[rickrsr]

When I run FS2open using "C:\rick\FreeSpace2open\FreeSpace2install\FS2.exe", I believe that things are working fine because the game starts up in 1920x1080 resolution and gameplay proceeds smoothly.
(When I first installed the original FS2,  running FS2.exe started the game in low resolution).

But, when I try to run from the launcher, i.e. "C:\Program Files (x86)\wxLauncher\bin\wxlauncher.exe", after I click on "play", I get fatal errors "Unable to get proper pixel format for OpenGL W32!" and "Unable to initialize display device!".

I am running on Windows 8, FS2open version 3.70, which I built from the FS2 I downloaded from GOG.com,
using the documention from "www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Installing_FreeSpace_2_Open".

So I'm not stopped from starting to learn about the game, but I would appreciate any help at getting the "play" from wxLauncher to work.

[Yarn]

When I run FS2open using "C:\rick\FreeSpace2open\FreeSpace2install\FS2.exe", I believe that things are working fine because the game starts up in 1920x1080 resolution and gameplay proceeds smoothly.

Retail FreeSpace 2 (which is what you're referring to there) runs only in 640x480 and 1024x768; it's definitely not running in 1920x1080.

But, when I try to run from the launcher, i.e. "C:\Program Files (x86)\wxLauncher\bin\wxlauncher.exe", after I click on "play", I get fatal errors "Unable to get proper pixel format for OpenGL W32!" and "Unable to initialize display device!".

I am running on Windows 8, FS2open version 3.70, which I built from the FS2 I downloaded from GOG.com,
using the documention from "www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Installing_FreeSpace_2_Open".

So I'm not stopped from starting to learn about the game, but I would appreciate any help at getting the "play" from wxLauncher to work.

Please post your fs2_open.log file.  Instructions on how to do this can be found in this post.