And More: It's Not Just You™ - Windows Desktop Icons Sometimes Loading Small Versions Of Themselves For No Reason At All

[Windows Related] Although not really anything 'new' - this is something I have been experiencing off and on in Windows for years now - I wanted to mention something here (just in case it might help others too) that today is, for some strange reason, the first time I am submitting Windows Feedback on an aging issue: where the Desktop Icon images sometimes (for unknown reasons) load as wee-little versions of themselves - intermittently showing smaller images of the 'normally-256x256-or-higher' resolution images - and if you are experiencing this too, It's Not Just You™...

For the last few versions of Windows, I have been seeing, at random times, Desktop Icons loading - not their nice, large representations of their games, both alluring and alluding to the fun to be had in the games 'behind-the-mask' - but loading wee-little teeny-tiny versions of themselves, squishing the pixels in merciless transgression, giving my normally-full-of-icons Desktop scattered pimples of picturesque perturbation. One example of one of these perpetrators, is below:

As you can see, the [lower] Warhammer 40k Icon I created/assigned, has loaded 'full size' (Windows Large Preset Size), whereas the Vindictus Icon [on top] has loaded a 'smaller size' of its' normally larger self today - for no stated reason at all. No message, no little exclamation mark on the corner of the image, to indicate "something went wrong", leading me to troubleshoot what might be the issue. Indeed, I can do nothing, but try to ignore my pimple-popping urge to fix these intermittent occurrences to my Desktop (temporarily, by replacing the Icon image with something else - the only repeatable 'workaround' I have come across so far).

And so, after many years of finger-in-the-dam work on bypassing this little problem [pun not intended], I have finally mentioned it to Microsoft, via their Official Windows Feedback Hub, found in Windows 10...

The Official Windows Feedback Hub personally thanking me for submitting my feedback about icons loading smaller sizes of themselves, randomly, for no reason whatsoever other than to make me notice that game that I haven't played in years but still have installed, taking up space on my drives, which is already at a premium due to my screenshot and clip hoarding tendencies

As many of you already know, MS has been trying very hard to really listen to Users these last few generations of Windows, implementing Suggestions and continually collecting Feedback on a myriad of topics that have to do with Windows, from how it operates, to how it simply looks. Today, I finally got around to telling them about this little virtual thorn of mine. Perhaps someday, they will find out why this happens randomly [to different icons each time!] and I may one day feel relief in my virtual lion's paw... Good Luck, Microsoft - I think you'll need it; and if you, dear reader, are experiencing this too, remember - It's Not Just You™...




Addendum:
Just a quick note that I have been creating/editing my own Windows Desktop Shortcut Icons for some time now, from multi-layered compositions (with added sun flare!) to simple crops from game boxes or ads (like the one shown above, for Warhammer) - someday, I plan on sharing these Icons with you, my dear readers, here at The Blog. I have no idea when, but it's safe to say that I will be able to collect them up, polish them down and pack them in a Zipped-up File and share them sometime around 2025... Soon™

First Impressions - Google Play App: "Screen Recorder" by Kimcy929 [App Mini-Review]

This article has been initially posted as Text-Only at this time, to speed up publishing, focusing on a certain issue. I will return to this posting and add more data on Quality and Performance, Screenshots and then eventually Share it on Twitter/Google+/etc... Soon™

[This past Christmas, my father gave me a neat little tablet to play on - Thanks, Dad! I have been enjoying the heck out of it, learning what it does (cough how to use a tablet cough), what applications it can run (I can write a Blog Post laying down!) and of course, what games I can play on it, heh. I hope to give some Tutorials/Walkthroughs and Reviews on Games and Apps from it sometime... Oh wait, here's one now! haha]

The Google Store page for the app, with the 'Play' button removed [I felt it was a bit distracting, making people think there might be a 'video to play' here at The Blog], replaced with The Blog's 'G' brevity logo version.
The Google Play logo in the upper-left will be used to denote images that come 'directly' from the Google Play website/page for the app for these types of App Reviews/Posts (Unedited other than logos or helpful arrows/etc added).

