Post by: Magnnus on January 11, 2010, 12:17:55 AM
Post by: lastverb on January 11, 2010, 05:15:19 AM
Post by: Steve Walmsley on January 11, 2010, 05:16:46 AM
Quote from: "Magnnus"
I actually had no problems with any of this myself but I recently started a topic for this game at the Bay12games forum; it seems that a MAJORITY of the people interested can't play this game because of low resolution screens. It seems to actually be a catastrophic issue from the amount of complaints I've seen in that thread (id say at least 3 out of 7 pages of posts on that issue alone). There are also a large number of complaints about the installer. Namely people are confused about the 'yes to not override dlls' and having to unzip the AuroraUpdate475.zip file into the aurora folder after installation; this should really be done during installation. Many people were also worried about the installer because it modifies system32. There is also the missing msstdfmt.dll error on 64 bit computers; there is already a fix for this but building it in would be better. Some people are even reporting problems with their computer immediately after installing this game; this seems to be on Vista and Windows 7. I actually feel bad because it seems a lot of potential players aren't getting the chance to enjoy this game.I read through the thread. Thanks for trying to promote Aurora!
Rather than trying to post responses on there, I'll try to cover the issues mentioned in this reply. Before I start though, people who have problems would be much better posting their issues on here where there are a lot of experienced players who can help them. I know some people just like to complain in forums but those who want to learn would get helpful answers to their questions on the Aurora forum. The installation program was written by Microsoft and is the standard installer included with Visual Studio so it shouldn't be doing anything strange to Windows. To create the install program I just list which Aurora program files are included. Microsoft's installer decides which DLLs are included. Many of the DLLs in the installer will be out of date because this is an old language, which is why the installer recommends keeping the newer version. If anyone deletes the latest version of a DLL in favour of an out of date one then I imagine there is a good chance they are going to have problems elsewhere in their system. This isn't Aurora-specific though as I am encounter the "Keep Latest DLL?" question in many install programs. For step 3, I am not sure why unzipping a specified file into a specified directory and answering yes to the only two override questions is proving so troublesome.
With regard to install issues on Vista and Windows7. I don't use those operating systems and I hope I won't be held responsible if Microsoft don't make their operating systems more backwardly compatible. However, the common problems and solutions have been posted on here by very helpful members of this forum so I would recommend reading those.
Anyone receiving the "3061 error from the DAO database: too few parameters, expecting 1" error, either has mismatched versions of the database and program, which means they may not have followed the installation instructions and should uninstall and re-install, or they have the decimal separator issue, in which case they need to change that in their regional setting.
To those who won't play because they refuse to spend a few seconds changing their regional settings before and after playing. That is entirely up to them. To be blunt, its a free game and I am unaffected by whether they play or not.
To the person who maintains it won't run on XP64, my development machine is XP64.
Yes, it is complex and difficult to learn. I make no apologies for that. At least 95% of people are not going to like the game or won't be prepared to make the effort to learn it. Aurora is designed to cater to the other 5%. There is a new v4.77 tutorial, which is very long and doesn't even cover 10% of the game yet. That is still your best bet for learning Aurora through. Also ask questions on here where experienced players can help.
The most common issue seems to be screen resolution. Sorry, but I won't be changing the resolution to a smaller one, although I do get asked about this quite often. Aurora has a lot of information and to reduce the resolution I would have to break it up into a larger number of smaller windows. I run a triple-screen system with 1920x1200 on each monitor so if Aurora had smaller windows they would look too small on my own system. I have tried scrollbars, such as on the Task Group Window, and resizable windows but it is a lot of work for each window and it's worth bearing in mind the priority for new features in Aurora is often dependent on my own level of enthusiam for each change. Perhaps if one day I did attempt to sell a future version then I would obviously look at such options to make the game available to a greater proportion of those who wished to play it. As it is free though, I would hope people don't judge me too harshly for concentrating on the more fun aspects of programming this game. With the amazingly low price of monitors these days then anyone who really wants to play could probably get a higher resolution monitor for not much more than they would pay for a new PC game.
