This has been bugging me for a while now and the point of this thread shall be twofold:
1) Bitching about Alt+Tab.
2) Comparisons between the various forms of Windowed Mode out there and why none of them are as good as WoW's Windowed Mode.
Top of the Hat
The Alt+Tab function should be one every PC user knows well. In effect, it lets you scroll between different programs you're currently using and switch to them instantly. When you're operating in your basic windows and folders and internet browser, this isn't an issue. It gets rather more iffy when you start bringing in full screen games into the mix. Some games have no issue with the alt+tab, switching seemlessly between the game and the rest of your computer with narry a twinkle. Might lag slightly going in and out, but as far as actual problems with the game, they're largely inconsequential or non-existant.
Other games...not so much. Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3) are notorious for games which handle badly when alt+tabbed, often crashing on their way out, back in, or five minutes later even if everything seems to be going fine. This is rather annoying for those of us who enjoy messing about with console commands but haven't used them enough to commit every single one to memory yet. Another game (one I just discovered) is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which seems to have contracted Bethesda-itis in regards to how they react to alt+tab, crashing repeatedly and annoying the bloody hell out of me.
Other large games (Mass Effect 2 for instance) don't seem to have any qualms whatsoever with being minimised and maximised repeatedly. At least, not on my computer.
So I have to wonder, what gives guys? Why is it that some games handle this so well and so flawlessly but others can't even minimise once without freezing up or throwing up errors?
Brim of the Hat
Windowed Mode is also something most PC gamers will know about. It's fairly self explanatory, it turns your full-screen game and puts it in a Window, the likes of which you'll see around pretty much every program you use on your PC. Sometimes this works fine, although tends to obscure part of the screen - normally the very bottom - (Team Fortress 2), sometimes it can slightly offset the mouse pointer which can make it rather awkward to use (Supreme Commander 1 (demo, but I assume the full version suffers the same problem)) and sometimes it just makes the game lag to shit and become completely unplayable (...can't remember an example, but I don't think Dragon Age reacted well to Windowed mode).
Now Windowed mode, for it's many issues, has one big advantage: The game is no longer full screen, and thus any issues with alt+tab disappear, as it's now the same as switching between your porn folder and your favourite porn site. This means that if you've got a riveting social life like I do withdozens a few one person on your instant messenger contacts list who you like to chat to, you can do it without troubles while still sniping that Heavy on the other team.
But it is not without its own issues, as I've said. Now, World of Warcraft (which I mentioned at the start of this mini-ramble) has a Windowed Mode as well, but it takes it a step further in flexibility. In effect there are three 'setups' for WoW in regards to windowed mode. First is the basic full-screen mode: Lags when alt-tabbing in and out and minimises whenever you do so. Second is Windowed mode: Works just like anything else. Resizeable window with WoW inside, let's you play about and browse for porn at the same time.
Finally, Full Screen Windowed Mode: This is what sets WoW apart from other games I've played and checked out - though if it's not unique, someone point this out to me. It combines the best parts of Windowed mode (seamless alt-tabbing, plays in the background, doesn't minimise) with the best parts of full screen mode (no mouse offset, no borders, no screen obscure by the Start Bar, etc.) and puts it all together in a way that is absolutely perfect for a gamer who likes a full screen of awesome but still has other commitments with his PC while he's playing.
So now I'm sat here, also wondering- Why don't more games have this as well? It's such a small change to make but it can massively increase how much I enjoy my gaming. Why haven't more developers picked up on this? And why do I ask so many questions?
TL;DR:
Developers need to copy WoW's fullscreen windowed mode and stop copying Bethesda's allergy to the alt+tab function.
1) Bitching about Alt+Tab.
2) Comparisons between the various forms of Windowed Mode out there and why none of them are as good as WoW's Windowed Mode.
Top of the Hat
The Alt+Tab function should be one every PC user knows well. In effect, it lets you scroll between different programs you're currently using and switch to them instantly. When you're operating in your basic windows and folders and internet browser, this isn't an issue. It gets rather more iffy when you start bringing in full screen games into the mix. Some games have no issue with the alt+tab, switching seemlessly between the game and the rest of your computer with narry a twinkle. Might lag slightly going in and out, but as far as actual problems with the game, they're largely inconsequential or non-existant.
Other games...not so much. Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3) are notorious for games which handle badly when alt+tabbed, often crashing on their way out, back in, or five minutes later even if everything seems to be going fine. This is rather annoying for those of us who enjoy messing about with console commands but haven't used them enough to commit every single one to memory yet. Another game (one I just discovered) is Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which seems to have contracted Bethesda-itis in regards to how they react to alt+tab, crashing repeatedly and annoying the bloody hell out of me.
Other large games (Mass Effect 2 for instance) don't seem to have any qualms whatsoever with being minimised and maximised repeatedly. At least, not on my computer.
So I have to wonder, what gives guys? Why is it that some games handle this so well and so flawlessly but others can't even minimise once without freezing up or throwing up errors?
Brim of the Hat
Windowed Mode is also something most PC gamers will know about. It's fairly self explanatory, it turns your full-screen game and puts it in a Window, the likes of which you'll see around pretty much every program you use on your PC. Sometimes this works fine, although tends to obscure part of the screen - normally the very bottom - (Team Fortress 2), sometimes it can slightly offset the mouse pointer which can make it rather awkward to use (Supreme Commander 1 (demo, but I assume the full version suffers the same problem)) and sometimes it just makes the game lag to shit and become completely unplayable (...can't remember an example, but I don't think Dragon Age reacted well to Windowed mode).
Now Windowed mode, for it's many issues, has one big advantage: The game is no longer full screen, and thus any issues with alt+tab disappear, as it's now the same as switching between your porn folder and your favourite porn site. This means that if you've got a riveting social life like I do with
But it is not without its own issues, as I've said. Now, World of Warcraft (which I mentioned at the start of this mini-ramble) has a Windowed Mode as well, but it takes it a step further in flexibility. In effect there are three 'setups' for WoW in regards to windowed mode. First is the basic full-screen mode: Lags when alt-tabbing in and out and minimises whenever you do so. Second is Windowed mode: Works just like anything else. Resizeable window with WoW inside, let's you play about and browse for porn at the same time.
Finally, Full Screen Windowed Mode: This is what sets WoW apart from other games I've played and checked out - though if it's not unique, someone point this out to me. It combines the best parts of Windowed mode (seamless alt-tabbing, plays in the background, doesn't minimise) with the best parts of full screen mode (no mouse offset, no borders, no screen obscure by the Start Bar, etc.) and puts it all together in a way that is absolutely perfect for a gamer who likes a full screen of awesome but still has other commitments with his PC while he's playing.
So now I'm sat here, also wondering- Why don't more games have this as well? It's such a small change to make but it can massively increase how much I enjoy my gaming. Why haven't more developers picked up on this? And why do I ask so many questions?
TL;DR:
Developers need to copy WoW's fullscreen windowed mode and stop copying Bethesda's allergy to the alt+tab function.
