Very long game starting time ?

[Nowake]

This thread reminds me of some qualms I have with to and fro transitions in this game.
1) Windowed mode is utterly horrific, at monitor resolution the lower part of the window is clipped, hiding important things such us the unit card’s number of men in battle and similar things on the campaign map. It also has zero flexibility, you cannot stretch it in any way.
2) The game has no double monitor support. I was really looking forward to offset the long loading times with a second monitor, but you cannot play fullscreen and work something else on a second monitor.
3) Alt+tabbing during loading screens will screw up the game after a while and you’ll have to restart.
EDIT: Makes you appreciate how rare are the developers who iron out these incredibly annoying quirks

I use the time to make a cup of tea. Same with load times for large battles.

It sounds great and cosy when you write it and I drink tea like one of those brits who shoots clay pigeons for sport, yet you must never play more than a couple of turns in a row if you’re literal about that.

[frogbeastegg]

It sounds great and cosy when you write it and I drink tea like one of those brits who shoots clay pigeons for sport, yet you must never play more than a couple of turns in a row if you’re literal about that.

I don't like to sit glued to the PC anyway. I play a turn or two and wander off to do something else for 5 minutes, then return. Fight this huge battle, do my washing up, play a couple of turns, chop the vegetables ready for dinner, play another turn with a battle, go phone someone, play a bit more, read a bit of a book ...

When fighting a 20 unit versus 20 unit plus reinforcements castle battle I prepared a simple Thai style red curry during the load time, let it cook during the battle, and ate it to celebrate my triumph over heavy odds. The only difficulty was that I had to fight quickly so my dinner didn't burn ;p

I've actually read quite a few good books that way. But if I really wanted to read, I wouldn't have tunred on my PC.

If I'm reading, I tend to read the free sample chapters for full books on my kindle. They are brief, and the interruptions don't matter because if I like the book I shall be starting from the beginning when I purchase a full copy anyway. Although at one point I was re-reading my copy of 'War in Japan'. It's broken up into lots of brief sub-chapters. That was a nice thematic match.

[Madae]

And I thought I had a short attention span. I tend to maybe get up and go smoke a cigarette while I wait for a battle to load, but that's usually about all I do, aside from the random bathroom break or whatever. I do tend to jump from game to game rather quickly, and I'll be playing several at a time, but if I'm in to something, I usually play it nonstop until I burn myself out.

At any rate, the only slightly unbearable load time is when the game is starting up, but that's only about a minute and a half or so (maybe an exaggeration - I don't really know how long). It just seems longer because you're counting the seconds away until you can play. Battles probably only take less than half-a-cigarette's time to smoke (this is my way of keeping track of time these days).

[Andres]

I guess Sega and CA should put warning messages on their DVD boxes à la "Warning - long loading times may obesitas, long cancer or heart diseases" and disclaimers à la "Do not cook during loading times. Do not cook while playing. We are not responsible if you burn down your own house if you do so."

[frogbeastegg]

And I thought I had a short attention span.

It's more a case of comfort. Sitting in front of a PC without moving for long periods of time doesn't do me much good, there isn't sufficient leeway for changing posture. I can happily play console games for hours at a stretch because sitting on a sofa doesn't provoke the same effects. Then there's ocular comfort. Having poor eyesight and contact lenses, I find it's very easy to end up with problems if I don't take regular breaks.

"Do not cook during loading times. Do not cook while playing. We are not responsible if you burn down your own house if you do so."

Next time I cook a victory Thai red curry I know who won't be getting any!

[Nowake]

Yeah, as frogbeastegg wrote, a Kindle is great for this; especially when Hosting a MP battle, you're likely to wait even ten minutes for someone to drop-in. Taking a real book by your side somehow doesn't feel right, I really dislike to have my train-of-thought interrupted when reading full chapters, yet on the Kindle I can fill the gaps quite pleasantly.

Still, I have to maintain my position that getting this game to run properly on a dual monitor setup would be rather awesome.

but if I'm in to something, I usually play it nonstop until I burn myself out.

I believe that's very age related -- I'd go on for twenty hour sessions just a few years ago, before entering the university. I still could, but it just takes the joy out of life after the first three-four hours now sigh. Now you go on and tell me you're fifty just to stomp my theory in the ground

[Madae]

I'm 28.

[Conkercorner]

I sometimes have 4od on as background noise while I play, which helps to make the loading times bearable. Although sometimes I read a book or fetch some food.