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shadowfox11

Join Date 08/2009

2012)- With Rebellion Support!!!

Modded game files for Netbook 1024x600 resolutions. Updated version to support Rebellion.

Sins of a Solar Empire Netbook Low Resolution Mod

Sins of a Solar Empire Netbook Low Resolution Mod
Created by: shadowfox11
Version: 3.0
Build date: September 30, 2012

******************************************************************
Changelog:
******************************************************************
Version 3.0:
- Version for Rebellion only (tested with v1.04 of Rebellion, but should
work with newer versions as well as long as Stardock doesn't make any
changes to the layout of the buttons).

Version 2.2:
- Updated the instructions included in the mod to include a fix for the
"diplomacy.user.setting" file (see the Troubleshooting section
below for more info).

Version 2.1:
- Fixed Diplomacy and Research screens in the Diplomacy expansion
so that you can now see how much Crystal you have while in those
screens.

Version 2.0:
- Added support for Sins of a Solar Empire Diplomacy
Expansion/Sins of a Solar Empire Trinity collection.
- Now tested and working on version 1.19 of the original game,
v1.05 of the Entrenchment expansion, and v1.0 of
the Diplomacy expansion.
- Fixed Main Menu Screen for original Sins of a Solar Empire game
so all buttons are fully visible.
- Fixed the player theme picker so that the title and buttons are in
the correct location.
- Fixed the location of the Fleet Logistics buttons and window in
Diplomacy (Version 1.0 of Diplomacy from Stardock seems to have a
glitch because the buttons located a little out-of-place by default,
so I changed them to where they're supposed to be. The game would
still work fine even if I hadn't fixed them, but I just did it to
make it look nicer).
- Updated one of the modified game files to reflect the new
"Galaxy Forge" string when changing map types.
- Updated instructions with HillybillyBoozer's
user settings fix for users who have screen resolution
problems, and other changes (see below for details on the fix).
- Updated backed up originals of modified game files to
reflect the newest strings from the newest versions of the game
and the two expansions (v1.19, 1.05, and v1.0).

******************************************************************
Introduction:
******************************************************************
Many of today's netbooks contain the power to run Sins of a Solar Empire
(albeit on the lowest visual settings). However, many netbooks have a max
resolution of 1024x600, and Sins of a Solar Empire requires at least a
1024x768 resolution to work (the game would run on the netbook's lower
resolution, but many of the buttons were cut-off making it very difficult
to play the game (the only possible way to play was to use a screen
scrolling technique (got very annoying very quickly), or using the "Tab"
button on the keyboard to go through the different buttons you wanted
(very confusing since you couldn't tell which button your had selected
most of the time). Well, since Ironclad still has not created support for
these lower resolution netbook screens, I decided to take the liberty of
creating it for them, in my Sins of a Solar Empire Netbook Low Resolution Mod.

******************************************************************
Credits:
******************************************************************
Before you go any further in installing this mod on your computer, you need to
know that I did not do this mod on my own. A lot of credit needs to go to
Joe McCormack from:

http://www.virtualsecrets.com/acer-aspire-one-netbook.html

because that was where I got the idea to create this mod in the first place. I
built upon and revised his original modded files and made them compatible with
all the screens (except for the Ironclad Online screens (see below))
instead of just some of them, and I went on to create versions of the mod to
support each of the expansions and additions to the original game.

******************************************************************
Disclaimer:
******************************************************************
- A lot of time and hard work has gone into this mod by both myself and Joe
McCormack. Please be curteous and give credit where credit is due. You may
decide to adjust a few things in the mod yourself, and that is totally fine. If you
want to include this mod in one of your own mods, please notify me first, and please
remember to give original credit to both shadowfox11 (myself) and Joe McCormack.

- Use this mod at your own risk. Although it is virtually impossible that
this mod could cause any damage at all to your computer, please be aware that I
will not be held responsible for any possible damages (no matter how slim) that
using this mod could cause.

