I really don't know what you are talking about when you say "FULL" compatibility costs a couple of thousand dollars.The problem is the expenses that are now being put on indie developers, especially indie game developers, for FULL compatibility with Vista. Considering I only write freeware, its just not cost effective to spend a couple thousand dollars per game for FULL Vista compatibility.
maybe I don't understand then what you mean. If I take an XP machine, reformat it and install Vista without changing any hardware in the machine, how is this not running Vista with the same exact hardware that was in the machine when XP was installed? How is it not a fair statement to say that? How would I "not" be using the same hardware if the only thing that changed was the OS from XP to Vista? I don't understand what you mean. And...how is it an unfair statement?Brice Manuel wrote:This is an unfair statement and you really cannot compare gaming performance of XP and Vista for PB because you are really "not" using the same hardware.SFSxOI wrote:in fact I see better performance with Vista then XP ever had with an average increase in frame rates of 10 or more with the exact same hardware that was running with the same games in XP.
Take a 2D (DirectDraw) game written in PB for an example. Under XP, it will be using DX7 no matter what and it will not be taking full advantage of your video card which will likely be a DX9 or DX8 card. Not to mention under XP, drivers have for years been giving worse performance for older DX7 based stuff as the drivers and hardware are tweaked for DX9 or DX8 performance.
On Vista, that same 2D game will NOT be using DX7 and the api calls are translated at runtime to DX9 calls, and the game will be running as "3D" and it will be taking full advantage of your video card. No matter what version of DX used for older games, they will be running as DX9 and should fly. Unfortunately, due to internal changes in DX over the years, some older 3D stuff does not necessarily have an equivalent in DX9 and instead of being translated to something hardware accelerated, the effect in question can be translated to something in software mode which will degrade performance.
Unfortunately, there are also hideous problems with drivers for some cards, and especially running something DX7 based with certain drivers. Until Nvidia gets their act together, you can sometimes get better performance using OpenGL.
I am but for different reasons. My main target is now Linux and the only versions of Windows my software will run on is XP and 2000. I won't support Vista, ME, 98, 95.I wish everyone would just boycott Vista.
Its not a case of comparing apples to oranges, but more of a case of comparing apples to apple pie.How is it not a fair statement to say that?
As I explained in great detail and using a PB 2D game as an example, on XP running that game you are just not able to use all the capabilities and power of your graphics card. Under Vista, that same game will use all the capabilities and power of your graphics card.If I take an XP machine, reformat it and install Vista without changing any hardware in the machine, how is this not running Vista with the same exact hardware that was in the machine when XP was installed?
OK, I understand what your saying now. I thought you were indicating that the hardware its self somehow 'magically' changed when Vista was installed.Brice Manuel wrote:Its not a case of comparing apples to oranges, but more of a case of comparing apples to apple pie.How is it not a fair statement to say that?
Think of your graphics card as the apple pie. Under Vista your PB 2D game would be using all of the ingredients necessary to make the apple pie. Under XP, your PB 2D game would only be using the apples which is only one of the ingredients in an apple pie.
As I explained in great detail and using a PB 2D game as an example, on XP running that game you are just not able to use all the capabilities and power of your graphics card. Under Vista, that same game will use all the capabilities and power of your graphics card.If I take an XP machine, reformat it and install Vista without changing any hardware in the machine, how is this not running Vista with the same exact hardware that was in the machine when XP was installed?
It is not fair to compare the two, because the PB 2D game would be rendered completely differently on XP than on Vista. One would be fully using all of your hardware, one wouldn't.
Current driver issues aside, Vista should be awesome for gaming, especially for older games.
Code: Select all
EnableExplicit
;-Constants
#Name = "The Game"
#Version = "v1.0 Alpha 1"
#Copyright = "Copyright © 2006 Some Stupid Guy."
#ScreenWidth = 1024
#ScreenHeight = 768
#ScreenDepth = 32
;-Enumeration
Enumeration ;Menues
#mnu_None
#mnu_Main
#mnu_SinglePlayer
#mnu_HostGame
#mnu_JoinGame
#mnu_Options
EndEnumeration
Enumeration ;Fonts
