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--- en:games:star_trek_armada_1:tweaking_the_game [2022-04-30-08-15] – 7saturn
+++ en:games:star_trek_armada_1:tweaking_the_game [2022-04-30-19-15] (current) – 7saturn
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 By default the game only offers 4:3 resolution. With the [[..:star_trek_-_armada_1#patch_13|1.3 patch]] is also allows for wide-screen resolutions.
-**Important**: It is a known problem for the Armada 1 CD version to not run with resolutions beyond full HD (1920x1080). The game let's you set higher resolutions but when trying to actually start a game, the game crashes to the desktop and resets the setting to safe 640x480. See also section [[known_problems#Too High Resolutions Crash the Game]] on the matter.
+**Important**: It is a known problem for the Armada 1 CD version to not run with resolutions beyond full HD (1920x1080). The game lets you set higher resolutions. But when trying to actually start a game, the game crashes to the desktop and resets the setting to safe 640x480. See also section [[known_problems#Too High Resolutions Crash the Game]] on the matter.
 ==== GOG DirectX Wrapper ====
 The GOG release of the game comes with the [[en:game_tech:gog.com DirectX Wrapper]]. It allows for an adjustment of the game's optical properties. However, it is recommended to use the following settings:
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 The rest of the settings does not seem to make a whole lot of difference, except maybe the //Gamma correction// (if you need that).
 ==== Increase Zoom ====
-One small annoyance can be remedied if one is not completely satisfied with the standard overview. Armada starts by default zoomed in quite far, which doesn't exactly improve the overview of the events at all. In principle, you can now adjust this zoom by holding down both mouse buttons at the same time or use the ''-'' and ''+'' keys //of your numbers block//. (The mouse control of this are a bit bumpy, but once you got the hang of it, it works. First the right button, then the left one, in between make sure that you don't move the mouse.) But you can also adjust this setting in the ''RTS_CFG.h'' file. There you can find this line:
+One small annoyance can be remedied if one is not completely satisfied with the standard overview. Armada starts by default zoomed in quite far, which doesn't exactly improve the overview of the events at all. In principle, you can now adjust this zoom by holding down both mouse buttons at the same time or use the ''-'' and ''+'' keys //of your numbers block//. (The mouse control of this is a bit bumpy, but once you got the hang of it, it works. First the right button, then the left one, in between make sure that you don't move the mouse.) But you can also adjust this setting in the [[#RTS_CFG.h]] file. There you can find this line:
 ''float OVERVIEW_INIT_HEIGHT = 1000.0;''
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 ''float OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT = 1000.0;''
-The values ''1000.0'' are deliberately chosen in this example. If you configre higher settings, parts of the map my start to disappear, due to clipping. You can also increase the clipping distance by adjusting the //ART_CFG.h// file accordingly. The line with:
+The values ''1000.0'' are deliberately chosen in this example. If you configure higher settings, parts of the map may start to disappear, due to clipping. You can also increase the clipping distance by adjusting the [[#ART_CFG.h]] file accordingly. The line with:
 ''float FAR_CLIPPING_PLANE = 1400.0;''
@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 At this point, a warning is in order: The larger overview of course requires more computations from the system, so the CPU/GPU load will increase and the game may start to jolt. Especially if many nebulae and other elements have to be rendered, the game jolts even on current computers. Also some people consider this change to be cheating, as it gives a player the advantage of a bigger overview over the battle field. The default value for //OVERVIEW_INIT_HEIGHT// is 400 and //OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT// is 700. While setting //OVERVIEW_INIT_HEIGHT// to ''700'' will certainly not hurt, as you can achieve this without any changes in-game as well, the //OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT// might be a matter for discussion.
 ===== Scrolling Speed =====
-If one uses such increased zoom levels, one will notice very quickly that even at maximum scroll speed, the scroll is rather slow. This can be changed by turning up the parameters //FAST_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED// and //MAX_SCROLL_SPEED// in the //RTS_CFG.h//, e.g. to ''20''. This is not only useful when zoomed in, but also at higher resolutions, e.g. when playing on full HD. The scrolling always feels a bit slow otherwise.
