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You may have questions about a service provided by VGWS or a problem using one of those services. If so, we hope that this F.A.Q. will help clear up any issues you may be wondering about.
How much do VGWS services cost? Services provided by VGWS are free. We do ask that you place a link to VGWS somewhere on your site in return for using the services, but it's not required. It would be nice though, so that others can find and use our services as well. Back to Top I'm going to have my own counter/clock on my site or start another counter/clock service. Can I use the fonts here for it? As far as VGWS is concerned, you may not, unless you have email permission from both Tempest of Shadows and the designer of the font. Font designers are listed with the font examples displayed on the site. When requesting permission from Tempest of Shadows, you should supply the URL of your site. Also, have the font designer let him know that they have given you permission. There are only a few exceptions to this rule. These are fonts that were either used for something else or made available for public use by their creators prior to appearing on VGWS. The only such known fonts on VGWS site are these: Fonts credited to an "Unknown Japanese Artist" Any fonts referenced as being found on Digit Mania, which has a lot of free fonts you could use. The Pokémon Clock font. Back to Top When will you add counter/clock fonts for (insert name)? Fonts for the GameCounter and GameClock services are added to the site when either a) someone makes a font and sends it in or b) a member of VGWS Staff finds the time and material to make a font. If you'd like to ensure that VGWS has a font for a particular game or series soon, the easiest way is to make a font for that and send it in. The Help section of this site contains some pages with information about making and submitting fonts. Back to Top When I edit my page, my counter/clock doesn't work. Why? Some page editors such as Netscape Composer, MS Frontpage, and other WYSIWYG editors seem to have a tendency to change VGWS counter/clock code on pages when those pages are saved. If you use one of these editors, and your counter/clock does not appear to work, then you should look at the source code of your page and check your counter/clock code. If it's been changed by your editor, you'll have to put the counter/clock code on your page again. This is all the help that we can provide with these types of editors at this time. Back to Top My counter doesn't increase when someone visits my page. What's wrong? When using the Counter Code Generator, did you choose to block reloads? If so, that would cause a counter to not increase if you were one of the last ten people to view that page. If you didn't choose to block reloads, the problem is most likely your web browser. When you view a web page, your browser may store a copy of it and images on it on your computer so that it can reference them more quickly when you view the page again. If the browser does this, then the counter may not appear to increase because the browser shows you the stored copy of the counter. Possible solutions to this problem include emptying your browser's cache. Check your browser's help files for more information. Back to Top When my counter reaches 9, it resets instead of increasing to 10. Why? You are using an older version of a VGWS counter that did not automatically add digit images to your page when needed. The current VGWS counter can do that, so you just need to use the Counter Code Generator to create new counter code. You really should do so, too, because the old version of the counter will be deleted one day. Back to Top Why do my counter/clock images display a yellow "E" and number? The yellow "E" and number are an error message. See the Error Messages page in the Help section for information on individual error messages. Back to Top Can I have my counter and/or stats set to the number on my old counter/stats? Absolutely. The Counter/Statistics Value Editor in the Member's Area is designed for exactly this purpose. You can use that Editor to set your counter and/or stats to any value you desire at any time. Back to Top Why doesn't my counter or clock work in older web browsers? Server upgrades at our web host have removed support for GIF images that was used by the counter and clock script. As a result, the scripts have migrated to the PNG file format, which is not supported by older versions of Netscape and other browsers. This means that the counter or clock images won't display in such browsers don't support the PNG format. The counter will record visits and stats even though the image won't display. The latest versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer both include support for PNG images. We recommend that you upgrade your browser. Back to Top Do submitted counter/clock fonts have to be video game related? Generally, yes. However, I'm very flexible in terms of what "video game related" means. If, for example, you want to submit a font with images from a TV series, movie, anime, etc. and there's been a video game of any kind based on that thing, then that's perfectly acceptable. For another example, if you'd like to submit a font using character sprites of a game you've made (or attempted to make), that's acceptable as well (there's even a font like that in the Phantasy Star section). Back to Top I logged in, and there's a message about my counter not being activated. What's that? After June 20, 2002, users are not automatically added to the portion of the database that contains the data for the GameCounter service. This is done in an effort to keep the size of our database down. But don't worry - all you have to do to activate your counter is use the Counter Code Generator. You'd have to do that to use the counter anyway, so there's no extra work on your end. Members that reigstered before the aforementioned date were added to the portion of the database that contains GameCounter data automatically, so they should not see the activation message.
