Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

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Zeus
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Zeus »

Ykhwong's DOSBox build 2012-10-03 released. "Splash=false" and "menus visible at the top" problems have been fixed. :)
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Silver83
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Silver83 »

Now that Ykhwong's DosBox build removed the reinitialisation of the glide API (and therefore removed the splash screen problem) the whole game has no pixel smoothing anymore (because everything is now being handled by nglide). I know your feelings towards HUD filtering but in this case screens like station interiours or upgrade screens (being completely 2D) really NEED some kind of filtering. So mayyyyybeeee you could implement some kind of 2D filtering in the next 1.01 release? Please? Pretty please?
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Zeus »

Silver83 wrote:Now that Ykhwong's DosBox build removed the reinitialisation of the glide API (and therefore removed the splash screen problem) the whole game has no pixel smoothing anymore (because everything is now being handled by nglide).
You're wrong. nGlide is still used only in 3d simulation. Main menu / 2d screens do not use Glide API.
They are rendered by the DOSBox (SDL).

Main menu looks different now, because older Ykhwong's build ignored fullresolution=desktop setting.
This bug has also been recently fixed, so you need to set fullresolution=640x480 in dosbox.conf, if you prefer
the older look.
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Silver83
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Silver83 »

You are right! I assumed the things I mentioned above because I can't get one single scaler to work. But now I tried a shader and it's working fine.

Now what about the smoothed HUD elements... :D
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Zeus »

Did you set fullresolution=640x480?
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Silver83
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Silver83 »

No. I set resolution to desktop (2560x1440) and the shader did a fine job smoothing the 2D images. But I'm getting your point. Setting resolution to VGA would have a similar effect. So, menus and interiours are just fine now.

What's "missing" is a less pixelated cockpit and HUD look. And of course those elements are being rendered at my displays native resolution together with the 3D elements.
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Zeus »

Silver83 wrote:less pixelated cockpit
You're expecting too much from a 1997 game. Changing cockpit's filtering won't smooth its sharp edges and what's worse it'll cause glitches.
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Silver83
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Silver83 »

Of course I can get a less pixelated look by slightly blurring a 2D image. It won't get any sharper (rather the opposite) but it'll remove the pixelated look. It's a matter of taste. Think about the first 3D accelerated games with the first Voodoo cards. All it did was filtering the textures. It removed details but gave a smoother look. But I remember your postings regarding Pandemonium. So I don't wanna change your taste. But still, it would be a nice option, now that nGlide has reached version 1.0. Just my opinion, of course.

And I can already see it happening: Loading a mission in Archimedian Dynasty gives you a filtered cockpit for a very brief moment until glide kicks in. I like that look. I can do some screenhots for comparison if you like.
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by Zeus »

Silver83 wrote:I remember your postings regarding Pandemonium. So I don't wanna change your taste.
This is a matter of compatibility, not taste. If you remember my postings in Pandemonium's thread,
you should also remember what happens if you break compatibility rules and do something different than requested by the game.

In case you don't remember, look at Pandemonium's screenshots again from post #1 (just move horizontal sliders to the far right). Nice squares, black borders and lines, arent' they?

Post processing shader is less invasive method than changing filtering, but it's still invasive.
And as you know perfectly nGlide's goal #1 is compatibility, not glitchy enhancements.

Still though, you can use something like SweetFX. Of course, on your own responsibility.
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Re: Archimedean Dynasty / Schleichfahrt

Post by OldByte »

Silver83 wrote:And I can already see it happening: Loading a mission in Archimedian Dynasty gives you a filtered cockpit for a very brief moment until glide kicks in. I like that look. I can do some screenhots for comparison if you like.
3Dfx always had worse 2D sprites than software rendering and that the 3Dfx cockpits look worse than the software cockpits is a result of that and has little to do with nGlide.
Another game where you can see this is I-War for example, the 3Dfx version of NFS2 didn't even have cockpits because of this.
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