[Mobhack]

Well, I finally got myself a windows 8 desktop. An 8 gig AMD 8 quad-core HP Pavilion with an AMD catalyst dual something or other mode graphics card.

This machine shows all the problems that some have noticed with "stuttering" in full-screen mode.

- Scrolling is jerky
- Clicking on the mini-map results in a noticeable delay before moving
- making a long multi-hex move with a vehicle, sound on especially, can result in a long delay, or movement in small batches with a delay in between. hex at a time is usually OK, though.
- Weapons effects not tested as yet, but may be also.
- Any attempt to ALT+TAB out and then return, and the game is in a skewed state and colour palette is also trashed, and can only be killed by CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up the task manager.

I have eliminated the gameoptions options (setting scroll delay to 0 milliseconds and doubling the mouse scroll sensitivity zone) - makes no difference.

Exploring the Windows 8 compatibility mode settings made no difference whatsoever, though "Windows 98/Me mode" seemed slightly better. Especially on clicking the mini-map.
- Setting any compatibility setting brings up an annoying UAC message, even if you are the machine's admin with full privileges as well.
- The colour depth settings don't do that, but made absolutely no difference at all.

So I set the game up to fullscreen in gameoptions, exited game options, and launched the .cmd file directly (as we removed that if 8 is detected as folks have said its not needed). Exact same behaviour as before was noted, so the batch file is redundant in 8 (and it was Aero that was killing it before in Seven).

I also explored the video card options, e.g. turning its dual mode off and using standard, optimise for speed, etc. No change.

Since:
A) Some folks report that full-screen mode works perfectly OK for them
and
B) Others report the same stuff as how my machine behaves

Then the only variable there can be is the graphics card installed on the box as far as I can tell. And/or the drivers.

Some can hack it, others cannot.

And in the early days of Windows XP, this was a problem as well since many manufacturers had not got support for the old DOS video modes done right - they concentrated on windows. Sometimes a later set of drivers fixed it. This may turn out to be the same with Windows Eight.

HOWEVER
In desktop resolution in windowed mode, it runs like the proverbial brown and smelly stuff off a chrome digging implement. Not a hiccup, scrolls are smooth and fast, clicking on the minimap is instantaneous, no delay in unit movement or sounds. No palette scrambling if you minimise to the task bar or switch to other open windows.

You lose just a tiny strip for the task bar area (remember not to have auto-hide on!) but in 1080i mode - who cares. Additionally you can switch to other open windows easily, start new windows programmes, and see the clock, email notifications etc. All major pluses, along with the game working - there's no real need for exclusive full-screen at all really. Provided you have the full game and so can use your monitor's real estate.