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2022-04-18 20:15

Dan

Registered: Nov 2020
Posts: 6

Release id #216880 : Vandalism News #72

Only saw the intro and the preface till now but "steamy masterclass in intro execution" wraps it up quite nicely. Wow, can't wait to read further and continue to be blown away.

2022-04-19 07:55

Raistlin

Registered: Mar 2007
Posts: 689

Moved to the forum as I don't want this to detract from the excellent release ..

Quote:

Raistlin: Thanks for your kind feedback and glad that you rated this magazine so highly in your mini-review! On your comment on the "Quality Chart"; this represents who is releasing the best quality "games" first (this doesn't mean quality 'trainers' or cracking 'ability'). The quality points (decimals) per group are aggregated and then averaged (divided by the number of releases from that group). Each year, there has been a different group (in most cases) ruling that chart, essentially, it's not the volume of releases but choosing only the better games to release so that your average is higher.

Ahhh, thanks for the education. That does lead into a couple of followup thoughts/questions, though...

1) it sounds like "The List Quality Crack Awards" and "The List First Release Awards" are two independent, incompatible things .. I guess each group participating would need to decide at the start of the year which one they're going to go for..?

2) in order to decide how many points each game's worth, is there an independent committee for that? How are the points decided? When Onslaught win the "Quality" award two years in a row, people will of course wonder..

2022-04-19 09:08

Jazzcat

Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 1045

Quote: Moved to the forum as I don't want this to detract from the excellent release ..

Quote:
Raistlin: Thanks for your kind feedback and glad that you rated this magazine so highly in your mini-review! On your comment on the "Quality Chart"; this represents who is releasing the best quality "games" first (this doesn't mean quality 'trainers' or cracking 'ability'). The quality points (decimals) per group are aggregated and then averaged (divided by the number of releases from that group). Each year, there has been a different group (in most cases) ruling that chart, essentially, it's not the volume of releases but choosing only the better games to release so that your average is higher.

Ahhh, thanks for the education. That does lead into a couple of followup thoughts/questions, though...

1) it sounds like "The List Quality Crack Awards" and "The List First Release Awards" are two independent, incompatible things .. I guess each group participating would need to decide at the start of the year which one they're going to go for..?

2) in order to decide how many points each game's worth, is there an independent committee for that? How are the points decided? When Onslaught win the "Quality" award two years in a row, people will of course wonder..

1) Either decide or don't care at all.
2) Game classification (budget, freeware, full price) is predefined by category and with a predefined point allocation. The only discretionary point allocation for game quality is 0.0 to 0.9 and that is by the list editor (which has always been the case since the beginning - including Propaganda, Shock, Mamba and so forth).

2022-04-19 09:20

Raistlin

Registered: Mar 2007
Posts: 689

Quote: 1) Either decide or don't care at all.
2) Game classification (budget, freeware, full price) is predefined by category and with a predefined point allocation. The only discretionary point allocation for game quality is 0.0 to 0.9 and that is by the list editor (which has always been the case since the beginning - including Propaganda, Shock, Mamba and so forth).

Interesting... looking at the chart, it feels like ONS were the only group trying to win this alternate-list... which again begs the question: other than massaging one's own group's ego, is there any point to it?

Sorry to be a grinch .. but it just feels odd to me. In another mag, if ONS won, I'd say "awesome job, guys!".. but when it happens in your own mag, and not others', my eyebrows raise.

Maybe time to leave these things in the 80s/90s?

As I say, in every other way, Vandalism is an excellent mag.

/rantover

2022-04-19 09:32

Jazzcat

Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 1045

Quote: Interesting... looking at the chart, it feels like ONS were the only group trying to win this alternate-list... which again begs the question: other than massaging one's own group's ego, is there any point to it?

Sorry to be a grinch .. but it just feels odd to me. In another mag, if ONS won, I'd say "awesome job, guys!".. but when it happens in your own mag, and not others', my eyebrows raise.

Maybe time to leave these things in the 80s/90s?

As I say, in every other way, Vandalism is an excellent mag.

/rantover

These other charts, outside of the primary, only have the intention of providing other analytical points of interest. I am uncertain if any groups actually tailor their output and strive to dominate those charts. There are no other mags that have these other data angles. So, it happens in own mag and not others because there is no others.

What is being worked upon is an oldie chart, kind of like Gamers Guide, that will look at all cracks, with the focus on amount of trainers, size, removed protection and so forth.

2022-04-19 09:40

Raistlin

Registered: Mar 2007
Posts: 689

Ah yes, Gamers Guide was great. Presumably that will mean a return to groups releasing better versions of already cracked games? It seems a shame that the First Release charts has become so important that that art is lost… like, groups will avoid doing that now for fear of getting negative points I guess? (Or just no points..?)

2022-04-19 09:44

Jazzcat

Registered: Feb 2002
Posts: 1045

Quote: Ah yes, Gamers Guide was great. Presumably that will mean a return to groups releasing better versions of already cracked games? It seems a shame that the First Release charts has become so important that that art is lost… like, groups will avoid doing that now for fear of getting negative points I guess? (Or just no points..?)

Maybe they will, unsure. Art is in the eye of the beholder, for some, being first is an art within itself. People of course choose to do whatever they want.

2022-04-19 12:11

Krill

Registered: Apr 2002
Posts: 2982

Being first just means more tries until the more obvious bugs are removed. :)

2022-04-19 19:24

Burglar

Registered: Dec 2004
Posts: 1105

Quoting Raistlin

Ah yes, Gamers Guide was great. Presumably that will mean a return to groups releasing better versions of already cracked games? It seems a shame that the First Release charts has become so important that that art is lost…

Yea, none of the current crack-charts are about crack quality. I would love to see a chart where best version gets the points (within a time frame of first release, say 14 days? 7?). It would stimulate doing a good job instead of a rush job.

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