Ideal Resolution

[Elmvine]

Ren'Py will automatically resize so it fits on the screen. (Or at least, it should - Kuroonehalf managed to avoid that somehow.)

I was also under this impression as I've edited the resolution for my ren'py game on different screens, and I found I never really had the overlapping taskbar issue that I was worried about.

[Saitoki1582]

I think something around 1280x600 is reasonable for modern standard. We need to keep in mind that unlike smartphone and tablet, most laptop still use 1366x768 due to the limitation of window 7 (icon will look super tiny with higher resolution). I heard that higher resolution will be possible in the upcoming Windows 10, but that is still thing of the future.

Another thing is to be mindful of is the workload of the artist. Higher resolution will require higher detailed art to look good. A background that look quite ok in 1280, when changed to 1920 may be either blurry (if the highest resolution of the original BG is 1280) or have a lot of rough spot to be seen (if 1920 is the original resolution). Based on my first hand experience, if you want a background to look good in 1920, you have to draw it at at least 3000 and scale it down to look good. That require a lot more efforts and computer power than draw at 2000 and scale down to 1280.

[trooper6]

I think something around 1280x600 is reasonable for modern standard. We need to keep in mind that unlike smartphone and tablet, most laptop still use 1366x768 due to the limitation of window 7 (icon will look super tiny with higher resolution). I heard that higher resolution will be possible in the upcoming Windows 10, but that is still thing of the future.

Another thing is to be mindful of is the workload of the artist. Higher resolution will require higher detailed art to look good. A background that look quite ok in 1280, when changed to 1920 may be either blurry (if the highest resolution of the original BG is 1280) or have a lot of rough spot to be seen (if 1920 is the original resolution). Based on my first hand experience, if you want a background to look good in 1920, you have to draw it at at least 3000 and scale it down to look good. That require a lot more efforts and computer power than draw at 2000 and scale down to 1280.

However, if you want to keep the 16:9 aspect ratio for better scaling...it would be 1280x720...and guinevak says that windows laptop people can't handle anything taller than 698 without being inconvenienced. So...that leaves...for the highest quality 16:9 dimensions that won't make the windows laptop people upset...1136x640. The game I'm working on is currently 1366x768 (as that is the most popular resolution globally)...should I really redo the interface to make it fit 1136x640? Would keeping it 1366x768 really be that terrible?

[Saitoki1582]

should I really redo the interface to make it fit 1136x640?

I don't think it's necessary. By 'Around 1280x600', I mean either 1280x600, 1280x768, 1366x768 are okay, as long as it does not go overboard like 1920 (unless you have a lot of budget, then 1920 is OK too). Renpy automatically resize window, for example the game I'm making is 1280x768 and my laptop is 1366x768, but when I test it, the game is automatically resized to 3/4 of the screen. 'Around 1280x600' is reasonable because it can look good in both window-ed and fullscreen without going overboard. Also 1920 resolution will make the game a whole lot bigger, and not really suitable for an indie developer (actually even big Japanese company still make game in 1280).

[nyaatrap]

Maximum window size of ren'py game is monitor-102px. Therefore, height 666 px is the maximum window size on laptop.

[guinevak]

However, if you want to keep the 16:9 aspect ratio for better scaling...it would be 1280x720...and guinevak says that windows laptop people can't handle anything taller than 698 without being inconvenienced. So...that leaves...for the highest quality 16:9 dimensions that won't make the windows laptop people complain...1136x640. The game I'm working on is currently 1366x768 (as that is the most popular resolution globally)...should I really redo the interface to make it fit 1136x640?

If you want those of us with bog standard laptops to be able to play it in windowed mode, yes.

My particular bog standard laptop has a maximum resolution of 1366x768, so anything that big is going to use my entire screen. In which case I might as well just run it in fullscreen, instead of in a window that I can't manipulate properly.

Something that's designed to run much higher-res than that is not an issue as long as it can be scaled down. If Renpy indeed does this automatically, that's great; I've just played way too many games in general that don't.

[trooper6]

Can anyone confirm if Renpy does indeed scale down so laptop people can play games made with 1366x768 in windowed mode? If I need to redo the GUI and screens, and font size, and BGs, etc...that would be good to know! It would also be good to know before I commission sprite artwork.

[SundownKid]

Can anyone confirm if Renpy does indeed scale down so laptop people can play games made with 1366x768 in windowed mode? If I need to redo the GUI and screens, and font size, and BGs, etc...that would be good to know! It would also be good to know before I commission sprite artwork.

Yes, Renpy can downscale using certain options. For example my game was 1080p and I used:

Code: Select all

textbutton "Fullscreen" action Preference("display", "fullscreen")
textbutton "1600 x 1200" action Preference("display", 0.83333333333)
textbutton "1366 x 768" action Preference("display", 0.71145833333)
textbutton "1280 x 720" action Preference("display", 0.666666666667)
textbutton "Netbook" action Preference("display", 0.53333333333)

Better to make your game in max resolution and have it downscale than make it low res and upscale, IMO. Downscaling will also leave the interface more clear than if you upscaled. If you played the game in 1366x768, you could hardly even tell that it was made in 1080p.

IMO, 1920x1080 is the sweet spot resolution that will fit almost everyone's screens with no loss of detail.

[nyaatrap]

Can anyone confirm if Renpy does indeed scale down so laptop people can play games made with 1366x768 in windowed mode? If I need to redo the GUI and screens, and font size, and BGs, etc...that would be good to know! It would also be good to know before I commission sprite artwork.

Yes. They're forced to downscaled under 1264x666.
If you care the downscaled quality, scale factor should be around .75. Over .8 get blurry, under .7 get aliased.

[trooper6]

Dear SundownKid,

Thank you so much for giving that code snippet. I put in an option to switch the resolution to 1136x640 using a button...and it works like magic! Now I don't have to rework my GUI and laptop people will be happy.
Yay!

[ChibbiNation]

Hi! Is this still needed with the latest build of Ren'py?

Code: Select all

textbutton "Fullscreen" action Preference("display", "fullscreen")
textbutton "1600 x 1200" action Preference("display", 0.83333333333)
textbutton "1366 x 768" action Preference("display", 0.71145833333)
textbutton "1280 x 720" action Preference("display", 0.666666666667)
textbutton "Netbook" action Preference("display", 0.53333333333)

I started working on my first game on 1280x720 resolution as per the recommendation of the opening screen of ren'py, but I actually make all my graphics in 1920x1080 resolution and it would be a lot more comfortable for me to work everything on the same resolution.

So, if I change my current game to Full HD, do I still have to add that snippet of code if I want people with lower resolutions to still play the game with no issues?