JacktheRabbit
Explorer
Raistlin Majere said:
Considering that he is taking cheap shots at Psion in his "900 Word Rant" I would assume he at least reads the reviews here at ENWorld.
Are reviewers evil?
- Thread starter Psion
- Start date
- Status
Considering that he is taking cheap shots at Psion in his "900 Word Rant" I would assume he at least reads the reviews here at ENWorld.
haiiro
First Post
Psion said:
As general advice, I thought he brought up some good points.
As advice specifically addressed to you, Psion -- and reviewers like you -- it certainly doesn't apply.
I was also thinking mainly in terms of advice, not vague jabs at people who write negative reviews of FFE products -- i.e., "read it cover to cover" is good advice, but awfully hard to pin on someone who reviewed the product in question.
He is making good points. However, the context of his points, if what you're saying is true, are way off.Psion said:
If what you're saying is true, it sounds like sour grapes. Of course, I haven't read most of your reviews, so I don't know if what he wrote is true.
Psion said:Likewise, he states something to the effect of that some reviewers don't read the book. Again, I find this sort of unspecified accusation aggravating, as it gives the wrong impression. Are we to beleive that anyone who criticizes an FFE product has not read it? I daresay no such thing is true for me personally. I read everything I get---else my turnaround on reviews would be much quicker.
I agree with you here. I've noticed that a lot of reviewers seem to get reviews out within two days of the book's/product's release. I've never understood how one can accomplish this. With BoVD, ELH, and other products, I sat down and tried to do some addition, ran some of the monsters/creatures, and tried to read the entire book. I think that takes at least two weeks in most cases (or maybe I'm just slow). And then, I like to let it stew for a while.
I also think there's a difference between a review and a synopsis. A lot of reviews out there are really the latter. They discuss what's in the book rather than what's valuable or not-so valuable.
blackshirt5
First Post
drnuncheon, what's the CR on those reviewers? It's gotta be pretty high if they can take down an entire company.
Desdichado
Legend
I've never read a FFE review (until today, anyway) but I've consistently passed up their products regardless, even though some of them are at least thematically interesting to me.
A basic flip-through of the book and finding poor art, a general "cheapness" to the feel of the book, and the realization that it didn't really seem to match up to what I was looking for as much as the title lead me to believe caused me to put down products like Green Races, Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils and a few others that I've glanced at as well.
That's hardly a formal review, but certainly some of the items that he complains about do contribute to buy decisions. A good review notes such items (like poor art) but lets you know if the book is valuable or not in spite of such superficial first impressions.
A basic flip-through of the book and finding poor art, a general "cheapness" to the feel of the book, and the realization that it didn't really seem to match up to what I was looking for as much as the title lead me to believe caused me to put down products like Green Races, Encyclopedia of Demons and Devils and a few others that I've glanced at as well.
That's hardly a formal review, but certainly some of the items that he complains about do contribute to buy decisions. A good review notes such items (like poor art) but lets you know if the book is valuable or not in spite of such superficial first impressions.
Last edited:
Ghostwind
First Post
The people who are on the various product review lists will typically receive a product before the book makes it to the retail shelf. This can mean as much as a one to two week lead before the average gamer sees it.
As for Jim's article/rant. He does address some valid points, but they become lost in the emotion of his article. Taking potshots at any reviewer directly in public, whether it be Psion or anyone else, without contacting them personally first to discuss the matter is entirely unprofessional and borders on juvenile behavior.
Artwork in a book is certainly a subjective thing, and rarely is it ever considered a major part of any review that I've read. At most, there may be a single sentence or two in a review mentioning it. And never is it the sort of statement that would sink or elevate that product's sales. Borders and layout also are something that, while worth noting, isn't really used as a major focal point of a review.
A majority of the time, a review will focus on the content and whether or not that content is both useable and balanced in terms of game mechanics. Another strong factor of consideration is whether the book was enjoyable to read. If it comes across like a college calculus textbook to a non-math major and has issues with the game mechanics, then one should expect a less than favorable review. However, if the reader/reviewer finds the book to be enjoyable and can make use of it in his game then a more favorable review would be expected.
The fact that the majority of FFE's products are receiving less favorable reviews from both reviewers AND gamers should tell Jim Ward that there is an underlying problem with FFE's products and not because reviewers aren't "smart enough to change a lightbulb".
Henry
Autoexreginated
Psion
Adventurer
I'd like to point out that while that used to be true, it's not anymore. Getting swag before the masses do is pretty much a thing of the past. Shipping charges aren't cheap, and collective publishers like Osseum usually seem to wait until they have a 3-6 books to send me, and I usually get them within a few days (before or after) of when they show up at the ENWorld RPG store. AEG still sends me single products, but even their products typically only lead the hobby stores by a few days.
Last edited:
- Status
Similar Threads
