Ask questions here concerning information at this site or at DG

[Jay]

If you have a question concerning information you see at this site or at the related Zoo Tycoon Designer Guild site (http://www.ztcdd.org/DG/), please feel free to ask your question in this topic. For questions you have concerning downloads at other web sites, please ask those questions at those web sites.

[johnrn1]

I just downloaded some new uca's. Are the number of downloads listed for each animal viewable on the download  page if the downloads are only available here?

[fern]

Not sure what you mean. 99% of the downloads listed are hosted at the site(s) named in the post. This site is sort of a road map to where things can be found. The site name is a link to the site and in some cases the page where the file is. We do not direct link to another sites actual file. In many cases you will need to be logged into that site before you can either see or download the file. Files hosted here are mostly from "dead sites" with permission.
There are currently a lot of broken links, a large amount of stuff not in the open because they are missing links and screens. There is a lot more to be added as I find the time

[johnrn1]

I should have been clearer Fern. If my uca's are ok'd for other people to download, and they are just posted here, but at no other site, will this site show on each download page(s), how many downloads of each uca have been made? 

[fern]

I think it might be best for Jay to answer this since I know what I see but not what you might see as far as that goes.

[dr rick]

My experience is that each site that hosts a download has a download counter next to the download.  I usually look at each site and add'em up if they are hosted at multiple sites (like my Steve Irwin memorial).   I have looked, and items available here do have a download counter, so for example the LANG--ZTCDD.dll has been downloaded 41 times, so if an item is hosted only here, you will know how many times it has been downloaded.  As for me, the prehistoric tree pack at ZTUF has been downloaded about 500 times, and the Steve Irwin memorial many more than that.  I think they are my current leaders!

[Jay]

Generally speaking, no, the download page here would not say how many times your creation was downloaded. It is true that some downloads, such as LANG--ZTCDD.dll here (but not at DG) mentioned by dr rick, are attachments with counts. But for most downloads hosted at this site, we just use simple "http" links instead of using a download system or using attachments. The reason for this is because download systems and attachments use a database. So they would be slightly less efficient and, if something ever happened to the database, they would be difficult to get. Also, although the name will be correct when downloaded, they usually change the name of the file internally. So that makes it very difficult to find the file internally, if we have to. Even for sites that use download systems or attachments for downloads, the "number of times downloaded" are not actually correct. If a person clicks on a link to check the size of a file and then clicks cancel, or if a search engine clicks on a link to see if it works, or if a download does not finish, or if a download has a timeout before it actually starts, they will still be counted as being downloaded. Sometimes a download is downloaded more than once by the same person. Also, if a database has to be reloaded for some reason, the counts could be lower than they should be. Those counts are reasonable estimates, but they have to be treated as estimates. As for the LANG--ZTCDD.dll download here, that will eventually be moved into the main LANG--ZTCDD.dll listing post and then will no longer be an attachment.

This forum software does show how many times a topic has been viewed. That is shown one level higher than the posts themselves. For this topic, for example, it is shown here: http://www.ztcdd.org/DD/index.php?board=226.0
But just like the download counts are not absolutely accurate, the view counts are also not absolutely accurate, although they are more accurate than the download counts, but not as useful.

[dr rick]

lol!!! 

[johnrn1]

Hey Jay, What was that again?    Well at least now I won't be looking for a downloads number to see how many have wanted to try my uca's. Thanks Jay for spoiling my dream. 

How's that for smilies  Dr. R?

[GrnMtnGal]

Recently I got back into playing zoo tycoon and started gathering downloads that I could remember.  I am trying to download from the links to Zookeeper's Lounge but it says the link is not found.

I can't register at Zookeeper's either and darn if I can remember my name there!

I am looking for Drop Zone, Ball Pit, Space Needle, Fairy Tale Castle and Raid on Air.  Have always loved the Devona's and Mark's mods and hoping someone can help me.


Thanks so much!

[fern]

Have sent a message to Jay

Welcome to DD. There are lots of new files around for the original game. Have fun looking through the areas here.

[GrnMtnGal]

Thanks so much for helping so fast!  Maybe I can stress your brain some and ask if you remember a mod that would separate your mods in game by zoo, mania and digs?  It was really handy to have.  Looking forward to catching up !

[Jay]

Welcome to DD.

Most of the downloads and images are not currently working at Zookeeper's Lounge. Luna Manar is the owner of Zookeeper's Lounge. Her entire domain, which includes Zookeeper's Lounge but also a lot more, was hacked into by a person in Ukraine/Russia trying to steal people's information. Possibly trying to fix that problem, most of Zookeeper's Lounge download and image folders were deleted. I have all of these things, so they are not lost. But since some of these things are scattered on my computer, Luna was going to check with her web host to see if they had a backup. However, real life has been keeping her busy, so she did not have a chance to check with them yet. Also, her web host just moved to a different facility yesterday, so they were busy moving servers. I do not have an estimate of when things will be back, but I am hoping it will be sometime this week.

As for the registration being turned off at Zookeeper's Lounge, that is something separate. There are illegal programs called spambots that log into sites and add links to other sites. Sometimes these other sites are sites that sell things, but often these other sites are sites that are trying to steal things. These spambots are from all over the world, but the vast majority are from China, Ukraine, and Russia. They make up user names and use temporary emails to register into web sites. I was deleting several every day, but there was still a period of time when the links would be there until I got there to delete them. So I turned off the registration until I could find time to change the software to no longer allow links from new members. However, that will not be happening any time soon.

As for the name you used at Zookeeper's Lounge, you can click "Members" there and try to find it. But things like "GrnMtnGal" or "MtnGal" are not there.

As for separating things by the ZT expansion pack, that is something that comes with the ZT expansion packs. If you have a ZT expansion pack, there will be a filter at the top of the purchase menu. Normally it says "All", but you can change it to ZT, Dino Digs, or Marine Mania. That is mostly for things that come with ZT or one of the ZT expansion packs. Most user made things do not use it. But, excluding zoos, dinos, and tank animals, most user made things will work in everything: the original ZT or any of the expansion packs. A few ZT sites have created purchase menu filters for some of their things, which add other options to that purchase menu filter. Being that these are hacks, I do not use them. My understanding is that they do not work together. It would be possible to rewrite them to allow them to work together, though.

[GrnMtnGal]

Thank you so much for your response.  I'm sorry to hear about the hacking troubles and hope all turns out well.  Nice to know they are backed up somewhere and it makes me realize I should back up these wonderful mods I find that make a fantastic zoo playing time into a mega fantastic.

To all the wonderful people who take the time to make these mods thank you from the bottom of my heart.  To someone who is mostly housebound now this is much appreciated.  Maybe with all the time I have now I should start looking into making some myself (really easy ones).

Please pass on to Luna I appreciate her site and all she does and tell her as always real life comes first ;)

[dr rick]

i'm delighted to hear from you and to hear that you might think of making some things youself.  it isn't difficult, but if you want to know how to do something or if you get stuck, one of us here will know the answer and will help you.  i hope that you give designing a go!