Rating system overhaul

[Virion]

Forced three hour delay before being able to endorse sucks. There are many mods - weapons, retextures, replacements - that don't need hours of playing to be tested. The delay would be better if an author/uploader of a mod could decide in file options to allow instant or delayed rating.

[einherjrar]

I've been in a 'cooling off' period of modding through most of July, so I haven't been paying as close enough attention to the announcements as I might have last month.

 

In the time I've been gone there have been some changes!

 

Many thanks to the NEXUS Admin and Staff for their work updating/overhauling the rating system, expanding the 'Top 50' to 'Top 100', adding categories to the 'top' section, ect.

~Special thanks for the File Rating to File Endorsement change, I have already begun noticing a difference.

 

I'm sure I'll get a better chance to test out the new endorsement system in the next few weeks.

 

-ein

[JCP768]

Two issues I'm having:

 

1: Why is it that updating restarts the 3 hour wait? If I've had a mod for months and download a new version I don't quite get why I'm unable to endorse a mod I've used for months and just downloaded a small update for.

 

2: I can endorse files with the Google Chrome browser, but I can't "Non-endorse" with Google Chrome.

[buddah]

Because the endorsement is for the current upload and not previous ones, if you check out the endorsements it will show which is related to which file.

 

The problem may be with google chrome, loading from the cache and not the page itself. Try a different browser, it works with firefox.

 

Buddah

[JimboUK]

I really don't see the need for the thumbs down. I don't see how "The file did not fit in to the user's personal tastes or beliefs, etc." helps anyone, people have different tastes and beliefs. The other thumbs down options tend to all be a long winded way of saying "I haven't or can't read the readme" or "I can't work with files and folders and what is Archive Invalidation"? There are mods that function perfectly with thumbs down because the downloader doesn't know what he/she is doing and can't be bothered to find out. The comments are there for problems and if someone doesn't like something why can't they use their browsers back button? That said the move from the old system has improved things no end, combined with the staff jumping on idiots the site has become a far more pleasant place.

[JCP768]

I really don't see the need for the thumbs down. I don't see how "The file did not fit in to the user's personal tastes or beliefs, etc." helps anyone, people have different tastes and beliefs. The other thumbs down options tend to all be a long winded way of saying "I haven't or can't read the readme" or "I can't work with files and folders and what is Archive Invalidation"? There are mods that function perfectly with thumbs down because the downloader doesn't know what he/she is doing and can't be bothered to find out. The comments are there for problems and if someone doesn't like something why can't they use their browsers back button? That said the move from the old system has improved things no end, combined with the staff jumping on idiots the site has become a far more pleasant place.

 

1: people deserve a voice,and if they don't get one thy're going to fight about it, and be asses... as opposed to at least trying to be civil.

 

2: Mods should ranked and rated, so as to show people if a mod is worth using. Under the old system anything below a 9 or 10 would cause modders to run to the admins saying "this persons ruining my scooooorrre!" Now with the new system non-endorsements don't count for anything except: Opinions. the modders lose absolutely NOTHING when they get a non-endorsement, it's just someone's opinion of the mod that's it. You may say that endorsements already show if a mod is good, but really it doesnt... it only shows that a mod is popular. There are plenty of damn good mods that aren't popular and non-endorsements are needed to separate the +3, and -20 from the +3 -0 mods.

 

Now what they really need is for non-endorsements to have the option of leaving a comment too, that way the modder can know what the problem was, or so that potential mod users can see if they might share the same opinion as the person who didn't like the mod.

 

3:

I couldn't get the file to work - yeah, agreed there

 

 

the file didn't do what the description implied - the mod could be false advertising

 

there were important files missing (animations, textures, etc.) that meant the file didn't work properly - this can happen in some mod, especially those that use copyrighted content and have to remove it, but they don't bother replacing the missing content

 

the file caused conflicts with the game or other popular files - The mod could be dirty as all hell. If it's going to be a mod that makes all other mods explode, then yeah it deserves a negative vote for that.

 

the file did not meet my high quality standards - again, this can be caused by false advertisement, or just someone who expected more based on what the mod's description said. Opinionated, sure but opinions are NEVER going to go away just because some people feel the need to prohibit them.

 

after playing the file it doesn't fit in to my personal tastes or beliefs, etc. - yeah, purely opinionated

[JimboUK]

If people are going to be asses they should be dealt with, giving them a legitimate platform to downgrade a mod because they don't like it isn't the answer. It doesn't help the modder or prospective downloaders. As for the other options as a downloader I have no idea how competent those who gave the thumbs down are, therefore their input in next to useless. If a mod is dirty, game breaking or misleading then there's plenty of opportunity to say so in the file comments, the comments also give the modder a chance to respond to any criticism. If a file is malicious then the staff will remove it.

