Mandatory review thread for Mappers

[Kappaurel]

EDIT: I am actually happy to read the replies to the thread, they show this idea is not really necessary because in 99% of the cases the result is good, so that's pretty much it from me.

 

Hello!

 

First of all, please I will ask that no one name drops here. This thread is not mean to spark a witch hunt, and logically if it does, it will be locked.

 

Once we have that out of the way, let's talk about mapping and mappers.

 

The mapping community as a whole is great, there are many amazing passionate mappers who will do a great job.

 

However, like in any other place, there are individuals who taint the rest due to their actions. 

 

When you pay for a mapper, you are not getting your money back as long as they do a job.

 

This job will be of a high quality in most cases and everything will be great, as I said most mappers are great.

 

However, in some cases you will have paid a million or more, and the results will be bad. Really bad. They will not take responsibility and say they did their best. And unless you want to get involved in a forum report which will be incredibly subjective... you just gotta suck it up.

 

SO! I am proposing that all Mappers that intend to charge clients for their job have a mandatory thread where people can post their experiences and reviews:

 

This will shield the mapping community from the individuals that taint it.

 

This will shield the general community from mappers who just try to milk money out of people without providing a quality result.

 

What do you guys think? I'll be reading you. Please keep it nice!

Edited August 20, 2023 by Kappaurel

[ERPQM]

The pool of mappers willing to take on jobs is incredibly small to begin with. Having it be mandatory to create a forum portfolio/review page is extra work that I think a lot of us wouldn’t be willing to do, but I could be wrong! Word of mouth and sending pictures of previous work we’ve completed tends to be good enough.

 

I can see how your suggestion would protect future clients from shitty situations, but at the end of the day forum reports and mapper-focused rules are there for a reason. 

[Jura]

You should ALWAYS ask for a portfolio or pictures of their previous work.

 

Just a common sense thing. No need for a thread.

[ennastamb]

I don't think it will succeed from my perspective. Not only is it quite bothersome in an ooc context, but the number of mappers available is incredibly limited. Projects tend to stretch out over long periods, and unless the entirety of it doesn't become part of your character's roleplay, there's not a genuine ic reason to create a thread. That's why it's crucial to keep records and save logs in case someone needs to report a mapper.

[Annella]

As one of the server-mappers, I didn't make a showcase thread of my work yet because I'm too lazy to arrange, upload photos, etc.. but as ERPQM said which is more easily, you can always ask for previous work before starting with and take it or leave it.

[Kappaurel]

15 minutes ago, Annella said:

As one of the server-mappers, I didn't make a showcase thread of my work yet because I'm too lazy to arrange, upload photos, etc.. but as ERPQM said which is more easily, you can always ask for previous work before starting with and take it or leave it.

 

My personal problem is that this was a renowned mapper with plenty of amazing jobs in their portfolio.

 

That didn't stop them from basically overcharging me for a shit job, that the next mapper had to fully delete to make something good. (And this second mapper did not make a dollar out of that)

 

Sometimes it is not all about the portfolio. Some mappers may have downgraded greatly in quality if they lost interest, or have taken waaay longer than they originally promised...

Edited August 20, 2023 by Kappaurel

[Cocaine Capital]

1 hour ago, Kappaurel said:

 

My personal problem is that this was a renowned mapper with plenty of amazing jobs in their portfolio.

 

That didn't stop them from basically overcharging me for a shit job, that the next mapper had to fully delete to make something good. (And this second mapper did not make a dollar out of that)

 

Sometimes it is not all about the portfolio. Some mappers may have downgraded greatly in quality if they lost interest, or have taken waaay longer than they originally promised...

So the portfolio would’ve done nothing. As you said you got a mapper with a wonderful one and had a crap job done. 

[Neszy]

If I mapped something that was objectively sub-par (I imagine most mappers could come to a consensus about something being "good" or "bad"), unlike anything in my portfolio, and I charged 250% for the 1600 objects in there and then said "nope, this is great, give me money, bye!" I'd TOTALLY get why you'd report that to PM, and you should report that to PM if that's what's happened to you.

 

If instead I asked "is this good, do you want anything changed?" and the client said "nope, it's cool!" but secretly hated it and then went and gave me a low "review", I'd feel a certain type of way about that. I was given no indication that they hated what I did and now have no recourse to rectify it or combat the reputation hit I just took. Something like this opens the door for that to happen, and not only that but people outright lying, or causing drama, or stirring the pot, or friends giving high ratings to friends, etc. If portfolios can be misleading, so can reviews, right?

 

2 hours ago, Kappaurel said:

This will shield the general community from mappers who just try to milk money out of people without providing a quality result.

I disagree with this sentiment and find it a little disheartening that it seems to be a view that a lot of the community shares.

 

I'd be surprised if any reputable mapper maps for money. If you're charging 150% commission or above and have completed a few moderately-sized projects (~1000 objects), even if those projects take you a month each to complete, you have enough money. After mapping for 4-5 months (on and off, maybe only 4-5 projects) I had enough money to last forever, and I've been mapping for over two years now. The money is little more than principle - I put effort into something for an extended period of time, so you pay me for it.

[realitysurf]

am i crazy in thinking mapping should be a collaborative effort with feedback given as the project progresses, rather than when its finished? its one hell of a coinflip to just logout, wait a few days and assume ur going to get a great product lol you should be checking in on a regular basis to ensure they're on the right track

[tired!]

Nothing wrong with saying you don't like something/want something changed or would like a refund. You should be keeping in touch with your mapper throughout the process though, not leaving it till it's finished to say ''I hate it.'' 

 

Communication with mappers is important. It's a collaborative project between the owners tastes and the mappers work. 

 

Trust me, most mappers will appreciate someone who has a very specific plan and style that they want and can provide as much information as possible on the project instead of saying "do what you want."

Edited August 20, 2023 by tired!