Tuning SFC to play on modern hardware

Revision as of 13:19, 8 October 2025

Note: this section was added on 2015-08-06. SFC2 is 15 years by now. First some facts:

SFC doesn't really optimize graphic output for better play
- no anti-aliasing nor anisotropic filtering
SFC2 has been around for 15 years or more.
- based on Moore's law, that means the average computer is about 1000x more powerful/efficient at the same cost as it was back around Y2K.
graphics drivers these days have great capabilities.

Modern DirectX compatibility

SFC2, whether it's SFC2:OP or SFC2:EAW, are built on DirectX7 or DirectX8. Current (this bit is written in 2025) DirectX is 12, but there's still some 11 around. It's incompatible.

There's a solution! Someone wrote a DirectX adapter. It's called dgVoodoo2. See: https://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/

To install dgVoodoo2, please follow their installation instructions as per their documentation. In my case, it was a matter of dropping the right files in the same folder/directory as starfleetop.exe and using their UI tool to configure how it should behave:

Aspect ratio and scaling

If you have a modern system like me, then you probably have a 16x9 ratio monitor. Mine is 2560x1440, and this monitor isn't current edge tech. SFC, SFC2:EAW and SFC:OP were all designed for 4:3 ratio monitors.

The following are ALL 4:3 ratio resolutions...

This means you're probably playing SFC:OP with a stretched image. You can force the monitor to display the image scaled proportionally by adjusting your scaling and aspect ratio.

Note: my monitor could not, but my video card can. Thus:

Manage 3D Settings

SFC does not have any 3D settings of importance. Your video card management tools might. In this example (mine), Nvidia drivers can have overrides based on what executable you're launching.

This is important: Make sure you select the SFC:OP executable for these settings!

Here's my suggestions:

anti-aliasing
- don't touch FXAA Anti-aliasing. That just fuzzies up the image.
- otherwise go ahead, crank it up. I've set it to CSAA Anti-Aliasing with as much sampling possible.
- research! Go online and google up what anti-aliasing does.
Anisotropic filtering
- affects crispness of textures
- also crank it up.
texture quality
- set those to very high quality of course.
test test test!
enjoy!

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 ** based on Moore's law, that means the average computer is about 1000x more powerful/efficient at the same cost as it was back around Y2K.
 * graphics drivers these days have great capabilities.
+== Modern DirectX compatibility ==
+SFC2, whether it's SFC2:OP or SFC2:EAW, are built on DirectX7 or DirectX8. Current (this bit is written in 2025) DirectX is 12, but there's still some 11 around. It's incompatible.
+There's a solution! Someone wrote a DirectX adapter. It's called dgVoodoo2.
+See: [https://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/ https://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/]
+To install dgVoodoo2, please follow their installation instructions as per their documentation. In my case, it was a matter of dropping the right files in the same folder/directory as starfleetop.exe and using their UI tool to configure how it should behave: