Hi!

I created a Map of the Moon a few weeks ago. First the average rate was about 4.2. Then the rates become worse and worse. Ok, no problem... Might be a bit unbalanced. No problem if someone don't like it.

...today this guy: http://warlight.net/Profile?p=2731559405 let a review on the Map-side.
His profile (5/11/2014): Level 1 - one Game played - one Map rated - 200 Points for one rated map.
He obviously only create his Account to dismiss this map.

At the same time when I uploaded my Map, Apollo uploaded his Map "Red Dead Redemption" (http://warlight.net/Map?ID=13590). His Map was rated a bit better than mine. And his rates also become worse. Interesting: it keep the same distance to mine on the way down. And I noticed a bad review on his Map-side by this guy: http://warlight.net/Profile?p=8319728296. He wasn't online after making his review. Obviously another Account to dismiss Maps.

I won't believe that a Map-Creator made this accounts to rank his map better(?). Maybe just Kids who like to hate others work. Don't know.

Maybe it's better to allow ratings only at higher levels.

Hi eliod

I got your point. Creating a map; rectify: creating a high standard map, means a lot of work. and when you are finally ready you are proud about it - a good rating means also prestige and is appealing to your ego.^^ But especially in the beginning of the rating you may have hefty fluctuations in case of statistic stray bullets. I guess you will have a good average in the end, you did a fantastic map, which is also kind of unique among the whole bunch of maps within warlight.
But I do like your proposal. Rating shall be restricted to the community (those who enjoy playing warlight and know what a good map shall look like). Newbees should first level up to get more in touch with warlight and its maps.
Although your views are a bit exaggerated I totally agree in your intended idea and I rather think that an unfair ratings leads to a decreasing quality for upcomming new maps.

Edited 5/11/2014 11:41:21

Tbh I'm surprised my maps still on 4.0. All my maps should be 3.5 cause there pretty bad. But apart from them being absolute fails. I've learnt a lot: one being spend more time on the map. Which I finally attempted on RDR. Still not a brilliant map, there's some aesthetic issues I spotted out. Also the west is more unbalanced and slightly weaker. However my future maps in working harder on.

What I'm trying to say Is similar to Ranek. Once maps have been out for a while, people analyse them closer and see how long they have fun with them. They are used more in games and tournments, thats when they get more ratings from a wider range of people. Maps that contain everything most people need in a map. (E.g ROR it has a good amount if territories/bonuses for teamgames, it has a nice design and has other gaming elements -roleplay.) are generally more popular. I personally really like your moon map Eliod, but some others may not because it's different to normally what they want.

A good example is some other strategy maps are marked down. Because there's a lot of rp and diplomacy players that prefer bigger maps.

IMO to everything I said.

better idea is to make accounts to rate one's map highter, might have already happened

Hahaha - There are pretty sure accounts to raise the rate of the map, too.
- ok, ok... Maybe my reaction was a bit hysteric. :-)
I asked to me how much percent of the ratings are fakes? Is the distribution to sort Maps by average rating a farce? I hope that the true ratings outnumbers the fakes and make them marginally.

nevertheless:
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=8315719689 on http://warlight.net/Map?ID=633
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=1521896022 on http://warlight.net/Map?ID=9742
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=5219391519 on http://warlight.net/Map?ID=8437
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=7912713990 on http://warlight.net/Map?ID=5055
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=1014697224 on http://warlight.net/Map?ID=3697

A permit from level 10 to rate would make it harder to create an account to raise or dismiss maps. Maybe it could even avoid this "I am 10 and I know some nasty words"-reviews.

Edited 5/11/2014 14:38:11

hey hey I have a solution for your problem! =)
next time, before you set your map on public, open up the 'edit name/ description' window within the map editor. There, you can set a level, where the map unlocks.
It's not perfect, but maybe helps to prevent new accounts to dismiss the map =)
I'm not sure if low level player can still join a game, which have been opened by another player, but it's worth to give it a try.

