on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Working on getting SPWW2 to run on Win7. Currently can run in Full Screen before colours go crazy or Windowed on a quite small window that takes up about 25% of my monitor and doesn't seem capable of having the window resized. All the above might be due to me not knowing how to tweek things properly.

I'm considering setting up a small computer I have as my internet computer given the crazy stuff happening on the internet. There would be plenty of room for me to do a SPWW2, and SPMBT, install. So what is the OS the runs with out the Graphics swamp?

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Look at this thread
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=51247

I'm still usung win 7

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

I am assuming you are using the free version, paid version improves graphics and lets you choose window sizes.
I set to descktop normaly but if keeping an eye on other stuff sometimes leave a portion of my desktop visible.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Have the paid version, and SPMBT also.

And yes you can select resolution but on my Win7 x64 I get a choice of small or smaller windows that can not be adjusted to a different size. Desktop resolution is totally unusable.

13"x 24" Monitor

Game Window
9" x 7" - 1024x768
11" x 14" 1600x1280

And with the game installed outside of Windows program folders I can play five turn at full screen before the colour go crazy. Will now check to see what it does with the colours in a window.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Right Deve - I tried that last night and didn't work. Will try again. That it works for you is hopeful. I really really want this working.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

OK, just ran through 13 turns in a window with no problems with the colour. So I guess I basically have a functional setup just with fixed small windows.

Will try the suggestion again from Right Deve as my eyes really need better.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

If you run in windowed mode with screen/window size set to "Desktop" with the game installed correctly (outside windows structure) there should be no small windows with the paid (CD) version...

Why do you say "...desktop resolution is totally unusable..."?

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

1) Full screen mode support is only there for legacy reasons. Modern Windows (post XP) has problems with the 256 colour palette, especially Windows 7 whose "aero" interface writes over the 256 colour palette. That is why the game will launch a script file that kills the aero interface in Win7 in full-screen mode.

This is all explained in the "Tuning your Machine" section of the Game Guide in the big box titled "Windows Vista and Seven" that is at the very start of that section.

2) Windowed mode uses the normal Windows 32 bit palette and so does not suffer from losing the 256 colour palette to Windows (especially 7). Desktop resolution uses your full screen size, less the windows task-bar at the bottom of the screen. Desktop resolution also handles modern wide screen monitors.

3) For those CD Game owners who want a "zoomed in" version the following work around has been suggested by players:

a) Set your windows desktop to one of its smaller resolutions.
a.1) Ensure that you choose a windows desktop resolution that has the normal height/width proportions (some of the offered ones may stretch the game icons).
b) Launch the game in Windowed mode in desktop resolution. The game is now using your reduced windows desktop size, say 1280x720.
c) Once done playing then reset the windows desktop size.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Where do you have the game installed ? It CANNOT be through Program Files in win7. It must be C:
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1513176200

If you are set up correctly and cannot run desktop you are the one and only I know of who has ever had a problem

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Also...... you have made over 100 posts.....WHY are we only hearing about this now? Did it work before ?? What's changed at your end ?

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Maybe we're "understanding" incorrectly....... you say desktop is " Windowed on a quite small window that takes up about 25% of my monitor"

Are you referring to the space the entire desktop mode takes up or the menu window. like this......

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1513179171

THAT is normal. The entire map fills the screen but the menus take up 640x480 but the entire map playing area is whatever your screen resolution is set to.......so is THAT what you are seeing and referring to ?? If yes....why is that a problem ?


Because what it sounded like was you were suggesting it was showing something like this....

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1513224653

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

I tried an experiment as Andy had suggested setting up the monitor to a lower resolution then running the game will increase the size of the menu window *perhaps* more to your liking ( FYI I cannot.....C A N N O T read the computer screen...game or no game without glasses I use just for computer work and with them on I see the game in 1920x1080 JUST FINE......nice and sharp with all text readable )

However, I tried an experiment and set my screen resolution to 1366x768 and it's not as razor sharp as 1920x1080 but it's better than full screen was ( when I could still test fullscreen )

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1513185377

That might be closer to what you are looking for and you may find a better compromise resolution for your computer / screen combination than my computer will give.If you run borderless gaming you get a very close approximation of the old full screen mode but actually windowed.

