Denina's Morrowind Forums

[Toccatta]

Not directly in a review, no. If you look at the format for mod reviews, you'll see it really isn't geared towards a this vs that comparison of two mods.

Sometimes it's necessary to mention one mod in relation to another or to put a difficult concept into context, and if you need to do that, it's okay. However, the mod review section is really intended to showcase each mod on its own, and the grading system is designed with that in mind.

Also, a review is by definition a subjective process, but a certain amount of objectivity is possible when grading the mod based upon a set of guidelines. A direct comparison of two mods can never be more than subjective as it's entirely based upon one thing being "better" than the other in the reviewer's opinion.

The goal of the mod review section is to give modders constructive feedback on how to improve their work as well as to allow mod users to make informed decisions about which mods they may want to use in their games. Discussing a mod's strong points and weak points serves the first purpose. Giving the reader information about what a mod can or cannot do serves the second. However, a direct comparison can only tell readers which mod the reviewer likes more based on his or her personal preferences, and that doesn't really accomplish either goal. In fact, it ends up praising one modder only at the expense of another, and that doesn't really seem beneficial to the community.

That isn't to say you aren't allowed to compare two mods to each other, but it should be done in the Morrowind Mods forum instead of the Mod Reviews section. In fact, you might want to write a fair and objective review for each mod and reference both reviews in your comparison.

[Toccatta]

I just want to re-iterate that it's important to read the review submission guidelines BEFORE submitting a review.

Don't just read them the first time and assume they're never going to change. The mod review section is an ongoing project and the rules may be adjusted or tweaked as mistakes or omissions in the original rules become apparent.

One example of a prior rule change: If you feel you aren't qualified to grade a particular section of a mod review, just leave that section out. Don't include it solely for the purpose of saying you aren't qualified to review it.

Another is: If a mod author posts a comment in a review thread pointing out an error or misunderstanding on the reviewer's part, and the reviewer agrees with the mod author's comment, the review should be edited to correct the error or misunderstanding and the mod author's comment will be deleted. If the reviewer rejects the mod author's explanation, then the review should NOT be edited and the mod author's comment will remain in the thread to present the opposing viewpoint.