Design Resolution

[manikus]

I'm curious at what resolution people prefer to play designs. I'm not talking about creating art, as I know each of us has our own preferences. (Right Uatu? )

[Uatu]

I don't mind, as long as it looks nice and plays nice!

(But yes, 640 x 480 is always nice to make and play, too (might be good for the FRUAers as a mid-point as well))

[Dinonykos]

I voted for "don't care". However, if "Manikus' 800x600" means the bigger, quadratic viewport, I want to state that I like this more than the others. But this is not a matter of resolution, I would also like a quadratic viewport in the 640x480 resolution.
I agree with Uatu that 640x480

Originally Posted by Uatu might be good for the FRUAers as a mid-point as well

[manikus]

I guess I probably should have explained in my initial post what I meant by "manikus' 800x600", but part of that was to see if anyone had been paying attention. I do mean the larger (relative to resolution) square viewport.

I would like some further explanation on why the 640x480 is a good starting point for FRUAites. Please.

As for a square viewport for 640, that's doable, but a larger one...doable, but not as easy as what I did for 800x600. For my efforts, I took the viewport from the next size up, chopped off the bottom to make it square and went from there. But, the 800x600 viewport in 640x480 doesn't leave enough room for display of the party names and stats because even though CocoaSpud added an end of line feature, it never worked properly for making them small enough. I wanted to use the other viewport width because all of the wall stuff was already figured out. It is completely possible to put in any size viewport you want (within reason). I'll try and look at this again i the new version of DC. If needed, Paul could probably help.

[Dinonykos]

I guess Uatu (like I) assumed that the FRUA users are used to a 320px width, thus, working with 640px is exactly doubling the horizontal effort.

I would have assumed that transfering art from FRUA to DC is easier when changing to the 640 resolution...

By the way, I am not used to FRUA... Is the viewport quadratic? Or is it more or less half of the DC viewport (88x105)?

[manikus]

FRUA plays in full-screen unless you use DOSBox (and then you can still go full screen). When viewed full screen, the normally square viewport distorts to appear to be the same dimensions as DC (which is how DC ended up with the rectangle).

I think perhaps you guys were thinking of designers preferring to use 640x480, as opposed to players. As DC plays full screen no matter what resolution...

I do grant for designing in DC that they may indeed prefer the smaller resolution for the reasons you mentioned and that there are just less pixels to worry about.

On a semi-related note, it looks like CocoaSpud's effort while it didn't work in .914 does work in the new version of DC.
Here's my initial effort at a new, larger, square viewport (the green area) that is the same width as the viewport for 800x600 so figuring walls should be easier.

If anyone's interested, I'd be more than happy to share my config.txt file. Note: this won't work as well in .914 as 'HP' will likely not be viewable.

[olivier_leroux]

As one of the FRUAites, let me try to explain what uatu was hinting at. The higher the resolution, the more the look will defer from what FRUAites are used to. That's not a bad thing, it's all about personal preferences and nostalgia, I guess (e.g. remember my initial comments about font size, the use of lower case vs. upper case letters etc.?).

As a player, I'll happily accept any resolution and art style. Dinonykos' style is different from what FRUAites are used to, and manikus' 3D rendered graphics even more so. And they're all good. As a designer though, my personal preference in art lies with colorful, detailed and elaborate 2D illustration-like types, not too realistic but neither too cartoony. I loved the early 90s graphics in games like Eye of the Beholder for example and I love evrything drawn by hans. Now, the higher the resolution, the more difficult it becomes IMO to make something look good. I'm not an artist myself so I have to rely on cheap tricks and artwork I steal from other people. That's why I prefer lower resolutions because they offer a trickster more possibilities.

Not sure if that's what other FRUAites think, too, but FRUA is a game with a low resolution, therefor easy to manipulate.


EDIT:

Originally Posted by manikus I do grant for designing in DC that they may indeed prefer the smaller resolution for the reasons you mentioned and that there are just less pixels to worry about.

Yes. That.

[manikus]

Originally Posted by olivier_leroux As one of the FRUAites, let me try to explain what uatu was hinting at. The higher the resolution, the more the look will defer from what FRUAites are used to. That's not a bad thing, it's all about personal preferences and nostalgia, I guess (e.g. remember my initial comments about font size, the use of lower case vs. upper case letters etc.?). As a player, I'll happily accept any resolution and art style. Dinonykos' style is different from what FRUAites are used to, and manikus' 3D rendered graphics even more so. And they're all good. As a designer though, my personal preference in art lies with colorful, detailed and elaborate 2D illustration-like types, not too realistic but neither too cartoony. I loved the early 90s graphics in games like Eye of the Beholder for example and I love evrything drawn by hans. Now, the higher the resolution, the more difficult it becomes IMO to make something look good. I'm not an artist myself so I have to rely on cheap tricks and artwork I steal from other people. That's why I prefer lower resolutions because they offer a trickster more possibilities. Not sure if that's what other FRUAites think, too, but FRUA is a game with a low resolution, therefor easy to manipulate.

So your argument essentially boils down to system shock? Or does it boil down to FRUAites not liking good art? I'm just joking with you.

I think you have a legitimate point Olivier (or else I wouldn't even bother with the response). But, I think it really boils down to having good art. If someone could do a) high quality and b) contextually appropriate appropriate artwork, it sounds like you wouldn't have a problem with higher resolutions.

As a long time FRUAite myself, I don't mind the higher resolutions, in fact I was drawn to them. Before DC became my drug of choice, I played the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale games. Even after I was really into DC, I played (and continue to play) NeverWinter Nights.I think it could be agreed upon that the graphics in those games are higher quality than FRUA, but I will concede that they are not necessarily contextually appropriate, i.e. their style is different.

In the DC pool of artists, I think Uatu comes close to the old GoldBox style, but better because of more options for DC. I think some of Ziroc's art fits as well, especially his walls and overland maps. Dinonykos and I are clearly doing our own things, though. I look forward to DC adding some new artists so that we can add even more of what people might want.

I've mostly just been playing devil's advocate as I don't really what resolution I play in, as long as the art's good and that includes 320x200.

[olivier_leroux]

I had arguments? I had a point? I thought I was just rambling as usual...

Actually I voted for "Don't care, just make it good" because if you ask what resolution I prefer PLAY designs, that's it. I don't care as long as I think the style looks consistent and the space available has been put to good use.

And yes, you guessed that right, uatu's style is very much after my own heart. Hope to see a design by him someday.

[olivier_leroux]

Originally Posted by manikus Even after I was really into DC, I played (and continue to play) NeverWinter Nights.

We should hold a FRUA-ite/DC-ist reunion in NWN some day. I already met Ben S. and Kaz Keith in-game and I know others (like Nol Drek) are still involved with NWN, too.