This is purely Opinion. I would love to hear your opinions, but please respect mine.

The main reason I like screenshots is because I don't want to download a virus. I would like proof that the link I'm about to click on will take me to a real game.

So when people put a link to a screenshot as well as the down load link (a.k.a yoyogames, a.k.a 'there are screenshots on there'), I can't help but naturally suspect something. I don't mind people having their 2 screenshots on yyg, but is it so much to ask that at least 1 direct screenshot (as in, actually displayed) is on the topic?

Not to mention the fact that people see no screenshot, and instantly leave. It only takes 1 screenshot on the topic for people to get interested, and after that one, you can easily have 5 more after it. It only takes one to earn my trust =]

Opinions welcome.

I agree its kind of annoying to go somewhere else to see the screenshots, especially when you have to search around the site once you click their link. Anyways I think that you should atleast spend the minute it takes to put a screenshot in your post, since after all the more time you put into your post Im going to assume its because you put that much more time into your game and so Ill want to play it more. Anyways if youre afraid of a virus just do what I do and never be the first person to reply to a game, cause unless the first reply says "OMG its a virus!" then you shouldnt have any problems.

People going to the trouble of posting a nasty prank/virus often also go to the trouble of getting an illegal second account to post that it's a great game.

Agreed. 90% of the time that something like that is posted, the offending member will also use duplicate account/s to praise the game as well as bump the topic for more attention. You can't always trust early replies, especially from 'newer' members. (Although, don't let the join date fool you. A duplicate doesn't necessarily need to be new.)

Another thing I'd like to mention, a screenshot or two doesn't automatically mean a safe download either... It'd be easy enough to fake one. In the end, you should always use caution downloading anything on the net, you never know.

I like screenshots simply because I like to have an idea of what I am downloading. If I'm in the mood for a platformer, and I see a screenshot of what looks like an interesting platform game, I'll download.

Let me clarify one thing..

When I said "So when people put a link to a screenshot as well as the down load link (a.k.a yoyogames, a.k.a 'there are screenshots on there'), I can't help but naturally suspect something.", I didn't necessarily mean suspect it was harmful. I meant it might just plain suck, or look like something I won't want to play, etc.

So in that sense I agree, t3mp3st, I just didn't word it right

I agree. If the post doesn't have a picture on it, it automatically registers as uninteresting in my brain. One screenshot is all it takes to get me to try it.

Hmm what about extensions or dlls, would people want a screenshot of that too?

Well, what is the screenshots show a picture of a game, and the download link is a virus. Though I do agree it is good for other reasons also, to post a screenshot.



Where did you get that statistics from?

Regarding GEX, LIB, DLL, GML topics, they are different. If they claim to do something visual, such as draw a dotted rectangle, a small simple screenshot wouldn't go un-noticed. If they skin a window, a screenshot of a skinned window would be quite a good idea.. In fact, motion planning engines, platform engines, and most extensions, dlls, libraries, and scripts all do something that can be displayed visually, so yes.. a screenshot will almost always be good in a topic.

Regarding t3mp3sts statistics, c'mon. It's t3mp3st. He is all and knows all. [/sarcasm] Probably just using them for matter of effect xD

Experience.

and while we're on this topic, please dont make us download a screenshot either, it defeats the purpose.

I so hate it when people don't have screenshots of their games...
personally I never download anything without screenshots.

I also hate it when people post one screenshot of the title screen.
I mean what is wrong with these people?! the title screen shows nothing!
n-o-t-h-i-n-g!

if people really want downloads, and think their game deserves it,
post screenshots!

no, one is not enough.

"The screen shoots dosent show anything. The screenshot is outdate. The screens are bad" this is just a few thing people say

The potential virus thing is not my big problem with no screen shots. I just don't want to waist my ram by downloading a huge file that contains a stuped and poorly made game. So I always check the screenies to take a look at the graphics, collision programing, and what type of game it is.

Someone else thinks like me! I've always thought too. It seems to be on the increase as well. I don't understand why people use up 1 of their 3 pictures to show a boring menu screen, what a waste.

If someone was so determined to spread a virus, they would attach the Virus to a game exe itself. I like screen shots because I want to know what kind of game I'm downloading before I go and download it.

Perhaps I should've said something like 'The majority of the time', but as Yourself pointed out, it's derived from experience. While I don't moderate WIP or Creations, I've had my fair share of experience when it comes to finding duplicate accounts.

Completely agree with ashrat, when I look in game creations and in WIP I see some interesting titles but when I view the post it says click my company website HERE and it says like www.freewebs.com/ratproductions or summet and it says it has screenshots on there and just makes me feel, no point they cantb e bothered to post screeneis so i cant be bothered to look!

The reason I link to screenshots is that they're too big to put in the topic. Just hover over the link and see where it leads to. If you recognize the normal image hosting places, then there isn't a problem.

Screenshots? No - Way ! They make the page take longer to load...On - topic thumbnails are best ....
Info:

HeHeHe...an external link php page with the screenies is enough to format your hard-disk .... and this can practically be done with about a week of experience with php
<offtopic>
<commits>
Uh... I'd once tried to link to a php page as an image (gets executed) in my sig ..... of course the GMC knows better than that....
I play a lot of mmorpgs
so , http://h1.ripway.com/aviraldg/ has a lot of such ( iframe / php link in place of image link , size 0x0 ) references to php pages of mmorpgs to vote for me... though you shouldn't worry , I won't try to format my visitors' hard-disks

WHAT?!
wow...better not google for it...

