What are people's standards for giving ratings (out of 10) to new episodes?

[Music Chart Fan 819]

In the topics for new episodes, many forum members give ratings, usually out of 10, to the episodes, and I've been thinking about how meaningful those ratings actually are.

 

First, what is the purpose of giving ratings to episodes? I would think that it's to provide a quick and easy way to convey your opinion of an episode without getting into the details, while also facilitating comparisons of your opinion of an episode with other people's opinions of that episode, and with your and others' opinions of other episodes.

 

With this in mind, let's look at the ratings for new episodes that forum members have been giving. In terms of a rating scale out of 10, I consistently see lots of 8's, 9's, and 10's given out to new episodes, while, to my recollection, I've almost never seen ratings below 5 or so. I've also seen ratings above 10 in several posts, which I would think indicate that those posters should recalibrate their rating scales. If most people only use a few ratings on a scale, and the lower half of the rating scale is almost never used in practice, then doesn't that make that rating scale rather meaningless? Is that rating scale really serving its intended purpose? How much information is that rating scale really conveying?

 

Of course, a larger problem here is that everyone's standards for rating episodes are subjective, and most people probably don't want to detail what their standards are, if it's even possible to describe them in an understandable way. Is the rating for a new episode a judgment of how enjoyable it was in comparison to all other episodes of MLP: FiM, or in comparison to any episode of any TV show? Or is it a judgment of how worthwhile it was to watch the episode in comparison to something else you might do with your time instead? If you're going to rate an episode on a scale of 10, what would an episode with a rating of 1/10 look like? How about 5/10? These last two questions in particular are ones that I would like to know from those forum members who consistently give new episodes high ratings (i.e. 8's, 9's, and 10's).

 

My guess is that a lot of posters like MLP: FiM for general reasons that are more independent of any particular episode (e.g. it's cute and colorful, it has good animation, the world of Equestria is interesting, etc.), and because of those reasons, every new episode is almost guaranteed to be "good" at minimum. Therefore, they never use ratings in the lower half, since such ratings might indicate disliking the episode or thinking that an episode was "bad", when that's not what they think. And this is an issue that would arise if one were to try to redefine one's rating scale to be more meaningful. For example, a rating scale out of 10 might be more informative if a 5 is the "default" or "average" episode, where the default or average episode might still be considered worthwhile and a "good" use of time, and then there would be a greater range above and below that to utilize. But then other people just glancing at the ratings without context or explanation might see 3's, 4's, 5's, 6's, etc. and get the impression that the rater doesn't really like the episodes or the show in general.

 

What do you think? Are forum members' ratings of new episodes meaningful to you? Do you have any ideas of how they might be made more useful and informative? If you regularly give ratings to new episodes, what are your standards for the different ratings? Do you think your ratings are meaningful?

 

Thanks for reading!

[Page.Turner 940]

My rating stands for every episode ever.

10/10 would bang.

 

I have never not liked/enjoyed an episode.

[Scootalove 10,689]

I think how some people rate the episodes won't change how I feel about the episode, I would give an episode that I don't like a low score while I give the episode that I do look a 6 or above to make it fair. I don't really care about ratings, rate what you want.

[FNGRpony 658]

Sometimes rating really don't fit on episodes.

 

Like phily vanilla.

but sometimes something is truely awful or truely amazing and it's nice to break down why.

 

Like i felt twilight time was 10/10.

It hit literally everything it needed to.

the cmc are enjoyable and the whole episode isn't about them getting their cutie mark,

diamond tiara and silver spoons are at their miserable best,

 

the kids in the class room get lines,

see that guys?

you can give back ground ponies air time and it didn't ruin the show!

I was right.

heh sorry,

it's a mix of hitting subjective and objective standards.

[Music Chart Fan 819]

My rating stands for every episode ever.

 

10/10 would bang.

 

I have never not liked/enjoyed an episode.

 

Even if you have liked every episode, are there any differences in how much you liked certain episodes? That is, are there episodes which you like more (and maybe significantly more) than others? If so, wouldn't it be more useful and informative to use a rating scale that reflects your differences in opinions among different episodes, rather than giving every episode the same 10/10 rating, which comparatively doesn't convey much information?

 

I think how some people rate the episodes won't change how I feel about the episode, I would give an episode that I don't like a low score while I give the episode that I do look a 6 or above to make it fair. I don't really care about ratings, rate what you want.

