Part II:
Giving Feedback as a member of the audience
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So you just played an arc, and you've got some mixed feelings.
Maybe the gameplay side was fine, but the story felt muddled - or, perhaps it's the other way around. Maybe a specific custom critter was way overpowered.
Maybe you even had to go as far as to quit mid-arc because a given boss was too powerful.
What do you do?
Unfortunately, giving good feedback is actually a fair bit of work; and it also exposes you to the author, where an anonymous rate does not.
Most people just rate and move on.
However this doesn't tell the author anything of value - an author who's arc is 3 starred but does not know why because they have received no feedback is unlikely to make the changes to the arc that are necessary for it to shine.
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So how do we give feedback that's useful and may even get thing's changed to what we want them to be?
Well there's a few simple rules:
1st - Be polite. Even if you loathed the arc, heaping scorn on the author will change nothing. This is doubly true if it's something you find 'icky' but is in no way against the EULA.
EX: Some people aren't fond of furries - assuming it's not violating the EULA the best response to an arc you find 'gross' in this way is to simply move along. If it is violating the EULA in some way, report it. In no circumstance should you abuse the author however.
Being polite is also helpful for other reasons than the obvious: It's not just nice - it's more likely to get your opinion heard. Being honest - even though an author *should* weigh each piece of criticism on it's merits; a polite bit of feedback is much easier to digest.
2nd - Understand your limitation - The author has a story they want to tell. If the story in question is fundamentally different than the story you want to hear - you probably are playing the wrong arc.
EX: If you're looking for a deep story - I recommend against running something labeled "Captain L33tx0rs Chalange Arc: R U Tuff ENuff!?!"
Complaining about the lack of plot will be unlikely to change anything at all, because the author in question has a goal in mind with their work, and a target audience - in this case, one you are not a part of.
This doesn't mean don't suggest changes to - sometimes the plot has holes that need filled; other times you feel it'd be stronger if it goes in another direction. That said - don't try to suggest the arc be what it is not. (Super Rabbitqueen's Rainbow Adventure is probably not a good place to suggest the addition of a goth-horror element. Generally speaking of course.)
3rd - Be reasonable - Understand that your opinion is exactly that; your opinion. Someone else may very well be telling the author the exact opposite of what you are; and depending on several factors, the may or may not feel your opinion is correct. It may just be that you're the outlier - the one person who isn't fond of X element in Y story.
It happens - nothing wrong with it at all; but understand that it's a possiblity.
4th - Know your genre preferences -
Namely - don't deliver an annoyed diatribe or low rate just because someone had the temerity to write an arc in a genre you are not fond of.
EX: You hate fantasy works; and run across a fantasy arc. Keep on going. The author isn't going to change to suit your preferences on this broad a scale, and you shouldn't waste either of your time trying to make them.
5th - Spelling and punctuation:
Although not as critical as it is for the author; it is useful to leave feedback in a legible format. Avoid shorthand - feedback should be left when you have time to write it out in a decent format so that it's understandable. A typo or two isn't that bad (I mean try to get them; but it's not a huge problem)...
But a whole feedback paragraph made up of misspelled words and shorthand will probably not get you taken very seriously. Punctuation is also useful.
(And irony of ironies - I had to at least a half dozen typos in this blurb. Hah!)
6th - Some authors are not good at taking criticism.
Sad truth: There will be authors out there who simply cannot take criticism - even when delivered politely and without rancor. You may end up getting some flak for leaving criticism. Note - I'm not talking about simple disagreement - that's to be expected.
Sometimes folks will even disagree with you and then later decide you were right and go ahead and make the changes.
I'm talking about: "How dare you! *insert rant*" kind of behavior. Ignore is handy; and depending on what is said, petition may be necessary too.
This is one of the biggest reasons people don't leave feedback; though I find most authors are quite reasonable.
7th - Keep your own mind open -
Essentially, keep in mind that what you saw in your play through may very well have been due to an architect bug (there are still a fair few), or a weird spawn placement that isn't common - or even you simply missing something due to your own error. (Ex: running past a glowy that's in full view - it happens.)
