - Victory Player 1 (Red) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 2 (Blue) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 3 (Teal) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 4 (Purple) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 5 (Yellow) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 6 (Orange) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 7 (Green) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 8 (Pink) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 9 (Gray) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 10 (Light Blue) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 11 (Dark Green) (Show dialogs, Show scores)

However, a user could tell the map author to simplified it to

• Initialization
  • Events
    • Time - Timer expires
  • Conditions
  • Actions
    • Player Group - Pick every player in (All players controlled by a User player) and do (Game - Victory Player 2 (Blue) (Show dialogs, Show scores))

This is not at bug free category since they both work at the same way, but 1 at optimize way and another at ineffective way.

And rules should be add as well. Does the map follow the rules of this site? If it don't, a user should tell the map author why and where as well.

 

[Linaze]

Good that you posted this "reviewing guideline" here, Rui. I think it'll help both users and new mods to write better reviews.

 

[Kwah]

Okay. Septimus, having you of all people talking about scripting is just wrong.

Good enough guidelines going here, although it seems too specific for me. Moderators should still have room for their own 'flair'.

 

[Fire_Ace]

What is the maximum amount of time a moderator is permitted to use from the map is posted until he has to respond? (rate, comment, approve..)

 

[Linaze]

There is no "maximum time". It takes the time it takes, which in most cases is a lot.

 

[PoZoR]

There is no "maximum time". It takes the time it takes, which in most cases is a lot.

indeed a lot. my map was uploaded a year ago lol

 

[bisnar13]

I do believe this are responsibility of the map author itself because they are suppose to write a detail information of what is their map about and put it at proper category. If they don't, then the user should tell them to give a proper description.

You miss out scripting. If the reviewer know a much better way to script GUI/JASS/VJASS in effective way, they are encourage to tell the map author of the way of better scripting.

For example, the map author probably create this scripting.

• Initialization
  • Events
    • Time - Timer expires
  • Conditions
  • Actions
    • Game - Victory Player 1 (Red) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 2 (Blue) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 3 (Teal) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 4 (Purple) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 5 (Yellow) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 6 (Orange) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 7 (Green) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 8 (Pink) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 9 (Gray) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 10 (Light Blue) (Show dialogs, Show scores)
    • Game - Victory Player 11 (Dark Green) (Show dialogs, Show scores)

However, a user could tell the map author to simplified it to

• Initialization
  • Events
    • Time - Timer expires
  • Conditions
  • Actions
    • Player Group - Pick every player in (All players controlled by a User player) and do (Game - Victory Player 2 (Blue) (Show dialogs, Show scores))

This is not at bug free category since they both work at the same way, but 1 at optimize way and another at ineffective way.

And rules should be add as well. Does the map follow the rules of this site? If it don't, a user should tell the map author why and where as well.

the other one only works for player 2 look at the trigger.