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- Dec 29, 2008
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- 271
Tutorial: How to make a good review
Hey guys!
I saw many reviews of maps, spells, models,... here and many of them are just useless and not helpful!!
So I hope this tutorial will help users to make good and helpful reviews.
Please remember this when you read this tutorial:
All the examples I use in this tutorial are for a spell or system review!!! They are explained long enough so you can change them to the kind of review you need!
The Preparations
Just make sure you tested whatever you want to review very well.You shouldn't even start writing a review if you don't understand anything of that kind!!
A GUI user can't review a vJASS spell...

Make sure you are able to re-review the ressource after the crator asks you to!!
The Form
I recommend using a good and readable form to review submissions.It should contain all the sections you reviewed and something like a "result".
The form I use is the following:
Review of version U.VW: [the version of the Spell/System this review is about]
Idea
[my comment about the idea]
a/5 [my rating only for this section]
Coding
[my comment about the code]
b/5 [my rating only for this section]
Documentation
[my comment about the documentation]
c/5 [my rating only for this section]
Result
[a summary of my comments and suggestions]
Overall: (a+b+c)/3 = x,y ==> x [here is my rating, calculated of all the section ratings]
Vote for Approval: Yes/No [whether I vote for approval or not]
+rep: Yes/No [whether I give +rep or not]
Well this form is easy to read out, cause the sections are structured and rated seperately!
If you write a review always remember
- not to use offending language
- to write in English (I am German and I can do this, too!! It's not that hard)
- to help the user and not only write what he did wrong
- Don't use 1337 speak (leatspeak)
- --- Just write as if you would write a class test ---
The Comments/Critism
I have a checklist I go through before I write my comment for each section.
I suggest making your own one but this can be a little help:
Section: Idea
- Is this original or do we have this here already many times?
- Is it new or just a variation of something existing?
- Is the submission needed? Something blizzard already implemented shouldn't be here and steal free space...
Section: Coding
- Is the coding efficient? (leakfree,MUI/MPI,bugfree)
- Is the best possible implementation made? (a jump which knocks units back at the end should use an existing jump and an existing knockback system)
- Were some workarounds used which can be coded easier/more efficient?
Section: Documentation
- Is there a documentation??? (many don't have one)
- Is the documentation understandable and not too long?
- Is a "How To Import" included?
- Is the "How To Import" useful, even for new users without experience?
After you went thorugh this checklists you have something to write...
But that isn't enough!!!! If you realized that there are some bad things you have to tell the creator which things are bad and (if you know that) how to fix them!!
I usually write this directly in the same section...
If this help is going to be too long use HIDDEN tags!!
The Ratings
If you rate each section it is much easier to find an overall rating!
I suggest using the hiveworkshop rating scheme:
1/5: unacceptable
2/5: lacking
3/5: useful
4/5: recommended
5/5: highly recommended
Here comes the difficult part: you have to decide which rating the creator deserves in each section...
Well, don't be too hard and don't be too friendly!!
Just stay neutral and don't let anything affect your rating except your results!!

The Final Result
Now the last part which is in fact just a summary of the sections with some last tips...
Calculate your final rating with this formula:
(1.rating + 2.rating+3.rating + ... + last rating) / Number of rated sections
If you get a decimal number then round it.
Example:
Overall Rating(5+4+5)/3 = 4.6 ==> 5
ResultA very good spell with nice eyecandy, perfect documentation and a nice short code.
Just one suggestion: replace the 10000HP footman with the normal blizzard version so testers can see the power of this spell at once...
Overall: (5+4+5)/3 = 4.6 ==> 5
Vote for Approval: Yes
+rep: Yes
If you vote for approval, give +rep or rate a ressource in your review then do this on hiveworkshop too!!
Just writing 5/5 doesn't help the creator

and give +rep whenever you would think "Wow!!!! Thats really good!!"
Example: A full review
This is a review i wrote some time ago for Axarions Portal Impact VersionThe full ReviewReview of version 1.00:
Idea
Well the idea is not very new, but still useful
3/5Coding
The coding is not bad but there are some things to improve
should beJASS:private function Conditions takes nothing returns boolean local spell dat = spell.create() local timer t = NewTimer() set dat.Target = GetSpellTargetUnit() set dat.Caster = GetTriggerUnit() set dat.SpellLevel = GetUnitAbilityLevel(dat.Caster, AbiId ) if GetSpellAbilityId() == AbiId and dat.Caster != dat.Target then call SetTimerData(t, dat) call TimerStart(t, 0.3, false, function Timeout) endif return false endfunction
JASS:private function Conditions takes nothing returns boolean local spell dat local timer t if GetSpellAbilityId() == AbiId and GetSpellTargetUnit() != GetTriggerUnit() then set t = NewTimer() set dat = spell.create() set dat.Target = GetSpellTargetUnit() set dat.Caster = GetTriggerUnit() set dat.SpellLevel = GetUnitAbilityLevel(dat.Caster, AbiId ) call SetTimerData(t, dat) call TimerStart(t, 0.3, false, function Timeout) endif return false endfunction
4/5instead of
replace the struct group with a global group and useJASS:set dat.Target = GroupPickRandomUnit(dat.g)
JASS:set dat.Target = FirstOfGroup(g)
Documentation
enough documentation but a "how to import" would be nice
4/5PM me when you want me to look over your ressource againResult
A nice spell and good for beginners to learn from!
Just fix the mentioned things and it will be a great spell!!
Overall: (3+4+4)/3 = 3.7 ==> 4
Vote for Approval: Yes
+rep: Yes
And what does the review bring me???
Two days after the above review example I got a PM by Axarion thanking me for that review and promising an update!
Another review of mine for Ap0calypse ended in a +rep with more than 1 rep!!
You see giving a good review can help users and yourself to become better

I hope to see many nice reviews here in future

gl & hf
Your
The_Witcher
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