A few suggestions/issues (EM 1.088)

[Optimoos]

- CPU: Intel Core i7 920
- Version of Windows: 7x64
- Installed memory (RAM): 6GB
- 3D video card make, model, and driver version: Sapphire ATI 5970, 10.9 drivers

Just picked up the game, having a lot of fun with it so far. However, I'm having a few issues.

1) The ability to alt-tab out of the game is pretty important to me as I'm on-call for work and it would be nice to be able to get to my desktop without having to quit the game. As it stands right now when I alt-tab/ctrl-esc the game window stays full screen. Am I missing something in making this function better?

2) I use multiple monitors, a second one to the right of my primary monitor. I'm having issues with EM not binding the mouse to its playing area and thus if I'm moving my mouse to the right a bunch I'll end up clicking on my desktop on the right somewhere, moving focus away from the game. Of course it doesn't minimize because of the issue I stated above, which might actually be the saving grace here, but either way, it's frustrating.

3) Finally, I'm sure this is me being stupid, but some of the mutipayer servers say "Multiplayer Only" on them - but I can't figure out how to create a multiplayer only profile.

Thanks for this cool game!

[MMaggio]

I can solve the first question... just use the windows key and D to return to desktop.
The rest, you're on your own

[Maarschalk]

Hi Optimoos, welcome to the game and forum. I do not know about Windows 7. But in windows XP with my 2000 Millenium keyboard I can exit to desktop without exiting the game by pressing a Windows Start Key and D key simultaneously. I do not know what regular keyboard press you could use as the Windows Start Key. A regular keyboard does not have a Windows Start Key....

[verbosity]

hi,

2. you can download external programs that can do this for you
3. just create a new profile and don't play in sp with it ( there is a flag that gets set in the profile that they've played in sp)

[Optimoos]

First, regarding windows-d, this also minimizes every other window I have open, meaning whatever I have on my secondary monitor which I am paying attention to will get minimized and then I'll have to restore it along with whatever other program I'm actually looking for. Doing this every time I tab out (which is very often) is frustrating.

Originally posted by verbosity
hi,

2. you can download external programs that can do this for you
3. just create a new profile and don't play in sp with it ( there is a flag that gets set in the profile that they've played in sp)

2 - a silly solution, why should I have to use an external program to accomplish what every other game manages to do. Similar to my answer about windows-d, I understand this is a good interim solution to my problem but it should be in the game.

3 - I've tried this and it hasn't helped, I'll try it again though just to be sure.

Edited to add: I've been trying the Windows-d thing and it actually doesn't work right, likely because of my dual monitor setup. If I windows-d and then try to get to a window that was on the second monitor, EM comes back up and takes over. I can't blame this solely on EM as I expect this is a windows behavior when dealing with the windows-d mechanism, but the original point stands, it would be nice to have functional ctrl-escape/alt-tab functionality in the game.

Thanks!

[Edited on 9-19-2010 by Optimoos]

[Vice]

1) The ability to alt-tab out of the game is pretty important to me as I'm on-call for work and it would be nice to be able to get to my desktop without having to quit the game. As it stands right now when I alt-tab/ctrl-esc the game window stays full screen. Am I missing something in making this function better?

Windows-D (D for desktop) is one solution as suggested and it's possible that switching screen modes as I suggest below may give you the desired alt-tab access to your desktop. Just be aware that not all video cards with all driver versions can handle alt-tabbing from a full screen mode without encountering problems (mostly due to how data in video memory is often lost/cleared under such conditions). If nothing else, it may be possible for me to include a forced minimize option for the windowed mode with a button at the top of the HUD or something (although I'll need to ananlyze potential stability issues).

Another option is that if you're just trying to access another program installed on your system, you can just tap the Windows key once to bring up the task bar, then use the start menu as normal.

2 - a silly solution, why should I have to use an external program to accomplish what every other game manages to do. Similar to my answer about windows-d, I understand this is a good interim solution to my problem but it should be in the game.

The game actually does use mouse bounding, but this must be getting disabled somehow on your system. It might be due to the default windowed mode, so lets try this. In the Options menu, change the Screen Mode setting until it reads 'Locked (FS) Max Vsync', then exit and restart the game, see if the mouse bounding behavior changes at all.

3 - I've tried this and it hasn't helped, I'll try it again though just to be sure.

Looking into this.

[Edited on 9-19-2010 by Vice]

[Optimoos]

Well, this is what I'd call killing two birds with one stone - I hadn't realized that the default video mode was a windowed mode, likely causing both of the first two problems. When you suggested switching to Locked (FS) that solved me being able to use ctrl-esc to minimize it temporarily, as well as the mouse bounding issues. Yay!

I double and triple checked the MP issue though. I created a brand new profile and when I try to connect to the "MP" server in the server list it tells me "This server only allows MP profiles" so I don't know what is going on there.

Edit: Woops, nevermind, ctrl-esc out of Fullscreen mode is causing the game to crash when I try to go back in. Close but no cigar!

[Edited on 9-20-2010 by Optimoos]