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What are the criteria that your ratings to story games are based on? I've had a hard time picking a rating in the few story games I've read so far, so knowing different opinions would be helpful and fun.

For example, until now my criteria was loosely something like this; however, it's going to be rectified

1/8 : ...what was this?

2/8 : uh, okay...

3/8 : 'twas okay, but I wouldn't read it again

4/8 : Not my favorite, but a nice read 

5/8 : I liked the writing

6/8 : The plot had me hooked 

7/8 : Plot and the writing were both spot on! Just a teeny bit something more..

8/8 : PERFECT!

 

What are yours?

 

I think this year I have gotten a good grasp on how I would like to rate things. I'll include examples of stories that received each rating if I can think of them off the top of my head here.

1/8 - Absolute worthless trash that probably breaks site content guidelines.
Examples: That one trash story with the Nazis and the Disney song; that one urolagnia story

2/8 - Trash. Maybe could have been salvageable with some actual patience or proofreading, but as it it, trash.

3/8 - It sucked, but I don't think it sucked hard enough that I would unpublish it, were I supreme dictator of CYS
Example: MinnieKing's "Blast From the Future"

4/8 - I would be very unlikely to recommend it to anyone, but it did amuse me somewhat or I recognized a fair bit of effort must have been put into it
Examples: "YeeHaw" by AlexSchedel "Host" by DMnv12

5/8 - I liked it. I could pretty easily point out flaws, but it was a good story. Alternatively, I recognize that it is a good story, even though I did not like it much. This is probably my most common rating, at the moment, and it is the rating at which I start recommending stories.
Examples: "Solstice" by WIBN, "Don't Get Date Raped" by mizal

6/8 - I really liked it. There were some flaws or things I wish were different, but those are getting pretty nitpicky at this point. Alternatively, there were very few flaws, but the story just isn't something I will read again, based off my own preference. Would definitely recommend.
Examples: "Imagination" by EndMaster, "Inseperable" by mizal, "Duck Park" by Don'tEatPoop

7/8 - One of the best story-games of the site. I probably recommend it often. I both thoroughly enjoyed it and considered it very well written with very few flaws of any note. The very best of these may be changed to 8/8 someday.
Examples: "Ground Zero" and "Paradise Violated" by EndMaster, "Bestist Friend Jane" by IAP, and "Price of Freedom: Innocence Lost" by Avery_Moore

8/8 - Unless I rated something I forgot about early on when I had an account, I have not rated any stories an 8/8 since joining the site. Someday, after I have read and reread more stories, I will change the best of the 7/8s to 8/8s. Until then, I am holding off.
Examples: If I had to go change my rating of one story to 8/8 right now, it would be "Necromancer" by EndMaster.

This was an unexpectedly nice and detailed response. Good job, you're a thoughtful reader!

Yes, yes, of course I am. :D

You are such a huge EndMaster fan, and yet you give his stories such low ratings? Shame on you! Quick, go raise them all by at least one point!

1/8 - trash
2/8 - trash
3/8 - trash
4/8 - mediocre
5/8 - needs work
6/8 - one of the best on the site
7/8 - best of the best
8/8 - Legendary/Obligatory (ie Rogues)

Mine are pretty close. Here's what I think when I rate:
1/8: Should be unpublished. Anything that mentions it's a trial, first chapter, or test.

2/8: Should be unpublished. It's awful. Not for lack of trying, the author is either 11 or has the brain power level of an 11 year old. Probably less than 1,000 words total. 

3/8: The worst story on the site, but still passable enough to stay published. Most likely really short and no branching, but still maintains decent grammar.

4/8: The standard for a storygame. Meets the site's basic publishing standards and exceeds them. Subpar writing and bland characters. Almost seems rushed.

5/8: Moving into the enjoyable threshold. A story 5 or higher never feels like a waste of time. I'd give something a 5 if I thought it was good, but didn't take the time to complete more branches or develop the story further.

6/8: Feels like an epic that lost its way or something that was really well written but didn't draw me in enough. Or something that's just really really fun that has poor writing quality.

