Homeworld source code download

Back in 2003 Relic decided to release the Homeworld source code to the gaming community (article). I’ve recently been doing some research into open source projects/free distributions for the Homeworld series and have found a few things of interest that I’d like to share (forgive me if I’m a few years late to the party).

Homeworld 1 Source Code  (http://homesource.nekomimicon.net/downloads/ ||https://github.com/aheadley/homeworld)
First of all the Homeworld 1 source code has been released, conditional of you accepting the Relic EULA. The Relic EULA agreement is bundled with the source extractor. Keep in mind you will have to build the source files in order to play the game, which requires a little bit a lot of know-how and the correct compilers. Also it appears that the DATA files (big, sound, video) are NOT included with the source code and must be pulled from your own Homeworld 1 installation or from the disc (bummer).

Homeworld 1 SDL  (http://www.homeworldsdl.org/)
Homeworld SDL is a (semi) open source project with the intent of enhancing Homeworld 1 source and allowing for cross platform compatibility. You (may) need a Relic Developer Network account to access the source code. To download the Homeworld SDL source you’ll have to request SVN access to their source code repo. Full steps of how to do this can be found on the project’s homepage. This project appears to be under continual development. You can view bug/feature activity via the bug tracker.

Homeworld 1 for Linux  (http://www.homesource.nekomimicon.net/)
Homesource hosts a Linux compatible binary for Homeworld 1. The project is built off of the Homeworld SDL project. Like the other project in this article, it still needs your DATA files copied over from the game disc. For full installation instructions see the project homepage.

Homeworld 1 for Mac  (http://www.machomeworld.com/hw.html)
The machomeworld project hosts their Mac OSX compatible Homeworld 1 binary. Like the other project in this article, it still needs your DATA files copied over from the game disc. For full installation instructions see the project homepage.

homeworld_1

Sources: link 1

Homeworld on Windows 7

Tested: ,

Homeworld is known to have a few issues with running on Windows 7 machines. There are a few simple steps you can follow to cover the majority of possible crashes/problems:

  1. Install patch 1.05. This will get your game up to date with the latest official version of the game and remove issues like jittery scout ships and a superscouts issue. This also installs all previous patches which have several video card related fixes and game balance changes. NOTE – installing this patch will require the CD to be inserted when playing the game.
    Download link 1 <- Sierra help
    Download link 2 <- Gamefront
  2. Install the latest video card drivers.
  3. Disable intro cinematics. Right click on the Homeworld shortcut on your desktop and select properties. In the target field add a space and then the following command line option:
    /disableAVI
    e.g. C:\Program Files\Sierra\Homeworld\homeworld.exe /disableAVI
  4. Run as administrator and with Windows NT compatibility. While still in the shortcut properties select the compatibility tab and run the program under Windows NT compatibility and select Run this program as administrator.
  5. (Optional) Install the no-cd patch. Relic released the source code for Homeworld, and no-cd patches for personal use are legal, so feel free to install a no-cd patch if desired. I don’t want to link to one directly, but a quick google search will come up with many results.

If you’re still having trouble see this links for more info: link 1, link 2. If nothing here helped you solve your problem please post it in the comments below, with as much detail as possible (system specs, how to reproduce the crash).

Homeworld windowed mode

Homeworld can run in windowed mode using the -window option:

  1. Right click on your Homeworld shortcut and select properties
  2. In the target field add a space then add:
    -window
    (example: C:\Program Files\Sierra\Homeworld\homeworld.exe -window).
  3. Click apply an start the game from the shortcut.

If you have an issues with running Homeworld in windowed mode, please post them in the comments below. The more information the better (especially the target field of your shortcut)!

Homeworld save file location

Homeworld save files are located within the installation directory. Single player saves will be in the following folder:
Homeworld/SavedGames/SinglePlayer
Note – different version of the game have different save files.

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