Alien vs Predator Port

[crow_riot]

from a quick glance at the GL implementation, it's not very efficient.

usually you create buffer objects (VBO) of static geometry which then resides in video memory and just call draw with a pointer to that object(s). then the vertex data is not copied over every frame, which currently happens.

so there's a lot of room for optimizations in that way.

 

[Rockthesmurf]

Is this port using PVRTC compressed textures? Could be something worth trying.

You would need to extract every image file and convert it on a PCIm using it for hurrican and it helped with memory size, i couldnt tell if it helped with speed.

Supposedly you get a two fold win for PVR compressed textures on a lot of hardware (haven't confirmed if this is the case on Pandora) but first of all you get the reduction in data being transferred around, but secondly (and potentially more importantly) the texture cache contains compressed data, meaning you get a lot more data available in the cache, which makes texture accesses a lot faster (for typical texture reads).
I have never been able to make any use of PVR textures though, as I typically do 2D games, and PVR texture compression is pretty poor for 2D games, and pretty much not acceptable for anything with alpha blending.

 

[Rockthesmurf]

from a quick glance at the GL implementation, it's not very efficient.

usually you create buffer objects (VBO) of static geometry which then resides in video memory and just call draw with a pointer to that object(s). then the vertex data is not copied over every frame, which currently happens.

so there's a lot of room for optimizations in that way.

Interestingly, when I have profiled (other projects, other similar platforms) I have found that not using VBOs results in more of a hit on the CPU than GPU as the GL calls end up essentially blocking while data is memcpy's into 'GPU' memory. I don't know if this is the case here or not, but I just about always find I am fill rate bound on hardware of this nature.

 

[Rockthesmurf]

I just a significant rewrite on eglport, while is mostly the same functionality what might be of use to this project is the addition of a config file. This config file can change settings that will be read at runtime. Important ones such as render mode (RAW or SDL), FSAA, VSYNC.

Do you feel the latest EGLPort could offer additional performance for AVP? If so it would create a bigger reason to give your latest version another try.

Finally, I have been pushing PVRTrace along and have managed to grab a frame from device whilst on the loading screen, but haven't managed to get one from in game yet, which is my next target (it is not clear yet whether PVRTrace will give helpful results anyway, but there we go).

 

[Pickle]

Do you feel the latest EGLPort could offer additional performance for AVP? If so it would create a bigger reason to give your latest version another try.

It looked like I may have a few more frames in the quake timedemo with rendering direct to the framebuffer. But if you are already doing that then there probably isnt anything new or improved.

 

[Rockthesmurf]

I got PVRTrace to play ball on Pandora, you can find a trace here in the Predator level. Only had time to look at it for 30 seconds, but there are noticeable 'issues' not sure what affect on performance any of them will have mind.

http://www.tempfiles.net/download/201303/288506/trace-2226.html

Trace can be open in the desktop application on PC (and presumably Linux too) although it was taken on Pandora.

 

[BAFelton]

Has anyone tried multiplayer ? It should work.

I tried with my PC version but there's no multiplayer option on it.

 

[Rockthesmurf]

Has anyone tried multiplayer ? It should work.

I tried with my PC version but there's no multiplayer option on it.

I tried Windows PC -> Pandora and Pandora -> Windows PC but in both cases no games showed up. I was running a PC version from the same code base (the avpmp fork) not sure if I should expect that to work or not maybe Pandora to Pandora will be more successful.

 

[MarioPandio]

Missed the release of this and just wanted to say thanks for all the hard work you put in on bringing this to pandora. Plays brilliantly.

Hope this isnt to dumb a question but I am wondering if the soundtrack should be playing or is possible to add?

I used the GOLD version files to get it working but have the old original disks to hand aswell and have also grabbed MP3 versions of the tracks, which are named differently upon the original discs.

The CD Tracks.txt file in the appdata folder is the same in both versions and the original release required the second CD with the music to be in the CD drive whilst playing, for it to be accessed and played.  Is there any way your port can make use of the music files and if so, what folder should I put them in and what should I call the folder?

Hope thats not a painful request and I hope you got sorted for your Headphones issue this morning in London.  Had the same trouble on a train trip recently! 

MP

 

[ingoreis]

Work that with the Demo too?

 

[BAFelton]

I wonder if the controls could be improved by using the same than Jedi Knight ? Left Nub for the movements and right one for the camera.

 

[Monkfish]

hi i recently updated my 1GHz with the Notaz's beta SGX drivers 4.03.00.02 in an effort to fix the rendering glitches i experienced with AvP. However since doing this i can launch the AvP pnd and access the game menu but as soon as i try to start a game or load a game i get a segfault, heres the pnd out file:

any help or advice would be welcomed in solving this

pndrun_com.pawprintgames.avp.txt

 

[android927]

game wont start on my 1ghz. i've tried a few different sgx drivers, but i cant even get to the main menu with any of them.

game wont start on my 1ghz. i've tried a few different sgx drivers, but i cant even get to the main menu with any of them.

i'm using the files from the steam version, btw.

 

[PowerGod]

I didn't read the whole thread because I don't plan to play it with the Pandora, at least not without a proper mouse/keyboard/TV-OUT configuration, but I put here my experience with the GOG version:

- The game just works, and seems fast, didn't see slowdowns... I only played the first level of each race anyway, and just die there every time...

- The cinematic on the monitors in the levels doesn't play, instead there is a static image. I don't know if it's normal for the actual state of the engine or depends on the GOG version... The others cinematic at the start of the campaigns are playing great.

- The keys are mapped in a very strange way, I'm just not able to play with that configuration, I had to change it almost completely

 

[ZXDunny]

The monitors play out story slices for the Marine levels - if they're present and in the right path. There were different sets of videos for different releases of the game; I prefer the original videos as the later versions were hilariously badly acted. IIRC, the monitors just show static in the Alien and Predator levels.

If you think these are tough, try playing the new Alien: Isolation game - it's frankly terrifying[1] and hard as nails!

D.

[1] Seriously, it is. I've not been this scared by something on a screen since I was about 8.

 

[PowerGod]

The monitors play out story slices for the Marine levels... the monitors just show static in the Alien and Predator levels.

The monitors play something in EVERY campaign, for example:

- Predator first level, when entering the human base the monitor turn on with a Marine telling that no one is responding

- Alien first level, a monitor turns on with a marine telling to protect the security system

Anyway on the Pandora them doesn't play even in the Marine campaign...

I actually finished the game in every way possible until the 2002, I first played the original version and then the Gold, and unlocked every possible funny extras at the time... I was like on drugs...

I still have a folder with just EVERYTHING I collected at the time related to the game, like cinematics not present in the game because them where too bloody...

Now seems like I don't have anymore the skills (or maybe the will) to "live it" like years ago... I'm just playing it again because I like how it was made, and I think it is still the best AVP game ever made (if you don't mind about some Alien glitch here and there).

AVP 2 had a very cool story, but I never liked the cartoonish graphic... it prevented me to feel like when playing the first one.

I had a look at Alien: isolation, but somehow I'm not scared anymore so I just can't play it like I should... it's something that's happening in every game i play by now... seems like my inner me by now has learned that I can't die with a game, and just keeps telling it to my outer me, ruining everything...