A quick lesson on Criticism
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:21 am
Reposted from the older forum.
I remember posting this on NSMBX about two and a half years ago, and strangely enough it's still not made its way here. There are still, though, a few people that don't know how to criticise a level without being too harsh, being too biased or lacking in detail. Therefore, this guide was created to right those that are not criticising levels properly.
1. Constructiveness
This has already been elaborated in the level forum rules, but it's better that I'd continue to elaborate this rule further. Going ahead and posting something along the lines of "this is crap" or "good" will not get you anywhere far, because it's just as good as not saying anything at all, and could possibly net you a warning. Why is it crap? How is it good? If it's crap, how does it need improving? You don't need to write an essay on it - just a short explanation is enough - if you can say something in fewer words, do it. Saying something along the lines of "This doesn't look good because I just noticed a cut-off near to that pipe leading to section X. Try fixing that." is a lot better. As well as that, don't just review based on the cons of the level, because that's only half the spectrum. You should praise the level designer on what they did well, and advise on how to fix those cons, otherwise your review will not be a review, but a list of things wrong with the level.
2. Level design/gameplay
The most important part of criticising a level is criticising the level design. Is the level fun to play? Is it cleverly-designed? A common pitfall that newbies fall into - I fell into this as well - is to get distracted by really cool fancy custom graphics that can distract from the dullness of the level design. Remember, it's not about custom graphics - it's about how you use them. A good reviewer should not let themselves get distracted by aspects that try to disguise how the level was designed, as ultimately the main crux of the level is the design, not the graphics. While graphics are useful for enhancing a level's atmosphere, it won't really do much when a level has a lot of issues with its design/gameplay. Even vanilla levels can have some good design, as shown in higher-scoring Vanilla Contest entries.
3. Kindness
A common trap that many reviewers fall into is raging over an aspect that's wrong with the level, to the point of attacking the designer. We don't want any AVGN-like reviewing in the forums; upon seeing something like an out-of-place enemy for example and saying things like "this level is bullshit and you are bullshit too!", "Did this take you five minutes to make?" or "Uninstall SMBX. Now." is not acceptable and would likely net you a warning. We should really be kind to each other whenever reviewing a level - there are some people that are new to SMBX and you need to respect them - there's a high chance the levels they make aren't Chad-like quality. Being harsh to them may end up demotivating the level designer, resulting in less incentive to make levels, or even quitting SMBX entirely. Treat others like you would be treated yourself.
4. Professionalism
This goes hand in hand with the previous point. While it is crucial to be kind when reviewing a level and not attack the designer, it is also important to remain firm and professional. Of course, this does not mean acting in a cold manner, but reviewers should get their points across in an informative manner, rather than a conversational manner. While complimenting aspects of level design is fine on its own, ultimately a well-versed review should read more like a school report card, rather than praising a child for being good. While this goes hand in hand with the first point, it is also important not to focus too much on the cons of the level either, because then it is not a review. On the other hand, showering the designer with too many compliments may result in a lack of room for improvement.
5. Bias
Another common trap I've seen around all reviewers is they're biased in their reviews. This can, unfortunately, lead to someone getting unfairly low scores in their reviews because the reviewers are criticising something just because, for example, "I don't like SMB2 levels" or giving unfairly high scores just because they're best friends with the level designer. Even if you're not a fan of, let's say, the graphical choice for example, it doesn't mean you should mark them down extremely severely on it. Also, you should review the level, not the designer. Balancing up opinions is everything.
6. Custom graphics
Well, you're obviously not in the Graphics forum when you read this: this is the levels forum, so most of your level aspects when you're reviewing shouldn't be too biased on the fact that there's custom graphics or not, and you shouldn't really judge too much of the level on its graphics, unless you like them and/or you want to point something out that needs fixing. Clashing is one example of this. This is when at least two graphics are placed in a vicinity of each other and are not compatible, but it has nothing to do with the games they come from. This isn't eye-pleasing, yet can be easily fixed. On the other hand, don't be biased and say that just one clash can make a level bad: too many, and it's definitely an eyesore. Also, if a level doesn't have custom graphics, it doesn't necessarily mean the level is bad; as mentioned before, there have been masterclasses of level design with little to no custom graphics.
7. Don't review just from screenshots!
I've seen a few people do that, and trust me, it's a very bad idea. Reviewing a level just from the screenshots and having not played it first gives a false impression to others of what the level actually has in store, and at worst, will turn people away from playing what could otherwise be a masterpiece in level design. If you want to review a level, you need to play it first, so you can give a more in-depth review. If you don't know how to criticise the level without relying on screenshots alone, don't review it.
This isn't to bore you out or anything, but this is more like a guide on how to criticise levels properly. Now get out there and review levels!
