One of the most prolific games of the BeOS platform was SpaceGirl (later renamed to “No Gravity”). The game is now being ported to Windows and Mac OS X (using DX and, software GL and GL) and also it has been fully open sourced. Hopefully, we will see a Linux/Unix and a PocketPC port soon (for the 2700G Intel accelerator found on Dell or other VGA-capable PDAs, e.g. the VGA Zaurus).
NoGravity Game Open Sourced
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…that I’m a PocketPC programmer by profession?
port it then! I can test it on my Dell VGA x50v for you.
Also, Spacegirl is pretty fast with software GL too (it was written at a time where no accelerated GL was available for BeOS), so even other PPC VGA PDAs will be able to run it well even if they don’t have the Intel accelerator in them.
The project page is there
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nogravity
And this page
http://www.realtech-vr.com/nogravity/
The game is ported for Windows (using DirectX and OpenGL), MacOS X (native Mach-O, using OpenGL) and BeOS (using a prioprietary software renderer).
The BeOS version was compiled under Zeta, there still few bugs, but it’s on its way.
The code is written in C only, pretty portable. (Visual Studio 2003, GCC 2.95, GCC 3.4 compiles it).
Stephane, btw, the game does not run on my Matrox G400-Max 32 MBs AGP. I know the game requires DirectX 8, but given the fact that the game used to work on the BeOS with far less powerful cards, I would have liked to see compatibility with older cards/drivers too.
The Windows version requires
– DirectX 8 (for Input and sound)
– OpenGL 1.4 strongly recommended …
– with GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap extensions (but the version 1.98r3, it’s now optional)
– with GL_EXT_texture_rectangle (or GL_ARB_texture_rectangle or GL_NV_texture_rectangle). There is a work around, but needs to be revised.
– GL_ARB_texture_compression (optional)
I guess you are missing one of the three extensions. But again, try the updated version (updated few hours ago) – stamped 1.98.r3 –
The game was tested on Radeon 9800 Pro with WinXP64, a Geforce 3 with Win2000 and a Geforce 4MX (on MacOS X 10.3.8).
I think the next version (r4) will have the GL_EXT_texture_rectangle workaround fixed, plus the 16bit renderer for BeOS.
Of course, there is the software for Windows …
Any chance of porting over to SDL? If I remember correctly SDL utilizes OpenGL for hardware accelaration no most platforms. This would definitely ease your projects portability.
Well, SDL is a 2D library and this game is 3D.
SDL has bindings for OpenGL. It can run 3D games via GL and still the upper level stuff to be SDL-based.
Why do I have to check the discussion page for the requisite links? The link in-story is pretty useless; these should be in the story, not on the discussion page.
It ryns in my mind that this game was like a 2D side scroller or asteriods type gane with a 3D looking background like the same company’s skyorb app with a lot of lens flare looking graphics and if I remember right it had the weird ability to use any music file or cd track you had for the background music. but the game itself was pretty simple except for the fact that the 3D backdrop made it very confusing.It ran just fine on my old 400 celeron with 64 mb ram,So when does the new BeOS version come out?
sasquatch666 :
For me asteriods is a game with a view form abouve. No gravity are a first person game.
“BeOS version come out?”
when it’s ready
I have run the old demo on my Zeta(Zeta Neo sp1) with no problem
the biggest problem right now is getting Staphane Denis BeOS/Zeta on his computer (he has a s-ata HD)
The game was really in 3D.
The current code compiles, links and runs on BeOS Zeta (though I had some trouble, for some reasons BLooper::PostMessage has gone.. very confusing )
But there is still some bugs (platform related, and my BeOS knowledge becomes rusty).
I need to install BeOS R5 on a not so BeOS friendly hardware though – 1GB RAM, AMD64 – just to finish to debug it.
Because all the old BeOS code was dropped (the demo used BWindowScreen and now uses BDirectWindow, plus the game was ‘re-optimized’ for OpenGL. (I wanted to drop the ‘software rendering’ but finally, I decided to put it back.
For using SDL, well, we should be easy. The game code is modular enough to plug SDL on it (there is already a compatibility platform layer). Shouldn’t be too difficult.
There’s no screenshots on the web page. You can’t post a game without screenshots. That’s just not fair!
http://sourceforge.net/projects/nogravity/
in the the screenshots section
On OSnews.com YOU post the screenshots!
For using SDL, well, we should be easy. The game code is modular enough to plug SDL on it (there is already a compatibility platform layer). Shouldn’t be too difficult.
Any chance the team just swaps that compatibility platform layer for SDL? For the sake of saving efforts and code. SDL already runs on MacOS X, Linux, FreeBSD and Windows (among a few).
Just checked the screenshots … very 1997.
I should download this and play it on Windows XP, instead of playing, say Homeworld 2, … because … why?
Linux rules servers. Games are for Windows.
Rockwell, you don’t have to prove that your a moron. There is not even a linux version of the game.
And since when does having *the best graphics* have anything to do with a games gameplay? Heck, I play nethack and its graphics are horrible by todays standards but its a load of fun. A real gamer will play anything regardless of the graphics level if it has good gameplay
On my iMac G4 with GeForce 4 MX, all the sprite overlays are displayed as garbage or white boxes. I was running at 1440 x 900.
I slavishly downloaded and tried the game (note: two separate downloads, in effect, a datafile and a platform-specific launcher); I’d say its appeal is primarily limited to 12 year olds, however, if you want to memorize a complex keylayout of commands (not quite as complex as nethack!) it is a slick, working “flyabout” game.
As for myself, I will probably never play it; I’d rather re-read Euripides. Well… what video game could ever compete with Euripides?
It seems to work pretty well in demo mode at least, on Wine. So a port should not be too hard.