View source for Damage Number Data Collecting Guide

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==Introduction==

Hello, this is Autofire. I've submitted some damage numbers to the wiki before, and it does feel nice to contribute, so I felt I should contribute a guide to teach how to contribute numbers ''correctly''. It may help to start with what damage numbers are and how are they used. Damage numbers(Will abbreviate to DNs from now on) are the amounts that a weapon damage things. When having properly recorded and stored DNs, players may make informed choices on which weapon is the best. Here is an example of what the end result should look like from the Protosword:
{{SKDamageTable|
{{SKNewRow}}
{{SKDamageRow|Hit 1 and 2|20 - 26|21 - 19|17 - 16|15 - 14|14 - 13|12 - 11}}
{{SKDamageRow|Hit 3      |25 - 33|26 - 23|20 - 19|18 - 17|16 - 15|14 - 13}}
{{SKDamageRow|Charge     |35 - 48|41 - 34|29 - 25|24 - 22|21 - 19|18 - 17}}
}}


When you have read all the way through this guide, I will have (hopefully) learned the following:

* How to prepare for the DN collecting expedition.
* Things to remember during your expedition.
* Harvesting the numbers for usage.
* Formatting your DNs in a damage table on the wiki.

===How to use this guide===
''To be completed at the end of this guide.''

==Preparation==
Before you ever start, you '''must''' prepare some, lest you risk having a, if not several, errors.
===Out of game===
First off, you need to decide how to collect your DNs that you find. I have found the following methods, each with their own pluses and minuses:

;Numbers straight to the wiki or to a text file
: I personally wouldn't do this, as it is too error prone. This method is the simplest, but the hardest. The DN harvester must strike an enemy, then record that directly to the wiki or the a text file and then record that to the wiki when he is done. The downfall of this method is when you go to put the number down, you must leave the SK window, and you're vulnerable during this time. The other is when you are typing it out, you may be hurrying to return, so you may put the number in the wrong place, or change that number some. If you kill all the monsters in the area, you may have forgotten something in the time it took to clear the room, and may put an error then also. If you have a great memory, and if you can stay very calm, you may be able to use this method with success, but you might want to double check your DNs.
;With a friend(in person)
: If you have a friend who is handy, he may be able to record for you, either to paper or to a text file on a laptop/tablet/etc. Even though I have never tried it, it should work very well, except that both of you need to be there at the same time and at the same place.
;With another knight(over the internet)
: Like with a friend in person, but you don't need to be there at the same time. The issue with this is in order for the other knight to see your DNs, he needs to be dead. Because he needs to be dead and on the same level, he needs to pay energy (unless he has an elevator pass.) to stay on your same level. The monsters also grow stronger, so they have greater HP values,(not in defense, so the DNs will stay the same. ''please verify'') and this will make it harder to kill them, especially if you are getting the DNs of under tier weapons.
;Using a screen capture or camera
: This is the method I use and prefer, as I find it very easy going. The DN gatherer must simply start up his recording device, and start playing. Before starting, though, it is a good idea to test your device to make sure it works so that you don't start a level (or a whole run!) when you aren't even recording at all. If you are using a camera, it is best to use a tripod or another kind of stand so you don't need to be holding the camera. Also, make sure your camera angle won't allow for a glare. A screen capture is more convenient, but you will need a powerful computer if you want to keep your FPS up, because they use a lot of resources to run. Once you are done, you can watch the video at your own leisure, and then getting it on the wiki then. If you lag when using this method, try the following:
* Use a lower resolution. You might need to use windowed mode for this.
* Turn down the quality of SK. Compatibility Mode doesn't seem to count, but you could try it anyway.
* Set your screen capture program down. Remember, you aren't putting it out on the net, (unless you want to) so you can turn the quality down quite a bit, as this needs the most processing power. The quality only needs to be good enough so that you can read the numbers.
* Close as many other programs as you can.
* This is a little related, but if you are low on space, you can pause the recording when ever there is a long space of no enemies, such as a long hall or a loading screen.


:You can use your favorite capture program. If you don't know of any, I have a few here:
* [http://camstudio.org/] This is the one I use.
* [http://www.fraps.com/] I think several use this one, but my brother said it slows his computer too much.
* [http://philbradley.typepad.com/i_want_to/2010/06/screentoaster-closing-alternatives.html] This has a list of em.


===In game===
Once you got everything ready and decided, you can now setup the game. You need to get armor that doesn't effect the weapon(s) you are getting DNs from. In a beginner's case, you can't wear a cyclopes cap or a fencing jacket, because they buff your weapons, and you can't put a buffed weapon's DNs up on the wiki. Same goes for trinkets. You must make sure that all your weapons you are getting data from are at level 10. Because of this, it might be a good idea to get the DNs from one weapon, while taking another to heat it up so you can get its DNs later. When deciding which weapon to use, check this page[http://wiki.spiralknights.com/Category:Pages_with_empty_damage_entries], which lists all of the weapons lacking some DN. You also must chose a gate to gather info from. I recommend some gate with that has status stratus that don't correspond with the status(es) that your weapon(s) might deal, if they do deal any, because different monsters have different resistances. I especially recommend this if you are using a non-normal weapon.

''Note: this is a draft I have saved in case of a crash, and I may be working on the guide as you are reading this!