Widescreen fix for Sid Meier's Pirates! with no more GUI loss!

Stretched widescreen mode for the game, which cannot be achieved normally as forced widescreen keeps default aspect ratio, causing GUI to be off-screen.

Introduction

I've been going through multiple threads and noticed a lot of people were unable to get the game running in widescreen. When using custom resolutions, i.e [1920x1080], the game just stretches to maintain aspect ratio, which causes a lot of important User Interface parts to be off-screen and unusable.

While this is not a true widescreen fix, the game will be now running at its original highest 4:3 resolution of [1400x1050] now stretched to fill up 16:9 screens overriding the game's default aspect ratio priority. While its not perfect, it does let you play the game with stretched widescreen, which was originally hard to do.

Default

(4:3 Default)

Widescreen

(16:9 Default, Causes important GUI to be hidden due to fixed Aspect Ratio)

Widescreen Fixed

(16:9 stretched aspect ratio without HUD loss.)

Guide

ATTENTION!:
There is a choice to make here:

• Play with slightly blurry visuals, but with a working mouse.
  
• Play at your native resolution, but without a mouse.

I have found no way around this, and if I do, I will update the guide.

Get my widescreen fix from PCGamingWiki[www.pcgamingwiki.com].

Open the archive, choose a patch [with or without mouse] and extracts the folder's content into the game's executable directory and the config file into Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Pirates!. Replace any existing files. Easy does it!

Selection:
[With Mouse 1400x1050]
Runs the game at the game's default resolution stretched into widescreen with the mouse working smoothly. Recommended If you want to use the mouse in game.

[No mouse 1920x1080]
Runs the game at 1080p HD but with side-effect of rendering the mouse unusable. Recommended only if you are a keyboard/keypad only player.

By default, this patch is designed for convenience so I've chosen 1080p since that's the most common screen resolution nowadays. If you have something other than 1080p, you will get the 'Unable to initialize Direct X' error. In that case, please scroll down to the next section where I will further explain how you can fix that.

Error: 'Unable to initialize DirectX!'

People with native screen resolutions other than the intended 1080p are much likely to run into this issue. Please read the steps below carefully, there are two for both versions of the patch.

For the 'With-Mouse' Patch:

The quickest way to fix this is to apply the patch first, then go locate 'config.ini' in;

C:\Users\%username%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Pirates!

(Or use the shortcut in the game's directory)

Open the config.ini file and look for the lines;

WindowWidth = 1400
WindowHeight = 1050

You have to change them to the lowest acceptable 4:3 resolution, which is 640x480. So it should look like this;

WindowWidth = 640
WindowHeight = 480

Save, and overwrite the 'config.ini file.

After that, launch the game from within steam. The game should now start widescreen but blurry since the resolution is 480p. Don't worry! Just go to the setting in-game, and crank up the internal resolution to the highest 4:3 resolution available - and it should remain stretched widescreen. Your game should now run fine, blurry, but playable with a mouse.

For the 'No-Mouse' Patch:

If you want the no mouse version of this, which allows you to play at a higher resolution but with an unusable desynchronized mouse. First apply the patch (This step is skippable, but I recommend you to do it just in case.) Second Locate 'config.ini' in;

C:\Users\%username%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Pirates!

(Or use the shortcut in the game's directory)
Look for these lines;

WindowWidth = 1920
WindowHeight = 1080

And changed them into

WindowWidth = 640
WindowHeight = 480

Save changed and close the file.

Now go to the game's directory and look for dgVoodoo.conf, open it and look for this section;

Look for this line in that section;

Resolution                          = h:1920, v:1080

And change them into your native resolution. For example, you your native display is 720p;

Resolution                          = h:1280, v:720

Your game after this will run smoothly, widescreen and HD in your native resolution, but with a broken mouse. Changing resolution in-game will no longer do anything because the API wrapper is forcing the game to run at your desired resolution. Additionally, you can also crank up the anti-aliasing in the [DirectX] sections of dgVoodoo.conf.

Hope this solves the 'Unable to initialize DirectX!' issue for most of you.

Reshade

You can use ReShade just the way you would use it in any other game, while installing just make sure to chose the Direct 3D 10+ option so it wont override the D3D9.dll that I provided.

Some screenshots with reshade;

Enjoy!

Special thanks to Dege's API wrapper.
DgVoodoo

Please feel free to comment if you have any issues. You can also add me and message me if you want me to personally help with this fix.

[Jeffery Dahmer]

bro got the evil sea at the end

[MacAttac]

Hi guys. Is there a way to do this with the GOG version? I didn't know Steam had this game before I bought it from GOG.

[Martian]

If in-game movies / cut-scenes are green, download v2.8 instead of latest Dgvoodoo.
{링크가 삭제되었습니다}dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/bin/dgVoodoo2_8.zip

[MacBaconNCheese]

The d3d9.dll provided here is very outdated. I recommend people download the latest Dgvoodoo from their website and use that d3d9 instead( the one inside ms/x86 folder).

I'm running v2.80 and am able to play at my native resolution, fullscreen, and with full mouse control.

[~Ormagodon~]

As someone else posted:
- pacati
The author of this thread no longer checks it. See this quote:

"There is a choice to make here:
Play with slightly blurry visuals, but with a working mouse.
Play at your native resolution, but without a mouse.
I have found no way around this, and if I do, I will update the guide."

You don't need this patch at all. Just modify the config.ini file as I mention a couple posts down and you play without blurry visuals AND with a working mouse in UHD resolution.

If your native resolution is 1920x1080, the #s are 1440 and 1080. You stay in your native resolution because it's windowed mode. No stretching, no mouse issues, life is good.

Works wonders!

[Il ScoRpioN lI]

I went the no mouse way at 2560x1440 and my mouse works?!? Amazing, thank you!

[Lord Haart]

Trubble yz yt styll lux phat

[Skipper]

Doesn't actually work. as a previous poster mentioned, the 1920x1080 fix cuts the top and bottom of the screen off despite following the instructions. Put the config in the Documents folder and the other stuff in the exe folder.

What other steps are there? If there is a step missing it certainly ain't mentioned.

[Gabriel P.]

I just came up with a question that has something to do with one rather important feature that might be blocked off by the "No Mouse" option: At the top left of the screen is usually where you see the clickable items for treasure maps, leads for your family, or famous pirates you can go hunt. The treasure maps are no problem, since that has a dedicated menu solely for treasure maps, but what about the famous pirates? The only way to be able to check where their last seen location is is by clicking the icon, say for example, Jack Rackham's icon that appears in the bar. I might be missing something, but isn't that blocked off by the inability to use the mouse to click?

[pacati]

The author of this thread no longer checks it. See this quote:

"There is a choice to make here:
Play with slightly blurry visuals, but with a working mouse.
Play at your native resolution, but without a mouse.
I have found no way around this, and if I do, I will update the guide."

You don't need this patch at all. Just modify the config.ini file as I mention a couple posts down and you play without blurry visuals AND with a working mouse in UHD resolution.

If your native resolution is 1920x1080, the #s are 1440 and 1080. You stay in your native resolution because it's windowed mode. No stretching, no mouse issues, life is good.