I remember posting this on NSMBX about two and a half years ago, and strangely enough it's still not made its way here. There are still, though, a few people that don't know how to criticise a level without being too harsh, being too biased or lacking in detail. Therefore, this guide was created to right those that are not criticising levels properly.
1. Constructiveness
This has already been elaborated in the level forum rules, but it's better that I'd continue to elaborate this rule further. Going ahead and posting something along the lines of "this is crap" or "good" will not get you anywhere far, because it's just as good as not saying anything at all, and could possibly net you a warning. Why is it crap? How is it good? If it's crap, how does it need improving? You don't need to write an essay on it - just a short explanation is enough - if you can say something in fewer words, do it. Saying something along the lines of "This doesn't look good because I just noticed a cut-off near to that pipe leading to section X. Try fixing that." is a lot better. As well as that, don't just review based on the cons of the level, because that's only half the spectrum. You should praise the level designer on what they did well, and advise on how to fix those cons, otherwise your review will not be a review, but a list of things wrong with the level.
2. Level design/gameplay
The most important part of criticising a level is criticising the level design. Is the level fun to play? Is it cleverly-designed? A common pitfall that newbies fall into - I fell into this as well - is to get distracted by really cool fancy custom graphics that can distract from the dullness of the level design. Remember, it's not about custom graphics - it's about how you use them. A good reviewer should not let themselves get distracted by aspects that try to disguise how the level was designed, as ultimately the main crux of the level is the design, not the graphics. While graphics are useful for enhancing a level's atmosphere, it won't really do much when a level has a lot of issues with its design/gameplay. Even vanilla levels can have some good design, as shown in higher-scoring Vanilla Contest entries.
3. Kindness
A common trap that many reviewers fall into is raging over an aspect that's wrong with the level, to the point of attacking the designer. We don't want any AVGN-like reviewing in the forums; upon seeing something like an out-of-place enemy for example and saying things like "this level is bullshit and you are bullshit too!", "Did this take you five minutes to make?" or "Uninstall SMBX. Now." is not acceptable and would likely net you a warning. We should really be kind to each other whenever reviewing a level - there are some people that are new to SMBX and you need to respect them - there's a high chance the levels they make aren't Chad-like quality. Being harsh to them may end up demotivating the level designer, resulting in less incentive to make levels, or even quitting SMBX entirely. Treat others like you would be treated yourself.
4. Professionalism
This goes hand in hand with the previous point. While it is crucial to be kind when reviewing a level and not attack the designer, it is also important to remain firm and professional. Of course, this does not mean acting in a cold manner, but reviewers should get their points across in an informative manner, rather than a conversational manner. While complimenting aspects of level design is fine on its own, ultimately a well-versed review should read more like a school report card, rather than praising a child for being good. While this goes hand in hand with the first point, it is also important not to focus too much on the cons of the level either, because then it is not a review. On the other hand, showering the designer with too many compliments may result in a lack of room for improvement.
5. Bias
Another common trap I've seen around all reviewers is they're biased in their reviews. This can, unfortunately, lead to someone getting unfairly low scores in their reviews because the reviewers are criticising something just because, for example, "I don't like SMB2 levels" or giving unfairly high scores just because they're best friends with the level designer. Even if you're not a fan of, let's say, the graphical choice for example, it doesn't mean you should mark them down extremely severely on it. Also, you should review the level, not the designer. Balancing up opinions is everything.
6. Custom graphics
Well, you're obviously not in the Graphics forum when you read this: this is the levels forum, so most of your level aspects when you're reviewing shouldn't be too biased on the fact that there's custom graphics or not, and you shouldn't really judge too much of the level on its graphics, unless you like them and/or you want to point something out that needs fixing. Clashing is one example of this. This is when at least two graphics are placed in a vicinity of each other and are not compatible, but it has nothing to do with the games they come from. This isn't eye-pleasing, yet can be easily fixed. On the other hand, don't be biased and say that just one clash can make a level bad: too many, and it's definitely an eyesore. Also, if a level doesn't have custom graphics, it doesn't necessarily mean the level is bad; as mentioned before, there have been masterclasses of level design with little to no custom graphics.
7. Don't review just from screenshots!
I've seen a few people do that, and trust me, it's a very bad idea. Reviewing a level just from the screenshots and having not played it first gives a false impression to others of what the level actually has in store, and at worst, will turn people away from playing what could otherwise be a masterpiece in level design. If you want to review a level, you need to play it first, so you can give a more in-depth review. If you don't know how to criticise the level without relying on screenshots alone, don't review it.
This isn't to bore you out or anything, but this is more like a guide on how to criticise levels properly. Now get out there and review levels!
