POWDER build for Windows CE/Pocket PC
Ilyak
I've got a Windows Mobile PDA, and I've scratched my head a lot: what
to do with this useless device?
And now I've got an answer: play POWDER ( http://www.zincland.com/powder/index.php?pagename=about
) on it!
POWDER is a roguelike designed for DS/GameBoy, and it fits perfectly
onto a PDA.
As for gameplay, it is definitely worth looking at with its simple but
challenging magical and combat systems, which I think employ the Crawl
core idea of forcing player to make choice that he rather wouldn't
do :)
So, now the files go:
http://wrar.name/upload/powder.CAB - installer, upload to PDA and run,
or install via ActiveSync, it would be Games/POWDER in menu.
- OR -
http://wrar.name/upload/powder.zip - for power users or geeks, just
unzip in some directory and run from there.
Some technical info:
It is built for ARM V4 using a rather old SDK, so it should work on
any Windows-powered PDA.
The only device it was tested on was my Pocket LOOX, so any feedback
and bug reports are welcome, especially I don't know how it would work
on 320x240 screens.
Only run it with book (vertical) screen orientation, it wouldn't work
in album orientation in funny, but not otherwise useful ways. I plan
to take care of that in further builds.
It recognizes hardware keys: arrows as arrows, central key/joystick as
enter key, and I've mapped all four keys I've got to different
actions: escape key, options menu, commands menu, inventory. Try them
and see, please get in touch with me if you've got keys that don't do
anything or behave in weird ways.
Any feedback is welcome!
P.S. If someone have any contacts with Jeff Lait, please let me know.
I've found no email, no nothing on his website.
Scautura
Tried on a HTC Touch: Failed miserably (twirler comes up, goes away, and
nothing). This is a Windows Mobile 6 device, and warns that the software
may not work, but only warns *after* you install it. Very frustrating
when you're looking forward to try a good game of POWDER!
Scautura
Ilyak
> Ilyak wrote:
> Tried on a HTC Touch: Failed miserably (twirler comes up, goes away, and
> nothing). This is a Windows Mobile 6 device, and warns that the software
> may not work, but only warns *after* you install it. Very frustrating
> when you're looking forward to try a good game of POWDER!
It might have dropped a file called stdout.txt somewhere.
Most likely, in \Program Files\POWDER.
If you could mail that file to me, I would've look at it and maybe fix
something.
Sadly, I don't have access to 320x240 devices atm.
Jeff Lait
> Hello there!
>
> And now I've got an answer: play POWDER (http://www.zincland.com/powder/index.php?pagename=about
> ) on it!
> POWDER is a roguelike designed for DS/GameBoy, and it fits perfectly
> onto a PDA.
Excellent! Congratulations on the port, I am very happy to see it
done. I have a half-installed Pocket PC SDK on one of my machines in
the hopes of building a port but never got far enough in SDK
configuration.
> P.S. If someone have any contacts with Jeff Lait, please let me know.
> I've found no email, no nothing on his website.
At the end of README.TXT is the preferred contact email. Sorry for
hiding it so successfully. Congrats again on the port.
--
Jeff Lait
(POWDER: http://www.zincland.com/powder)
Scautura
Poo... I've just realized it's a 320x240 device (Error message reads
that it doesn't have anything higher than 512x384). Just as well I'm
getting a HTC Touch Diamond in a week then (640x480). I'll get back to
you once I've got that.
Ilyak
(Jeff?).
I'll try to figure out what's wrong on 320x240, but also will be happy
to hear from you on your HTC Touch Diamond experience.
P.S. But I doubt it would be comfortable to play on screens smaller
than 3".
Jeff Lait
> On 23 июл, 09:37, Scautura <n...@scautura.co.uk> wrote:
>
> > Ilyak wrote:
> > > On 23 ÉÀÌ, 00:11, Scautura <n...@scautura.co.uk> wrote:
> > >> Ilyak wrote:
> > >> Tried on a HTC Touch: Failed miserably (twirler comes up, goes away, and
> > >> nothing). This is a Windows Mobile 6 device, and warns that the software
> > >> may not work, but only warns *after* you install it. Very frustrating
> > >> when you're looking forward to try a good game of POWDER!
>
> > > It might have dropped a file called stdout.txt somewhere.
> > > Most likely, in \Program Files\POWDER.
>
> > > If you could mail that file to me, I would've look at it and maybe fix
> > > something.
> > > Sadly, I don't have access to 320x240 devices atm.
> > Poo... I've just realized it's a 320x240 device (Error message reads
> > that it doesn't have anything higher than 512x384). Just as well I'm
> > getting a HTC Touch Diamond in a week then (640x480). I'll get back to
> > you once I've got that.
>
> Well, I don't see why powder shouldn't be playable on 256x192 screen
> (Jeff?).
The default scale in the SDL port is 2x, which results in 512x384. If
you look at port/hamfake.cpp ham_SetBgMode() youvll see that the
default resolution is HAM_SCRW * 2 by HAM_SCRH * 2, or 512x384.
Remove the *2 and it will build at 1x scale.
> I'll try to figure out what's wrong on 320x240, but also will be happy
> to hear from you on your HTC Touch Diamond experience.
