Windows 7 Beta available to download on Jan 9th

AamirM · Post by **AamirM** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 1:53 pm

This seems to be the DirectDraw replacement in Windows 7. Nice feature list. Looks awesome already. I hope MS delivers it.

l3v3l · Post by **l3v3l** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:28 pm

sweener2001 wrote: i show extensions, and when i go rename, windows automatically highlights the filename and leaves the extension alone. problem solved on both sides. did you guys even try it out?

That is the way OS-X (10.5) works..
Any chance forcing WinXP to that behaviour?

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:50 pm

AamirM wrote:This seems to be the DirectDraw replacement in Windows 7. Nice feature list. Looks awesome already. I hope MS delivers it.

Err no. Direct2D is a replacement for GDI+, and its already in Windows 7.

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:26 am

iInteresting indeed.

So there I was, stuck playing starcraft in crappy colors yet again, as it has always been during my beta testing of windows 7. For what ever reason, I decided to leave screen resolution dialoge box open and what do you know- starcraft runs with its beatiful original colors.

If anyone knows what i'm talking about:

Symptoms:
Starcraft runs with bright turquoise colors everywhere in the menu system. It looks rather psychadelic.

On vista, it intermitently happend, on win7 it happens every time after the 1.16.00 patch installed.

Fix:
Simply open up your screen resolution window before playing, and leave it open. Doing so will result in perfect colors ever time. The same for vista, just open up personalize. I have no idea why this works, but i've tested it many many times- you just open the window- nothing else.

I've reported it to MS and Blizzard- blizzard quickly blew me off though with a "WINDOWS 7 IS NOT SUPPORTED" email.

Hmm... nope, dont care about spelling.

enjoy SC lol!

http://www.sevenforums.com/gaming/2981- ... y-cow.html

funkyass · Post by **funkyass** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:04 am

not enough koreans using win7 then.

stale · Post by **stale** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 8:40 pm

Has anyone seen netplay work between an XP machine and a windows 7 machine? Friend and I have tried 1.337 and 1.42n; neither are working for us. Just wondering if it's even possible or if we've still got something config'ed incorrectly

adventure_of_link · Post by **adventure_of_link** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:08 pm

you two playing on a LAN or Internet? if the former, you'll need the LAN IPs (which start with 192.168.x.x) and connect from there.

If the latter, you'll need to goto a site like whatismyip.com and forward the ports in your router, and connect using the Internet IP.

Post by **grinvader** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:36 pm

adventure_of_link wrote:Internet IP.

ATM MACHINE

adventure_of_link · Post by **adventure_of_link** » Sat Apr 04, 2009 11:09 pm

OK smartass, I was referring to the IP the Internet sees

Perhaps I shouldve said WAN IP? then again I dunno if he knows what a WAN is.

FitzRoy · Post by **FitzRoy** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:14 am

I really wish companies like Blizzard took the time to rewrite their classic older games to stay up to date with industry changes, plus offer them online. They never even switched over to single disc DVD editions of diablo ii or warcraft iii. Still the same old giant cardboard chest boxes spread across multiple CDs. How 1990s of them.

stale · Post by **stale** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:29 am

Yes, we have used ZSNES netplay successfully in the past. We know how to set it up and things look correct. My question, though, is if anyone knows about netplay compatibility between windows versions, since nothing else seems to be the culprit

franpa · Post by **franpa** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 5:59 am

FitzRoy wrote:I really wish companies like Blizzard took the time to rewrite their classic older games to stay up to date with industry changes, They never even switched over to single disc DVD editions of diablo ii or warcraft iii. Still the same old giant cardboard chest boxes spread across multiple CDs. How 1990s of them.

You only need to swap discs twice, once during install and once after install. (copying the install.exe off each disc and renaming them correctly.) I don't see any reason to re-release on DVD unless you want them to release versions of the game before they implemented a nocd method allowing play without the CD?

Gil_Hamilton · Post by **Gil_Hamilton** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:45 am

FitzRoy wrote:I really wish companies like Blizzard took the time to rewrite their classic older games to stay up to date with industry changes, plus offer them online. They never even switched over to single disc DVD editions of diablo ii or warcraft iii. Still the same old giant cardboard chest boxes spread across multiple CDs. How 1990s of them.

I'd pay good money for a Windows port of Blackthorne.

Tallgeese · Post by **Tallgeese** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:54 pm

Er... Fitz, you do know that Diablo II can be downloaded digitally from Blizzard with your CD key, correct?