Basically, be willing to chalk things up as aberrant if the author provides an adequate explanation.
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Ultimately these are just some basic guidelines for people who feel like leaving feedback. You don't have to be verbose, you don't have to flatter people - just be polite, be honest, be reasonable, and know that the author may or may not be possessed by demons (or ghosts... or pirate-ninjas - that one is nasty).
The reward of course, is better arcs for all. But it's a lot of work, and I don't blame anyone who doesn't want to do so. If you do though, hopefully this helps a little bit.
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And as with the previous post <X_X> I'm tired, so if you feel I missed something, please let me know!
A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.
Here's some "Leaving Feedback" tips to add to the list:
<ul type="square">[*]Take notes while you play, not just after the mish[*]Keep feedback short & direct[*]Break up your feedback into sections[/list]
Take notes while you play, not just after the mish
Once you start an AE arc you will find a button in your Nav bar labelled "Architect Options." Clicking this button pulls up the feedback form and you can begin jotting down notes before you even talk to the contact!
Did the author have a typo in his description? Did you already have a comment on the contact? Pop open the Architect Options and jot down a few notes then close it. Pop it back open and voila! Your previous notes are still there so you can add more to them.
This is really handy for jotting down typos, quick notes you want to remember later, and basically forming your feedback on the fly. It's tough to remember all those little things you liked in mission 1 when you've played 3 more missions between it.
Keep feedback short & direct
The feedback form has a very small character count and you will find that leaving feedback for long arcs is difficult due to running out of feedback space.
Keep your feedback short and sweet. Speak in fragmented sentences if needed. Find ways of using intuitive shorthand and abbreviations.
Examples:<ul type="square">
Too long version: "In the first mission your custom bad guy, Darkity Darklighter has a typo in his bio. '...from debts of Hads' should read, '...from depths of Hades'"
Short & Sweet version: typos M1: DD bio: depths, Hades[/list]
By keeping your notes short and using shorthand/abbreviations, you give yourself a lot more room to give feedback on other aspects of the arc.
Break up your feedback into sections
There's so many aspects of a mission you can comment on it's often difficult to organize your thoughts, much less your notes. So simply break down your feedback into common sections.
There's 3 basic sections to comment on. You may have more sections, but these three pretty much cover it:<ul type="square">
[*]Overall review[*]Notes & suggestions[*]Typos[/list]
I like to start with a short, snappy review up front. I try to highlight the strong points first, what made an impression, then point out any weak spots. Treat this review as if you were making a quote for a movie poster. If you only had 10-15 words to describe this mission arc, what would you say?
Next is a section for notes & suggestions. These can contain subjective AND objective comments. Each of these is prefaced by which mission I'm commenting on ie. M1, M2, M3, etc. I keep updating these as I run the mishes.
Finally, a section for typos. Again, prefacing which mission I'm referring to before each one. I also use abbreviations for which part of the content I'm referring to, ie. mish txt, return txt, enter txt, bio, clue txt, etc.
Example:<ul type="square">
Fun mish with sharp dialogue and colorful characters, really liked the twist in M3! Last mish felt too easy, beef up Boss. notes: M1-lol'd at BD's defeat txt, too many blinkies, great map!, M2: why does DD have fly-doesn't fit bkg, clues have duplicated txt, M3: LOVE the twist-genius! Enter txt is in 1st person? M4: Boss too easy, tone down allies or up diff of boss, typos M2: Box clue: their, DD bio: depth, M3: mish txt: than, Kings (no apostrophe)[/list]
On long mission arcs the typo section can easily dominate the feedback. In those cases I simply send a follow up global tell to the author to give the rest of my notes. Of course, since I wasn't able to jot them all down they're not as detailed, so missions with less typos usually get a lot better/more constructive feedback.
Craft your inventions in AE!!
Play "Crafter's Cafe" - Arc #487283. A 1 mission, NON-COMBAT AE arc with workable invention tables!
