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Difference between revisions of "About"
updating with comment about RPG support and a link to the new bug tracker
(→What are the "stable" and "unstable" (SVN) versions of ScummVM?: Remove mention of SVN.) |
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{{Languages}} | {{Languages}} | ||
== Brief description == | == Brief description == | ||
ScummVM is a program which allows you to run certain classic graphical point-and-click adventure games, provided you already have their data files. The clever part about this: ScummVM just replaces the executables shipped with the games, allowing you to play them on systems for which they were never designed! | ScummVM is a program which allows you to run certain classic graphical point-and-click adventure and role-playing games, provided you already have their data files. The clever part about this: ScummVM just replaces the executables shipped with the games, allowing you to play them on systems for which they were never designed! | ||
For more information about the makers, you may read the [[ScummVM History]] or the [[Developers Bios]]. | For more information about the makers, you may read the [[ScummVM History]] or the [[Developers Bios]]. | ||
== A more thorough description == | == A more thorough description == | ||
=== The inner workings of adventure games === | === The inner workings of adventure and role-playing games === | ||
Almost all adventure games share some common features. The most basic ones are the resources used, which are in the game's data files: | Almost all adventure and role-playing games share some common features. The most basic ones are the resources used, which are in the game's data files: | ||
* Graphics | * Graphics | ||
** Actors (the sprites in the game) | ** Actors (the sprites in the game) | ||
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...and many more. | ...and many more. | ||
The approach that is taken when implementing a game under ScummVM has some disadvantages: | The approach that is taken when implementing a game under ScummVM has some disadvantages: | ||
* Because the engine of each game in ScummVM has been rewritten from scratch, some bugs which were not present with the original game interpreter might exist in ScummVM. For this purpose, there is a bug tracker in ScummVM, where users report such findings to the ScummVM team, which are then usually fixed. Such issues surely exist, as it's impossible to check every single aspect of each game, and a full rewrite of the game engine means that there might be issues which the developer didn't find out originally. | * Because the engine of each game in ScummVM has been rewritten from scratch, some bugs which were not present with the original game interpreter might exist in ScummVM. For this purpose, there is a [http://bugs.scummvm.org/ bug tracker] in ScummVM, where users report such findings to the ScummVM team, which are then usually fixed. Such issues surely exist, as it's impossible to check every single aspect of each game, and a full rewrite of the game engine means that there might be issues which the developer didn't find out originally. | ||
...and perhaps more. | ...and perhaps more. | ||