I'm pretty sure that trumps even DVDs in modernity.

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 5:57 pm

funkyass wrote:not enough koreans using win7 then.

Well, its not just Starcraft thats effected if you remember, other DDraw games as well.

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:00 pm

Gil_Hamilton wrote:
FitzRoy wrote:I really wish companies like Blizzard took the time to rewrite their classic older games to stay up to date with industry changes, plus offer them online. They never even switched over to single disc DVD editions of diablo ii or warcraft iii. Still the same old giant cardboard chest boxes spread across multiple CDs. How 1990s of them.
I'd pay good money for a Windows port of Blackthorne.

meh, Dosbox ftw.

FitzRoy · Post by **FitzRoy** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 7:22 pm

Metatron wrote:Er... Fitz, you do know that Diablo II can be downloaded digitally from Blizzard with your CD key, correct?

I'm pretty sure that trumps even DVDs in modernity.

Okay, so now all they need to do is add Diablo and Warcraft II, rewrite all the old video code to support variable resolutions so we don't have to run them stretched or windowed, update the cinematics, create new audio files from the masters at higher bitrates instead of squeezed 22khz bullshit, and basically overhaul the code to not fuck up with modern APIs and operating systems. Games that have stayed this relevant and this high priced for so long deserve better treatment.

sweener2001 · Post by **sweener2001** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 7:47 pm

you're asking for sequels. that much work to completely change one game is insane.

while it is possible to hack the diablo 2 resolution, it's only people who cheat in multiplayer that use it.

also, i run these games full-screen, 4:3 on my widescreens.

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:15 pm

sweener2001 wrote:you're asking for sequels. that much work to completely change one game is insane.

while it is possible to hack the diablo 2 resolution, it's only people who cheat in multiplayer that use it.

also, i run these games full-screen, 4:3 on my widescreens.

I'd like to use the higher resolution, and no i wouldn't be cheating.

FitzRoy · Post by **FitzRoy** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 9:05 pm

sweener2001 wrote:you're asking for sequels.

All I'm asking is for classic programs in the hands of billion dollar companies to get overhauled the same way an old film would get a new remaster. They have the source code, they could do it inhouse or farm it out.

sweener2001 wrote:that much work to completely change one game is insane.

Not really, it would be easier and more profitable than say, a small startup making a game from scratch for Steam.

also, i run these games full-screen, 4:3 on my widescreens.

Yes, but the draw distance is fixed. In Diablo II for example, you can only draw a 800x600 area and stretch it, you can't draw a 1080p area (which would be fucking epic).

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:27 pm

Franpa introduced me to StarcraftResolutionHack.exe

snkcube · Post by **snkcube** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:55 am

FitzRoy wrote:Not really, it would be easier and more profitable than say, a small startup making a game from scratch for Steam.

How likely is it for a bunch of people to go out and buy Diablo or WarCraft II just for this "patch"? I don't see anything profitable from updating these old games.

Deathlike2 · Post by **Deathlike2** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:04 am

Updating the games for sake of doing so is not profitable. You would have to at least find creative ways (usually hires artwork) and/or new features to reasonably entice gamers.

Square-Enix is guilty of this, but to a different extreme... this is usually the way to go as long as the resulting revised product doesn't suck altogether.

Gil_Hamilton · Post by **Gil_Hamilton** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:39 am

Squall_Leonhart wrote:
Gil_Hamilton wrote:
FitzRoy wrote:I really wish companies like Blizzard took the time to rewrite their classic older games to stay up to date with industry changes, plus offer them online. They never even switched over to single disc DVD editions of diablo ii or warcraft iii. Still the same old giant cardboard chest boxes spread across multiple CDs. How 1990s of them.
I'd pay good money for a Windows port of Blackthorne.
meh, Dosbox ftw.

I've got a K6-2, SB16, and AWE32 sitting next to me.

Of course, for all I know, Blackthorne's music was made for the MT-32 or something. Probably General MIDI, given the date. But you NEVER KNOW!

Gil_Hamilton · Post by **Gil_Hamilton** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:45 am

FitzRoy wrote:
sweener2001 wrote:you're asking for sequels.
All I'm asking is for classic programs in the hands of billion dollar companies to get overhauled the same way an old film would get a new remaster. They have the source code, they could do it inhouse or farm it out.

We can rebuild them. We have the technology. They will be better than they were before. Better, stronger, faster.