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SCREEN SHOTS LESS = MORE?

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Is it better to have only a small number of screenshots or is it better to have more.
I"m wondering if I should add more screen shots because I do have other interesting scenes I could show off but would adding those deter from the impact of those main four that I chose?

Also I'm thinking of adding the title screen which shows the main character and possibly having that replace the image that is being used as the game's icon right now.

What are your thoughts on how to deal with screen shots.
less is better, if you show more of your game you will just be spoiling it. picking your top 4 for the screenshots is the way to go bro
I don't think the number matters all that much personally, as long as you have a reason for showing it.

And that could be all sorts of things. You could just be proud of it, you could be aiming to show one screen of every unique area (1 screen from town A, 1 screen from the forest area, 1 screen from the swamp area, etc), showing off unique features or points of interest, showing off a custom tileset--you get the point. Quality control is key though. You want to make a good impression. If you're unsure about a particular screen, get some feedback before adding it to your game's images.

That being said, I still think it's best to save some good stuff for in-game impact.

Ah, and don't let it get too monotonous. As in, don't post a lot of screens that are similar to one another.
author=Darken
less is better, if you show more of your game you will just be spoiling it. picking your top 4 for the screenshots is the way to go bro

I definitely disagree. You're obviously going to try to pick screenshots that don't spoil the game in advance. If you can't avoid doing so with eight screenshots or so, then there probably wasn't much to the game in the first place.

In my experience I would definitely say that when it comes to screenshots, more is more. I've never encountered a case yet where I felt like having seen screenshots of the game ruined any parts for me, and I've definitely more often been enticed into playing games which had more than a handful of images to showcase the attractive elements of the game.

Try to avoid redundancy with the screenshots though. Make sure that each one has something unique to show. And if your game features any significant amount of dialogue, try and get some of it in a screenshot so the prospective audience can get a sense of what it's like.
Conceal but don't leave your audience in the dark as to what to expect. They look at the screenshots to help decide whether they want to play or not. You don't have to show the bits that spoil things, but you do want them to look at your screens and say "Oh, that looks interesting, let's play this!"

And that is more likely to occur if you have a varied group of images that appeal to all types of players - some game-play centric images, some dialogue/story/character centric ones, some mapping ones and a few that sum up what to expect in-game.

(Also makes it easier on submission staff to see whether your game is quality enough to approve when there's a few more thrown in.)
CashmereCat
Self-proclaimed Puzzle Snob
11638
Everyone here is right. Except I ignore all those rules and just post whatever I want as images. So just do what you feel you should do, and what feels right.

And yes, more is more. lol.
Looks like most of you think I should add more so, I will add a few more some time soon.

author=GoatBoy
If you're unsure about a particular screen, get some feedback before adding it to your game's images.


I'll take your advice right now GoatBoy. Do you think I should add my title screen?
Here's a link
http://redgolimask.deviantart.com/art/Nsala-Liberation-Title-Art-453281083

This version of it doesn't show the New Game Continue or Shutdown but you get the point. The reason I worry is because I used a filter and I know some people don't like filters on images.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
Releasing screenshots gradually over time is an excellent way to maintain the interest of potential players during development! It turns out that people really like to see what you're doing.
author=RedMask
Looks like most of you think I should add more so, I will add a few more some time soon.

author=GoatBoy
If you're unsure about a particular screen, get some feedback before adding it to your game's images.


I'll take your advice right now GoatBoy. Do you think I should add my title screen?
Here's a link
http://redgolimask.deviantart.com/art/Nsala-Liberation-Title-Art-453281083

This version of it doesn't show the New Game Continue or Shutdown but you get the point. The reason I worry is because I used a filter and I know some people don't like filters on images.

It's not bad, and custom art like that can be a good draw for potential players.

However, the background is really busy and distracting. The character art should be the focus of the screen, but she's very dark and low contrast compared to the rest.
So my advice - Simplify the background and add some contrast to the character.

If you decide not to edit it though (which I can understand since your game is already marked as complete and you may not want to bother adding a new download just for an updated title screen), I would still add it as a screen for the art.
author=CashmereCat
And yes, more is more. lol.


Agreed. It's really as simple as this. If a bunch of static images encapsulates the entirety of your game's experience, therein lies the problem.

There are so many other dimensions the player will experience from your game. There are honestly so many thousands of indie/ameteur games on here (and elsewhere), many of which look extremely similar from a visual standpoint. Screenshots are a nice quick way to entice interest in your project and differentiate it from others.

So yeah, as long as things don't become redundant, I wouldn't be sparse for the sake of minimalism haha.
Depends on how the game looks like? I usually want to see at least one screenshot of a "walk screen" and one of a "battle screen" to get an impression. But releasing new pictures gradually as LockeZ suggested is probably a pretty good idea to get some attention, especially because new screenshots will be on the front page. Requires the thumbnails to look so interesting that people click on them, though.
Addit
"Thou art deny the power of Aremen?!"
6394
As long as each screenshot submitted is quite different than one another and shows off something a bit new in each one, then you can submit as many screenshots as you see fit. Just don’t post three menus shots of the same thing that I used to do back then that would drive everybody around here nuts, like Darken, that have little to no change in them unless it’s something different like showing off a particular section of that menu. Either way, more screenshots equals more makerscore ‘round here, so I guess more is better??? Either way, you should also take your game’s overall length into equation in regards to putting up screenshots, as a shorter game should only have about a few shots up compared to a much longer game that can have - and should have - a lot more.
My only problem with too many screenshots is that all of your screenshots need to be awesome. If you're adding lots of screenshots, there's a good chance that you'll take a screenshot of something relatively mundane, and if I'm just browsing through games on rmn and click on a couple of screenshots from yours and don't see anything that grabs me, I might not stick around to browse the rest of them, which might have had something that really would have grabbed me.

