Settlers 3 - Widescreen

The Result: You will see The Settlers 3 running in true widescreen. The game world expands horizontally. You can see the river bend further to the left while your quarry sits on the right.

The Downside: The UI does not scale. Your control panel (the sword, the hammer, the shovel icons) will be tiny and anchored to the left edge of your 27-inch monitor. The text will be sharp but small.

If you own The Settlers III: History Edition on Ubisoft Connect or Steam, you are in luck. Blue Byte rebuilt the rendering pipeline for modern systems. Key features include:

The downside? The History Edition uses a different save format and is not compatible with some of the classic community maps or the "Real Sound" mod (which restores the original, superior CD-quality music).

If you want, I can:

dgVoodoo2 is a tool that can help older games run in higher resolutions, including widescreen. It acts by intercepting the game's rendering calls and adjusting them to fit modern graphics standards.

Is widescreen worth it in The Settlers III?

Two decades after its release, The Settlers III remains a masterpiece of economic strategy. Thanks to a dedicated modding community and an official re-release, there is no reason to let black bars stand between you and a prosperous settlement. Long live the Geologist, the Woodcutter, and the endless quest for more fish.

The Settlers III is a timeless masterpiece of the late 90s strategy genre, but its original release never anticipated the massive, high-definition monitors we use today. By default, the game often looks stretched, blurry, or confined to a tiny box in the center of your screen.

To enjoy the vibrant Roman, Egyptian, and Asian landscapes in their full glory, you need to implement a widescreen fix. Why Use a Widescreen Patch?

Playing in the original 800x600 or 1024x768 resolution on a modern 1080p or 4K monitor leads to several issues:

🖼️ Distorted Aspect Ratio: Circles look like ovals and units appear "fat."

🔍 Limited Field of View: You see very little of your colony at once.

📉 Pixelation: Modern GPUs struggle to scale low-resolution 2D sprites cleanly. Method 1: The GOG Version (Easiest Solution)

If you own The Settlers III: History Edition on GOG or Ubisoft Connect, much of the heavy lifting is done for you.

Native Support: This version includes built-in compatibility for modern resolutions.

How to set it: Go to the in-game settings menu. You should see options for your monitor’s native resolution (e.g., 1920x1080).

Benefit: It handles Windows 10 and 11 display scaling automatically. Method 2: The Settlers 3 Ultimate Resolution Patches

For those playing with original CD-ROM installs or the "Gold Edition," you will likely need a community-made wrapper. 1. S3Resolution Tool

This is a popular fan-made utility that modifies the game's executable to unlock hidden resolutions. settlers 3 widescreen

How it works: You run the tool, point it to your S3.exe, and type in your desired width and height.

Pro Tip: Always back up your original .exe file before applying patches. 2. DXWnd or dgVoodoo2

These are "wrappers" that translate old DirectX calls into modern language.

dgVoodoo2: Excellent for forcing a specific aspect ratio without stretching the UI.

Windowed Mode: These tools allow you to play in a "borderless window," making it easier to alt-tab to guides or Discord. Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Even with a widescreen fix, you might encounter these classic "old game" quirks: The UI is Too Small

The Settlers 3 uses a "static" UI. This means if you play at 4K (3840x2160), the icons and text will become microscopic.

The Sweet Spot: Most players find 1080p (1920x1080) or 1440p provides the best balance between a large view of the map and readable menus. Scrolling Speed

At higher resolutions, the edge-scrolling might feel sluggish or "jittery."

Fix: Adjust the "Scroll Speed" in the game options or use the middle mouse button to drag the map. Black Screens on Launch

This usually happens because the game is trying to launch a cinematic movie in a resolution your monitor doesn't support.

Fix: Disable the intro videos in the configuration file or use a compatibility mode (Windows XP SP3). Enhance the Experience Further

Once your resolution is fixed, consider these minor tweaks to perfect your session:

🖱️ Mouse Cursor Fix: Use a "mouse wrapper" if your cursor feels laggy or disappears.

🎨 Texture Filtering: If using dgVoodoo2, you can enable "Antialiasing" to smooth out the edges of the sprites.

🎶 Music Restoration: Ensure your CD music is playing correctly; some digital versions require a specific codec to hear the iconic soundtrack. What is your monitor's resolution (1080p, 1440p, 4K)? Are you on Windows 10 or 11?

I can provide the specific download links or config settings for your exact setup.

This small utility allows players to run the game at modern resolutions (like 1920x1080) by modifying the game's executable, bypassing the original engine's limitations. How to use the "Piece" Resolution Tool

While official support for widescreen is limited, this tool is the standard community fix: The Result: You will see The Settlers 3

Download: The tool is typically found on fan community sites or linked within GOG forum discussions.

Installation: You place the s3_res.exe (or similar filename) into your main Settlers 3 installation directory. Configuration: Run the tool as an administrator. Enter your desired width and height (e.g., 1920 and 1080). Click the button to patch the S3.exe file.

In-Game Setup: Launch the game and ensure you have selected the highest resolution available in the native setups3.exe menu; the tool "injects" your custom resolution into one of these existing slots. Alternative: The Settlers III History Edition If you are using the History Edition

(available on Ubisoft Store), widescreen support is built-in. You can change your resolution directly in the game's options menu without needing external "pieces" or community patches. Settlers 3 Widescreen Patch, page 3 - Forum - GOG.com

The Settlers III (1998) does not natively support widescreen resolutions, but players can force them through manual hex editing or community wrapper tools.

