New TOAW III patch is out

[Skybird]

I just discovered that since five days a new patch for TOAW-III is out. Beside fixing issues and additonal scenarios, the databse editor must be considered a highlight. downloading now, so no comment from me on the quality of the fixes.

http://www.matrixgames.com/news.asp?nid=390

[Skybird]

I'm sorry to report that despite their claims last summer, that they plan to adress the difficult-to-read fonts and replace them with windows fonts, the interface in general and the fonts in special have not changed. Obviously, microscopic small icon symbols and miniature font lines with background contrast that does not really help, small font sizes that makes me almost touch my 19" Monitor with my nose (at 1280x1024), and a general habit of "the smaller the better", seem to be some kind of fetish here. For me that badly-thought out interface made the game a non-starter so far, although I hate that circumstance, because by content and idea it promised to be highly addictive. But I have a well-planned order of icons on my desktop, and i do not wish to rearrange them every time I switch back to 1280, when for just playing TOAW3 I had switched to 1024.

The game seems to be great, but I fail to understand why so little attention is being given to the interface, which really does quite some damage to the attractiveness of the game. I don't mean eye candy, but simple and most elemental ergonomy. And in this category it is a nightmare imo, due to the badly designed text screens and tables, and the extreme and unhelpful miniaturization of icon-symbols and fonts. Reading 2-3mm high fonts in lines with almost no free space between them, with letters in gold and yellow and with "uncalm", sometimes coloured background, IS NOT FUNNY, Norman! Switching on the black background option does not really cure the problem, and does not affect the bad table and text screen design. Map and counters could need an adequate zoom-function, too. Skip the 3D miniature models instead.

So much is lost for not adding so little more. Sad.

[bradclark1]

I think the object of the rerelease was not to reinvent the game but to make it stable enough to run on modern systems.

[Skybird]

But they changed the interface to some degree. There is the option to install the look of previous versions of the game, via an included tool.

Hm - maybe I should try that!? :hmm: :lol: Will do that.

[Gizzmoe]

But I have a well-planned order of icons on my desktop, and i do not wish to rearrange them every time I switch back to 1280, when for just playing TOAW3 I had switched to 1024.

Icon Keeper:
http://www.enterra-inc.com/page.php?pageID=62

"Enterra Icon Keeper utility is a tool to save and restore icon positions on the Desktop. Changing monitor resolution from large to small and back, which is performed by programs running in full-screen mode, causes icon positions on the desktop to disarrange. To restore the initial position may become a burden especially in cases when the number of icons is large. Enterra Icon Keeper is a proven solution to this issue."

[bradclark1]

I'll try that. I have about 70 icons on my desktop and I get real upset when they get messed up.

[Skybird]

Will test it, thanks.

[Skybird]

Brad,

have you tried it, did it work for you? after having attached the ".exe" ending to the misnamed downloaded file, and after installing it, I had nothing: nothing installed, no tool running, and the functionality also is zero. Still manually rearrangement of icons is needed after switching back and forth between resolutions.

[bradclark1]

It doesn't show in your start up menu. It's placed in your Program Folder under Enterra.
Just right click on your desk top and it's in the menu, select Save Icon's Position. Works for me.:up:

[Skybird]

That worked. Take this cigar!