[Freelancer (2003)] Splash screen flickering since latest dxwrapper release

[BC46]

When starting the game Freelancer (2003), a splash screen appears briefly before the game's main menu is loaded. This video shows what the splash screen looks like normally:

2025-02-08.15-39-57.mp4

If I start Freelancer with dxwrapper v1.2.7500.25 with the config

[Compatibility]
D3d8to9                    = 1

then the splash screen flickers multiple times, seemingly switching between different gamma values (WARNING: flashing images):

2025-02-08.15-30-04.mp4

This issue wasn't present in the previous dxwrapper release. Considering the different gamma values, I assume it has to do with the new gamma shader introduced in the latest dxwrapper release.

Side note, if I use AntiAliasing = 1 under [d3d9], then the flickering only occurs twice and doesn't seem to be as bad as in the video above:

2025-02-08.15-57-14.mp4

[elishacloud]

I think the latest check-in should fix this issue. If not please upload an updated log file using the build with the fix.

[BC46]

The issue seems to have been fixed for fullscreen mode. If I launch the game in windowed mode however, there is still a little bit of flickering which behaves similarly to how it did previously with AntiAliasing = 1. Here's the log file: dxwrapper-freelancer.log.

[elishacloud]

The issue seems to have been fixed for fullscreen mode.

Ok, that means the issue is almost certainly related to the gamma shader.

If I launch the game in windowed mode however, there is still a little bit of flickering

Ok, thanks for the logs I will check this out and see what is going on. Are you using in-game window mode or are you using dxwrapper's window mode?

[BC46]

I used in-game window mode.

[elishacloud]

I added an option in the latest build to enable/disable the gamma shader. You can disable it by adding WindowModeGammaShader to the ini file and setting it to 0. Let me know if that fixes the issue.

[BC46]

It does! Adding WindowModeGammaShader = 0 under [d3d9] completely eliminates the flickering in windowed mode with the latest build.

[elishacloud]

Thanks for testing. I need to figure out what is happening with the shader that causes this issue.