Resolutions

[Rich]

Has anyone come up with any kind of fix so the game will be full screen at higher desktop resolutions?

[Will]

The game uses fixed-dimension *.bmp files for its appearance, so you're stuck with either 800x600 or 1024x768.

I think some people use batch files to switch resolutions, then start the game. I don't know of any way to switch it when you start the game, then switch back when exiting (other than hard-code changes, of course).

[Spoo]

I wonder...

What if you made larger .bmp's?

[Fyron]

The game code is probably designed to be at a fixed size in the various resolutions (or else it would strecth to the edges in larger resolutions, or be in a window), so larger bitmaps wouldn't have any effect.

[Phoenix-D]

Oh, they'd have an effect I bet.

The effect of only the center being visible in-game. Besides, many of the visuals are hardcoded.

[Andrés]

It should be possible to write a script (maybe using windows scripting host) to change resolution to 1024x768 run the game and then change it back to a higher one. Don't ask me how to write it.

BTW IIRC you'll see a corner, not the center of a too large bitmap.

[ August 11, 2003, 15:02: Message edited by: Andres ]

[Suicide Junkie]

There were Posts about this before...

Lets see if I can trick the search engine into finding it...

Originally posted by Ruatha:
A batch file is a text file that ends with .bat

i e SpaceEmpires.bat

you can write it in notepad or whatever text editor you wish to use (Word, Edit etc)

In the text file you just write the MS-Dos commands you want to be executed. Anything you can write at the dos prompt in a Dos window works in a batch file (+ some more).
So for a file that changes resolution for space empires 4, and runs the game and resets the resolution when you are finished (You must activate the dos window and press a button, I'm not sure if you can omitt the pause line as I can't try it here, but you might).
Try something like this:

rundll deskcp16.dll,QUICKRES_RUNDLLENTRY 1024x768x24

Space Empires 4 Gold.Exe

pause

rundll deskcp16.dll,QUICKRES_RUNDLLENTRY 1200x1024x24

Save it as sp4.bat and put it in the space empires directory, you can then make a shortcut to it and put on your desktop or in the start menu.
You can right click on the batch file and choose the option to close window on exit.

I'm not sure what the SE4 executable is called but write the name of it instead of what I've called it.
Neither am I sure that the Last line actually sets the resolution right as I haven't tried it (Am at work now).
But I guess you'll get the general idea.

On the PC it's a simple matter to change resolutions and colors...just go into the control panel. Couple of seconds and done.
Or right click on the desktop and choose properties, or in the display properties choose to have a display resolutions icon in the tray bar, so you can right click there and change resolution (Depends on grahic card).

[ August 11, 2003, 15:20: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[Rich]

Nice idea but I just tried it and it didn't work. Since this is something a lot of people would be interested in maybe someone with some authority can suggest to the company they work something out.