Hmmm Cx2, one thing does occur to me. Have you tried altering your screen resolution? Stupid I know for screen reader access, but believe it or not I've actually run into problems when I try running the screen at a resolution which is too low. If it's not already, try setting it to 1024x768, or (as my laptop monitor is set at the moment), 124x800.
Once I set my desktop to 600x400, and Hal actually was missing out buttons and bits of outlook express. If I remember rightly, S3 requires a resolution of 800x600, but I think S4 might require a higher one, and if it's not high enough perhaps some bits of the screen are not being displayed?
As for me, sinse I'm at this festival and thus not always on the net, I actually bought the game on the basis that I would have a long time to play with it, ---- though as my paypal account needs cconfiguring to my new creddit card, i ended up asking my brother to buy the game, having him transfer it onto a memory key, which my parents then bought me, ---- and I sent my brother a cheque.
The first thing I'll warn people of, is that niels bauer seems to have gone more security conscious, so it's now time for the unlock codes. Luckily, if you buy the game yourselves you won't have the problem I had, of my brother reading me a 48 character long unlock code over the phone, you'll just be able to copy and paste.
the second thing I'll warn people about, is that the "name" box on the security key entrance dialogue seems to be read only and doesn't seem to matter. i was trying to write in my brother's name (sinse he actually bought the game), and it didn't work!
of course, I'll have him forward me the E-mail with the key as soon as I'm in contact with my external harddrive and can back everything up.
game wise, the bad news is that several screens are stil not accessible. On the scanning, equipment, ship buying, and faction choice screens, only the first choice of the selection, ---- ie the federation, is available. What's even worse, is that the buttons for the various choices, the pictures of the four factions, or the various equipment types, are totally unfindable by a screen reader highlighting.
for the sensor screen this isn't too bad, sinse you stil get to see one ship (though reading the manual there seem to be more available), and obviously being limited to the federation isn't too awful, however the rea pest is not being able to upgrade either you ship, or it's equipment. i've posted a message to the nielsbauer forum about these screens being in urgent need of accessifying, so we'll see what happens.
I suspect the fleet combat screen is not accessible either, and I don't know about the crew selection screen, but both of those are later in the game so can probably wait.
The good news is, there's already a new update available. in the change list there doesn't seem to be anything about updates to the compatibility mode, but here it is anyway: http://www.nielsbauergames.com/forum/vi … php?t=1337 (if it does have a compatibility effect, I'll let people know).
Oh, you'll see my message to nielsbauer on that page, it just seemed a sensible place to put it. of course if anyone else wants to joine the nielsbauer forum, just send him an E-mail request, sinse it's got one of those image verification thingies at sign up.
Hopefully there will be more news on this front soon.
With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)