Aurora is a FREE game, which I develop for my own use and make available for others to play if they want to. I enjoy the community aspects of Aurora very much but this isn't a commercial game. I will occasionally promote the existence of the game, such as the recent AAR in the Wargamer forum, but I am not trying to persuade people to play it or even to like it, although I am very happy to help those who want to learn. I don't have any problems with those who think it is a terrible, over-complex, badly programmed game with dreadful graphics and I am not going to try and 'defend' Aurora. As I said, it wil not appeal to the vast majority of people. If anyone has a specific suggestion to improve Aurora, rather than more general criticism, then please post it in the Suggestions forum. Many of the game's best features have come from player suggestions.
Finally, I don't live in London (you couldn't pay me to), I live in Lancashire, in the North-west of England.
Steve
Post by: Steve Walmsley on January 11, 2010, 05:26:47 AM
Quote from: "lastverb"
agree, especialy with scroll bars - this new stupid-o-mania called I WANT HD!, BUT I DONT KNOW WHAT THAT MEAN, there aren't any new 4:3 monitors and most of hd ones have only 900-1050px height, which is not enough for aurora, for 1050 one changing position of bottom buttons to left/right of the screen would be enough, but not for 900pxAn interesting point about 4:3 vs 16:9. I guess what might be possible is to change the screens so that they are wider but not as high, changing the required resolution to 1440x900. That is about the same screen area as 1280x1024. Although that would then screw the people who are using 4:3 monitors and even that solution would require a lot of work.
Steve
Post by: Shinanygnz on January 11, 2010, 11:48:13 AM
I've just upgraded from XP Pro 32 bit to Windows 7 64 bit and I'm having no problems. However, when I ran the install I did get the usual slew of "keep your newer file" popups. As you say, so what, happens loads. I installed to D:\Games\Aurora so have no evil UAC problems with the Program Files area for me. It might be worth changing the default installation location to C:\Aurora next time you package up the installer.
One oddity I did come across was even though the install ran, it didn't create any of the Images, Flags, etc sub-folders. No biggie, as I copied over my old install folder from a backup.
I haven't encountered the dll issue that the fix is posted for (but know where to go if I do), but it might well have installed the required dll with something else.
Glad to see the people moaning about a free thing aren't getting you down. Mind you, I always find your ripostes when someone does wind you up most entertaining. You have a fine turn of phrase sir.
Stephen
Post by: waresky on January 11, 2010, 01:03:07 PM
And play with 2 monitors...Ahhhhh...at last awesome,relax and perfect for Aurora.
So..Good Work Steve.
Go ahead and play and WRITE up another Campaign chapter!!!
^_*
And for those who hate this "terrible,out-of-date,program"...am send a simple word: Amen:D
Post by: Magnnus on January 11, 2010, 02:51:35 PM
Post by: x2yzh9 on January 11, 2010, 03:12:14 PM
Quote from: "Magnnus"
I would like to apologize for the way some members of that community were acting; I found they to be very irritating and disrespectful as well. However the majority of that community is very mature and respectful. I only wanted to convey their concerns to the right community, but I understand your stance and don't fault you for it; I'm also sure most of them will understand as well.I agree, i'm part of the community there as well on B12. Magnnus you'll no doubt recognize my username.
Post by: Magnnus on January 11, 2010, 04:26:58 PM
Quote from: "x2yzh9"
Quote from: "Magnnus"I would like to apologize for the way some members of that community were acting; I found they to be very irritating and disrespectful as well. However the majority of that community is very mature and respectful. I only wanted to convey their concerns to the right community, but I understand your stance and don't fault you for it; I'm also sure most of them will understand as well.I agree, i'm part of the community there as well on B12. Magnnus you'll no doubt recognize my username.
Of course; I'm glad to see I attracted at least a few people. All I really wanted was to expand the community a little more.
Post by: mrwigggles on January 11, 2010, 05:13:44 PM
But yea, if there was going to be a community that was going to strive through the learning curve it would be those that play Dwarf Fortress, and fervor over its new coming added complexity and issues with the eventual new release. (When ever it may come...)
But yea some of the poster in the forum were quite indigent, one member does spring readily to mind.
-Nother B12 Forum Member
Post by: RandomUser on January 11, 2010, 06:12:31 PM
Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"
I have tried scrollbars, such as on the Task Group Window, and resizable windows but it is a lot of work for each window and it's worth bearing in mind the priority for new features in Aurora is often dependent on my own level of enthusiam for each change.
