[FEATURE REQUEST] Integration of "True Rating" Forensic Data (Anti-Manipulation/Anti-Bot) #2278
Description
Overview
Recent trends in the Steam ecosystem show an increase in review score manipulation through key distribution and botting. This proposal suggests integrating forensic data from the Steam Evaluation Lab (SEL) into Augmented Steam to help users identify potentially manipulated review scores and filter out "noise" from suspicious activities.
Background & Context
We are fully aware of the recent sensitivities and concerns within the community regarding generative AI integrations (e.g., the VaporLens discussion). We want to emphasize that this proposal is fundamentally different. Instead of generating new content, this tool focuses on forensic analysis and anomaly detection to protect consumers from deceptive marketing practices.
The goal is not to "add AI," but to provide a "noise filter" against the very bots and manipulated reviews that diminish the reliability of Steam's user score.
Key Benefits
- Consumer Protection: Directly helps users avoid "Asset Flips" or low-quality games that maintain "Overwhelmingly Positive" scores through inorganic means.
- Reduced Friction: Saves users the time and hassle of purchasing and eventually refunding games based on misleading scores.
- Data Integrity: Complements Augmented Steam’s existing mission by providing a deeper layer of transparency to the store's metadata.
Technical Feasibility
We have already developed a working prototype including:
- Lightweight JSON API: A high-performance middleware on Cloudflare Workers that serves clean data.
- Minimal Client Overhead: The injection logic is a lightweight content script that targets established DOM nodes (
.user_reviews_summary_row), ensuring zero impact on page load performance. - Dynamic Visuals: An optional badge generator using Satori that visually highlights the "True Score" vs. "Steam Score" gap.
Proposed UI/UX
The integration would be subtle, appearing as a small information row under the standard review summary, providing:
- Sakura Degree (Manipulation Probability): A statistical percentage calculated through anomaly detection.
- NK Score (Reliability Indicator): A confidence level for the overall rating.
- Direct Link: A link to a detailed forensic report for those who want to investigate further.
Call to Action
The backend infrastructure and reference implementation are ready. We would love to discuss the possibility of bringing this security layer to the Augmented Steam community. If there is interest, we can provide the full documentation and reference code for a seamless integration.
What are your thoughts on adding this "Consumer Defense" layer to our toolkit?
Note: This analysis utilizes statistical forensic methods and anomaly detection to identify patterns inconsistent with organic user behavior.