Why does everyone use 640x480 all times?

[DennisKainz]

I was hosting my tileset with max resolution 320x240, and someone complained by saying the resolution was bad.
Even though it is "bad", single player levels in the original JJ style are SUPPOSED to be played in 320x240.
I mean ... Did you ever see the layer 8 for Labrat, Hell and Damn? They ARE made to be used in 320x240, especially the Damn one.
(4 giant mouths are ugly to see, 1 only is pretty awesome instead, and follows an actual perspective).
And Jazz is definitely MORE VISIBLE in 320x240, as you enlarge the screen.

I think the 640x480 resolution was originally meant to be used for multiplayer splitscreens. Is that so? Am I right or wrong?

[Crazy Rabbit]

Well, you're right in some ways.
As u said, Labrat, Hell, and Damn has layer 8 comfortable only with 320x240...
But in same way I dont think 320x240 is good enough...
When playing small resolution, some players cant notice hurt stuff, enemies, etc. on his way..
640x480 resolution good in most... Better vision, other background stuff may looks nice(i mean 7,6,5 layers)...
So, playing 320x240 or 640x480 is not a rule...
Its player's decision.

[Jgke]

640x480 is better (for multiplayer) because it lets you to see enemies clearly farther away than with 320x240. Any resolution is fine though if also your opponent uses it.

[Obi1mcd]

Well, like CR said, it's up to the player, but even though a few Epic sets have backgrounds that are 320x240, the majority of custom tilesets use 640x480.

[Crazy Rabbit]

It's fact. So, I would recommend you to use 640x480 for background in tilesetmaking, Gus..

[Ktos.]

I have to agree with CR, times when computers couldn't handle jj2 at resolution bigger than 320x240 are gone. And you can't say that Damn is supposed to be played at 320x240 when it's also playable at 640x480. Jazz isn't more visibile at that resolution, you cant see a thing. Also, more visibility, you cant count pixels without any problem, everything is much more fun when you can see more things.

That reminds me of bigjazz.exe and screen with resolution around 1600x1200.

[cooba]

I think the 640x480 resolution was originally meant to be used for multiplayer splitscreens. Is that so? Am I right or wrong?Wrong, considering how this single player screenshot appeared as early as 1996:

<img src="http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/3300/earlycarrotus25oo.jpg" />

[DoubleGJ]

Nick Stadler designed the tilesets for 320x240. It makes sense in the way that it's his pixel work and with such a small resolution all the work he put in there is more visible. I guess you're coming the same way. However, take note that the rest of the development team didn't have to follow his train of thought - that's why there are bigger resolutions in the game in the first place - and the publishers most definitely didn't, as 320x240 was small even for 1998, when the game was released. And that was 13 years ago. If you prefer, then nobody's stopping you from designing tilesets for 320x240 and playing game that way, but obviously you'll be in the minority, and there's no point in forcing others. Come to think of it, many people would like the game to support even bigger resolutions than 640x480, even though it'd likely break many levels, visually - this including the official ones.

[Violet CLM]

There's no denying that the game was originally intended for 320x240, and all the graphic and level design were done with that in mind. Many of the official levels look a lot more barren at larger resolutions because never much attention was given to wall areas significantly distant from the main path, and you can see secrets and stuff you probably shouldn't be able to. The higher resolution also has something to do with JJ2's difficulty being lower than JJ1's, whether you think that's a good thing or not. But as <em>screen</em> resolutions grow ever larger, 320x240 grows less palatable, since it's hard to see anything in windowed mode and the game's incredibly pixelated in full screen.

Ultimately, yes, certain tilesets were designed for 320x240 and 320x240 only, though nearly all the official levels (discounting, for instance, Haunted House) make good use of the Limit Visible Region checkbox, whose sole purpose is to accommodate multiple resolutions. But people like being able to see more, and trying to counteract that in any serious way, especially multiplayer when you have to be able to see your opponents, isn't really a fruitful pursuit. Just take it as a challenge.

[minmay]

I never knew Limit Visible Region did that. I thought it just moved the layer 120 pixels down or something.

[Violet CLM]

You may have been misinformed by an old article I wrote that got it completely wrong? IIRC, it moves the layer (WindowHeight - 200) / 2 pixels, thus more or less ensuring that what appears at the bottom of the screen at one resolution, e.g. the backgrounds of Carrotus or Diamondus or Jungle, will be at the bottom of the screen at another resolution as well.

