5:4 aspect ratio not available?

[Team_Apinitis]

I am playing the game on my native resolution - 1280x1024. However, I am getting black lines at top and bottom. This game really doesn't support 5:4? I know it's port, but it's a shame anyway.

[Quebec Dragon]

Same problem here. I hope it doesn't become a trend, because of the consoles with HD TV screens. Even the 1280x1024 keeps the black bars.

[trek554]

its 2012 so if you are going to play modern games then buy a modern monitor. 5:4 means you get either big black bars or you miss out on 1/3 of a modern game's fov since they are designed for widesceen.

[MADDOGGE]

Originally Posted by trek554

its 2012 so if you are going to play modern games then buy a modern monitor. 5:4 means you get either big black bars or you miss out on 1/3 of a modern game's fov since they are designed for widesceen.

Why replace a perfectly good monitor when there is nothing wrong with it? Any real developer who is worth his salt should have no problem at all providing proper support for all three aspect ratios, proper resolution choices and a proper FOV adjustment. They were doing so when widescreen was the new kid on the block and there is no reason to change it now.

The real issue comes down to most developers are just plain lazy and cut corners either because the publisher is on their ♥♥♥ to finish or they don't care, which is why we end up with games with letterbox. Their whole focus is the consoles and widescreen TV's support. The irony is that I have had a 360 since the first year but have never played it on a TV. I play it on the same monitor as my PC a 1280x1024 monitor. I don't own a widescreen TV and won't until my CRT TV dies.

When I hear someone say "buy a modern monitor" I say sure. Give me the money for the monitor, new GPU to run it and a new PS and cooling system. I know you didn't mean it that way but it's really easy from an ivory tower of being in a position to buy whatever you want when you want, to tell others people how to spend their money but most people I know that game on the PC only upgrade when it's an absolute necessity. We don't throw money at our hobby. We make do. Aspect radio should not be a reason one has to upgrade. It's totally silly.

[trek554]

I dont own a widescreen tv either but I am also not ♥♥♥♥♥ing that I get black bars from the 16:9 or wider content on my tv. same thing applies to all those that were ever silly enough to even buy a 5:4 monitor in the first place. some games have a desired fov so if you have some outdated monitor then you are going to get black bars so deal with it. to me thats better than losing out on 33% of what the developer intended for you to see. bottom line is that modern games are designed for widescreen so again get a modern monitor or deal with the side effects.

[SirDrexl]

Originally Posted by trek554

I dont own a widescreen tv either but I am also not ♥♥♥♥♥ing that I get black bars from the 16:9 or wider content on my tv. same thing applies to all those that were ever silly enough to even buy a 5:4 monitor in the first place. some games have a desired fov so if you have some outdated monitor then you are going to get black bars so deal with it. to me thats better than losing out on 33% of what the developer intended for you to see. bottom line is that modern games are designed for widescreen so again get a modern monitor or deal with the side effects.

Well, I understand that these games are designed for 16:9. I even play many of today's games at that ratio although I have a 16:10 monitor.

However, that doesn't mean they have to force it. It's not like a movie where they would have to provide different versions; 3D games can be displayed in different aspect ratios, so that those who want their screens filled can get it.

[Captain Lame]

Deleted:
I fail reading comprehension and (possibly) offer unneeded insult.

[trek554]

what am I wrong about? I dont have this game but it is listed as 16:9 anamorphic which of course means black bars for any aspect ratio that is below that. Bulletstorm and some other Unreal Engine games are the same way.

[Captain Lame]

Originally Posted by trek554

what am I wrong about? I dont have this game but it is listed as 16:9 anamorphic which of course means black bars for any aspect ratio that is below that. Bulletstorm and some other Unreal Engine games are the same way.

I must apologize as I apparently failed basic reading comprehension on the first post and thought he was flat missing 5:4.

Also noticed black bars at 16:10. When I got AMR was after I had already switched from 16:10 to 16:9 with a larger screen.

There's allegedly a way to unlock it (it's a developer thing constrain_aspect_ratio or some such), but it's a patch or memory hack of some variety.

I tried to replicate it in Unreal Tournament 3 but my screen (a TV actually, so less configurable than a monitor in some ways) is auto-correcting the aspect ratio (it does this with other games too, Q3 engine, Source engine) and scaling to fit one dimension without distortion (vertical black bars in 4:3, 5:4).

There's no technical reason for the limitation other than developer laziness.

[Stryk]

Its nearly impossible to find a new 4:3 or 5:4 monitor in comparison to widescreens and if you can they are super expensive. Don't be surprised the games are designed for 16:9.

Personally I'd like a 4:3 monitor. But people bought monitors off the Diagonal inches and 16:9 takes less area to have the same diagonal as a 4:3 or 5:4. So they can make more money because they give you less monitor for the same over simplified metric.

[SirDrexl]

Originally Posted by Stryk

Its nearly impossible to find a new 4:3 or 5:4 monitor in comparison to widescreens and if you can they are super expensive. Don't be surprised the games are designed for 16:9.

Personally I'd like a 4:3 monitor. But people bought monitors off the Diagonal inches and 16:9 takes less area to have the same diagonal as a 4:3 or 5:4. So they can make more money because they give you less monitor for the same over simplified metric.

I think the move to widescreen has a lot more to do with the way media has gone, like TV, movies, and console video games (which affect PC games because so many of them are multiplatform).

Now, the shift from 16:10 to 16:9, yeah, a lot of that is cost.