Google Play App - Screen Recorder by Kimcy929

Straight to it: while this app did in fact ‘record the screen’, it could not record the game sounds themselves ('internal' gameplay audio), it only recorded microphone sounds ('external' audio outside the device). While this is useful for some, especially Vloggers, I was personally looking for a screen recorder for my tablet that recorded gameplay and the audio from the game, for Tutorials, Walkthroughs, etc.**

Also, an issue arose where ANY video I viewed after installing this app (even videos I had on my device BEFORE installing it) only came up as a black screen, with the message:

“...Video Is Playing On External Display...”

Now, I had not enabled any such option, nor did I connect any External Displays...

I did some research online and found many people running into this issue with various apps and devices (tablets, phones, etc). Looking at the App configuration in the Settings of my tablet for Screen Recorder, I found this app giving itself the ability to ‘draw over other apps’ (which it can do to create on-screen writing, or arrows, which it advertises that it can do on the Google Play Store page for the app).

This is fine and these features are no doubt useful; however, I could no longer view any videos with the built-in Video Player ("complete action using > Video") - I literally could no longer view any videos I had on my device, at all. [Even with third-party Media Players, such as VLC Media Player, simply viewing any videos was now 'broken'...]

Video playing of the Video portion of Videos on the Video Player that
plays Videos was like, really broken now

Even after disabling this option that it gave itself without prior warning (found in Settings > Apps > ScreenRecorder > DrawOverOtherApps), all videos still came up with just a black screen and that message - that is, just Disabling the Setting did not 'undo' the inability to no longer watch videos in the Video Player. Disabling this setting, then Uninstalling this app, then Restarting the Tablet, fixed the issue [in my case, the only way it was fixed].

While this app does record the screen, allows for microphone use, doesn't seem to affect gameplay performance very much, and seems to have a decent selection of Resolutions and Bitrates (eg. 1280x720, 8000kbps), also having some additional helpful things like drawing arrows on the screen, etc; it does not record 'built-in' gameplay audio - which I personally was looking for** - and it gave itself a power which interfered with normal tablet video viewing afterward... Not only that, but it only recorded a few videos before no longer working, with a message just repeatedly showing up stating, "Unfortunately, Screen Recorder has stopped".

No changing of Settings (of my tablet or the app itself) was able to remedy this or get past it [the message coming up and no video being recorded]. Reinstalling the app made it work again, but after a few recordings, only that message repeating on the screen was the result, once again. Therefore, considering all of the above [but including the fact that the app must have worked for other people, that is, those not running into this 'Screen Recorder has stopped' message problem], this app earned Three Stars at Google Play from me, as of the time of this writing.

Being 'completely free' (No Fee and No Ads), and having a nice selection of 'standards' like Resolution and Bitrate choices, and having 'extras' like being able to draw on the screen; perhaps with some improvements to bugfixing, enhancements to how it handles itself (asking/warning what would happen before utilizing the “Draw Over Other Apps” ability would be helpful to users that might run into a problem with it) and adding the ability to record internal gameplay audio**, Screen Recorder could potentially be a very capable and 'feature-rich' screen recording application.

3/5 Stars

★★★☆☆

This app (and a shortened version of the above Review by The Blog (to fit on Google Play's Review area)) can be found on Google Play, at:

Screen Recorder by Kimcy929
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kimcy929.screenrecorder



[Note: I am not affiliated with Screen Recorder or Kimcy929 in any way, and I have not and will not be compensated by them for writing about them here. I am merely a user of their application and like to help others with helpful information, when I can. The information in this post was obtained on an LG G Pad IV, and therefore might vary slightly from your own experience (Settings, Menus, Performance, Problems, etc) - but I hope that it was still found useful in some way.]

...

** More on this later... I have recently found out that Google has taken away the ability [temporarily?] to record game output AND game audio at the same time ("internal audio") in the latest Android versions - save for a small number of possibilities on LG and Samsung devices. But, I'll cover this at a later time, when I find out more solid details...

"Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From?", The Game Tips And More Blog's Game Screenshot Identification Contest, Solidifies Again Today! [Updated 2018-03-31 with Answer Image]

Well, it's Mid-Month, friends - and that means it's time once again for something I reconstituted-from-scratch just this year - The Game Tips And More Blog's 'New-ish-sorta-but-only-kinda' Contest:

"Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From?"

(A Game Screenshot Identification Contest)

Having its' Sixth Edition this very day - March 15th, 2018!

