Hi, so I managed to find the scaling caracteristic on Nvidia Control Panel and thus able to keep Arcanum original AR while playing. Alas, this only has put black bars AT THE SIDES, and not at the bottom. If I'm correct this means that I'm actually playing at 800x768 (native res. 1366x768) and not the original 800x600 resolution.

Is there a way to solve this and manage to put black bars AT BOTTOM so it keeps the original resolution of the game?

I tried installing it and put the resolution to 800x600 but it wouldn't apply, like it would look the same. Maybe I need to have installed the UAP? As for why I don't play on full res, it just annoys me how the interface behaves on high resolutions.

First of all, do install the UAP either way, or you're in for a bugfest.

Second, could you clarify what problems you have with the scaled interface? I mean, my monitor has a native resolution of 1920x1080, and I don't normally use any widescreen/hi-res patches for older games - they're scaled with black bars on sides and I didn't notice much picture degradation from upscaling, nor does it make the UI any less responsive.

If ciircles look circular (check the circular buttons on the interface at the bottom of the screen) instead of ovals, then your aspect ratio is correct. Then, as long as nothing is cut off, your screen should be fine.

The scaling setting simply takes the original image, keeps the aspect ratio, and tries to make it fit on your monitor. This means it will probably NOT match your native resolution. That can sometimes make the image look a little blurry since your screen's pixels don't quite match the original pixels, but usually it's not too bad.

Typical scaling should always fill your entire screen vertically. Black bars on the sides only is normal behavior.

Yes, Arcanum maps are pre-explored. Yes, it can look odd, especially after playing something based on Infinity Engine (e.g. Planescape: Torment).

I would disagree with the "not leaving anything to exploration" statement, though. The first location alone has a whole ton of herbs and tech components lying randomly on the ground, and stuff like that obviously doesn't show up on the map. :) Pixel hunting is a kind of exploration, you know. If you mean the HQ Townmaps patch, it just updates the maps without altering the screen resolution / aspect ratio (if you don't have the hi-res patch, which updates stuff on its own). Resolution in Arcanum really amounts to screen size + scrolling distance, so it won't change it without the engine modifications from the hi-res patch.

Actually, in high resolution you're likely going to find the game even weirder. If you run the patched game with the -scrolldist:0 option (required to make the game scrollable at all in some cases, although your resolution probably isn't big enough to cause issues), you'll be able to see inactive objects/characters whose scripts only start on party approach.

"I would disagree with the "not leaving anything to exploration" statement, though".

Aaah yes, I kinda made a not very well based statement there, there is still exploration, and is quite fun :D.

On all the HQ thing, I installed the hi res patch AND the HQ Townmaps patch, but put the resolution to 800x600 on the installation of the hi res. You think I will have issues of some kind or it will just behave exactly like the original game since I have this resolution? Also I'm not using any commands.

Honestly, I've no idea; I'd just keep it as it is without the Hi-Res patch, since its point is mainly to allow for resolutions that have an aspect ratio other than 4:3. Resolution patches tend to be buggy, it is an engine hack, after all. Although I'm still kind of surprised you want to keep it at 4:3 even with the patch installed, despite having a 16:9 widescreen monitor, but then I'm not the one to argue.

OMG I don't understand how the quotation system of this forum works xD

But what can I say man, I'm an old school. I have my old CRT TV over here to play my PS3's copy of Persona 4 on a good quality image (or rather native quality image) for example hahaha. As on Arcanum, I just don't like first: how the start menu looks with the patch, and how the interface kinda... Idk how to express it on english but you prolly know what I mean haha.

But ye I'm gonna listen to your advice and deinstall the High Res patch, since it also didn't really change nothing visually for me, so for the sake of not messing nothing about the game I'll uninstalling it, yee.

It sounds like YnK answered your question and then some (with, to be fair, some help from Waltorious). So please don't forget to mark his/her post as the solution. This marks the thread so that everyone knows your question was resolved, and gives YnK a small well-deserved rep bonus as well.

Hi, what hi-res patch do you mean? Can you supply a link to it?

Check the first post in the topmost (stickied) thread.