Wing Commander Source Code

To be honest I don't understand why Geerbox needs the source code to remake Catalyst. It doesn't look like they used any Homeworld 1 source code or assets in the Homeworld 1 remake. It all looks like from scratch in their modified Homeworld 2 engine. Unless it's not the source code they need but the assets, for models. I read that they stated it is possible for them to hack the original executable to make it playable on modern systems.
 
Maybe for balancing stuff? So that the feel is identical to te old game
 
Quite simply they need the sourcecode to Cataclysm. I've actually been taking a look into the Cataclysm situation in the last few weeks. The problem is the missions used a scripting language called KAS. They also had .C sourcecode files built into the original homeworld engine. Anyone with a copy of the homeworld sourcecode (it was released a few years back) can see this. So Homeworld 1 was easy to remake. They could reference the mission variables from the sourcecode and port those settings into LUA to get an accurate remake of Homeworld. Cataclysm is a totally different beast. I am looking into porting Cataclysm back into Homeworld 1. It is a gigantic project, one I probably won't finish or make any serious progress with. Would require reimplementing crystals, removing fuel, creating the fusion cannon effect, adding warp points, and the beast takeover effect. And those all require source code changes. That's before we even get to the hard stuff like mission scripting.

Now with the WC games things get harder again, reverse engineering is hard enough with documented source code like my HW1 case, imagine no documentation at all. Working completely blind and that's what you're getting with WC1/2 The best guy to speak with about WC1 reverse engineering is Mario HCL Brito. the man is a god. The stuff he does maybe 1 other Wing Commander community vet even knows howto do. Most seasoned programmers don't understand reverse engineering on that level. I think the best bet for Wing Commander 3/4/Armada fans is to help the strike commander remake guy. He's basically reverse engineering the RealSpace engine which should be simple enough to adapt to Wing Commander 3/4/Armada when he's finished.
 
Well here is the thing, they didn't remake the homeworld 1 engine. They remade the Homeworld 2 engine and rebuilt Homeworld 1 from scratch into it. So all aspects of the Homewolrd 1 code is moot. It's a completly different paradigm. Same thing with Cataclysm. I have no doubt it's a huge, gargantuine project, but then so was remaking HW1. Maybe they will if Remastered sells well.

I guess what it comes down to , I don't understand how any scripts and knowing any variables in Cata has any barring on HW2 which most likely has it's own systems and way of doing things.
 
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They didn't rebuild the homeworld 1 sourcecode, but they did have access to it to read it. All they did was read the ship stats/mission variables and ported them into the homeworld 2 engine. With Cataclysm they don't have access to any of that information. That's why they won't remake cataclysm. The rumor is that the Cata source is available from one of the old devs.
 
Bandit LOAF said:
In the five years since this thread was started, the Wing Commander I source *HAS* been located :)
Click to expand...

Are there any details that can be shared such as what version and if it's from a final shipped build?
I'd be curious to know how much of the source of a game that old is pure assembly code.
 
I have an old 1992 interview in which Chris Roberts explained that most of the codebase was in C++, but key routines associated with the flight engine was in Assembly.
 
Mods, please feel free to move this post just in case this is the wrong spot. No intent to hijack this thread.

Despite all the great disassembling work that's been done already, there's still some tiny bits missing from WC1, eg:
  • one or two pilot parameters in the savegames
  • 5 or 6 mission ship point variables in the MODULE files
Is there maybe the slightest chance that someone with access to the source would be allowed to just extract those few bits of information?

Just asking, don't ban me (and I only ask because we're really so close )...
 
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GunnyWPI1999 said:
I have an old 1992 interview in which Chris Roberts explained that most of the codebase was in C++, but key routines associated with the flight engine was in Assembly.
Click to expand...

That's good news, EA could do something with it if ever they had the inclination. A decent XBLA Duke Nukem style port or something.
 
delMar said:
Mods, please feel free to move this post just in case this is the wrong spot. No intent to hijack this thread.

Despite all the great disassembling work that's been done already, there's still some tiny bits missing from WC1, eg:
  • one or two pilot parameters in the savegames
  • 5 or 6 mission ship point variables in the MODULE files
Is there maybe the slightest chance that someone with access to the source would be allowed to just extract those few bits of information?

Just asking, don't ban me (and I only ask because we're really so close )...
Click to expand...

Hit me up on Skype and I'll see if I can help figure it out! Username banditloaf.
 
I was thinking here, now that someone is managing to Rebuild Daggerfall and updating it with Unity Engine, thus the Incredible Work that Kaiser did with Powerslave, Strife and now Turok

it is possible now to Port or even recreate WC1, Privateer and 2 nowdays? seeing how DFworkshop is doing with Daggerfall, How WC1,2 and Privateer could work with Unity or even UE4? mainly now that we have the SRC's for both 3?

Maybe even a "Zdoom, Darkplaces or EDuke32" of the Kilrathi Saga.
 
The sources exist, but they're not available to the general public. The source code is the property of Electronic Arts. The fact that much of it was recovered is fantastic, but that doesn't mean that the rest of us get to look at it. (It would certainly make my endeavors much easier...)
 
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