Excellent addition BackFire <^_^> thanks for that. (I've never written a guide before lol, I think it shows <X_X>
A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.
<@_@> Well after reading Awesomus Prime's guide to Criticism, which I think is a solid look at the reviwer/reviewee relationship; and some good notes for both groups... I decided something else that might aid our community here would be a guide to audience feedback.
*Note* After I got to writing this, it became quite long and involved. I just want you to be aware this is going to be large, and I'm trying to encompass as much as I can with it. The TL;DR version is simply "Criticism is very useful; don't let jerks get to ya, remember you aren't perfect". There's more to it than that, but that's the basics.
I also want to mention that this guide is intended primarily for those who are relatively new to creative writing/creative pursuits in general - so a lot of this will be "Duh" material for those who've taken classes or even just written fanfic for awhile. I just want you to be aware that it might just be stuff you already know <@_@> I'm no genius; I'm not re-inventing anything; I'm just offering some reference to newbie writers who aren't used to getting feedback.
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On to the guide!
First and foremost, I will state up front the Squirrel's cardinal rule of creative endeavor. (Which has probably been said before by someone else; but I don't have a handy quote)
It does not matter how much work you've put in; it does not matter how many other people love it, it does not matter how in love with your own work you are - someone, somewhere, will hate it.
It's important to understand this right up front because as a writer in Architect (or for that matter, any creative thing you do anywhere, ever, for any reason) you will run into negative feedback. It's just going to happen, so make sure you can handle that.
Another way of saying it is "You can't please everyone."
So before we go any further - understand this - because it's a foundation of begin able to take criticism without feeling insulted. (Or brushing off abuse (ie - insults you receive via feedback)
Second - I'd go as far as to call it Squirrel's second cardinal rule of creative endeavor. (Likewise, this has almost assuredly been said by someone else, and probably more elegantly too; but meh, I'm doing the work here!)
The rule is as follows:
- No matter how much you love your work - no matter what you've wrapped up in it; no matter how much success you enjoy with it - you are not perfect, and neither is your work.
Note that this goes for even the best loved authors and painters throughout history. Perfection is something that a creative person has to strive for... but understand likewise they won't reach. The goal is to get as close as possible.
Ultimately the purpose of both of these statements is simply this:
You aren't perfect, neither are your players. Take your feedback with a grain of salt, but likewise keep an open mind so that your work can improve. (As an example of someone who does not learn from criticism - Uwe Boll. Don't be that guy. >.>
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Alright - so we know what we need to be; but how to do we actually do this filtering thing?
First off - understand that you can't filter based just on what you want to hear. You have to weigh each component of feedback and see if it has merit.
Sometimes it's obvious - "Typo in Mission 3" for example is self explanatory; and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who'd say *not* to fix that.
Other times it's not so straightforward.
What do you do, for example, if your arc as currently written uses (purely as an example) a number of chaining objectives; and you get a complaint about having to backtrack?
Well first you ask yourself: "Self, what should we get for lunch?" err... I mean "Is this component of the arc actually necessary to telling the story? Can I do this another way? Will the arc fundamentally be different if I change this; and if so, is it for the better or worse?"
It can get more complicated however - in the above situation you might have several pieces of feedback telling you the backtracking is annoying; but then you've got a couple telling you that the chaining objectives are neat and add great atmosphere.
Making the call on what to do is difficult, and is going to depend on a lot of things.
- How much positive and negative feedback are we seeing? If 10 people are saying "Keep it" and 1 is saying "get rid of it"; I'd usually suggest keeping it; as that one person is likely to be an outlier. On the other hand if the numbers are reversed, you'll probably want to take a strong look at it, and even if you don't remove it altogether, consider toning it down.
- Again, is this going to impact the story you're telling? If so, can the story be altered to fit the change? Sometimes a few minor alterations in story can make an arc drastically more playable.. Othertimes it's completely impossible to change such a thing without a heavy rewrite. In those cases you may have to accept that your arc as written has niche appeal only. (This isn't necessarily a bad thing; so long as you can accept you likely won't be receiving a lot of 5-star rates and can avoid letting that bug you.)
