Direct Draw Display Mode

[raoul85]

I making a 2 player action game in 2d environment with losts of graphics, When setting the display mode in direct draw, what resolution is best to choose, 640 * 480 or 1024 * 768, like what are the advantages or disadvantages?

[NoteMe]

I'm just guessing here...but I think that if you choose 1024*768 the game will be slower, becasue it will have to draw more...but the graphics will look bether....and the exactly opposit in 640 * 480....

[Arie]

In a continue to NoteMe:
You shouldn't use 640x480(Too small) or 1024x768(Too large).
Use 800x600 screen resolution. It's the best. Most used nowdays.

Arie.

[raoul85]

ok............ill try that, thanx!

[Machaira]

Originally posted by Arie
In a continue to NoteMe:
You shouldn't use 640x480(Too small) or 1024x768(Too large).
Use 800x600 screen resolution. It's the best. Most used nowdays.
Arie.

That's pure opinion, not fact.

A person with a small monitor and crappy system might only get decent performance at 640x480. You should allow the user to choose the resolution they want to run at.

[MundoDragon]

Yes, but all given, 800x600 is a good medium. Better than too much or too little anyway...

[MundoDragon]

But I do agree, user preference is definitely, by far, the best way to go.

[Arie]

I just said that the most used and recommanded resolution is 800x600.

To do multiple screen resolutions you should program your game in much more ways.

Arie.

[Machaira]

I'm not trying to start a war or anything, I just want to make sure accurate and useful information gets out. To say that (note the quote):

You shouldn't use 640x480(Too small) or 1024x768(Too large).
Use 800x600 screen resolution. It's the best. Most used nowdays.

is merely your opinion. Did you do a survey to see what was the most used resolution? I haven't used 800x600 in any game in about 2 years on my newest PC. My old one won't play some games in 800x600 at a decent frame rate as it's pretty crappy (mostly just used by my son for surfing). So in both circumstances your information is not accurate. It's not necessarily wrong, just not totally true.

Here's what I would say:

You may want to have a default resolution of 800x600, but you should always give the user the ability to change the resolution to whatever works best for them.

[NoteMe]

I'm not trying to start a war either....

....nut I can remember seeing a poll about the resolution and 1024*768 was the most often used on computers....but that poll only had 2-3000 answers so it might not be the right answer

[Arie]

I say that 800x600 is common on my area of living.
In my opinion, It's the best.

Arie.

[NoteMe]

Originally posted by Arie
I say that 800x600 is common on my area of living.
In my opinion, It's the best.

Arie.

I cant 100% agree with you there. I don't think that anyone can say that a resolution is best. Because it depends on the screen size. For a 15" monitor it is recommended to have 800*600. But if you are using a 17" then most people are using 1024*768, and if you have a 19" most people use higher resolution and so on. So you cant tell to a person that has a 21" monitor that it is best for him to have 800*600. That would kill the purpose of having such a big monitor in the first place....

[Arie]

Ok, no problem.
In this game case, he should use multiple choise of resolutions.

Arie.

[NoteMe]

Originally posted by Arie
Ok, no problem.
In this game case, he should use multiple choise of resolutions.

Arie.

Yes, if you are going to sell you game or something like that. You have to have a multiple choise of resolutions. But if you are just making a small game on your room that only you are going you play and or it is only for testing your skills or something like that. Then one resolution is OK.

...I have never made a game with more then one resolution