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TrueAchievements FAQ - START HERE

  • Clever JakeClever Jake770,030
    Posted on 06 September 09 at 16:08, Edited on 04 January 19 at 18:19 by Reborn Insanity
    SCANNERS
    How do the scanners work?

    The scanners read your Xbox Live profile on the Xbox database and find your game, app, stats and achievement data.

    How often am I scanned?
    Users who have a TA Pro Account are put on one of the 3 TA Pro Scanner's, which have less users so scan roughly every 30 minutes, and can request a scan at any time.
    Users who do not have a Pro Account are scanned daily by one of the 7 normal scanners, normal users have 3 requested scans in a 24hour period.

    Non-pro recent site visitors will be scanned each day.

    Non-pro non-recent site visitors will be scanned every four days.

    Unregistered users get scanned weekly.

    This is all subject to xbox.com working as expected. When it doesn't, the scanners cannot work correctly, please see here for live issues and if you think there is a problem with the scanners post here - Malfunctioning Scanners
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    ACCOUNT TROUBLESHOOTING
    I never received my validation email!

    Sometimes the email is filtered into your junk mail. If you can't find it there, you can verify the email you entered and resend the validation email here: Email Problems.

    I forgot my password!
    You can recover your password here: Password Reset

    I'd like to be removed from the site!
    You can ask to be removed via this form: Contact Us.
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    PROFILE
    Why does it say my privacy settings are on?

    First, log in to your Xbox LIVE profile and go to Privacy & Online Settings. You want to make sure others can see your game and app history, so scroll down to this option and select 'Everybody'. This will allow the site to view your game and app history for all Xbox consoles.

    If that looks ok, it's possible that xbox.com had an outage last time you were scanned. You can attempt to update this status by selecting 'Request Update' underneath your gamertag in the top-right, or under the 'Gamer' dropdown on your profile page.

    Why does it say my gamertag is invalid?
    First, make sure you have used the correct gamertag to create your TA profile. If that looks ok, it's possible that xbox.com had an outage last time you were scanned. You can attempt to update this status by requesting a rescan using the button underneath your gamerpic on your profile page.

    I've changed my gamertag. How do I update it on TA?
    Gamertag changes are done automatically, all you will need to do is request an update on your profile using this icon Request Update on your homepage under the 'Gamer' drop down menu.

    I've changed my gamerpic. How do I update it on TA?
    The scanners won't automatically update your gamerpic. First, go to your profile page, and click the 'Gamer' dropdown. Then select the 'Update GamerPic' icon. Then click on 'Request Update'. After a few minutes, the scanners should have your new gamerpic. If it still isn't showing up, you may need to clear your browser's cache. Usually, you can do this by pressing CTRL-F5.

    I've purchased a Pro Account but don't have my benefits yet!
    Thanks for subscribing! Purchasing a Pro Account should give you your benefits instantly, if that's not the case then please send a Private Message to TrueAchievement. Include the email address used to send the payment and your gamertag.
    USE THIS LINK TO SEND THE PM: Private Message to TrueAchievement

    How do I log out?
    Cursor over your GamerPic at the top-right of any page to access the dropdown box then select 'Log Out'.
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    ACHIEVEMENTS
    What is my TA score, and how is it calculated?

    Your TrueAchievement score is obtained by taking the base GamerScore value of an achievement and multiplying it by its rarity (the TA Ratio), resulting in a more accurate representation of skill required to obtain it. Because the TrueAchievement score is dependent on the number of people who currently have an achievement, it can change over time. The TA Ratio is determined for each achievement by the following calculation:

    ((Gamers with Game)/(Gamers with Achievement))^0.5

    There are some special rules for unusual achievements:

    Achievements worth zero points have a TA score of zero.

    All DLC achievements are calculated using a formula called the Geometric Mean. The Geometric Mean formula uses a base pool of gamers that is a combination of the DLC population and the known main-game population (specifically, the geometric mean of the two populations, hence the name). The Geometric Mean has the following calculation:

    ((Gamers With Game * Gamers With DLC)/(Gamers With Achievement^2))^0.25

    Achievements identified by site staff to be impossible to obtain due to developer error have a base TA score matching the Gamerscore.

    My completion percentage should be X, but instead it's Y!
    Usually this is because you've chosen to include/exclude DLC from completion calculations. Go to Site Settings (found under the dropdown from your GamerPic on any page), and change the setting under DLC, DLC inclusion setting.

    Note that if you choose to exclude DLC, it will not count any DLC that you have an achievement in.

    I can't see what the secret achievements are!
    First, go to Site Settings (found under the dropdown from your GamerPic on any page), and change the setting under Achievements, Show secret achievements I don't have.

    Why has my achievement streak broken?
    There are a few reasons an achievement streak can break:

    1. Streaks only count achievements unlocked Online. (iOS/Android achievements are not unlocked online as are some W8/WP games.)

