FRONTIER 1337 - version 0.2.1 - Working on recent firmwares

[Atien]

FRONTIER 1337 is a port for PSP from the 1993 Atari version of the game "FRONTIER - Elite II".
I just made a quick update to Frontier 1337 in order to make it work on firmwares > 1.50

http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/snapshot.gif

As always, for a better framerate result, set the level of shape detail to 'low' in the setup screen (start button), and disable things like 'Space dust, clouds etc' and 'Background stars'...

Don't try to change commander's name when you are saving your game. If you want to change it, rename the file in the savs folder.

You can find useful informations about the game on the official website (http://www.atien.net/?static2/frontier), or about FRONTIER - Elite II in general at Frontierverse (http://www.sharoma.com/frontierverse/index.htm)


INSTALLATION
------------
Just unpack/copy FRONTIER_1337 folder to MS_ROOT/PSP/GAME
If you want sound, download the MUSIC (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=18330&d=1178392309) and SFX (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=18329&d=1178392125) packages, and place them in the FRONTIER_1337/data folder.


CONTROLS
--------
Analog-stick - Move the cursor through the screen.
SQUARE - Used like the left mouse clic to select things with the cursor.
CROSS - Used like the right mouse clic.
Hold CROSS + Analog-stick - Roll the vessel.
Hold CROSS + SQUARE - Fire laser beam.
Hold CROSS + D-pad UP - Zoom-in with the camera in external view.
Hold CROSS + D-pad DOWN - Zoom-out with the camera in external view.
D-pad - Rotate the camera in external view, and make ravel the galactic chart or the stockmarket list.
TRIANGLE - Rear propulsion to increase speed.
CIRCLE - Front propulsion to decrease speed.
L and R triggers - Choose the functions that where directly available on PC with F1 to F10 keys.
L + R - Validate the choosen function.
Start - Go to the option screen.
Select - "p" key for now... to get through the police arrest thing.

[SmashinGit]

I have fond memories of Elite, one day they will make a proper hd update!!

[cozy]

I have fond memories of Elite, one day they will make a proper hd update!!

Me to i played elite for hours on the bbc micro computer back in the 80`s,so this will bring back memories to as this was on my Amiga 500!!!

long live the classics!!! :rofl:

[FOL]

Where can we grab the source from?

[Atien]

Where can we grab the source from?
I didn't provided the source file with this version because I messed up a lot of things by switching from toolchain to MINPSPW compiler. Some part of the source code are asm68k converted to a huge C file. That's why the game is slow. If you still want to take a look at it, it was in the last version package (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=62163&highlight=frontier+1337), four years ago... still hosted on DCEMU.

[Hungry Horace]

sweet to see it updated, but gutted about the speed not being improved tbh. i mean, the thing flies on my A1200/030 50hz ... so it should really be amazing on the PSP's spec, even if it is C code.

[FOL]

sweet to see it updated, but gutted about the speed not being improved tbh. i mean, the thing flies on my A1200/030 50hz ... so it should really be amazing on the PSP's spec, even if it is C code.

Horace, as he explains, he is converting the asm core to a massive C file.
This is proberly why its running slow. You sure you aint been hanging around QJ.net, ;).

@Atien
Any chance of the new source, Im not going to complain about neatness. You seen PSPUAE source, :).

I have learnt alot about increasing speed via cpu flags and other little tweaks.
If you can email it to me, Ill have a play.
I wont give it out, if your worried about that. If I can get more speed out of it, Ill email it back to you.

I cant get the old source to compile on PSPSDK. Switched to that now, I have updated the PSPUAE source to run on it.
I know what you mean about changing stuff, I had to alter uststd and stings just to get it to compile.
Something about MINPSPW drifting off standard guidlines.

Not sure how you are with ASM, but there is an ASM68K core already on PSP. Been trying to find someone to help integrate it into PSPUAE.
I have been told, it would proberly be an hours work for someone that knows ASM.

[Atien]

Hi FOL, thank you for your support! I have no problems with people helping around, all I want is the game to run full speed ;)

This afternoon I'll clean up the makefile a bit before making a source package. The problem is that I didn't manage to compile the Frontier game data and engine with MINPSPW. Only the interpreter files. I'll provide the objects compiled with CYGWIN in the package in order for it to work with MINPSPW.

For the CFLAGS, I used -Os and -O2 for the game engine (I have tried all combinations under CYGWIN 2 years ago in order to get the best performance). For the PSP interpreter files, I'm using -O2 and -ffast-math. So I wanted to take a look at your PSPUAE source code to see what you did, but the zipfile from this adress (http://www.ultimateamiga.co.uk/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item270) seems to be corrupted.

And ASM is clearly not my cup of tea, especialy when the game code is > 66000 lines :)

[FOL]

Hi FOL, thank you for your support! I have no problems with people helping around, all I want is the game to run full speed ;)

This afternoon I'll clean up the makefile a bit before making a source package. The problem is that I didn't manage to compile the Frontier game data and engine with MINPSPW. Only the interpreter files. I'll provide the objects compiled with CYGWIN in the package in order for it to work with MINPSPW.

For the CFLAGS, I used -Os and -O2 for the game engine (I have tried all combinations under CYGWIN 2 years ago in order to get the best performance). For the PSP interpreter files, I'm using -O2 and -ffast-math. So I wanted to take a look at your PSPUAE source code to see what you did, but the zipfile from this adress (http://www.ultimateamiga.co.uk/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item270) seems to be corrupted.