 

I'm not just thinking about whether other forum members' ratings change your personal opinion of an episode, but also about whether other forum members' ratings are useful and informative.

 

When you see a forum member's ratings of episodes, do they quickly and (mostly) accurately convey that person's opinions of the different episodes, particularly for comparison purposes? Or are that person's ratings the same or nearly the same for every episode, even if that person has differing opinions of different episodes?

 

When you read through the topic for a new episode and see other forum members' ratings (out of 10), do those ratings give a good idea of whether forum members generally loved the episode, disliked the episode, thought it was just okay, etc.? Or do forum members' ratings mostly fall in the same narrow range time after time, thus not helping much with determining the overall opinion of a given episode, particularly in comparison to other episodes?

[Scootalove 10,689]

 

 

 

I'm not just thinking about whether other forum members' ratings change your personal opinion of an episode, but also about whether other forum members' ratings are useful and informative.

 

When you see a forum member's ratings of episodes, do they quickly and (mostly) accurately convey that person's opinions of the different episodes, particularly for comparison purposes? Or are that person's ratings the same or nearly the same for every episode, even if that person has differing opinions of different episodes?

 

When you read through the topic for a new episode and see other forum members' ratings (out of 10), do those ratings give a good idea of whether forum members generally loved the episode, disliked the episode, thought it was just okay, etc.? Or do forum members' ratings mostly fall in the same narrow range time after time, thus not helping much with determining the overall opinion of a given episode, particularly in comparison to other episodes?

For comparison purposes, yeah they do. Their ratings do change from someone's opinion, on the other hand their ratings mostly change for other reasons. As for the other question, I'm not sure.

[~Silver Essence~ 2,625]

Ratings are just a thing others use for their own respective opinion towards the episode.

 

I my give my own set of reviews, but I tend to be generous no matter how bad it us like EG.

[Megas 27,568]

I really like using Destructoid's scoring system. It uses a number system, but I like the way they explain their scores compared to other review sites(where it's pretty much anything below an 8 sucks). Obviously taking MLP into the perspective, to elaborate(these are in my opinion)

 

10 -- Flawless Victory (10s aren't perfect, since nothing is, but they come as close as you could get in a given genre. The new game to beat in its sector, we're talking pure videogame ecstasy here.) - This would go to the best of the best, episodes like Sleepless in Ponyville, Pinkie Pride, Suited for Success, Hurricane Fluttershy, etc.

 

9 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.) - For episodes that do some fantastic things but not to the degree of the episodes on top of having a couple of noticable flaws. Episodes like Sweet and Elite, Lesson Zero, Wonderbolts Academy, Last Roundup, etc.

 

8 -- Great (8s are impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.)

For episodes that kinda fly under the radar, but still does lots of great stuff like Baby Cakes and May the Best Pet Win

 

7 -- Good (7s are solid games that definitely have an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.)

For episodes that are pretty standard, but are still a fun romp, even if it may not be the most memorable episode. Episodes like Read it and Weep and Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 

 

6 -- Alright (6s may be slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.)

These episodes may offer a few chuckles, or do something worth taking note of, but for the most part pretty dull. An episode like Three's a Crowd or S1 CMC episodes

 

Now this is where things get tricky

 

5 -- Mediocre (5s are an exercise in apathy, neither Solid nor Liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit "meh," really.)

Just as many good things as there are bad things. Spike at your Service is the poster boy for this kind

 

4 -- Below Average (4s have some high points, but they soon give way to glaring faults. Not the worst games, but are difficult to recommend.)

The episode would have some good parts but it's bullshit overshadows them. Defined by episodes like Dragon Quest or Rainbow Falls

 

3 -- Poor (3s went wrong somewhere along the line. The original idea might have promise, but in practice the game has failed. Threatens to be interesting sometimes, but rarely.)

Usually saved for episodes where so much bullshit and very little redeeming qualities, like Boast Busters, though it can also apply to Rainbow Falls depending on my mood

 

2 -- Bad (2s are a disaster. Any good they might have had are quickly swallowed up by glitches, poor design choices or a plethora of other issues.)