+If one uses such increased zoom levels, one will notice very quickly that even at maximum scroll speed, the scroll is rather slow. This can be changed by turning up the parameters //FAST_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED// and //MAX_SCROLL_SPEED// in the [[#RTS_CFG.h]], e.g. to ''20''. This is not only useful when zoomed in, but also at higher resolutions, e.g. when playing on full HD. The scrolling always feels a bit slow otherwise.
 ===== Sound Settings =====
 The sound settings may be of some concern, because Armada causes problems with Windows XP and 2000. The unit messages and notifications sound choppy. So if the following tricks shown in [[known_problems#Sound Stutters on XP or Windows 2000]] don't work and the sound still sounds terrible, just set [[in-game_settings#Sound Settings|the speech volume to 0]]. You are not required to hear that, if it sounds crappy anyway.
 ===== Config Files =====
 ==== ART_CFG.h ====
-This on of the two most important configuration files, that control the Armada behavior with settings that are not reachable from in-game settings. Here is an overview of the most interesting config variables:
+This one of the two most important configuration files, that control the Armada behavior with settings that are not reachable from in-game settings. Here is an overview of the most interesting config variables:
 ^  Setting  ^  Effect  ^  Default Value  ^
-| CINERACTIVE_FAR_CLIPPING_PLANE | Maximum distance after which objects in the cinematics window are no longer rendered. | 1000 |
+| CINERACTIVE_FAR_CLIPPING_PLANE | Maximum distance after which objects in the cinematics window are no longer rendered. |  1000 |
-| CINEMATIC_FAR_CLIPPING_PLANE | Maximum distance after which objects are no longer rendered in cinematic sequences (in single-player). Do not confuse this with the cinematics window, that is always available. | 300 |
+| CINEMATIC_FAR_CLIPPING_PLANE | Maximum distance after which objects are no longer rendered in cinematic sequences (in single-player). Do not confuse this with the cinematics window, that is always available. |  300 |
-| FAR_CLIPPING_PLANE | Maximum distance after which objects are not rendered any more. | 1000 |
+| FAR_CLIPPING_PLANE | Maximum distance after which objects are not rendered any more. |  1000 |
-| GRID_FAR_CLIP_PLANE | Maximum distance after which the grid is no longer rendered. | 10000 |
+| GRID_FAR_CLIP_PLANE | Maximum distance after which the grid is no longer rendered. |  10000 |
-| STAR_FAR_CLIP_PLANE | Maximum distance after which also the background stars are no longer rendered. | 80000 |
+| STAR_FAR_CLIP_PLANE | Maximum distance after which also the background stars are no longer rendered. |  80000 |
 ==== RTS_CFG.h ====
-This file uses the //ART_CFG.h// (include directive), so everything set in //ART_CFG.h// can be overridden here as well. It controls more of the technical aspects. Be careful with some of the values here, that actually affect the game rules (e.g. how much something costs or where a unit can go). If these parameters are not set to the same values for all involved players in multi-player, the game //will// go de-sync rather early on (as units or yards do things they would normally not be possible for some of the players).
+This file uses the //ART_CFG.h// (include directive), so everything set in [[#ART_CFG.h]] can be overridden here as well. It controls more of the technical aspects. Be careful with some of the values here, that actually affect the game rules (e.g. how much something costs or where a unit can go). If these parameters are not set to the same values for all involved players in multi-player, the game //will// go de-sync rather early on (as units or yards do things they would normally not be possible for some of the players).