How much do VGWS services cost?
Services provided by VGWS are free. We do ask that you place a link to VGWS somewhere on your site in return for using the services, but it's not required. It would be nice though, so that others can find and use our services as well.
I'm going to have my own counter/clock on my site or start another counter/clock service. Can I use the fonts here for it?
As far as VGWS is concerned, you may not, unless you have email permission from both Tempest of Shadows and the designer of the font. Font designers are listed with the font examples displayed on the site. When requesting permission from Tempest of Shadows, you should supply the URL of your site. Also, have the font designer let him know that they have given you permission.
There are only a few exceptions to this rule. These are fonts that were either used for something else or made available for public use by their creators prior to appearing on VGWS. The only such known fonts on VGWS site are these:
When will you add counter/clock fonts for (insert name)?
Fonts for the GameCounter and GameClock services are added to the site when either a) someone makes a font and sends it in or b) a member of VGWS Staff finds the time and material to make a font.
If you'd like to ensure that VGWS has a font for a particular game or series soon, the easiest way is to make a font for that and send it in. The Help section of this site contains some pages with information about making and submitting fonts.
When I edit my page, my counter/clock doesn't work. Why?
Some page editors such as Netscape Composer, MS Frontpage, and other WYSIWYG editors seem to have a tendency to change VGWS counter/clock code on pages when those pages are saved. If you use one of these editors, and your counter/clock does not appear to work, then you should look at the source code of your page and check your counter/clock code. If it's been changed by your editor, you'll have to put the counter/clock code on your page again. This is all the help that we can provide with these types of editors at this time.
My counter doesn't increase when someone visits my page. What's wrong?
When using the Counter Code Generator, did you choose to block reloads? If so, that would cause a counter to not increase if you were one of the last ten people to view that page.
If you didn't choose to block reloads, the problem is most likely your web browser. When you view a web page, your browser may store a copy of it and images on it on your computer so that it can reference them more quickly when you view the page again. If the browser does this, then the counter may not appear to increase because the browser shows you the stored copy of the counter.
Possible solutions to this problem include emptying your browser's cache. Check your browser's help files for more information.
When my counter reaches 9, it resets instead of increasing to 10. Why?
You are using an older version of a VGWS counter that did not automatically add digit images to your page when needed. The current VGWS counter can do that, so you just need to use the Counter Code Generator to create new counter code. You really should do so, too, because the old version of the counter will be deleted one day.
Why do my counter/clock images display a yellow "E" and number?
The yellow "E" and number are an error message. See the Error Messages page in the Help section for information on individual error messages.
Can I have my counter and/or stats set to the number on my old counter/stats?
Absolutely. The Counter/Statistics Value Editor in the Member's Area is designed for exactly this purpose. You can use that Editor to set your counter and/or stats to any value you desire at any time.
Why doesn't my counter or clock work in older web browsers?
Server upgrades at our web host have removed support for GIF images that was used by the counter and clock script. As a result, the scripts have migrated to the PNG file format, which is not supported by older versions of Netscape and other browsers. This means that the counter or clock images won't display in such browsers don't support the PNG format. The counter will record visits and stats even though the image won't display.
The latest versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer both include support for PNG images. We recommend that you upgrade your browser.
Do submitted counter/clock fonts have to be video game related?
Generally, yes. However, I'm very flexible in terms of what "video game related" means. If, for example, you want to submit a font with images from a TV series, movie, anime, etc. and there's been a video game of any kind based on that thing, then that's perfectly acceptable. For another example, if you'd like to submit a font using character sprites of a game you've made (or attempted to make), that's acceptable as well (there's even a font like that in the Phantasy Star section).
I logged in, and there's a message about my counter not being activated. What's that?
After June 20, 2002, users are not automatically added to the portion of the database that contains the data for the GameCounter service. This is done in an effort to keep the size of our database down. But don't worry - all you have to do to activate your counter is use the Counter Code Generator. You'd have to do that to use the counter anyway, so there's no extra work on your end.
Members that reigstered before the aforementioned date were added to the portion of the database that contains GameCounter data automatically, so they should not see the activation message.