Screenshots should be required in the same way that a download link is.

i agree with tepi, but there's however a persistent problem:

-unfortunately, the screenshots can be a FAKE.

anyone can post:

-come everybody! see my game!
-4 screens

but can happen that the game is a Virus.

what do ya think about?

If you do not post a screenshot that's your own fault, most people simply won't download when screenshtos aren't posted, a requirement it shouldn't have to be though.

As for virus related stuff, it's been mentioned before: A topic with screenshots says *nothing* about wether these screenshots aren't shots from another game, mockups or simply games with a virus in them.

Let me contradict myself for a moment...

There are people who don't mind downloading a mysterious game, one they have no pre-knowledge about except for a description. Those are the people that help us out, because they leave comments. If someone says 'this is a virus! don't dl it!' then chances are I won't.

This is one of those cases where a picture is worth a thousand words, but pictures can be misleading, because hey, it's the internet!

[edit: typo]

Nope! I just shut my eyes and think that the moderators wouldn't put viruses in their games.Yup , I've only downloaded their games.

Prove it or you're full of ****.

Well put GearGOD!

I highly doubt what you 'claim' is true. If so, I'm sure we'd all have been ****ed ages ago.

Umm.. no. Not going to happen. PHP runs on server. You are lying.

PM me further .... for more info .... this is getting offtopic .... and though for safety(obvious) reasons I will not format your harddisk ....
Hint:Dos-Console!Header!

Well it CAN be done ...
here's the error generated my my current webhost.. i'll look for one which allows it...
Warning: ****,******,************ has been disabled for security reasons in \\192.168.1.16\webfiles\files\2007-6\1472480\phpdemo.php on line 2
: Hashed the command

What I think is that too many people are paranoid... I mean, seriously, how many time it has occurred that something that you clicked on, on GMC, was hiding a virus? Seriously? It's not a matter of screenshots, but general paranoia, which won't help you much. I wonder how you use other sites, besides GMC then... I bet you have like 3 firewalls, 4 antiviruses, 2 spyware removers, etc?

David

People can easily fake screenshots, I don't think it matters that much. Someone can just put a link to a malicious program, get some random unheard-of game, take screenshots of it, and post them. Or, just draw screenshots from scratch. If you're really being careful not to get a virus, then screenies are really not enough to go on to judge safety. However, to protect myself, I only download .zip files, and even then, I download them to desktop and scan them with an antivirus program.


I am quite proficient in PHP, and I do know that this is a lie. PHP does have file-handling functions, but they only modify files on the server it's residing on. And if the PHP file is stored on someone's computer, it will not work at all because PHP is a server-side language.

That's funny because Yoyo requires at least 2 "screenshots" to publish.. You must mean when they post a picture that is not of their game.



I get suspicious when a game's "screen shot" looks a little too professional. I almsot didn't try "Crime Life" at first because I thought it was just GTA3 pictures. The staff pick banner got me to try it, for no other reason.

Good point Rtyp06

I know I'm being over-paranoid, and I'm generally more lenient with older members, but when someone who joined, for example, 'Today at 4:00PM', and they post no screenshots, and a description that sounds like they made it up on the spot, I feel I have a right to be suspicious.

Posting Information seems to come with experience anyway, so I don't really have to be lenient with older members. They just know to post information...

Certainly you have the right to feel suspicious, you also have the right to just not download the game

Consider this. Someone posts a perfectly legitimate game, and posts screenshots. What if he hadn't posted screenshots? The game's still legitimate, you just are more paranoid. So download it and scan it with a virus scanner. You can see where a link will take you when you move your mouse over it, so as long as it doesn't take you to hack_my_computer.com you're good, at least until you virus scan it

What people seem to be forgetting in screenshots, is interesting content.

For example, they could have a cool little game, but the screenshot they take is of the menu, a scene of the character standing around doing nothing, or other boring scenes. As a result, the game will probably get less attention than it deserves.

Boring screenshots include-
Menu screen,
standing around doing nothing,
credit screen,
loading bar (yes people use that),
and much more.

Attention grabbing shots include-
Explosions,
Killing enemies,
special effects,
dramatic scenes.

Just think,
"If someone had to choose between this game, and another, what would make them want to try out mine."

but of course, if you get downright into it about viruses, they could let you download a virus, while the snapshots could indeed be different then what the game actually is...

What ever way you look at it (bad game content, safety, etc), it is still all branches of the fact that a project has no screen shots (or links-to). If the root problem is solved, the reasons behind the doubt don't have a reason to be. When posting a game, simply think, 8 seconds of extra work for a few dozen more downloads and a few dozen less 'no pic no click' posts. Small price to pay.

When the user has put a link, you can hold your mouse on it and see in the bottom left corner of your browser window what the URL is that this link links to. If it is of the form www.yoyogames.com/games/show/[number] with the only difference of [number] being replaced by a number, what keeps you from trusting it?

Further, I agree with felpman

As with every single download you do

People who want to distribute a virus on purpose don't pay much attention to the topic, so you'll be safe if you skip topics that look like not much attention is paid to them.

Your current web host is 192.168.1.16?

Interesting... I bet you get a lot of visitors...