Geneforge 5 resolution problem

[feline monstrosity]

I was dead excited downloading the brand new Geneforge 5 demo!

One of the things I was especially excited about was the fact that I could now play it fullscreen in a high resolution.

My screens normal resolution is 1280x1024 and I tried it first at that resolution, then at 1024x768. Both times the screen appeared to be moved up - I couldn't move my mouse all the way to the bottom of the screen and when I moved it to the top it went off the screen. The second time, ignoring this, I started a new game and the top of the first intro screen was out of view, off the top of my screen, so I couldn't read the text etc.!

 

This is very annoying, but I really want to play the game for the first time with as much quality as possible so that I can properly enjoy it. Could somebody help me with my problem?

[Spidweb]

Our games now use OpenGL, which open them up to all sorts of problems with file corruptions in OpenGL, video card drivers, and so on. I don't think the problem here is in our code, but there may be a way to work around it.

 

First, try playing the game in a window. The problem might be coming in when OpenGl tries to launch in full screen mode.

 

- Jeff Vogel

[feline monstrosity]

It works fine in windowed mode, but I'd really like to play it in fullscreen. What should I do?

[Spidweb]

No idea, I'm afraid. Since this is the first report I have had on this problem, I suspect that the difficulty lies in the video card, drivers, etc. on your machine. Unless someone else reports a similar problem and I can start looking for common elements in the afflicted systems, there is probably nothing I can do.

 

It would be useful if you told me info about your system. OS version. Model. Type of chip and video card, etc, in case someone else has a similar difficulty.

 

- Jeff Vogel

[macdude22]

I can confirm Geneforge runs spotless in various resolution Windowed and various resolution Fullscreen modes on the following

 

22" Acer 1680x1050 on Mac Pro (nvidia 7300)

20" iMac 1680x1050 (x1600)

13" MacBook 1280x800 (GMA 950)

15" MacBook Pro(x1600) 1440x900

 

Are you selecting the native resolution of your monitor on the launch screen?

 

Try as I might I couldn't replicate this on numerous machines. It feels like the game isn't setting the resolution to match the monitor properly.

 

I'm running 10.5.5 on all the aforementioned machines.

[Tyranicus]

It also runs flawlessly at full res on my MacBook Pro (ATI X1600) at 1440x900 and my Hackintosh (Nvidia 8800 GTS) at 1920x1200. As loathe as I'm sure you are to attempt it, you might want to try reinstalling OS X. Perhaps you have a corrupt system file.

[macdude22]

I just tested it on the 2.0 Mini I use in my cold cold Radio Shack (it runs an APRS setup and my logging software). It's on a 1024x768 monitor.

 

Man I have a lot of Macs around here. Maybe the wife is right.

 

Naww that's crazy talk.

 

If you go the reinstall route you can probably do an archive and install which should negate a large portion of the tedious resetting up of the machine. At this point I don't think there are a lot of other options.

 

I'm pullin for you feline monstrosity because this is hand's down the best Spiderweb experience I've ever had. Not that the old 800x600 games didn't scale up well (imacs hardware seems to have fantastic scaling) but extending the world tiles out to the edge of my 20 inch monitor just makes the world feel so large and alive.

[feline monstrosity]

OK, I'm running OS X 10.4.11 on an old Powerbook G4 (PPC).

 

Here is the details of my monitor copypasted from System Profiler:

 

photon19vision:

Resolution: 1280 x 1024 @ 60 Hz

Depth: 32-bit Color

Core Image: Not Supported

Main Display: Yes

Mirror: On

Mirror Status: Master Mirror

Online: Yes

Quartz Extreme: Supported

Rotation: Supported

 

 

and my graphics card:

 

Chipset Model: ATY,RV250M9

Type: Display

Bus: AGP

VRAM (Total): 64 MB

Vendor: ATI (0x1002)

Device ID: 0x4c66

Revision ID: 0x0001

ROM Revision: 113-xxxxx-106

 

 

I tried redownloading the game, but there was no difference.

[Erunno]

When trying to launch the game in fullscreen 1280x800 the screen becomes black and then the applications crashes. Here is the error report I got from OS X:

 

http://pastebin.com/m76f9fc31

 

I'm running a fully patched Mac OX X 10.5.5 which has been recently reinstalled so corruption is unlikely.

