In-Depth Voting Options would be awesome
Hi,
I used this site to find myself nice custom maps, and ... well ... it works.
But somehow it doesn't ..! I think you don't have a good way to represent the map database.
Let me explain how i experienced the site so far:
1) I found the summer contest thread using google and thought i had a jackpot.
2) I played the maps top-down to approx 3.5 points by now.
3) looked arround, registered and started to vote occationaly when i found extremly bad/good maps
4) ... then i completely turned away from the contest list and tried to play the maps in the "sp releases"-thread in a bottom-up way so i don't risc missing maps.
What i want to say is, the voting currently doesn't tell anything. You really have to download each map and try in on your own. After a while you'll realize a 3/5 map might me more fun then a 5/5 map.
This thread should basicly invoke a discussion about a more detailed voting structure, so people can vote for several aspects of a map.
Some points could be one of those (don't take em too serious, just to give you ideas)
1) Ambience/Mapping Quality
2) Movement Difficulty
4) Intellectual Difficulty
5) Length
6) Suprise Moments
7) Story
Completeness
9) Overall
10) Fun factor
Also the usage of features should be listed.
1) gel types
2) cubes
3) funnels
4) hard-light bridges
5) etc.
I realize this sounds like the user had to work his ass off to complete a vote, but considering the amount of votes anyway, i guess only really inspired users vote. A decent voting interface, with a few checkboxes does not take as long as one might think.
It would be awesome if there was a nicer list about maps you already downloaded, i keep running into files i already played ;D
Just some thoughts after using the site for a few days ;D Don't take it as a complaint, it's supposed to be constructive critisism for a better a more useful future ;D
greetings
Doing that would make it a more FPS Banana type thing.
I don't mind the idea, however getting this into the php code would almost be a nightmare for the admins.
At the moment this site is more a forum than a file-hosting one. I'm all for changing the system 
I find that reading some of the feedback gives me a pretty good idea of what to expect from a map. I look at that at least as much as the votes.
Not in any way dismissing your idea, just offering some advice.
Thanks for over 1,000 downloads: The Cold Shoulder
Really? Sounds kinda simple to me...
"I hear voices. But I ignore them and I just carry on killing."
People's comments are definitely worth more over a rating. If I find that djinndrache or xdiesp likes a map to an extent I would play it. (Please note they play every custom map and know good from bad).
Some points could be one of those (don't take em too serious, just to give you ideas)
1) Ambience/Mapping Quality
2) Movement Difficulty
4) Intellectual Difficulty
5) Length
6) Suprise Moments
7) Story Completeness
9) Overall
10) Fun factor
The problem is the difference between accuracy and precision. If you disagree with the people who vote on maps (you find what was rated 3/5 better than what was rated 5/5) then how will increasing the granularity help? You still can't trust the ratings to match your tastes.
And, not to be elitist, but the ratings for the contest were by a panel of judges picked because they would hold the maps to a pretty high standard of quality. Some people have thrown out the idea of having an "everyone" rating and a "community contributor" rating for a map, which is maybe what it sounds like you want.
But, again, that's not very egalitarian.
Damagepy's maps were among the first custom maps I played and enjoyed the most. After having found the full list of contest map ratings I played the list from my favourite map upwards, expecting to find maps which should get better throughout the list.
However, I was rather disappointed. Of course there were many great maps but I wondered what criteria ranked his map so badly and others above it.
It is really very difficult to come up with a feasible fair voting system which satisfies everybody and isn't too complicated. I myself can't make out a difference between let's say 4.7 or 4.8, I either vote for a map by rating it 5 or I don't vote at all.
Having said this, I of course realise the difficulty of playing through such a huge list of contest entries and I finally must admit that I can't suggest any better voting system than GreyHound's proposal.
Perhaps it might work to release a full list of submissions and than let every forum member have let's say 5 votes he can give to his/her favourite(s) in a voting thread before deadline. Would of course require a longer time frame for the voting procedure. There could of course be a preliminary selection by judges to weed out maps which don't meet minimum criteria. Just an idea....
The only problem with that is, most forum members won't have time to play every map. So the ones near the top, or the ones with the most catchy names, might have an advantage. For a contest, I feel that no one should be voting who is not playing every map submitted.
Thanks for over 1,000 downloads: The Cold Shoulder
Whenever I give feedback, I check: graphics, gameplay, originality. It's 3 categories different enough not to overlap, and broad enough to summarize little details.
Details which routinely pop up like detail and atmosphere (graphics); or longevity, flow and difficulty (gameplay); talent and new elements (originality).
And if you need parameters: Discouragement Encouragement for graphics; Retrospective for gameplay; Antimatter One for originality.
since we are on voting subject, something seems to be wrong with voting in the downloads section....
sorry for going off topic...