longshot - Grim Fandango Hardware Rendering?

Deusfaux

Can anyone tell me if the game actually looks any better or there are any more graphics options if one is using hardware rendering for this game?

I was having a tough time getting it working under XP with hardware rendering enabled - and now I'm considering the possibility it was one of those early games where the hardware rendering only allowed it to run faster, not look any better.

And in that case, since it already runs like butter, I wouldn't be missing anything going the software rendering route.

Hardtarget

sadly, if i recal, it does make the game look a bit better. certainly stuff looked crisper.

i've been able to get it to work in xp before (years ago), what problem are you having?

tried running in 98 compatibility mode? or as admin?
edit - also did you install the patch? i vaguely recall it doing something to the hardware rendering stuff

Deusfaux

everything in XP is "as admin" aint it?

win98 compat check
patch check

basically it's got horizontal lines across all the scenes unless I follow one of the tips I found to disable DirectDraw entirely

and in that case, it looks and works just fine

but under the numerous combinations of settings I tried, as soon as I switch in the F1 options the rendering to hardware, it just stops responding and boots me to desktop. have to reboot game at that point


would the "crisper" look just be any processing the gpu is doing on the polygons? like AA or something? and thus not actually a part of the game

Vegan

Try this? http://quick.mixnmojo.com/grim-fandango-launcher

Deusfaux

I DID, and I'm not even sure that affects the game itself in any way? It's just the launcher that's updated?

Serious_Scrub

IIRC, the backgrounds were all pre-rendered, and only the characters were actually 3d, so it really shouldn't make much of a difference

Deusfaux

I'm aware of both of your stated facts, but that doesn't preclude the possibility that with hardware rendering the visuals are bettered in some way.

special effects, higher poly count characters, better shading, better shadows, better lighting on characters, etc.

these are all possibilities I just came up with

Fig-D

Grim Fandango didn't have much in the way of effects (and those I can remember where 2D transparent textures), poly counts don't change with settings (only mods that would replace the original models), and Grim Fandango didn't have dynamic lighting.

The only benefits you would find are sharper textures by forcing anisotropic filtering and less jaggies on the character models by forcing AA.

Deusfaux

which are both controls done outside the game...

so the reason it's coded in there is for... faster processing?

Fig-D

At the time, the gap between software and hardware rendering was widening. Now we have software that can run circles around the cards of yesteryear. I doubt there will be any noticeable difference.