RCT Discussion / The points system

Thus, if a park doesn't seem worth commenting on (if it's obviously not up to a high enough standard for an accolade, etc) then the person rating it doesn't have to comment.

Wait! Did you just wrote that a voter does not have to comment on a release, if it was not good enough to win an accolade? (In case there would be a comment box in this floating window where panelists vote) Correct me if I´m (hopefully) wrong!

Well, posix cited that a comment box would be nice except many people don't bother responding to a screen in the Dump-Place if it doesn't come from a parkmaker who has a big release / is serious about their work. So all I suggested was that you could make it so that the comment boxes are optional in case a person couldn't be bothered to write in a comment. Ideally everyone would comment on the work but having the option to would be better than having no option at all.

Well,

can't understand why you care so much about averages, who cares about them?
I think playing should be fun and not bitching about averages...

Don't ask me, I'm not speaking for myself.

Well, posix cited that a comment box would be nice except many people don't bother responding to a screen in the Dump-Place if it doesn't come from a parkmaker who has a big release / is serious about their work. So all I suggested was that you could make it so that the comment boxes are optional in case a person couldn't be bothered to write in a comment. Ideally everyone would comment on the work but having the option to would be better than having no option at all.

I agree with you about the dumbplace and the rest of the forums,
but not for the panelist... I think if you´re going to vote a park, the builder has the right to know from you what he has done wrong in your opinion. Just a little: "The layout was aweful and the theming needs more detailing" or something like that. Does not take to long, but it´s more helpfull than a 15% or something like that.
A optional comment box would be a first step, but I think if it´s optional nobody will use it...

The criteria for accolades is fairly clear. If you're consistently getting scores that low it should be pretty obvious what you need to improve on. With the majority of submissions being in the lower tier of quality, the panelists probably don't have time to point out the glaring flaws on every mediocre submission.

....Kick....




Just wondering, why does the point system appear to be gone since the release of Falcon? Reading back I think more or less áll builders here like the point system, as do I. To me the points just sound more rewarding then the mere accolades, as they stack up nicely. (not in my case, but okay)

Is it really a good plan to change things that are perfectly fine as they are? I think the points are a part of NE identity, and it'd be a shame if that gets lost.

Interesting topic. I think the points system is functioning about as well as it can under the current circumstances. I think the idea of adding another layer of "awards" that uses earned points would be a step in the right direction, like the tier system suggested several times earlier in the topic. NE badly needs some carrots.

My first thought is that not having H2H6 releases tied to the point system at all is a big problem. I understand the current situation and that the logistics is tough but you just can't have a good system that is supposed to be a barometer of current rct rank when it is completely separate from the event that results in a significant portion of recent member activity. This is the biggest problem with the current system; it's not centralized. Even someone who cares about their ranking has to say "I have _____ rank but I also did this contest and this contest". Unfinished projects and off site releases are fine with no points, but not official contest stuff.

My second thought is that I was going to suggest that an automated "upvote" system for recent screenshots that then allows them to be showcased in a more visible way (homepage?, top of forum? I'm not sure what would be best) and are ranked by positive feedback but I also remembered that it's dangerous to place too much emphasis on screens and not enough on finishing projects. So then I thought it might be interesting to tie that in with the multiplier system on accolades. So if someone has a screen that gets "featured" with a lot of positive feedback (lots of upvotes) and then releases the project they get an extra multiplier point to their accolade. I'm sure it would be really hard to automate this BUT it could simply be done by admin/panelist discretion and applied to an accolade manually if confirmed. I know it seems odd but isn't that exactly the kind of thing we'd want to reward?

And finally, if a tier system is added down the road, I think a great way to announce it would be alongside a contest that uses it in a way the Pro Tour used the Parkmaker status. It would have to be scaled down of course, but I think saying "x tier" or "x amount of points" gets a lock in and others have to earn their spot might be motivating. People weren't pleased with the selection process in H2H, and I feel giving people the option to prove themselves in a prelim to get into the official contest would result in some good activity on the site. I don't think it should last a whole summer, like in the past, but the PT Prelims were always some of the most hyped times of the site and it would be neat to see something like that again.

Just my long winded 2 cents.

I don't really like the idea of the screenshot multiplier, that just doesn't make sense IMO. You really shouldn't get credits for the same thing twice . But I do find interesting the upvote showcase screen. Maybe there could be a gallery tab on the website where these screens go? I know we don't have the coding knowledge now that gee is gone but it would still be cool. Or even under your parkmaker page you could have a gallery tab, where you can upload screens yourself. That would be sick. It could function partly as a hype builder and as a showcase for future/ past projects. Once again I don't know how this could be done but it would be a sick feature.

