Railworks America

Before I start, no, this isn't a whiner thread because my reskins got a rating lower than five stars.

I check my uploads in the file library every now and then to see their stats and ratings, and on two occasions I've noticed that two of them have received a low star rating. I'm not upset that I got a low rating, but what bugs me is I don't know why it received that rating. What does the person not like about it? Crummy looking textures? Something else? I can't improve an issue I don't know about.

So anyways, what are your thoughts about the rating system? Do you share the same opinions as I do?

I have enjoyed your latest re-skins. You always include precise installation instructions for all your work. As a beginner in modifications such as sound, physics and re-skins this is much appreciated. A message to those who assume that all members of this forum have all the knowledge to do this, please start adding instructions to your modifications so the rest of us newbies can enjoy your work. I was unaware that that there was a a rating system and I will start using it.

I've noticed that a lot of people either don't care about the ratings, or don't know about them. Fore example, my first and only upload, the Thurmont and Branford railroad, has about 260 downloads and only 7 ratings. Those numbers don't add up to me.

Maybe most people don't care to be judgemental about other peoples work.

I'm okay with constructive criticism. That was my first route, and I want to know what I could have done better on it.

You're repaints are top notch. I myself am still a learner, so I could understand why something like my spirit units have a low rating. But now that I have the font, I can look back at it and start over.

Where and how to rate?

AmericanSteam wrote:Where and how to rate?

There are 5 stars on every file uploaded to the library. Just click on the start you think the file should get.

All of this has been discussed before, 2 posts up in "How come no one votes."

artimrj wrote:All of this has been discussed before, 2 posts up in "How come no one votes."

Shoot! Didn't even see that! Guess this thread has ran its course?

Anyways, I'm thinking about opening a new email dedicated to my reskins and asking users to contact me via that address with issues, bugs, etc. But more importantly, if they rate one of my uploads three stars or lower, they can shoot an email, telling me what they think could be improved.

JM1261 wrote:

artimrj wrote:All of this has been discussed before, 2 posts up in "How come no one votes."

Shoot! Didn't even see that! Guess this thread has ran its course?

Anyways, I'm thinking about opening a new email dedicated to my reskins and asking users to contact me via that address with issues, bugs, etc. But more importantly, if they rate one of my uploads three stars or lower, they can shoot an email, telling me what they think could be improved.

Or simply PM you.

I vote on many of my downloads here. However if for some reason I don't like a work as to vote 3 or less stars, I will probably not vote, because I understand how much time and effort it takes to do such works.
I also decide downloads according to voting results to that moment, but in a few ocassions I have downloaded works that appeared to be fair and resulted to be very good. I think in some cases works are not understood.

My way to check a horn, to see if it is good for me or not, is downloading it and playing the loop(s). If I don't like it, I just trash it and that's it. Then comes the second phase which is installing it and checking it again.

Sometimes I even make my own fixes: horns, physics xlm and even a route.

I have done that even for one of the routes published here which was incomplete or had some issues. I finished it but could not publish because it was not mine. I never voted against the work because the amount of effort put on it, deserved the 5 stars, though it was incomplete as a full route.

buzz456 wrote:Maybe most people don't care to be judgemental about other peoples work.

At least not without having downloaded, installed, and experienced the item in question. I do not download many items from the RWA file library or any other, largely because as a scenario writer I prefer to require as few DLC packs and other downloads as possible. That said, I would never even consider rating a download before using it.

Speaking of ratings (oh-oh, here's where the thread goes south), I really resent the mandatory rating system connected to Steam Workshop scenarios. All it produces are inflated ratings levels and stroked (or perhaps bruised) egos. If a scenario is really good -- whatever that may mean to the player -- it deserves a bit of praise in the form of a thumb-up and perhaps even a positive comment. A poorly conceived or written scenario (including one that is just boring), on the other hand, does not necessarily deserve a thumb-down or a negative comment. In either case, I may not have the time or care enough to react publicly. The Workshop, in my opinion, ought to offer a third option: something along the lines of "no comment". And what really galls me is that this or requirement pops up again every time the scenario is run.

Ref:Steam workshop I agree. There should be a no vote option as well. On this forum If I have given less than 4 stars I will let the creator know why.

I like the rating system here at RWA, but the one at Steam is truly bizarre. I used to avoid 3 star or less ratings for scenarios at Steam, but now that I have stuff in the Workshop, I've had to learn that 3 stars is a whopping 90% approval rating. 4 stars at Steam is 94% or higher approval. I have no idea how a person gets 5 stars.
I like getting feedback too.