I also got the same problem on my WL map!
Africa big (http://warlight.net/Map?ID=10589) :

http://warlight.net/Profile?p=2829598353
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=8330482358

The idea is good, Ranek :-) I will set a level-unlock on my next maps. But I'm afraid it won't help much.
This Profiles reviews on http://warlight.net/Map?ID=6618 "Rise of Rome". Map unlock: Level 8

http://warlight.net/Profile?p=8924290479
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=3111655994
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=8618618203
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=3720691723
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=5222382344
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=2127011804
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=7520311103
http://warlight.net/Profile?p=2126302141

I choose only low-level reviews who also rated a map. There are many more who only review, some without a completed ranked match. (http://warlight.net/Profile?p=5319930161)

however... most acounts eliod depicts are created in the year 2012 or 2013. There are even accounts who haven't been online for a couple months.
And even some of the profiles have played ranked games often so that means this is before a Warlight update in 2014.
The level system and the achievements/rewards were released in a update in 2014 .

I conclude that the most accounts were only (or sometimes) active before the update of Warlight in 2014.

Wich means that those Warlight accounts are not directly made for dismissing maps.

Edited 5/14/2014 17:45:58

Belgian, the fact that these accounts are old and unused makes the situation all the more questionable. It means people are dredging up old alts solely to negatively rate maps, exactly as Eliod as questioning. Sure, those alts may not have been created for that explicit purpose but that is all they are effectively being used for.

At this point you are arguing semantics. The accounts are used solely for trolling, in this case skewing map ratings.

True

but is this the points of silliness? Creating an accounty only to write a disprectfull comment and underrate the map?... or were it just noobs who created their first accounts and never played again? Or were it people who play only single-player games on Warlight?

Level unlocks don't work to dismiss maps as any player can play (and thus rate) a map if they're invited/pre-reqs are low/none.

If someone's using alts to dismiss a map it's very easy (assuming a high enough level) to low-rate a map.

King, they obviously played again seeing as they rated and commented on newly released maps...

In my last post I linked only Accounts with a "rate a Map"-Achievement. So they rated after the 2014-Update. Nevertheless all the situations the King described are possible, of course. And yes, it is the point of silliness :-)

I am pretty sure that some or many of this accounts are fakes to get a 2nd (3rd, 4th...) Vote.
I suspect more fakes who only vote without reviewing and a few multi-accounts which are created a bit smarter.

Naaaa... I'm afraid that's reality in any internet-community. I was a bit shocked to recognize something like that in my beloved warlight (and the easy way to cheat).

Maybe there is a way to make some money? hahaha...
"Become a Master-Designer: 100 5/5-rates only 9.99$"
"Stay a Master-Designer: 10 Votes per Map/month only 3.55$/monthly"
"Make them think you are strong: 75%-1v1-skill only 12.95$ (don't play any real 1v1 after paying!!!)"

if the whole thing would be more than a game or maybe a hobby (creating maps) it would be a serious issue. but for now I wouldnt even care if someone is willing to pay money to pimp his stats like crazy. I would propose: calm down a bit and may read what the ancient stoics might have done in that situation.^^ Im sure that topic is hardly worth a thread =)

I'm already calmed down. - Hey... this list of multi-account-services was a joke. (Really!)

:-) The stoics believed in a special task everyone have. If they found it, they align their life to it. Maybe my task is to make unworthy threads??? lol

ok than try to make the best unworthy threads in warlight!^^

Here's my map http://warlight.net/Map?ID=5537

Kat is the dummy account http://warlight.net/Profile?p=438998341

When I first released the map it was over rated because most of the votes were from friends and a few strangers we played a game with. It had about 12 rates at the time. Another map maker left a review saying that it's way overrated. That review quickly disappeared out of fear of retaliation. A new review appears from Kat and I can tell I just got 3 votes of 1 star. Kat had previously revealed who he was in the review section of one of his maps before deleting the comment. I thought about returning the favor since I knew who did it but decided to give his maps what I really feel they're worth. My map rating bounced back to where it should be. He put a lot more effort into his boring map than I did mine so I guess that's why he decided to be a dick about it. Lucky for him I don't care about his petty bullshit and I won't reveal his main account.

I would imagine a lot of these fake review accounts belong to mapmakers who fear retaliation. I know there are a bunch of mapmakers who publish maps under multi accounts also. Makes sense when you make enemies all the time.

The best thing to do is not worry about your reviews and just make maps you want to play.