Meaningful ratings

The thumbs up/down system is faulted. I just started a new project and some kid came in for four seconds, got confused and left with a thumbs down. I’m not remotely finished. This kid should not have the power to alter my ratings by 25% just because he can.

Ebay is the apex of ratings systems. The good people have about a 100% approval rating. If someone has less than that then it’s concerning. It should be harder to leave a rating on a game, and they should mean more than just “I’m confused and I hate you” or “you have successfully entertained me.” It would be so much better.

I can agree with the leaving right away thing, but I learned to keep games in development hidden until released. Maybe force people to play at least 20 minutes before being able to vote?

So if I play a game for 1 minute, and it’s awful, I can’t give it a bad rating unless I play for another 19 minutes?

So if I play a game for 1 minute, and it’s awful, I can’t give it a bad rating unless I play for another 19 minutes?[/quote]

If you play a game for 1 minute it usually means you’re not interested in the game

And that playtime metric could be a nice alternative to thumbs up/down if it were public

Most terrible games aren’t very interesting. Certainly not worth playing for 20 minutes just to downvote.

Hmm I guess there’s a difference between “not interested” and “objectively bad game”

Like I would play pizza place for 2 minutes then leave
but I wouldn’t give a thumbs down

And I would play a copied game for a minute then leave
and would give a thumbs down

I think thumbs up/down and playtime could be used together nicely
and have thumbs up/down reserved for what you’re saying seranok, and goes along nicely with what waffle would like

Even 1 minute would stop a lot of bots that don’t even enter the game! When will that API for this be blocked… :frowning:

[quote]
I think thumbs up/down and playtime could be used together nicely
and have thumbs up/down reserved for what you’re saying seranok, and goes along nicely with what waffle would like [/quote]
Maybe keep track of play time, and have an average play time for upvote and downvoters?

I just tried joining a game and immediately upvoting it, and it says “You’re voting too quickly. Come back later and try again.”

(Why did you post a link to a specific user as if he deserves punishment for what you call “abusing” the ratings system…)

If you don’t want people to rate your game until you think it is in a reasonable state then just make it friends only, paid access so that you can explain it’s not in a finished state, or just off limits entirely. I don’t think these small issues are worth revamping the entire system, this would only have such a big effect if the amount of ratings on your place is very, very low.

I did this too, managed to vote as soon as I spawned.