This is where I feel episodes like Mare Do Well or Mmmystery of the Friendship Express would fall under, there may be some things worth salvaging, but they're usually trainwrecks

 

1 -- Complete Failure (1s are the lowest of the low. There is no potential, no skill, no depth and no talent. These games have nothing to offer the world, and will die lonely and forgotten.)

The Rainbow Dash Micro comic and Friends Forever #1, you can't really sink any lower than these two

Edited February 23, 2014 by Megas75

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

I don't use a number system, because I find it obnoxious. I just use my own rating system (which I used before knowing about the site's identical scoring system, but it isn't that strange of a coincidence):

 

LOVED IT!

LIKED IT!

MEH

DISLIKED IT!

HATED IT!

 

No MLP episode has landed in my lowest category as of yet, and a majority land in "LIKED IT!" or "LOVED IT!".

 

EDIT: It should be noted also that two MLP comics are in my "HATED IT!" category though:

 

Rainbow Dash Micro Series (Oh dear god the dialogue was horrendous)

Fluttershy Micro Series (was a boring comic, but it wasn't all that bad...until the god awful moral was put in)

 

I haven't read MLP Friends Forever #1 yet, but I heard it's not very good.

Edited February 24, 2014 by DryColt84

[Discordian 6,015]

I hate numbered rating systems. They are so utterly broken. You can give anything a numbered rating then totally negate that by saying something that doesn't represent the number. What's more you can get thirty people giving the same rating but they will all have vastly different opinions on it.

 

Because of this fact I don't believe numbered rating systems are an accurate measurement of quality. MLP episodes are no different.

[Forlong 1,726]

Every episode will be judged on structure, consistency, and presentation.  There is a most complicated scoring system, which I will elaborate upon now.

 

I couldn't resist.   Anyway, I do have an elaborate scoring system, even though I don't share all the complicated math.  I just point out what's good and bad about an episode and explain the score in general.  Here's how it goes: each episode will receive a rating from 0.5 to 5 (I originally intended to use stars, but Windows Movie Maker is garbage that won't let me).  Each episode stars with thee points in each category by default, and every two points (rounded up) count to half a point in the final score.  Basically, every episode starts with a rating of 3 out of 5.  Various admirable or deplorable things in the episode can win or lose it points in one or more categories.  Aren't you glade I leave all that out of my reviews?

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

Personally, I make em up as I go along. I don't really have a checklist or anything.

[Totally Ducklett 181]

My standards? Well, I say....

 

If it fits it ships, anywhere in Equestria for a low flat rate!

[Grumpy Enchantress 586]

If I like it I'll give it a good score, if I don't I'll give it a bad one.

[Page.Turner 940]

Even if you have liked every episode, are there any differences in how much you liked certain episodes? That is, are there episodes which you like more (and maybe significantly more) than others? If so, wouldn't it be more useful and informative to use a rating scale that reflects your differences in opinions among different episodes, rather than giving every episode the same 10/10 rating, which comparatively doesn't convey much information?

 

I don't see why you're so against my opinion and my statement still stands. 10/10. There are no episodes I like more or less than others. And it would not be more useful to use a rating scale that reflects my differences in opinions amoung the episodes because that would be tedious and annoying for both of us. I would have to list every episode, give it a rating, and probably have to tell you why or why not I liked it.

 

It's not impossible for anyone to like all the episodes equally so please don't invalidate me.

[GoldenCal 52]

10 - is an episode that is structurally sound (good pacing not repetitive), has an intresting plot and conflict, and in most cases develops character, and no major flaws and of course is an episode that I would feel great watching multiple times. 

 

9 - Generally 10 although allows room for one flaw and not being an episode I would definitely want to re watch in a year

 

8- Lots of good points but one major or a few minor floor bugged me

 

7- An episode that has considerable goods one or two major or a lot of minor faults or just didn't interest me enough to be thinking of it for long

 

6- Ok but not annoyingly adequate

 

5 - completely by the book and lacking any intresting things or contains a considerable amount of flaws for it to be deemed good

 

4 - Filled with things that didn't work and it would be a chore to watch again

 

3 - Contains things that frustrate me beyond doubt and pretty much ruin the episode Boast Busters basically

 

2 - Everything is off Universal problems episode just poorly made

 

1 - Majority of the episode is anger inducing and has nothing redeemable whatsoever

 

0 - It would have to be unthinkably bad 

Edited March 3, 2014 by GoldenCal

[Music Chart Fan 819]

I don't see why you're so against my opinion and my statement still stands. 10/10. There are no episodes I like more or less than others. And it would not be more useful to use a rating scale that reflects my differences in opinions amoung the episodes because that would be tedious and annoying for both of us. I would have to list every episode, give it a rating, and probably have to tell you why or why not I liked it.

