[05.17.00] - Wow, the brand spankin' new section; and it's just for the readers :). I'll sum up quickly what I all did to prepare the section:

  1. Created the page you are looking at now. Well, sort of. I created a template I'll be using for all my updates =^_ _^=
  2. Submission Guidelines: Read them, become one with them, because if they aren't followed, you're not getting posted :) I'm sorry I have to be harsh about it but I need to keep organized and up to date and it saves me a ton of time if they're followed.
  3. A huge project, near completion: The new reviews archive! Wow, cool eh? A HUGE thank you has to go to Google who did almost all the grunt work on this one. I created the templates for everything and he did almost all the non-main archive page work. Thank him next time you talk to him!
  4. Created a page (another template) to archive current and future reviews. We cover over 225 games (thought not all have reviews), so that was a lot of pages to make. :) This will be the body of the archive and you'll see many games have been converted to this review format.
  5. The next thing I had to do was create the new reviews criteria. While this little guide isn't set in stone, it should be generally followed so everyone is on equal footing.
  6. Created a HTML template. Within the template are good writing tips, so even if you don't use it read it well. I've created this template to save both you and I time. If you, the reader, do the HTML (which all you have to do is basically fill in the right values), then your posting goes faster. If you decide to be lazy and not HTMLize, then I'll have a fast way to do it ;P

  On another note, all the games below can (and should) be used for review templates (though now that I've made my own it's the better version to go by). They have a variety of writing styles from superserious to goofy, but they all get their point across. Don't forget to also check the Criteria page and see what you need to be judging. That means I won't be accepting across the field tens. Sorry :) Tens are *really* special; that's what they're for, and should only be given out if it's *that* deserving. As a quick example I'll use Front Mission 3's review: it had one ten, in music. Go listen to that game. It's *that* good.

  Okay, I'm not done yet, sorry, I have a lot to cover to tell how this all works :). The order in which reviews will be given slight preference are as follows: New games with no reviews, Old games with no reviews, new(er) games with reviews, old games with reviews. I've been kind enough to give a list of games with no reviews *at all* (not even a staff one). There's also a list of games that have no reader reviews Love me, do these reviews, make our coverage of RPGs that much more complete! =^^=

  NO SPOILERS IN REVIEWS! Basically, period. Even mini-spoilers should be tread upon lightly (like a certain person does this). It's hard to really define what a spoiler is, but I'll try: going into any detail of the plot or story that could possibly lead a person to realize or forebode another event in a game. That sound about good? Alrighty. I'll be trusting you to use your own judgement, but I will be checking things over. :)

  Learn the terminology I use. It's my best form of communication with you, the authors :) 'Rejected', 'Refused', and 'Accepted' are my keywords. Rejected means I'd like to see some changes before it's posted. I should always be sending it back with the necessary corrections in a brief note with it, but if you have any questions email me back with my message quoted and ask away; hopefully I'll do a good enough job explaining you won't have to do this, but the offer's always open. Refused means I'm not going to take it now and never take it. I highly doubt this will happen often. This'll be for those that send the review multiple places (like some do in editorials :P), horud speeling al theru tha reevuuw, ba d gr a m mer, or, bad. use; of? punctuation! I mean, really bad; 10+ errors bad. Accepted means you should be up in the next review. Congratulations :) If I have time, I'll start sending people notices their review is being included in the next update.


Review Writing BooBoos