idea: Enhanced screenshot functionality

[spiralofhope]

The vagueness of screenshots makes them difficult to curate and share.

One of the biggest issues I've had with screenshotting in every video game I've played, is that it dumps a bunch of coded images. They're particularly annoying to process, in bulk, well after the fact. No memory of the events, a fuzzy recollection of the areas or objects shown, etc.

For example, World of Warcraft only has a date/timestamp, but it's not in a sortable format.

I propose something sane, like

yyyy-mm-dd__hh-mm-ss.jpg

I think perhaps a slight amount more information in the filename would be useful.. perhaps a zone or event name shortform. Unfortunately, for technical limitations the filename length must be kept short. Perhaps drop files screenshotted close together and in the same zone into a folder? Damn that would be so awesome.

Also create a companion text file:

yyyy-mm-dd__hh-mm-ss.txt

Within it would be extended information. The zone and subzone names, GPS within it, event and boss names, base name, etc. Maybe even details of the character being screenshotted. Also details of the party/raid etc. As much as possible.

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The idea is that a person can go through their old screenshots in a better way, and re-live things.

"Oh dude, that event was so hard when it first came out" (wipe-fest of corpses, text file includes the event name and party members/loadouts)

"I had such a great impression of this zone" (gliding over landscape, text file includes the glider details, zone name, GPS and direction facing)

"Oh that armor was so cool" (model closeup, text file includes the list of equipment)

"Oh yeah, that was that awesome special-event holiday raid that developer put together" (huge number of people wearing party hats, text file includes the character's buffs including the hat, and the entire raid list)

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Improving screenshots ultimately leads to higher quality sharing of curated galleries, which leads to being more social.

 

[Degiance]

As a person who tends to take alot of screenshots, that sounds like an excellent idea. Especially after a year or so playing you can have around hundred or more screens and i personally would like if you could add like a small note to the screenshot right after you take it. If all that you suggested isn't implimented in some way.

 

[Arca9]

Screenshot folder can be sub-divided into folders as well. Such as a specific month.

Something like

Jan - 2017

April - 2107

Dec - 2017

Jan - 2018

To keep the files a little more organized.

 

[spiralofhope]

i personally would like if you could add like a small note

I totally agree with you. I've found myself typing notes into the chat area, but with the UI turned off that won't work.

Screenshot folder can be sub-divided into folders as well. Such as a specific month.

I agree, but it needs to be sortable:

2017-01
2017-03

etc.

Six years of World of Warcraft taught me the value of sorting.

 

[Nalessa]

Is that even possible?

I mean, it's just an image file, making it so it would also keep track of equipment and dates and such, won't that make it something completely different?
Not to mention that sounds also a pretty complex system to have to try and implement if it has to keep track and recognize all items in the game that can be equipped ...

Date sorting you can pretty much do by just right clicking the map and sort by date anyway.

I like making screenies, but I dunno about this, if it's easy to implement then sure, but if it would take a lot of time and resources I'd rather it is spent on other areas of the game.

 

[spiralofhope]

I mean, it's just an image file, making it so it would also keep track of equipment and dates and such, won't that make it something completely different?

I was talking about using text files for meta information.

There are meta data fields within image formats though, now that you mention it. I'd rather not use that though, so things are easier to process for amateur scripters.

Not to mention that sounds also a pretty complex system to have to try and implement if it has to keep track and recognize all items in the game that can be equipped ...

The game already keeps track of what you have worn, etc. Everything I suggested is information your client knows about your character, etc.

Date sorting you can pretty much do by just right clicking the map and sort by date anyway.

Right-clicking a map? I don't understand. There are image files on your disk drive. Sorting can only be done by having sensible file names.

I like making screenies, but I dunno about this, if it's easy to implement then sure, but if it would take a lot of time and resources I'd rather it is spent on other areas of the game.

Some of it is trivial, like proper file names. The rest would definitely take time and wouldn't be worth using developer resources unless they're easy or valuable enough to pursue.

Some of it is easy, and some of it would be worth doing because it would encourage screenshots and make it easy to curate.

 

[Degiance]

I was thinking the other day if Em-8er could have this survailance drone kinda mechanic if you press the screenshot button down for few seconds? (I don't mean it should be implemented right off the bat, but maybe like way later)
This tiny drone floating about you can controll and take a selfie with frame options with plausible record mode aswell for skimming around or gliding or what ever ^^ (Was mostly thinking it would be kinda neat if there would be a player profile where you could record a short clip of yourself with in the game connected to plausible RP functions)

 

[Torgue_Joey]

I was thinking the other day if Em-8er could have this survailance drone kinda mechanic if you press the screenshot button down for few seconds? (I don't mean it should be implemented right off the bat, but maybe like way later)
This tiny drone floating about you can controll and take a selfie with frame options with plausible record mode aswell for skimming around or gliding or what ever ^^ (Was mostly thinking it would be kinda neat if there would be a player profile where you could record a short clip of yourself with in the game connected to plausible RP functions)

LIKE IN GTA 5?
I'M ABOUT TO SLAUGHTER A BUNCH OF RABBITS. BUT FIRST. A SELFIE.

 

[Degiance]

I was more thinking of a UAV drone type of thing with selfie functionality, you could set to follow and snap screens of you turning kills or when you use a ability or record you while doing random shenaningans like slaughtering them rabbits.
So you could do like a intro about yourself in some biography type of way like you used to see with wrestlers. ( Just a minor ridiculous idea.. )