Screen size

[Wraithwynd]

https://sites.google.com/site/wraithwynd/

Two images are there.

The first is the entry screen, the stars go all the way across my screen.

The second is an ingame shot, the star field is just a smaller rectangle inside a field of black.

My Monitor is 1680 X 1050.

Is this the way its supposed to look?

[Curudan]

Yes. The main viewport is currently a fixed size. You can try playing it in windowed mode, and see if that works better for you.

To play in windowed mode, make a shortcut, and append "/windowed" to the end of the target field.

[Jeoshua]

I've brought up the same thing and for some reason another person told me about the windowed mode, just the same.

That's not what we were asking, was it?

[Curudan]

No, not really. I believe that you were asking for a way to increase the viewport, but that is not currently possible. I brought up the windowed mode command switch because I thought that it would be a useful thing to know given the present circumstances.

I also play on a high resolution monitor, and I always play in windowed mode.

[Wraithwynd]

I had seen other screen shots where the HUD was in the star-field and was just wondering if something was wrong with my computer.

BTW, my computer is 10 years old, runs on XP and the graphics card they stopped making driver updates on in or around 2006. It does not have pixel shading.

It was 'top of the line' 10 years ago, 1GB of RAM was considered 'high' back then, today its considered 'low quality'.

At this point it would be cheaper to buy a new computer than trying to update power, graphics, motherboard, blah. I'm hoping the computer will make it through to the next Gen of Windows (beyond 7). Actually it works perfectly, its just to old to run/use a lot of the stuff that is out there now.

I have reached the point where I really do not want to upgrade my operating system. I am comfortable with XP, I don't want to take up Linux or Mac simply because they are usually the last OS that is/are supported by many applications and games.

I've considered multiple hard-drives with two OS's, but then this becomes a money pit where I will expend hundreds, possibly thousands into a 'temporary' machine that will only be good for a few years and have to be replaced/updated yet again.

To me the constant renewal of the computer industry is a real 'turn off' when it comes to using the technology. I have games that are no longer supported, I have applications that no longer work because there are no patches/updates for them. While $20 here and $30 there may not seem like much at the time, it adds up over time and you find you are expending a lot of money for nothing.

OH, to put this in perspective, I still own 8 Track tapes, Beta (Video) tapes. Thankfully they still make phonographs, however the quality of phonographs are terrible.

[Periculi]

To me the constant renewal of the computer industry is a real 'turn off' when it comes to using the technology. I have games that are no longer supported, I have applications that no longer work because there are no patches/updates for them. While $20 here and $30 there may not seem like much at the time, it adds up over time and you find you are expending a lot of money for nothing.

Oh, preachin` to the choir now. I hate the constant need to re-up my versions and hardware to the current standards.. it's pure insanity. And then looking back at all the dead technology - ye gads... Video Toaster? That was 2800.00.. hmmm... Ultima Gold Pack for DOS.. I think that was 80.00.. oh, oh, oh - look a prototype Roland 6' canvas/giclee printer - that was a good 9500 down the drain.. waaaa..

[Xephyr]

Oh, how I would like not having to upgrade my hardware every few months...

But such is the life of a PC gamer.

[Atarlost]

No, not really. I believe that you were asking for a way to increase the viewport, but that is not currently possible. I brought up the windowed mode command switch because I thought that it would be a useful thing to know given the present circumstances.

I also play on a high resolution monitor, and I always play in windowed mode.

Increasing the size of the viewport would dramatically decrease difficulty. If it was variable the game difficulty would vary dramatically with your hardware, making it fundamentally unbalancable. I very much hope this is never supported.

[Vizth]

I'd rather be able to enjoy it fullscreen and have the game a bit out of balance then be stuck playing in a tiny window. Besides just being able to see your enemy wouldn't throw it to out of balance, weapon ranges would still be the same. I already snipe outside of my visual range with a targeting rom.

[Song]

I'd rather be able to enjoy it fullscreen and have the game a bit out of balance then be stuck playing in a tiny window. Besides just being able to see your enemy wouldn't throw it to out of balance, weapon ranges would still be the same. I already snipe outside of my visual range with a targeting rom.

BVR combat is really really important- It's the best way to take out enemies that either A. Are too strong for you or B. Have strong short-range weapons or medium-range missiles.

[Bobby]

I can see how a big viewport could be unbalancing, but why not add a switch to scale(ie magnify/zoom) the viewport to fit the screen size while leaving the HUD alone? It would probably draw more cpu power, but the modern hardware that would need it should have power to spare.

EDIT: or a switch to put it in full screen and change the resolution like many games do.

[Jeoshua]

The idea of a bigger screen making the game less difficult is analagous to saying that colored text in Nethack makes the game less difficult... while certainly there is some truth in it, it makes the game more enjoyable on an eye candy level... therefore, if there is anything in it, I throw my vote towards scaling the screen size with screen resolution.

[Amilir]

Wrong.

A: Nethack is turn based while transcendence is real time. In nethack, taking a second to far look at something doesn't matter. If nethack was real time color WOULD matter. If you still don't think it matters much then go the other way. Imagine playing without a viewport, or with a very small one.

B: It's really more akin to ESP (viewport) vs warning (mini-map) in game effect -- and the mini-map doesn't work in nebula.

[Vizth]

If you don't want to use widescreen setting because of the view port you don't have too, but why gimp those that do, just because it'll effect balance for them? Doesn't effect you in any way.

[Jeoshua]

Oh, I do think a bigger viewport would affect game balance... certainly.

I just don't think it would affect it negatively.

Enemies can already see you from long distances, after all.