PSP performance

Hi,

ive tried to load more than 2 low poly (600 faces) models on a really simple map (4 walls) using place_model,
but the third model crashes the game. Thats a lil bit confusing, because the 2 models run really smooth, without lags.

ive got a 64mb ram psp. the same result using Kurok and Proquake. thats really sad, because the models are very low poly.
is there a solution for this problem?

With any luck, the next version of ProQuake PSP will hopefully, when running out of memory, always crash with an error message and enough memory info to see what is going on with.

Other than that, no. With a PSP you need to set very modest goals. Modding on the PSP, the limits own you. You do not own the limits. This means less textures, less models, smaller maps and carefully work within the bounds of what it can do.

Which is why developing for the PC should be the way to go

Hi,

ive tried to load more than 2 low poly (600 faces) models on a really simple map (4 walls) using place_model,
but the third model crashes the game. Thats a lil bit confusing, because the 2 models run really smooth, without lags.

ive got a 64mb ram psp. the same result using Kurok and Proquake. thats really sad, because the models are very low poly.
is there a solution for this problem?

When talking about Quake (specially in low end platforms like the PSP), 600 tris are not low poly. I remember Carmack stating something in the lines of "keep below 300 tris and you shouldn't have problems".

Hi,

ive tried to load more than 2 low poly (600 faces) models on a really simple map (4 walls) using place_model,
but the third model crashes the game. Thats a lil bit confusing, because the 2 models run really smooth, without lags.

ive got a 64mb ram psp. the same result using Kurok and Proquake. thats really sad, because the models are very low poly.
is there a solution for this problem?

When talking about Quake (specially in low end platforms like the PSP), 600 tris are not low poly. I remember Carmack stating something in the lines of "keep below 300 tris and you shouldn't have problems".

Modding on the PSP is really unfair. Small mistakes really can deal devastating blows.

With Kurok, MDave cheated in every way imaginable to achieve a fantastic result. MDave actively knew the limits, understood them and he was careful as hell.

* The console background, for instance, eats a rather nice block of memory so he rewrote the engine code to "block paint" a small graphic over and over.
* He had the engine resample bsp textures to quarter size.
* He had the engine purge all the map textures between maps.
* He certainly understood the implications of model sizes, the sizes of sound files.
* He minimized the use of HUD graphics to save memory.

In a lot of ways, the PSP platform is a trap except to a very creative and determined team (emphasis on team ... collective group information gathering like what Solitude did guarantees some preparedness against these limits). There are tons of obstacles and pitfalls everywhere.

* They aren't documented.
* You don't "sense" them using something like Kurok.

It just isn't a fair platform for most starting modders because they are in for deep and undocumented trouble and aren't aware of it. It is hard enough to work inside a small box if you understand the limits. If someone does not know the limits or have a fair amount of understanding of the platform, it can be a gauntlet of infuriating pain. And the engine usually just does a hard crash with no data as to what happened (a very serious flaw that the engine does not detect and catch these situations).

You can save quite a chunk of memory also by only having Quake precache what's only used in the level only. The default progs106 source will
precache a bunch of unneeded sounds/models that aren't actively used all the time, when I wrote Codename: Envenom I was sure to not
make a huge precache list and keep it to ONLY what was absolutely needed. I had 1k+ polygon characters running around smoothly on Dreamcast,
I'm sure PSP can do it.

Reading this, I have to say why someone would want to make a game on this platform is beyond me.

Reading this, I have to say why someone would want to make a game on this platform is beyond me.

2 b c00l @ school


By the time a psp quake dev graduates/drops out (more likely), the project will always die.

i think since it does have such limitations its just a platform to work on for a nice challenge. im actually excited to see how well the vita will handle quake if a port is ever made.

im actually excited to see how well the vita will handle quake if a port is ever made.

I personally wonder whether or not portable "gaming-only" devices stand a chance in market increasingly dominated by phones.

Plus Sony probably tries to execute too much control over the platform (they have to approve game concepts, high barrier to becoming a developer).

Given how text messaging and calling friends is important to teenagers, I'm thinking the market for non-phone gaming devices is going to collapse. If this isn't happening now.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/is-han ... d-6350367/

i agree, which is stupid in my opinion... i personally hate my age group and how things have changed for us. i prefer how things were when i was younger when gaming and games were far more simple. everything and everyone always have to go overboard and do stupid things like mixing two things together like a phone and a gaming device.. i cant play my game if im busy talking to you on the phone. but i also personally hate phones and most people... so my opinion is probably invalid...

Teenagers are the main market for shooter games? I'm not sure.

and then there's the more seriously questionable counterfeit productions not done by teenagers

In an ideal world the PSP would be a great platform for Quake. The original engine's requirements fit nicely inside it's specs, and the idea of Quake-on-the-move has enormous appeal.

I agree with Baker that dedicated mobile gaming platforms are at the tail end of their lifespan though. It's a market that's dying as the whole mobile arena converges around single multi-purpose devices, and by the time you release anything it'll be even more dead. 3 or 4 years ago a PSP Quake would have been a killer app; today you should probably junk the idea and switch to one of the main phone-tech vendors instead.

Two things might change this.

Sony aren't dumb; you can bet that they have a longer-term strategy here, and that this strategy will likely involve a move into the iPhone-alike market at some point in time. They already do standard phones, it's a natural move for them. Another big player in this market with a lot of customer mind-share and brand-loyalty would ironically also play nicely for Apple, as I can see the spectre of anti-trust looming over them at some point in the future.

Phone devices currently lack a decent controller setup. Touch-screen is fine for certain kinds of games, and id have proven that it can work (within limits) for an FPS, but the real hardcore players won't like it and it limits game complexity. A breakthrough is needed here; I don't doubt that it will happen but timing is crucial.

As for why people mod for PSP Quake, I can't talk for others, but I used to enjoy getting mods (my own and others') working on Dreamcast, working round the hardware limitations was both a challenge and a good learning curve for pc quake modding.