Topic, Game "BLockoban"

  Congratz Zombie911.

  Congratulations to Zombie911 for becoming the latest Blockoban Addict!

  Thanks for clarifying TM, that is what I expected it to be :)

  @CD, I value all the effort and your contribution to the game which is, obviously, enormous. Most of your levels have been rated either 4 or 5. They are indeed great levels and have the full pack of a good entertaining design.

As for the symmetry issue, it is something subjective like rating. I really like symmetry, however there have been many levels (mostly yours) that have gotten the full 1 point from that criterion even though not symmetric just because they had a good design.... To cut it short...for this criterion I seek for a nice design (not necessarily a symmetric one but obviously a symmetric one has more chances of being nice). Fyi, the most difficult criterion to satisfy is the 5th one (uniqueness) that also includes general concept and this is mainly the reason between 4s and 5s.

  I think you've contributed to this whole game, congratz!

  Hey guys, just a small landmark side note, but with my newest level Colored Traffic (BLockoban), I've now reached 500 uploaded levels. I prefer not to make those big number levels, don't find them that enjoyable :)

lol, I'm been remaking my under-par locally saved levels, and I'm still only on page 2 out of 18. :P


@TM, does that mean you are rating a lot of my levels 4/5 because of a loss of symmetry? I find that my favorite type of levels are ones like Coup de Grace (BLockoban), Little Ambassadors (BLockoban), or Growing Pains (BLockoban). I really enjoy levels like the first two, where there are few blocks in a small-->medium area and you're searching for that little trick needed to place them. I also get a good thrill from those levels where you have to manage over a wide space with few blocks, attempting to close them into a central point. I really try to actually avoid symmetry most of the time, as the puzzle seems to be more follow the leader (usually) by both sides and there is usually a single underlying system for the both. I prefer asymmetric designs, where you have different things to work with on either side, and things that you could account for having on one side may be nonexistent on the other. I don't want to point the finger at TM or anyone else, just pointing that fact out that I, as a level designer, usually don't shot for symmetry. :)

  I got the 2000th post of blockoban.

  To carry on the same subject... I have seldom rated any levels. I don't feel skilled enough to feel I have the right to judge others. The few I have rated I enjoyed so much that I gave them a 5. A couple I gave a 4 because they were similar to other designs by the same person (but not part of a series) and not quite as good.
I like that this discussion that is happening. The point of view given by the top designers and scorers is valuable. Also it shows that for the most part how people rate puzzles is more or less the same across the board and that it mostly boils down to personal style preference. It is a good thing that not everyone rates every design! And that most designs are rated on their merit.

  I really think M has a very interesting point of view of how rating should be given. A very respected opinion. I also agree with the fact that ALL designers should get a bonus for participating and contributing to the game. However, if all players voted liked M then we would have only fiver designers or VOID ones (which is not intended of course). Having said that I can only conclude that it would be unfair for the best designer (factually!!) and good friend...M!!

To make it easy I, personally, use the following principle: I have FIVE criteria each one with equal weight:
1) Fun
2) Symmetric Design
3) Challenging level
4) Optimization and
5) Uniqueness (a small percentage of this criterion is also related to the level category)
I add them up and rate accordingly. Obviously most levels add up to 3 or more (never actually rated 1-2). To the above rule I have only three exceptions: 1) If I see a new designer...no matter the design I always rate 5!! ALways boost new designers, 2) I almost always rate 5/5 M's levels. No need to count. In this case I rate like Murat...hehe, and 3) In kids category I never rate lower than 3, because I cannot really apply the above mentioned rating system...plus our kids need more similar levels and I could never penalize so much someone who tries to provide entertainment and entry levels for them.

In any case we need, once more, to pay our respect to ALL the designers, thank all the players and congratulate our admins for providing us with the fun, challenge and entertainment.

  I only give 5 stars to levels I really enjoy, and I don't rate the rest.

  Quoting murat from Game "BLockoban"

the last sentence, gis, he said that he won't rate them instead

  so you rate 5, but only rate the levels that deserve a 5 ?

