Notebook with a 15,4" ( 16:9 ). Any issue with Matrix games ?

[Darksky]

I'm going to dismit my desktop and switch to a mobile station.

I will buy a notebook that has a widescreen display ( 15,4" ).
I have 2 matrix games: WitP and Crown of glory. In this 2 games i cannot set a resolution. Also Crown of glory doesn't work in window mode.

Anybody here use this kind of display ? Will i have some issues with matrix games ? Also, will i have issus, generally, with other kind of games that don't support widescreen ?
I heard about a feature that make possible to run a 1024x768 resolution, adding black rectangle to both right and left. Using this feature i will be still able to make screenshot of games ?

I will happy to read your experience, is my first notebook and my firs widescreen too [&:]

[Marc von Martial]

Before you buy a widescreen display , either laptop or desktop, make sure that the display supports various ways to interpolate. Original app size, Original aspect ratio, etc. etc.. If the display does not support these then it´s not worth the money.

I heard about a feature that make possible to run a 1024x768 resolution, adding black rectangle to both right and left. Using this feature i will be still able to make screenshot of games ?

This would be the "original app size" I mentioned above. yes, you still can make screneshots and they also won´t have the black rectangle around them.

[Banquet]

I have a compaq with a Widescreen 14.0” WXGA High Definition BrightView.. which runs at 1280*768. I can tell you that runs WitP and Crown of Glory without any problems. (The screen does look a little stretched in WitP - but somehow that gives it a film like quality I like.

I haven't had any problems running any other games either.

[Mr.Frag]

I would strongly suggest you buy a higher resolution notebook then that. If it means saving more money to do so, do it.

There is nothing worse then cheaping out only to kick yourself after the fact when you are stuck with it for then next 3+ years.

*if* you go widescreen, go for one of the 1920 x 1200 displays. Worst case you run at 1600x1200 to get the 4:3 aspect ratio and don't waste lots of screen real estate.

Games that run windowed generally do so at 1024 x 768 ... if your screen is only xyz by 768 it does not fit on the screen due to the margin left around the screen.

Heres the difference between 1280 x 768 & 1920 x 1200 (both 16:9 widescreen)

[oi_you_nutter]

my latest notebook is a 15.4 1280x800 widescreen, most games do not support that native resolution and assume a 4:3 ratio display using the standard 1024x768 or 800x600 sizes, when this is required by a game the laptop display will switch to 1024x768 display mode that still looks good and is certainly usable, but is not as sharp as the native resolution.

here are some info on Matrix and other companies games that I have tried on the widescreen display and research into what resolutions they can support

Matrix Games that I have tried on this laptop and run satisfactory at 1024x768:
- Korsun Pocket
- GGWaW (fullscreen, see below for windowed)
- Clash of Glory

the following Matrix products are the ones that I know will allow the native resolution to be used:
- HTTR allows the resolution to be user defined using a method described in the httr manual
- GGWaW (when in Windowed mode)

other companies games that can support the larger or widescreen resolutions:
- Paradox Games such as HOI, HOI2, EU2 & Victoria have unofficial windowed mode and screen size mods/hacks that work well. the screen size hacks do require quite a bit of work.
- SR2010 has a registry tweak to set the required display resolution to user defined values.

this is not a complete list of all Matrix games but gives an idea of what can be gone by those people who have lcds, laptops or big crts displays and want to take advantage of their full capabilities.

[Darksky]

Just run WITP in full screen. System had black rectangles only to left and right and not to up and bottom of screen. So the game area expand vertically from native 768 to the 800 pixel of the widescreen ( its native resolution is 1280 x 800 ). The game is playable but the font appear streched or bad "antialiased".
Windows mode is the solution...for WITP.
Now i'm going to test Crown of Glory ( it has not a windowed mode ) and i hope that interpolation this time will work better[:(]