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How would you rate a new MMORPG?
Kyleran
Member LegendaryPosts: 43,498
Just curious. With every new review released, there's a huge outcry about how the score is incorrect. It's too low. It's too high, no you are all crazy it's just right.
Of course these scores are very subjective and I sort of laugh at those who expect objectivity from them since human beings inherently can't really do so. Just not in our nature, our backgrounds and beliefs always color our opinions.
But nevermind that, I was curious how other people might score games based on their own systems.
For example, in my case I am not likely to ever give a game a 10 score in anything. Nothing in life is ever perfect (not even Olympic gymnasts) so unless someone starts walking on water again, it just won't happen.
In fact, I don't feel any MMORPG has reached an overall score of 9 or better, even after many years. I place titles such as WOW and EVE up in the upper 8's say around 8.7 or 8.8, but even those two titles have room for improvement, at least from my perspective, even when trying to be objective. (which I really can't be as I mentioned)
So my scores of games overall tend to be much lower than industry average, and certainly at launch few titles rate much above the 7.5 category, there's always tons of room for improvement.
Of course, some folks say you need to compare apples to apples, in other words, it's not fair to compare a newly launched title to a mature title and I can understand the merits of that arguement to a point.
I'm more forgiving if a new game doesn't have the content of an old timer, and even if it releases with some major, but less important features such as housing, or underwater combat.
But I really can't abide when basic, expected (by today's standards) features are left out such as auction houses, solid guild management tools and a personal pet peeve, customizable and flexible UI's.
Anyway, what are your thoughts, how do you grade MMO's and what sorts of criteria would you use instead of the ones we so often read and gnash our teeth over?
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Comments
I would prefer a system that was just would you play it? Thumbs up or thumbs down. The reviewer could then go into why they would or would not play the game. Having a 1-10 scale is all but useless.
"classification of games into MMOs is not by rational reasoning" - nariusseldon
Love Minecraft. And check out my Youtube channel OhCanadaGamer
Try a MUD today at http://www.mudconnect.com/The rating from 1-10 would be ok. If the common meaning behind those numbers would be the same for everyone.
A normal distribution would probably look like this
1 total crap
2
3 below average game
4
5 average game
6
7 good game
8
9 great game
10 visionary great game
Unfortunately the more common meaning behind those numbers (be it reviewers or consumers) is:
1 total crap
2 total crap
3 total crap
4 total crap
5 total crap
6 total crap
7 below average game
8 average game
9 good game
10 great game
That's why you see those inflated ratings. The whole rating got out of balance. So, rating are more or less useless. Only way to truly judge a game is to play it yourself.
Yeah, I have to agree with your assessment, thats why some sites have argued that a 5 pt scale is a bit more valid, but even there I've see the same issue, where 4 becomes average, 4.5 good and 5.0 as great.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Games have always been rated the same for me:
1. Interface - how good can I control my actions in the game.
2. Rulesystem/Game itself - How does the game operate, is it complex, challenging and fun.
3. Graphic representation - How good does the game look, is it 3D, how much can I customize my character.
4. Richness of game world/Storytelling - How large and diverse is the game world, how many stories of which quality are there.
If a game wants to be great, it has to be great in all fields, but most importantly in 2. If you fail in respect to game mechanics, forget about the rest. The game might still have a great story, but it wont work as a MMO.
I'm a fan of a simple thumbs up/thumbs down: either you want to keep playing after the review or you don't. Have a couple of different reviewers with different playstyles.
I don't find numeric scores give me any information.
I would use the letter grade and compare to other in genre (it's still going to be personal opinion tho...):
A = Top 10%
B= Top 20%
C= Top 30%
D= Top 40%
F = Everything else
Or just a simple ranking of:
Good
Ok
Garbage
I agree. The 1-10, or worse ... % based scores are just useless, as they would change from person to person.
The only way to get a decent perspective is to read the actual article, but instead people just throw their hands up and complain that it is 0.4 worse than a game they don't like as much as this new MMO.
Noone is subjective, not even reviewers. You are looking at someones opinion. You need to read what they are saying and see if that applies to you or not.
I think you could simplify it into three groups.
1) Must buy if you are a fan of the genre, fantastic game.
2) Solid game, try it yourself or look it up to see if it appeals to you.
3) Terrible. Avoid.
It's difficult to find a good method of scoring MMOs since unlike regular games, movies, books, a sports performance ot anything like that, it's something that can go on continuously for years without finishing, provided the game doesn't completely fail. And unlike cars or computers and the like, it not supposed to depreciate over time, but rather is made to get better over the years. (Though of course, some poorly thought out changes can cause value to fall.)
:Ia I guess the most accurate way to score an MMO would be to create a fresh score after every major update to provide a more current score, until the updates stop coming, basically ending the game. Then average out the scores for an overall final score.