This is a place for forummers to exchange comments, reviews and critique for files which they have downloaded and played. Here you can request reviews for your files, talk about file's you've recently downloaded and learn about how to write reviews and the rewards that come with it. Anybody can write a review for a requested file, you don't have to have any special requirements. It's not just for official reviewers.
There are great things about writing reviews. Reviews are very useful for the file uploaders because it shows them what other people think about their files. It allows them to see what is good and bad about their files, and the reviews also offer constructive criticism that will include suggestions on how to improve the file in a future update. Reviews are also helpful for downloaders because it gives the downloader an idea of what to expect when they download the file.
When a reviewer reaches a certain milestone they may earn rewards for their achievements:
Once a forummer has written 25 approved reviews they are eligible to become an Official Reviewer, although this is not guaranteed and may require further improvement on the reviewer's behalf. Official reviewers should be the most dedicated reviewers, writing detailed and constructive reviews that help improve the files they review. All reviews that are rated 4.0 or above by official reviewers will appear in The Blacksmith's
(In order of number of reviews)
The list below consists of a number of requests and/or downloads recently reviewed. Requests are marked
R
R
R
Please edit your review after an update. A designer can ask for the removal of all reviews after an update if he feels that they do not represent the actual version of his submission. Reviews that address issues that are fixed, altered or ameliorated do not serve the visitors of our site. A review has to be a valuable tool for the designer and the downloader.
(In order of date of the update)
Without trying to enforce the Review Guidelines as something as law, they are still a very important part of the review system here at
In some cases, a small percentage of reviewers tend to review files according to their own rules, leading to inconsistency between reviews at the Blacksmith, which is neither helpful nor fair to anyone. To have reviews at the Blacksmith that are fair and helpful, reviewers have to follow some rules to score consistently.
If you have any questions about reviewing, please do not hesitate to post in this thread!
There are many invaluable lessons to learn when becoming a good reviewer, and a few other things besides that will result in a good and fair review. Some things are self-evident when reviewing a file; in general, do not review game styles you do not enjoy and review files according to the date of its release. There are many files back in 2000-2002 that received a score of a high 4, which would not fit the standards of today. You have to take into account the standards of the day, and rate accordingly. In addition, if the scenario is designed for original Age of Kings, review it playing AoK.
Below you will find a general breakdown of each category from a review for your convenience.
For files such as those where playability is void and map design is the only feature of the file (e.g. entries to the Totally-Terrain Contest), the category should therefore be used to take a look at the technical and creative qualities of the map design, while referring to how that design pushes the boundaries of realism in an AOK environment. One particular thing to note here is that just because the file is all about pretty map design, that doesn’t mean it cannot feature any creative features that might breathe life into the design, such as towns brought to life by wandering villagers, people going about their everyday lives, and other unique devices besides. Basically, anything that goes into making the map more alive and as such realistic should be taken into consideration. As the file will likely feature little anything else other than map design, a single overall rating between 1 and 5 will be fine.
An exception to the balance category is when the author of a particular file did not intend any fighting, or very little of, to feature in the scenario. From the review guidelines:
For files such as the
Cut-scenes rate like any other scenario, the defining factor being that most cut-scenes do not allow any interaction for the player, requiring only that the player sits down and watches. One thing to note is the change of the category BALANCE to PACING, which primarily denotes the flow of the cut-scene. Well timed sequences with good flow should score strongly here, while cut-scenes with little structure or planning, sound effects appearing out of sync and the like, should score poorly.
A Modification Pack Script (MPS) is mainly an item for the player, which has a limited use for designers; the content will not always suit a designer’s endeavours in scenario design and is very limited to its audience. Keep this in mind when you rate mod pack scripts for
There is no official guideline for reviewing utilities, but for some ideas you can go
Luke Gevaerts started the Review Request Thread 03/30/2002. Tanneur took over 11/30/2002 until 7/11/2009. Mashek then hosted the thread until 05/19/2012, when it was taken over by Panel until about 01/10/14. After Panel stepped down as staff, it was left alone for about 6 months without being updated until Possidon took over the thread where it was completely revamped and turned into The Exchequer.
Wrath of the Traibs | Alba gu Brath | Across the Sea | Possidon's Eye-Candy Expansion
MY BLACKSMITH LIBRARY
[This message has been edited by Possidon (edited 04-26-2021 @ 07:42 AM).]