All you have to do to win this contest, is contact me in any way you can (eg. Comment on this article
below, Twitter profile tweet, email me or Comment/PrivateMessage TheBlog's Steam Account by the end of the month, with these two items within your message:

1. Your guess for the game the image is from.

2. Information on how to contact you back (to receive Steam game gifts, etc) if you win.

That's it!

[Just a quick note to be careful not to include any information you do not wish to share 'publicly' when posting in the Comments area below or at Steam or sending a Twitter profile Tweet, as these messages are seen by 'everyone']

The first correct answer submitted by a Skillful Identifier/Gamer will receive this month's contest prize - which is: a gifted game from the Steam online store!

[Note: Although I have been collecting Games on Steam over the past few Years, during Steam Sales,

due to how Steam has changed Gifting games through Steam recently; you will have to temporarily become a Friend
of TheBlog's Steam Account (to receive the game - after receiving your Gifted Game, you may Unfriend of course)]

Winners will also be announced in bold, large lettered-text, here on this very posting and will thereby be immortalized on The Intertubes in perpetuity, proving to all other comers that you were "The Ultimate Game Screenshot Guesser Thingy Person" [aka. Gamer]!

...

Previous Editions of this Contest [to 'see how it works'] can be found at TheBlog, here:

Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #1
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #2
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #3
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #4
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #5

...

Are you ready? Here then, is the Screenshot image for this month, below:

[As you can see, the image is a portion of a full screen capture - and while it isn't super easy, as it is just a small part of the screen - the image used for the contest will never be 'too' obscure or small (for example, it will never be 'just the end of a wooden log' or anything like that). The Image utilized is also always presented here Unedited (other than Cropping and Logos added), if that helps at all]



After a week has gone by, if there is no correct guess as to what game the Screenshot is from, I will return here and put up a 'Hint' image - a larger portion of the Screenshot - to assist in Game Recognition-ness-ism...


Good Luck, Gamers!

...

Update!

A week has gone by and there have been no correct guesses received yet... So, here is a HINT image; (an enlarged area portion of the CONTEST image for this month's Contest)! Ready?

Here is the HINT image (with enlarged portion revealed), below:

[Click the Image to see it at a slightly-larger Full Size - and as you can see, the image is still a portion of the full screen capture; but don't worry - the image used for the contest will never be 'too' obscure or small (for example, it will never be 'just the end of a wooden log' or anything like that). Also, the Screenshot utilized is always presented as Unedited (other than Cropping and Logos added), if that helps at all]

At the end of the Month, if noone has guessed correctly by then, I will return here and reveal the full Mystery Screenshot and the Game it was from - Good Luck, Gamers!

...

Update!

It is the end of the Month and there have been no correct submissions! Aww....

To end The Mystery, here is the answer for this Sixth Edition of
'Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From' (2018-03):

The Answer for this month's Contest was - Batman: Arkham City!
[Captured in June of 2016, this Screenshot was taken when I was playing either with an AMD 280 Series GPU, or an NVIDIA GTX 560, at the time**. The 280 was the 'upgrade' Xmas Gift from the GTX560, which served me faithfully for many years. IIRC, the GPU was paired with an AMD FX-4100, which overall gave me solid mid-range performance, able to run all games at Higher Than Medium But Not Highest Settings]
Click to see Full Size

[Editor's Message: Sorry I was a couple of days late with the Answer Image, friends. I was thinking 'the end of the month', instead of 'two weeks from the 15th' and it did not match up this month. I apologize for the discrepancy/wait/suspense.]

Come back next 15th-of-the-month friends, when you can have another chance to be a Digital Screenshot Sleuth in the Seventh Edition of 'Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From' - with a chance to win the Prize that is carried over to next time: a gifted game from the Steam Online Store!

See You In The Games!

[**Note (this is the same message for all Contest footnotes): I am not affiliated in any way or degree with NVIDIA or AMD, and I have not and will not receive any compensation of any kind, for mentioning them here. I am merely an enthusiastic user of both companies' products. I have utilized both and will continue to use both in the future ((on a personal note, I find I usually am 'stairstepping' with their GPUs, purchasing from one manufacturer, then the next 'upgrade' purchasing from the other. I always Suggest to people who Ask; to get whichever has Features you like - and only what you can afford at the time (but check Reviews and Benchmarks as much as you can and get the 'fastest' you can afford at the time) - it will be outdated in 3 years or so anyway - so; Enjoy what you have and be Thankful because there are always people who have less!))]