 

Hardware specification:

Model: MacBook 1.1

CPU: Intel Core Duo 2 GHz

RAM: 2 GB

Graphics: Intel GMA 950

[Moonquake]

I have the same problem, except for me, it won't work if I DO run it in window.

 

Mac I use: The "Cube"

 

Version of Macintosh: 10.3.9 (Just enough)

Processor: 450 MHz PowerPC G4

Memory: 896 MB SDRM

 

Current Free Space: 135.1 Megabytes of 20 gigabytes,

 

Any help?

[Moonquake]

Double post, this link provides a picture to what my screen looks like in-game.

 

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/9566/stupidtextturesjq8.th.jpg

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: Moonquake

Double post, this link provides a picture to what my screen looks like in-game.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/9566/stupidtextturesjq8.th.jpg

This looks a lot like a problem I had once with my eMac: it'd start to randomly vomit static all over my screen and then freeze, but only when using certain programs. If you've got what I had, it's possible that your video hardware is starting to die and this is the first symptom.

[Spidweb]

"Double post, this link provides a picture to what my screen looks like in-game."

 

Moonquake, sadly, this is almost undoubtedly a local problem. I'm sure nothing in my code is responsible for this weirdness.

 

I'm not sure if you threw away your copy and downloaded a fresh one, but that would definitely be a first step. It's also possible that some older systems no longer have the ability to handle newer OpenGL applications. When was the last time you reinstalled the OS?

 

- Jeff Vogel

[macdude22]

It defiantly looks like an OpenGL problem, perhaps the Radeon cards in the Cubes don't support some function Jeff is using? I happen to have 2 cubes in storage* that I'm going to dig out when I go back home in a couple weeks see if I can replicate this issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*By storage I mean mom's house, what else would she do with all those empty rooms now that everyone has moved out, she'd go crazy that's what.

[feline monstrosity]

Originally Posted By: Spidweb

When was the last time you reinstalled the OS?

Aaages ago. I don't even remember when.

Can you see anything wrong with the specs of my monitor and graphics card?

[Aran]

(Off-topic:)

 

Originally Posted By: macdude22

By storage I mean mom's house, what else would she do with all those empty rooms now that everyone has moved out, she'd go crazy that's what.

 

So did you program them to produce dirty laundry too?

[Moonquake]

Originally Posted By: Spidweb

"Double post, this link provides a picture to what my screen looks like in-game."

 

Moonquake, sadly, this is almost undoubtedly a local problem. I'm sure nothing in my code is responsible for this weirdness.

 

I'm not sure if you threw away your copy and downloaded a fresh one, but that would definitely be a first step. It's also possible that some older systems no longer have the ability to handle newer OpenGL applications. When was the last time you reinstalled the OS?

 

- Jeff Vogel

 

 

Tried re-downloading, still didn't work.

 

As for my OS, I would say... 2004, according to my old system CD.

[FMG]

Originally Posted By: Moonquake

Double post, this link provides a picture to what my screen looks like in-game.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/9566/stupidtextturesjq8.th.jpg

Same problem here. I'm running it on an old iMac G3 with 10.4, so I suppose old Macs don't have the OpenGL extensions needed to run the game.

[two]

As an FYI for any keeping tabs.

 

I have similar problems on machines that should otherwise fit the specs listed, ie: OS 10.4 and 32 bit colour. I assume it is the graphics chipsets. The rage mobility in a Pismo, and Rage 128 Pro in an AGP G4. I do not have an issue on a 15" iMac G4 with the GeForce2 MX chipset.

[Frobozz]

Not surprising. ATI Rage was around the time when OpenGL was first becoming available. Earliest models lacked it altogether with later models only barely supporting it. Biggest problem is that, until "DirectX 10" cards came out, there was no guarantee you would have all the features for the version of OpenGL your card was made for. You could, and typically would, end up with a card with virtually no support for anything and just barely enough 3D acceleration to call itself 3D.

 

Unfortunately, as is typical with any all-in-one computer, any upgrade options available simply aren't going to upgrade the most vital areas like the video. Unlike a PC from the time period where you can pay $20 for a GeForce 6200 and be done with it.

 

Personally, I say its time to bury the dinosaur and buy a new computer. Fortunately with technology as advanced as it is now, a low-end Mac Mini would probably suffice for a good decade given the rate at which Jeff upgrades his engine. Better yet, buy one that hooks into a TV and play Geneforge 5 on a big "monitor".