Looking at Aurora, it looks very much like a game I'd love dearly, but for the foreseeable future I'm limited to laptops, and the only external monitor I have is 1440x900.
Having said this, I certainly do not protest you choosing not to expend time on this if you don't see it as being time well spent, though I'd like to think your design would be such that adding scrollbars would be something done once rather than in every instance a window is created. If it's not, then I actually emphatically agree that the "simple, easy" solution of adding scrollbars would be neither, and would in fact argue against you wasting your time on doing so, even though it ensures that I'll not be able to play Aurora any time soon (if ever).
Post by: sloanjh on January 11, 2010, 08:20:19 PM
Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"
Although that would then screw the people who are using 4:3 monitors and even that solution would require a lot of work.
Like me
John
Post by: sloanjh on January 11, 2010, 08:30:45 PM
Quote from: "RandomUser"
Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"I have tried scrollbars, such as on the Task Group Window, and resizable windows but it is a lot of work for each window and it's worth bearing in mind the priority for new features in Aurora is often dependent on my own level of enthusiam for each change.
Looking at Aurora, it looks very much like a game I'd love dearly, but for the foreseeable future I'm limited to laptops, and the only external monitor I have is 1440x900.
Having said this, I certainly do not protest you choosing not to expend time on this if you don't see it as being time well spent, though I'd like to think your design would be such that adding scrollbars would be something done once rather than in every instance a window is created. If it's not, then I actually emphatically agree that the "simple, easy" solution of adding scrollbars would be neither, and would in fact argue against you wasting your time on doing so, even though it ensures that I'll not be able to play Aurora any time soon (if ever). :-) My recollection is that during one of the previous rounds of this discussion, someone posted a method to give the entire desktop more (virtual) real estate and have it scroll. I don't remember where it was offhand, but some judicious searching in the forum ought to turn it up.
ERIK/STEVE - I think this is the point where "we" need to introduce an FAQ board. The screen resolution issue should be stickied as the top post within it - that way we'd only have to dig this up one more time. "Why does Aurora stop when I didn't ask it to" might be another one, with my post that Steve found useful as part of the explanation.
John
Post by: Erik L on January 11, 2010, 09:25:37 PM
Quote from: "sloanjh"
ERIK/STEVE - I think this is the point where "we" need to introduce an FAQ board. The screen resolution issue should be stickied as the top post within it - that way we'd only have to dig this up one more time. "Why does Aurora stop when I didn't ask it to" might be another one, with my post that Steve found useful as part of the explanation.
John
I beleive it is listed in the Tutorial for system requirements, as well as the system requirements global announcement
Post by: Steve Walmsley on January 11, 2010, 09:36:03 PM
Quote from: "mrwigggles"
I find the offered solution of getting a new monitor to be silly with the b12'er issue, as it was also in relation to laptops, which can't exactly get a larger monitor for.You can plug a larger monitor into almost all laptops. I used to do this all the time. I also had a docking station for the laptop with separate keyboard, mouse and monitor.
Steve
Post by: Sotak246 on January 11, 2010, 10:16:44 PM
Mark
Post by: welchbloke on January 12, 2010, 02:11:13 PM
Quote from: "Sotak246"
One of the programs several of us discovered earlier to run Aurora on laptops is ResizeEnable, a freeware program. The program lets you resize all windows, even those normally not resizeable. It can be found with a google seach. I have found it very helpful in running Aurora on my laptop, giving me access to the entire window.The only reason I can play Aurora (and hence remain sane when away from home; well sane-ish
Mark
) on my laptop is through using ResizeEnable. I'm sure there are other programs available but this one works for me.
Post by: Darkone on January 12, 2010, 09:29:07 PM
Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"
With regard to install issues on Vista and Windows7. I don't use those operating systems and I hope I won't be held responsible if Microsoft don't make their operating systems more backwardly compatible. However, the common problems and solutions have been posted on here by very helpful members of this forum so I would recommend reading those.
