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Topic: Hey MarkG |  |
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markusf
King
Oct 1999
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posted April 30, 2001 17:48
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Want to make a poll about windowed vs non windowed mode in civ3? I think everyone will be suprised by the results, can you ask the following questions in the poll?1. I Would like windowed mode/I play single player
2. I Don't want windowed mode/I play single player
3. I Would like windowed mode/I play multiplayer
4. I Don't want windowed mode/I play multiplayer |
MarkG
Apolyton CS Co-Administrator
Macedonia, Greece
b.02-15-99
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posted April 30, 2001 20:40
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sounds good. any comments on the above options? |
Zylka
Prince
Directly above the centre of the Earth
May 2000
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posted April 30, 2001 20:48
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Markus' options should be more than enough to make a pretty clear statement. |
Fiera
Prince
From Hispania (like Maximus)
Mar 2000
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posted April 30, 2001 20:52
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Would it be possible to vote for two different options (ie: "Windowed, I play single player", plus "windowed, I play multiplayer")? |
Russian King
Chieftain
Apr 2001
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posted May 01, 2001 09:01
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quote:
Originally posted by markusf on 04-30-2001 05:48 PM
Want to make a poll about windowed vs non windowed mode in civ3?
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By 'windowed' you mean in a windows interfface? you can minimize it and such? no, i would rather have a full screen with an option to minimize  |
MarkG
Apolyton CS Co-Administrator
Macedonia, Greece
b.02-15-99
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posted May 01, 2001 09:38
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actually, does signle player/multi player makes any big difference here? |
aCa
Chieftain
Oslo, Norway
Mar 99
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posted May 01, 2001 09:54
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Yes diffrent from singel and multiplayer. I wan't window mode in multiplayer and fullscreen in singel....------------------
aCa (a Civilization addict) |
Ceci n'est pas Snapcase
Chieftain
Oslo, Norway
Mar 99
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posted May 01, 2001 09:58
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I think it does. Multiplayers are the only ones who use windowed mode anyway. |
Roman
Prince
Bratislava, Slovakia
Sep 2000
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posted May 01, 2001 11:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Ceci n'est pas Snapcase on 05-01-2001 09:58 AM
I think it does. Multiplayers are the only ones who use windowed mode anyway.
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This is not true - I love windowed mode. |
Wittlich
Prince
Fayetteville, NC, USA
Dec 2000
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posted May 01, 2001 11:09
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I too like the windowed mode for both single and multi-play 
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markusf
King
Oct 1999
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posted May 01, 2001 12:11
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You got to understand that in north America pretty much everyone has Cable modems etc. Civ2 is great because i can check my email reply to icq etc etc. When a game is playing fulling screen i am cut off from everything else. Now i suppose a lot of single players aren't connected to the net so they wouldn't really care if it was windowed or full screen. But more of the world is being connected 24/7 to the net through a constant connection, it gets to be a pain in the ass to be cut off from everything. Especially when playing multiplayer and you have to sit and wait 15 min for your turn.. I would rather spend that time surfing. |
belusa
Settler
Brussels, Belgium
Apr 2001
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posted May 01, 2001 12:15
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Good point Markus ... one more vote for windowed mode |
ajbera
Chieftain
Apr 99
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posted May 01, 2001 12:42
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I also like Windowed mode for when I play while I work.Y'know, proofread reports for five minutes, take a few turns, repeat indefinitely. |
Fierz
Settler
Winterthur, Zurich, Switzerland
Dec 2000
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posted May 01, 2001 15:00
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I would like to see a windowed mode at least in multyplayer mode because then you can do something else while your're waiting for your turn. |
DrFell
Warlord
England
Sep 2000
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posted May 01, 2001 20:00
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I agree, windowed mode would be nice. Long turns bore the hell out of me. |
The Viceroy
Warlord
London, Great Britain
Nov 2000
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posted May 02, 2001 08:22
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What your missing here, is that most modern games run using DirectX .. this is not a "WINDOW" environment .. you are given a screen, and direct access to it . TOT/SMAC/CTP1&2 are all DirectX products. Even so, the Desktop is still there, sitting in the background .. you can usually ALT-TAB to it (as I do with NAPSTER & SMAC) .. unless its been disabled ... (always recommend you load the game last, so there is something to ALT TAB to), just hit the Windows key, if it doesn't As for Chat, ICQ etc .. These would run so much smoother if only the main loop has a small, but appreciated SLEEP!! so we don't get 100% Process hog from the game, slowing every damn thing in the background. This is much more apparent in slower systems. DirectX is much much faster than using a Windows "Window" .. and much more popular with games programmers, as it gives them control over the entire graphical display .. I would be suprised if CIV3 is not using DirectX. |
Adm.Naismith
Prince
Milano - Italy
Oct 1999
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posted May 02, 2001 08:39
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Good point about DirectX, but sometime ALT+Tab doesn't work on some system (may be because of short of memory, may be for others dark reasons... I don't know, but it's a problem I've seen quite often around here and others forum (at least, it was a problem with SMAC).In another thread about the same argument, someone (sorry, I forget his/her nickname) suggested to build a game as "system polite" as possible, to manage audio and screen (and any other PC resource) without hogging all for itself.
