Questions on video resolution

[David Sandberg]

I only just started considering getting the current TOAW (I never upgraded past the original 1.0 version, years and years ago). But I have a few questions/concerns about how it deals with displays:

1) My old copy of TOAW required the Windows desktop to be set to 16 bit color. Is that still the case?

2) Are widescreen resolutions supported (specifically, 1680 x 1050), or still just the typical 4:3 aspect ratio screens?

I've also seen a few suggestions in the forum that there was a demo version, but I don't see any such thing available from MatrixGames. Does a demo of the current version exist?

[JAMiAM]

ORIGINAL: David Sandberg
1) My old copy of TOAW required the Windows desktop to be set to 16 bit color. Is that still the case?

No. You can run at 24/32 bit color depth with no problems.

ORIGINAL: David Sandberg
2) Are widescreen resolutions supported (specifically, 1680 x 1050), or still just the typical 4:3 aspect ratio screens?

I use 1680x1050. Ralph was using 1920x1200, until quite recently. Some were using 1440x900, but IIRC, there was some problem with the display of that particular WS res. Perhaps a driver issue? I don't recall whether that was ever resolved, or worked around.

ORIGINAL: David Sandberg
I've also seen a few suggestions in the forum that there was a demo version, but I don't see any such thing available from MatrixGames. Does a demo of the current version exist?

No demo exists for TOAW III. There was one, several years ago for Century of Warfare, or one of the earlier iterations of TOAW. Given the way TOAW III plays, it's really hard to put a demo out, without essentially giving away the game. We could maybe install some code that would wipe the C: drive if you keep the demo past the trial period, but I don't know how popular that would make us...[:D]

[David Sandberg]

ORIGINAL: JAMiAM

ORIGINAL: David Sandberg
1) My old copy of TOAW required the Windows desktop to be set to 16 bit color. Is that still the case?

No. You can run at 24/32 bit color depth with no problems.

That's very good news. This was the sole issue that has been holding me back.

2) Are widescreen resolutions supported (specifically, 1680 x 1050), or still just the typical 4:3 aspect ratio screens?

I use 1680x1050.

More good news.

I've also seen a few suggestions in the forum that there was a demo version, but I don't see any such thing available from MatrixGames. Does a demo of the current version exist?

No demo exists for TOAW III.

That's understandable, and is not a problem for me. As I mentioned, I've owned and played an old version of TOAW ... in fact I probably would still be playing that version if not for the display color depth limitation, as I loathe having to switch my video settings back and forth. (If I do, I invariably forget and then find myself struggling to edit gradient banding effects out of pictures and realizing too late that the display was still set at 16 bit due to some game I'd played the day before.) The only thing I really wanted a demo for was to check the above questions for myself, in case I didn't get a definitive answer here. Your answer above seems definitive.

Thanks for the prompt response!

[freeboy]

mine looks great at 14 10

[ralphtricky]

I'm playing at 1440x900 now. I also remote desktop into another computer, and after the patch, although you get a warning when you're playing at 16 bit color, it continues to play<g>

[David Sandberg]

ORIGINAL: ralphtrick
I'm playing at 1440x900 now. I also remote desktop into another computer, and after the patch, although you get a warning when you're playing at 16 bit color, it continues to play<g>

So now you get a warning when you ARE playing at 16-bit color, rather than when you AREN'T at that color depth? That's cool by me.

[Temple]

ORIGINAL: ralphtrick

I'm playing at 1440x900 now. I also remote desktop into another computer, and after the patch, although you get a warning when you're playing at 16 bit color, it continues to play<g>

My 22-inch monitor has a native resolution of 1680x1050. I tried TOAW3 at both that resolution and 1440x900, but the slight blurring at the latter non-native resolution defeated the value of the more zoomed in view. I went back to 1680x1050 and I've gotten used to it.

BTW I used to put off getting an LCD monitor because I assumed that nothing would match the quality of my Sony Trinatron CRT. Well, I was wrong, *as long as* I can run at the native resolution. I can still play at other resolutions, but there are compromises in clarity of text and very fine images. Still, most games accept or are acceptable at 1680x1050.