[Black Wolf]

At present, the screenshots section of the FS Community page on Steam doesn't really show off the best that FSO can do. I think we should change that.

First of all, we need to get FSO screenshots onto Steam. If you have bought FS through Steam, and set up FSO to run through the client, this can be done in two ways.

Obviously, the first way is to get awesome, original FSO screenshots directly through Steam. Remember that you need to use the F12 button rather than the normal PrintScreen button - both will get you Screenies, but Steam only recognizes screenshots captured with F12.

The other option is somewhat quicker, so might be a better choice to get this ball rolling. First, run the game via Steam, and take some dummy screenshots using the F12 button. Once the shots are taken, go into your Steam directory, and search for *.jpg in the "userdata" subfolder to find the dummy screernshots and their associated thumbnails. Once you've done so, open up the screenshots in an image editor and replace them with shots from the wiki or other sources, checking to make sure we aren't doubling up any that have already been uploaded. Change both the thumbnail and the original screen for ease of viewing later, then save them with the original filename.

Once that's done, you can go into Steam, caption them (Mentioning FS Open, of course) and upload them as normal. Remember to assign the source in the caption ( unless you're uploading your own screenshots - I just used "Source: FSWiki" rather than looking for the original authors), and mention it if any mods are obviously represented.

I've started the process by uploading five shots from the wiki, and we should upload lots more, but that's only half the job done.

If you have NOT bought FS through Steam, but have a Steam account, you can help with the second half. Steam ranks its screenshots according to the number of Thumbs up they gat. You can help by going to the FS Community Hub, checking the screenshots and clicking "Thumbs Up" on as many FSO Glory shots as you can, particularly those where the differences between it and retail FS are best demonstrated. For example, shots like this are fine, and obviously taken using FSO due to the widescreen HUD and 3d radar, but it doesn;t really show off the graphical improvements that the SCP has made possible the same way that a shot like this does.

This way, we can make sure that our best, most impressive shots are the first ones people see when they check the FS screenshots section. This'll have two advantages - first, it'll help advertise the game to prospective buyers, increasing our potential userbase and second, assuming Steam eventually get the issues with the retail game not running sorted, it'll provide extra impetus for people to hunt down FSO when they realize their game doesn't look half as good as the screenies promised.

[niffiwan]

Haha, ok then, I've run through and "thumbs up'd" all the FS2_Open screenies I could find

[jr2]

To get Steam to launch FSO directly, you just change the FSO filenames for the launcher and exe to FreeSpace2.exe and FS2.exe right? Or would that not work with Steam's screenshots? Can someone try?

[Black Wolf]

Install RC3 and the Media VPs into the FS2 folder that Steam creates, then point wxLauncher to it and run it once to generate the ini file. Then change the filename of RC3 to freespace2.exe. It should work fine, and record the time you play and stuff.

[General Battuta]

Upload the very best from the wiki! Write vote bots! Stuff the ballot boxes!

[Klaustrophobia]

i'd say mine the screenshot contest threads. 

[tnathan475]

I just picked up FS2 on steam and have a ton a screenshots, I'll get to work this afternoon posting them.

[Arkblade]

To get Steam to launch FSO directly, you just change the FSO filenames for the launcher and exe to FreeSpace2.exe and FS2.exe right? Or would that not work with Steam's screenshots? Can someone try?

you need rename only launcher to "freespace2.exe". don't need rename fs2.exe.
and if you using wxlauncher.

inside wxlauncher's "bin" folder put to steam's freespace2 root and rename the "freespace2.exe".
and resources wxlauncher's "bin" folder put put to steam's freespace2 root.
it will works.

eg)
steam/steamapps/common/freespace 2
l- wxlauncher.exe(rename to freespace2.exe)
l- registry_helper.exe
l- msvcm90.dll
l- msvcp90.dll
l- msvcr90.dll
l- Microsoft.VC90.CRT.manifest
l- resources
    l- (contain files)