Judging Style

[Oranjui]

This post by Oranjui was thumbed up by:

Supershroom (August 8th, 2014, 1:59 am)

[Megar]

BUMPY
But considering I'm judging Mr. 22, I may as well.
I personally am a very light hearted judge, so you wont see many things low from me. The lowest I've gave was a four or something, buuuuuuut

Fun
Am I having fun? Am I bouncing everywhere? Is the level well sized and gives a good chunk of play before finishing?
0-2: Oh, hell no. This level is not fun. No way. Enemy spam, everything spam...
2.5-5.5: 'K. I'll play it, but nothing too new or interesting. Just your average level.
6-7: Weeee, fun level. Some original material.
7.5-8.5: Very original. I approve!
9-10: YEEEES. Unique, memorable, this is flawless gameplay.

Graphics
0-1: Ewww, cutoff. Bad item placement.
1.5-2: 'K, looks ok.
2.5-3.5: Average stuff, here.
4-4.5: OOOOOH
5: IRRESISTIBLY SEXY

Other (name: what oranj said)
+2: No lag, very quick loading time, great/fitting music choices, almost no bugs.
+1.5: Little to no lag, quick loading time, good music choices, a few bugs or glitches.
+1: Not much lag, decent loading time, an alternate music choice or two, some bugs or glitches.
-1: Some lag, slow-ish loading time, an alternate music choice or good in-game music choice, some bugs or glitches.
-2: Lag, below average loading time, no alt. music choice, a few game-breaking bugs or glitches.
-3: Major lag, very slow loading time, no alt. music choice and bad/unfitting in-game music choice, game-breaking bugs or glitches.
Of course there are many other factors, but I just used lag, loading time, music choice and bugs for example.

Overall
0-3: "♥♥♥♥ no." Please... get out. Don't come back until you can at least make an actual level.
4-8: "Uhm." 'K then, I am disappoint.
9-11: "Decent." It's coo with me, but you could do better.
12-14: "Average." I had a nice time playing. Keep it up, mate.
15-17: "Woop." Now you're doing it, now you're doing it.
18-19: "OH YES." It's awesome, but it's missing that one little click...
20: "What is this, an Amp level?" FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

MP3 EDIT: *squee*
Funny how Star gets sad when I actually find someone who likes my levels.

StarEDIT: :<

ByEdit: Just passing BY. Got it? Bad joke is bad.
Also. I think both of you are great designers.

[Supershroom]

Fun: In my opinion, the most important basic requirement for a high fun level is an appropriate difficulty – not too easy, not too hard. This doesn’t mean already that it needs to be challenging all the time – if the level conveys a kind of joyful or strolling-around atmosphere, it’s fine. The difficulty of a level must fit its intention. If there are challenges, they should be interesting, it gets annoying if you just jump on detached falling logs all the time, and stuff like random pipe mazes is even more terrible. Graphics and other stuff also influence the fun factor – if the graphics are just horrible, I quite don’t care about the gameplay even if its great. Fun also means atmosphere, the feeling to be abducted into the LDer’s own little world. Btw, minigames can also be fun if they introduce something new or uncommon.

To get many points in fun, here's what you can do:

• Make some challenges that are thrilling, exciting or just simply unique.
• Don't save coins throughout all the level, except if there must be really no coins for gameplaywise reasons.
• Make something that makes adrenalin shoot through my blood. I love chase scenes (if executed well) and fast wing cap flights.
• Various ways to finish the level, e.g. a special red coin/silver star challenge. But don't make it too hard, else it will simply be ignored.
• If you make an easy level, don't make it way too easy, at least add some neat touches of platforming.
• As noted above, also take care about creating a good atmosphere.

To avoid getting a low score in fun, avoid this:

• Unsufficient playtesting. This can mean that challenges are too hard/almost impossible, or that there are gamebreaking bugs making it possible to bypass obstacles in an unintented way. (however, bagatelles like e.g. a malfunctioning pipe fall under "Other" and won't reduce the Fun score)
• Boringness. If I have nothing to do while playing, I'll probably never play the level again. But this doesn't mean the level should be long. Small levels can also be fun as well. However, if you wanna go the extra mile, quantity is indispensable.
• Spamming enemies. If I get hit one time after the other by bullet bills, ghosts, skelegoonies etc. without purpose, I'm annoyed.
• If there are heavy flaws in the other sections (e.g. cutoff), it also damages the enjoyability of the level.