Anyone receiving the "3061 error from the DAO database: too few parameters, expecting 1" error, either has mismatched versions of the database and program, which means they may not have followed the installation instructions and should uninstall and re-install, or they have the decimal separator issue, in which case they need to change that in their regional setting.
Would just like to say first, that running Windows 7 x64 Professional, I have had no problems whatsoever with compatibility, other than 64 bit ones, and far less than I have heard about XP64. I have also found Win7 to run faster, and more responsive than my ole XP :wink:
Otherwise, I would just like to say that the game seems neat to me, although so far I have gotten stuck after realizing at around part 3 of the tutorial, that I actually can't see the bottom of the shipyard window, due to the 16:10 1440x900 settings :( I'll have to try 360
Post by: sloanjh on January 13, 2010, 09:42:08 PM
Don't know if the above will work on Vista or 7.
John
Post by: Darkone on January 14, 2010, 12:31:25 PM
Post by: welchbloke on January 19, 2010, 12:01:51 PM
Quote from: "Darkone"
Apparently, resize enable does not work in windows 7, although it was a far fetch to expect it to work on a different OS than it was intended for.
I'm running Resize Enable on Windows 7 with no issues.
Post by: head on January 20, 2010, 01:26:00 PM
awesome game.
Post by: Poojawa on January 27, 2010, 02:21:03 PM
>.> and it doesn't really work for anything D:
Oh sure, it shirnks the windows, but it either microficates the buttons/tabs/arrows etc, or it just flat out breaks the window. I have 3 examples as well :
Economics is fine without shrinking, but task bar is minimized.
(http://i49.tinypic.com/1219b4p.jpg)
Ship design without changing window size
(http://i47.tinypic.com/24nhdh4.jpg)
and after.
(http://i47.tinypic.com/a1qyab.jpg)
I'm fine without scroll bars... but it would be useful to have some sort of fuctionality to adjust how big spaces are, and clear up a ton of the 'dead zone' near the bottoms of windows and such. Most retailers don't sell anything more than widescreen nowadays, so people would need to pay additional fees to get such online :/
Dwarf Fortress from Bay 12 solves issues with screen resolutions via:
Code: [Select]
This is the size and font for windowed mode. Changing to 800x600 and the 800x600 font might make you happier.
[WINDOWEDX:640]
[WINDOWEDY:300]
[FONT:curses_640x300.bmp]
Full screen info.
[FULLSCREENX:800]
[FULLSCREENY:600]
[FULLFONT:curses_800x600.bmp]
This is the dimensions in tiles of the display grid. Minimum x is 80. Minimum y is 25. Maximums are 200. Make sure the window size or full screen resolution matches the grid/tile size if you don't want the display to be squashed or stretched. The default windowed font has tiles that are 8x12 pixels, for instance, so for a 80x25 grid, you use a 640x300 window, and for a 125x50 grid, you'd use a 1000x600 window. FULLGRID is used in full screen mode, whether graphics is on or not.
[GRID:80:25]
[FULLGRID:80:25]
with assorted code, users are able to input to adjust the screen to what they need/like. So you can still have the normal 1024, but for some others who'd love to dig around inside this game and become eager to contribute what they can, but can't with a max of 900 vertical screen realestate, and no option to adjust it limits to just a laptop (which might not always be in use) or somehow getting a second Monitor.
overall, it's really just being able to adjust positioning of the data if needed, so that we can play it on a wider scale of monitors.
Post by: personofshadow on January 31, 2010, 12:56:30 PM
Post by: AussieGuy on February 02, 2010, 04:29:42 AM
Post by: mrwigggles on February 02, 2010, 05:26:38 AM
Post by: Summercat on March 25, 2010, 01:32:46 AM
Steve, I love the game. I honestly do, especially after suddenly getting the urge to play it and finding it still ongoing. But...
My monitor on both my laptop and my new desktop are widescreen, and their "Don't make this look like crud" settings end up hiding certain buttons. Specifically, the 'New' button on the ship design screen. ...which is kind of important.
Took me an hour to realize I had to change the settings before opening that window, but that was an hour of me having to mess with that setting as opposed to enjoying the game =\
Post by: Decimator on March 25, 2010, 09:56:29 AM
Post by: praguepride on April 01, 2010, 05:37:14 AM
I know I was sold