What about a reviewer do you want to know?

[Shadowslayer]

I'd be most interested in age, and occupation, just to better relate. A guy who's busting heavies to make ends meet probably has a different perspective than a 20 yr old with a lot of disposable income and a bit of extra time on his hands...particularly when it comes to utility vs dollar value. For example, I'd feel that a 30something fellow that was weaned on 1st ed D&D and works on an assembly line may speak to me a little more so than someone who's in college and has only ever known the current crop of games. Know what I mean? I'd never dismiss someone not in my demographic...but it wouldn't hurt to know.

Aside form that, I guess I might like to know which gaming preferences you tend lean towards when youre running your own games. (tabletop with minis and mats vs abstract, less rules vs more rules, storytelling vs tactical...that sort of thing)

Only other thing I can think of is do you have any non-rpg related hobbies or interests? Again its just a perspective thing. The guy who lives and breathes D&D has a different perspective than someone with other hobbies too.

My 2 cents

 

[Crothian]

I'd be most interested in age, and occupation, just to better relate. A guy who's busting heavies to make ends meet probably has a different perspective than a 20 yr old with a lot of disposable income and a bit of extra time on his hands...particularly when it comes to utility vs dollar value. For example, I'd feel that a 30something fellow that was weaned on 1st ed D&D and works on an assembly line may speak to me a little more so than someone who's in college and has only ever known the current crop of games. Know what I mean?

How about something in between? A 30 year old banker who was weaned on basic and first edtion?

 

[GVDammerung]

IMO -

A reviewer in most cases, I think, writes a review because he or she feels sufficiently motivated by the product to write the review - for the love of the game. I don’t need to know much of anything about the reviewer.

If the reviewer is writing the review for other than a genuine interest in the product (e.g. grandstander, fanboy, . . .) it will shine through in the review. Manner of expression and the details in the review tip off reviews that are not grounded in a genuine interest in the product or that have an ulterior motive or agenda.

I have not been “fooled” by a review or reviewer sufficient for me to need the reviewers to submit a CV. The wheat reliably separates itself from the chaff without the need for more “disclosure,” IMO.

Thanks to all those who take the time to do reviews.

 

[JoeBlank]

I would find that knowing the reviewer's gaming preferences and dislikes (both games and style) to be helpful in determining whether a review/reviewer has any value to me.

(For example, a recent reviewer mentioned that he [paraphrasing] "doesn't care about the FR stuff" in an FR product review - that sort of thing helps me determine whether I should lend any credence to future reviews by the reviewer.)

For the more prolific reviewers, you can get a pretty good idea of this by clicking on their name, either here on in the reviews section. Their profile lists all of their reviews.

This is helpful to me, as I can get a general idea of the reviewers likes and dislikes. If the reviewer gave my favorite product two stars, and one I hate 5 stars, that is a good indication that our tastes do not jive.

 

[Vascant]

I have to agree with knowing more about the reviewer would perhaps bring to reading them more because as of right now, I simple do not bother anymore. Good example is the recent reviews I read on Waterdeep and Weapons of Legacy from WotC by some reviewers.. I am not debating the review because it comes down more of what a person likes, because while I loved Waterdeep, they didn't care for it.. and while they loved WoL, I thought it was a poor copy of OGL material already existing. As I tell people in real life, look at the source to determine the merit of whats being said.

The end conclusion is we just like different things so if I knew there was a reviewer who was more inline with my style, likes and dislikes.. I would find his review to be more effective and perhaps even have me taking a gamble on a product I might normally pass on.

 

[DaveMage]

I hate assigning a product scores. I can tell you a lot about whether a product will be good for a number of readers by pointing out things that might be important to them.

But boiling down a product to a single score is the most subjective measure of a review there is, because I have to boil down everything according to a uniform criteria that may or may not reflect that of the reader.

Suggested meanings:

5 stars = product blew me away in many ways (design, art, production values, etc. as important to that reviewer). Not only did the product succeed in doing what it proported to do but I believe that using it in play will make my game better.

4 stars = product succeeded solidly in what it set out to do. May or may not be used in my own game, but a large number of people will probably like it.

3 stars = product was hit and miss, but mostly hit, and many will find the product to be usable.

2 stars = product was hit and miss, but mostly miss. A few might find some value in the product, but it needs work to make it usable.

1 star = don't bother. Product was fundamentally flawed in some ways.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

1) Do you have a preference for flavor text or mechanics?

2) What are your 3 favorite RPG products?

3) Do you review naked?

 

[Crothian]

1) Do you have a preference for flavor text or mechanics?

Flavor text when done well is awsome. But when done badly is worse then getting teeth pulled. Mechanics on the other hand the best are a nice read and the worse are just bad. But I do perfer flavor text, but I get all giddy when flavor text and mechancis are tied together with percision.


2) What are your 3 favorite RPG products?

Thieves World Box Set
Paranoia XP
Changeling second edition


3) Do you review naked?

Doesn't everyone??

 

[CarlZog]

How about something in between? A 30 year old banker who was weaned on basic and first edtion?

Nah, what would he know about anything?

Carl

 

[Shadowslayer]

How about something in between? A 30 year old banker who was weaned on basic and first edtion?

That works for me. Understand that this is what I'd like to see in a reviewer bio, it wasn't aimed at you specifically. (I re-read and realized I was a little vague there.)

I also wanted to add that I also am not a fan of star rating systems.