I thought I would never succeed in this crazy attempt to modify the executable to make it run at my native resolution..
I'm not a coder, I don't know x86 assembly, I thought it was only a frustrating waste of time.

But.. I DID IT..
IT WORKS :-)

I used my CD retail italian version of the game, patched to 1.0.11.. don't know if the modified gc.exe can be used with GOG's version too.

Ground Control - Starting Mission 01 - 1920x1080

Ground Control - Doing Mission 01 - 1920x1080

Please, give us a download to test.

What you should do is post what you actually changed in the executable (preferably step-by-step), and post it here as well as the widescreen gaming forums (or let someone else do it). GC1 is lacking an entry there, and that's the first hit anyone gets by googling 'ground control 1 widescreen'.

This is so people can modify the executable for different resolutions other than 1920x1080, as people have different monitors.

Just coming here showing you did it (without telling how) is only pouring salt in the wounds for anyone who wants to play this game widescreen in the future.

Don't worry,I will indeed share the procedure with everyone, didn't post the executable yet 'cause I applied the hack on my italian/cd version of the executable and the CD is needed to make it run.

I downloaded a nocd english version of the executable and I will try the same procedure on it, but I need some time.

Since it was the third time I was trying to hack Ground Control to make it run at higher resolution (it was a sort of obsession - I NEEDED to play GC full res), but both the attempts I made last year were a big failure, I never thoght I could REALLY succeed in it, so I didn't write anything down (offsets and value to change), I modified everything "on the fly", with the disassebled code on a window and a hex editor with gc.exe binary loaded on another. I was VERY VERY surprised when I launched it and... IT WORKED :-p

There are 7 section of the executable to modify, I need to seek (again) where these values (resolution related) are, using the disassembled code as a reference, and then find the correspective values in the gc.exe binary.

Be patient: everyone will play GC at native resolution very soon :-p

Any update on this? Last post about a month old.

Sorry for the delay.. I'm quite busy and don't have much time to write down all the procedure at the moment and let anyone run GC at their custom resolutions..

The only thing I can do is to share the exe I modified to run the game at 1920x1080 on my 16:9 monitor.

Here it is.

http://www.filedropper.com/groundcontrol10111920x1080bychrix

=====================================================================
(ENGLISH INSTRUCTIONS - WIP)

HELLO :-)

Here's the noCD english executable I modified to run the game at 1920x1080. It should work with any language, anyway (I have the CD-Rom italian edition of the game and it works flawlessy)

- USAGE -

Unrar the archive into the Ground Control installation directory and click "Start1920x1080.bat" to launch the game.

It's a simple batch file that deletes the gcvideo.dat file (where resolution settings are stored: we need to delete this file before each execution because, when missing, it is recreated with default values by the game itself) and executes GC.exe with the switch -1600, to use the routines introducted for 1600x1200 4:3 resolution support (which is activable only by commandline).
In the included executable I modified those parts of the code that referred to that resolution and changed them to use 1920x1080 instead (which is my native resolution).

A not so easy task, not only because I'm not a programmer and I don't ANYTHING about x86 assembly, but mainly because the executable had multiple references and crosscheck routines to set the resolution, so I had to understand the logic behind the code before trying to modify anything.

I don't know how, but I did it.. IT WORKS!
Enjoy Ground Control in FullHD :)

Chrix.
=========================================================================
(ITALIANO - Work In Progress)

SALVE :-)

Ecco l'eseguibile noCD versione inglese (NB: dovrebbe girare con qualsiasi versione del gioco, di sicuro funziona con quella italiana che ho io) da me modificato per girare alla risoluzione di 1920x1080.

- USO -

Scompattare l'archivio RAR nella directory d'installazione di Ground Control e cliccare su "Start1920x1080.bat" per lanciare il gioco.

E' un semplice file batch che cancella il file gcvideo.dat (dove vengono conservate le impostazioni sulla risoluzione: bisogna cancellare questo file prima di ogni esecuzione perché, qualora mancante, esso viene ricreato con valori di default dal gioco stesso) ed esegue GC.exe con lo switch -1600, per usare le routine che forniscono il supporto alla risoluzione 1600x1200, attivabile solo da linea di comando.
Nell'eseguibile incluso nell'archivio RAR ho modificato tutte le parti di codice che facevano riferimento a quella risoluzione cambiandola con quella nativa del mio monitor (1920x1080).

Un compito non facilissimo, perché, oltre a non essere io un programmatore e non sapere un tubo di assembly x86, c'erano pure riferimenti multipli e routine per controlli incrociati nell'eseguibile e ho dovuto capire la logica del codice per alterarlo.

Non so come, ma ce l'ho fatta.. FUNZIONA!
Godetevi Ground Control in FullHD :)

Chrix.

It works! Thanks a million!

Hi chrisx, can you please either upload the file to a few more file hosting websites or rename the file to jpg and attach it as an image to your post? The Filedropper link doesn't work. :-(

Also, if at all possible, can you make another executable that works with the 1920x1200 resolution? That would be totally awesome!

Thanks in advance!

The original link is (still) down :( Could anyone who managed to download this please upload it to a more permanent host? That'd be grand.

Hi chrix, could you please upload the file again?
As said before me, the link seems not to work.
I would like to play the game in 1280x1024.

Or does someone else have the file and can send me an pm with it?

Thanks in advance.

I must agree and ask for a re-upload. As anyone tried PMing OP ?

I need that file, and instructions on how to modify it.

I want Eyefinity on this game.

Me to the rescue?
It's too big to upload as a jpg as someone suggested, but i uploaded it to a few other sharing sites. This way it'll hopefully stay up for a while:

http://speedy.sh/XshuT/groundcontrol-1.0.11-1920x1080-byChrix.rar
http://www.2shared.com/file/I24S3qCn/groundcontrol_1011_1920x1080_b.html
http://depositfiles.com/files/31y59po35

Unfortunately I can't help you with other resolutions because I know jack about hex editing. We'll have to hope Chrix finds his way back here some day.

I contacted chrix and he can provide the mod file with 1920x1080 and the mod file with 1280x1024 resolution.
The only problem is that he does not know a free and reliable uploader for such files. This filedropper.com site deleted the file after a few weeks.

Would be great if anyone knows a free site where he can upload the files and where these files won't be deleted after such a short time or better never be deleted.

edit: Is this speedy share free and "good"?