(The Game Tips And More Blog Contest Game #2018-03)

It's Not Just You™ - Paladins (Beta), Having Issues Not Starting or Not Running In 64-bit Mode, Battlegrounds [Notification, Updated As Encountered]

[Currently, this post is mostly in Text-Only Mode, to speed up the ability to publish it... 

I may return to add some Images and/or Screenshots in the future.

This post will be Updated for the next few days, as I encounter new related information.]

If you are trying to play the newest addition to Paladins, Battlegrounds, which is being released in Alpha Testing Stage in their Latest Update - and you are having issues with either (1) the game not launching/starting or (2) the game running in 32-bit mode [which stops you from being able to enter the Battlegrounds, which requires 64-bit mode] - just letting you know, It's Not Just You™...

For the past little while, I have been trying to get into Paladins and try out this new Game Mode, and take a look at any new changes; but I have been running into multiple issues with the game itself. If related Paladins Forums 'everywhere' (Steam, Reddit, Official Forums, etc) are any indication, many, many others are having issues as well.

I wanted to take a moment to make this posting because, even though it seems there are a few people that have 'gotten it running', there are many others, like me, that have not. I wanted to share this experience and related information, so that others may know that, well... It's Not Just Them.

Since I have run into multiple issues and have tries multiple steps so far, I will share them here in Point Form as a list:


Issues Seen/Encountered:

• Game not starting [Launcher will start, but game itself will not show up]
• Game not stopping [Game will not Terminate, Steam says it is Running still, but it is not, or has not started]
• Game not running in 64-bit mode [Game starts in 32-bit Mode and therefore The Battlegrounds can not be tested/run, as it states in-game "64-bit Mode Required"]
• Cannot Verify Integrity Of Game Files, via Steam [Steam states to 'exit any game files or tools' related to the game, but none are running]

Steps Taken/Tried:

• Put "-Use64" [without quotes] into Optional Game Command Line Parameters (Options/Commands) in Launcher
• Put "-dx11" [without quotes] into Optional Game Command Line Parameters (Options/Commands) in Launcher
• Checked "Use 64 bit Client" in Launcher Options [this has never been 'unchecked' by me]
• Verified Cache ['double-checked' the game files through Steam, to see if they are what they are supposed to be]

Unfortunately, since I cannot make the game 'run in 64-bit Mode and enter The Battlegrounds' in a repeated a reliable manner - I cannot make a section containing a 'Fix' at this time... I will continue to observe various Forums and Support Responses, try various Suggested Steps (from the Developers and other helpful Paladin Players (there are a lot of them out there!)), and see if I can make any progress that results in stable and repeatable game launching and gameplay. If I do, I will return here and add it as a 'Fix' section. 

For now, despite them not working for me/on my system, there are a few isolated people that have had success with some of the Steps listed. If you are experiencing any of these issues with Paladins at this time, try some or all of them above. Perhaps one of them will work for you, too. 

Good Luck with it - and try to stay positive, remembering - It's Not Just You™!

"Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From?", The Game Tips And More Blog's Game Screenshot Identification Contest, Re-Happens Again Today! [Updated 2018-03-02 with Answer Image]

It's the 15th of the month - and it is time for something that I re-re-started up, just last Month - The Next Installment of The Game Tips And More Blog's 'New-ish-sorta-but-not-really' Contest:

"Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From?"

(A Game Screenshot Identification Contest)

Having its' Fifth Edition now, today - February 15th, 2018!

All you have to do to win this contest, is contact me in any way you can (eg. Comment on this article
below, Twitter profile tweet, email me or Comment/PrivateMessage TheBlog's Steam Account by the end of the month, with these two items within your message:

1. Your guess for the game the image is from.

2. Information on how to contact you back (to receive Steam game gifts, etc) if you win.

That's it!

**[Just a quick note to be careful not to include any information you do not wish to share 'publicly' when posting in the Comments area below or at Steam or sending a Twitter profile Tweet, as these messages are seen by 'everyone']

The first correct answer submitted by a Skillful Identifier/Gamer will receive this month's contest prize - which is: a gifted game from the Steam online store!