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I want to take a moment to focus on the numbers real fast:
This is part of knowing your target audience - which is fundamental in any sort of entertainment work (which is exactly what this is).
Whatever demographic your after, when you get feedback from those people, you need to weigh that a bit more heavily.
That said (I did mention this was tricky didn't I?) you need to likewise not ignore the other. Sometimes you need that outside perspective. It's going to be up to you to know when to implement what advice; or sometimes not implement either. Depending on the arc, if the gripe is minor enough, or comes up rarely enough, it may be safer to leave it be.
Still, you want to make sure that you take care of your target audience above those who are strictly outside of it. Otherwise you might find both groups unhappy, as the former feels abandoned and the latter wasn't really likely to enjoy what you created to begin with.
So ultimately, be mindful of the amount of feedback you're getting on each side when a divisive issue comes up; and also be mindful of who that feedback is from; though do not discount anything entirely. (Well okay, maybe discount the person who wants you to add 10 AVs to the last mission - there are reasonable requests, and then there are unreasonable requests. No, you don't get to consider all requests unreasonable.)
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Understanding the mind of your audience - or rather "A word about opinion".
A big thing to remember is that when you're dealing with creative work, you are dealing largely with opinion. That's largely why implementing changes based on feedback can be a little complicated at times.
A simple way to explain it is based off a couple instances of feedback I got in the same day from two different people on the same arc:
1 - "Very creative. Hilarious and neat!"
2 - "Uncreative. Boring."
Now neither is particularly helpful to me as to WHY either is true; but let's face it - you're going to see a lot of that kind of commentary. The important thing here is to note that the two opinions are 180 degrees apart; despite being about the same work, and quite possibly the same feature of that work.
It sounds like a "duh" statement, but I find a lot of people tend to state their opinions as facts. This is a reminder to you, the author, that both yourself and your critics are dealing in subjective matters - and for that matter, fictional ones.
In short - keep your perspective. It's too easy to let yourself be drawn into an argument by someone who hasn't yet learned this lesson - and likewise it's easy enough to fall into the trap yourself, even if you know better.
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So, what if someone is abusive?
I hesitate to mention it, but I think it's important for those who haven't had much experience with critique - both giving and receiving..
Occasionally you will get feedback that isn't criticism in the sense we're talking here. It's unhelpful, rude, and designed not to help you make your work better, but rather to tear you down. Sometimes the person in question is just a bully; other times they're someone who's lost perspective on exactly what they're talking about.
Some examples:
"Typo in mission 4, might want to tone down <Mob>, they hit ridiculously hard, Ill/Thugs MM EB is kinda over the top" - This is criticism. Treasure it; for it is your greatest ally. (As long as you know how to sift it anyway)
"What are you some kind of idiot? You misspelled "their" in mission 4, your <Mob> are freaking ridiculously overpowered, and your end boss is utterly unbeatable! FAIL!" - Absue
Actually my abuse example is probably one of the nicest versions I can think of. More often it'll come in the form of garbled swears, the questioning of your masculinity (even if you're female) or sexual orientation. Thankfully, this behavior isn't too common - but it happens, and you should be aware of it. I personally find a quick ignore good enough, though sometimes it's also worthy of a petition as well (specifically in the case of racism and other derogatory language.)
Do not engage someone like this via /tells. If they're immature enough to react like this over a videogame arc, then they aren't going to listen to you no matter how correct you may be. In short: Don't feed the trolls.
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The second post is going to deal with how to give useful feedback as a member of the audience.
Please let me know if you've got ideas for improvements to this guide >.> I'm a bit tired right now so I may have left a few things out; but this is the basics.
A Warrior's Friend: ID 335212 - Help Infernal save Valkyrie from Battle Maiden.
Above Mars Part 1: The Wellington: ID 159769 - Save Mars by destroying a monstrous battleship from the inside!
>.> My DA page, where I attempt to art.