Font size? (Full Version)

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rich12545 -> Font size? (5/24/2014 1:20:24 AM)

I've been looking at this game since it came out and now I might be ready to buy. The main thing holding me back is being able to comfortably read what's on the screen. Too many game designers think everybody has superb vision and make the font small on a 1920x1080 screen (which is probably the most popular around). I've looked at a few screenies and think I'd have a tough time.

So I'm wondering if the font size is adjustable? Or are there mods that increase it?



elliotg -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 1:23:11 AM)

We've attempted to improve this in several areas: The Selection Panel at bottom-left can be enlarged, the Research screen has larger text, the Empire Summary screen is clearer, etc.

Admittedly some of the text might still be small for some.

We're willing to try and improve this further though, if there's specific places where players feel the need for bigger text.

Thanks
Elliot



PaulWRoberts -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 1:42:08 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: rich12545

I've been looking at this game since it came out and now I might be ready to buy. The main thing holding me back is being able to comfortably read what's on the screen. Too many game designers think everybody has superb vision and make the font small on a 1920x1080 screen (which is probably the most popular around). I've looked at a few screenies and think I'd have a tough time.

So I'm wondering if the font size is adjustable? Or are there mods that increase it?


+1



OzoneGrif_slith -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 2:35:27 AM)

quote:

if there's specific places where players feel the need for bigger text.

The log on top of the screen could use some enlargement maybe.

It's one of the most important part of the interface, because you have to check everything that's going on, especially since the "popups" on the right of the screen are often overrided by another popup appearing at the same moment.



FireLion1983 -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 3:04:30 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: OzoneGrif

quote:

if there's specific places where players feel the need for bigger text.

The log on top of the screen could use some enlargement maybe.

It's one of the most important part of the interface, because you have to check everything that's going on, especially since the "popups" on the right of the screen are often overrided by another popup appearing at the same moment.


One of the amazingly great features of Universe is the ability to now tailor the popups. Sooo useful for really seeing what you WANT and NEED to see.



Breet -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 6:23:32 AM)

Could a solution to this be some type of UI Scale slider



Gelatinous Cube -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 6:30:07 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Breet

Could a solution to this be some type of UI Scale slider


Yes, something. Anything. In order to get it to the point where I can play without giving myself a headache or needing some kind of magnifying glass I have to really screw with my display settings. All of it just needs to be way bigger.



Spidey -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 7:08:35 AM)

I, for one, can simply not read much of anything in 1920 by 1080 resolution. So I use 12noon Display Changer to run the game in 1360 by 768 and while it does make the screen a bit small to work with, it also means I can read absolutely everything without straining my eyes.



Osito -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 10:05:42 AM)

My eyesight is not great, and I have been critical of the fonts in the past, but I honestly think it's ok at 1920x1200 and at 1920x1080. The sidebar on the left could still be improved, as could the messages at the top of the screen, but that is not a gamebreaking flaw. I think everything else is pretty much ok at those resolutions.

Obviously this is going to vary from person to person, as Spidey has a different experience (and also a solution).

Osito



Spidey -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 10:35:12 AM)

To be honest, I don't think it's the size of the font as much as the lack of clarity. The anti-aliasing makes it grey on black and the font itself is a bit gnarly to begin with. At 1920x1080 on what I recall to be a 22" monitor, I can read the text if I want to, but I really do have to want to read it and it will cause a headache within 20-30 minutes.

Fortunately, everything displays just fine at down-scaled low res and then I can in fact read stuff casually, without the splitting headaches.



gldavis -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 11:09:40 AM)

My eye sight is horrible (I have a genetic eye disease) and I play this game all the time. Since it starts in full screen windowed, I can use the windows built-in magnifier, set to full screen mode (on windows 7 hot key is windows button and the +(keypad). I only need to do this when reading certain windows and pause the game while doing so. The expander button for the info box on the lower right was a welcome addition sometime back, it made that element a whole lot easier to read.



Locarnus -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 11:18:14 AM)

If you dont want to change your resolution on your normal desktop, just create a new user, call it DW Timesink and have a different resolution on that profile.

Consider the time to switch users before playing to be an extended loading time for a great niche game...



towerbooks3192 -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 11:46:46 AM)

Not sure if it is a font size issue and I posted this months back in the technical forum. Any way to fix display in windows 8.1? I am having these problems where screens would not display at times despite disabling DPS scaling like on the research tab above would not show % when the percentage is on 2 digits and some words overlap on that tiny screen on the side and I have to expand it.



mbar -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 11:57:31 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Locarnus

If you dont want to change your resolution on your normal desktop, just create a new user, call it DW Timesink and have a different resolution on that profile.

Consider the time to switch users before playing to be an extended loading time for a great niche game...


Nice tip, thanks! But +1 for larger text. I was playing the pre-warp tutorial wishing the text was bigger.



Spidey -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 12:31:33 PM)

Another way to fix the resolution is 12noon Display Changer, which is very non-invasive and temporarily changes resolution off a shortcut without messing up the desktop. And once you quit DW, the resolution goes back to what it used to be automatically. I'm not sure it's "better" than a new user account, but at least it lets you keep having full access to everything else on your system with minimal issues.



PaulWRoberts -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 12:42:23 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Spidey

Another way to fix the resolution is 12noon Display Changer, which is very non-invasive and temporarily changes resolution off a shortcut without messing up the desktop. And once you quit DW, the resolution goes back to what it used to be automatically. I'm not sure it's "better" than a new user account, but at least it lets you keep having full access to everything else on your system with minimal issues.


