Will this old title ever get upgraded?

[strykerpsg]

I have been an original subscriber to the initial SSI SPMBT, wayyy back in the 90's. I loved this game, still do.

With the advent of higher resolutions on monitors, DX11 and video cards with GB's of memory, can we get this gem updated and modernized? I am finding it harder to see the icons as resolutions get higher and the icons get smaller. That is perhaps my biggest complaint. No need to totally re-write the game, just update the graphics engine to capitalize on much better hardware.

Thoughts?

Matt

[scorpio_rocks]

Originally Posted by strykerpsg

I am finding it harder to see the icons as resolutions get higher and the icons get smaller.

You do know you can zoom (in game and/or in windows) and/or change the resoloution?
(see HERE)

Originally Posted by strykerpsg

No need to totally re-write the game, just update the graphics engine to capitalize on much better hardware.

I think, you will find that that is not possible - it would require a full rewrite.

[Dion]

Speaking of graphics, I would like to see the scenario editor upgraded. Specifically, additional terrain types, and little things like roads and trenches not lining up perfically. Though, the maps do look good already, they could be improved.

[DRG]

Originally Posted by strykerpsg

I have been an original subscriber to the initial SSI SPMBT, wayyy back in the 90's. I loved this game, still do.

With the advent of higher resolutions on monitors, DX11 and video cards with GB's of memory, can we get this gem updated and modernized? I am finding it harder to see the icons as resolutions get higher and the icons get smaller. That is perhaps my biggest complaint. No need to totally re-write the game, just update the graphics engine to capitalize on much better hardware.

Thoughts?

Matt

Matt, if you'e that old and can't see the screen as well as you used to you need glasses just for computer work like I did....and when I use them.......surprise ,surprise, I have NO trouble seeing units or reading text in the game.

Don

[DRG]

Originally Posted by Dion

Speaking of graphics, I would like to see the scenario editor upgraded. Specifically, additional terrain types, and little things like roads and trenches not lining up perfically. Though, the maps do look good already, they could be improved.

Additional terrain types have been a consideration for awhile,,,,,,,the problem is the "advances" MS has made to their OS rendered a critical terrain generating feature of the game unusable so to build new terrain requires I dust off the win98 box and find a 3.5 floppy that still works and build terrain in an old DOS verson of the game then copy it to the floopy then fire up the old XP Dell because it's has a 3.5 floppy drive then copy those files from the floppy onto a memory stick then plug that into my Acer and If you read the amount of work that has gone in the last few patches you'll know why this has never got off the ground.........and none of that includes actually creating and assembling the new terrain.

Who knows one day I may wake up and do that but that day hasn't come yet because I've done this once before and I KNOW what a time consuming PITA it is.

Same story basically with slighly misaligned terrain....... a tweak needs to be made then all of the above has to be done then run it and see if it works..........badly assembled terrain WILL crash the game.

[strykerpsg]

Originally Posted by scorpio_rocks

You do know you can zoom (in game and/or in windows) and/or change the resoloution?
(see HERE)

I think, you will find that that is not possible - it would require a full rewrite.

Originally Posted by DRG

Matt, if you'e that old and can't see the screen as well as you used to you need glasses just for computer work like I did....and when I use them.......surprise ,surprise, I have NO trouble seeing units or reading text in the game.

Don

@Scorpio_rocks, thanks for the reply. I do know that you can zoom in and change resolution. I am running the purchased one that also allows me to run the windowed resolution, but it's still would benefit from newer updates such as mouse/windows UI that allow simple things like using one's mouse to zoom in and out. Also, the more it's zoomed, the more blocky the graphics get.

In the end, I have much love for this game but as technology increases and this game does not, it's losing my interest more and more. What once looked great on a 486 and Pentium 1 machine, is looong in the tooth on an i7 multicore machine with DX11 graphics. Not to mention the continuing struggle to keep a WIN95 game running on Windows 10 and future OS releases. I am finding more enjoyment from newer tactical games such as Command Modern Naval Operations, Flashpoint campaigns Red Storm and Campaign Series Middle East. Not because they have flashy graphics, but because their interface is modern and capitalizes on current UI interfaces, graphics and modern OS.