 

It's not impossible for anyone to like all the episodes equally so please don't invalidate me.

 

I didn't intend for my response to you to be hostile, though I realize that it might have come off that way. In my original post, I wrote about what I think seems to be the purpose of giving ratings, and tried to explain that I think that only using a narrow range of a rating scale, or giving the same rating to every episode, might not really be fulfilling the purpose of giving ratings in the first place. Your post that your rating for every episode is 10/10 was an illustration of the phenomenon I was describing in my original post, so my questions were my way of trying to show my reasoning process and get your thoughts on the concerns I raised in my original post. My questions were intended to be hypothetical and facilitate discussion of the general issue; I wasn't expecting you to post a huge list of ratings/explanations of every episode of the show or anything like that.

 

I'll admit that it's difficult for me to imagine a fan of the show who likes every episode exactly the same (though I'm not saying that that's impossible). For one thing, I don't recall ever seeing a forum member say that their opinion of every episode is exactly the same. But also, different episodes have different morals, plot lines, situations, dialogue, gags/jokes, featured characters, etc., and I would think that an individual with their own perspective, personality, life experiences, etc. would find the aforementioned aspects of certain episodes to be more relatable and entertaining than those of other episodes. These are just my observations and my reasoning about those observations; it's possible that you don't fit into them, and that's fine if that's the case.

 

If you don't want to discuss these things any further, that's fine, and I won't push you to discuss them if you don't want to. My purpose in asking follow-up questions (and in posting this topic) was to try to present my thoughts and observations and to stimulate discussion, but I realize that I might have been too aggressive in trying to do that. I still struggle sometimes with keeping in mind that other people often don't want to delve into certain topics as much as I do, and that, consequently, I shouldn't take my responses and questions too far.

[Deesinn 393]

I don't rate things, either I like it or I don't, you know. 

[Radiance64 7,053]

I mostly go by pure entertainment value, how an episode made me feel while watching it is much more important to me than any minor nitpicks I would have about it. Season 4's episodes have been incredibly entertaining to me so far though(although Daring Don't and Pinkie Apple Pie kinda had to grow on me), so I tend to give pretty high ratings.

[mars 4,862]

Hmm. I usually go by:

- OH MY GOSH THAT WAS AWESOME WOOO

- That was pretty good

-Ehh, it wasn't bad

-It was okay.

- Uhh it could have been better

-THAT EPISODE WAS UGH JUST THE WORST

 

It usually falls between that was pretty good/it wasn't bad. I usually always find an episode awesome but when I rewatch it, I look at it more closely and really form an opinion.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I tend to like the analyst Voice of Reason's system for grading episodes, which goes by the acronym STEM:

 

Story

Technicals

Entertainment Value

Morals

 

I group it differently based on the show's format and structure:

 

Morals/story

Entertainment Value

Technicals

 

I put the morals and story highest because the morals are to be the main focus of the episodes and the show at large. I grouped morals and story because the morals and the story structure go hand-in-hand. If poor story structure fails to deliver on a good moral (Games Ponies Play), then the moral does not really resonate as much. The entertainment value goes second for obvious reasons (if it's not entertaining, why watch it?). Entertainment value is pretty much a given for this show but can save an episode with poor story structure. Technicals goes last for me because it is developed independently of the rest of any given episode, but affects the entertainment value of the episode. One of the biggest draws of Princess Twilight Sparkle was the use of more realistic lighting effects, more seamless integration of 3D CGI and effects animation, and the well-done background score. With all of that I will somewhat forgive the remaining 5 for dumping Twilight in what I would otherwise describe as a "d*** move" while watching the episode.

[Shift 4,272]

I go by...

 

- BEST EPISODE EVER, AWESOME, OMGGGGG

- Woah. Really Good.

- Good. I like it.

- I'm neutral...

- It's... okay.

- I don't like it.