I hope someone at Firaxis care about it, as for Win2000 (and probably XP) compatibility: Microsoft is forcing us to these OS, better the game developers will take it into account, no more "Win 9x only" label on the game box/site support! ------------------
Admiral Naismith AKA mcostant |
rah
King
Ferretown CST
b.02-15-99
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posted May 02, 2001 08:45
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Yes, I always start civ last so I have something to alt-tab out of. But even so I would prefer a windowed game. It would make things easier.RAH |
markusf
King
Oct 1999
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posted May 02, 2001 10:09
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ok then, how does ULTIMA manage to do it? I am pretty sure they are using direct x as well, and it runs in windowed mode. |
The Viceroy
Warlord
London, Great Britain
Nov 2000
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posted May 02, 2001 10:32
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HI Markusf,It certainly did not run in a Window provided by Windows (if it was dx).. as Direct X uses its own set of libraries for direct access to the screen .. which is why its far faster that the Window provided by Windows However, it would theoretically be possible to provide a screen which is smaller than the desktop, which has its own set of programmed controls, so the user can move it about etc .. But basically, the software house would have to re-write all the functions you have on a standard window .. to make it look like it was one .. So maybe it is theoretically possible, but I really can't see any software house spending there time writing code to do this, when the only perceivable benefit is, you can run ICQ & chat at the same time .. especially more so, as you can ALT-TAB Anyway (if you run the programs in the correct sequence, and use the windows key if its naughty and doesn't work).
Francis
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"Wherever wood floats, you will find the British" . Napoleon |
markusf
King
Oct 1999
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posted May 02, 2001 11:16
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quote:
Originally posted by The Viceroy on 05-02-2001 10:32 AM
HI Markusf,It certainly did not run in a Window provided by Windows (if it was dx).. as Direct X uses its own set of libraries for direct access to the screen .. which is why its far faster that the Window provided by Windows However, it would theoretically be possible to provide a screen which is smaller than the desktop, which has its own set of programmed controls, so the user can move it about etc .. But basically, the software house would have to re-write all the functions you have on a standard window .. to make it look like it was one .. So maybe it is theoretically possible, but I really can't see any software house spending there time writing code to do this, when the only perceivable benefit is, you can run ICQ & chat at the same time .. especially more so, as you can ALT-TAB Anyway (if you run the programs in the correct sequence, and use the windows key if its naughty and doesn't work).
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I am not talking about running a game using the Windows API. Ultima online runs as a "window". Also i really don't see many people alt tabbing out of games every 5 min to see if they have new mail etc, or while they are waiting for thier turn. its just a pain and often times the act of tabbing in and out crashes games. NOw as far as i know direct x supports running in windowed mode. Just look for DDSCL_NORMAL which is the flag, and SetCooperativeLevel which is the function... So instead of passing it DDSCL_FULLSCREEN they should use DDSCL_NORMAL .... |
Ming
Deity
ACS CivII/OTF Moderator
b.02-15-99
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posted May 02, 2001 11:42
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quote:
Originally posted by markusf on 05-02-2001 11:16 AM
Also i really don't see many people alt tabbing out of games every 5 min to see if they have new mail etc, or while they are waiting for thier turn. its just a pain and often times the act of tabbing in and out crashes games.
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I couldn't have said it any better... SP or MP, I want to be able to do other things. Since we know there will probably be technical problems with the game, easy access to ICQ or any other alternative communications software is a MUST for MP players! |
Henrik
Prince
of the Angaracks
Dec 2000
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posted May 02, 2001 14:26
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I sincerely hope that they wont use directx to do the multiplayer since it will mean that all mac users (a few more than you think...) will be cut of from multiplayer 
Mac and PC players can play together in civ 2 but not SMAC, etc
[This message has been edited by Henrik (edited May 02, 2001).] |
ChrisShaffer
Warlord
Chicago, IL, USA
Aug 1999
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posted May 02, 2001 14:43
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quote:
You got to understand that in north America pretty much everyone has Cable modems etc. Civ2 is great because i can check my email reply to icq etc etc. When a game is playing fulling screen i am cut off from everything else. Now i suppose a lot of single players aren't connected to the net so they wouldn't really care if it was windowed or full screen. But more of the world is being connected 24/7 to the net through a constant connection, it gets to be a pain in the ass to be cut off from everything. Especially when playing multiplayer and you have to sit and wait 15 min for your turn.. I would rather spend that time surfing
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Only 6% of home connections in the US are DSL/Cable/whatever and the rest are 56k (or slower) dialup. A lot of us may have high speed connections at work, but the average home user has an old fashioned modem. And you wouldn't have to sit waiting 15 minutes between turns if we had turn-based simultaneous movement :-). Wouldn't it be nice to play a server based TBSE game with turns set to run every half hour?
[This message has been edited by ChrisShaffer (edited May 02, 2001).] |
vgriph
Chieftain
Norrköping, Sweden
Apr 2001
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posted May 02, 2001 15:36
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quote:
Originally posted by MarkG on 04-30-2001 08:40 PM
sounds good. any comments on the above options?
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How about Don't care? This does not mean that I don't care. I prefer Window based interfaces in all modes, but have most use for it in MP (like to have a solitaire game up and running to have something to do when I wait. ) |
markusf
King
Oct 1999
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posted May 02, 2001 17:20
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quote:
Originally posted by vgriph on 05-02-2001 03:36 PM
How about Don't care?
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Well you certainly don't play multiplayer. The fact remains that i haven't seen a SINGLE person who ACTIVELY plays civ2 multiplayer say they prefer a fullscreen game. If i was firixas i would seriously look at what gamers want. And as far as i know, forcing the user to wait 15 minutes for his turn isn't going to go over well. And if you do that you will soon have no one playing it multiplayer... ie SMAC |
MarkG
Apolyton CS Co-Administrator
Macedonia, Greece
b.02-15-99
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posted May 03, 2001 05:55
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#> |
Thread Closed 
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