  For me there is only one rating: 5/5. I see Blockoban as a puzzle, that I not only try to solve, but try to solve with a minimum of moves. And I give the highest rating only to games that challenge me to reach that minimum of moves, and thus I really enjoy playing. And for the other games, since people have worked for it to design it, I don't think that I have the right to discredit them just because I don't happen to like it. So I just prefer to not rate them instead.

  I played the iPod version of this game but it crashed.

  See this is where I think you're wrong :D
1/5: Maybe this shouldn't even have been accepted in the first place, contains many major flaws.
2/5: No reason to reject, but unpolished and lacks design/a fun gameplay
3/5: Good level, but with some minor flaws in design and/or gameplay.
4/5: Excellent level, no obvious flaws and an overall enjoyable level.
5/5 For the perfect level (this is a rating you shouldn't just give any "good" level)

If everyone were rating like this, we would see a larger gap between the "really good/"legendary"" designers and the newcommers who just release their first level. It would also help making level creation a bit more competitive :)

  1/5: Level with inappropriate content, should've been re-designed. I've only rated this once or twice.
2/5: Shouldn't have been accepted, many major flaws. Only rated a few times.
3/5: No reason to reject, but might be unpolished, with some major flaws, annoying gameplay, ver poor design etc
4/5: Good level, but with some minor flaws in design and/or gameplay.
5/5: Excellent level, no obvious flaws and an overall enjoyable level.

  1/5 I never rate levels that much
2/5 I never rate levels that much
3/5 shouldn't really have been accepted, it's not too bad, but honestly not very good neither.
4/5 A good level with a not so fresh concept, or simply a level with one or 2 flaws.
5/5 very fun levels with usually originality and nice design.

  I think it's sort of speak, 'over nine thousand'

  Maybe he means every game?

  How can you have 9000 levels to solve when there only a little over 4100 of this game?

  I still had more than nine thousand more levels to complete. I was off to play LoL but my local server was down for two days. That would earn me about seven hundred experience points.

  Great! I have the game for my ipod touch and I can't wait :)

  You should also vote in the shoes of the audience a level is intended to. For example, on a kids or easy level, you will not rate 1/5 because it's too easy for you.
I also think a level shouldn't be under rated if it's similar (so not exactly the same) to another level we've already seen.

FYI I'm updating the iPhone/iPad version of Blockoban with the 1800 new levels that have been done since lat update! This will be 4050 hand made levels on the iOS version.

  I vote every level I solve. It's a good thing to do for exp points. :D

4 for good levels. 5 for very good levels 3 for not so good levels. never 2 or 1.

  1-If a level deserves a one I would reject it.
2-Reserved for levels in existence that I might have rejected, or really dislike.
3-An acceptable level with some flaws. Usually marked to be edited
4-A good level with nice design and or cool tricks.[not necessarily perfect]
5-A good or very good level that I really enjoy solving. [also doesn't need to be perfect]
@ Chris
Just to set the record straight, I was not mad at you, or upset about your rating number. I only asked for your reasoning for the rating because all the others had rated higher. I was upset because the only criteria you used to rate the level was that somebody told you you should rate lower. I never questioned the rating number, I just asked for your reasons to rate it lower. As designers we all want to know what others enjoy in the game. And ratings and comments are the only feedback that we can have. There is no reason to leave nasty comments, but constructive criticism and positive feedback is always appreciated.

  1 - Didn't enjoy playing
2 - Wouldn't play again (obviously useless in BB)
3 - Normal
4 - Good
5 -Amazing

  1-almost useless.
2-Realy terrible.
3-Not very good, several major bad points
4-Okay-->not bad
5-good

  1 is quite much useless.
I use 2 for levels I wouldn't accept.
3 is for level I don't find enjoyable, but there is still no reasons to reject it.
4 is my normal rating.
And of course 5 when I am amazed by a level (but it doesn't have to be perfect).

Rating everything 1-2(-3) is not the best option btw, you might be mixed up with unfair raters and get limited.

  i mostly rate 3-4-5/5 otherwise the level isn't worthy to be accepted.

  Well I hope this gets settled soon.