Review or not a review

Hi Guys.

As you know I have been off air for a while and during that time I’ve contemplated “what is a review” as we see all sorts of things posted claiming to be reviews when in  fact some are little more than product adverts disguised as reviews.

So I’ve decided to change the definition (title) of reviews posted on PMMS to hopefully let people know what to expect from the link text on the What’s New page. One of the reasons for this is there are just so many new kits coming out it is really impossible to do a build review for each one, much as I’d like too.

So from now on there will basically be four types of “review” posted on PMMS:

1. Kit Preview: These will be basically what is commonly referred to about the place as an “in box review” where the kit contents is shown in sprues and close-up details shots with a brief rundown of the kit and the main points, this will mention anything that jumps out during the brief analysis phase but won’t include any kit assembly other than the odd minor bit now and again.

Also please note the Previews from now will not be rated, this is because you really need to assembly at least some major sub-assemblies to truly determine the status of the kit. For example if a preview was rated 9/10 because the parts were well moulded and looked "good" in the box but had some serious assembly problems that would make the rating totally misleading.

2. Kit Build Review: These will be a full in-depth review including build shots up to the full kit or just major sub-assemblies with an in-depth analysis of the kit accuracy, dimensions, details and any fit issues. Note these will not include the painting process as it’s a review of the kit not of painting techniques, these can be found elsewhere on numerous sites. These reviews will be rated e.g. 8/10 to give an indication of the overall quality.

3. Comparison Review: These as before will be ultra-in-depth reviews of two or more kits/update sets where the emphasis is on accuracy, dimensions and the comparative kit details and merits more than a build type review.

4. Accessory/Update Set/Book Review: This could include assembly or just the set parts depending on set being reviewed.

Well I hope that clarifies things a bit so people know what to expect in the review from the What’s New listings.

And I would also like to thank all those who have kindly made donations towards the site upkeep over the last few weeks, this is very much appreciated and I’ll get to replying to each in time, it’s just time is a little short as I’ve mentioned on quite a few occasions.

Cheers
Terry A