Skeptical about rating

Just as I predicted, most NL2 rides that come out are getting high ratings. What happened to rating them tougher? Not quite saying they don't deserve them, more like I'm a little skeptical and concerned.
Are they really that spectacular or are people rating by No Limits 1 standards? If they really deserve those numbers, then I guess carry on, but with so many coasters getting high ratings, then 8 might as well be the new average and doesn't mean as much. Do we need to rethink our standards?
Another reason I haven't rated any NL2 rides yet is not being quite sure how to rate them, partly because of the fact that they are by default better than NL1 coasters. Because of the new, easier features, I am on the verge of not caring about ratings in the slightest.
I have a feeling that if a NL2 equivalent of Colder Fusion or Gaia were to come out (in terms of theming/scenery/scripting), it would get slammed with a record amount of 10's.

Most people don't rate on a Gaussian, five-as-average scale, and I think it would be hard to convince them to do so. The actual content of the rating is much more useful and important than the arbitrary numbers at the end anyhow. Really short ratings have always bugged me more than overrates...

Maybe the averages will fall once the newness of NL2 wears off?

[TTD03]

I would rate on the 5 being average scale, but it seems no one else does it, so it makes my rate feel like an underrate and then I look bad.
I have been giving 7-8s mostly.

[Turbo]

I would rate on the 5 scale.

I too have been rating on the five scale. If anything, I have been trying to scrutinize a little more with the gigantic change. As for others feeling like it's an underrate, I never leave any rating without explaining why. Not that I've left so many here, but plenty on NLE and I have been floating around other boards for years.

I think a rate should be a rate no matter what program you use.

[SauronHimself]

I think the biggest problem is that the included de-pumping tool is like fishing with dynamite. It doesn't improve shaping, of course, but the noobs think it's worth its weight in gold.

The problem is that we are taught from an early age that 50% isn't average, it's failing. 75% is an average rating to most people. We are indoctrinated at school to think 90's = A, 80's = B, 70's = C, 60's = D, and everything lower is failing. Most sites that give numeric ratings also basically follow that pattern.

^that is really insightful. In that case all my rates have been very fair.

[TTD03]

Ok lets adjust the scale
The scale begins at 2.5 and goes to 12.5.
7.5 would be average on the scale.

I have never rated because I'm afraid of the opinions about my ratings but yet I have totally wondered the same thing. I was thinking maybe going through the rides that have a perfect ratings and checking for small errors that you couldn't see well unless it was in the NoLimits one graphics. Plus the b&m coasters seem to get high ratings and I think it could be that the prefabs are mostly b&m rides. I think my dark force coaster would have a much lower rating if it was made in NoLimits 1 since it is mostly made of prefab supports.