-^  Setting  ^  Effect  ^
+^  Setting  ^  Effect  ^  Default Value  ^
-| DEBUG_DRAW | If set to ''1'', the game will show the objects names and types. | 0 |
+| DEBUG_DRAW | If set to ''1'', the game will show the objects names and types. |  0 |
-| DEBUG_SHOW_BOUNDING_SQUARE | If set to ''1'', the game will show some rectangles that represent the positions of objects in the upper left corner. | 0 |
+| DEBUG_SHOW_BOUNDING_SQUARE | If set to ''1'', the game will show some rectangles that represent the positions of objects in the upper left corner. |  0 |
-| DEBUG_SHOW_OBJECT_BOUNDING_BOX | If set to ''1'', the game will show boxes around objects, that represent their boundaries. | 0 |
+| DEBUG_SHOW_OBJECT_BOUNDING_BOX | If set to ''1'', the game will show boxes around objects, that represent their boundaries. |  0 |
-| DEBUG_SHOW_OBJECT_BOUNDING_SPHERE | If set to ''1'', the game will show a circle representing the spherical boundaries of each object. | 0 |
+| DEBUG_SHOW_OBJECT_BOUNDING_SPHERE | If set to ''1'', the game will show a circle representing the spherical boundaries of each object. |  0 |
-| DECONSTRUCT_PERCENT_TIME | This value defines how fast a unit is deconstructed in relation to its construction time. The value range is 0 to 1 (=100% )). **This may break the sync for network matches if not all players have the very same setting.** | 0.3 |
+| DECONSTRUCT_PERCENT_TIME | This value defines how fast a unit is deconstructed in relation to its construction time. The value range is 0 to 1 (=100% )). **This may break the sync for network matches if not all players have the very same setting.** |  0.3 |
-| EASY_AI_CLOAK_PERCENT | How likely is it, that the easy AI cloaks its ships before going on an incursion. Value range is 0 to 100 (100%). | 25 |
+| EASY_AI_CLOAK_PERCENT | How likely is it, that the easy AI cloaks its ships before going on an incursion. Value range is 0 to 100 (100%). |  25 |
-| EASY_DAMAGE | Damage multiplier for the easy AI in single-player. Can be an arbitrary value, with //1// representing 100% or normal values. | 0.5 |
+| EASY_DAMAGE | Damage multiplier for the easy AI in single-player. Can be an arbitrary value, with //1// representing 100% or normal values. |  0.5 |
-| FAST_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED | How fast does the game scroll at most? | 5 |
+| FAST_MAX_SCROLL_SPEED | How fast does the game scroll at most? |  5 |
-| FRAMERATE_DISPLAY | If set to ''1'' then FPS are displayed in the upper left corner. | 0 |
+| FRAMERATE_DISPLAY | If set to ''1'' then FPS are displayed in the upper left corner. |  0 |
-| HARD_AI_CLOAK_PERCENT | How likely is it, that the hard AI cloaks its ships before going on an incursion. Value range is 0 to 100 (100%). | 75 |
+| HARD_AI_CLOAK_PERCENT | How likely is it, that the hard AI cloaks its ships before going on an incursion. Value range is 0 to 100 (100%). |  75 |
-| HARD_AI_COST_AND_SPEED_HANDICAP | Defines the hard AIs advantage in terms of build time and resource cost. This value can be arbitrary with 1 defining 100% or normal cost. **This may break the sync for network matches if not all players have the very same setting.** | 0.4 |
+| HARD_AI_COST_AND_SPEED_HANDICAP | Defines the hard AIs advantage in terms of build time and resource cost. This value can be arbitrary with 1 defining 100% or normal cost. **This may break the sync for network matches if not all players have the very same setting.** |  0.4 |
-| HARD_DAMAGE | Damage multiplier for the hard AI in single-player. Can be an arbitrary value, with //1// representing 100% or normal values. | 2 |
+| HARD_DAMAGE | Damage multiplier for the hard AI in single-player. Can be an arbitrary value, with //1// representing 100% or normal values. |  2 |
-| MAP_EDGE_BUFFER | Defines the width of the border, that cannot be entered. It does not change the overall size of the map. It only sets the border in each direction of the map. | 100 |
+| MAP_EDGE_BUFFER | Defines the width of the border, that cannot be entered. It does not change the overall size of the map. It only sets the border in each direction of the map. |  100 |
-| MAX_SCROLL_SPEED | How fast does the game scroll at most if you use only one way of scrolling. | 10 |
