Rating Recommendation icons for AGS Games

[nihilist]

I'd like to know who created the little rating icons above each game posted on the main AGS site... Very good concept, thought perhaps a little more detail could go into the pics. Also a nice little syringe/spliff/E tablet could be added to point out drug use in a game...

What do you think people?

[Jet X.L.]

There are Rating Recommendation icons on the game page?

[BOYD1981]

What do you think people?

i think it's a pretty stupid idea to be honest

[Scummbuddy]

wow, boyd, pretty harsh without an explanation.

I think the rating system we have is a very good idea, and if we dont already have an icon for drugs(including alcohol), then we should.  

Remaking them to be bigger and more legible could be an alright idea.  I would say, go ahead and make them, and if we like them, we will adopt them.

[Pumaman]

I'd like to know who created the little rating icons above each game posted on the main AGS site... Very good concept, thought perhaps a little more detail could go into the pics. Also a nice little syringe/spliff/E tablet could be added to point out drug use in a game...

Hehe, yes those icons were drawn by my good self. At the time I did ask if anyone wanted to re-draw them, because as you notice, I'm no artist

So yes, I would welcome new versions of the icons if someone was to draw them.

As for drug use, I'm not sure if that needs a seperate category - does anybody have a problem with a game in which the characters are using drugs?


Oh, and Boyd, that was rather harsh, especially without giving a reason to your thinking.

[MillsJROSS]

I think the icons were a great idea. They tell someone, who is about to invest time in a game, useful information. This way, people can't complain about abusive language, if there was an icon that blatantly told them this kind of language was in the game. Whether it needs to be updated or not...I'd personally just rather have CJ work on AGS.

However, I still think that a 10 point score to determine whether a game is good is not specific enough to be accurate. It encompasses graphics, gameplay, plot, everything! If you have a seperate point system for everything people can see what hurt the game. And those who don't care so much about bad graphics will play the game. Because when I'm looking at the games page I see a lot of games, that I feel have a higher score because of graphics, than some games that aren't as good. But it might just be me ranting...still I'd stillr ather CJ work on AGS than the games page. Maybe he can give it to someone who's willing to volunteer to keep it up-to-date, and willing to encorporate some of these new icons.

-MillsJROSS

[Nellie]

Yeah, drug abuse gets it's own warning when it's in films, so I think it's a good idea to add it here.

I meant to say this when the icons were first added, but forgot: perhaps there should be a key to what the symbols mean somewhere on the page?

[BOYD1981]

well, maybe it was a bit harsh and for that i apologise, but how many games have had drugs in them before FLASHBAX and far more worse stuff, i think that Broken Brain game should have had a flashing lights warning...
i just think that foz may feel as if he's being told off for putting some original stuff in his game, he already asked if people thought it was too violent, i mean something like murder or somebody dying in some horrific way is probably more disturbing that drug usage, and besides, how many people that downloaded the game actually went to the games download page instead of following the link from the post in the completed games forum? a warning about drug usage wouldn't have done any good if that were the case...
and the final point that i would like to point upon you all is that you wouldn't read up about everything that happened in a movie before going to see it, you want to be surprised and in some cases shocked by what you don't know about, if people on the forum are going to post about something in the game they're asked to use the spoiler code...

i didn't intend to offend nihilist with my original reply, if i did offend you nihilist then i'm sorry.

[Scummbuddy]

I think it should be included.  At the end of movie trailers on tv and the radio now, theyve added the explicit things that cause movies to be the rating they are.  

If some young'in here went to the downloads page and wanted to download a game, but he knows his mom is sneaky, and overprotecting and a harsh punisher when it comes to being caught with stuff in it, I would certainly like the heads up.

[Scummy's mommy walks in] What's that mother?  Okay, I'll hurry up and stop talking to my 'friends in the box'. Norman Bates style


I'll give a go at making some new icons.  Im doing others at the moment as well, so yeah, I'll post here when im done.

[BOYD1981]

okay then, could you also make one to warn of flashing lights for those of us with epilepsy?

[Matt Brown]

i've noticed an interesting side effect to the ratings.


check out games that say they have a high sex content. then, check out their download number. waayyyy higher then some of these games deserve.

I contemplated saying bob's quest had boobies when it didnt, just so more people would download it...but thats kind of horrible.

anyways, I still think these ratings are a good idea however. just commenting

[Evil]

I agree with panda. Lately I've been trying to add a bit of nudity to my art for just that reason. I know its sad, yes...

As for the icons, I think we are fine. I mean, why dont you complain about the game's art being bad (no offence CJ). I mean, why do you care so much about what the website looks like. The only thing it is for is for stating what is in the game. I dont know many people that go to the site just to download these games just to take up space and never play them...

[12431]

there should also be an icon for stuff that could be offensive. such as racism and "we hate muslims" like content

[remixor]

I think there should be a vegetable icon if your game contains rutabega elements.

Seriously though, I don't see anything wrong with the icons.  It's not like they hurt anything, and it allows people who have predisposed notions to certain kind of content to filter their downloads a bit more easily.  And in the case of people downloading games just because they have teh b00bs, well, I certainly wouldn't do that (especially in AGS games--I mean, come on), but if people would rather do that, it doesn't really do any harm either.

[Captain Mostly]

These icons make me feel like I'm picking a National Trust property out of the member's booklet (yeah, I'm a member! If there's one place you can pretty much guaruntee a Cream Tea is on offer, it's a National Trust café) to go to for a day out.

They have symbols that are very cryptic, and some of them seemingly of very limited usefulness.

The only downside of this is that I can only look at the AGS downloads page at night. Otherwise, I'm too reminded of the National trust booklet, and turn off my computer to scamper off and start planning a day out instead of playing games. It's not so bad in the winter, when most NT places are closed...

So over all: Icons GOOD

(p.s. I apologise to those of you who neither know or care what the National Trust is... PARTICULARLY those outside the UK. Those INSIDE the UK who don't know what the NT is have never lived, and CERTAINLY not got excited about a secret toilet built for King George...)

(p.p.s. I apologise for my even-more-horrendous-than-usual spelling. I'm currently typing on a lap-top, and the keys are horrible!)

[magintz]

Hehe, yes those icons were drawn by my good self ... because as you notice, I'm no artist

what about bluecup!

[Pumaman]

True, that is a work of art  


Oh, and Captain, I have to say I admire your ability to enjoy National Trust properties. It's not a taste that I have yet acquired

[BOYD1981]

okay, i was thinking about this just now and got my creative juices flowing and made these...










and my personal favourite

[Minimi]

that is terrific, boyd!!! I really adore the joint!!

[Captain Mostly]

The National Trust is kinda like pantomime. You have to throw yourself into it. The buildings are utterly utterly fascinating, and filled with incredible and bizzar details that most people miss when dragged around them as a child.

Me and my hubbie went to one near the terribly dull city of Derby to descover in the first room there were paintings of Jesus (equipped with beard and age) suckling at a ladies boobie, and a hoofed child dragging a severed cow's head by a ribbon! We tried and tried to find an explanation, but the woman was both too ignorant to explain te back-stories and too slow to make something up for us. She was terribl friendly though.

And also: You're missing the main point...

CREAM TEAS!!!!


CREAM!!!


TEAS!!!

(they're LIKE a coronary, but with a choice of jams...)