New Linux Game Handheld?

[RobbieAB]

I want a Pandora, but I'm afraid of what might happen if I get one and open the box...

[Svartalf]

Hehe... looks like sound is getting the best of you right there.

It is, it is... And it's the thing that's the final snag (I think, I hope...) for getting that game out the door.

That said I did not get any of those consoles yet. I'm indecisive about which one to get... if I can't Linux it I won't get it ( as I have plans for porting my game engine on various platforms if things work out the way they should :P ).

Both of them will do Linux. Do something like SDL or OpenAL-Soft for the sound (OpenAL-Soft will find it's way to the Pandora at least...), handle OpenGL ES 1.1 (Wiz) and ES 2.0 (Pandora...) and you should largely be fine.

[Dragonlord]

My engine is completely open designed. I can put in anything I want. Currently I have a working OpenGL module ( working on Linux and Windows XP ( theoretically also Vista ) ) and a working ( albeit not fully defined yet ) OpenAL module. Otherwise I'm posix conform. Only thing is how they support dynamic linking. If they can do it, very well, you can use my engine with all the modules bells and whistels... if not modules have to be compiled into the engine. Since you have a better knowledge of ES I might get back on you for some pointers there since I assume ES-1.1 is a bit different than OpenGL-2.0 what goes for the extensions but otherwise it should work.

So which console you think should be picked up first?

[curaga]

Sorry, out of topic, but with knowledgeable people here

What's wrong with openAL? It has never worked for me, on two machines. Either the old 0.0.8 or the new soft-openal. On machine #1 (ESS Maestro3) apps using openAL (either version) just segfault, on machine #2 (Intel HDA) they have no sound (again on both openal versions)

[deanjo]

Sorry, out of topic, but with knowledgeable people here

What's wrong with openAL? It has never worked for me, on two machines. Either the old 0.0.8 or the new soft-openal. On machine #1 (ESS Maestro3) apps using openAL (either version) just segfault, on machine #2 (Intel HDA) they have no sound (again on both openal versions)

You would be better off starting a new topic. BTW openAL works fine on all of my systems.

[Svartalf]

Since you have a better knowledge of ES I might get back on you for some pointers there since I assume ES-1.1 is a bit different than OpenGL-2.0 what goes for the extensions but otherwise it should work.

ES 1.1 is much like the fixed functionality path API edge from OpenGL 1.5, sans the immediate mode edge (No glBegin...glEnd and all the in-between stuff...). No shaders and a few other odd gotchas. ES 2.0 is more like OpenGL 2.0 with the immediate mode and fixed functionality paths stripped clean out. If your engine is shader based, you may not want to target ES 1.1 at all

So which console you think should be picked up first?

I'm obviously biased...I'd say Pandora. It becomes less biased of an answer if you're doing OpenGL 2.0 type code for the engine backends- Pandora's pretty much the only handheld coming to market right at the moment with ES 2.0 support for right now. Though all the GPU players are encouraging game devs to target ES 2.0 in addition to OpenGL 2.0 right at the moment, so that should be a hint...

[Svartalf]

Sorry, out of topic, but with knowledgeable people here

Spawn a new topic please...

[Dragonlord]

ES 1.1 is much like the fixed functionality path API edge from OpenGL 1.5, sans the immediate mode edge (No glBegin...glEnd and all the in-between stuff...). No shaders and a few other odd gotchas. ES 2.0 is more like OpenGL 2.0 with the immediate mode and fixed functionality paths stripped clean out. If your engine is shader based, you may not want to target ES 1.1 at all

Hehe... as mentioned... everything can be done. Does a platform support no shaders then you use a Graphic Module not using any shaders at all. In contrary to most modern game engines I have not based my graphic rendering on shaders. Doing so I consider bad since although shaders are powerful and the future you lock people down to one specific language ( GLSL, ASL, HLSL, whatever ) which is not how a crossplatform game engine should be. Therefore I use a descriptive definition schema. You don't "code" shaders or graphics you are more like a director "giving stage directions" how your stage looks like and who does what but how your stage directions are mapped to the underlaying hardware is none of your business. This is all up to the Graphic Module to figure out for you.

[xav1r]

Hehe... as mentioned... everything can be done. Does a platform support no shaders then you use a Graphic Module not using any shaders at all. In contrary to most modern game engines I have not based my graphic rendering on shaders. Doing so I consider bad since although shaders are powerful and the future you lock people down to one specific language ( GLSL, ASL, HLSL, whatever ) which is not how a crossplatform game engine should be. Therefore I use a descriptive definition schema. You don't "code" shaders or graphics you are more like a director "giving stage directions" how your stage looks like and who does what but how your stage directions are mapped to the underlaying hardware is none of your business. This is all up to the Graphic Module to figure out for you.

Damn, such an insightful goldmine of information! Dragonlord, is your engine available anywhere for the public to see? Is it available for licensing, or will it be? I'd like to sample it.

[xav1r]

ES 1.1 is much like the fixed functionality path API edge from OpenGL 1.5, sans the immediate mode edge (No glBegin...glEnd and all the in-between stuff...). No shaders and a few other odd gotchas. ES 2.0 is more like OpenGL 2.0 with the immediate mode and fixed functionality paths stripped clean out. If your engine is shader based, you may not want to target ES 1.1 at all



I'm obviously biased...I'd say Pandora. It becomes less biased of an answer if you're doing OpenGL 2.0 type code for the engine backends- Pandora's pretty much the only handheld coming to market right at the moment with ES 2.0 support for right now. Though all the GPU players are encouraging game devs to target ES 2.0 in addition to OpenGL 2.0 right at the moment, so that should be a hint...

I'd say support both consoles. Both the enthusiast, high end grade Pandora, which is analogous to the ps3 or the x360, and lower end more general purpose wiz handheld, which is analogous to the Wii