running the game

[jpmct]

I cannot seem to get the game to minimize to the toolbar nicely. I'd like it to go to the toolbar when I hit that Window key between alt and ctrl and for the sound effects from the game to turn off when I do so, and for the screen resolution to go back to my default when I do so. If this means starting the game up in a window instead of full screen mode, I'd be fine with that, but I don't see any sort of 'run the game in a window' versus 'full screen' in the options mode in the options menu.

Right now, when I hit the minimize to the toolbar key, all that comes up is the start menu and the toolbar. I can run programs sort of on top of the game, with the games sound effects, it's as if the game makes itself into my desktop when it runs.

It'd be great if I could get it to run normally, then I could play a turn or two in the midst of doing other things on my computer.

I'm running Windows 7 ultimate.

[DCWhitworth]

That's the way the game works I'm afraid. It would be a non-trivial matter to rewrite it to perform within a window. If the sound effects bother you why not turn them off ?

[jpmct]

Thanks.

The sound effect comment is just that a clean minimize to the toolbar will turn off the sound. I guess I'm not aware of all the tech stuff involved, but it just seems odd that a windows app cannot be run in a window, i.e. it's almost like DOS, only one program runs at a time.

Thanks again.

[Marshall Ellis]

It's actually not close to DOS but runs in DirectX Exclusive mode (When game is active then only game can be viewed). The reason this was done is to make the map scrolling as fast as possible because this map (At development time) was rather large to render in Windows 98SE (Original target platform) with 128MB RAM and the older graphics cards. This should be less of an issue tday obviously BUT not a showstopper. I can easily ALT-TAB in and out with little difficulty. This is still a very viable display method that is used on many console games for the same reasons (FPS games need the exclusive mode a bit more than we do LOL).