[chief1983]

I don't see any reason that a mod flag couldn't be enabled to override that launcher option and say that it definitely supports stretching to anamorphic resolutions.  But still, with the current setup, you have to design your mainhall on a 4:3 canvas, and it still gets distorted to 16:9, or worse depending on the monitor setup.  Are we really saying that we should still have the default on a 3-monitor (48:9) setup to be stretched across all three instead of just filling the middle one properly?  An anamorphic mainhall should be completely feasible when we get code to properly support non-4:3 interfaces, but for now maintaining the 4:3 AR when the content doesn't have a way to explicitly say it works in other ARs seems the way to go.  This change of default behavior isn't going to be the only way people on widescreen will be experiencing any mainhalls for the rest of time guys, it's just going to handle retail and older mods that weren't designed with widescreen in mind, and have no way to be updated to use pending improved interface features.

[Luis Dias]

I was just thinking about how one might want to play vanilla FS2 and thus the pillarboxing makes sense, but then later might want to play The Antagonist or Wings of Dawn or whatever, and the pillarboxing might not make much sense then, and in such a scenario one has to be constantly changing the flag or just being minimally annoyed by it.

[Macfie]

In my opinion, pillarboxing is the correct solution, since it displays the art as it was intended by the artist. In addition, as resolutions get higher, stretching the interface becomes ever more cumbersome, with it reaching ridiculous levels once you get to multiscreen setups.

I agree with the E.  But I think we should set "run in window" as the default mode.  That way the game can be run in 640 x480 or 1024 x768 as the artist intended.  This would get rid of all the stretching concerns and you could enjoy the pillarbox appearance throughout the entire game and not just in the menus or the main hall.  This would also provide a consistent appearance regardless of the monitor or multiscreen setup.

[General Battuta]

Why would you want to pillarbox throughout the entire game when you could run at your monitor's native resolution with no downside or distortion? It's not like in-game rendering gets stretched.

[Kolgena]

I was just thinking about how one might want to play vanilla FS2 and thus the pillarboxing makes sense, but then later might want to play The Antagonist or Wings of Dawn or whatever, and the pillarboxing might not make much sense then, and in such a scenario one has to be constantly changing the flag or just being minimally annoyed by it.

Mods used to be able to have their own launcher flags in a mod.ini file. Not sure if it still works in wxlauncher, but that's how it was in 5.5g.

I'm happy either way, as long as there's an option to put it into 4:3 easily for mainhalls. If that's the case, I could care less what the default is.

(@Battuta, I think Macfie is being facetious, he doesn't agree at all with The_E)

[Luis Dias]

omg that sarcasm also flew right above my head, his comment seemed so nonsensically dumb to me that I didn't even dare to reply.

[The E]

I would really ask everyone to keep the trolling and sarcasm to a minimum. It's stupid and not helpful.

[swashmebuckle]

Could the default be set to pillarbox if the ratio goes past 3:1 and stretch otherwise? I can at least concede that stretching doesn't work for triple monitor setups.

I'm quite surprised that the pillarboxes are so far ahead in the vote count. My brain instantly corrects for a stretched image just as if it were viewing a painting off-axis (though that goes in the opposite direction), whereas the pillarboxes are a persistent intrusion into the domain of the art that detracts from the sense of immersion every time my eyes move the the edges of the image. It's a different quality of disruption that draws attention to the medium itself rather than what is on it, like a painter leaving bare canvas visible within the frame, or a bunch of stagehands in Slayer t-shirts smoking and goofing around inside the proscenium arch.

[chief1983]

Just curious, do you anti-pillarboxing people have monitors that aren't black?  I don't understand how they don't just blend in with the surrounding frame that's already there.

[Spoon]

Nope, both my screens are super black.

Like swashmebuckle, I'm suprised too. And what he says is so true.
But it seems like the majority likes to have big distracting black boxes on the edges 

[Mongoose]

See, and I look at a clearly-stretched image and immediately think, "Okay who the hell screwed up the aspect ratio here?"  Different strokes and all.

[General Battuta]

See, and I look at a clearly-stretched image and immediately think, "Okay who the hell screwed up the aspect ratio here?"  Different strokes and all.

Most mainhalls don't look much different when stretched. Again, this is purely for menus, not for gameplay.

HLP's tongue emote is so infuriating and antagonistic that I think using it should increment some kind of hidden 'randomly blank my posts' variable.

[Luis Dias]

Take it easy Batts, we are discussing things that ultimately aren't going to impact us at all, only the newcomers.

[swashmebuckle]

The contrast between the black plastic frame of my monitor and the illuminated black LCD pillarboxes is pretty eye-catching to me, and they definitely don't blend together into a single background that I can zone out.  Maybe if the monitor were of a type that could produce a black level closer to what it looks like when the screen is off it wouldn't seem as bad, I'm not sure. As it is though, the pillarboxes are sticking out there announcing that we aren't using this part of the screen for some reason. The interface just abruptly ends...and then the screen ends.

I think my brain sees it like a puzzle where it's obvious that these two things are supposed to line up and fit together, and someone just left it one step away from being done. It isn't gonna ruin my day or anything, it just feels like an amateurish formatting error.

I also just checked on my mod that has little letterboxed areas on the bottom and top of the mainhall screen for menu items and text legibility, and the combination of letterboxes and pillarboxes just looks stupid. So letting mods force it one way or the other would certainly be good for me.

[Luis Dias]

swash, this discussion isn't about a thing that will force "anyone" do X or Y. The option is there, you can stretch it back NOW. The discussion is about what is by "default", which ultimately only inflicts itself unto newcomers. If they are directed to the option in a non obscure way, they will eventually be able to decide for themselves as well.

[SypheDMar]

I've played a lot of retro games, and stretching in every one of them looks terrible. Playing Super Metroid, Raiden II,  or Star Fox 64 stretched is such an eyesore that the only way for me to play those games is with pillarboxes. FreeSpace 2 is no exception, and for the longest time I could tell there was something off with the mainhall.
At the time, there was no solution except to play in a lower resolution or in windowed mode. Now that there is an alternative, keeping the aspect ratio should be default, and anything against the norm should be the switch.

[swashmebuckle]

swash, this discussion isn't about a thing that will force "anyone" do X or Y. The option is there, you can stretch it back NOW. The discussion is about what is by "default", which ultimately only inflicts itself unto newcomers. If they are directed to the option in a non obscure way, they will eventually be able to decide for themselves as well.

I understand, and I would like for my mod to be able to force overrides of the default option (depending on the user's resolution) so that my mainhall isn't undermined by pillarboxes for users that haven't elected to force them one way or the other via launcher flag.

[Cyborg17]

My opinion is that if someone is forced to have a stretched interface over three monitors, they're going to get turned off to the game.  They will likely want to get right into the action after long downloads and not have to worry about stretching issues.  Pillarboxing keeps more players.  Those who stick around and have one low res monitor and want to switch back to classic stretching will eventually find the option to do so.

I also think it's a great idea to have info in the pillars.

[General Battuta]

My opinion is that if someone is forced to have a stretched interface over three monitors, they're going to get turned off to the game.  They will likely want to get right into the action after long downloads and not have to worry about stretching issues.  Pillarboxing keeps more players.  Those who stick around and have one low res monitor and want to switch back to classic stretching will eventually find the option to do so.

Nobody here has suggested forcing anyone to have a stretched interface over three monitors.

I also think it's a great idea to have info in the pillars.

I will go to obscene lengths to prevent this from happening.

[mjn.mixael]

I also think it's a great idea to have info in the pillars.

I will go to obscene lengths to prevent this from happening.

I will march next to you on that one...