******************************************************************
Features:
******************************************************************
- v3.0 is only compatible with Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion (tested with
v1.04 of Rebellion, but should work with newer versions of Rebellion as well, as
long as Stardock doesn't make any changes to the layout of the buttons).

- Supports resolutions as low as 1024x600 (the resolutions many popular
netbooks use including the Asus 1000HE, 1005HA, MSI Wind U100, Acer Aspire One, etc.)

- All screens fixed except for Ironclad Online Screens. I did a minimal amount of fixing
to those screens, but I didn't bother fixing them all since I feel that many netbooks are
a little underpowered for online play. (I also do not play online and don't have much
interest in ever doing so, but if anyone is interested in me adding support for those
screens let me know and I'll see what I can do).

******************************************************************
Installation Instructions:
******************************************************************
a. Make sure that you've run Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion at least once on your computer to
ensure that the needed directories for your settings are created.
b. In Windows, browse to the "My Documents" folder for your username on your computer. It should
contain a folder entitled "My Games".
c. After extracting the downloaded netbook mod archive, copy the "Netbook Resolution Mod v3.0"
folder to the following directory within your "My Documents" directory:

"\My Games\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion\Mods-Rebellion vX.XX" (where "X.XX"
is whatever version of Rebellion you are using).

***Note: You could replace steps d-g (directly below) by opening the game and enabling the mod
through the game, but unfortunately the buttons used to enable the mod are cut off (since the
mod hasn't been enabled yet) so you'd have to tab through the buttons to enable the mod.
You're welcome to do it that way, but to make things easier I included steps d-g so you can
enable the mod before starting the game.
d. Within that same "Mods-Rebellion vX.XX" folder you should see a text document entitled
"EnabledMods.txt". Open it using Notepad; (i.e., right click on it and click "Open" or
"Open with..." and choose "Notepad").
e. Once the "EnabledMods.txt" file is open, you should see a line that says
"enabledModNameCount" with a number next to it. Add one to whatever that number is; (e.g, if
it is a "0" then change it to "1"). (this just allows you to enable the netbook mod in
addition to whatever other mods you might have enabled (it should work with most other mods as
long as they haven't changed the layouts of the buttons)).
f. Add a line directly below the "enabledModNameCount" line and paste in the following line
(with no spaces before the line):

enabledModName "Netbook Resolution Mod v3.0"

(so if the enabledModNameCount was originally 0, the file should look like this now (with no
spaces before each line)):

TXT
Version 0
enabledModNameCount 1
enabledModName "Netbook Resolution Mod v3.0"

g. Save the changes you made to the "EnabledMods.txt" document; (i.e., go to the "File" menu of
Notepad and click "Save"), then close Notepad.
h. Start up the game and you should be able to be able to play Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion
on your netbook without scrolling at 1024x600 resolution! Enjoy!

***Note: If you have any issues with the mod not working right, or still don't see the buttons
correctly, see the troubleshooting section, directly below:

*************************************************************************************
Troubleshooting (Thanks to HillbillyBoozer for finding this fix) (*UPDATED 9/30/12*):
*************************************************************************************
Some users of my mod have reported that they were unable to get the mod to work simply by copying
over and enabling my mod using the steps above. This problem is most likely to occur if you
run the game and mess with the video/resolution settings before or after applying my modded files. Uninstalling and reinstalling the game may not fix this issue as the user settings file that stores
your chosen settings could potentially not be deleted even if you uninstall the game. If you have
followed the directions above to install the mod, but you are getting a black screen and/or some elements of
the game are still cut off, try the following:

1. In Windows, browse to the "My Documents" folder for your username on your computer. It should
contain a folder entitled "My Games".
2. Browse to the following directory within your "My Documents" directory:

"\My Games\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion\Setting"

3. Right click on the "rebellion.user.setting" file in that folder and click "Open" or "Open with..." and choose
"Notepad."
4. Once the file is open in Notepad, find the following four lines and type in the following numbers after them like so:

VideoFullScreenWidth 1024
VideoFullScreenHeight 600
VideoWindowedWidth 1024
VideoWindowedHeight 600

***Note: If you are using a resolution other than 1024x600, replace the numbers above with whatever your netbook's resolution (width and height) are.

5. Click the "File" menu of Notepad and click "Save" to save these changes. Then close Notepad.
6. Try running Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion again and it should run without any problems!

***************************************************
Download Links & File Hashes:
***************************************************

Netbook Low Resolution Mod v3.0 for Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion (Compatible with Rebellion Only):
Download:
Netbook Low Resolution Mod v3.0 by shadowfox11 - MediaFire

ZIP Archive File Hashes:
CRC32: 966E386F
MD5: 10DAE4DF4F1909C7FE19079A76BFA5BD
SHA-1: 51DAB2CA64AF4459696A11BBE787B8E4E8A25F4D

Older Versions of Mod (For Trinity/Original Game, Entrenchment, and Diplomacy):

Note: Before downloading either of the Distant Stars Netbook Low Resolution Mods below, I highly recommend that you download and apply my original Netbook mod v2.2 (directly below). Also, please note that the instructions and notes for installing the older versions of the Netbook Low Resolution mods will be different from the instructions mentioned in this post (which are for the Rebellion v3.0 mod) so please read the instructions text files in each of the older archives after downloading them for instructions on where to put the files for the older Netbook Low Resolution Mods.

Original v2.2 Netbook Low Resolution Mod for Original Sins of a Solar Empire Game and Expansions (Entrenchment and Diplomacy):
Download:
Netbook Low Resolution Mod v2.2 by shadowfox11 - MediaFire

RAR Archive File Hashes:
CRC32: 68CCB868
MD5: 86CE2B0E23E95680DEB7C96341417ACA
SHA-1: A22EB39C911CF31995D0F88A231E128451DC2D08

Link to the Forum Page for the Distant Stars Mod:

https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/335474

Netbook Low Resolution Mod for Distant Stars v0.7 Beta for Diplomacy Mod:

Download:
Netbook Low Resolution Mod For Distant Stars v0.7 Diplomacy Mod - v1.0 by shadowfox11 - MediaFire

RAR Archive File Hashes:
CRC32: FB3C7C92
MD5: A99283E65EF3CED708D7BB5F7A1153F2
SHA-1: BC1445C759292AB6700EA3063B74EE4EF6DC11C4

Netbook Low Resolution Mod for Distant Stars v0.9951 Beta for Entrenchment Mod:
Download:
Netbook Low Resolution Mod For Distant Stars v0.9951 Entrenchment Mod - v1.0 by shadowfox11 - MediaFire

RAR Archive File Hashes:
CRC32: 823DA03B
MD5: F646C6F47CCACEB86BA819325EFFA3CD
SHA-1: 5BCDC7359D516470F788FF77606349CFF2BC4D33

******Make sure that you read and follow the "Troubleshooting" section of this post and/or the instructions text document included in the download archive if you have any problems with my mods******

***************************************************
Screenshots:
***************************************************

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Jxrdan
SIN-Imperium
DauntlessAnsible

Would using this mod allow multiplayer use? If so, I might buy a netbook just to play SOASE.

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@Swordsalmon

Yes, mulitplayer should work with this mod as I have moved the interface components in the Multiplayer menus as well as the Diplomacy menus to allow for up to 10 slots for players. I have tested this using my desktop and netbook and it seemed to work just fine without any problems (however, if you were planning on playing multiplayer on Ironclad Online you would need to tell me and help me get those screens working as well (I don't play online, and don't have an Ironclad Online account since I almost only play single player and LAN games), but I could make it work if someone sent me screenshots so I could work with them and get those Ironclad Online screens working (I'm not sure how the performance would be online with a netbook, but it works fine with mine on LAN games).

