Why We’re Upgrading Our Points System

MakerWorld
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At MakerWorld, we’ve always believed in rewarding creators. Our points system is a way to show respect and real appreciation for the work you put into your designs.

But let’s be honest: the current system has some serious flaws.

  • Points farming is hurting the ecosystem. We’ve seen download manipulation, group print-trading, and fake engagement. This not only wastes our resources, it hurts creators who play fair and work hard.
  • High-quality, original models aren’t being rewarded fairly. Creators who invest hours of skill and imagination deserve better than seeing their work valued the same as a quick tweak.
  • Relying only on download and print counts skews rewards. When points hinge on just those two numbers, fast-print trinkets surface while painstaking, complex builds get left behind.

So we’re fixing it.

What’s changing now

In the coming weeks, we’ll roll out a new model-based reward system behind the scenes. We’re hiding the exact formula, not to be secretive, but to let us train and refine it without it being reverse-engineered. Downloads and prints will still count, but they won’t be the only yardsticks. The model will continuously learn from community needs, shifting content trends, and your feedback so we can keep recalibrating rewards to match what Makers value most.

During this phase:

  • You’ll still earn points, but the way they’re calculated will start to shift.
  • Some creators may notice changes in how points are distributed, especially for models that are either extremely simple or extremely well-crafted.

It is not about cutting rewards or hiding the rules. MakerWorld will keep creator rewards at the same generous level. It is about making them fairer. MakerWorld will provide regular, plain-language updates on what it values and will keep listening to community feedback.

What’s coming soon

Points will focus more on quality, not just quantity

From now on, we’ll be gradually shifting how points are calculated. Downloads and prints will still matter, but they won’t be the only thing that matters. New factors will include:

  • Originality: New ideas and underrepresented categories will be rewarded more. The system will favor creators who push creative boundaries, not just more boxes and coasters.
  • Complexity: If your model is technically impressive or structurally intricate, you’ll get more points, even if it takes longer to print or share.
  • Presentation: Good photos, verified print profiles, clear assembly instructions, and thoughtful engagement all contribute to how your work is valued.
  • Platform Recognition: If your model is Featured or wins a contest, that means something. You’ll get bonus points for outstanding contributions.

Importantly: We still believe small, simple models are valuable—if they are creative, well-made, and meet a real user need. Not every great idea is complicated. A clever solution, a fun toy, or a beautifully presented print-in-place design still counts. What we don’t want to reward is endless low-effort duplication.

We’re also getting tougher on cheating

If you’re manipulating downloads, trading boost votes, or abusing the system, we’ll detect it. You will lose points. We’re here to protect the integrity of the platform and its community.

We know any change like this takes some getting used to it. But this isn’t about making things complicated, it’s about making things fair.

We want to keep rewarding real creativity. We want to make sure skilled creators feel valued, and new creators have a fair shot. This update is a step in that direction.

And we’re not done, your feedback will shape how this system evolves. If you have thoughts, ideas, or concerns, tell us. We’re building this with you, not just for you.

Thanks for being part of MakerWorld. Let’s keep pushing what 3D printing can do.

The MakerWorld Team

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glad to see this. let’s gooo :fire:

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Complimenting the previous boost reform, reallocting points on better quality designs? Fine by me. And yea yall need to do something about the cheaters its getting out of hand…

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How will it affect niche designers that don’t jump on bandwagon of “trending”?

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Basically, you are going to introduce AI to review the models? And it will be up to this AI to decide who deserves more points?

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First proposal:
Models based on intellectual property (IP), such as copyrighted characters or branded content, should not be eligible for any points — 0 points, whether inside or outside the exclusive system.

If a model is fan art and offered for free, it should not receive any monetary rewards or physical prizes such as printers or filament.

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What we don’t want to reward is endless low-effort duplication.

Still no mention of AI generated models though.

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And since you at it, can you remove the limit how many times one user can be boosted by the other user, I had people who said they would like to boost me but they are not allowed because they boosted me few times already.

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What’s the limit at the moment? Something like 5 a year? :thinking:

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Hoping this is indeed an “upgrade”
Realistically it’s probably an “update”
Worried that it’s actually a “downgrade”

Time will tell and your user base will be the judge. Best of luck Bambu!

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Nice, I hope the formula is clever enough to make all the untested crappy AI generated models disappear. I am fine with AI-enhanced models, but not when they are massively created to farm points, and you feel it, the model has generic description and generic photo.

The boosts concept is a nice addition, because being limited I think a lot before boosting a model, even if is a simple model or complex one, I think on the impact the print had to me (i.e. if it was very clever fix or beautiful).

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Well said.

Possibility that it’s actually a “downgrade” is pretty high

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Hi hottr, thanks for your inquiry. For niche models and designs of good quality, we aim to reward more of the originality aspect of the design to ensure they are also incentivized properly and deservingly. Thanks

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Let’s also add that CC0 models shouldn’t be eligible. An 8th person uploading Benchy here shouldn’t be able to earn a H2D after 2 weeks.

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The theory is good, let’s see how it’s put into practice, right now I’d say the low effort AI generated slop with misleading renders should be what is driving the most unfairness in the platform, let’s see if this approach will address that or not

Hope that this does work, but right now it’s unclear how you’ll actually be measuring the parameters you mentioned, if you are having an automated analysis system, the bad actors will be the ones that will put the efforts in to “break” and exploit it, time will tell

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The model will continuously learn from community needs, shifting content trends, and your feedback so we can keep recalibrating rewards to match what Makers value most.

It seems like they will be using some sort of AI model to judge each model by the criteria.

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I believe this has to be a priority. Imagine a new user to 3d printing who purchased a Bambu printer and all of the 3D models they print end up looking like rubbish. The new user won’t understand that they unfortunately only attempted to print AI slop, to them the pictures looked really good. Then come the returns, chargebacks and 3d printers thrown in the trash.

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But my boxes are super fancy :sob:

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It looks like there is a complex set of formulas rather than AI.

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As the begin to count one and one together … they will see how some creators share their model which is exclusive and published among groups of creators. I would not wonder if they also download and print from each other. It is so obvious everybody can see except those searching.