Please add a high resolution user interface option

from Sins Forums

I use a 27" monitor that runs at 2560x1440 resolution.  Today I tried to play Sins of a Solar Empire (the original) and found it unplayable on my screen.  At native resolution the UI (user interface) elements are so small that I end up getting epic eye strain, especially when looking at the list of ships down the left of the screen.  If I try running at a lower resolution and have my monitor scale then I get a blurry UI and the eye strain is no better.  I spent a few hours looking online to see if I could find a UI mod that would fix the issue, but I did not find anything.

 

Then, I realized that Rebellion is out and on sale right now at Steam, perhaps I could pick it up and the issue would be fixed in the new game.  To my dismay it appears that it has not.  I'm really itching to play this game, but without a higher resolution interface it's just not possible.  It seems backwards that by upgrading to an awesome high res monitor I ended up unable to play Sins.  With more and more users adopting high res monitors this will only become a bigger issue going forward.  Would you please consider updating the game with a larger high resolution UI option?  I won't be able to buy Rebellion if this isn't present, and I'd really like to buy Rebellion.

Here's how Sins looks on my screen:

http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i350/jonnydk1/sins_2560x1440.png~original

 

Thank you,

 

Jonny K

16,032 views 17 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Posting here to keep tabs. This will be an issue I will likely run into over the next year as I upgrade from my 21" to a larger monitor.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Alas the UI is not scalable.

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Can it not be modded? There are mods for Sins that work on low-res netbooks...

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

I have to agree with OP. I don't have as high resolution as he but I still feel that the UI should be bigger.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting G_Bison, reply 3
Can it not be modded? There are mods for Sins that work on low-res netbooks...
End of G_Bison's quote

It could be modded such that it does not scale the whole screen, but the buttons themselves are bigger. Alternatively, Sins can be run in windowed mode in a resolution which has 16:9 proportions, which would make the UI perfectly legible.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting G_Bison, reply 3
Can it not be modded? There are mods for Sins that work on low-res netbooks...
End of G_Bison's quote

Yes, you can totally redo the UI if you wanted. However, it is much harder to scale the UI up than down, since when your make it for low rez you just rescale all the existing UI elements. If you do that to increase the size you're not increasing the detail, just the size, so it will look kind of blurry.

If someone is ambitious though I guess they could do a total UI replacement of the entire game...

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

And that's why you the modder Goa, I knew one of you guys could give the answer...

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

I'd be wary of playing in windowed mode...it adversely affects performance (even if it helps you make things prettier)....

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 8

I'd be wary of playing in windowed mode...it adversely affects performance (even if it helps you make things prettier)....
End of Seleuceia's quote

 

i always play in windowed mode online. 

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting ZombiesRus5, reply 9


Quoting Seleuceia, reply 8
I'd be wary of playing in windowed mode...it adversely affects performance (even if it helps you make things prettier)....

 

i always play in windowed mode online. 
End of ZombiesRus5's quote

That's because you are constantly modding the game. :P

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 8
I'd be wary of playing in windowed mode...it adversely affects performance (even if it helps you make things prettier)....
End of Seleuceia's quote

I always play in windowed mode, both on and offline. I haven't noticed a notable performance hit period due to using it.

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Lavo_2, reply 11


Quoting Seleuceia, reply 8I'd be wary of playing in windowed mode...it adversely affects performance (even if it helps you make things prettier)....

I always play in windowed mode, both on and offline. I haven't noticed a notable performance hit period due to using it.
End of Lavo_2's quote

 

Ever since the Diplomacy patch which solved a lot of issues back in the day I haven't noticed a difference in performance between windowed and full screen. I play full screen now and enjoy it immensely.

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top

I didn't have issues back in Entrenchment either, for the record. I did get some black screens when I tried to switch back to Sins, but that's not really a performance issue.

Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top

I've noticed that I can go to higher thresholds in full screen mode than I can in windowed...

By that I mean I can run at faster gamespeeds (2x, 4x, etc) and with more ships (we are talking hundreds upon hundreds in combat) in full than in windowed...course, that's things done for testing, not your typical gameplay so it may not matter for most people....

Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top

"Alas the UI is not scalable."

True, but it's not an issue of scaling, it's an issue of "Can you make us a bigger fixed UI?".  In my desperation I pulled my 27" screen right up to the edge of my keyboard and sit one foot away from it.  From that distance I can read things better, but it sure looks ridiculous as the screen dwarfs my head.  Not really a permanent solution...

 

 

Jonny K

Reply #16 from Sins Forums Top

So it turns out 24 inch monitor and 1920*1200 is perhaps the sweet spot. Does not fit as much space as 27 inch. but the text is pretty readable.

Reply #17 from Sins Forums Top

At this point, I think the best bet is for modders to work on it.