Difference between revisions of "HOWTO-Fangames"

The ScummVM development team is contacted fairly regularly by users asking about how to create games to run within ScummVM. This HOWTO is a response to this Frequently Asked Question and covers writing a game for engines supported by ScummVM.<br>

** Questions about authoring tools etc. are better directed to the associated author communities in the relevant forums listed below.

** It should be noted that other non-ScummVM supported systems for Point and Click game development exist, and the authoring tools for these may be easier to use and more suited to your game. These are listed below, with AGS being probably the most popular and supported system with tools and a large developer community.

* However, if fans of point and click games are motivated to create new games for ScummVM, this is something which we don't want to discourage.

** Note "new" in the above. Writing a game based on existing characters or story, a sequel or prequel to a supported game without permission from the rights holder can cause legal issues and should be avoided.<br> See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction#Legality Fan Fiction(Legality)] which has very similar issues.<br> The team may offer some advice if asked, but this should not be considered as binding legal opinion (We Are Not Lawyers).<br>

** Also, we highly discourage writing fangames for the SCUMM engine. As is indicated by the preceding fan-fiction link, LucasArts Legal have a history of pursuing any unauthorised use of their characters, stories etc. by fans.

** Especially, reusing any significant amount of artwork, animation, sound or music extracted (even with modifications) from a existing game (without permission from the rights holder) is especially likely to cause issues. This should be noted as it applies to most of the (fan)games which have been released as freeware, unless their README/LICENSE states otherwise (Public Domain, derivative works allowed etc.).

Creating a game is closer to writing than programming, though both skills are required. For a good game, the characters, story and dialogue should come first. It is suggested to write the game in a text adventure system such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inform Inform (Z Machine, Glulx)] as a prototype, '''before''' you commit to drawing artwork and creating game scripts for the graphical point and click version. Since point and click interfaces are basically implicit "Verb-Noun" interface i.e. (Open) (Door), this