And ASM is clearly not my cup of tea, especialy when the game code is > 66000 lines :)

Would'nt Os and O3 together conflict?
I thought O3 done everything O1, O2, Os does?

What about G8.
I found -O3 -G8 gave PSPUAE a big speed increase bout 2 years ago

I think, MAME PSP has the ASM 68K core PSP. You might want to check it out.

[jon26]

Hi, nice work dude. Been trying to get this to work on my 3.9 m33 psp for a while with no joy til now. love this game.
This new version is working for me.
Can't get the music or sound effects to play ball tho.
Is this normal with the new version?
Cheers:thumbup:

[Atien]

Thank you jon26. Have you unziped the MUSIC (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=18330&d=1178392309) and SFX (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=18329&d=1178392125) packages into frontier_1337/data folder?



Would'nt Os and O3 together conflict?
I thought O3 done everything O1, O2, Os does?

What about G8.
I found -O3 -G8 gave PSPUAE a big speed increase bout 2 years ago

I think, MAME PSP has the ASM 68K core PSP. You might want to check it out.

There are two parts in the game conversion from asm to C. The engine and the binaries. I didn't used OS and O2 on the same part. As said on psp2dev (http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php?t=5071&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=40), O3 is clearly not the best, but I'll try -O3 -G8. I wrote you a PM with the sourcecode adress yersteday :)

[jon26]

Hi,

Sorry, yea, it's working now. I started from scratch and it works sweet now. First time i tried adding the sfx and music folders (unzipped) to the data folder it disabled all sound. Tried with the files outside their folders but still inside "data", that didnt work. Went back to original method and now it works fine. Must've done something wrong somewhere.

Just wondering, if i replace a .wav file in the sfx folder (eg the laser sound effect) with an alternative file, will it still work? Would the new sound have to be identical in file size etc.?

Thanks again

[Atien]

I didn't have time to play with the sounds. Normaly as long as you stay in format wav 44KHz Mono 16Bits, it should be fine. The file size doesn't matter.
For the musics, it's ogg 44100Hz.

I would suggest you to try out your sounds, you just have to replace the files. Tell me if you find something good :)

[Atien]

While DCEMU was down for the visual update (good update by the way), I made a HUGE step in game speed improvement. Hungry Horace, you'll be pleased with the next release!
Right now, I'm still optimising the sourcecode and adding some little surprises :D

[wraggster]

Nice News :)

yeah we have a lot of work to do but in a matter of days we should be nearly back to normal

[nathanmnm]

Great update Atien mate, quick question.

Is it possible to perform a "mis-jump" with the controls you have set on the PSP?

[Atien]

Is it possible to perform a "mis-jump" with the controls you have set on the PSP?
Not now, but I can add it. As you have to press L+R triggers to validate a function key, I think I'll add the mis-jump to L+R+Dpad Up or something like that. I have a lot of shortcuts to add for the next release. I'll try to keep it simple :)

[nathanmnm]

Awesome, looking forward to it :)

As an aside I have it working on OFW 5.02, which firmware do you intend ppl to use or does it not matter? I had to sign it to get it working on OFW and even a signed Eboot wouldnt run on OFW 3.02 (my old Phat is still running OFW 3.02 while my Brite is OFW 5.02).

[Hungry Horace]

While DCEMU was down for the visual update (good update by the way), I made a HUGE step in game speed improvement. Hungry Horace, you'll be pleased with the next release!
Right now, I'm still optimising the sourcecode and adding some little surprises :D


sounds brilliant - congratulations!1 I look forward to the next update :)

[Atien]

As an aside I have it working on OFW 5.02, which firmware do you intend ppl to use or does it not matter? I had to sign it to get it working on OFW and even a signed Eboot wouldnt run on OFW 3.02 (my old Phat is still running OFW 3.02 while my Brite is OFW 5.02).
I'm not a specialist of all this firmware thing. My fatty psp is 5.50 GEN-D2, it works and I'm happy with it :) The firmware number that I put in the Makefile was PSP_FW_VERSION = 371. I can compile with an older firmware number if you want to try a new eboot. Should I enter 302 or an even older one? I'm not sure it's still worth to compile for 1.00 and 1.50...

[nathanmnm]

Atien - I wouldnt change the makefile to be honest - it works and thats awesome :) Ill upgrade my Phat to 5.03 sometime anyway or maybe a CFW (the recent keys failOverflow found for the psp and ps3 mean I dont rly need to go CFW as I can sign Eboots now anwyay).

Anyone - Quick question about controls - I just spent 5 mins trying to pick up a container with a fuel scoop and cargo scoop upgrade, ended up crashing into it - is it like Elite 1 where you have to aim a little above the object?

[Atien]

Recently I had some free time to work on Frontier again, and right now, it is 3am and I'm soooo exausted by a little problem using SDL_PollEvent to handle the PSP keys.
So if anyone knows something about this subject, all is explained right here :
Weird-SDL_PollEvent-behaviour-with-SDL_JOYAXISMOTION (http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/threads/355305-Weird-SDL_PollEvent-behaviour-with-SDL_JOYAXISMOTION?p=2148390039#post2148390039)

Thanks for your support!

... Bed Time!

[nathanmnm]

Any progress Atien mate?

[Atien]

Hi nathanmnm, sorry I didn't saw your message.
As I'm back home where my computer under windows is, I will compile a new version soon with some speed improvement and the ability to choose screen resolution at the begining.
There are still some little issues with the music, but I'll try to arrange that in the future.