The only thing you would need to worry about would be to make sure that the netbook you chose to get had enough power to support multiplayer games. My Asus 1005HA PU1X seems to handle itself pretty well on network LAN games (I tested up to 4-players (two computer and two humans) and it worked fine), and it could probably handle even more, but I'd imagine that playing with a lot of other people could create some lag.

I hope that helps!

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ah man! excellent! i will download and try this out tonight.

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@DauntlessAnsible

Thank you for your interest in my mod. Please let us know how it works for you. I'd really like to get some feedback and have others affirm that this mod really does work!

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sorry it wasnt as fast as i hoped. got sins installed this morning on the netbook. i wsa able to see the buttons needed on the main menu screens and in once the game started. great work!

i have an acer aspire one. its one of the older models with the 120 GB drive. 1gb ram. i knocked the effets settings down to almost nothing at initial performace on a small map was smooth. i can only image newer and faster netbooks will perform even better.

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you should post a link to this mod on the impulse forum as well. so many peole there want this and may not seeing this post since they dont read the sins forums.

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Thanks for testing that DauntlessAnsible. Don't worry about it taking a few extra days, I'm just glad that it worked for you.

Also, thank you for your suggestion to post this topic in the impulse forums, I have done that now, and I'm really hoping that more and more people will find out about my mod so they can play Sins on their netbooks.

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I can't seem to get it to work. I'm on a eeepc 1000he, version 1.17 of SOASE.

Scratch that. I had to edit my user setting to match 1024x600. Works great now. Thanks!

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Great! I'm glad you got it working, HillbillyBoozer! Would you mind telling us which user settings you had to change to get it to work? When I used my mod on my netbook I didn't have to do anything other than just replace the files.

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Looks pretty sweet. Planning on getting a netbook in the coming months. Good to know I'll be able to play Sins on it.

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The file is 'user' under "C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\Setting". Opened it with notepad and changed the resolutions to 1024x600.

....

VideoFullScreenWidth 1024

VideoFullScreenHeight 600

VideoWindowedWidth 1024

VideoWindowedHeight 600

....

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Thanks HillbillyBoozer, I'm hoping that will help others if they happen to run into problems using my mod.

That will certainly go in my next instruction text file under your name in a troubleshooting section if I end up making another version. If not, I will certainly add it to the instructions above with credits to you, of course. Thanks again.

@Beric01

Thanks for your support. Yes, this mod should work fine on virtually any netbook with a 1024x600 resolution. Just out of curiousity, which netbook are you planning on getting?

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Hey,

Thanks for the mod. I ran into the same problem as Hillbilly, the same fix worked for me. I am running it on my MSI Wind U100. Specs as follows:

1.6ghz Atom processor (OC to 2.0ghz)

2gb RAM

Integrated Intel GMA 845 graphics card: 224mb with RAM support

120gb HDD

Thanks again for your hard work. Please include the fix that was pointed out in your files with the mod for future users.

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Perfect. Absolutely essential. Thanks for taking the time to make this game possible on EEEs.

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Thanks for your support everyone. I'm glad that my mod has been helping so many people. Keep the comments coming. I love to hear them!

Sorry I haven't updated the instruction list yet. I've been very busy lately, and I think I may just wait for Diplomacy to come out so I can update everything at once.

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HillbillyBoozer: Thanks for that suggestion! I was scratching my head over why the mod was not working; that did it!

Shadowfox11: Your mod is a HUGE help. I'm really looking forward to playing on my bus commutes (ASUS HA-PU, 2GB ram). Seems to be working fine so far, and no scrolling or compressing. Excellent work.

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Hey, just wanted to say thanks for the mod. My MSI Wind U100 can't handle many games, but being that SoaSE is one of my favourites I don't need it to

Are you going to be waiting for Diplomacy proper to come out before modding it, or will you also do it for the beta?