[Note: Although I have been collecting Games on Steam over the past few Years, during Steam Sales,

due to how Steam has changed Gifting games through Steam recently, you will have to temporarily become a Friend
of TheBlog's Steam Account (to receive the game - after receiving your Gifted Game, you may Unfriend of course)]

Winners will also be announced in bold, large lettered-text, here on this posting and will thereby be immortalized on The Intertubes in perpetuity, proving to all other comers that you were "The Ultimate Game Screenshot Guesser Thingy Person" [aka. Gamer]!

...

Previous Editions of this Contest [to 'see how it works'] can be found at TheBlog, here:

Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #1
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #2
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #3
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #4

...

Are you ready? Here then, is the Screenshot image for this month, below:

[As you can see, the image is a portion of a full screen capture; but don't worry - the image used for the contest will never be 'too' obscure or small (for example, it will never be 'just the end of a wooden log' or anything like that)]

After a week has gone by, if there is no correct guess as to what game the Screenshot is from, I will return here and put up a 'Hint' image - a larger portion of the Screenshot - to assist in Game Recognition-ing-ism...

...

Update!

A week has gone by and there have been no correct guesses received yet... So, here is a HINT image; (an enlarged area portion of the already-slightly-larger-than-normal CONTEST Screenshot for this month's Contest)! Ready?

Here is the HINT image (with enlarged portion revealed), below:

[Click the Image to see it at a slightly-larger Full Size - and as you can see, the image is still a portion of the full screen capture; but don't worry - the image used for the contest will never be 'too' obscure or small (for example, it will never be 'just the end of a wooden log' or anything like that)]

At the end of the Month, if noone has guessed correctly by then, I will return here and reveal the full Mystery Screenshot and the Game it was from - Good Luck, Gamers!

...

Update!

It has been two weeks since the Contest began and there have been no correct submissions! Aww....

To end The Mystery, here is the answer for February's edition of
'Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From' (2018-02):

The Answer for this month's Contest was: Just Cause 2!
[Captured in 2014, this Screenshot I took was back when I was playing games at 1600x900 - which is a 'sweet spot' I personally recommend [by my own testing] for Mid-Range GPUs (VideoCards). This was JC2 being played with a GTS 250, the 'Black Knight Edition' from ASUS which I paired at the time with an AMD X2 245, iirc**. Wow, I have been planning this identification game a long time - never getting around to it for a while of course - haha]
Click to see Full Size

Come back next 15th-of-the-month friends, when you can have another chance to be a Digital Screenshot Sleuth in the Sixth Edition of 'Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From' - and a chance to win the Prize that will be carried over to next time: a gifted game from the Steam online store!

See You In The Games!

[**Note: I am not affiliated in any way or degree with NVIDIA or AMD, and I have not and will not receive any compensation of any kind, for mentioning them here. I am merely an enthusiastic user of both companies' products. I have utilized both and will continue to use both in the future ((on a personal note, I find I usually am 'stairstepping' with their GPUs, purchasing from one manufacturer, then the next 'upgrade' purchasing from the other, heh. I always Suggest to people who ask; to get whichever has Features you like - and only what you can afford at the time - it will be outdated in 3 years or so anyway; Enjoy what you have and be thankful because there are always people who have less!))]

(The Game Tips And More Blog Contest Game #2018-02)

The Elder Scrolls Online - "PatchManifestError" In TESO Launcher [Workaround]

[Text-Only - This post is initially Text-Only, to allow posting this as fast as possible, to help others.
I may return and add additional graphics/screenshots pertaining to the article... Soon™]

Just now, I ran into an issue starting up TESO, where the Launcher gave an error message - oddly, it was slightly different than the message my Gamer Wife beside me got - one of us got "Error 210" while the other got "Error 206". Here is an example of what the Error Message within the TESO Client Launcher looks like:

Popping into the Steam forum and the Official Bethesda/Zenimax Forum for the game, I saw a number of people mentioning they are getting this too, just today, like me. So, I wanted to come here and post a 'quick fix' that can get past the error message and allow fellow gamers, like me, to be able to play the game as quickly as right now, tonight [actually it's more of a 'workaround' than a true 'fix', as it doesn't solve whatever issue is happening with the Launcher/Client/Servers... I will post this as a "Workaround"].