    2. Is your Achievement Streak time zone set to the correct time zone? The achievement streak time zone is set by default to PST,-you can check here - My Settings

    3. Achievements won from the previous day are scanned in the next day or scanned out of order and cause an unnecessary break, you can fix this by pressing the 'Rebuild my streaks' button in the sidebar on any of your streak pages. (Screenshot of Rebuild button here)

    Something isn't updating correctly!
    Some of the site pages and stats are only updated once or twice daily to save a lot of processing power. Please allow 24 hours for those pages to recalculate.
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    FORUMS
    How do I make one of those cool links to an achievement with the icon showing?

    Paste the URL of the achievement page into your post.

    How do I link to specific solution or review?
    Find the "add a comment" link underneath the solution or review, and copy its URL. Paste that URL into your post.

    How do I use those fancy text formattings?
    There are various encodings that can be used in the forums, solutions, reviews, WTs and Blogs, they can be found here: Forum Post Code Help Page
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    GAME INFORMATION AND FLAGS
    How do I submit a change to a Game's information or it's Achievement Flags?

    Firstly go to any game's page and press the 'Game' drop down below the game's tile and click 'Submit Game Information'.

    From here you can either submit a change to the Game's information and Genre on the first page or you can submit a change to the Achievement Flags by clicking the 'Achievement Flags' header at the top.

    You can submit DLC changes in the same way.

    Why cant I submit changes to a game?
    New games have Game submissions disabled for the first 7 days it is released.

    For more information see the Guidelines for Submitting Game Information.
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    TROPHY CASE
    How do I add a completed game or achievement to my trophy case?

    Navigate to the game's page, or the achievement's page, and click the "Add completed game" or "Add achievement to your trophy case" button below the game's or the achievement's icon.

    How many items can the trophy case hold?
    The trophy case holds 28 items for regular users and 70 for Pro Account holders, this includes both achievements and titles.
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    GAMING SESSIONS
    How do I create a gaming session?

    You can only create a gaming session for a game that the site recognizes you as owning. So you need to have at least one achievement in the game. Navigate to the game page. Look for the purple heading on the right side that says "Gaming Sessions." It contains a "new session" link.

    I'd like to be on the list of people who want to boost a particular game.
    Navigate to the game's page, and click the controller icon below the game's icon. This adds you to the boost list for the game. If Customize > Gaming Sessions > Boosting gaming session notification is enabled, you will receive notices when a session for that game is created.

    To remove yourself, simply click on the controller icon again.

    How do I leave feedback for a gaming session?
    Site Pages > Gaming Sessions. Find and click on the completed session you'd like to leave feedback for. Click on the Give Feedback button. Note that you can't leave feedback until the session has reached its scheduled end time.

    I would like to dispute feedback I've received.
    Unfortunately, site staff aren't in a position to determine what actually happened during a gaming session. Site staff do not have the ability to change feedback ratings. You are encouraged to leave your side of the story in the "My Notes" field.

    How do change or delete a session I've made?
    You have to remove everyone in the session before any changes can be made. You may also want to PM everyone involved as an additional heads up.

    For more Gaming Session questions see: Gaming Sessions FAQ

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    MILESTONES
    A milestone I was expecting didn't appear!


    Milestones appear at the following points:
    Completed retail games: every 10
    Completed arcade games: every 10
    Completed games total: every 5
    TA Score: under 200k, every 5k; over 200k, every 10k
    Gamerscore: under 200k, every 5k; over 200k, every 10k
    Completion percent: every 1% if you've played more than 100 games, every 5% if less
    TA Ratio: every 0.1
    Achievements won: every 250

    Note that milestones are calculated according to the owner's DLC inclusion preferences, regardless of what your personal setting is.

    To force a milestone recalculation, cursor over your GamerPic at the top right of any page to access the dropdown box and select 'My Milestones'. From here, use the 'Force Check' button at the top.
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    CHEATING
    What does TA do about cheaters?

    Because cheaters have an effect on TA Ratios, when we find users who have cheated on multiple games, we remove their achievements from the database. See more information about this here: Cheat Policy

    How do I report a cheater?
    Click on the "Report gamer" button under their gamerpic, and fill out the form on the next page. Note that they need to have cheated in multiple games to be removed.

    I'm worried that I might be found a cheater.
    Similar to Microsoft's policies, achievements earned during normal gameplay won't get you in any trouble. The Investigation Team knows that sometimes things look glitchy, and can sort out the difference between a glitched achievement and cheating.
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    STILL HAVE A QUESTION?
    If you still have questions about the site, feel free to check out the Site Help Forum and either search the existing threads or Create a New Thread. There are numerous members of the TrueAchievement community that will help you with your query quickly.

    Also, you might want to stop by our chat room (found under the 'Community' drop-down) and see if we have an answer.
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