The thing about our culture is that we've got thousands of people vying for our attention. If someone's looking for an rpg to play, they've got a lot of options, so you need to sell them on your game quickly. Each of your screenshots should provide intrigue into your game, hopefully in different ways as Addit suggested. Also, if you're showing off an aspect of your game--e.g. dialogue, graphics, hud, whatever--make sure that it looks GOOD. I can't tell you the number of times I've looked at a screenshot with horrible dialogue like some antihero talking about how badass he is or some jackass spouting a pathetic attempt at humor and said, "Not for me."
author=LockeZ
Releasing screenshots gradually over time is an excellent way to maintain the interest of potential players during development! It turns out that people really like to see what you're doing.


That idea of putting out images gradually sounds good. DO you think that logic applies to a completed game as well?

Thanks for the critique GoatBoy. Chances are that I will make an update to the game eventually so I'll keep your advice in mind.
less is A-L-W-A-Y-S more... But this expression has never been about quantity, but rather, about quality. It's about figuring out what parts of a whole are important and why are they important. In the case of screenshots, their purpose is to give potential players a nice frame of reference of your game, and to entice them to actually play it or simply to follow its development. So, even if you have a thousand screenshots, as long as each and every one serves this objective, you're fine.

Many have said this, your screens have to be different, or perhaps even 'unique' to make the cut (Not that this is an enforced rule or anything). This is, I think, specially true for gameplay screenshots. Like the 'menu' example above, I often see people upload several battle screenshot: "This is the party fighting in a forest, This is the party fighting in a desert, This the main character casting fire 1, This is the main character casting fire 2, Good news, I just added a new skill to the game! This is the main character casting... fire 3" WHO CARES!? IT'S STILL THE EXACT SAME BATTLE SYSTEM,DAMMIT!!! *deep breath*
_
That being said, You should totally submit the title screen of your game. It's the first thing people will see. And you know what they say about first impressions; Think of it as a presentation card. Your logo alone can tell lots about your game... Speaking of first impressions, though, mine is kind of a mixed one. I like the custom art, but the background, besides being a filter, doesn't say "Africa" to me. Maybe you had something like this in mind? But it doesn't quite cut it.

Frankly, title screens deserve more love. They're not accepted as one of the three screenshots needed for game profiles because they're often the first thing that is made and it can be a sign of a game being too early in development. Plus many people settle for the default title screens that take no effort. But this is not always the case. =/

Whoops! This post came out kind of ranty... Oh, well...
Well I just added a new shot I'll probably add more later.

It's another mode 7 shot.
This new one is Lanoa's and Rawjal's home. Since they are witches the whole place is decked out with Yoruba divination objects.
author=GoatBoy
It's not bad, and custom art like that can be a good draw for potential players.

However, the background is really busy and distracting. The character art should be the focus of the screen, but she's very dark and low contrast compared to the rest.
So my advice - Simplify the background and add some contrast to the character.


author=alterego
That being said, You should totally submit the title screen of your game. It's the first thing people will see. And you know what they say about first impressions; Think of it as a presentation card. Your logo alone can tell lots about your game... Speaking of first impressions, though, mine is kind of a mixed one. I like the custom art, but the background, besides being a filter, doesn't say "Africa" to me. Maybe you had something like this in mind? But it doesn't quite cut it.


I just updated the game and part of that update included a newer version of my title screen. I added some lighting to the background to make it a bit less distracting and brightened the two characters. I also, included some African symbols to the bottom of the screen. Specifically they are Ashanti Adinkra symbols. If you are curious the X shaped one means: freedom and emancipation. The swirly one means: energy. The one that looks like an eyeball means: universe.
I added the title to my screenshots if you would like to check it out
http://rpgmaker.net/games/6309/images/47302/
I will say lots of screenshots are good, so long as they are varied and distinct from one another, and also aren't boring. I don't care about screenshots showcasing relatively minor details, like the icons you have for items in a menu, or the map inside a house. These are nice details, but you really want to show off things that are exciting, like a big panoramic view, or some intense battle action, or maybe some really compelling dialogue... Just as long as it is enticing. Let the small details be more a part of the experience.
With that said, I will say that screenshots can be dangerous for your own sake. Most people post screens purely for feedback -- which is good! -- but all too often I notice people will simply post a screenshot, and wait for those sweet sweet comments, which we all as developers feed off of, and then feel satisfied with that level of feedback.This inevitably delays your games release. Then your project becomes vaporware, with nothing to show but a bunch of pretty screenshots. So, make it a rule not to post a screenshot every time you make a bit of progress. Try to get a release out, more than all things. Screens are a marketing thing. Use the screenshot topic for feedback, or share screens on IRC.
Less is not more in this case. Just add what you think is sufficient, like showing the GUI, interfaces, a few battles, and if you have, screenshots with highly attractive graphics. But not too many of them. Just enough screenshots to entice players to download your game and play it to find out more. Too many, and it will likely kill the curiosity if not done right.
I think the amount of screenshots can depend on the size of the game. I believe games like Final Fantasy Blackmoon Prophecy and Here's Realm are pretty lengthy. I haven't completed them, but they have some screenshots to say the least.

If a game has only 2 towns and maybe 5 dungeons, then I suppose it would be a good idea to not show screenshots of ALL those areas.
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