Similar to an earlier issue with the TESO Launcher I talked about here at The Blog, the 'workaround' involves bypassing the Launcher itself and starting up the game manually via the Executable files... The instructions to do this are below.


For the Steam Version of TESO:

• Open Steam
• Right-Click on TESO in the Library and choose Properties
• Click on the "Local Files" tab
• Click on the "Browse Local Files" button to show the directory/folder of the game
• Navigate into THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE > GAME > CLIENT folder
• Double-Click on "eso64.exe" to launch the game (or "eso.exe" if running 32-bit Windows/Game

For the Standalone Version of TESO:

• Right-Click on the Shortcut (the icon that runs the game) on the Desktop (or in the Start Menu) for TESO and choose Properties
• Click on the "Open File Location" button in the Properties of the game shortcut
• You should find yourself in a Windows Explorer windows, looking at the "Launcher" folder of Zenimax Online
• Go up one folder level to "Zenimax Online" (click on the Zenimax Online folder in Explorer)
• Navigate into THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE > GAME > CLIENT folder
• Double-Click on "eso64.exe" to launch the game (or "eso.exe" if running 32-bit Windows/Game)

That's it! Now the game should start up and you will just have to Login within the game itself.

Unfortunately, I do not know what has caused this error, and I have not seen any Official Postings by Bethesda/Zenimax to explain it, as of the time of this writing. Although it appears to be some sort of Server/Launcher error, I cannot say specifically at this time. However, having testing this Workaround on different machines and with both the Steam Version of TESO and the Standalone/Web version of TESO, I can safely say that this should work for you, fellow gamer.

Hopefully that helps - and See You In The Game!

"Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From?", The Game Tips And More Blog's Game Screenshot Identification Contest, Re-Starts Again Today! [Updated 2018-02-01 - Answer Image]

It's the 15th of the month - and it is time for something that I want to start up again (and not only because I have over 50,000 Screenshots burning a hole in my pocket, but mostly that) - something that I had going for a short time, three long years ago...

The Next Installment of The Game Tips And More Blog's 'New-ish-sorta-but-not-really' Contest:

"Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From?"

(A Game Screenshot Identification Contest)

Having a 'grand re-opening' once again today - January 15th, 2018!

All you have to do to win this contest, is contact me in any way you can (eg. Comment on this article
below, Twitter profile tweet, email me or Comment/PrivateMessage TheBlog's Steam Account by the end of the month, with these two items within your message:

1. Your guess for the game the image is from.

2. Information on how to contact you back (to receive Steam game gifts, etc) if you win.

That's it!

**[Just a quick note to be careful not to include any information you do not wish to share 'publicly' when posting in the Comments area below or at Steam or sending a Twitter profile Tweet, as these messages are seen by 'everyone']

Correct answers submitted by the end of the month (beginning at the time of this posting) will be chosen from randomly, where one Skillful Identifier will receive this month's contest prize - which is: a gifted game from the Steam online store!

[Note: Although I have been collecting Games on Steam over the past few Years, during Steam Sales,

due to how Steam has changed Gifting games through Steam recently, you will have to temporarily become a Friend
of TheBlog's Steam Account (to receive the game - after receiving your Gifted Game, you may Unfriend of course)]

Winners will also be announced in bold, large lettered-text, here on this posting and will thereby be immortalized on The Intertubes in perpetuity, proving to all other comers that you were "The Ultimate Game Screenshot Guesser Thingy Person" [aka. Gamer]!

...

Previous Editions of this Contest [to 'see how it works'] can be found at TheBlog, here:

Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #1
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #2
Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From - Contest #3

...

Are you ready? Here then, is the Screenshot image for this month, below:

[As you can see, the image is a portion of a full screen capture; but don't worry - the image used for the contest will never be 'too' obscure or small (for example, it will never be 'just the end of a wooden log' or anything like that)]

...

Update!

A week has gone by and there have been no correct guesses received yet... So, here is a HINT image; (an enlarged area portion of the Screenshot for this month's Contest)! Ready?

Here is the HINT image (with enlarged portion revealed), below:

[Click the Image to see it at a slightly-larger Full Size - and as you can see, the image is a larger portion of the full screen capture; but don't worry - the image used for the contest will never be 'too' obscure or small (for example, it will never be 'just the end of a wooden log' or anything like that)]


At the end of the Month, if noone has guessed correctly by then, I will return here and reveal the full Mystery Screenshot and the Game it was from - Good Luck, Gamers!