For 320x240, what you want to do is change to 1x scale and create a
scaled artpack with 10x10 base icons. POWDER will then run at 320x240
natively.
hotpoo
lack the skills.
I've got the HTC Tytan II... doesnt' work due to the screen
resolution, of course. If you can get this to function properly, I
will officially add you to my christmas list.
Productivity is about to go down...
Bill
Ilyak
> On Jul 23, 2:10 am, Ilyak <ilya.kasnach...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Well, I don't see why powder shouldn't be playable on 256x192 screen
> > (Jeff?).
>
> The default scale in the SDL port is 2x, which results in 512x384. If
> you look at port/hamfake.cpp ham_SetBgMode() youvll see that the
> default resolution is HAM_SCRW * 2 by HAM_SCRH * 2, or 512x384.
> Remove the *2 and it will build at 1x scale.
Yeah - I've already figured it out, thanks.
It still have a few problems, but those are my problems :) I hope to
announce a next build tomorrow.
Now I have two and a half choices:
- Either make PocketPC version to always use scale factor of 1 (it
works just fine even on 640x480 devices, because there's a mode for
that) - what can I possibly lose? Maybe there would even be a
perfomance boost?
- Or make it try to auto-detect whenever it can fire 2x scale, or just
1x? It will require quite a few code and I can't really prove that
code not to break something on other targets.
- Or leave it 640x480/make two builds. Pointless, hence those are
half.
> > I'll try to figure out what's wrong on 320x240, but also will be happy
> > to hear from you on your HTC Touch Diamond experience.
> For 320x240, what you want to do is change to 1x scale and create a
> scaled artpack with 10x10 base icons. POWDER will then run at 320x240
> natively.
Yes, I'm going to go ahead and do that (center icons while extending
walls/floors will be a good start).
Does POWDER support icon sizes that aren't powers of 2, or it will
require some coding/testing?
By the way, I've dropped a few mails to your box, I would be glad if
you'll respond.
Jeff Lait
> Jeff Lait:
>
> > On Jul 23, 2:10 am, Ilyak <ilya.kasnach...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Well, I don't see why powder shouldn't be playable on 256x192 screen
> > > (Jeff?).
>
> > The default scale in the SDL port is 2x, which results in 512x384. If
> > you look at port/hamfake.cpp ham_SetBgMode() youvll see that the
> > default resolution is HAM_SCRW * 2 by HAM_SCRH * 2, or 512x384.
> > Remove the *2 and it will build at 1x scale.
>
> Yeah - I've already figured it out, thanks.
> It still have a few problems, but those are my problems :) I hope to
> announce a next build tomorrow.
Excellent, exciting!
> Now I have two and a half choices:
> - Either make PocketPC version to always use scale factor of 1 (it
> works just fine even on 640x480 devices, because there's a mode for
> that) - what can I possibly lose? Maybe there would even be a
> perfomance boost?
There is no advantage to running 2x scale as all it does is a pixel
doubling in software. Might as well let the SDL library to that more
efficiently. My recomendation is to make it always use a factor of 1.
> > > I'll try to figure out what's wrong on 320x240, but also will be happy
> > > to hear from you on your HTC Touch Diamond experience.
> > For 320x240, what you want to do is change to 1x scale and create a
> > scaled artpack with 10x10 base icons. POWDER will then run at 320x240
> > natively.
>
> Yes, I'm going to go ahead and do that (center icons while extending
> walls/floors will be a good start).
> Does POWDER support icon sizes that aren't powers of 2, or it will
> require some coding/testing?
It supports any size icon. There is no power of two magic involved.
You shouldn't have to play at all with the number of icons per screen
as it should fit perfectly.
> By the way, I've dropped a few mails to your box, I would be glad if
> you'll respond.
Will do...
hill...@gmail.com
wanted a rougelike game for my ppc. I have some questions regarding
the 640x480 resolution though.
I've got a VGA Pocket PC, and it do runs fine. But it would be great
to have a native VGA version (buttons, text...) since these are
looking quite ugly right now.
Also, is there a tileset which looks like native VGA and not so
pixellated?
Ilyak
The main problem with it, that it have got 32x32 tiles and thus only
takes 512x384 pixels, employing onle 2/3 of the screen real estate.
Nevertheless, I can send it to you along with instructions on how to
set it up if you wish to.
Making native VGA version (with 40x40 tiles) involves a lot of
artwork, but you can always volunteer for that, I'll instruct you on
what to do if you wish.
Ibson the Grey
> On 7 Á×Ç, 11:21, hill.i...@gmail.com wrote:> Just downloaded this, and it looks like an AWESOME game! I've always
If I can find some time, I'll look at increasing my set to 40x40 and
keeping it that way since it really is only going to be able to be
used on PC/pocket PC versions. I like the idea of increasing the base
size and leaving the icons, etc at 32.
Ilyak
That would be cool. And yes, wider base with smaller icons still makes
perfect sense and looks just fine.
I'm going to package that tileset as additional .cab file if you'll
widen it.
(I can't compile it in because occasional switching to it is going to
crash 320x240 clients)