Ambrosia Software Web Board: [Xsera] Other Xsera - Ambrosia Software Web Board

adam_0, on Feb 18 2009, 06:51 AM, said:

Safari will do that to any file. Firefox, on the other hand, is fine. However, on Safari, you should be able to right click the link and "save as".

Ok, got it. Thanks! I always forget about the right-click option.

EDIT: What type of file is it? Because it doesn't have a suffix and my computer doesn't recognize it.

This post has been edited by adam_0: 18 February 2009 - 03:17 PM

It's a 3ds max file. IIRC it's only on Windows... You could probably import it to a different model editor somehow, but I doubt it considering it's a 3ds max scene rather than a simple model.

Hm, so what's this with the music? Are we not allowed to use the original sound files for Xsera?

Maybe we should update the FAQs..

Two Jacks, on Feb 21 2009, 04:25 PM, said:

What do you mean?

EDIT:: Oh, nm. I just saw the new post in the log. I don't know exactly what the plan is...

This post has been edited by redsteven: 21 February 2009 - 04:47 PM

Yesterday, my copy of Leopard arrived and one of the first things I did was install Xcode and compile Xsera. The copy I used was downloaded from GitHub last night at 8:30. After installing the necessary SDL frameworks and building the app, I ended up with a black window and music. That's it. Is there anything I did wrong?

System: 1 GHz Titanium PowerBook G4, 64 MB Mobility Radeon 9000, 1 GB of RAM, Mac OS 10.5.6 build 9G66, using a version of Xsera compiled exclusively for the PowerPC and Xcode 3.1.2.

It's odd that the Xsera menu wouldn't give me any options and command-Q wouldn't quit, but it would quit normally if quit from the dock (my apologies if that seems confusing.) The only thing I could do besides listen to Doomtroopers Unite was minimize the window.

Two Jacks, on Feb 21 2009, 12:25 PM, said:

We will be using the original music files for Xsera. I came across someone who wanted some solid experience in developing music for games, and since he's decided to volunteer, I thought it would be cool to have new music for Xsera.

Here's something that I think isn't so clearly defined: the two experiences of Xsera. There will be the completely original experience, with original graphics, sound effects, music, etc. and also the new experience, with upgraded everything and anything we can get our hands on. This is important to note because it seems that every time I say "Oh X is making upgraded Ys for Xsera" people seem to think that means that we're not using the original Ys, which is not true.

gavin83209, on Feb 22 2009, 09:15 AM, said:

This is interesting, although Alastair would probably be better to figure out what's going on, because I no longer have a PowerPC with a processor speed great enough to handle 10.2 or greater.

gavin83209, on Feb 22 2009, 09:15 AM, said:

I had that exact computer, but never got around to compiling Xsera before selling it for parts (the screen was broken, along with a few other things). Try upgrading Xcode - the latest version is 3.2.1 - and tell me if that helps any (download it from apple.com). I don't think there should be any compatibility issues between the two, but just in case...

gavin83209, on Feb 22 2009, 09:15 AM, said:

We haven't set up menus. The only way to quit the game currently is to click the close button. Also, no commands will work because the command key is currently undefined.

As for the black screen: can you give me the debugger output? That might give me a hint as to what's going on. If it's very long, post it to pastebin.com and link.

http://pastebin.com/m4737aff4
I think I accidentally ran the debugger 3 times. Sorry about that.

Quote

But did yours have a 250 GB hard drive? Mine has seen a handful of modifications. Amazing what you can pick up for $250.

Quote

I couldn't find a copy of 3.2.1.
Versiontracker, MacUpdate, and Apple will only give me 3.1.2.

Quote

I should mention that that was PST.

gavin83209, on Feb 22 2009, 02:13 PM, said:

That's alright. I don't know what's wrong, but did you install all of the following SDL parts?

- SDL
- SDL_mixer
- SDL_ttf
- SDL_image

I'm suspecting you don't have one of those (in particular, SDL_image), but I can't tell from the output. Make sure you have all of them.

gavin83209, on Feb 22 2009, 02:13 PM, said:

My apologies, temporary dyslexia on that. You are correct, 3.1.2 is the newest version.

This post has been edited by adam_0: 22 February 2009 - 05:22 PM

No, I have all four. It wouldn't let me build it until I had them.

I'm sorry, I can't help you from here, as it builds fine on my Intel computer, and I have no access to a PowerPC computer with Xcode on it.

Anybody else with Xcode and a PowerPC Mac want to try and build? It appears the application that my computer builds isn't UB.

So I just ran across the Xsera project a little while ago, and I'm very interested. I've been rather dismayed that I can't play Ares on my new MacBook, and all my older machines are broken. Anyway, I read on the progress log that the music is getting changed. I'd like to raise a voice of dissent here. IMO, Ares had the best music of any game I've ever played, and five of the songs from the game are in my top 25 most played on iTunes, with F.R.E.D.'s Theme reaching #1. While I can't exactly stop the music from being replaced, could there at least be an option for the classic music to be used instead?

Yes, we will have the original music:

Oh, well, that explains that. Guess I missed that bit.

Complaint retracted.

I'm working in the 'upgraded everything' area. It's fun! I get to do lots of greebling!

"Greebling"? That sounds like a race from a C.S. Lewis novel.

It's a graphical arts term for adding details (such as vents and PD weaponry) to space ships.

Yeah, because Greebles are young Dryads

That's one highly specific graphical arts term. Does it apply to any object other than spaceships?

My suspicions are confirmed. Shlimazel - unhand those Dryads!

I always thought it applied to any 3D graphics, but I'm not sure.

I don't think it does.

A quick stop at Wikipedia could've cleared it up...I knew what he meant. The term predates cg. People mostly make spaceships around here, but there's no reason you couldn't use the same technique to make, say, an artificial cityscape, or a circuitboard facsimile.

Hey, man, I was just admiring the local flora!

Update: over the past few hours, I have had access to a G5 and built Xsera on it. It works just fine, comparatively speaking. It still won't work on my G4. Perhaps there is a problem with the 32-bit or AltiVec code? Does Xsera use AltiVec to begin with? I would try compiling with a MacBook, but it is at the Apple Store currently. Maybe next week.

On Ye Olde PowerBook, I can press 'D' and I get a mostly black screen (below). The PK works and presumably the hyperdrive as well, but I can't see a thing. I can tell by sound.

And is there actually a readme or did I miss it?
 Picture_1.png (90.83K)
Number of downloads: 12

This post has been edited by gavin83209: 05 March 2009 - 08:12 PM

Yes, it uses AltiVec, but the G4 supports AltiVec. It's not 64-bit, because SDL doesn't support 64-bit yet. It'll have 64-bit in the next major version, and once that's out I'll add 64-bit support, but I won't remove 32-bit support.