You're getting credit for following through on a project and finishing it. I figure I should clarify that point because it's an important distinction to make. I think a showcased gallery of recent screens would be a great addition to the site, hence the support of the suggestion, but it doesn't mean anything if nobody finishes the projects. What an added multiplier might do is provide incentive to not only show high quality screens that get upvoted (which is certainly an accomplishment depending on how much competition there is once the system would be in place), but also to finish the projects associated with those screens.

Looking over what people have already said, I think the point system is working well. Sure, new ideas could be added, but I can't see any other idea that I don't think would be a step down. Why fix something that isn't broken? And as few people seem to be terribly unhappy with it, I would say it isn't broken at all.

From the other point of view, I know we don't have a programmer to write it, but I think it would be easier to ask a programmer to come in an help fix or change a things with the system we have, than ask them to write an entire new system. Unless Ofcourse, our old programmer wants to help us, or at least teach someone the basics...I did see him lurking a few nights ago....

FK

I like both ideas brought forth by Milo. A Gallery tab would be excellent, there could be both 'highest rated' of the week, month, and year.

Milo, something I really loved was your Best Screens of the Ad topic. Really put a smile on my face, even though that was before I got here. Would be a nice little thing to maybe start again? Sorry for going off-topic, but thought this had relevance to the Gallery idea.

Milo, something I really loved was your Best Screens of the Ad topic. Really put a smile on my face, even though that was before I got here. Would be a nice little thing to maybe start again? Sorry for going off-topic, but thought this had relevance to the Gallery idea.

I would be more than willing to do this if Milo didn't have the time to do it.

I want points for snarky commenting.

going back to the screen multiplier, someone could just post a ton of screens once they know they are going to release the park and hence reap the multipliers. Are you going to put a limit on screens? or require some sort of break from when the last screens are shown to when you can submit the park? The most sensible thing would be just to say that you can only earn 3 extra multiplier points no matter how many screens are shown. But then that person would just submit three screens near the end of their park. Everyone would just show screens near the end of their park and so everyone would have the multiplier, making it irrelevant and unfair to submissions before this rule went into effect.

Basically, I think the rule would be unenforcible and also unfair.

But definitely do the screen gallery thing

Yeah I think any sort of points for screens should be kept separate from actual finished park points. A "most hyped project" section with screens and ability to upvote ongoing projects would be good though, and encourage parkmakers to follow through with finishing projects and continue posting regular updates for parks that are strongly hyped.

Cocoa, you're way too hung up on the idea that these are screenshots we're talking about here. First off, who is rubbing their hands together like fucking Lex Luthor trying to game the system for points?? Who are we talking about here that is doing that or potentially going to do that? Really, these fictitious "point whores" are made up as far as I can tell, even when talking about the way the current point system functions.

Also, you're completely ignoring that this goes hand in hand with the upvote gallery idea. Remember that I'm talking about highly hyped screens ONLY. Someone has to actually have public approval of their screens, this isn't like some random Ad topic screens being tallied up and tacked onto your score. Obviously this depends on how the gallery system is actually put in place but I'm sure the bar would/could be set high.

Of course a cap on multipliers is a good idea, but implying that this entirely hypothetical system is FUBAR because the semantics weren't discussed yet is kind of silly. Perhaps it could be reversed where a certain number of highly hyped screens is required for one multiplier.


To give a little perspective, this joint system is derived from the idea that some of the greatest projects ever released were hyped projects from big names that were regularly advertised. BGSS, Dreamport, DRC, Silver Valley etc. etc. Some of the biggest disappointing unfinished works were highly hyped and advertised works: that Kevin solo, X250's solo etc..

Cam's idea is a good one but it's basically the gallery idea by itself and suffers from the same problems; it'll be completely meaningless if nobody actually finishes anything. A system that encourages advertising is one thing, but one that encourages taking a project through to completion is even better. I'm not sure why that's such a hard sell for some of you.

Kick(again)

I still don't see any points in recent releases, while the multipliers are still there. Have we officially stopped using the point system? Do we simply not have any staff members available that have the know-how/time/whatever to add the points but should this be fixed at some point? What would happen to the current rankings etc. if we have indeed lost the point system?


Anyone know more about this? Kinda unclear what has happened atm.

Thought I'd made it clear earlier. Unless someone wants to code on the site nothing will change. geewhzz is very busy with work but still has motivation left for NE. It just means nothing will change quickly. Probably not for months.

I tend to try and update the points once a week, but have failed to find the time recently.