[JCP768]

I have yet to see a mod with more than 2-3 negative votes, and as I said negative votes do absolutely nothing, except for maybe hurt the modders ego/feelings, but then a comment would just do the same, probably hurt more.... though, yeah with comments abuse is easier to recognize and ban.

 

Since the change I've non-endorsed 2 or 3 mods. One was an extremely popular mod which I just didn't enjoy, and with all the great things the modder had said about it I felt rather disappointed. Tried to just get it over with without offending him, but was eventually talked in to expressingwhy I didn't like the mod. 1 negative out of 250+ positives, definitely something I'd be happy with.

The 2nd one was an extremely broken mod, it completely screwed up lot's of vanilla and SI scripts. The modders keep on talking about how they're going to fix it, but their scripter is out of the country. Should they fix it I'll gladly switch my vote, but until then NO ONE should use that extremely broken mod. 10 positive, 1 negative.

The third one was an amateur mod that just wasn't very good. Only myself and someone else actually gave it a negative vote. 5 people actually gave it a positive.

Note that for all three mods I offered bug reports, suggestions, etc. at one point or another.

 

My point is, if ever a time comes that a file suddenly gets 20 negative votes out of nowhere I'm sure the admins will look in to it. Until then everyone should just relax and take everything with a grain of salt. There will still be far more positive scores than negative... even if the mod isn't really great, simply because I guess people want to be nice or whatever, or they don't truly realize what a really buggy mod might be doing to their save/game...

 

Trust me, assess, are assess and they can't help not show that they are assess. Even with the comment free "non-endorsing" they'll still end up being a jackass and getting banned. Though from the beginning I've been in support of required written comments, or optional written comments when non-endorsing.

[tyson277]

i try never to make a bad comment after all some one has spent many hours making a mod ,i will only comment that i could not make a mod work nothing more

[JimboUK]

I have yet to see a mod with more than 2-3 negative votes, and as I said negative votes do absolutely nothing, except for maybe hurt the modders ego/feelings, but then a comment would just do the same, probably hurt more.... though, yeah with comments abuse is easier to recognize and ban.

 

Since the change I've non-endorsed 2 or 3 mods. One was an extremely popular mod which I just didn't enjoy, and with all the great things the modder had said about it I felt rather disappointed. Tried to just get it over with without offending him, but was eventually talked in to expressingwhy I didn't like the mod. 1 negative out of 250+ positives, definitely something I'd be happy with.

The 2nd one was an extremely broken mod, it completely screwed up lot's of vanilla and SI scripts. The modders keep on talking about how they're going to fix it, but their scripter is out of the country. Should they fix it I'll gladly switch my vote, but until then NO ONE should use that extremely broken mod. 10 positive, 1 negative.

The third one was an amateur mod that just wasn't very good. Only myself and someone else actually gave it a negative vote. 5 people actually gave it a positive.

Note that for all three mods I offered bug reports, suggestions, etc. at one point or another.

 

My point is, if ever a time comes that a file suddenly gets 20 negative votes out of nowhere I'm sure the admins will look in to it. Until then everyone should just relax and take everything with a grain of salt. There will still be far more positive scores than negative... even if the mod isn't really great, simply because I guess people want to be nice or whatever, or they don't truly realize what a really buggy mod might be doing to their save/game...

 

Trust me, assess, are assess and they can't help not show that they are assess. Even with the comment free "non-endorsing" they'll still end up being a jackass and getting banned. Though from the beginning I've been in support of required written comments, or optional written comments when non-endorsing.

 

The trouble is the thumbs down votes are so worthless that they'll do very little to dissuade anyone from downloading it. This is a good example of a perfectly good mod getting thumbs down for no good reason....

 

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/ratings_n.php?id=8411

 

6 The file did not fit in to the user's personal tastes or beliefs, etc. Who cares? this doesn't help the modder or downloader.

2 The user couldn't get the file to work Is the users incompetence the modders fault? the instructions were clear enough.

1 The file didn't do what the description implied It does exactly what the description says.

4 There were important files missing (animations, textures, etc.) that meant the file didn't work properly and yet there are screenshots from users showing it working just fine, even if this were the case how does giving a thumbs down help? telling the modder what's missing and giving them a chance to fix it is helpful.

4 The file caused conflicts with the game or other popular files Does it? which ones? bringing the problem up in the comments is helpful, the thumbs down here is pointless.

5 The file did not meet the user's high quality standards This is worthless without knowing what the users standards are.

 

An innovative and well made mod gets 22 thumbs down for no good reason at all.

 

Like I said the current system is a lot better than the old one but the trolls and halfwits are still getting their say, only this time the thumbs down legitimises it.