Resizing the client window

One of the limitations of the niceRO client is that the UI does not resize for larger resolutions. This makes playing at, say, 1080p, challenging due to the text being very small and icons harder to click. One option for getting around this is to use a program to resize the client window while the internal resolution is set low. This results in a less crisp image, but makes text much easier to read and generally works well given the simple graphics of the game.

The two main programs to do this are ShiftWindow and Borderless Gaming. Both work similarly but have different pros and cons to consider.

ShiftWindow

ShiftWindow essentially just resizes a specific window to a set size. The window remains moveable and can be dragged around the screen, it's just been stretched to a larger size. This makes it very easy to use if you are often moving windows and want the flexibility of treating the client like any other program.

Pros

• Easy to set the size by "copying" another window.
• The window controls remain visible and can be dragged around the screen.
• Works on 32-bit windows (and also apparently on Mac using Wine).

Cons

• Saves presets as external files which must be loaded every time the program starts.
• Must be run as administrator before niceRO is open, or the window won't resize properly.
• Does not appear to be in active development so YMMV on compatibility.

How to setup ShiftWindow

1. Download and install the .exe.
2. Right click on the program and select "Properties." Check "Run this program as administrator" and close the window by clicking OK.
3. Open the program.

Using a rule preset

1. Download the rule preset for a 1080p monitor or 1440p monitor and open it in ShiftWindow.
2. Navigate to your niceRO folder and run setup.exe as administrator. Set the resolution to 1152x864 and click OK.
3. Run ragnarok.exe.
4. In ShiftWindow click "Trigger it" and the client should resize.

Creating your own rule

1. In ShiftWindow, name your rule something recognizable (I recommend niceRO for simplicity).
2. Navigate to your niceRO folder and run setup.exe as administrator.
3. Set the resolution to the a comfortable size on your monitor and click OK.
4. Run ragnarok.exe.
5. In ShiftWindow, click "Grab" next to "Window Title" and select the niceRO client. Do the same for the "Coordinates" setting.
6. Press CTRL+S or File -> Save and save your rule somewhere easy to access.
7. Close the client, navigate back to your niceRO folder, and run setup.exe as administrator.
8. Navigate to your niceRO folder and run setup.exe as administrator. Set the resolution to 1152x864 and click OK.
9. Run ragnarok.exe.
10. In ShiftWindow click "Trigger it" and the client should resize.

Borderless Gaming

Borderless Gaming works similarly to ShiftWindow but is, as the name implies, designed for borderless windows (usually fullscreen, but also supports set resolutions). Its main benefit over ShiftWindow is that is saves your preset on open, and also is less fussy about being run first and as administrator. Unfortunately, it also doesn't allow windows to be moved after resize, so you are stuck with entering the window's coordinates which can make positioning tricky.

Pros

• Saves your presets for next launch and automatically applies them on client open.
• Generally works regardless of if it's launched before or after the client.
• In active development so more stable for most PCs.

Cons

• Windows can't be moved after resizing (unless you modify the base rule and change the coordinates).
• Window size has to be manually entered, which can result in a stretched image.
• Doesn't work on 32-bit windows and Mac emulators.

I'm not adding detailed instructions for Borderless Gaming at this time as I don't actively use it, but if you do go with this option I'd invite you to expand upon this section for others looking to set it up.