All that said the game screens are perfectly readable with the right pair of glasses on......

Don

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

black screen with four windowed images twisted vertically, looks like a photo someone had twisted.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

How can I do this? The little click box for 'full screen window' at the top right don't work.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Thank you folks for all the advice, the reason I started this thread was that I had tried what you folks are suggesting. Your responses seem to be in greater detail and I'll try them very carefully.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Clearly I'm don't something wrong. I get a black screen with my SPWW2 window on top, the game window is the same small size.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

That usually appears if you have the windows task bar set to "auto hide" - as we describe in the tuning your machine section. Turn your taskbar auto-hide off, if you have it on.

It also sometimes happens if you try to run a window resolution (one of the 4:3 ones we provide, which date back to the old DOS and early windows days, when square monitors were the norm) and your display cannot handle it. Use "desktop" resolution on modern wide-screen monitors.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

You set and reset windows desktop resolution via right-clicking on the windows desktop with your mouse. Then you use the Microsoft set resolution gadget, or if your video display driver has replaced it with something else, you use that (like say an Nvidia application).

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

The point of the program is to eliminate windowed borders when the game is running, thus essentially the game is run on windowed mode but with the borders eliminated you get a "somewhat" full screen experience.

So yes, if you see the black screen with a game "window", you're doing it right. So hopefully no more twisted and broken colors, right?

Now the problem is the window being too small. As others have suggested, you must increase the "windowed" game size on the GameOptions.exe , that is the program before you launch the main game.

As Andy said, if your monitor is the unique style 4:3 aspect ratio (not widescreen) you're bound for some problems, like the preset windowed sizes leaving lots of unused screen space thus smaller windowed size compared to actual screen size.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Maybe you can give us a screenshot of your whole screen when the game is running. I'm curious how small is 25% screen space, and what windowed game resolution that you use.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Been a while since I played and changed systems.

Also, I remember SPWW2/SPMBT running fine with the CD version, but that was before updates in Windows and SPMBT/SPWW2.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Also, I've tried a lot of the ideas suggested and no joy. Since the problem seems to be rooted in Win7 and since the free Win10 expired on 31 Dec 2017 I'm going to migrate to Win10 and hopefully all will be well.

Many thx for all the advice.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Well I can say on my computer win10 runs the game well.....it does not run fullscreen for me but I never run full screen even back to winME. I have not personal experience with win7 to offer any further suggestions

That said you really should post some screen shots zipped up of what you are seeing as it seems unique to you ( don't bother adding them to a post as an image, the size restrictions for Shrapnel make any detail impossible to make out unless you are very careful. The skewing you describe is very strange if you are running task bar hide OFF

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

Nobody has asked but as you are running windows 7 so old & not supported anymore.
1 Do you have any aftermarket graphic tweaks installed?
2 Have you kept your drivers up to date?
3 What version of direct x are you running?
4 Done the basics, checked hard drive for errors, window install not corrupt & for virus etc
5 Old machine checked your memory etc is still good.

Forget full screen windowed taskbar auto hide off is what you need to use.
Turn off splash screen though think this is now fixed.

Do other games have problems, have you tried running them in borderless gaming?
I do not run winsp in it as no need but winsp & borderless gaming both work fine.
My guess is its not windows 7 its a driver or machine issue as its only you that has this problem.

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

AND it would be very helpful to see what you see if this crops up again

Re: on what OS does SPWW2 run best?
 

I just re-read this and I think I see the problem. you appear to be referring to the game in windowed mode .....

??


http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1513605036

What Andy is telling you to change is your actual computer settings after you are done playing the game in the SETTINGS section


http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/attac...1&d=1513605163