4-: That just didn’t work well, it lacks of effort, it’s not interesting and not worthy to play it again. Platforming wasn’t existing or it was too straight-forward and predictable. Or it was just way too hard (*cough* Celestial Trials *cough*).
4 - 6: There were a few interesting rudiments but it still needs a lot of improvement. Platforming is still exiguous or the difficulty is too high.
6 - 7.5: This is mediocre. Decent, but not stunning. The LDer has shown he has requirements to do well. It can be good if more innovation is added.
7.5 - 9: This is were it starts to make fun, and where it’s definitely worthy to play it again. Interesting platforming or challenges, a comprehensible level structure, and difficulty also goes as well.
9+: Absolutely amazing, I want to play it again and again. Everything is cleverly elaborated and well-connected together, the difficulty is perfect, graphics etc. also support it, there’s almost nothing you can improve.

Graphics: Great levels are artifacts. There’s no way to deny this. Graphics is what makes the atmosphere of a level and the feeling behind it, like denoted above. Tiling should be interesting and variable most of the time, but sometimes it can also be a bit drab if there’s a good reason behind it, e.g. how looks a sunken ghost ship with mansion tiles and brown bricks arranged in a chessboard pattern? Quite stupid "Cutoff" can also be good if it's covered up and arranges well with other tiles (thinking of Dorams “Impossible Treasures”). Generally, the best way is to make your tiling unconventional, but even more good-looking. Next, décor. It’s not important to use as much décor as possible, it’s important to use it in an appropriate way, meaning: Décor where there needs to be décor. If it’s exaggerated, it’s not good (and it also causes lag and loading time). But if décor is missing where it’s needed, it causes a boring or sad atmosphere. I don’t think there are universal principles about to use which plants in which regions, it also applies here: unconventional, but even more good-looking. (But if you decorate conventionally, it's also okay).

To get a high score in Graphics, do this:

• Adjust the graphics to what the level is supposed to be.
• Variated tiling. It enlarges the code, but not the loading time (I suppose). Work with various colours, especially in factories/castles etc.
• Some kind of slopes or vertical ascensions are good as well.
• DECORATION. The most important point IMO. It's needed almost everywhere, but also don't exaggerate it. Don't be afraid of using décor only because of the god dammit loading time. If your level takes long to load only because you've used décor plenty but wisely, I try to be merciful on that.

When having these things in your level, you're almost sure to land in the lowest or second lowest tier, except the rest is amazing:

• (uncovered) CUTOFF. Do I need to tell more? Well, the only exception is using jungle ground tiles in a desert to indicate quicksand.
• LACK OF DECOR WHERE THERE NEEDS TO BE DECOR. Good tile mixtures can not only make up for a good atmosphere. Without décor, most places look rather barren, except for maybe factories or airships.
• Monotonousness. If there's nothing but red and blue bricks in a level, it's just terrible.

1.5-: Horrible graphics, reminding me of crappy portal levels. Stupid cutoff and/or drab plainness, no innovativeness, no atmosphere.
1.5 – 2.75: It’s not that horrible, but still rather boring and uninteresting. It still lacks variation and/or good décor use.
2.75 – 4: It’s maybe not that boring, it has some variation, but not much innovativeness, there are still many possibilities to improve it. Décor could also be used better. When approaching the 4 region, it means you’ve already done a good job, but you should still try to create more shapes and more atmosphere.
4 – 4.75: Very pretty tiling and also quite good use of décor, but it still has some minor flaws and there’s something missing to make it memorable and unique. Nonetheless, you’re showing a great graphics style, I’m willing to see more.
4.75+: Your graphics are excellent, everything fits well together, everything looks awesome. It creates a wonderful atmosphere and has a high or even very high artistic standard. All I can say is “Bravo!”.

Other: This is the toughest category a judge has to deal with, it’s quite unspecified. For me it’s essential that every unique innovation and constructive creativity should be rewarded with bonus points and no-goes like cutoff, enemy spam etc. should be adequately avenged, though they influence the other categories as well. “Other” is way more than just a bug check. Stuff like “story” and “music” is also noted here, if the story fits well into the level, you get a bonus, if it damages the level, you get a minus. Same with music. Alternate music is something you should take some time for, it’s already good if you choose a nice Mario-game soundtrack that fits the level. Finally, lag and loading time – normally I’m not strict and take off many points for loading time, unless they could have been easily avoided, e.g. if overusing décor. But you shouldn’t be afraid to make improvements on gameplay or graphics even at the cost of loading time. Lag is a bigger issue since it’s way easier to avoid it. Nonetheless there can be situations where it’s just senseless or even impossible to put an extra transition. On the other side, if the level is just way too small to cause lag and loading time, I won’t give any more than +0.5 or sometimes even nothing, while other judges seem to give +1 or even more, that’s kind of pointless IMO.

