800x600 Default Soldat Resolution

[ElephantHunter]

Computers are more powerful than they were when Soldat was created. Maps are more vast and less simple. Virtually all monitors at least 800x600 (even my ultra-portable Asus EEE.) Let's face it: People want higher quality in their video games.

My suggestion is to increase the default resolution of Soldat to 800x600. Not in the way registered Soldat does it (by making all the graphics larger), but simply increasing the window size.

[Laser Guy]

Yes, I fully agree to it. Lately I haven't seen any screens that even have 800x600 resolution, only higher ones o.O

[blackdevil0742]

I agree. The 640x480 res is just so lame. But I find the windowed mode followed by 100% re size to work well.

[ElephantHunter]

Some people have voiced concerns over how this would affect gameplay.

Simple: You'd see farther and screenshots would be more awesome

[Gotfryd]

Absolutely I don't agree.
I think that most of us play in full screen mode, so that would mean making soldats smaller, which wouldn't be nice since they're small enough. And I think that we don't need to see farther. And seeing farther would have effect on weapon balance, so we would have to do it again almost from scratch.
However, I'd be glad to see graphics made in higher resolution. That is, everything would be the same size as now, but when watched in higher resolution, it'd be more detailed (for example graphics would be scaled from 1280x1024 to whatever resolution user has rather then being scaled from 640x480 to whatever resolution user has. In that case graphics would be two times more detailed! Or they could be even vector graphics, but this would require many changes in graphic engine.)

[ElephantHunter]

While I might have understood your concerns over how small the characters are, many people play just fine in windowed mode. I think you'll have a hard time with that argument

The problem with your suggestion is that it would take so much more time to implement. All the graphics (including the scenery) would need to be redone. I doubt the developers have so much time on their hands.

[SDFilm]

But the current default resolution is the only way the interfaces work properly. Unless I've done something wrong...

[LeetFidle]

YES! please!

poll plz

[iDante]

I strongly support this suggestion.
It would take a bit of work, but the number one reason why many of my friends don't play soldat is because it looks out-dated (whatever kind of reason that is).

[Gotfryd]

All the graphics (including the scenery) would need to be redone.

I think it could be done in a way which does not require this. The idea is simple: graphics made for any resolution other then 640x480 would have their resolution in their name, and then graphic engine will read this resolution and scale that graphic appropriately. Unchanged graphics would be treated by the engine just as they are treated now.

Example: Michal/EnEsCe implemented this, but he was so tired that he made only gosteks face in high-res (for example 1280x1024, two times larger then original, so in gosteks folder there is file "morda 1280x1024.bmp"), end everything else remained unchanged. Then he runs Soldat in resolution 1280x1024 (using that feature for registered users). Soldat reads all graphics from files, and when creating gostek it scales other parts of his body making it 2 times larger (just as it does now when ran in 1280x1024), but head is not scaled, since it name reads 1280x1024, and it fits gostek perfectly.
In that case devs could redo graphics one by one. I can volunteer on redoing gostek and weapons.

I hope that this example is clear  
if it's not, ask and I'll try to explain it.

I do agree with poll request 

[ElephantHunter]

Gotfryd, I understand what you are suggesting, but it would still mean a loss in quality unless all the graphics were redone. Huge code changes would need to take place. Not to mention that images resized to look larger are just plain ugly.

[SDFilm]

What affect would his have on full screen?

[FliesLikeABrick]

I disagree with this suggestion, I'm under the impression it would require making all of the graphics in higher resolution *or* you would see further, which would drastically change the way that the game works.

[xmRipper]

I was suggest this before.
Also i think we don't need larger graphics for increasing the default resolution to 800x600.

[ElephantHunter]

I disagree with this suggestion, I'm under the impression it would require making all of the graphics in higher resolution *or* you would see further, which would drastically change the way that the game works.

I'm suggesting you see further. A couple hundred pixels taller and wider shouldn't "drastically" change the game. Even if it did, we need some drastic measures to keep Soldat a valid product. Mainstream gamers don't take Soldat seriously, and this would be a step in the right direction.

[ElSpec774]

I might be wrong on this, but this change would also make Soldat more graphically heavy.  A lot of people play Soldat because of their hardware, adding this might prevent some from being able to play.

[ElephantHunter]

I might be wrong on this, but this change would also make Soldat more graphically heavy.  A lot of people play Soldat because of their hardware, adding this might prevent some from being able to play.

Such a change is insignificant considering modern hardware. Soldat has always a lightweight when it comes to graphics, and it would still be lightweight at 800x600.

[ElSpec774]

To modern hardware, yes.  But to those running Windows 98-2000 hardware, not so sure. 

I already have problems running Soldat with a 450 MHz and 32MB Graphics Card, this could make things worse.  I don't use my older computer anyway, this change doesn't apply to me.  I only have concern for those with older equipment.

[Gotfryd]

Not to mention that images resized to look larger are just plain ugly.

Yes they are! But that's how they look now, so I don't understand your point. When you change resolution (I'm thinking about this feature for registered users - here and in my previous post, when I said "Then he turns Soldat on in resolution 1280x1024") or simply resize Soldat window, or run it fullscreen, all the graphics are ugly, at least on LCD screens, which are now majority of sold monitors
Now on an LCD, and in a time almost everyone will use LCD, Soldat looks good only when ran windowed, in 640x480, not resized. But then its too small, since these monitors have high default resolutions. For example I have 22" LCD widescreen monitor. If i run Soldat windowed with windowsize 640x480 than window with soldat has less then 9" diagonal - its too small to see anything.

Maybe I'll post some screenshots...

Gotfryd, I understand what you are suggesting, but it would still mean a loss in quality unless all the graphics were redone.

I don't understand. Why there would be loss in quality when some graphics would be more detailed and some would be just the same as they are now?

I disagree with this suggestion, I'm under the impression it would require making all of the graphics in higher resolution *or* you would see further, which would drastically change the way that the game works.

I agree with this. That's why I suggest making graphics in higher resolution just to make Soldat looking better and not seeing farther.

[FliesLikeABrick]

There are many people here who play on integrated hardware and ancient computer hardware.  I suggest we have MM and others put their effort into making LD and Berseker work at a higher or multiple resolutions, rather than spend their time making this change to Soldat.