FreeGameDev

Hi, I compiled Valyria Tear 0.6.0 for Maemo5 / N900 mobile phone. Task was easy, because Maemo is Debian derivated ARM-Linux (I was afraid only about old libboost).

Here is the link to the game play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF3MG9lOQZo

Game runs pretty well on 800x480 screen. Only issue is starting/loading times (I edited them out from video). Time between main menu and 'start demo' is more than 60 seconds. Also going downstairs takes almost minute. Device doesn't have much of CPU/MEM, but which one is bottleneck and is there anything that can be done?

Here is announcemet on Maemo-forum: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=1378476

Hi Aapo

Woohoo, it's great to see the beast running on a mobile OS!! (I'll make a piece of news about it).

Congrats for the big job done on it! What mainly was needed to be changed for it to work there?

Time between main menu and 'start demo' is more than 60 seconds. Also going downstairs takes almost minute. Device doesn't have much of CPU/MEM, but which one is bottleneck and is there anything that can be done?

The new game script (see dat/maps/introduction.lua:Load()) could be guilty as for the loading of music due to a dependency script.
Yet, I don't get the minute needed when going downstairs. Do you think unloading could also take time?
EDIT: Could you try breaking the musics path (by eg renaming mus/ to mus2/) and tell me whether this helps about game loading time?

Best regards,

What mainly was needed to be changed for it to work there?

*As N900 doesn't have escape-key:
SDLK_ESCAPE -> SDLK_BACKSPACE

*As N900 doesn't hve F1-key:
SDLK_F1 -> SDLK_LSHIFT
(not sure is F1 even used, or is this working)

*Resolution = 800x480

*As default version of SDL in Maemo has well-known-bug (no keyboad focus if setIcon used):
src/main.cpp
// SDL_WM_SetIcon(IMG_Load("img/logos/program_icon.png"), NULL);

Could you try breaking the musics path (by eg renaming mus/ to mus2/) and tell me whether this helps about game loading time?

Yes, loading times are shorter.

Hi Aapo

*As N900 doesn't have escape-key:
SDLK_ESCAPE -> SDLK_BACKSPACE

*As N900 doesn't hve F1-key:
SDLK_F1 -> SDLK_LSHIFT
(not sure is F1 even used, or is this working)

Note that the dat/config/restore_settings.lua and settings.lua files there should be changed to reflect that. (the numbers in there are SDL_Keycodes)

Then, the starting help screen seen when Bronann wakes up should adapt itself.

I wonder whether you left the key configuration in the options, btw (the joystick config menu should definitely die, and certain video options too, I guess.).

As default version of SDL in Maemo has well-known-bug (no keyboad focus if setIcon used):
src/main.cpp
// SDL_WM_SetIcon(IMG_Load("img/logos/program_icon.png"), NULL);

Good to know.

Yes, loading times are shorter.

If those are improved enough to get the game playable, maybe you should consider decrease the music quality (in order to get much smaller files)?

Best of luck with all this and best regards,