High resolution guide

[riffwave]

Years passed by, and this guide is finally outdated. Just follow instructions from https://tljhd.github.io/ for much better results.




Just figured out how to make TLJ run in high resolution with only minor glitches.

- Go to http://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/The_Longest_Journey and follow the guide at 'Run in Software Mode' section. This will fix most graphics issues, including big and ugly cursor trails.

- In graphics card driver control panel set display scaling to 'Preserve aspect ratio', this way game won't be stretched horizontally. Disable any forms of antialiasing (FXAA, MSAA), as it could lead to mouse trails.

- Ensure 'High resolution April model' is enabled in in-game settings.

- Download dgVoodoo, the link is at the same pcgamingwiki page. Unzip it, and copy 3 dll files from the 'MS' folder to the root folder of the game. Run dgVoodoo utility. On the 'General' page, set appearance to 'Fullscreen', scaling mode to 'Stretched, keep aspect ratio'. On DirectX tab:
- force vSync to avoid tearing during in-game movies
- set antialiasing to 4x or 8x
- force bilinear filtering
- uncheck 'Disable ALT-Enter' option to avoid issues with exit confirmation dialog box.
- Do not simply set the highest resolution, as this will make in-game text leave trails. Instead set it to a multiple of games' native resolution, 640x480. For example 1280x960 or 2560x1920, whichever your monitor supports. Do not set it to closest widescreen to avoid stretching.
- Apply dgVoodoo settings.

That's it, TLJ should now run in high resolution with only minor mouse trails visible (white dots), I still can't get rid of them. I'll try to attach a screenshot with the results.

Here is the screenshot of the game running in 1280x960 stretched to 1600x1200, high resolution April model and some mouse trails:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=739410021

[Yirg]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[riffwave]

More screens. Notice crow's eye, faces and shadows. Even the dancer has one (shadow).
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=739602959
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=739602915

[derpikniker]

Hi, how do i enable the 'High resolution April model' ???

[riffwave]

Originally posted by derpikniker:

Hi, how do i enable the 'High resolution April model' ???

Launch the game, go to Settings menu and look at the checkbox :)

[Omoikane]

The game looks good but when I try to quit, the game screen disappears and even though the sound plays I'm now looking at the desktop and I just barely noticed the white-outed dialog box. Is there a setting I'm missing somewhere that is causing this?

Also, I don't know what minor trails are. I find that the more I play the more trails are made. Again, unsure if there is a settings problem. I've set it to what you've suggested.

[riffwave]

Originally posted by Omoikane:

The game looks good but when I try to quit, the game screen disappears and even though the sound plays I'm now looking at the desktop and I just barely noticed the white-outed dialog box. Is there a setting I'm missing somewhere that is causing this?

Without dgVoodo I have the same white confirmation dialog box, though the game is still drawn in background. With dgWodoo the box is surprisingly drawn correctly. Anyway, just press 'Y' when this happens and the game should exit.

Originally posted by Omoikane:

Also, I don't know what minor trails are. I find that the more I play the more trails are made. Again, unsure if there is a settings problem. I've set it to what you've suggested.

If you have white cursor trails, like in the first screenshot, then I don't know how to get rid of them except to play in 640x480 with AA disabled and software mode turned on. If background washes out under the cursor, make sure you are running the game in 1280x960 with AA disabled. Disable it everywhere and recheck. In my case only AA enabled form dgVoodoo doesn't lead to this issue, driver-enabled FXAA/MSAA washes out the background.

Win10 x64, nVidia GTX 970. Oh, and make sure dgVodoo logo is displayed in-game, if it is not, then you probably failed to copy the 3 dll files correctly. Also make sure you made changes to the preferences.ini located at %APPDATA%, not the one at game root folder. Try running configure.exe from game root folder and check if 'Force single buffer' option is checked, this will confirm that the game picked up your changes to the ini file.

[Omoikane]

Win 10 x64 GTX 965M

I was unable to do anything about the trails. But I some how got the dialog box like you when I unchecked the "disable alt-enter" under the DirectX tab.

I guess I'll have to just do my best to ignore the trails if I want to continue looking at much better graphics.

