http://i.imgur.com/KnbUg33.png
Here is a quick overview of the tweaks you'll find in this post:
- skip intro videos
the one you can't seem to get rid of no matter how hard you keep smasing the Esc key
- set a custom resolution
you don't have to make due with the in-game defaults
- snap cursor to window boundaries (recommended in windowed mode)
confines mouse cursor inside the game window
Before we start:
The configuration file titled config.xml is by default found under C:\Users\<username>\Documents\BattleForge
You may open this file by right-clicking on it, then selecting Open With > Choose Default Program… and selecting Notepad, though you may use any other text editor.
- do not try to edit this file while Battleforge is running, otherwise the settings you made might get overwritten
- do not make the file read-only otherwise the game won’t start
- do not forget to save the file after you’ve made changes to it, and before you start Battleforge again
- Skip intro videosThe Battleforge intro is unskippable and gets annoying rather quickly. Open the config.xml file as described above and find the following entry:
skip_intro_movies="0"
Then change the number between the two quotation marks to 1, as the example shows below:
skip_intro_movies="1"
The third-person camera (click to preview) is included in all three modded files as a bonus. I’ve lowered the default minimum camera angle so you can zoom in real close with the mouse wheel to admire those… assets… *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*
- Set a custom resolution
Since the game engine only supports hor+ and can't handle ver+ (to utilise 16:10 and other vertical widescreen ratios), the wider screen you have, the better.
Having a larger horizontal viewing area will give you an advantage in both PvE and PvP at the expense of vertical image size. You have to make a decision whether this trade-off is worth it.
First, open the config.xml file as described above and find the following two entries:
screenheight="####" and screenwidth="####"
Between the quotation marks you'll see numbers, instead of # signs. These are the current vertical and horizontal resolutions (respectively). Change these to whatever you're comfortable with but don't reduce screenheight below 650, as GUI elements that don't scale will be partially cropped. My advice is to always maximise the horizontal resolution, then decide on the vertical number of pixels depending on your preference.
Note that if you were to use the in-game Settings menu after this step, Battleforge will reset the resolution to default (screenheight="768" and screenwidth="1024") therefore you'll be required to modify the config.xml file again.
Next, find the following entry:
fullscreen="1"
This might already be set to 0, buit if it isn't then change the number between the two quotation marks in order to enter windowed mode, like so:
fullscreen="0"
By using a smaller vertical resolution nothing gets lost or cropped, however everything on the screen will be that much smaller to allow for additional horizontal screen space.
Here is an example of a 24:10 window ratio that - in essence - gives you 50% more horizontal viewing area by reducing vertical image size by 33% (i.e. running the game in 1920x804 instead of 1920x1200).
- Snap cursor to window boundaries (recommended in windowed mode)
Whether you have to, or choose to play Battleforge in windowed mode, you'll notice how awkward it is to scroll around the map by using either the arrow or WASD keys. Moving the mouse cursor to one of the screen borders requires way too much precision, as there is nothing to keep the cursor within the boundaries of the game window. Fortunately there is an application called Cursor Lock created by SnakeByte Studios. It's purpose is to confine the mouse cursor inside a specified window.
You may download the tool by clicking on this link: http://www.snakebytestudios.com/download/cursor-lock/
Once downloaded and installed, double-click on CursorLockSetup.exe to launch the application. You need to change some of the settings before running Battleforge:
1) While on the Shortcut tab, click Program Mode. This should be selected by default.
2) Under Program Options, tick the box next to Open Program and click the browse button on the right to navigate to the location where you've installed the Battleforge client. Select BFRebornLauncher.exe then press OK.
3) Under Program Options, tick the box next to Lock Program and click the browse button on the right to navigate to the location where you've installed the Battleforge client. Select BattleForge.exe then press OK.
4) Under Standard Options, tick the box next to Lock Region and select Window Interior from the drop down box.
Finally, click the Create Shortcut button in the bottom right corner of the window. Save the shortcut to your Desktop, or to your preferred location. You'll need to run Battleforge using this shortcut from now on.
However, you don't need to run Cursor Lock ever again (it starts and shuts itself down automatically as required).
The mouse cursor will now snap to the inner part of the game window, allowing you to scroll around the map by moving the mouse cursor to the edges - just like in full screen.
Below is a snapshot to guide you with setting up Cursor Lock:
http://i.imgur.com/wOeDQ6I.png
click here to view this image
