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Either way, this is not really the right place to post them.

The general forum is basically for stuff that might be in the general interest of the community, not personal showcasing.

Oh, lighten up will you.

Conan happens to be one of my favourite american comedians.

yeah I was about to post something awesome, but then Snake posted...and...well I just lost all motivation

I think it's already very easy on the eye. Nice handpainted feeling, soft nice colours.

I think it can be improved by a higher definition on selected areas; slightly more details on the foreground spruce (but not more colours - keep working with a silhoutte), and on the town in the background.

Overall the background is really good.

Minor adjustments:
* Composition. Your composition wasn't tight enough - too much space and no unity among the objects. I brought together the composition (it's also smaller now, but I didn't want to add new stuff; just pulled it together to illustrate my point)
* Composition. By bringing the crater to the foreground I'm making it more dramatic. The tree as well is brought forward and magnified.
* The perspective on the house wasn't very appealing. It appeared very long.
* Added "texture" to the ground
* Made all the eerily straight lines less straight and more naturally curved
* Added shadows and highlights to establish some sort of depth

There are some people I would definitely want elsewhere in the cosmos

But at least to our own planet. Can you imagine if we accidentally killed all life, possibly life more intelligent than our own, on a foreign planet, with only a few bacteria left on a tiny droid that more than likely won't give us a whole lot of valuable information?

I don't think our mere presence would wipe out an entire ecosystem, especially not one that is supposedly very intelligent. They'd probably be smart enough to put those affected by any potential bacteria or virus in quarantine, and invent medicine/vaccine to treat it.

Either way, it'd be really fun if there was a really advanced civilization living underneath the ice on Europa, just some light minutes away...

But has the fun slide been scientifically proven?

Oy!
I fail to understand why you have to draw the doors in the first place. Unless you should be able to enter all those doors, why draw them? Even then, I'd recommend re-planning your rooms so that all exits are either on the sides or in the far end.
Just because they exist doesn't mean you need to draw them, that's an absurd statement.

It's not bad, but before we dig into colour theory, some more composition/perspective issues...
Some objects are aligned too neatly. The desk and the bed seem to share perspective lines, which is distracting to the eye. Moreover, the far end of the bed is exactly on the same height as where the floor meets the wall, which is again distracting. More overlaping please!
I think you need to address this before moving onto to the colour issues.

Edit: Here's a revised version:


* More overlapping - no perfect alignment of lines!
* Much less primary colours.
* Lowered saturation - save saturated, bright colours for interesting highlights.
* Added colour perspective - surfaces that face away from the light source are darker.

My experience is that computer nerds are pretty stingy bastards. If the bar sells really cheap energy drinks, I guess there might be some sort of commerce taking place.

Also, has Yahtzee dressed up to look like some of his game characters, or is he always looking that geeky?

Yes, Harg and Layabout, let's fill this thread with specific titles whose rating we don't agree with.

Then let's invent a system so perfect that among the thousand-something games in the database, there wouldn't be even one or two ratings that any single one of the thousands of members wouldn't disagree on.

This is a bit silly. If you choose not to display a rating, it's because you consider it a bad rating. I predict that 99% of those who opt out will first have accepted to receive a rating, then changed their mind when it turned out lower than expected. Fine way of wasting people's time.
Moreover, the database will have a flawed balance towards higher rated games, with a huge bunch of unrated games. I don't see how this helps anyone, even the developers.

You're suggesting that humans are more complicated than they are, Snarky. The world of a developer is very small - good ratings are good, bad ratings are bad. Whatever philosophical theories or sentiments you have about reviewing stand pale to this simple fact - we all want good feedback.

Also, some of your reasons are even better used as arguments for compulsary rating. So a person who wants to sell his game doesn't want bad publicity? Well, that's life. Are we going to support that developers who can't make games worth buying still manages to trick people into buying them, by erasing mediocre reviews?

Harg, he's missing your point because your point is very strange.
A review is always written by only one person. At least at all the major magazines or websites I ever visit. They may have a staff of reviewers, but ultimately, the published text will have been penned by only one person.
I hope you understand that a review or preview or commentary or what have you is always subjective. It's in the nature of reviews. However, by having a panel of very experienced and trusted reviewers, we at AGS have ensured that the reviews are as balanced and neutral and qualified as you'll ever get them.

It's fine that you don't want to expose your game to other opinions, but try to think through what it is you're asking here.

Alright, there is now an official information thread over at completed games.
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=39821.0

This information as been approved by CJ and the Rating Panel.

Individual members of the rating panel will not partake in more debates regarding specific ratings. If you have comments or questions regarding the rating of a game, PM me or Progz.

[What is the Rating Panel?]