...

Update!

It has been two weeks since the Contest began and there have been no correct submissions! Aww....

To end The Mystery, here is the answer for this month's edition of
'Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From' (2018-01):

The Answer for this month's Contest could have been: "Marvel Heroes" or "Marvel Heroes Omega" or "Marvel Heros" or "I can't believe they cancelled this great game that I only just recently discovered existed especially with all the future Marvel movies coming out what happened this timeline sucks". Click to see Full Size

Come back next 15th-of-the-month friends, when you can have another chance to be a Digital Screenshot Sleuth in the Fifth Edition of 'Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From' - and a chance to win the Prize that will be carried over to next time: a gifted game from the Steam online store!

See You In The Games!

(The Game Tips And More Blog Contest Game #2018-01)

Merry Christmas - And Happy New Year, from The Game Tips And More Blog [Wallpaper Greetings]

I just wanted to take a moment to say, no matter what you are celebrating at this time of year (or not), no matter what games you are playing (or not), no matter what you believe or who you are (or aren't), I want to wish you, my dear reader, a heartfelt Merry Christmas and All The Best in the New Year.

To celebrate at this time, I want to share a Desktop Wallpaper I threw together, captured in Planet Coaster, after taking some time to festively decorate King Coaster's 'Festive Funlands' Park (Gingerbread Night Scene with added Lights, Decorations and Greetings). Take care all - and See You In The New Year!

Sincerely,

Troy from The Game Tips And More Blog


~ P.S.
Don't forget to check out some Game Sales going on all over (Steam, Origin, Good Old Games (GOG), HumbleBundle, and more - even local stores/retailers - have fun out there)!

It's Not Just You™ - HumbleBundle 'Vegas Pro, Discover Creative Freedom' Installer/Registration Not Working [Notification]

For the next two weeks (13 Days, according to the Countdown at the HumbleBundle Website, starting today) there is a fantastic offer for Video Editors, Music Composers, Web Developers and more - over $900 worth of Software, including Sony's Vegas Pro [the Vegas Editing Product Line was bought out by MAGIX, a German software company that has produced it's own editing software for years, popular for their "Music Maker" and "Movie Edit Pro" lines]. So what's the issue? Well, this Bundle is so darn popular, many parts of it aren't working/responding, at this time. For example, if you run into the Installer 'starting but just closing/crashing' or the store or program 'not registering' or the 'website is down'... just letting you know... It's Not Just You™

Part of the reason why this Bundle is so popular (although many HumbleBundles are quite popular at different times), is because one of the main pieces of Software offered is Vegas Pro Edit, originally by Sony. This video editing software is a Premium Version ("high end") of this program, normally being sold at around $400. Along with other great products, such as Magix Music Maker, Xara's Photo and Graphic Designer, Xara's Web Designer, Photo Story Deluxe and more - it's easy to see why this Bundle is so popular, for all kinds of content creators and producers. Indeed, if you are into (or trying to get into) making music, editing video, or web design, at all; I highly recommend picking up this fantastic bundle of software, if you can. The link/URL to the HumbleBundle directly, is here:

https://www.humblebundle.com/software/vegas-pro-creative-freedom

For those unfamiliar with HumbleBundle, it is a retail site that offers a mix of software, books and games, connected to and donating a portion to, a customer's chosen Charity. For example, my account is connected to Extra Life, the 'Gaming Marathon' Fund Raising charity that I try to play for every November, on behalf of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Because I attached this Charity to my Account, any purchases I make will contribute a portion to my charity. One of the greatest things about HumbleBundle however, is that the products - although one is not able to choose which products to buy specifically - are usually offered in 'portions' or 'packs' for any amount that you can afford to pay (as low as $1 up to whatever you can pay for the software company/charity/etc); and the more you can pay/donate, the more software/books/games/etc you will get. Since 2010, these 'Pay What You Want' Bundles (for Windows, Mac and Linux) have become quite popular over time.

