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Case1: Hor+ and Vert+ at any aspect ratio
I have some additions to propose. A game can be both Hor+ and Vert+ and not retain any notion of Hor- or Vert- ever as well as include modes for split and proportioned HUDs. Portal 2, for example, is a game where the spanning of screens does only do good for the game. Not only do you gain vertical resolution, but you also gain horizontal resolution. Now I haven't tested if you gun's all up in your face on a very skinny resolution, but even though this is the WidescreenGamingForum, I assuming you would still be in favor of heightened viewing areas such that, in Portal 2 for instance, you would be able to see your feet while retaining your gun in the primary display. I believe this is possible using SoftTH and would be a very reasonable Vert+. I do not know if you would count a game that letter-boxes Vert+ the same way letter-boxing or pillar-boxing are not considered Vert- and Hor- respectively because you retain the vertical and horizontal resolutions at all resolutions and aspect ratios, you are only providing a way to make this universally possible. Hopefully this makes a good case for how a game can be both Hor+ and Vert+. I’m assuming this might also be referred to as pixel-based, but it doesn’t dictate that the game prefers resolution, it denotes the game prefers aspect ratios defined by a primary display which enables things like both Hor+ and Vert+ independent of pixel count.
Case2: Hor-Relative
Let me give a hypothetical example here. You have a game with a base aspect of 16:9. In all greater than 16:9 modes, you gain horizontal resolution and also retain the same height as you would in 16:9 leaving the game functioning at Hor+, fantastic. At 16:9 itself there is obviously no change, this is how the game was designed. So here we have 16:9 being normal and anything greater being Hor+. Normally in this case there are two options for the game: letter-box all smaller aspect ratios or cut them off on the sides so you end up also being Hor- at the same time you are Hor+. In this case, the game is Hor-Relative. Because it's not letter-boxed, the game is not respective of 4:3, 5:4, or any odd 4:5, 3:4, 9:16, or lower aspect ratios thus creating a dichotomy where the game is Hor+ and Hor-. Easiest is to refer to it as Hor-Relative. This could be a bad thing, and I would consider it lazy programming on the part of the devs. Even if you are not at 16:9, sometimes people are in fullscreen on older displays or might have two 16:10 widescreen displays in portrait mode next to each other creating a virtual 5:4 display so letter-boxing, not Hor-, should take place. This is justification for a hor-Relative addition to your ratings.
Case3: Hor+ and Vert+ dependent on aspect ratio
Another example of a game that is both Hor+ and Vert+ is one that does it at different times. Here's the neat trick. In the example above, the game letter-boxed to retain its Hor+ rating, but it could do one other thing, add pixels vertically as in my first example where you gain the ability to see your own feet at the bottom of the screen, but you still retain the same width you would have if you’d been at 16:9. You don’t lose anything here, the hud still works and possibly also could fix itself to the primary or move to the very top and bottom, you only gain where you had not earlier. This might be said to be a case of Vert-, but since the game is designed at 16:9, the added Vert+ ability only adds to the experience in the same way Hor+ does. In this way, the game can be Hor+ for aspect ratios larger than its base and Vert+ for aspect ratios smaller. I’m hoping, yet again, that this assertion makes sense because, if it’s not in a real-world game yet, it will be soon.
Case4: Vert-Relative
Much in the same way of my second case, a game is Vert- if you stretch it out more than 16:9 but will gain resolution, Vert+, when it’s at a lower aspect ratio. In this case, the game is Vert-Relative. Remember, it’s not Vert- because you can consistently keep gaining vertical resolution the smaller your aspect ratio. This game would require pillar-boxing for all aspect ratios larger than 16:9 (Dungeon Siege III) to retain a Vert+ instead of a Vert-Relative rating. And you’re probably wondering what would count as Vert- then. Well a game that is a 4:3 base, for example, and will be Vert- going up in aspect ratios but letter-boxes anything lower. This should be a pretty good tri-state example of Vert+, Vert-Relative, and Vert-. Most of the Vert- awards giving might likely be Vert-Relative which would, and could possibly be, a benefit for certain games like top-down shooters for which there are no certificates for.
Again, all of these ratings depend on the notion that this forum on only supports widescreen and surround gaming, but also tallscreen and square since I often-times already see pictures showing a game working in a square resolution.
Please take your time in reviewing these additions. I feel that they are more specific about what’s actually rated and provide a basis for more cases where a game might be more than just Hor+ or Vert+ either in all cases or only depending on the aspect ratio. I would very much like to hear your opinions on this and see if their inclusion would be beneficial to this already-helpful site.
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