Can you tell me how this works? I downloaded but I'm afraid it's not intuitive.

EDIT: Ah, I found some documentation online. Unfortunately, it won't change DPI, which is what I really want to do.



OzoneGrif_slith -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 2:31:21 PM)

quote:

One of the amazingly great features of Universe is the ability to now tailor the popups.

The popup system is flawed though, because when two popups appear at the same time, the first one is removed. The game should stack popups. Unless that's done, popups will remain dangerous to trust.



CyclopsSlayer -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 8:13:18 PM)

@1920x1080 I have to lean into the screen to see some features. But even with my nose on the screen it is hard to clearly make out the Tech completion percentages.



Darkspire -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 10:07:56 PM)

I run a program called Magnifier on a second monitor, works fine with DW and makes reading things a lot easier, you can scale the size of the magnified screen, scale the zoom etc. Just move the mouse pointer over the magnifier to bring up the options.

Magnifier

Darkspire

Main screen with zoom

[image]http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l588/Necrospire/2mon1_zps47304fb3.jpg[/image]

Main screen with zoom options brought up on the second

[image]http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l588/Necrospire/2mon2_zpse000e43b.jpg[/image]



PaulWRoberts -> RE: Font size? (5/24/2014 10:20:26 PM)

I do think gray-on-black is part of the problem.

If the game is much more moddable now, does that include fonts and display colors?



rich12545 -> RE: Font size? (5/25/2014 3:14:48 AM)

I play SPWW2 and SPMBT. Great games. At 1920x1080 I can barely see the font. So I play at 1024x768 and it works fine. But this is a windows conversion of an old dos game. I'm thankful to be playing it at all.

Distant Worlds is a new game. Really, it's the dev's responsibility to provide fonts that are easily readable at popular resolutions. It's not up to players to try to find a fix. Apparently this is nothing new. The dev has been aware of the problem and it still exists. Looks like a nice game but I guess I'll pass. I want to get enjoyment from a game, now anxiety. Thanks to everybody for your answers. You just saved me $50.



DrWolfsherz -> RE: Font size? (5/25/2014 10:58:09 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Paul Roberts
I do think gray-on-black is part of the problem.


THIS! On Wide-Gamut Screens it is horrible!
Please let us change the font-colour. This would actually help a LOT!



Bingeling -> RE: Font size? (5/25/2014 11:09:01 AM)

Readability depends on screen size, resolution, distance to screen, eyesight...

There was a nice little post on the Steam forum by Rakilonn, but I am not sure how to link there. Anyways:

quote:

How To : Improve the fonts (Windows 7)
Fonts in the game appear to be affected by ClearType (which is not so surprising).

So to improve how the fonts are displayed go to Start -> Control panel -> Display -> Ajust ClearType text

And select what you like the most.

Here are 2 screenshots made with differents ClearType settings at 1920x1200
http://i.cubeupload.com/11nHQq.png


From the screenshot it seems to help quite a bit.



Osito -> RE: Font size? (5/25/2014 11:41:51 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: elliotg

We've attempted to improve this in several areas: The Selection Panel at bottom-left can be enlarged, the Research screen has larger text, the Empire Summary screen is clearer, etc.

Admittedly some of the text might still be small for some.

We're willing to try and improve this further though, if there's specific places where players feel the need for bigger text.

Thanks
Elliot



I find the fonts ok at 1920x1200, but they could be improved.

I think the parts that need most work are:

1 the toolbar running down the left hand side (and the information that pops out when you click on the toolbar);
2 The message log at the top of the screen; and
3 The cashflow information at the top right.

Thanks,

Osito



Lego -> RE: Font size? (5/25/2014 10:29:27 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: towerbooks3192

Not sure if it is a font size issue and I posted this months back in the technical forum. Any way to fix display in windows 8.1? I am having these problems where screens would not display at times despite disabling DPS scaling like on the research tab above would not show % when the percentage is on 2 digits and some words overlap on that tiny screen on the side and I have to expand it.

I have the same problem and with a resolution of 2880x1800 fonts are absolutely tiny in some places.



Ohsirus -> RE: Font size? (5/26/2014 1:02:01 AM)

Please FIx the Fonts, as everyone has noted they are wayy too little and I can't enjoy a good play thru from all the squinting.



Franky007 -> RE: Font size? (5/26/2014 1:16:25 AM)

If i am not mistaken, the font (xnb files) are Binary data file created with XNA Game Studio Express.
These are Bitmap fonts.
I tried to find tools to edit them, but without success!
Maybe Elliot could give us a hint on how to edit them?
[;)]



FireLion1983 -> RE: Font size? (5/26/2014 2:51:31 AM)

I upped my fonts from small to medium in windows and the galactopedia and research button have adjusted, but I think that's it.



zakblood -> RE: Font size? (5/26/2014 5:04:51 AM)

something to try and works also in windows 8.1

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3617868

altering the font size that is :)



Garravesh -> RE: Font size? (5/26/2014 7:45:26 AM)

Just purchased the game last night from STEAM.

After 20 minutes or so I was suffering a headache and eye strain from all that squinting.

The FONT, for me, is too small.


Places like your MONEY9top right side), and the reports box on the top of the screen are just plain painful to try and look at.


Many pleasant folks have recommended changing fonts, lowering resolution but to no real success.


I would recommend increasing the font size by about 20% in those specific areas or better yet all around.


The bottom left hand corner has a box you can increase in size..that is splendid.



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