I remember when SPMBT was initially released and a few years later, they morphed into WINSPMBT, with better graphics, updated data base and scenario editor. It just seems there is no longer any passion to bring it up to modern specs, even if requiring a complete re-write of the code. Before anyone jumps on talking about funding, why not crowd fund? I can't tell you how many games I've gladly crowd funded in hopes of reliving a classic and seeing it to fruition. If you look at the bulk of the Shrapnel games, they are mostly all of an older genre of tech. At this rate, will they even be around in say 5-10 years? Look at this forum and the number of threads that struggle with getting this game to work in Windows 7, 8 and now 10. At some point, new consumers will shy away from getting an aged engine to work on their new machines.

Anyway, apologies for a soap box moment. I do enjoy the game, mod my database regularly, especially with Stryker stuff and hypotheticals, but I would passionately love to see this title morph again, before it's too late to garner new interest in younger or newer gamers. I think the naysayers will be the old grognards that grew up with fighting DOS commands and hex based games. I get it too, as that's me as well.

[DRG]

What I don't understand Matt and I think I speak for Andy as well, is that without my glasses I could not read anything on this forum or in the game yet with them on I can read the text of any game screen in desktop mode easily without any strain whatsoever......it's perfectly clear when I look at it,I couldn't ask for it to be any clearer and I'm using a widescreen Samsung monitor........so I just do NOT understand " I can't read the screens or see the icons clearly" that are reported by some players.

Yes there are threads about people having a hard time getting the game to run under various MS OS systems but that happens with any number of programs. I have a number that only run in my old XP machine but neither of these games are in that category. MANY of the issues came from us putting the game into program files years ago at the recommendation of Shrapnel games. Up to that time we installed it where it's installed now and had we left that alone I'd day 75% of the "issues" that have been brought up about the game not running for some people would not have been reported but we were asked to put it under Program files and when we switched the installer back to the game installed under C:/ that created new problems when people didn't pay attention to where their game was and where the new patches were going. When you elliminate those two items and people trying run the game with a new OS and old graphic drivers the number of problems is relatively small considering all we have done to the code over the years



Don

[Imp]

Also, the more it's zoomed, the more blocky the graphics get.
Matt

My eyesight now requires glasses or every thing close up is fuzzy but the above statement interests me.
On maximum game zoom my graphics are still sharp not blocky at all.
Never tried the magnifier if that's what you are complaining about.
I run a res of 1600x900 my computer can go higher but I cant see the point as I cant discern any improvement in picture quality at higher res.

[DRG]

John, are you running windowed mode or fullscreen ?. I assume windowed but it's worth asking. How big is your monitor ?

The Magnifier can show the 5th ( maximum ) zoom in level as a *bit* blocky( but it is naturally ) but 4th level.....which is the standard....., does not.

Another reason the graphics and/or text can get distorted is if the magnifier is set to increase less than 100% increments. Setting to 50 % increments WILL distort some things like this.....


which is why I recomended only using 100% increments as that does not distort the graphics in that link that Scorpio posted

2/ Click on the OPTIONS Icon and set the "how much the view changes" slider to 100%. This is important to maintain a clear font"

When set up correctly for use with the games the magnifier should only increase 100%, 200%. 300% etc NOT 50%, 100%, 150% etc

That said the ONLY time I use the magnifier is when I'm explaining to people how to use the magnifier and I turn it on to check that what I'm describing is correct.


But we don't know the reason for sure this like most complaints like this end up "drive bys"....a complaint is made we respond then nothing. I'd love actual screen shots so we could see the issue but Andy and I have gone over this and over this. Both of us need glasses to work on the computer and when we wear them neither of us has ANY problem reading text or viewing the graphics in windowed Desktop which, not surprisingly leaves us puzzeled when we get complaints like -- I can't read the text on the screen anymore and/or the Graphics are to small



Don

Edit.......I'm forced to use low res JPG's here which increases distortion. Under normal circumstances that 200 % example is razor sharp but that low res jpg is a touch "soft" but I agree the graphics and text in the game CAN appear blocky when using non 100% increments of magnification.......as does this forum when 50% or 150% is used........the SOLUTION is use only 100% increments

FURTHER EDIT....when I say "actual screenshots" I mean a screenshot saved as a BMP or a PNG as an attachment. There is little point posting a full screenshot to this forum in the post as a JPG when trying to demonstrate a graphics issue

[geoff]

I had a situation with a different game where the text was hard to read, but I found that if I set the in-game resolution to be the same as I was using outside the game, the blurriness went away.

I guess with WinSPMBT that would mean running the game in windowed mode and using desktop as the resolution. That's how I am set up anyway.

I like other newer games too, but I keep coming back to WinSPMBT!

Geoff