The Peer Review

[Jord]

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JasonCanam/20131118/205051/Level_Design_Iteration_Or_How_I_Learned_to_Stop_Worrying_and_Love_the_Peer_Review.php

 

I found this to be a great read and really quite accurate. I can confidently say that peer reviews have without a doubt improved the quality of my levels.

[Daze]

Haha. Fun and accurate read indeed!

[Sprony]

Good article but I wonder if some people really fear it that much? I personally love to get feedback. It's the only way to improve.

[Beck]

Good article but I wonder if some people really fear it that much? I personally love to get feedback. It's the only way to improve.

 

Yeah I agree. It's really not something to be afraid of. Sure, some people might be overly harsh and just outright say it's shit. But then you have the challenge of taking all the feedback and improving your level to hopefully make it more fun and balanced.

 

I guess some people see negative feedback like they've done something "wrong"? People don't like being told off.

 

Getting feedback is one of my favourite parts of level design

[Sprony]

 

Good article but I wonder if some people really fear it that much? I personally love to get feedback. It's the only way to improve.

 

Yeah I agree. It's really not something to be afraid of. Sure, some people might be overly harsh and just outright say it's shit. But then you have the challenge of taking all the feedback and improving your level to hopefully make it more fun and balanced.

 

I guess some people see negative feedback like they've done something "wrong"? People don't like being told off.

 

Getting feedback is one of my favourite parts of level design

 

 

Exactly. Sure, you'll have to filter through the bullshit but getting proper feedback is the best part. Seir gave me such good feedback in the WIP thread that I'm completely overhauling an entire map. Just because I'm so inspired by it.

 

I think the trick is not to take it personal. Even if it's blunt.

[selmitto]

Yeah, I completely agree with what you guys said above.

 

Personally, getting feedback is one of the most fun and inspiring moments in any project I'm involved in. There's little to no sense to create something that only you will enjoy, so getting someone else's perspective is always valuable. Surely it doesn't mean we should accept 100% of what people say, but there's where the "designer's filter" comes in handy.

 

Listening is an underrated skill IMHO.

[Furyo]

It's one thing to say that one should always welcome feedback, it's an entirely different thing to be able to give it and receive it while respecting every single person's personality and cultural background. I have worked with hundreds of different devs, and you have to be able to discern how the person would like to receive his feedback if you want it to bear fruits. It's very hard, and no one can possibly get it right all the time. Factor in your own level of tiredness and complete frustration after a long day of work and months of crunch, and you can see how you can easily make enemies over nothing.

I happen to love blunt feedback, I think that comes from the Internet School of the Valve Community, where playtesters would find a new reason to give you shit every other day; but not everyone grew up a modder. In  a professional setting, you have to weigh in the years of experience of each individual, your own years of experience within the same company, your seniority level on the team, etc.

Truth be told, you're bound to piss someone off some day.