+| MAX_SCROLL_SPEED | How fast does the game scroll at most if you use only one way of scrolling. |  10 |
-| MEDIUM_AI_CLOAK_PERCENT | How likely is it, that the medium AI cloaks its ships before going on an incursion. Value range is 0 to 100 (100%). | 50 |
+| MEDIUM_AI_CLOAK_PERCENT | How likely is it, that the medium AI cloaks its ships before going on an incursion. Value range is 0 to 100 (100%). |  50 |
-| MEDIUM_AI_COST_AND_SPEED_HANDICAP | Defines the medium AIs advantage in terms of build time and resource cost. This value can be arbitrary with 1 defining 100% or normal cost. **This may break the sync for network matches if not all players have the very same setting.** | 0.8 |
+| MEDIUM_AI_COST_AND_SPEED_HANDICAP | Defines the medium AIs advantage in terms of build time and resource cost. This value can be arbitrary with 1 defining 100% or normal cost. **This may break the sync for network matches if not all players have the very same setting.** |  0.8 |
-| OVERVIEW_INIT_HEIGHT | Defines the altitude of the camera when you enter the match or press ''h''. | 450 |
+| OVERVIEW_INIT_HEIGHT | Defines the altitude of the camera when you enter the match or press ''h''. |  450 |
-| OVERVIEW_INIT_ROTATION | Defines the turning angle of the camera when entering a match or pressing ''h''. The higher the more the map is turned anti-clock-wise or the camera clockwise. Values are in radiant, e.g. 180 ° = $\pi$. So a value of $\approx$ 6.28 would have no effect as the camera is turned entirely for one time. | 0 |
+| OVERVIEW_INIT_ROTATION | Defines the turning angle of the camera when entering a match or pressing ''h''. The higher the value, the more the map is turned anti-clock-wise or the camera clockwise. Values are in radiant, e.g. 180 ° = $\pi$. So a value of $\approx$ 6.28 would have no effect as the camera is turned entirely for one time. |  0 |
-| OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT | Maximum altitude you can reach with the ''-'' key on your numblock. | 700 |
+| OVERVIEW_MAX_HEIGHT | Maximum altitude you can reach with the ''-'' key on your numblock. |  700 |
-| OVERVIEW_MIN_HEIGHT | Minimum altitude you can reach with the ''+'' key on your numblock. | 10 |
+| OVERVIEW_MIN_HEIGHT | Minimum altitude you can reach with the ''+'' key on your numblock. |  10 |
-| OVERVIEW_PARABOLA_FOCUS | Reference point on the parabola, controlling the perspective angle of the camera. | 200 |
+| OVERVIEW_PARABOLA_FOCUS | Reference point on the parabola, controlling the perspective angle of the camera. |  200 |
-| SCROLL_BORDER_WIDTH | Distance of the mouse pointer to the screen border from which on scrolling begins, measured from the pointer tip. | 2 |
+| SCROLL_BORDER_WIDTH | Distance of the mouse pointer to the screen border from which on scrolling begins, measured from the pointer tip. |  2 |
-| SCROLL_COEFFICIENT | Multiplier for the scroll speed. Controls the overall scrolling speed. Goes for keyboard and mouse scroll. | 90'000 |
+| SCROLL_COEFFICIENT | Multiplier for the scroll speed. Controls the overall scrolling speed. Goes for keyboard and mouse scroll. |  90000 |
-| STATION_PLACEMENT_GRID_SIZE | Grid distance of build blocking depiction. The bigger the value, the more rough the grid gets. Default is 50, representing half of the size of the general map grid. 25 is the same granularity as the For of War uses. **Do not set this to very low values (e.g. 1).** It will impact performance massively, when setting a new building. | 50 |
+| STATION_PLACEMENT_GRID_SIZE | Grid distance of build blocking depiction. The bigger the value, the more rough the grid gets. Default is 50, representing half of the size of the general map grid. 25 is the same granularity as the Fog of War uses. **Do not set this to very low values (e.g. 1).** It will impact performance massively, when setting a new building. |  50 |
-| TRANSPORTER_MAX | Maximum size of the beam-in boarding party. | 5 |
+| TRANSPORTER_MAX | Maximum size of the beam-in boarding party. |  5 |
-| TRANSPORTER_RANGE | Maximum distance for beam-ins. | 500 |
+| TRANSPORTER_RANGE | Maximum distance for beam-ins. |  500 |
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