- OH MY GOD I HATE THIS EPISODE WORST EPISODE EVER

Edited February 26, 2014 by Shift

[Dark Qiviut 22,379]

I deplore the scoring system. It's so broken because it's extremely difficult to quantify the episodes. Likewise, I don't have a strict standard before making a conclusion. (On the side, it's one of the reasons why I loathe the Critique system on DeviantArt, but that's beside thhe point.)

 

I actually have two versions of scoring, but it's no point system. They are as follows:

• I hate it.
• I dislike it.
• I'm okay with it.
• I like it.
• I love it.

(Yeah, similar to the system seen in the episode discussions.) This is a very subjective scale, but because it's subjective doesn't mean I won't use quality strengths and weaknesses. But it'll also be determined by how much I'm affected by them. Sometimes the good, average, or bad episodes will be ones I like, don't like, or am in the middle. I hate Just for Sidekicks, but it's not close to the worst episodes.

 

Now comes the other scale, which is focused more on objectivity. I have these loose scores:

• Offensive
• Terrible
• Awful
• Bad
• Below Average
• Average
• Above Average
• Good
• Great
• Excellent

This is based off as some of the follows:

1. Are the characters in character? Are they in character and three-dimensional? Are they flanderized? Are they out of character? If out of character, is there a good reason why?
2. Are the plot "contrivances" organic to the plot, or are they extremely transparent?
3. Is the story told well? Is the pace solid, too slow, or too fast?
4. Does the writer deviate away from the tropes and make them unique in their own right? Or does the story follow the clichés to the letter and simply waste the audience's time?
5. Is the concept appropriate for the theme of the franchise, or is it out of character?
6. Are the characters presented as competent or incompetent? If so on either side, does the answer make sense? (Competence makes so much more sense, because it makes them more useful and enjoyable without trying to force stupidity down the audience's throat.)
7. Is the camera shot well? Are there many unique angles? Does it focus a lot on composition instead of keeping it all dead in the middle?
8. Do the special effects mean anything to the canon and plot itself?
9. Is the art appealing to look at?
10. Are the references, both in pop culture and in the context of the canon, organically blended in or forced in to make the audience laugh/stick out too much?
11. (If applicable) Is the continuity blended well-regarded and subtly blended into the canon? Or is it disregarded and/or force-fed into the canon? (Far too many episodes early this season made the continuity, a strength, into a distraction for hammering it in and relying on it too much.)
12. Are the characters likeable or unlikeable for the right reasons? (If the characters are disliked for being flat or OOC, you're doing it wrong.)
13. Does the storytelling rely more on showing instead of telling? In family entertainment, this is very important because kids are sensitive to their environments.
14. Is the humor intelligent, competent, and in character? Or is the humor stupid, incompetent, force-fed, cheap (e.g., the flatulence joke), and out of character?
15. Are there no moments that can really offend or send dangerous psychological messages to the audience? Is the audience treated with respect?
16. Is any form of logic and common sense used? Or is it thrown out the window simply to force the plot along? Do the circumstances make sense or not?
17. Do any references to the periphery demographics add substance to the story, or are they inserted simply to distract the audience and divide the demographics? If it's the former, that's fanservice; if it's the latter, that's pandering.
18. Are the morals shown, relevant to the plot, have substance, and delivered respectfully? Are the morals told, hammered in at the last second, told to the characters who are too stupid to figure it out themselves, and delivered in a way that hurts the integrity of the story?

There is no set system here, and no two episodes are ever the same. They all vary based on their individual circumstances, and it's impossible to scale it based on an aggregated average. If you do that, you disrespect the art of reviewing and analyzing. Sometimes, the flaws are so small, they don't influence the quality of the episode. Sometimes the writing is so bad throughout, the episode is bad.

 

But when you screw up delivering a sensitive moral that could send dangerous precedents to your audience, then no matter how good the rest of the writing is, it's a bad episode, and I won't be afraid to slam it! No exceptions!

Edited February 26, 2014 by Dark Qiviut

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

I score episodes out of 10 just so you know

 

8-10: The episode was consistently good, funny, compelling or interesting'

 

6-7: The episode was okay but was lacking in stuff

 

4-5: The episode was extremely meh

 

0-3: The episode was terrible, the story was crap, the jokes were stupid and there was nothing interesting.

[SharpWit 2,614]

10/10. the new episodes are more of basic life and it's not all about twilight. This season is all about backgrounds and I love it