Note: While widescreen increases the field of view, it often causes graphical glitches in the UI and menus, which were designed for a 4:3 aspect ratio. 🛠️ Method 1: Hex Editing (Recommended)

You can manually patch the game's executable (s3.exe) to replace one of the default resolutions with a custom widescreen one. Backup: Copy your s3.exe file before editing. Open Hex Editor: Use a tool like HxD Hex Editor.

Search & Replace: Find the hex string for 1024x768 and replace it with your desired resolution: Original (1024x768): 00 03 00 00 68 00 04 New (1280x800): Replace with 20 03 00 00 68 00 05 New (1680x1050): Replace with 1A 04 00 00 68 90 06

New (1920x1080): Replace with 38 04 00 00 68 80 07 (Note: This may cause stability issues or UI bugs).

Finalize: Run SETUPS3.EXE in your game folder, select the modified resolution, and launch the game. 🔧 Method 2: Universal Widescreen Patcher (UniWS)

For a more user-friendly approach, you can use the Universal Widescreen Patcher. Download the tool from WSGF (Widescreen Gaming Forum). Select The Settlers III from the game list. Point the tool to your game installation folder.

Enter your target resolution (e.g., 1920x1080) and click Patch.

In the game settings, select 1024x768 to apply your custom resolution. 🖥️ Fixing the "Window Border" Issue

On Windows 10/11, the game may show a white window border even in fullscreen mode.

PCGamingWiki Fix: Download the Fullscreen Border Fix which uses the ForceSimpleWindow compatibility fix to remove the border.

Alternative: Use dgVoodoo2, which wraps the game's DirectDraw calls into DirectX 11/12, often fixing display bugs and allowing for cleaner resolution scaling. ⚠️ Known Limitations

Menu Stretching: Menus and cutscenes will remain at 800x600 and may appear centered with black bars or slightly distorted.

UI Stability: Resolutions with a height greater than 864px can sometimes cause the game to crash during certain animations.

Black Boxes: You may see black areas where the UI panel ends; however, you can usually still move your cursor and interact with the game world in these zones. The downside

💡 Pro Tip: If you are using the History Edition (Ubisoft Connect), widescreen support is built-in and typically doesn't require these manual fixes. If you'd like, I can help you:

Find the exact hex values for a specific resolution not listed here. Troubleshoot DirectDraw errors that happen after patching. Set up dgVoodoo2 for better performance on modern hardware. The Settlers III fullscreen border fix - General

Technical Summary: The Settlers III Widescreen Compatibility Native Support No; max official resolution is typically 1024x768. Primary Method Hex editing the S3.EXE file. Maximum Height

Limited to approx. 864px; values higher often cause crashes. Maximum Width Limited to 1310px; exceeding this can break UI menus. 1. Implementation Methods Hex Editing (Community Favorite)

The most common way to force widescreen is by modifying the game's executable. Users on forums like WSGF suggest finding the hex string for 1024x768 and replacing it with your desired resolution. Step 1: Open S3.EXE in a hex editor.

Step 2: Search for the first occurrence of B8 00 03 00 00 (at address 0x000C6EBF).

Step 3: Change values to match your desired height (keeping within the 864px crash limit). Configuration Adjustments

While more effective for The Settlers IV, some users have reported success by running setups3.exe as an administrator to force a specific screen resolution, though this often just scales the 4:3 image rather than providing a true wide field of view. 2. Common Issues & Fixes

Fullscreen Border/Window Issues: On Windows 8 and later, the game may show a window border in fullscreen mode. A Fullscreen Border Fix is available on PCGamingWiki which applies the ForceSimpleWindow compatibility fix.

Black Screens & Lag: To resolve performance lag or black screens on modern hardware, community members suggest using a dxwrapper and setting DDrawCompat = 1 in the .ini file.

Resolution Crashes: If the height is set above 864 pixels, the game engine typically fails to render, leading to an immediate crash. 3. Alternatives & Modern Versions

The Settlers History Edition: Ubisoft released a "History Edition" of The Settlers III that includes built-in support for modern resolutions and Windows 10/11, effectively removing the need for hex editing.

The Settlers IV Tooling: If you are also playing the sequel, the Settlers 4 Widescreen Tool is much more robust, supporting up to 1920x1200.

Are you using the original CD version, the GOG version, or the History Edition? Knowing this will help narrow down the best patch for your specific setup.

Released in 1998 by Blue Byte Software, The Settlers III (Die Siedler III) marked a pivotal shift for the beloved city-building and RTS hybrid series. Moving from the DOS-era 2D sprite work of its predecessors to a full 3D isometric engine, it offered a vibrant, cartoonish medieval world. However, like most games of the late 90s, it was built for a 4:3 CRT monitor. Resolutions like 800x600 or 1024x768 were the peak of its ambition.

For modern players with ultrawide or standard 16:9/16:10 monitors, booting up Settlers 3 today presents a problem: black bars, a stretched UI, or a tiny, postage-stamp-sized game window. Fortunately, the dedicated community has ensured that the Roman, Egyptian, and Asian legions can march across modern displays in full, glorious widescreen.

If you dislike the fixed UI of the classic widescreen fix, you can use your graphics card’s control panel (NVIDIA or AMD) to enforce "No Scaling" or "Aspect Ratio Scaling." This will run the game at 1024x768 centered on your screen, surrounded by black bars. It’s not widescreen, but it is pixel-perfect, distortion-free, and requires zero patching.

For the classic version (v1.60 or the GOG.com release), the community-developed "Settlers III Widescreen Fix" (often found on sites like WSGF or the Siedler-Community forums) is the solution. Here is the general process: