[Announce] Homeworld (updated 2012/12/03)
 

Introduction:

I tried to get Homeworld SDL working on N900 and after solving a couple of compilation problems the game appears to run fine (but it could use some overclocking when there's a battle going on). Out of the box it was impossible to play, because the control scheme stands in the way. I had to rewrite a bit of the camera code, add support for the Fn key and remap a few actions, and the result is quite playable.


Screenshots:

http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...7&postcount=13


How to start:

1. Install the original Homeworld on your PC. If you're not on Windows, Wine works well.
2. Install 1.05 patch (download it from here, for example).
3. Create a folder, let's call it "Homeworld".
4. From the installation directory copy the following files to our "Homeworld" folder: "Homeworld.big", "Update.big", "HW_Comp.vce", "HW_Music.wxd".
5. Download the binary (or this one if you want the Thumb version), extract it and put in that folder too.
6. Place "Homeworld" in N900's memory (it takes some space, so MyDocs might be a good place).
7. Open the terminal and navigate to the game directory: "cd /home/user/MyDocs/Homeworld/".
8. Run the game: "./homeworld".


Some notes on the controls:

My goal was to get the whole tutorial working and I have accomplished it, so hopefully the rest of the game can also be completed. Using the second level of ships' right-click menu is a bit tricky. You have to press an option from the first level and then drag the stylus/finger to the second level when it appears. Only after that choosing an item will be registered. With keyboard shortcuts available I don't think it's much of an issue though.

Touching the screen acts as left-click, but there are also some more touch controls. Camera sensitivity can be adjusted in the options.

• Fn + Tap -> right-click menu
• Fn + Slide -> rotate camera
• Fn + Ctrl + Slide -> zoom camera

Touching the bottom of the screen to bring up Task Bar is close to impossible, so I added a keyboard shortcut.

• Fn + Space -> toggle Task Bar

There are not enough modifier keys on N900, so A is used as Alt.

• A -> Alt

The first keyboard row is used for number keys, so nothing surprising here.

• Fn + Q, W, ..., P -> 1, 2, ..., 0

The second row provides function keys.

• Fn + A, S, ..., Enter -> F1, F2, ..., F12

Last but not least, a few important otherwise inaccessible keys.

• Fn + Backspace -> Escape
• Fn + Left -> Home
• Fn + Right -> Tab

Some actions are still unavailable, even with those modifications (tactical overlay and canceling of orders are the most interesting two), but you can easily remap them yourself in the options menu


Updates:
2012/06/28 - Fix for external mice
2012/12/02 - Fixed some graphical bugs, FPS in the terminal, Thumb build
2012/12/03 - Improved Thumb build (GCC 4.6.2 -> 4.7.2)

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

My god this is awesome. Another game won't hurt :p

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

WHAT?! Homeworld on N900? :eek:

I though I'll drop from my chair (physical, not Council one ;) ), when I've red it. I was almost sure, that someone called his program like that by coincidence. But, there was small sparkle of hope. Then, I've opened this thread, saw gdizzz as author and first line... My goodness, it's really it! Holy Magdalene, Mary, and child Joseph! (or how this quotation from "Longest Journey" goes? ;) )

I need to catch my breath, which will, likely, last till I download it, install, move my - never disappearing from hard drive - Homeworld folder to N900, and run.

Expect *lot* of feedback, after I smash some fighters ;) I *never* expected, that we have enough resources to run it. Damn, even after so many years this game looks amazing, not to mention gameplay. And music!

/Estel

// Edit

Sorry for asking before checking myself - what about multiplayer? Is it working, or planned? And, maybe, allowing to configure keys on user's own, would be good idea?

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

:eek:very nice i really appreciate your hard work, thanks :)



:eek: woo Estel this is the first time i see you jumping like that :p glad to know you are having fun ;)

./sifo

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

Brilliant!. Thank-you! Works really really well... up to mission 2 already :)

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

First impressions:

Absolutely awesome :)

Obvious observation, is that it doesn't play nicely with xbindkeys being binded to fn + anything (like, right click as fn+tap release in whole Maemo) - after disabling it, controls wen smoothly.

I must admit, gdizzz, You've made controls very comfortable. Without "special training" I was able to jump straight into skirmish vs CPU and start reasonable fighting ;) I'm sure that with a little practice, it can be no less controlable, than on desktop.

Console return many warnings about small errors, like "tried to execute NULL flightman" or something about bad navi light - if they're meaningful for port, I can collect and report them (although, may be related to mainstream only, I suppose). It also segfault from time to time (maybe just initially, as later, I had no problems).

It seems that LAN is possible - or pretend to.

I wonder, if it would be possible to bind some things to fn + shift + key? Mixed with proposed custom keymaps, it would resut in even more comfortable control

Anyway, even at current stage, it's definitely worth hitting repositories (of course, with game files being installed manually by every player, as it is with most open engines for commercial games on N900).

Thanks a lot - it's unbeliveable, to see carrier, fighters, or mothership, painted so beautifuly in space, on screen of our N900. I must admit, that first few minutes I just scrolled and rolled camera around them, at different distances :)

/Estel

// Edit

I don't know if those options mean anything in our case, but I've set texture buffer to max (32 MB RAM) and on device @900mhz, it was smooth, even in small battles, with every graphic setting turned to max, and all effect enchancements ON (+ 32 channels of sound events, mixed for stereo output).

What exactly it's running at, thanks to SDL? Sole CPU, or OpenGLES?

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

Not trying to be pushy or anything but screenshots would be appreciated... :)

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

Great!It is always good to have some new games! (well new for Maemo)

Thanks a lot :)

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

I like you.

Re: [Announce] Homeworld
 

Most "serious" crash I've hit so far - required to kill homeworld from within Maemo, as it hanged totally. Last message in console was:

Of course, it wasn't any problem, killing from powerkey menu was enough.

I wonder, if custom keymaping for Maemo port isn't exclusive with playing via mouse (bluetooth or hostmode)? Will check it later.

Also, I'll answer myself about "does it run solely on CPU" - yes, it does, with moderate ammount of ships, CPU is occupied like 96%-98% @900 mhz. Still plays quite smoothly, but I suppose, that during bigger battles, it may hit the limit. No big deal in single player, as we have active pause (pause where we can assign orders), but in multiplayer it coud be a small issue. I wonder, if some optimisation is possible...

After playing X-Plane simulators things via preenv, I though that it's heaven of modern gaming on N900? How deliciously wrong I were :)

/Estel