68kMLA Classic Interface
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| Click here to select a new forum. | | IIfx - Spectre won't run on main monitor | Posted by: LaPorta on 2022-04-20 18:30:12
Hello there everyone,
So, I made it here to Fort Wayne, and have started setting up my basement stuff here. Got a new desk for my IIfx, and wanted to turn it into a real dual-screen machine for a few reasons. I wanted the main one to be the Apple Color Monitor at fixed 640x480, as games work better on it than the LCD via adapter, etc. So, I have that running off a SuperMax NuBus card...works just fine. The external LCD I have running off my RasterOps card, which is a beast, it can run 1024x768, millions of colors if I wanted, but I have it set lower than that usually.
Here is the conundrum: I have the CRT set as the primary monitor with menu bar in the Monitors control panel. Running 7.1.1, monitors work fine. Main screen is positioned to the left physically and electronically, each bordering one another so that you can move the mouse straight between one and the other left and right.
Most games (Crystal Quest I tried) run on the primary monitor as one would expect. Spectre, the game I really want to run on the CRT, behaves weirdly: the startup splash screen shows on the primary CRT, but then both monitors go black and the game runs on the secondary (LCD) screen, which is specifically what I don't want. The game is mostly black with vector graphics, and the weird refresh rate incompatibilities show up on the LCD, which is irritating.
Thoughs on why this happens? Programming in the game itself? Any way to force it to run on the main screen? I thought to just shut the LCD off, but on these old machines, if the NuBus card is in there, the machine thinks there is a monitor regardless of one being connected, so this shouldn't affect anything.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. | Posted by: mdeverhart on 2022-04-20 18:36:48
It’s been a long time, but my recollection is that you can hold option in the Monitors control panel, and a little Mac icon will show up on one of the displays, which you can drag to the other display (just like you can with the Menu bar). I think that sets the default/boot monitor, which may be what Spectre is looking for. I’d double check, but I don’t have a dual monitor setup for my classic Macs right now. | Posted by: Byrd on 2022-04-20 19:29:05
A lot of Mac games aren't expecting dual displays and get confused. As a workaround - have you tried Spectre or VR or Spectre Supreme? | Posted by: LaPorta on 2022-04-20 19:42:43
Yes, that tiny Mac icon is indeed on the main CRT monitor, along with the menu bar. Byrd you are right, I am just not sure why it would default over there...it is odd. I could try one of those two...just love my classic 😉. | Posted by: Byrd on 2022-04-20 20:10:11
Spectre is a classic and holds it’s own today, I wholeheartedly agree! They tried to make it more complex and high tech with VR, Supreme but much the same games really.
I’ve got a new to me colour video card on my SE/30 - and find launching games on this also get mighty confused switching around colour depths and resolutions. Amazing dual monitor support existed back then, really. | Posted by: LaPorta on 2022-04-22 20:22:27
Getting back to this, and some experimenting done...it appears that Spectre prefers whatever monitor has the highest resolution. Moving them in space or designating one or the other as primary did nothing. Once I made the second display the same 640x480 as the first, the game stayed on the main monitor. Interesting thing to note. | Posted by: mdeverhart on 2022-04-22 20:25:05
Good to know, thanks for the update! | | 1 |
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