EVO plug-in reviews

Someone should make a newsletter where they review plug-ins as they come out!

This has been a "forthcoming feature" on escape-velocity.com for as long as I can remember. I agree that it would be useful to have something like this, preferably on the official website, but for it to be worth anything you'd need:

  • A team of reviewers, rather than a single individual, in order to provide some semblance of a balanced opinion...

  • ...and who also must be in this for the long haul. Obviously some turnover is inevitable and even desirable (to avoid stagnation), but if the reviewing team is different for each plug the reader has no frame of reference by which to judge between them.

  • Someone who knows ResEdit and plug-in programming, who could take the plug apart and verify that there were no missed plotlines etc.

  • A marking scheme which breaks the plug down into sections (ie. Graphics, Storyline, Ships & Outfits etc.), since we all like different things in a plug,

  • Probably a bunch of other things I haven't thought of, but no doubt someone else will.

Would the official board be interested in hosting something like this? Can anyone out there spare the time and effort to do this properly? Bear in mind that as a reviewer, you are duty bound to try to give a fair and unbiased report of a plug, even if you hate the concept. You can't just say "It's a Trek plug, I hate all things Trek, therefore it sucked". You have to be able to say "The graphics were awful, the writing two-dimensional, the plot non-existent and the plug itself bug-ridden. Therefore it sucked". 😉

Cheers,

~R~

What you pointed out sounds good. I don't know much on the programming side but I do know when a plug-in is fun. Too many time I find a plug-in that is really buggy and that i wasted time playing it and d/ling it. With a newsletter telling you what is good and is bug free then u save time and have fun!

Too many time I find a plug-in that is really buggy

The Star Wars plug springs to mind. Excellent graphics, nice sound effects (sampled from the original by the sound of things) but too many bugs to make it work properly.

Going to try the B5 plug next,

~R~

P.S. I do know a bit about programming, as well as a little 3D etc. Anyone want to collaborate on something like this? Balanced opinions on a postcard to the usual address, please.

(This message has been edited by Rooster (edited 01-25-2000).)