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Difference between revisions of "SCUMM"
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== What is SCUMM? == | == What is SCUMM? == | ||
'''SCUMM''' stands for "Script Creation Utility for ''Maniac Mansion'' | '''SCUMM''' stands for "Script Creation Utility for ''Maniac Mansion''". It is a utility used to create the famous [[LucasArts]] adventure games like the [[Monkey Island series]]. | ||
The SCUMM language is a [[LucasArts]] in-house standard, but was also used by [[HE Games List | numerous]] [[Humongous Entertainment]] games. The format was never designed to be public and so would change unpredictably from game to game to suit the task at hand. Therefore, many different [[SCUMM Versions]] exist today. | The SCUMM language is a [[LucasArts]] in-house standard, but was also used by [[HE Games List | numerous]] [[Humongous Entertainment]] games. The format was never designed to be public and so would change unpredictably from game to game to suit the task at hand. Therefore, many different [[SCUMM Versions]] exist today. | ||
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The way the SCUMM engine works is that there is a single executable program, called the interpreter, that operates on some data files. The data files contain images, dialogue, details of object behaviour, and so on. The interpreter then brings all this to life and handles the details of drawing it all, animating the characters, processing user input, and all the other details that a graphic adventure game needs dealt with in order to work properly. Because the data files contain no executable code, it turns out to be trivial to port the game to a new platform: just port the interpreter, and use the same data files. You will get exactly the same game on the new system. | The way the SCUMM engine works is that there is a single executable program, called the interpreter, that operates on some data files. The data files contain images, dialogue, details of object behaviour, and so on. The interpreter then brings all this to life and handles the details of drawing it all, animating the characters, processing user input, and all the other details that a graphic adventure game needs dealt with in order to work properly. Because the data files contain no executable code, it turns out to be trivial to port the game to a new platform: just port the interpreter, and use the same data files. You will get exactly the same game on the new system. | ||
A lesson many people have learnt. Infocom, creators of possibly the finest text adventure games of all time, did a very similar trick with their Z-machine; you can now get Z-machine interpreters for everything from a Cray Supercomputer to a Game Boy, all of which will play Infocom's games, encoded in the data files. See Brass | A lesson many people have learnt. Infocom, creators of possibly the finest text adventure games of all time, did a very similar trick with their Z-machine; you can now get Z-machine interpreters for everything from a Cray Supercomputer to a Game Boy, all of which will play Infocom's games, encoded in the data files. See [http://www.brasslantern.org/ Brass Lantern] for more information. | ||