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@redkraken: I'm glad to here that my mod is working so well for you. I ride the bus as well, so I know how wonderful having a netbook can be during those long rides.

@Zaij: Thanks for the feedback. It's great to hear that my mod is helping so many people. That makes all that time I spent worth-while. To answer your question, I was not planning on modding for diplomacy until after it came out. I haven't pre-ordered the game yet, but if enough people would like the beta modded as well, then I might see about doing it.

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first thank you sooooo much for this mod, It has made time between classes and other down times more pleasurable. I would be even more greatful if you could fix diplomacy or even point me in the right direction to doing it myself. again many praises to you.

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@Wyseman76: Thanks for the support. This game has sure made my life much more enjoyable at college as well. I've added full support for Diplomacy and updated the info and links in the main part of this page to v2.0 so my mod should now work with all versions of Sins of a Solar Empire and both expansions as of now. Please let me know how it works everyone, and if you have any problems/concerns. I did quite a bit of testing so I think it should work great, but I'd love any feedback that you guys have.

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Hey guys. I noticed that with the Diplomacy expansion, the topbar has been modified in order to fit the new "Relationships" button and to help accommodate this, the section of the topbar that displays the amount of Crystal you have has been moved to the right a bit. This causes a slight issue with my mod since the very right bar of the background of some of the screens like the Research, and Diplomacy screens in my mod now cover up the Crystal display while in those screens. I had noticed this before I released v2.0 of my mod, but I didn't feel like it was a huge issue since you could just close the Research, Diplomacy, or whatever other screen you're viewing in order to see how much Crystal you have, but after thinking about it, I decided to modify at least two of the screens that normally block the Crystal display since I figured that some people (including myself) might like being able to see how much Crystal they have when deciding which Research upgrades or treaties they want to purchase. v2.1 of my mod should fix the Research and Diplomacy screens so that you will still be able to see the amount of Crystal you currently have, even while in those screens.

Again, please let me know if you have any problems/comments about my mod. Thanks everyone for the support and feedback.

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Help!

I loaded sose on my lenovo s10 and ran it before doing the mod. it loaded ok and then i went to video options and before i knew it, the screen is black. I finished the mod and still the game loads with the screen being black and uninstalling and reinstalling it didnt fix the problem. anyone figure out why this is happening? i cant be the only person that tried to run the game before the mod and the screen freaked out on

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Hello everyone again. I have now updated my mod to version 2.2. You can read the included notes for more info, but basically, I realized that the Diplomacy expansion uses a seperate user.setting file which means that HillbillyBoozer's original fix for any users that happen to have any problems with my mod wouldn't work if you were trying to play Diplomacy. In order to make the fix work with the Diplomacy expansion as well, you also have to edit the "diplomacy.user.setting" with HillbillyBoozer's recommended settings. Although no actual changes have been made to any of the files other than the included text document, I recommend that everyone download the newest version for your own documentation, should you ever run into any problems in the future. Again, please read the main portion of my post and/or download the archive and read the included text document for more information.

@Jay08spa30: Are you running Diplomacy, Entrenchment, or just the original game? From what it sounds like, you need to edit your "user.setting" file (and the "diplomacy.user.setting" file if you have the Diplomacy expansion installed) using the included instructions under the "Troubleshooting" section. That should tell you everything you need to know, including where to find those user settings files and what to change in them. Please let us know how it turns out.

On a side note, I'm still anxious to see how the newest version of my mod is working for others. If more of you could just add a simple reply notifying us of your success/unsuccess with my mod I would be very grateful. I'm just trying to get a general idea of how it's working for everyone and trying to identify any potential problems. Thanks again for your support guys.

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Shadowfox11 you are too damn cool, you have made my year.

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You are far too kind Wyseman76. Thank you, and thanks for the reply. I'm glad that I was able to help.

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