State of the Reviews Address

Well folks, the reviews thread has existed for a little over a month now and I must say I'm pleased with the review staff's performance as a whole.

I'm hoping you all are also enjoying the reviews and this seems the case, though I received one e-mail (anonymous) that claimed I had a heavy pro-Revell bias.

After much consideration, I do want to change some procedures. Namely the dissolution of the announcement process by which the reviewers have to contact the others on the staff to claim a kit as their review. I have come to the conclusion that this is a VERY clunky process (about as clunky as an IMC door hinge ZING) and is probably one of the things that has delayed the posting of many reviews.

Also, I do think that multiple takes on certain kits would be useful. Some kits suit some people better than others. A lowrider builder will find the poseable suspension in AMT's 1966 Buick Riviera useful, a replica stock builder will find it troublesome.

Certain folks have pointed out that a catalogued thread like the FAQ's or the Meet thread would be more useful than the current layout. I contend that there are still too few reviews for this to be a consideration. Any other views would be nice.

There are many kits available, and surely we haven't covered a fraction of them. I think that we Rivet Counters have touched on the big ones, such as the Revell 510, Tamiya 350Z and WRX, and Revell Integra. If there are kits you feel we need to cover, please let us know. Already I know that it will be necessary to review the AMT Supra, and I am preparing reviews of the Revell 240Z.

As of right now, the review thread is a minor success and that success is neither mine, the moderators', or the Rivet Counters'. That success is the success of everyone on this board who has felt that it is important to let people know what kits are what. Thanks for your support, and here's to the continuation of the review thread and the continued nit picking of the AF Rivet Counters. :cheers:

I was just thinking that the it reviews thread should have an indexed first reply like the FAQ does, have the kits under certain categories and have the kit names put to the link/s to the posts about them. Would make it 5 times easier and you would know if your kit had been reviewed ;)

Is the "AF Rivet Counters" an official club? If so where do I join :)
Oh and good stuff with the reviews :bigthumb:

I was just thinking that the it reviews thread should have an indexed first reply like the FAQ does, have the kits under certain categories and have the kit names put to the link/s to the posts about them. Would make it 5 times easier and you would know if your kit had been reviewed ;)

I strongly agree with this comment. I also agree that there are currently only a few kit reviews however it has to be done sometime so why not start now. I am starting to find it a little tiresome scanning X number of pages trying to find a kit reveiw when I could just look at an index page with kits highlighted there. Anyway it is good to see people discussing things - it is very healthy.

I agree about catologing it in a single post like the meets and FAQ. It's never too early to start doing something the way it will end up... it will save much trouble later. Also, if there are more than one review on a model kit, it would be easier to get to both. I think mulitple reviews on the same kit should be allowed and encouraged, because modellers of different skill levels or preferences will see models differently (though I haven't seen any strong biases that really threaten a fair review). I also think there somehow should be a standardized point scale, but that may be prohibitively difficult to apply.

There definitely seems to be unilateral agreement on the cataloguing of reviews. It does seem to be a good idea.

On the subject of a standardized point scale, I have been enforcing the following 10 point assessment scale amongst Rivet Counters.

Accuracy:3
Fit & Finish:2
Detail:1.5
Options:1.5

A kit that is completely accurate nails three points right off the bat. If it also has great fit and finish that adds another 2 points. Good detail and an assortment of popular and realistic options add 1.5 points each. Thus, a kit that nails all of these instantly rates an 8. The final two points are a bit more subjective as they refer to value, originality, presentation, and handling of the subject matter.

Perfect 10 kits are made rare this way, and highly expensive kits (like the Scale Motorsport/Tamiya Porsche 956 or Model Factory Hiro's Ferrari lineup) aren't guaranteed high scores. The average price point is considered $15 US. So, if a kit nails its 8 basic points at $12, it's a 9, and if that 9 kit is of a desirable subject that hasn't been kitted (or kitted well) and that kit is replete with cool options that can be used on other kits then it's a 10.

Whether or not this can be enforced amongst people who aren't Rivet Counters is unknown, but it's the standard by which all Rivet Counters are required to judge.

There definitely seems to be unilateral agreement on the cataloguing of reviews. It does seem to be a good idea.

completely off topic but you have got to be one of the most well spoken people I've ever seen on the net. quite refreshing and your teachers deserve a pat on the back!! sorry to be ghay. Just so much nicer then yo G I got mahd skilz ovr hur lez review deez modlz yo.

There definitely seems to be unilateral agreement on the cataloguing of reviews. It does seem to be a good idea.You know my take on it. (Easy to judge by the way I put together the others. ;) ) PM me, and we'll figure out when and how I could split it up for us... :)

i know i havent been quite up-to-date on my reviews but that is because i dont want to be bias or whatnot and i have been going over my reviews to make sure they are fair and ballanced...im hoping that the review section will grow and prosper..i thikn the index idea would be great!