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BTTF e01: 1280x1024 Resolution?

Steven181Steven181
edited January 2011 in Game Support
Hi, I've just bought the game but when I've tried to set its resolution to 1280x1024 pixels I found -to my dismay- that it is not supported by the game engine.

I hold on to my (excellent otherwise) 5:4, 19'' screen because I find it the best for reading (the widescreen format is very tiring), however I would had preferred that my resolution whould had been supported by the games I buy.

Unfortunately what I get is a tiny box in the middle, denying more than 40% of my screen's estate to be used by the game. I refuse to play this (or any game) in such a format and I do not think that this can warrant me to buy a widescreen.

So please enable the 5:4 rendering to your engine or -if it is possible- give me some way to enable it myself (by editing some config file, I dunno)...

Thanks for your attention.

Comments

  • thesporkmanthesporkman
    edited January 2011
    I have a 5:4 monitor too, and 1280x1024 is supported for me. I was able to select it, and I played through the whole game in that resolution just fine. Maybe you need to update your drivers or something?
  • Steven181Steven181
    edited January 2011
    thesporkman wrote: »
    I have a 5:4 monitor too, and 1280x1024 is supported for me. I was able to select it, and I played through the whole game in that resolution just fine. Maybe you need to update your drivers or something?

    It plays to me too, only the image is restricted to a horrible little box on the middle of the screen... That's the first game that I'm experiencing this (black bars, as if it is a movie) and I would hate to see this becoming a trend.

    If there's any way at all to use my whole screen for the game (eliminate the black bars), it would had been wonderful, if not I would have to return the game...
  • MirkoMirko
    edited January 2011
    When exactly does it only show that small box in the middle of the Screen? Are the menus etc. working, or does this only happen after you start a new game?

    If it is the latter, then how far have you tried to play? The Intro is supposed to be in that small format.

    EDIT: If it is just black bars above and below the picture then that is also working as intended.
  • Shadowknight1Shadowknight1
    edited January 2011
    Maybe take a screenshot so we know what you're talking about?
  • Steven181Steven181
    edited January 2011
    Mirko wrote: »
    When exactly does it only show that small box in the middle of the Screen? Are the menus etc. working, or does this only happen after you start a new game?

    If it is the latter, then how far have you tried to play? The Intro is supposed to be in that small format.

    EDIT: If it is just black bars above and below the picture then that is also working as intended.

    They are "just" black bars but they're unusually big. I calculated that only 57% of my screen is being used, everything is so tiny (*because* of the black bars).

    This is the first game I'm experiencing this, and if that's how it is intended to be played then it's certainly not a game for me, I'm afraid to say...
  • DjNDBDjNDB Moderator
    edited January 2011
    Steven181 wrote: »
    So please enable the 5:4 rendering to your engine or -if it is possible- give me some way to enable it myself (by editing some config file, I dunno)...

    The games are rendered in a specific aspect ratio, so TTG can fully control what the user can see and what is hidden. If they would support different aspect ratios, it would add extra complexity without noteworthy benefit. Keep in mind, these games are no FPS where you can run and look around freely, so it actually matters that you can see certain things.
    It is also relevant for cinematic purposes to show a specific part of the scene. That would not work with flexible aspect ratios either.

    Letterboxing is the best way to make sure all players see the same image section independent from their displays aspect ratio.

    Pan&Scan is an alternative, which fills the screen, keeping the aspect ratio, but cutting off the sides. Obviously that's not suitable for these games.

    The only somewhat reasonable compromise is scaling.
    If you just want the game to fill the whole screen, you can do so by sacrificing the aspect ratio. Just select a 16:9 resolution in game (e.g. 1280x720), so the game only renders the visible part, and configure your graphics card and/or display to scale it as you wish.

    If you select a non 16:9 resolution instead the game engine itself adds the black bars. Therefore you can't scale anymore. You can see that best if you set the game to windowed mode.
  • MirkoMirko
    edited January 2011
    Steven181 wrote: »
    They are "just" black bars but they're unusually big. I calculated that only 57% of my screen is being used, everything is so tiny (*because* of the black bars).

    This is the first game I'm experiencing this, and if that's how it is intended to be played then it's certainly not a game for me, I'm afraid to say...

    Ok, just had another look, i remembered those black bars a lot smaller, but then, they did not really bother me.
  • Steven181Steven181
    edited January 2011
    Doesn't that mean that the game does not support *natively* any 5:4 or 4:3 resolutions?
    (it only outputs 1280x720 pixels, no matter that I may choose 1280x1024 or 1280x960, etc...)

    Can't that be remedied? As I can recall, some years prior certain games could not output widescreen resolutions, but after a patch release the problem was/had-been promptly fixed, can't something equivalent happen to BTTF as well?

    There's still a great userbase with 4:3 and 5:4 monitors it would be a shame those to be left in the cold (with subpar support).
This discussion has been closed.