[ThunderPX]

Jazz looks too damn big in 320x240.

[TUN3R]

Tbh I kinda wish I could play in 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768...

[Jgke]

There is a program called bigjazz, which enables higher resolutions. Unfortunatively it doesn't work with the newest plus.

[minmay]

It works (well, as much as it "works" with non-Plus), but servers can set maximum resolutions, and the default is 640x480.

You may have been misinformed by an old article I wrote that got it completely wrong? IIRC, it moves the layer (WindowHeight - 200) / 2 pixels, thus more or less ensuring that what appears at the bottom of the screen at one resolution, e.g. the backgrounds of Carrotus or Diamondus or Jungle, will be at the bottom of the screen at another resolution as well.
Next thing I know, dim coloured lights will work in 16-bit water...

[Grytolle]

There is a program called bigjazz, which enables higher resolutions. Unfortunatively it doesn't work with the newest plus.
O rly? I use it daily O+

http://grytolle.jazz2.de/gallery/photos/ladders/2011-10-02.png

[Jgke]

I meant the resolution off the game.

[TUN3R]

Link for beeg jazz?

[minmay]

<a href="http://www.jazzjackrabbit.net/index.php?league=1&season=1&op=com&id=168">I'm probably going to get yelled at for linking to this.</a>

(Note: as I said, most online servers won't allow high resolutions. Also, I would like to stress that I myself always use 640x480!)

[TUN3R]

Most online servers (the people who host them, whatever) need to get used to the fact that it's my PC and I can do whatever I want with it as long as it doesn't affect them (and it doesn't, not like I'm forcing 'em to use the same res).

Anyway it crashes on start up D:

[Obi1mcd]

As far as the first part goes, having a larger resolution is sort of cheating if nobody else has it. After all, you get to see players coming at you before they see you.

[Jgke]

it doesn't affect them
If you play with an ingame resolution (the tiles that you see) higher than 640x480, you have an unfair advantage. There's no way talking around that.

Anyway it crashes on start up D:
You need 1.23 JJ2 to use that, as far as I know.

[Sean]

Bigjazz, as far as I know, has always been pretty buggy. I used it for a short stint and it was pretty prone to crashing. I've almost stopped entirely now. Almost. Now that you've reminded me it exists, I'll give it a try again :D

[TUN3R]

Unfair advantage? Cause I'm changing MY monitor's resolution? Can't believe I'm hearing this -.-

Well it doesn't work so, the communist server owners can breathe easy for now :P

[Obi1mcd]

Well, like I said, if you see another player before they see you, then yeah, it's an unfair advantage. But yes, the servers can choose, so never mind.

[TUN3R]

Well, like I said, if you see another player before they see you, then yeah, it's an unfair advantage. But yes, the servers can choose, so never mind.

So basically I can report the other players for cheating cause my GPU doesn't allow me to set GTA IV's draw distance to maximum?

I mean, they do see me before I see them... :P

Bah never mind, not like I play on DM / CTF / Race / etc servers anyway. These days I ether play on Hotel levels or single player, IDK why.

[Grytolle]

Unfair advantage? Cause I'm changing MY monitor's resolution? Can't believe I'm hearing this -.-
It's not an unfair advantage because you set your resolution differently, it's an unfair advantage because you can see your enemies approach earlier than they can see you. For this reason, JJ2+ leaves you with a black border so that you can only see 640x480 of the level (if the server uses standard settings). In other words, using bigjazz as is along with up-to-date JJ2+ isn't considered an unfair advantage

[TUN3R]

It's not an unfair advantage because you set your resolution differently, it's an unfair advantage because you can see your enemies approach earlier than they can see you. For this reason, JJ2+ leaves you with a black border so that you can only see 640x480 of the level (if the server uses standard settings). In other words, using bigjazz as is along with up-to-date JJ2+ isn't considered an unfair advantage

Would have been good to know that before I installed it :P But nothing I can't fix. Thanks.

[minmay]

communist
I'm pretty sure you don't quite know what that word means.

[TUN3R]

I'm pretty sure you don't quite know what that word means.

I'm eastern european.

[E-102 Gamma]

The higher the resolution, the more you can see. 2D games running at lower resolutions tend to feel cramped, and JJR2 is no exception.