The Rating Panel Information Thread

What is the Rating Panel?
The Rating Panel is essentially a board of forum members that works with cataloguing, maintaining and rating the games in the AGS database. The daily work includes sorting games into the proper categories (genre, length etc) fixing or flagging broken links, rating the games and commenting on them, time permitting.

Who are in the Panel?
I work as coordinator and supervisor of the rating panel project. Progzmax is the current head of the panel.
The rest of the individual Rating Panel members are currently anonymous. This is to prevent coercion and abuse from game authors.

How does the Panel work?
The Panel works on the following premises:
1. Every member records which game he/she has rated in a special thread, along with a motivation. There is no anonymity within the panel.
2. Any rating can be challenged and discussed by fellow panel members.
3. The panel works under the supervision of each other and moderators.
4. The panel members are instructed and trained to rate according to certain guidelines and criteria that have been worked out in beforehand.
5. The panel members do not rate their own games.

What are the rating guidelines?
This is the official Rating Panel document.

Technical Rating
--------------------

1.  Is the game fully playable (can you complete the game without crashing or other severe bugs)?
2.  Are the puzzles and other gameplay elements competently designed and logical?
3.  Are the controls obvious or explained either by a readme or in-game tutorial?
4.  Is the language comprehensible enough to complete the game without confusion and/or difficulty?

Art/Music Rating
--------------------

1.  Are the sprite assets and animations original and in a style consistent with the rest of the game?
2.  Are the backgrounds original and in a style consistent with the rest of the game?
3.  Is the music original and in a style consistent with the rest of the game?
4.  Are the sound effects original and in a style consistent with the rest of the game?

Story Rating
---------------
1.  Is the story engrossing or thought provoking?
2.  Are the characters (and particularly the protagonist) engaging, with unique personalities and motivations?
3.  Do the characters and story elements remain consistent throughout the game?
4.  Is the dialogue engaging and consistent with the characters?

Gameplay Rating
---------------------
1.  Are the controls easy to learn?
2.  Is the user interface easy to understand and use?
3.  Is the game challenging without being punishing?
4.  Overall, is the game an enjoyable experience?

There is no mathematical function to decide the number of cups, but basically a game with 5 cups have only one or two no's. To achieve 2 cups at least half of the criteria must be met.


Why is my game so poorly rated?
First of all, it probably isn't. These ratings do not follow a typical bell shape diagram; very few games are awarded 4 cups, and only a handful have thus far earned 5 cups. Most games that are considered worth playing get 2 and 3 cups.

It's hard to be objective when you assess your own creation. Instead of getting upset, try to turn the c&c into something productive. With the right mindset, the Panel rating should be considered a useful tool.

Can a particular rating be appealed?
Yes, you can PM me, Andail, and state your case. As with any jury, judge or similar instance, it's unlikely that the Panel will revise their rating, but you're welcome to voice your opinion.

You can also demand that the Panel give you a more specified motivation for a particular rating. The Panel will try to formulate a longer comment to justify the rating.

Can I discuss the guidelines or rules pertaining to the rating?
Yes. But bear in mind that this project is ultimately sanctioned by CJ. This is his board, and you are using his program to make games that you publish on his site. Not everyone can have their saying. Everyone is bound to have different opinions, but not every single one of the thousands of game authors can ever be pleased.

Please remember to take the rating with a pinch of salt. At the end of the day, this is a way to bring order to the vast database.

Can I be a member of the Panel?
You may apply via a PM to me or Progzmax, but mind that the rotation of panelists is very slow.
It is required of panelists that
* They have been part of the AGS community for 2 years or more
* They are trusted, and not prone to cause controversy or violate forum policies
* They can set aside enough time - each panelist needs to play through several games every week to keep up
* They can sit for at least 4-6 months, to ensure consistent and fair ratings

Thank you for your attention.

Good points, Rick.
I'm afraid it's a bit fruitless to debate this more. There is simply no way we can satisfy everyone's demands. There will soon be a thread informing about the panel. In the mean time, please don't start more threads about the rating.

All right, listen now. There will shortly be a nice comprehensive thread informing about the panel.

As Eric said, try to calm down a bit. Take the whole rating thing with a pinch of salt.

It's absurd to believe that a system like this can satisfy everyone. There are hundreds and hundreds of game authors in the database, every single one of them will never be pleased.

It's impossible to have a huge debate every time someone disagrees with the rating. Try to remember that this is ultimately a project sanctioned by CJ.

Try to understand that a public discussion is not viable. There are as many opinions as there are members in this community. Count the amount of suggestions given in just this thread. No matter how eloquently expressed, an opinion is just opinion. There is no absolute, god-given true path to walk here.

I for one didn't see roger's face in there at all. I saw it as a cinnamon bun or something.
But anyways...

I'm not sure red is the way to go, it has a lot of negative connotation to it. It's as if the blue cups are about how good the game is, and the red ones how...evil the game is. Or something. So maybe green?