Porting tools and other know how

breakdown84

Hey how are you all? Anyway it's been awhile since I've posted and I've googled this question gone to mod sites etc. and I always seem to learn nothing or whatever I do it doesn't work:( So I was just wondering what in your opinion I would need to not only get started but actually make progress and I mean everything from what applications I should use to what programming language I need to learn. To narrow things down a bit, in particular, I'm looking to port a classic game or two from the mid to early 90's like Marathon or Wolfenstein 3-D to the PSP. My first project I'd like to work on is a PSP port of Wolfenstein 3D, and just remember I want to retain as many of the original features from the game as possible. Also another thought I had was to possibly port NewWolf to save myself some time on OpenGL support so I think I'll probably port NewWolf so what do you think about that? good or bad idea?

Below is a general list of features I'd like to include, but not necessarily with the initial release.

1. Open GL support
2. New Sprites
3. New Enemies
3. New Weapons
4. New Items
5. New Textures
6. New Music
7. The ability to load custom maps and conversions
8. Networked multiplayer support
9. All original features of the game i.e.sounds, music etc.
10. Other modifications to the game's code

When it comes to the textures most of the textures I already have so I don't need to worry about actually making them just adding them. So I'm pretty new to this and this may seem like all tall order(I guess it is) but I'm not looking to have them supported right off the bat, wanna start slow and add them eventually. So just want to know what you think I need to learn/know to make this anywhere near possible, any advice,guides,tutorials or other help is greatly appreaciated, Thanks:)

kryyst

I want to make a motorcycle. I don't know anything about making motorcycles but I have seen them before and even sat on one. Could some one please direct me to some site where I can take my bicycle and turn it into a motorcycle. I want to start out easy, so I was thinking just something compatible with a Honda CBR600 to start out with. You know nothing to fancy.

In addition I want to retain all of the cool stuff of my bike, like having it look the same and not use gas. But it should still be as powerful as a CBR600.

I know this is a tall order, but I really think I can do this. I have tools and can get more.

Thanks.

breakdown84

kryyst wrote:

In addition I want to retain all of the cool stuff of my bike, like having it look the same and not use gas. But it should still be as powerful as a CBR600.

Well I don't know about the gas part, you would probably still have to use gas or maybe steam? Anyway so come what did I do wrong this time, did I sound like some guy who thought he knew it all or what? Am I missing something? Nevertheless I can appreaciate your sarcasm, had a good laugh;D but you still you didn't tell me anything useful, Thanks anyway.

John-W

What level of programming experience do you have? If you are good at C/C++, then you could try the following link:

http://www.psp-programming.com/tutorials/c/lesson01.htm

I don't have any consoles, so I can't really give an opinion on how well this works.

If you have any interest in pc or x360 games, Microsoft has just released their Visual Studio Express Editions for '08. They have a deal with The Game Creators for a free ide addon for VC++ Express '08 to get you going with free content. Their '05 C# ide has the excellent XNA Game Studio Express, which just launched its 2.0 beta. With that, you can build Win and XBox projects.
Hope this helps.

breakdown84

Yeah I defintely am looking into what Microsoft has to offer for game development. Currently I am still only interested in the PSP platform. So I take it I need to learn C/C++? Anything else I need to be able to dev on the PSP that you might know of?

primesuspect

C++ is the language of game development. If you want to write games, mod games, do any sort of gaming work, you need to be highly proficient in C++

breakdown84

Ok that's simple enough now I know what I need to look into and learn, the C++ language, great that's one problem out of the way. Any other suggestions on what I need to know to accomplish what I listed above? thanks for all your advice so far.

primesuspect

I would take on something like this one step at a time... Start learning C++ and then you'll understand what to do next.

breakdown84

Great I appreaciate this, thanks.

kryyst

primesuspect wrote:

I would take on something like this one step at a time... Start learning C++ and then you'll understand what to do next.

That's the tip of the ice berg though. I'm all for helping people. But that's analogistic of me going to a writers forum and saying I want to write the great american novel, in Patagonian and their advice being first to learn Patagonian.

There is so much more to porting a game to another platform. Sure it's all well and good to say start by learning C++ but it's not like he can go through a beginners intro to C course and then port the game over.

The reality Breakdown64 is that your request is impossible. It's not going to happen. Just because you have some of the pieces of the puzzle you can't put them all together and hope for the best.

If you want to make this your lifetimes goal then by all means pursue it. But you can't pick up a book read it in a month and then port your game it's never going to happen.

You could take a years worth of C++ programing and you won't be any closer to what you want.

primesuspect

I disagree with you. He needs to start somewhere, and C++ is where it is. I think it's highly pessimistic to say "your request is impossible" because it's not. There are many indie game developers out there, one-man teams, who have done exactly this very thing. So why not Breakdown84?

