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==Status== | ==Status== | ||
This engine is mostly complete, with some exceptions for certain exotic game variants (for NES, FM-TOWNS, etc.), as well as some [[Humongous Entertainment]] games. See the [[SCUMM/TODO|SCUMM TODO]] as well as our [ | This engine is mostly complete, with some exceptions for certain exotic game variants (for NES, FM-TOWNS, etc.), as well as some [[Humongous Entertainment]] games. See the [[SCUMM/TODO|SCUMM TODO]] as well as our [https://scummvm.org/compatibility/ Compatibility page] for details. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
SCUMM was initially created in 1987 by Aric Wilmunder and [ | SCUMM was initially created in 1987 by Aric Wilmunder and [https://grumpygamer.com/ Ron Gilbert] for the game [[Maniac Mansion]] and was used later, with some modifications, for [[Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders]]. | ||
Aric Wilmunder and Ron Gilbert's original SCUMM has been expanded a bit since 1988, of course. Every time a game required some feature that SCUMM had not previously supported, the interpreter was extended and the data file format expanded. The whole system was redesigned from scratch twice. With [[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]], LucasArts developed a modular file format based loosely on the standard IFF format. This was used several times in various forms until [[The Secret of Monkey Island]], where the SCUMM engine and file format was redesigned again from scratch. The new format was used from then on, and even now that LucasArts has finally retired SCUMM for their latest games, the interpreter/data file philosophy is still in use and you can see SCUMM design decisions in the data files of the later LucasArts games such as [[Grim Fandango]]. | Aric Wilmunder and Ron Gilbert's original SCUMM has been expanded a bit since 1988, of course. Every time a game required some feature that SCUMM had not previously supported, the interpreter was extended and the data file format expanded. The whole system was redesigned from scratch twice. With [[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]], LucasArts developed a modular file format based loosely on the standard IFF format. This was used several times in various forms until [[The Secret of Monkey Island]], where the SCUMM engine and file format was redesigned again from scratch. The new format was used from then on, and even now that LucasArts has finally retired SCUMM for their latest games, the interpreter/data file philosophy is still in use and you can see SCUMM design decisions in the data files of the later LucasArts games such as [[Grim Fandango]]. | ||
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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 behavior, 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 behavior, 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 learned. 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 [ | A lesson many people have learned. 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 [https://brasslantern.org/ Brass Lantern] for more information. | ||
===Subsystems of SCUMM=== | ===Subsystems of SCUMM=== | ||
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[[Humongous Entertainment/Games|Numerous]] [[Humongous Entertainment]] games and [[SCUMM/Fan Games|SCUMM Fan Games]]: Fan created games using the SCUMM engine. | [[Humongous Entertainment/Games|Numerous]] [[Humongous Entertainment]] games and [[SCUMM/Fan Games|SCUMM Fan Games]]: Fan created games using the SCUMM engine. | ||
[http://sqeagz.com/passigar | [https://web.archive.org/web/20101020053143/http://www.sqeagz.com/passigar PASSIGAR] also has a very good list of almost all known LucasArts game versions. | ||
==Resources== | ==Resources== | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* [ | * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCUMM Wikipedia on SCUMM] | ||
[[Category:Engines]] | [[Category:Engines]] | ||