#fnt_Impact_18
#fnt_Impact_24
#fnt_Impact_120
EndEnumeration
Enumeration ;Sprites
#spr_Cursor
#spr_ScreenShot
EndEnumeration
;-Variables
Global MB_Left, Menu = #mnu_Main
;-Procedures
Procedure DrawTextCentered(X,Y,String$)
DrawText(X-TextWidth(String$)/2,Y-TextHeight(String$)/2,String$)
EndProcedure
Procedure DrawTextXCentered(X,Y,String$)
DrawText(X-TextWidth(String$)/2,Y,String$)
EndProcedure
Procedure MB_Left() ;0 = False, 1 = Pressed, 2 = Down, 3 = Released
If MouseButton(1)
If MB_Left = 0
MB_Left = 1
Else
MB_Left = 2
EndIf
Else
If MB_Left = 3
MB_Left = 0
ElseIf MB_Left = 2
MB_Left = 3
EndIf
EndIf
EndProcedure
Procedure SaveScreen()
Static Number
Number + 1
GrabSprite(#spr_ScreenShot,0,0,#ScreenWidth,#ScreenHeight)
SaveSprite(#spr_ScreenShot,"screenshot"+Str(Number)+".bmp")
FreeSprite(#spr_ScreenShot)
EndProcedure
Procedure.l DrawMenuButton(X,Y,Text$)
Protected Pressed, Width = 300, Height = 48
X - Width/2
Box(X,Y,Width,Height,RGB(0,96,64))
If MouseX() > X And MouseX() < X+Width And MouseY() > Y And MouseY() < Y+Height
If MB_Left = 3
Pressed = #True
MB_Left = 0
EndIf
Box(X+3,Y+3,Width-6,Height-6,RGB(0,184,64))
FrontColor(RGB(200,0,0))
Else
Box(X+3,Y+3,Width-6,Height-6,RGB(0,128,64))
FrontColor(RGB(100,0,0))
EndIf
DrawingFont(FontID(#fnt_Impact_24))
DrawTextCentered(X+Width/2,Y+Height/2,Text$)
ProcedureReturn Pressed
EndProcedure
Procedure.l MainMenu()
Protected Selected = -1, Frames, TimeWas, FPS
Repeat
ExamineKeyboard(): ExamineMouse(): MB_Left()
If KeyboardReleased(#PB_Key_Escape)
Selected = 4
ElseIf KeyboardReleased(#PB_Key_F12)
SaveScreen()
EndIf
;Calculate FPS
Frames + 1
If ElapsedMilliseconds()-TimeWas >= 1000
TimeWas = ElapsedMilliseconds()
FPS = Frames
Frames = 0
EndIf
Delay(2): FlipBuffers(): ClearScreen(#Black)
StartDrawing(ScreenOutput())
DrawingMode(#PB_2DDrawing_Transparent)
DrawText(512,4,Str(FPS),#White)
FrontColor(RGB(0,0,198))
DrawingFont(FontID(#fnt_Impact_120))
DrawTextXCentered(#ScreenWidth/2,68,#Name)
FrontColor(RGB(198,0,0))
DrawingFont(FontID(#fnt_Impact_24))
DrawTextXCentered(#ScreenWidth/2,240,#Version)
DrawingFont(FontID(#fnt_Impact_18))
DrawTextXCentered(#ScreenWidth/2,620,#Copyright)
DrawTextXCentered(#ScreenWidth/2,645,"All rights reserved.")
If DrawMenuButton(#ScreenWidth/2,300,"Single player")
Selected = 0
ElseIf DrawMenuButton(#ScreenWidth/2,362,"Host game")
Selected = 1
ElseIf DrawMenuButton(#ScreenWidth/2,424,"Join game")
Selected = 2
ElseIf DrawMenuButton(#ScreenWidth/2,486,"Options")
Selected = 3
ElseIf DrawMenuButton(#ScreenWidth/2,548,"Exit")
Selected = 4
EndIf
StopDrawing()
DisplayTransparentSprite(#spr_Cursor,MouseX()-16,MouseY()-16)
Until Selected > -1
ProcedureReturn Selected
EndProcedure
Procedure.l Options()
Protected Selected = -1
Repeat
ExamineKeyboard(): ExamineMouse(): MB_Left()
If KeyboardReleased(#PB_Key_Escape)
Selected = 0
ElseIf KeyboardReleased(#PB_Key_F12)
SaveScreen()
EndIf
Delay(2): FlipBuffers(): ClearScreen(#Black)
StartDrawing(ScreenOutput())
DrawingMode(#PB_2DDrawing_Transparent)
FrontColor(RGB(0,0,198))
DrawingFont(FontID(#fnt_Impact_120))
DrawTextXCentered(#ScreenWidth/2,68,"Options")
FrontColor(RGB(198,0,0))
DrawingFont(FontID(#fnt_Impact_24))
DrawTextXCentered(#ScreenWidth/2,240,"Game options")
If DrawMenuButton(#ScreenWidth/2,548,"Back")
Selected = 0
EndIf
StopDrawing()
DisplayTransparentSprite(#spr_Cursor,MouseX()-16,MouseY()-16)
Until Selected > -1
ProcedureReturn Selected
EndProcedure
;-Initialize and open screen
If Not (InitKeyboard() And InitMouse() And InitSprite())
MessageRequester("Warning!","DirectX 7 or later not found!",#MB_ICONWARNING)
End
EndIf
If Not OpenScreen(#ScreenWidth,#ScreenHeight,#ScreenDepth,#Name)
MessageRequester("Warning!","Can't open a "+Str(#ScreenWidth)+"x"+Str(#ScreenHeight)+" "+Str(#ScreenDepth)+"bit screen!",#MB_ICONWARNING)
End
EndIf
;-Load resources
;LoadFont(#fnt_Arial_08_Bold,"Arial",8,#PB_Font_Bold)
LoadFont(#fnt_Impact_18,"Impact",18)
LoadFont(#fnt_Impact_24,"Impact",24)
LoadFont(#fnt_Impact_120,"Impact",120)
;Create a crappy mouse cursor
CreateSprite(#spr_Cursor,32,32)
StartDrawing(SpriteOutput(#spr_Cursor))
DrawingMode(#PB_2DDrawing_Outlined)
Circle(16,16,16,#Red)
Circle(16,16,1,#Red)
StopDrawing()
MouseLocate(#ScreenWidth/2,415)
;-Main loop start
Repeat
;-Menu handling
Select Menu
Case #mnu_Main
Select MainMenu()
Case 0: Menu = #mnu_None ;Single player
Case 1: ;Host game
Case 2: ;Join game
Case 3: Menu = #mnu_Options
Case 4: Break
EndSelect
Case #mnu_Options
Select Options()
Case 0: Menu = #mnu_Main
EndSelect
EndSelect
If Menu <> #mnu_None: Continue: EndIf
;-The game...
Delay(2): FlipBuffers(): ClearScreen(#Black)
StartDrawing(ScreenOutput())
DrawingMode(#PB_2DDrawing_Transparent)
FrontColor(RGB(0,0,198))
DrawingFont(FontID(#fnt_Impact_18))
DrawTextXCentered(#ScreenWidth/2,100,"You lose! Press escape to continue! (really fun game)")
StopDrawing()
ExamineKeyboard()
If KeyboardReleased(#PB_Key_Escape)
Menu = #mnu_Main
EndIf
ForEver
