Dreamcast Oolite

Playadcs · Post by **Playadcs** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:34 pm

Is it possible for Oolite to be ported to the Sega Dreamcast ?

The specs of the machine and the amount of open source dev tools available suggest it would be an ideal platform for the game.

In fact a version of Elite was planned for the system at one point.

I think the demand would be there for the game.

Any ideas ?

btw Posted similar in the Discussion part of forum.

Brianetta · Post by **Brianetta** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:52 pm

Depends whether the Dreamcast supports GNUStep. Somehow I doubt it, but with a dev community as big as the DC's, it's possible.

JensAyton · Post by **JensAyton** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 12:02 am

Fortunately, you should only need gnustep-base (or libFoundation), not the UI layer.

magamo · Post by **magamo** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 6:16 am

Linux does run on the DC. And Linux supports GNUstep... Ergo, it should be possible to get Oolite up and running on a DC.

Post by **dajt** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 6:44 am

The trick is getting a version of GCC running that has the Objective-C support built in. Most of them don't.

If the DC linux one doesn't then you'll need to compile a new version of GCC, presumably cross-compiled.

Brianetta · Post by **Brianetta** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 1:05 pm

dajt wrote:
The trick is getting a version of GCC running that has the Objective-C support built in. Most of them don't.

If the DC linux one doesn't then you'll need to compile a new version of GCC, presumably cross-compiled.

Or, perhaps, cross-compile Oolite directly.

Playadcs · Post by **Playadcs** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:59 pm

Thanks very much for all the replies so far. Very informative and much appreciated.

I'm not a programmer. Well, I did manage the first chapter of a game called Student Wars:TSquare Massacre-Using BBC Basic. 2d black and white tank stops infront of stickman, turns around waving white flag. 5 seconds it lasted. Honestly, it would have been a classic.

More to the point I am a great fan of Elite. I have versions from the original BBC Micro through to the Acorn Electron and finally the superb Archimedes version. Original posters of the ships from the games still adorn my walls.

I'm also a huge Dreamcast nut.

Whilst playing a game called Armada on the Dreamcast recently(not quite a Space Sim, more a shooter where you upgrade your ship as you get further into the game), it occurred to me that I missed the trading aspect and would love to see a version of Elite on the system.

Hence I searched the web and ended up at planet Oolite. And docking here was far easier than I expected.

Very impressed I was and still am. Great game, great community.

The Dreamcast does run Linux, has open source dev enviroments such as Kallistios(Open GL), a Hitachi Risc CPU-200mhz clock speed-, a VR 3d Graphics accelerator card and inbuilt online capability. It was capable of a superb port of the PC Space Shooter 'Starlancer', so I'm confident it has the power for a reasonable port of Oolite.

I'm sure it would be a great success. Brianetta mentioned the size of the DC's community. You are right there !

If anyone with the requisite skills took it on as a project, there would be plenty of freely given support and help.

The person/s would also recieve much love and become instant heroes, going down in Dreamcast folklore.

Sites to visit are numerous-just use google. Dcemulation, Dremcast.onlineconsoles, Dreamcastscene etc.

TGHC · Post by **TGHC** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:15 am

Why not direct some of them over here, if the community is that large, there should be enough wizards, with appropriate skill to start a port.

Playadcs · Post by **Playadcs** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 1:28 am

Well I've only just had the idea ! And I wanted to ask here first. You may have replied that it was an impossible and silly dream

I wouldn't want to embarass myself too much either.

I take your point though, and shall try to spread the Oolite message wherever I go. Hopefully some will decide to check out the site.

TGHC · Post by **TGHC** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:34 am

Playadcs wrote:
I take your point though, and shall try to spread the Oolite message wherever I go.

Are there subliminals in the missionaries oxp?

Playadcs · Post by **Playadcs** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 3:08 pm

TGHC wrote:
Playadcs wrote:
I take your point though, and shall try to spread the Oolite message wherever I go.
Are there subliminals in the missionaries oxp?

Yes

Well possibly, maybe, subliminally

Dr. Nil · Post by **Dr. Nil** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:18 pm

They work in mysterious ways - especially if they have succeeded in reaching anybody in the version with the corrupted script, that I only got corrected today.

Playadcs · Post by **Playadcs** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:02 pm

Said with missionary zeal

Monks - the original Hoodies.

Playadcs · Post by **Playadcs** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:13 pm

TGHC wrote:
Why not direct some of them over here, if the community is that large, there should be enough wizards, with appropriate skill to start a port.

I've talked to a stalwart of the DC scene and posted on a couple of forums. May take time to get the ball running, but here's hoping.

Thanks again for your input so far.