Here is the trick:On Windows type: 'regedit' in your start menu to bring up registry editor.HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareTriumph StudiosAge of Wonders Shadow MagicVideoDisplay Mode should be for full screen, 1=true (fullscreen) 0=false (windowed)Display Height, Display Width is the resolution, make sure you dont enter as a hexidecimal value. (This is important)Set Cursor Mode to 1 (or cursor will suck)Then set your executable in the steam directory to be Win SP3 compatability mode. Then run from the directory not steam.Works perfect. Silvercharm10 I am in the same boat as you. Lucid's instructions are not clear for people who have not done that kind of thing before.However, starting with those instructions and adding a lot of trial and error I got it to work. Here's what I did.1. 'On Windows type: 'regedit' in your start menu to bring up registry editor.HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareTriumph StudiosAge of Wonders Shadow MagicVideo'Typing 'regedit' brought up the Registry Editor.
I then chose'HKEYCURRENTUSER' then 'Software' Then 'Triumph Studios' then 'Abe of Wonders Shadow Magic' then 'Video'2. I right clicked on the words 'Display Mode' chose 'Modify' and put a 1 in the box for 'Value data'. I left 'Hexadecimal' checked.3. I right clicked on the words 'Display Height' chose 'Modify' clicked on the Decimal button, and wrote '600' in the 'Value data' box.4. I right clicked on the words 'Display Width' chose 'Modify' clicked on the Decimal button, and wrote '800' in the 'Value data' box.5. I right clicked on the words 'Curser Mode' chose 'Modify' and made sure the number in the 'Value Data' box was 1.
I kept it Hexadecimal.6 I closed the Registry Editor window.7 I am using Windows 8.1 so the next steps may be different for you.a. I opened Program Files (x86) / Steam / SteamApps / common / Age of Wonders Shadow Magic.b. I right clicked on AoWSM.exec Chose 'Troubleshoot compatibility'd Chose 'Try recommended settings' Which chose Windows 8 mode which worked for me.
Age Of Wonders 3
You may have to go through the troubleshoot mode, testing each setting, before you find one that works. The process has you test each setting until you find one that will open Age of Wonders Shadow Magic in full screen.8. After you open the game you can set the resolution that works best for you from the options menu (the gear icon in the bottom center of the screen)9 Each time you play the game, use the AoWSM.exe from the Steam folder to start it. You can place a shortcut somewhere where it's easy to use.I hope these instructions are clear enough for you silvercharm10, and for anyone else who discovers this thread as they try to fix the 'Won't open in full screen' problem. I tried editing the Registry (which I REALLY don't like doing), but the config program still will not allow for anything other than 'Windowed' mode, so while I got it to run fullscreen once, as soon as you run the config program again it'll be f.ed again, so it doesn't quite work perfectly.None of the other solutions work for me. Had a little bit of trouble getting it to run right in Win 7, but now that I have Win 10 there doesn't seem to be a way to run this thing without fiddling with the Registry (which, again, I recommend STRONGLY against in almost all cases).Too bad, I generally don't care for Sid-Meier-type games as I find them incredibly boring and tedious and too much like real work, but add in Orcs and Elves and I'm there, lol.EDIT: Game still 'chugs' graphically to the point of being unplayable.
I only spent 5 bucks for this thing, so I think it's time to say goodbye to this game. Too bad, I played this thing a lot when I had Win 7, now I can't play it at all.:(.