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Taking screenshots
Taking screenshots is easy. There's already a key mapped to the function. It's your
asterisk key
(*) on your numberpad. Each time you press it, a screenshot will automatically be saved on your hard drive in .bmp format. If you take a bunch of screenshots, they will automatically be numbered for you in order.
To retrieve your screenshots, you need to open your Windows Explorer
(or My Computer) and find your Asheron's Call folder on your hard drive. That's the folder that was created when you installed the game. More than likely, it will be on your C: drive under Program Files\Microsoft Games\Asheron's
Call. If it's not there, you can use the Find function under Tools to search for it. When you've located the Asheron's Call folder, open it up and you should see your screenshots right there. They will be numbered like this: ACscrn0001.bmp, ACscrn0002.bmp, etc.
Graphics saved in .bmp format are large files! If you take a lot of screen shots, they will start to eat up space on your hard drive. To make them more
manageable, and to make them more suitable for posting on the web or emailing to your friends (or sending to
me on patch day! ;-) you should convert the files into .jpg format.
To convert your pictures to .jpg, you'll need a graphics editing program. You can download any number of free ones from Download.com. A popular one is Irfan View. You can get it
here.
[Insert legal disclaimers here!!]
Using Irfan View as an example, open up one of your screenshots in your editing program. To convert to a .jpg, choose "Save As" under the File menu. Make sure the the .jpg extension is selected, THEN (important part) click on your Options Tab to select quality. You'll see some sort of slider bar with 100% being best quality/large file size. The higher the quality, the larger the file size. Personally, I prefer better quality and slightly larger file size than lesser quality/smaller file size. In general, I wouldn't suggest going lower than 70% or higher than 95% when selecting quality, but it's a matter of preference.
(I prefer higher quality .jpgs)
Click Ok and you're done! You have a nice .jpg file suitable for emailing or posting on the web!
I suggest creating another folder on your hard drive
(not your Asheron's Call folder) to save you converted .jpgs into. Don't forget to delete the original .bmps from your hard drive to conserve
space. Note: if you reinstall AC, all your screenshots
in your Asheron's Call folder will be deleted.
Screenshot Tips
Screenshots taken when
it's dark outside don't generally turn out well. If you are posing with
your new armor/weapon/thing-a-ma-bob, wait until it's daytime, then snap
your shot. Or go inside a building.
Use your camera views to
get the best angle. Try using first person view instead of third person
view or rotating your camera. Screenshots of the backs of your head are
only interesting if we can see what you're looking at too! ;-)
Maggie the Jackcat loves
icons! Currently, there's a bug that sometimes makes the icon not appear
in your examine panel. Stats by themselves are good, but stats with the
icon is better. If the icon doesn't appear when you examine an item, hit
your "e" key twice to fix this. The icon should then appear in the examine
panel. Make the icon appear, *then* take the screenshot!
Please send the
entire examine panel when sending icons, not just the pic of the icon
sitting in your backpack. In most instances, I'll want to verify the full
text of the description and the value and burden to post on the page.
As stated above, I
prefer high quality .jpgs. However, if converting your .bmps really is
just beyond your skills, I would rather have your screenshots then not
have them. If you must send .bmps, please try not to send multiple .bmps
in one email. Zip them if possible, or send only 1 or 2 at a time, just in
case I happen to be at home on dial-up when I am downloading them.
I prefer un-cropped
screenshots so that I can edit or resize them to suit the page.
Always use
jackcat@spacestar.net to send
screenshots.
Please remember to post
your in-game name and server!
Mail Tips
I receive a LOT of
email. A lot. Due to the volume of mail I receive, I most likely will be
unable to send you a personal reply. I am extremely grateful for all the
help you give me, especially on patch days, and I read every single
one, but I just don't have the time to answer all that email *and* keep up
with the site. I do my best to publish as much information as I can, but I
constantly have a substantial back-log.
Following are a few tips
that may help you help me better manage the email I receive:
If you have information
for the site, instead of sending email saying:
"I have the
stats/information/screenshot of such-and-such, do you want it? Please
email me back!!"
I prefer email that
says, "Here are the stats/information/screens of such-and-such."
The second has a chance
of getting on the site. The first has almost no chance of getting
answered. (Did I mention I get a LOT of email? ;-)
Instead of sending email
that says, "the Siruluun Headdress now has tinkering spells!"
Please send mail that
says, "The new spells for the Siruluun Headdress are now
Armor Tinkering Expertise Self V , Weapon
Tinkering Expertise Self V, Magic Resistance Self V, Item Tinkering
Expertise Self V ,Monster Attunement Self V,Magic
Item TInkering Expertise Self V,
Person Attunement Self V. All
the rest of the stats remain the same."
Instead of sending mail
that says, "The Undead stats are all outdated!!"
Please send mail that
says, "The new level for Zombies is 17. The rest of the Zombie stats are
still the same. Here's a screenshot for verification."
If you are asking a
question about the game and check "Do Not Publish," your question will
likely never be answered. Likewise, I am unable to send you personal
emails with quest walk-throughs that have not yet been published on my
site. When I have the quest walk-through written, it will be published in
the quest section!
If you ask questions
that have already been answered on the site, these will also not be
answered.
I am unable to send
shout-outs to your special in-game friends or monarchs. Likewise, I am
unable to publish messages to people you have lost track of and are trying
to get back in touch with. I suggest you post these sorts of requests on
the Vault or Warcry or Stratics boards.
If the 9MB .bmp of you
posing in your new armor didn't get published, please do not resend a 2nd
time, just in case I didn't get it.
If you sent fabulous
patch or quest or creature or some other information and it has not yet
been published, rest assured that it's "on the list." If you send mail
asking if I received it and you *don't* get a reply, then you know I
received it. ;-)
Yes, I know you all want
to be on the Runway!! Yes, I would like to get back to updating the
section. No, please do NOT tell me in-game to ask me about the Runway.
I do apologize for the
sometimes long delays, but, well, I have this pesky time-consuming
job. Really, I promise, it's on the list! As I like to say: more coming
soon! ;-)
Thank you for the
wonderful mail you do send. I appreciate it all! The Letters section
continues to be a favorite, even when I am slacker-chick and perpetually
behind in keeping it updated. I hope these suggestions give you a little
insight into the kinds of issues I deal with regarding your email to me
and help to assure you that I'm not ignoring you; I'm just a little busy.
Thanks again!
- Maggie the Jackcat
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