Look, about two years ago Keebler said "I want to write a new Icrontic CMS from scratch, and have it be functional, powerful, and elegant, and do everything exactly the way we want to do it." .. He didn't know anything about AJAX, or PHP, or MySQL, Apache, ModRewrite, etc.... Nothing... He knew step one was:

Learn PHP

And the rest will follow.

Yeah, well guess what we have now. A completely, from-scratch custom CMS that uses AJAX and mod rewrite, etc. Keebler wrote it 100% by himself and he started with "learning patagonian".

kryyst

I'm not disagreeing that learning C++ is where it's at. But it's not a simple 2 step process Learn C++> port game. That's like Learn to Ride bike, win International Moto GP.

Not to discredit what you guys accomplished, the site is fantastic but at the same time it pales in comparison to what would be required for what Breakdown64 is trying to do.

Also, not to discredit Breakdown64's eagerness. If he had a clue of what was required he wouldn't be posting on a forum looking for a how to on porting a game.

Plus based on this and past posts he's looking for a quick fix. From playing Windows games on his modded xbox running wine in linux. Things like that. It's just unrealistic and though I encourage him to learn C++ his porting dreams are just that, dreams plain and simple.

breakdown84

I wouldn't go so far as too say I want "quick fixs" kryyst, I never expect that and I know it's going to be a hard road and to be quite honest, a month? are you kidding me I would never in my life dream of being able to port a game in a month seriously I'm not "that" out there. And I agree with primesuspect there have been people in the past who have ported Wolfenstein to the PSP(since we are talking about it) and no maybe those ports aren't exactly what I want but I'm still fairly certain it's possible. And anyway primesuspect's example of Keebler writing a custom Icrontic CMS is an excellent one. Wolfenstein 3-D is a pale comparison to regular PSP game and a PSP game looks twice as good so why couldn't I get a game that looks twice as bad as a regular PSP game and just make it look a little bit better? Come it's not that hard to believe but hey whatever you have your opinion. And by the way I really didn't expect to even have a "runnable" until "at least" six months, that's realistic to me give or take a bit.

kryyst

6 months - your kidding yourself. I'd give it 6 years. In 6 months you may be able to get an animated 'hello world' program running on a PSP.

primesuspect

Why are you trying to discourage him so much? Why is it so personal to you?

I mean you sound like you have a stake in whether or not he can do what he wants. You sound like you want him to say "You're right, Kryyst.. I am dumb for thinking I can do this. I'll just give up and not do it."

Why do you care?

kryyst

I don't. I'm just trying to keep things realistic. If he goes into thinking he can get this done (simple to say simple to do) it's not going to happen. Projects like this are significant and if your expectations aren't realistic then it's much easier to get frustrated. You think you can get something working in 6 months, and you haven't even scratched the surface yet that can be come a big pisser.

This is not a simple request, it's not simple to do and if he pulls it off it'll be because he takes a realistic approach to it. It's not the type of results you can get through a simple forum question.

I see no benefit to bolstering his ideals patting him on the back and saying go man go. That won't get him anywhere. No point in pretending.

Hell just because he's got the original graphics broken out, from some ripped mod pack. They aren't even usuable on the PSP. Sure he can use them as templates. But he's got to redraw every single mapping and redesign every single model to take into consideration the changed resolutions on the PSP. He's got to redue the entire engine, to optimize the alternate processing speeds, the sound engine even the controller interface.

Essentially he's got to remake the entire thing from scratch. This is not a case of Learn C++ change a few headers and outputting a PSP game.

Linc

A friend of mine started making a feature-length action movie with entire digitally-rendered sets in like 10th grade - he figured he'd have it done that year. He's now more than halfway through college and it's still unreleased on his hard drive. He hasn't given up on it and still pokes away at it; and it's taught him a LOT about producing a movie. The college he's at is an art school and I expect not only to see his finished movie, but his name in the credits of a couple big productions over the next several years.

kryyst wrote:

I see no benefit to bolstering his ideals patting him on the back and saying go man go. That won't get him anywhere.

So sez you.

TBonZ

Geez, if breakdown didn't really possess the resolve to achieve his goal, he will now.

breakdown84

Wow haven't been at this thread for awhile and by the way I've been gone for this while because I'm doing just what I said I would be, I have toned down a few things here and there but for the most part my key goals are still intact so I'll drop by occasionaly(espcially for you kryyst) to let people know where I'm at. Thanks for the encouragement primesuspect I'll keep at this

TBonZ wrote:

Geez, if breakdown didn't really possess the resolve to achieve his goal, he will now.

Thanks affirmative:)

kryyst

I hope you can prove me wrong.

GHoosdum

I really hope you keep at it and keep us updated, breakdown.

I wish you luck. And there's a ton of knowledge to be gained.