[riffwave]

Originally posted by Omoikane:

Win 10 x64 GTX 965M

I was unable to do anything about the trails. But I some how got the dialog box like you when I unchecked the "disable alt-enter" under the DirectX tab.

I guess I'll have to just do my best to ignore the trails if I want to continue looking at much better graphics.

I will add info about 'disable alt-enter' to the guide, thought it was unchecked by default. Which kind of trails do you have?

[Omoikane]

I have trails like this:

https://s10.postimg.org/nfdugzyi1/game_2016_08_11_11_39_48_84.jpg

[Aqvilinus]

Thx for the guide.
To clean the screen from trails use a right-click.

[XPAHITEL]

Conclusion: if you will as always KEEP SILENCE and do nothing about bad working games on Steam, not to write to support, forums etc, complain etc - you will again and again become owners of old games, that works only with voodoo magic because there' are for so old systems so they a priori can't work even on WinXP. Now let's see: I use WinXp, still can launch properly lot of games exclude absolutely new that don't support systems older than Win7 already. But you. What do you expected?

And OF COURSE - before buying READ requirements and attention boxes!

So, you have a choice: polland artisans on GOG, who makes ALL, nevermind how OLD the game is, working on every new system absolutely properly. BUT. Here minuses for me: price higher, and there no way to add game to Steam library, have discussions with biggest gaming society, see this games here, on your profile.

Of course you have an option of torrents with repacks that often so perfectly completed so you can see all options you never imaging on .. ok, you know it withoit me. It is sad, but it is true: Steam the first who disgustingly (SORRY, but it's true. SORRY again, you, Valve, etc, but every monkey knows what kind of releases you makes when put games like Final Fantasy VIII on Steam... and only with suggestions of your, Valve, users, we can read and NOT TO BUY this ...'versions'. It is sad.. i so wanted play FFVIII, even in this state!!!.. even making all this voodoo things to make game sound and looks properly, BUT.. after reading that EVEN THIS can't make game be good 'release' I finally, sadly, refused of temptation have this title in my Lybrary...) concerns about MOST (oh yeah.. of course COUPLE of old games has it's good releases.. but only a few.. a couple) of their old games in Steam..

So.. I.. GAVE UP shop in Steam. So let it remains as a good memory of good intentions (you only listen HOW filthy natur..)))) gamers thinks about Greenlight games... and all of you know, how now Valve have to 'help' and make a choise instead of millions of potentional users.. ). Including the reasons when some big company closes, closes it servers, and going with the wind and all your efforts and contribution.. And they NEVER thinks about (HAHA..) you or your money, they thinks only about their fat gain, and ONLY on SOME time WHEN it WORKS for THEM.

Post Scriptum: Sorry for eng and sorry - in general - i've just passed my boiling point.

[[EXPDBL] "Mighty"]

For those of you having mouse trails issues when AA is on, I highly recommend Reshade. It works really great in conjunction with DgVoodoo. All you have to do is activate ultra SMAA instead of MSAA/AA. Then you should be good to go. Hope that helps.

[Yirg]

I assume you mean this project:

http://reshade.me/

(first time I hear about it)

[[EXPDBL] "Mighty"]

Yes that's it! DgVoodoo allows directX 1-8 retrocompatibility through dx10-11.

This means you can use Reshade's post-process effects with old games. One of the many benefits of Reshade is the possibility to use SMAA as a substitute for classic MSAA or any other variant of AA.
Regarding The Longest Journey, it means you can get a really good render without the issues of classic AA (the mouse trails for instance). Plus, it generally makes for better framerates compared to those obtained with 'normal' AA.

Here's what I get at 1280x960 :
http://tof.canardpc.com/view/2fa69eb7-3888-4602-9b9a-9635d6026252.jpg

http://tof.canardpc.com/view/22759c84-e26f-4c80-9d5f-11018950dc0c.jpg

http://tof.canardpc.com/view/73822198-73da-4545-83a6-02d7054d1207.jpg

http://tof.canardpc.com/view/4fe5288e-7f1c-456d-b0d4-115f525117d3.jpg

[riffwave]

Originally posted by The Mighty G!:

Here's what I get at 1280x960

According to your screenshots, you still have white cursor trails and even background pixelization/blurring sometimes. Didn't try it yet myself though, so not quite sure.