Colour Code: show

+1 and higher: 0000FF
+0.75: 00BFFF
+0.5: 008000
+0.25: 00BF00
0: FFBF00
-0.25: FF4000
-0.5: FF0040
-0.75: FF0000
-1 or worse: 800000

Overall:
5-: Ghastly. These are usually 1-star worthy levels with poor effort, they need a total revamp.
5 - 9: Bad. I don't get mad on playing it, but it's rather disappointing and there's few effort and very much to improve.
9 - 12.5: Average. Kind of solid, but still not what I wish, could bear much more effort.
12.5 - 14.5: Medium or higher average. I enjoyed playing it, but it still has room for improvement.
14.5 - 16: Good, I liked it, you've proven to be a talented designer, I want to see more. Yet there are still a few flaws left that could be fixed.
16 - 18: Fantastic. That was a very great one, I want to play it many times. This is almost sure to be in WITBLO.
18+: Omfg, I'm speechless. It fits perfectly, I quite don't know what to improve. One of the best levels of all time. Either you are Volkove, MoD, Amp, Star king etc. or you're at the same level with them. Congraz.

(I've never given an 18+ on any LDC judgings until nowadays, but recent levels with this strength are e.g. Necropolis Tomb and Fake Reality)

[Oranjui]

Since I'm trying my hand at judging this LDC (31st), I'm going to try to develop a system I can use to keep myself consistent. In addition, I'll be reviewing some individual portal levels in the coming month or so to show it in action.



General Style
I'll most likely write in prose and try to discuss each aspect of your level thoroughly. For Gameplay/Graphics, I'll most likely write a (possibly short) paragraph per transition, and then an overall evaluation. In Other, the current system recommends starting with 3/5 and adding/subtracting points, but I'll probably continue with the prose style and then assign bonuses/penalties to each feature afterward. For Overall, I'll probably write a line or two summarizing my thoughts on how I felt and what I think you can do better. I usually try to stick with a holistic style rather than systematically assigning point values, so I'm not going to list tiers anywhere except for Overall.


Gameplay (10 points)
In this category, I'll discuss how I felt about actually playing your level. Was it fun? Was it obscenely short or ridiculously long, or was it a reasonable length? How was the platforming? Was the difficulty balanced well, or was it way too easy or way too hard? Were there any major lag issues? Did you make use of items effectively? Or did it feel like you were just repeatedly using the same items/concepts without any variation? Was it confusing to navigate, or perhaps was it too linear? Were there any interesting challenges or unique sections throughout the level? Did the experience draw me in, or was I forcing myself to keep pushing myself through boredom the whole time? Does your level have any sort of interesting progression, whether in terms of setting, difficulty, fun, or something else? Playing your level should feel the same as reading a good book or watching a good movie. Or, you know, playing a fun game. I want challenge, but probably not kaizo/IWBTG levels of ridiculous difficulty. If I have to cheat at all because a section is too frustratingly difficult to get through, you'll probably get docked a few points. But at the same time, if your entire level is a cake walk, you won't do well, either. If I have to force myself to keep going, you won't do well; try to immerse me in the experience.

One hint: If I die a lot, I'm almost definitely going to give you a low score here, because dying in SM63 is slow and annoying, and having to restart the level kind of breaks immersion and ruins the experience for me.


Graphics (5 points)
Here, I discuss the appearance and execution of your level design. Does your level flow? Do your choices of background reflect the intended setting (if there is one) accurately? Is there unnecessary cutoff or clutter? Do your tile/colour choices succeed in improving the atmosphere of your level, or do they clash too much? How much detail did you add, and how does this contribute to the appearance/feel of your level as a whole? Does your level look either too bland or too messy? Strive for a balance between barebones simplicity and photorealism, and you'll already be on your way to a good graphics score; neither extreme is necessarily a good thing, although sometimes I've seen people pull it off really well. Props to them. But you probably shouldn't try that unless you're well-versed/experienced and know for sure what you're doing. I know SM63 has limited options for graphics, but I also know for a fact that y'all can do amazing things with it.

Try to be adventurous, but also be aware that I'm probably going to be somewhat more critical than most on your graphical choices.


Other (5 points, starting from 2.5/5 = 50%)
This is the category where I look for how you went above and beyond the bare minimum with your level. Does your level stand out from the crowd? What makes it special? Here are some things I'll be watching out for. You don't necessarily have to include everything, but they'll probably earn you bonus points. Anything starred* could potentially result in you losing points.
Does your level have...
- Creativity?*
- Alternate music? (*if it doesn't seem fitting)
- Good backgrounds/organization (use of transitions, etc.)?*
- Story?
- Replayability?*
- Comedy?
- Relevance to the contest theme? (in LDCs)*
- Lasting appeal/distinct style?
- Blosses, unique structures, or other really memorable features?
- Growth from your past levels?
- Gamebreaking bugs?*
- Anything that irks me for whatever reason (typos, really really bad loading time issues, etc)?*



