propagating UMC reviews/ratings on forums

[taptap]

Alternatively, you could make a sub-forum with a thread per add-on, put a poll on top of it (How many stars do you give this add-on? 1,2,3,4,5?) and add all the reviews below. Making a thread per reviewer defeats the purpose of looking up a campaign before you download it. The poll can include the version number of the add on - when changing the version number in the poll after major changes the poll resets to start. This would be very low-tech to start - just needs a subforum. Though the idea of restricted access floating around before even starting with reviews, will defeat the idea. I believe it is easy enough to intervene IF things get out of hand, but who would bother to write rants in a review thread when feedback threads / user forum are fairly open toward rants and/or self-promotion already - especially if a more balanced review is the next in the thread anyone trying to unfairly manipulate (anonymously) will make a fool out of himself quickly. It is like those eggs on twitter, they can write a lot, but nobody takes them seriously. If you want to be heard you have to convince with your writing helped with name recognition and then it is perfectly fine to write criticism. Furthermore, if someone writes XY is too short/long, too easy/hard, too much story/too cliche people with different preferences might choose to play sth. because of the criticism. It is not necessary to protect readers.

P.S. I often sort add-ons by download number but only look at those with the fewest downloads. (Really, there is no need to obsess about those.)

[Captain_Wrathbow]

Don't we basically already have this idea implemented here, minus the explicit rating system?

[Pentarctagon]

Kind of/not really. Normal users can't make threads there, the only people who will get their thread created are the actual add-on author(s), the add-on must be complete, it is only for scenarios/campaigns, and as you said there are no explicit ratings.

[pyrophorus]

Alternatively, you could make a sub-forum with a thread per add-on, put a poll on top of it (How many stars do you give this add-on? 1,2,3,4,5?) and add all the reviews below.

A thread per add-on is not a good idea IMHO.
We already have quite this in the development forum: players often leave a comment there, not only bug reports or how to beat some particular scenario. More of it, one should browse many threads to get an overview of all playable add-ons.
I prefer OP idea: one thread per reviewer, where first post would display one line per add-on, a global rank and a link to further posts (reviews).
Example:
Disclaimer
These are my personnal opinions about Wesnoth add-ons, not an official ranking, bla bla bla... A full description of add-ons can be found here
To me, a good add-on is a good story, with a lot of ugly guys, funny ideas, good graphics and special effects, more than difficult battles...bla bla bla

• An orcish errand mature **** link to the review
• Long wars work in progress * link to the review

And so on...

Friendly,