7/8: Really fuckin' good. Kept me engaged the entire time and has strong characters and plotline.

8/8: The same as 7, but makes me question reality after finishing.

I should start putting this much thought into the ratings I give out! 

You're very kind, CHAD sir.

This made me laugh way too hard. I think I’m going to use your strategy from now on. 

A 100-sided die? I wish to see that sometime. 

1 - This was crap and a shouldn't have been published, give me that point

2 - Also crap, I want my point

3 - Shitty, but not super shitty. Point please

4 - Better than most of the crappy ones and somewhat enjoyable, thanks for the point

5 - I enjoyed this and the free point

I don't think I've ever rate a story above a 5 because it likely takes a while to finish the better ones.

You've never given anything more than a 5? Woah. Did you read any of EM's or IAP's yet? Or are they reading-in-progress?

I read the last line as her saying she didn't read the longer stories.

Ah, true. I didn't pay much attention, my bad 

1/8 - trash
2/8 - still trash. I don't use this anymore, I just give a 1/8 to get it off the site faster.
3/8 - Okayish. Grammatically competent but tiny, boring, or stupid, or the writing is decent but with persistent technical errors. Quizzes get this. Lol random stories get this. Stories from mostly literate middle schoolers get this.
4/8 - A reasonably decent game. Nothing to get excited about but nothing obvious to point out as wrong with it.
5/8 - Solid all around, or really good in parts but with some aspect like sloppy proof reading or cringe dialogue weighing it down.
6/8 - Would commend and recommend.
7/8 - One of the top games on the site.
8/8 - Like a 7/8 but something about it goes above and beyond to really shine. Before PoF, Rogues was the last game to get an 8/8 from me.

@Bucky @BerkaZerka @TharaApples @Undr
I am curious about how you guys rate things.

Berka and Undr are the only ones still actively rating things, although Undr has dropped off the map the last few weeks so I hope everything's okay with her.

I did recently rate some magic quiz game.

The gradual comeback is beginning, or not.

1/8 - Effortless trash.

2/8 - Also trash, but with possibly a hint of what could be interpreted as effort. I rarely use this. Typically, I just give a 1/8 to get it off the site faster.

3/8 - Shows effort or promise but has serious craft errors. Probably technically flawed or lacking a plot.

4/8 - A better version of the 3/8 grade.

5/8 - Solid all around. A lot of non-serious but well written stories get this grade. Sometimes well written stories that had linear elements or generally short stories. If you can write a 5/8 story, you could probably get published with a little fine tuning of your craft and good editing.

6/8 - Would commend and recommend. The line between 5/8 and 6/8 has some flex; hidden gem ratings.

7/8 - Well written. Minor flaws.

8/8 - Page burner.

Thanks for the answer.

Well since I was tagged, my hands are essentially tied and I will now answer.

So this is how I rated the storygames on the site when I was actually active for a time. This system of mine is actually pretty simple.

1/8: Fry.

2/8: Dry.

3/8: Could be improved upon with some major revisions.

4/8: Same as 3 but with minor revisions now.

5/8: Enjoyable, slight stumbles in the work.

6\8: Wet.

7/8: Wetter.

8/8: Soaking. (Usually given to Endmaster, but other stories have gotten it as well on the event of keeping my interest for hours and so)

Interesting way of describing things. Thanks for answering.

1/8 - Trash. Not worth reviewing unless I'm that bored at the time. Should be deleted/unpublished.
2/8 - Still trash. Could be a 3/8 with some revising.
3/8 - Trash, but not so bad that it deserves to be taken down. Author seems to have put some effort into it.
4/8 - It's alright. Not much else to say.
5/8 - Good. Probably not my cup of tea but I liked it overall.
6/8 - Really good. This is a story that I'd recommend others to read. Last storygame I rated 6/8 was Crescentstar's "The Cat and the Crow"
7/8 - One of the best around. I'd put EndMaster's "Necromancer" here.
8/8 - Damn near perfect. I loved everything about this storygame and it will forever be etched into my memory. Avery Moore's "Price of Freedom" easily fits this as well as EndMaster's "Death Song"

1 - These are the stories that are so bad even a master linguist was unable to read. May also have a crap ton of broken links. Needs to be unpublished and the author flogged.

2 - It is a complete story, fortunately, but it is so atrocious that reading it was an agonizing experience. Horrible grammer and a lack of punctuation can also be found. Examples are terrible Warrior Cats fanfic or miserably inaccurate bee erotica.

3 - It's bad, but it is at least partially salvageable. Grammer mistakes are numerous and noticeable, but the book is still readable. Characters are bland and the settings make little to no sense.

4 - Poor quality book, but it seems like some time and effort was put into it. Minimal character development, and the choices do not transition smoothly.

5 - Fair. The choices are still unpredictable to some degree,

but it is actually worth the time spent readind it.

6 - Good. The characters show development, and the plot runs in a smooth pleasant order.

7 - Great! These are books that are written very well, and serve to actually make you feel emotion.

8 - What you guys should give my works 

1/8: Thanks for the free point.

2/8: Wait, we have a 2/8?

3/8: Could be worse I guess.

4/8: Eh, it was okay.

5/8: Very nice.

6/8: Now this I like.

7/8: That's the good shit right there.

8/8: Y'all mind if I praise God for giving us this story?

1. Utter shit.

2. Rarely ever happens. I feel if you put in enough 

3. Shit, but you tried.

4. Eh. I guess it was a thing.

5. I actually quite liked it.

6. I thought it was really good.

7. You fucked up one thing, or maybe you just did something that annoyed me.

8. Excellence.

Explain 2/8 again, but using a sentence.

Just because it doesn't make sense doesn't mean it's not a sentence, Mizal.

2. Rarely ever happens. I feel if you put in enough 

I rarely give a 2/8, though I give it if I feel you put in enough [effort] to not get a 1/8.

That's how I read it.

It was supposed to be "I feel if you put in enough effort to make an actual game, you should get at least a 3, if not, 1"

I usually just see what the most common rating is for the story and just copy that. I don’t round the player rating that has a decimal, I click on the button that shows every single rating, and see which one has the highest number next to it. I know it’s not the most complex method, but it gives me more points to chuck at cysid, or anyone that wants to take me 5 points.

So a mindless sheep.
I see.
I am disappointed but not surprised.

I have a mind, it just no work good

1/8 Absolute worthless shit that deserves to be erased form the univers

2/8 Just shit

3/8 Eh.. not bad but absoluety for sure not good

4/8 Average

5/8 I wouldnt read it again but its was preety good, above average

6/8 Really Good

7/8 Almost perfect for sure would read again but ad a few more stuff

8/8 Beutiful underscibably good.

1. Unpublish. Now.
I'll give this if I have no idea what it is, nothing matches, no paths, etc. Like And So They Say, recently taken down.

2. Unpublish... but...
#1 but I'ts not so bad I can't understand anything. A bit of potential.

3. I see
There was effort, but not nearly enough. #2 but grammar and stuff was OK

4. I'm bored
Good in general, but it wasn't nearly enough to get me excited. I clicked this 'cause I wanted my point already.

5. What it says
Not the best, not the worst. I liked it. It hhad potential. It just wasn't quite there yet.

6. ...
I don't use this. It's a 5 or a jumt to 7.

7. Good job
I liked it, but it wasn't PoF

8. 6YTUHfGB98I
The definition of PoF. I loved it. Nothing more could be added. Except a sequel... PLEASE?

1/8: Nothing good, everything horrible. Unpublish immediately.

2/8: Better than 1/8, but still want it unpublished.

3/8: This game actually took some time and effort to create, and I enjoyed some of it. Still, pretty bad.

4/8: Standard.

5/8: Above average, I enjoyed it!

6/8: This was great! I liked all of it, but it could be better!

7/8: Nearly perfect. These are the top-tier storygames on the site.

8/8: Flawless. Never used this yet.