Windowed Mode Sucks.

[Rockermonkey]

Oh yes, this has probably been mentioned. But Windowed Mode is the epitome of suck-dom.


Lets start off with the fact that anything lower then your native resolution is blur city, magnified into blobs of massive graphic dissatisfaction. And then my native resolution pushes the words down, making them jagged and unreadable, while also cutting the ends off of words. TS2 didn't do this, so why would it do it now?

Also, the performance hit makes no sense. Since usually Windowed mode is preferred for those with crappy computers. I have no lag either way, but it's noticeable that my game runs faster in full screen. I use the fpslimiter and in windowed mode I sometimes dip below 30 for a second and come back up but in full screen I the only difference in frames I have is 30-31. I'd imagine without the limiter the drops would be a lot more larger and annoying since I use to get up to 100-300 frames in CAS and dipping from high levels like that to normal would probably drive me crazy .

Also apparently my edge smoother is borked on windowed mode because even on it's highest it's all jagged and funked up. Yet, I switch to full screen and it's smooth like a babies bottom  .

But yeah, anyone agree that EA completely screwed up on this option. And is it possible that it may be fixable? I mean, I can deal because I like to check my temps every now and again but I may die from my sims being jagged even on the fullest setting possible. And the jagged and crazy text is an eye sore.

[Simius]

I like it since it lets me do other shit while playing... or look up commands while playing.  But yeah, I don't run it on my native resolution since that makes the picture suck balls.  I run it on the next lower wide screen resolution and the picture is fine.  I haven't noticed it run slower... then again once I figured out how to run it in windowed mode I haven't gone back.

[Roflganger]

The only thing I really hate about windowed mode is the inability to use scrolling edges.  Like Simius, I just drop down to the next widescreen resolution (since I have a widescreen monitor), which pretty much makes the graphics look identical to full screen.  I also haven't noticed any significant performance hits; the benefit of not getting that monster hit when alt-tabbing certainly compensates for any minor hits I take.

[Faizah]

I use windowed mode because I also have a dual-monitor setup, and full screen doesn't seem to like that. (One monitor for games/DVDs/etc, one for internet.) What I have noticed is that if I put it to the maximum, it does get slightly squished, but any in-game shots taken come out at the unsquished size. Since I take a lot of shots now, I like that. Just the right size for a desktop background on my widescreen monitors.

[Plum]

Windowed mode works dandy for me. *shrug*

I have it the same size as my screen anyway, and only have it windowed so I can use my second monitor, but when I've made it smaller for whatever reasons it's always continued to look fine. I haven't noticed it running any slower either.

[Budgie]

I use windowed mode, and I haven't noticed anything unusual. I couldn't imagine using fullscreen, having to sit there and watch your sims sleep and go to rabbithole-work.

[pbox]

Unlike in TS2, scrolly edges work fine for me in Windowed mode. It would be hard to believe that EA implemented something to work *better* in OSX than in Windows - did you actually turn on that option? Or do you just mean that with screen-sized windows it won't work because you can't reach the bottom/right edges?

Same with resolution issues -- everything's brilliant over here, changing the resolution automatically changes the window size like it should .. does it not work like that under Windows? I'd assume your settings are broken somehow (unless you believe that your hardware would magically change itself when you somehow force a window to be the wrong size). 

[Roflganger]

Unlike in TS2, scrolly edges work fine for me in Windowed mode. It would be hard to believe that EA implemented something to work *better* in OSX than in Windows - did you actually turn on that option? Or do you just mean that with screen-sized windows it won't work because you can't reach the bottom/right edges?

It's definitely on.  I can reach the edges no problem - the cursor just slides out of the window. I always assumed this had something to do with not trapping the cursor within the window, for all those people who wouldn't be able to figure out they could just Alt-Tab out.

[sumpsychochic]

Mine does that too, but I've learned to hold down the right button on the mouse and you can edgescroll. It took me a little bit of time to get used to it, but now I catch myself even doing it in fullscreen.

I have noticed that the game is slower and does look less smooth in windowed mode, but when I take pictures it seems to look the same. Not sure how that is possible.

[pbox]

Unlike in TS2, scrolly edges work fine for me in Windowed mode. It would be hard to believe that EA implemented something to work *better* in OSX than in Windows - did you actually turn on that option? Or do you just mean that with screen-sized windows it won't work because you can't reach the bottom/right edges?

It's definitely on.  I can reach the edges no problem - the cursor just slides out of the window. I always assumed this had something to do with not trapping the cursor within the window, for all those people who wouldn't be able to figure out they could just Alt-Tab out.

Weird. The way you describe it is how it used to be in TS2 for me -- option was on, but no scrolling took place. Well, then I'm happy that OS X users get at least *some*thing in return for the missing shadows and such.

[DaVinci]

I'm not sure if my game is FUBAR or because of my stupid computer but I told EA about this in support about my computer lags at 12:59 to 1:30AM in my game with full screen mode on, and when I go into windows mode it still lags.

So I contact support and they say this:

" Greetings,

Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts.

I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.

Please refer to the following link for further details:

How do I put my game into windowed mode?
https://easims.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/easims.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=22280

Please let me know ifyou need any further assistance with this issue.

Sincerely,

EA Rep Nash
PlayerRelations
Electronic Arts "


I told them that I've tried that. I have 277 GB left on my second hardrive so I don't know what causes this lag..

[Simius]

That lag is caused by story mode running.  Especially if you have awesomemod running.

[DaVinci]

That lag is caused by story mode running.  Especially if you have awesomemod running.

Thanks for the help, really needed it.

[Euphemism]

That lag is caused by story mode running.  Especially if you have awesomemod running.

Thanks for the help, really needed it.

Jesus christ, USE THE SEARCH BUTTON. I am so tired of this question. In every other thread someone asks this. How is it possible you have not seen any of them?? LURK MOAR.