The issue that has arisen this time then, is that the Bundle is so popular, that the server for the Installer has become Unresponsive ("not working"). Even the Website for the Retail/Vendor/Developer itself has become Unresponsive, giving this Error Message [to me] seen below (from Chrome):

As also sometimes happens with the most popular HumbleBundles, some people are experiencing very slow Downloading of their purchased products (as in 256kBps or less). Others are experiencing the Installer for the products stops functioning. This is what I personally am experiencing too (the Installer seems to startup, but then 'crashes' (or at least disappears) and is unable to continue. After one random attempt, I got a message stating that the Installer actually tried to Download the Installation Files but could not properly communicate with their servers. The message that came up [for me] can be seen below:

Trying another time later on, I did see the Installer for the 'MAGIX Music Maker 80's Version' pop up and start Downloading, which was nice to see; however the overall download speed was pretty slow [understandably] at about 300kBps.

If I may make a Suggestion then - if you are running into any of the issues above, at this time: my suggestion would be, to definitely pick up the Bundle if you can [Note: You have to purchase the Bundle for at least $20 to get Vegas Pro] - then wait a while before you attempt to install anything. According to the MAGIX website, you can access your purchase (to install it) anytime after buying it, from now until September 2018 [Note: A free Magix account must be created if you do not already have one]. So, there is no rush, once you purchase it, to get the Installation Files from MAGIX. I also recommend backing up your Installation Files, once Downloaded, onto a USB drive, External Drive or even Optical Disc - anything that can back up your purchase for future re-installation, if needed (at least, until you buy a newer version of any applications you like..).

By the way, a quick note about Vegas Pro 'Edit Version' (about a 450MB download) - for those wondering about the difference between the Vegas Movie Studio versions and the Vegas Pro versions (and what the 'Edit' identifier means), here is a short summary of the differences:

• the Movie Studio versions of the editor are an easier-to-use, scaled-down version of the Vegas editor, with still many features, allowing up to 200 Tracks of Events (clips/media) - increased from 20 Tracks recently! It just lacks many of the advanced features of the Pro versions (such as the  'NewBlueFX Titler' [professional version], Bézier Tool Masking ("any shape"), et.al). The Movie Studio version comparisons can be found here:
  
  http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-movie-studio/product-comparison/#productMenu
  
• the Vegas Pro 'Edit version' of the editor costs less than the other Pro(fessional) versions, as it is missing the DVD/Blu-Ray authoring package, as well as some advanced filters and creation utilities (such as the Boris FX media generators, et.al) - it is still a 'full featured' Professional-level Video Editing program however, allowing Unlimited Tracks, full 4K Support, Bézier Tool Masking ("any shape"), includes the 'NewBlueFX Titler' [professional version] and much, much more. The Pro version comparisons can be found here:
  
  http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/product-comparison/#productMenu

[Note that the links above will show the most recent versions of the programs, but the comparisons themselves (the effects and capabilities of each) will remain similar, despite the edition versions changing over time]

Here is a capture of the Vegas Pro 'Edit version' comparison, for the 14th edition [CAD prices, sorry]:

Although the Vegas line of editing products have always had a bit of a learning curve due to their more advanced capabilities (Sony used to give out a DVD with some introductory courses for it; I am privileged to say I have one of these), MAGIX has created a few tutorials of their own, which can be found at the MAGIX Vegas Pro Tutorials website, here:

http://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/online-tutorials/

So, try not to let it bother you 'too much', if you have run into any of these issues (downloading, installing, registering, etc). Just wait a little while longer and try doing it again, in the near future. For now, don't worry - It's Not Just You™...

Good Luck with it - and Have Fun!

[Note: I am not affiliated with Sony, MAGIX or HumbleBundle in any way, and I will not receive any compensation for mentioning them here - I am merely an enthusiastic user of their products and wanted to share what I felt was helpful information/notification. I have used other video editing programs in the past (such as PowerDirector, Nero Vision and Windows Movie Maker and some free video editors, such as Avidemux, DVD Soft's FreeVideoEditor and VirtualDub) and will still use them when desired in the future]

Addendum:

During the time it took for me to compile this posting, I was able to try again and began Downloading then eventually Installing Vegas Pro [Edit version] - and it is going smoothly still - however, Downloading of the various applications in the Bundle are still quite slow. 

If you do not mind that, dear reader, go ahead and try again now; otherwise, as in my Suggestion, perhaps wait a while (as in days) before attempting to have a fast/smooth installation of these popular applications.