Porting Homeworld from PC to PSP ?? - PSP3D.com - Sony PlayStation Portable News, Homebrew, Hacks, Reviews, Videos, Mods, Forums

Jack6428 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-22-2009, 08:28 PM

Hi guys, i wondered if anyone would be willing to help me port one of my favourite pc games "Homeworld 1" to the PlaystationPortable...?

I think it could be possible...since the Homeworld source-code is said to be quite user friendly. Basically fans ported the game to Linux and MAC OS. I thought, why not port it to the PSP ? To have a great game on the go ? Since there is no real space game on the system.

Ive put together some information and links:

About the game:

Code:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeworld

Homeworld Game Sourcecode with many manuals/info:

Code:

http://files.filefront.com/Homeworld+Source+Code/;2142242;/fileinfo.html

All tools needed for work:

Code:

http://www.b5mods.com/tools_hw.htm

PSP Information:

Code:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable

In terms of hardware, Homeworld system requierments are:
PII 233 or equivalent
RAM: 32 MB
Video Memory: 4 MB
Hard Drive Space: 150 MB

Recommended specs are:
PII 350 or equivalent
RAM: 64 MB
Video Memory: 12 MB
Hard Drive Space: 400 MB

The PSP's hardware is:
CPU: 333Mhz
RAM: 64MB Main Memory, 4 MB embedded DRAM
Video Memory: 2MB
Resolution: 480x272
Hard Drive Space: Depends on Memory Stick, maximum is 16GB

These links with their information should be all needed to know and have to make it possible

I know PC/PSP specs dont matter that much, but still.

I think if we lowered the resolution of the movies and audio (compressing, etc.), lowered texture quality a bit...the PSP should handle the game well.
The game can be run in one of 3 modes: Software rendering/ D3D/ OpenGL

What do you guys think ? Possible ? Who will try to help me ? I would love to have one of my favourite games on the PSP...

Anyone willing to help is welcome

THANK YOU !

Jack

hemiola1 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 03:17 AM

Hmm, this looks like it would be do-able. It looks like you have some real good plans so far. Sadly, we don't have many coders, if any, left on this forum. We do have one that I can think of, hardhat, but he is currently working on another project. You can contact him so get his input on your proposal. One of his current projects is listed on the homepage.

I would love to see this project come alive. This looks like it could be real promising.

Jack6428 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dq9

Hmm, this looks like it would be do-able. It looks like you have some real good plans so far. Sadly, we don't have many coders, if any, left on this forum. We do have one that I can think of, hardhat, but he is currently working on another project. You can contact him so get his input on your proposal. One of his current projects is listed on the homepage.

I would love to see this project come alive. This looks like it could be real promising.

Hi, thank you for the reply. Well, i tried to get as much details for starters as i could. I think too it would be possible to port in some form. Hm, i will try contacting him as you suggest, hopefully he would help out. By the way, I have put in some additional thoughts to the project with one other member. Here is what we have come up with yesterday:

Best way would be to make the Analog stick perform as a mouse, and adapt the micro-management system to the PSP.

As for texture quality, keep trying variations until we find one that's a acceptable balance.

You could also allow the user to assign shortcuts to the digital pad, ex:

Default:
Up - Launch Menu
Left - Build Menu
Right - Research Menu
Down - Game View

Custom:
Up - Sphere formation
Left - Claw Formation
Right - Wall Formation
Down - Custom Formation

and etc.

You could require that the user must be holding down the L or R triggers to rotate the camera, and assign the ^/X/O/[] buttons as so:

Default Config:
L - Focus on current ship
R - Orbit Camera
X - Left Click
O - Right Click/Context Menu
[] - Move Command
^ - Attack Command

Custom Config:
L - Left Click
R - Right Click/Context Menu
X - Attack Command
O - Orbit Camera
[] - Focus on Current Ship
^ - Move Command

As for rendering options, D3D will be unavailable. DirectX is not coded into the infrastructure and I believe the system either uses OpenGL or a custom API. Best bet is to go with Software rendering in the meantime.

I think that now the idea and project is getting more clear

hemiola1 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 02:42 PM

I've never played Homeworld, but that seems like a good control scheme to me. Thinking from a RTS standpoint that is.

Jack6428 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dq9

I've never played Homeworld, but that seems like a good control scheme to me. Thinking from a RTS standpoint that is.

Thanks, good to know im on the right track.

Btw, id recommend you try the game despite its 10year old age. It still is kind of overwhelming and didn't get "Game of the year 99" status for nothing

iamstrange14 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 05:43 PM

hmm...
You've successfully interested me. I'd like to help, but I've never done anything to this scale, especially for the PSP. I'll try to help, but I'm not promising success.

Jack6428 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-23-2009, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamstrange14

hmm...
You've successfully interested me. I'd like to help, but I've never done anything to this scale, especially for the PSP. I'll try to help, but I'm not promising success.

thanks, any help is welcome