Review System

The order in which I do these levels isn't predetermined in any sense, although it seems to have gone in a roughly alphabetical order. If a new level comes out then I usually pick it up and review it as soon as I can so that I don't need to remember about it later. But if there's nothing current then I just pick whichever level catches my eye.

I start off by playing the level straight through once on Hard difficulty, no cheats, using whatever BAT file the author has supplied, reading his briefings, watching the cutscenes. This is just the way that I'd play any level; I look for secrets, I attempt to complete the goals, investigate what's there and I try to stay alive. After I finish I write down a couple quick notations on things that struck me as interesting or out of place. Then I try the level again, this time paying more attention to details like the architecture of the place; the mood that the author has created; his choice of textures, how they're placed and how they fit; whether the enemies have space to run around or are confined to rooms and hallways; I take a much closer look at secrets and how the rooms are set up; and I take screenshots where I find something that catches my eye. This time through I might use some cheat codes like LAREDLITE, LAIMLAME or LAPOGO to try and get the right pictures I want, rather than try to avoid blaster fire and make my way through the level while keeping my finger hovered above Print Screen.

While I make my way through a central idea starts to become pretty aparent, and I usually use that in my review. It might be the nice architecture, good texturing, or a great plot that's carried throughout the mission. Or it could be that the level turns out to be not much more than a shoot-em-up, with lousy texturing, etc. And in each case I try to use a picture that will fit with the central idea that I'm writing with.

Almost all of my reviews follow a standard setup: I give a quick summary of the plot, then I have a section where I go over different points and have screenshots, and then I sum it all up and give a rating. The rating is on a percentage scale with 100% at the top, of course. The rating isn't based on any set numbers, it's just my impression of the level as a whole. Lots of people find it easier to judge a level based on a rating rather than discern between two missions using the written review.

The rating scale I use is as follows:
90% - 99% A must play; download immediately.
80% - 89% A good level; try it you'll probably enjoy it.
70% - 79% The average level; nothing great or new, but it still might be fun to play.
60% - 69% Several major flaws inhibit enjoyment; it might not be worth the download time.
51% - 59% Levels in this range feel like they've been slapped together; beware.
00% - 50% Don't bother.

After I give the level a rating I always read through the review once more to make sure it says what I want, and that what I've written supports the rating.

Some reviews are just some notes about the level and a summary of it. These levels usually don't really have a plot, they just showcase some area of Dark Forces that's interesting. I usually don't give a rating to these levels either, since they fall outside of my usual bounds. But I can't help but rattle off my own opinion of them. Other exceptions to the usual setup are levels where the author has improved a few things and released a new version of the mission. I might make a quick note of it below the review of the previous version, but unless some major updates have been done, I usually stick with the first impression.

At the bottom of each review I have some technical info about the level. I include whether the mission has new things inserted, what level it replaces, what editor(s) the author used to make it, and what bugs I found in it while playing. I take this info from the text file included in the zip. If the author doesn't include a text file, or doesn't put this info in there then I just have to put down what I noticed myself. Sometimes I get this wrong, but just tell me about it and I'll fix it up.

I don't usually review levels where all the author has done is move around the objects in an original DF level, or just add another room or add a secret here or there. I don't want to bother running through something that I've already done before, since the originals are almost without exception better than the update. Custom levels with new ideas and things are my specialty. I also don't bother too much with levels that I can't get to work. I try a few different things, and most often I can figure it out, but sometimes there's a genuine problem with it that I can't do anything about. Most often lots of people have the problem and the author tries to fix it himself.

Now you know how I review the levels. What do I like in a level? I like to write my own stories so I always think that a story is a big deal to a level. It serves as a foundation and can provide ideas throughout the mission. And with the entire Star Wars universe available to you for use, can you NOT take advantage of the opportunity? I also like to see some inventive, not necessarily difficult, puzzles included in the mission. Rather than just have somebody run around and find the different colored keys, I'd enjoy seeing something like the elevator shafts in the Detention Center level(still my and most others' favorite to this date). Puzzles and the story are two things that set Dark Forces above other first-person shooters. I also take a real good look at how the textures line up, how they fit, whether they match. Dirty textures next to clean ones make no sense to me unless there's a reason. And good texturing added with smart lighting can really set the mood for a place. Which is another thing I take into account: how does the level feel? Do I get a rush from playing? Is it frightening, exhilerating, moving, or is it just the same old thing I've been through before?

Architecture is also a big deal to me. I love wide open areas with lots of nice scenery, but there's a place for certain things everywhere. Paying attention to why the architecture is designed how it is can make a level really take off. For instance you wouldn't use a high ceilinged, wide hallway in a Jawa sandcrawler, and you wouldn't use closed, square buildings for something as grand as Coruscant.

Something new is always nice as well. New items are cool to have in the level because it keeps you from getting bored, and it often helps bring the player deeper into the Star Wars universe.

The things I don't like: I don't enjoy it when authors throw items in just to have them there. Lots of 3DOs and other characters balloon the size of the GOB, and unless used right they don't add all that much. I also think that a level can do better than to rely on Dark Troopers and Boba Fett. Just throwing them around to make the level difficult makes the mission no better than something out of Quake, or Doom. And since the story tells us we eliminated the Dark Trooper threat they should be used sparingly, if at all. And I know that everyone loves Boba Fett, but enough already! Use the story to bring them in in a realistic and believeable way and I'll applaud, but just throw them in to have them there and I'll try to get through it as quickly as possible.

Now you know exactly how I do the reviews and what I look for. If there are any questions still about a particular review, an item I mentioned, a mistake I made, and the topic isn't covered here, mail me with the link below and we'll talk about it.