Right now, screenshots are not required, only highly recommended, in the downloads center. Unfortunately, many people ignore this and choose not to upload a screenshot.

My question is, do you think you should be required to upload a screenshot alongside your download?

Please vote in the poll in this thread as well as post your opinions and reasoning so I can make sure I don't do this without a majority of the community's approval. It helps to get as many opinions as possible!

Be aware - the poll is a public poll, meaning people will be able to see what you voted for. You're going to post with your vote anyway, so why shouldn't everyone be allowed to see it?

Thanks,
Belloman

(If you are reading this announcement from the latest news on the main site, you'll have to go to this thread in the forums to vote)

UPDATE: Screenshots will NOT become required. Bitmap images will (soon) be allowed, and screenshots will (soon) be automatically renamed when uploading to include the download ID to ensure you won't be overwriting someone else's screenshot.

I think it is a good idea to use screenshots, but if you cant use screenshots, you are out of luck if its required. Some people might even have surprises and chooose not to post screenshots. Its not a very good idea to make screenshots required, yet it is a good idea to post them. I think not many people are posting screenshots because it says they are not using the right format sometimes, even though you are. It you must make screenshots required, then please let us use bmp images.

=(Do not make screenshots optiona!=(

Do you want to get 1000 downloads or not?

Making screen shots required is not really fair because I can't even upload mine! Not even for an avatar! That is why I upload videos for my parks and post pictures on other sites. So my vote: :down: No.

I voted yes because it's nice to see what you are downloading. Some people don't provide pictures and then give simple descriptions. It's not very complicated to take pictures in RCT3 and it doesn't take much time to upload them.

Some things I'll consider:

• Allow BMP images - originally this were disabled because they're larger files and someone can get the same thing across with a JPG or something similar. However, since most people may not know how to easily convert them, I may allow them. You aren't loading them on a listing page, so it should only affect you when viewing the image itself (and uploading it - it takes longer since they're larger files).
  
• Make the "highly recommended" message larger/more visible. Making it red might help, and probably a bit larger too.
  

I never really intended to make them required, just wanted to get some opinions to see what I could do to make more people upload them.

FYI - I voted put edited the poll to remove my vote - I only voted to be able to see the results of the poll right away, which is why it lists my name on the "Show Results" page, when it also claims there is only 1 vote for yes (at this time).

Good idea! it will be great to allow bmp images because its really annoying to have to convert all my shots to jpg so upload them.

Some things I'll consider:

• Allow BMP images - originally this were disabled because they're larger files and someone can get the same thing across with a JPG or something similar. However, since most people may not know how to easily convert them, I may allow them.
  

I added a quick tut, on how to convert images in the Downloads and Exchange Help, but there should be an option in RCT3 to choose the format you want to save your screenshots in.

Some things I'll consider:

• Allow BMP images - originally this were disabled because they're larger files and someone can get the same thing across with a JPG or something similar. However, since most people may not know how to easily convert them, I may allow them.
  

I added a quick tut, on how to convert images in the Downloads and Exchange Help, but there should be an option in RCT3 to choose the format you want to save your screenshots in.

Unfortunately, there isn't an option in RCT3 to do that, and I doubt there ever will be one

I didn't allow BMP files initially due to their size and the likelihood that if they didn't change over the format, they won't have changed over the file name to something more unique either. I may just add a feature that adds the download ID before the file name - that would remove any problems with duplicate screenshots (IE User A uploads a screenshot by the name of Shot001.bmp and then User B does the same thing, but they're different screenshots).

Some things I'll consider:

• Allow BMP images - originally this were disabled because they're larger files and someone can get the same thing across with a JPG or something similar. However, since most people may not know how to easily convert them, I may allow them.
  

I added a quick tut, on how to convert images in the Downloads and Exchange Help, but there should be an option in RCT3 to choose the format you want to save your screenshots in.

Unfortunately, there isn't an option in RCT3 to do that, and I doubt there ever will be one

I didn't allow BMP files initially due to their size and the likelihood that if they didn't change over the format, they won't have changed over the file name to something more unique either. I may just add a feature that adds the download ID before the file name - that would remove any problems with duplicate screenshots (IE User A uploads a screenshot by the name of Shot001.bmp and then User B does the same thing, but they're different screenshots).

I really don't see the point of naming your screenshots after your download because nobody ever pays any attention to the screenshot name so why is it so important?

I didn't allow BMP files initially due to their size and the likelihood that if they didn't change over the format, they won't have changed over the file name to something more unique either. I may just add a feature that adds the download ID before the file name - that would remove any problems with duplicate screenshots (IE User A uploads a screenshot by the name of Shot001.bmp and then User B does the same thing, but they're different screenshots).

I really don't see the point of naming your screenshots after your download because nobody ever pays any attention to the screenshot name so why is it so important?

Look at the example I included - one user uploads a screenshot, then another user uploads a different screenshot by the same name - the newer one will overwrite the older one, and then the first user's download will have an incorrect screenshot. But, as I said, I plan on correcting that