Alt-Tabbing Efficiency

[TazmamzaT]

Has anyone seen any video or any information about alt-tabbing out of the game? I really hope it isn't like COD: MW3 for the PC where it doesn't even allow you to alt-tab out of their game. I also want to be able to alt-tab and not have to worry about my game crashing or have to wait 2 minutes for it to unfreeze like TF2 used to be.

[mintyc]

peronaly i am hoping for a fullscreen windowed mode, very hanndy in any game i find.

[wasdie]

I want a borderless, fullscreen windowed mode. It seems that almost all new games have that feature. It's really nice.

[TazmamzaT]

peronaly i am hoping for a fullscreen windowed mode, very hanndy in any game i find.
That would be cool. Unfortunately I'd probably get frame loss if I were to run the game like that.

[Astrok]

That would be cool. Unfortunately I'd probably get frame loss if I were to run the game like that.

i think they wont put in windowed mode just for the thing u already mentioned...the framedrop.

[Timey]

Bf3 had a fantastic alt+tab thing when it first launched - it never crashed and it was instantaneous. Even alt+f4 worked flawlessly. Then they patched the game a bit and 50% time alt+tab crashed the game and it was nowhere near instantaneous when it worked. even alt+f4 stopped working properly..

"I want a borderless, fullscreen windowed mode. It seems that almost all new games have that feature. It's really nice."

^this would be sweet..

[Accuser]

BF3 alt-tab works flawlessly for me, use it all the time to set up music between matches. I'm on kind of a newer rig though, if that matters. I'm... not surprised, more amused by the fact that CoD won't let you alt-tab. What a PoS game :-P

[Jeepo]

Use multimonitor support and I will have to alt tab less....:)

[AThreatToYou]

After playing Dota2, which has terrible alt-tab support, I'd like to say that I really hope Forge Light has good tabbing support.

On that note, isn't Forge Light already deployed in EverQuest 2? So, you could just ask them how well alt-tabbing works.

[haticK]

I hope you can easily minimize from alt+tabbing in fullscreen, I can't stand the way fullscreen borderless uses my monitor's brightness instead of the game's. Plus in a game with good graphics and 2000 people I don't want frame drops.

[kertvon]

With as much talk of the metagame they have been bringing up one would hope so. Not to mention the heavy use 3rd party voice chat, etc. I would think alt-tabbing would be a big consideration during development. Let's hope so...

I also wonder about the use of a second monitor. Some games let you have a second screen active, while others black it out.

[CyclesMcHurtz]

That would be cool. Unfortunately I'd probably get frame loss if I were to run the game like that.

If a game uses the full-screen window there is a slight performance penalty, and also an additional frame of input lag in Windows 7.

[TazmamzaT]

If a game uses the full-screen window there is a slight performance penalty, and also an additional frame of input lag in Windows 7.
Well it definitely looks like I won't be using windowed mode, if it is in. What about alt-tabbing though, is that going to be an issue?

[TheRagingGerbil]

Wait, if you ran full window with multiple monitors wouldn't you run into a mouse runover issue? Anytime I have done this it never fails I will lose window focus during a frantic firefight because my cursor ran to the adjacent screen. :/

[Antivide]

Alt + Tab + Pandora + Jazz station + Vanguard

The jazz mobile has no brakes!

[infected]

might make the jump and finally get a 2nd monitor.

now is sony was smart they would have products in the pc lcd monitor market.

[kertvon]

Wait, if you ran full window with multiple monitors wouldn't you run into a mouse runover issue? Anytime I have done this it never fails I will lose window focus during a frantic firefight because my cursor ran to the adjacent screen. :/

Most of the games I have played with a fullscreen/window and second monitor setup detected when the game window was active. You are still required to press alt-tab to scroll to neighboring screens and break out of the game window. When the game window is active, your mouse is bound to the perimeter of the game window.

edit: I do recall a few times while playing Starcraft 2 this way that the mouse broke out of the game window and prohibited screen scrolling. Very annoying...

