uber rare volund double post, had a read through Wayward 's post and appreciated the write up; wanted to give my 2c on what he had to say!
from my understanding of the way features work atm, each track is evaluated for a feature in a vacuum on a case-by-case basis by a random number of VIPs who happen to be active/want to vote when votes are put up. this naturally is going to lead to some inconsistencies, but overall should lead to a feat system that is more active/provides feedback/rewards ppl for attaining VIP/brings back community discussion on feats. however, the feedback part has already been lost, which makes featuring seem a lot more inconsistent than what it actually is (imo). indeed, i think that if youre going to vote as a VIP, your feedback cant just be "not rewarding lazy and bad trash LOL", you come off like an elitist ****. i understand that not everyone has the time for an in-depth write up, but ffs the feat mods need to understand their audience. if youre judging a track for a player who is potentially getting their first feat, give a shitload of feedback. if it's voting on an EA track, you can probably get away with a shorter excerpt.
i understand why ppl may see the feat process as insular/elitist/unfair, because the feat mods are shooting themselves in the foot by not providing regular and logical feedback. but imo, the consistency of the list has been solid up until now.
im 99% sure that they dont use this anymore, and that it's just based off the intuition/experience of the VIPs. this streamlines the process of featuring, but also leads to biased and objectively sh*t takes to be counted while also making the voting process harder to understand for less-experienced players. again, more feedback remedies this.
i personally agree with the decision to not feature felines. here is what feedback should've looked like for a player who is yet to get a feat, but is obviously very close.
drawbacks of the track:
1. the track lacks cohesion; the tiger (centrepiece and wow-factor of the track) is not integrated into the rest of the track, and sticks out like a sore thumb because of it
2. the ride in places is inconsistent, which could have been remedied with a bit more planning and work
3. the detail in places is quite messy (trees, waterfall, some pipes); whilst some may like this stylistic choice, i personally am not a fan
4. the track is very cramped which exacerbates the feeling (for me, at least) that the detail is messy and poor
strengths of the track:
1. tiger is well-drawn! just lacks implementation to really sell the track as a setpiece
2. shading in the underground section is really really nice (in most places; some areas are a bit eh, but generally great)
3. rock detail is generally well-done and effective
areas for improvement:
1. connect your lines! will greatly help reduce clutter, and will elevate the aesthetic of the track
2. work on ironing out kinks in your ride. if you come across even one inconsistency, fix it so that it never happens again! this enhances replayability and reduces player frustration
3. centrepieces in tracks only work when implemented well!! the wow-factor is not in the quality/density of the tiger being higher than the rest of the track, but in the way it synergises and thus elevates its surroundings. i would recommend against drawing animals to scales such as this as it is hard to pull off without making the animal look silly/out of place. i would also try and make sure that the style of your centrepiece matches the rest of the track; the tiger is a lot denser than your other detail, which contributes to it sticking out
4. spread out the track more! less cramp = less messy
i sympathise with yall. this part here has made me realise that it is probably harder now to get good at trackmaking than at any point in the game's lifespan. feedback from VIPs is given at random, ppl dont provide CC on the forums, and the main frhd discord can get pretty dead. all this to say, i think we all have a part to play in remedying this. maybe we need a CC channel in the discord, or normalise ppl posting for in-depth feedback in the trackmaking section on the discord? as for myself, i am always happy to provide CC when dm'ed. i can definitely be an ass on here a lot lol, but i'll always take someone's request for trackmaking advice seriously
tl;dr feat process isn't that inconsistent imo, but lack of feedback from VIPs makes it seem that way. feedback needs to be provided to new players more than anything else. otherwise will perpetuate the idea that the feat list etc is insular and elitist