Lower and high game graphics.

[Psy]

#3637

I didn’t play it in ages, but I remember the game changing the graphics based on the expanded memory size and CPU (and perhaps a command line option). The most obvious change was the explosions. Instead of a big blast you get some minor “pufs”, even on the game intro.

I remember deliberately doing that to speed up some battles, but I’m now curious if there are other changes on the gameplay.

Someone remember this?

[f2bnp]

#3648

Wow, I had no idea this was a thing. I’d have to look into it, sounds interesting!

[Psy]

#3659

I was trying to replicate this on DOS box without success. I can disable extended and expanded memory, but seems that DOSBOX has always a min of 1MB of memory free, and that is enough for the game to go full graphics.

Something interesting: if you change the graphics from VGA to EGA, the installer actually converts the art to 16 colors without backup, so, if you later want to go back to VGA, it asks for the original discs.

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[Psy]

#3661

Got it! 1MB of memory and the option “use loadfix” on 80kb to cannibalize the main memory did the trick. I’m attaching a couple of GIFs as proof 🙂

High graphics:

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[Psy]

#3663

Low graphics:

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[f2bnp]

#3665

Wow! Quite subtle overall and very smart way to cut down on memory requirements! Thanks for the demonstration.

[Pix]

#3714

I may be thinking of the sequel but I recall the cockpit damage animations being removed on systems with low memory.

[Psy]

#3760

Oh!, yeah, that rings a bell and might be the case for both WC1 and WC2

[bluntman3000]

#3763

Haha, great! Actually, I forgot about this, but now I remember. A good friend from back in the days almost lost it one day, when he saw that “my” explosions were bigger than his.

Sweet nostalgia, thank you for sharing!