[Trafalgar]

I also tend to run games in a window (or fake fullscreen) so that I can alt-tab to access stuff on my other monitor without having them go nuts or minimize.

[SnipeGrzywa]

Wait, if you ran full window with multiple monitors wouldn't you run into a mouse runover issue? Anytime I have done this it never fails I will lose window focus during a frantic firefight because my cursor ran to the adjacent screen. :/

Most games have a free mouse mode, including PS1 (alt I think). When you are in player control its not possible for the mouse to leave the program. Hit "alt" and your mouse will be able to move freely outside the window to another screen.

[Hyperz]

If a game uses the full-screen window there is a slight performance penalty, and also an additional frame of input lag in Windows 7.

That shouldn't be a reason to not give users the option though :). I think most people who want windowed fullscreen support are those that stream games. Having lots of people stream your game on sites like twitch.tv can really benefit a games popularity. SC2 is a nice example of that.

[duomaxwl]

Alt + Tab + Pandora + Jazz station + Vanguard

The jazz mobile has no brakes!

I used to run Jazz Radio and TS3 on my second, smaller monitor.
Boomering enemies as an infil is just humorous with 40's swing in the background.

I typically run PS alt-tabbed, but when PS2 comes out, I'm sure it's beauty will persuade me to run full.

[Brusi]

If the Windows Key drops you to desktop, like the original... i'll crack the massivest shits. I simply used to rip that key off my keyboard back in the day...

I don't do that now that i'm a bit older, have a decent job and a nice keyboard... so now i just have to try not to panic and hit the window key in the middle of a fight.

I'm not even sure how it happens, tbh, lol.

[haticK]

Most gaming keyboards have switches to disable the windows key from even working.

[Brusi]

oh mad! i mean, herp derp... now i know what that big gaming button does!

[Flisher]

If a game uses the full-screen window there is a slight performance penalty, and also an additional frame of input lag in Windows 7.

Well, I play all my game in Windowed mode (even better if fake full screen is available...).
Reason #1: alt-tabbing without minimising shit.
Reason #2: moving my mouse to a second monitor without having to "alt-tab" out of my game.

Probably that 9/10 AAA title support.

Why 2 monitor? 1 for the game, one for teamspeak, twitch, browsing, Tactical planer, etc.

About special monitor setup? I see 3 options, and only 1 is very comonly used, the other are niche market, usually developped for marketting purpose only...

#1: 1 monitor for the game, one for other stuff (very, very common now, cheap, you rreuse your old monitor on any pc younger than 5 year and can plug 2 monitor on it...)

#2: dual / tripple head for the game (not alot of game support it well, very limited deployment, cost intensive on hardware, etc...

#3: 3dvision (While it's a buzz, and I use it in some game, it's really not easy to handle with FPS games, and honestly most people having it don't use it alot.

I really hope Planetside 2 support the windowed mode and allow dual monitor setup to NOT have a second monitor blank (and feel the need to plug a second computer/keyboard on it...

[Roy Awesome]

Well it definitely looks like I won't be using windowed mode, if it is in. What about alt-tabbing though, is that going to be an issue?

This is true in every game, it's an issue with Windows.

[TazmamzaT]

This is true in every game, it's an issue with Windows.
Ah I know you're name from reddit and your stream!

Anyway, I'm not sure if it's entirely an issue with windows. Take Team Fortress 2 for example. It used to be HORRID at tabbing out and in but now it works perfectly after an update they had a few months ago. I'm no coder though.

[Dairian]

After playing Dota2, which has terrible alt-tab support, I'd like to say that I really hope Forge Light has good tabbing support.

On that note, isn't Forge Light already deployed in EverQuest 2? So, you could just ask them how well alt-tabbing works.

Planetside 2 will be the first game to use forgelight.

[Talented Maori]

I agree with Alt-tab. Is nice and fast to check my facebook :D