Suggestion for next patch
 

Two of the main reasons I finally bought both games is they now work fine in win7 and the higher resolutions. However, the hi res comes with an unintended consequence. Fonts that are too small to read. So my suggestion is to increase the size of the fonts including the top and bottom along with all windows like scenario descriptions and headquarters. Also I think it would be better to increase the size of the mini-map and buttons.

Since the higher res looks so much nicer and is a major reason for purchasing the games, suggesting setting a lower res in order to be able to read the fonts doesn't really work. The magnifier is an ok temporary workaround but that's it.

Imo an easy way to do this would be to make all those things at a fixed res of 800x600.

Anyway, I hope you folks look positively at this.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

We have a lot of ideas for changes to the games for the next release and the 800x600 idea was already one of them. ( note what I wrote about it's capabilites when I released the revised SHPEd program ) That said, changing font and font size in this game isn't a simple prospect but we are looking into it

Don

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

I'm really glad to head it.
That's the only part of graphic's state that bothers me.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

Don, thanks for the info. I hope you can work something out.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

Okay I would be intrested to know what size fonts most people use in say there email or word processor as I am wondering if we are the only people that do not have trouble reading & Im the other side of 50 now so eyes are not quite what they once were.
I ask because its a combination of resolution & screen size that determines actual font size currently round a friends his sytem resolution is 1440x900 on I am guessing 17" maybe 19" monitor its not big. Neither of us has any trouble reading in game fonts in desktop mode at well over arms length as in standing over shoulder of. Also quite readable if shunt view to 50" plasma & play from where watch the TV from.

Using aerial as its a common font though I dont use it size 8 seems to equate to about in game font size.
For mails word processing etc common size I use equates to about areial 9 or 10
Size does vary a bit from font to font which is why I say use aerial but what do you guys use I think 12 is big anything greater is massive & makes reading harder as takes longer to scan a line.
Not used 800x600 full screen for a long time & it wont run on his computer but remember that was quite hard to read, not due to size but due to poor quality of the display.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

I use a 12 point font when reading stuff. 10 point is too small and I need to strain to read. My monitor is a 24 inch 1920x1080 which is getting popular. The font, I would guess, is 6-8 point. In order to read it I have to get real close and strain. Using the windows magnifier allows me to at least play the game until, hopefully, this is improved.

When I suggested 800x600 it was only because I thought it would be the easiest way but maybe not. Maybe it would be easier to simply increase the font size and resize the windows. I don't know.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

Wouldn't forcing 800x600 make a blurry image in a big screen?

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

Well the graphics would be blurry and that's why the higher res is so nice. But just the fonts would be ok. Regardless, Don and Andy might prefer to simply increase the font size in the game rather than use 800x600. Whatever works best and is easiest to implement.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

Simply guessing here fonts is probably not the issue as a simple if clunky workaround could just replace the ones it currently uses from your operating system using explorer or whatever. The tricky bit is probably finding the code & getting the window / graphics round it to resize to the font.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

800x600 for the background shape used for the dialogue windows, not the screen.

Don's rewriting a bit of SHPEDIT's code removed the 640x480 limitation that was there previously - probably only because the original DOS game was limited to 640. All I did was resize the image that displays icons so it can handle the maximum size we use without cropping, and added a bit of code to clear the background, so older images did not 'overlay'. Plus the MBT palette gets loaded automatically now, so one step is removed.

So there is the possibility for more display space on those screens - or perhaps to use a larger font. (We are looking into the utilities that came with the VFX libraries - which use a bitmap font made up from an LBM image, and not Windows Truetype - the VFX graphic libraries date from the 90's after all).

Larger dialogue windows would probably mean ditching 640 mode support - but who uses that these days anyway (other than on postage-stamp sized mobile phone screens)?.

Andy

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

QUESTIONS:


1 / Do you wear reading glasses normally ?

2/ What resolution do you have the game set for ?( I'm assuming desktop...)

3/ Are you running full screen or windowed ?

4/ If the answer to question 2 was desktop have you tried a slightly lower resolution ?

Don

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

1. I have two pair of glasses. One for normal distance with bifocals and one for computer use which is "mid-distance" with bifocals.

2. Desktop 1920x1080.

3. Windowed. The magnifier doesn't work with full screen.

4. I have tried lower resolutions and need to 1024x768 full screen before the font is readable without straining although 800x600 is better.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

1/ I cannot see anything ( at all ) on the screen without my glasses and I also have a special pair just for computer work

4/ I have a 16 inch CRT monitor ( measured diagonally ) and run the game 1152x864 windowed without any trouble. I have a copy of the game on my daughters computer to test widescreen. She has a 19 inch screen ( measured diagonally ) runing at 1440x900. When I run the game at desktop on her machine I can read the text perfectly. In fact, it's sharper on her monitor than it is on mine. When I run on my monitor the screens like the battle set up screen are 6.75 inches wide. On my daughters screen they are 7 inches wide. Again, I have NO problem reading any of the text on any screen and I'm blind as a bat without my glasses


I have no idea why you would have trouble reading 1024x768 on a 24 inch monitor. All I can suggest, and I'm not being a smartass, is get new glasses. I had to just recently and now everything is crisp

Don

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

Imp, your experience matches mine. At the same resolution you mention I can read everything on the game screens crisp and clear with my computer glasses on. Without them I cannot even read the large text on the buttons like "SAVED GAMES" and "SCENARIOS" AT ALL--------it's all a smudge I can only read sort of if I get so close to the screen my nose is nearly touching and I'm squinting so much my eyes are almost closed.

WITH my glasses 1440x900 is no problem at all. Crisp and sharp, no eye strain whatsoever.

Don

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

I last had my eyes checked about six months ago and my glasses prescription is as good as it's going to get and it's not 20/20. I'm 65, a few years ago I had a double hip operation, my eyesight and hearing have deteriorated over the years not to mention so many other things. I have no problems with other games on my monitor but understand SP is a remake from an older game and that could cause the font to be so small. Others on this forum have mentioned it as well.

If you folks could find a way to improve the font size it would be very much appreciated. Otherwise I'll continue to use the magnifier. It's a bit of a pain but at least it allows me to play the game.

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

Don, I just had a thought and took a look. It seems with the fonts there is no high contrast between the background and actual font. The easiest for me to read is white on the charcoal background. When there are colors involved like across the bottom it gets worse. I think probably if all the fonts were black on a white background it would help a lot. How difficult would that be to change? Is it something I can do?

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

There is no way to change the font or screen colours without the code. We will be aware of the contrast issue as we move forward. I do know there are some combinations that may not be optimal.

That said. My eyes are far from 20/20. I use a set of glasses specifically for the computer and, for me, they show the game font's clear and readable

Don

Re: Suggestion for next patch
 

Don, whatever you can do to make the fonts easier to read would be great. My eyes aren't 20/20 even with glasses and there are probably others in the same boat.