Overall (10+5+5 = 20 points)
In an LDC, this will be your final score from me. In the portal, it'll just be a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 star rating. Based on the individual category scores, it can mean a lot of things, but here's some general advice.
0.0 - 3.9 (1 star): Frankly, you probably just didn't put any time or effort into this level. Come on, you can do better. Your level is likely very short, graphically unappealing, and/or generally sloppy and uninteresting. Next time, spend some time planning out a design before rushing into it, and try to put more time into adding detail, refining your terrain, balancing difficulty, and playtesting to make your level a fun experience.
4.0 - 7.5 (2 stars): This isn't abysmal, but it could definitely use some work. Your level is probably too short, too simple, or too lackluster. For a start, look at some of the tutorials that have been made on level design. Then, try studying some highly rated levels and look at how those designers make their levels. Put some more time into your levels, both in planning and in execution, and you'll be on your way to a better score.
7.6-12.9 (3 stars): Not bad. You've probably got some decent skill in gameplay and/or graphics, but it might be lacking the oomph it needs to get a higher score. Maybe your design is functional and somewhat fun, but too linear, or maybe too plain-looking. You're probably strong enough as an independent designer to be able to develop your own style and skill, but you should also keep playing others' levels to see how they execute concepts.
13.0-15.9 (4 stars): This is definitely good. I'm having fun and feel immersed in the experience, but there might still be some flaws in your design. The best advice I can give at this point is for you to keep practicing, and keep playing levels; it's the same as producing any other media. For example, to become a good writer, you have to both read a lot and write a lot. Also, try doing something extra next time; spend time looking for good music, writing/planning an interesting plot, adding some flavor text and comedy/dialogue, and maybe try to come up with something really creative and unique to make your level better.
16.0-19.9 (5 stars): This is a rare score, but it shows that you did really well with your level. There isn't going to be all that much room for improvement beyond this point aside from addressing specific complaints in my actual review, but if you're on the lower end of this, you could still try refining some of the aspects like graphics and story, as well as maybe tweaking some platforming/design elements to make the level more streamlined and fun.
20.0: This is the upper limit of possible scores you can achieve, and it's designed to be near impossible to earn. I don't expect to be giving out any, since it implies 100% pure perfection, and my philosophy is that there's always room for improvement. But this is what you should strive for.

Also, as a note, I'm probably only ever going to go out as far as quarter-points (0.25) in my judgings. The 0.9s in the overall score were just for the sake of not going up to the next integer.

For nerds, here's what I expect my score distribution to look like roughly (this is just theoretical though, and yes this is a normal pdf :3).

I thought to maybe convert scores to a letter grading scale just for kicks, and here's what I came up with:

Spoiler: show

>95% = A+
90-94% = A
85-89% = A-
80-84% = B+
75-79% = B
70-74% = B-
65-69% = C+
60-64% = C
55-59% = C-
50-54% = D+
45-49% = D
40-44% = D-
<40% = F

[Maaaaarrrrriiiiio]

I'm probably not gonna ever be a judge(0_0), but here's my rating standards:
FUN: ??/10
0.00-3.99: Terrible, not terrific: Seriously, did you ever think about what you're doing? This means that you're doomed, this kind of level is extremely lack of fun or difficulty, or maybe too hard unless the theme is hard. OR the level does not fits theme at all.
4.00-6.99: Not terrible, not terrific: This kind of level is fit theme, but odd difficulty or lack of fun, the level structures sure needs improvement.
7.00-8.99: Kinda terrific: This kind of level is at the right difficulty and fits theme, but some bugs may be fixed, and needs more fun.
9.00-10.00: Terrific!: This kind of level is exactly fits theme and only 0-3 bugs may be fixed, is creative and very fun, at the exact right difficulty.

GRAPHICS:??/5
0.00-1.99:ugly(no offense): Laggy(that means below 15fps at most part), glitches due to graphics(I've experienced something like getting squished into a wall somehow), unable to play.
2.00-4.49:moderate: a little laggy(15-25 fps), no glitches due to graphic issues, able to play, but not quite.
4.50-5.00:good: not laggy at all(above 25fps), good quality to play.
Special rule: If I see any cutoffs, I will take 2 points off. I'm a person who really hates cutoffs...

OTHER:??/5
0.00-2.49:bad: no or very few decorations or tiles, a few coins or arrows, level doesn't look beautiful at all.
2.50-3.99:moderate: a few decoration or tiles, coins and arrows are sufficient, the level looks not beautiful, but not ugly too.
4.00-4.99:good: good decorations or tiles, sufficient coins and arrows, level looks beautiful.
5.00:AWESOME: awesome decorations or tiles, sufficient coins and arrows, level looks magnificent.

OVERALL:??/20
0.00-8.99: Terrible..
9.00-13.49:Bad..
13.50-17.49:OK!
17.50-19.99:Great!
20.00:AWESOME!If you ever have seen I've rated a level 20, then I'll say you're lying, no offense, but my level judgements are very harsh.

You're lucky(?) to not have me as a LDC judge.
(nvm cause now the public can vote)