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remove the reference to point-and-click graphical because that's no longer a requirement for supported engines
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{{Languages}} | {{Languages}} | ||
== Brief description == | == Brief description == | ||
ScummVM is a program which allows you to run certain classic | ScummVM is a program which allows you to run certain classic 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]]. | ||
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** Voices | ** Voices | ||
Apart from the resources themselves, almost all games have their own scripting language. This simplifies things in the whole development process, as it's then easier to assign tasks to specific people. Programmers deal with the code itself, game designers deal with writing scripts using the language that the game interpreter understands, graphics designers deal with the artistic part of the game, music composers with the audio and so on. Although the basic elements of each game are standard, each game implements them in a very different manner. The most important aspect of role-playing and adventure games is the way they work "behind the scenes", which includes the kind of logic used and how this is implemented in each game, the kind of interaction expected from the user (e.g. some games allow you to use verbs on objects like "use object 1 with object 2", whereas other games just allow the user to single click on objects). The resources themselves are not useful at all without the game logic, which is the most difficult part to implement in a game. In fact, there are many resource viewers which can be used to view resources from a large number of different games, but they don't deal with the logic behind those resources at all. A brief introduction to how logic works in each game is explained in the next part. | Apart from the resources themselves, almost all games have their own scripting language. This simplifies things in the whole development process, as it's then easier to assign tasks to specific people. Programmers deal with the code itself, game designers deal with writing scripts using the language that the game interpreter understands, graphics designers deal with the artistic part of the game, music composers with the audio, and so on. Although the basic elements of each game are standard, each game implements them in a very different manner. The most important aspect of role-playing and adventure games is the way they work "behind the scenes", which includes the kind of logic used and how this is implemented in each game, the kind of interaction expected from the user (e.g. some games allow you to use verbs on objects like "use object 1 with object 2", whereas other games just allow the user to single click on objects). The resources themselves are not useful at all without the game logic, which is the most difficult part to implement in a game. In fact, there are many resource viewers which can be used to view resources from a large number of different games, but they don't deal with the logic behind those resources at all. A brief introduction to how logic works in each game is explained in the next part. | ||
=== The scripting language of a game === | === The scripting language of a game === | ||
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=== Where does ScummVM fit in? === | === Where does ScummVM fit in? === | ||
ScummVM is a project in which there is an attempt to rewrite the original executable file of a given game, based on the game's original source code or by using reverse engineering techniques to see the code that's contained in the game's executable and rewrite it in C++. This means that ScummVM's executable can be used to replace the game's original one, but of course the game's data files (graphics, audio, game scripts etc) are needed to play the game itself. Therefore, ScummVM is NOT an emulator of a specific operating system, as, for example, DOSBox is for DOS. ScummVM is actually a full rewrite of each game's engine, which has many advantages: | ScummVM is a project in which there is an attempt to rewrite the original executable file of a given game, based on the game's original source code or by using reverse engineering techniques to see the code that's contained in the game's executable and rewrite it in C++. This means that ScummVM's executable can be used to replace the game's original one, but of course, the game's data files (graphics, audio, game scripts, etc) are needed to play the game itself. Therefore, ScummVM is NOT an emulator of a specific operating system, as, for example, DOSBox is for DOS. ScummVM is actually a full rewrite of each game's engine, which has many advantages: | ||
* The game can run on many different platforms, thanks to ScummVM's portable platform backend | * The game can run on many different platforms, thanks to ScummVM's portable platform backend | ||
* Game graphics can be improved with the use of several graphics filters (including super2xsai, supereagle, advmame2x, advmame3x, hq2x, hq3x and more) | * Game graphics can be improved with the use of several graphics filters (including super2xsai, supereagle, advmame2x, advmame3x, hq2x, hq3x and more) | ||
* Some bugs which existed in the original game's executable (or specific scripts) may be fixed | * Some bugs which existed in the original game's executable (or specific scripts) may be fixed | ||
* It's possible to re-encode the game's audio files into popular formats, such as MP3, OGG or FLAC so that the game itself takes up much less space | * It's possible to re-encode the game's audio files into popular formats, such as MP3, OGG or FLAC so that the game itself takes up much less space | ||
* LucasArts games have a much improved menu and savegame system | * LucasArts games have a much-improved menu and savegame system | ||
* Most game engines allow the player to save much more save games than the original interpreters did | * Most game engines allow the player to save much more save games than the original interpreters did | ||
* In some games, ScummVM offers added functionality | * In some games, ScummVM offers added functionality that did not exist in the original games. For example, it offers full mouse functionality in older Sierra AGI games, which had no mouse support | ||
* It's possible to listen to a supported game's MT-32 music score (if present) without an actual MT-32, via a sophisticated system which emulates it | * It's possible to listen to a supported game's MT-32 music score (if present) without an actual MT-32, via a sophisticated system which emulates it | ||
* ScummVM needs much less CPU and system resources than an emulator, as games run directly in ScummVM and not through an emulated platform (which might have a different CPU, different memory management and so on) | * ScummVM needs much less CPU and system resources than an emulator, as games run directly in ScummVM and not through an emulated platform (which might have a different CPU, different memory management and so on) | ||
...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 [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 | * 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 that the developer didn't find out originally. | ||
...and perhaps more. | ...and perhaps more. | ||
== Supported games == | == Supported games == | ||
In order to see which games are supported in ScummVM, you can check our [http://www.scummvm.org/compatibility.php compatibility page]. The game engines that ScummVM includes at the moment can be found in our [[Engines|game engines]] page, and the status of each game can be found | In order to see which games are supported in ScummVM, you can check our [http://www.scummvm.org/compatibility.php compatibility page]. The game engines that ScummVM includes at the moment can be found in our [[Engines|game engines]] page, and the status of each game can be found on its individual page. | ||
== Which platforms does ScummVM run on? == | == Which platforms does ScummVM run on? == | ||
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The stable version of ScummVM has been checked for bugs, and people have completed almost all of the games that ScummVM supports using it. | The stable version of ScummVM has been checked for bugs, and people have completed almost all of the games that ScummVM supports using it. | ||
The unstable version of ScummVM includes improved functionality, however when new features are added or existing bugs are fixed, other bugs or crashes may appear, which were not present in the stable version. However, we do of course still try to make the unstable version as stable as possible. | The unstable version of ScummVM includes improved functionality, however, when new features are added or existing bugs are fixed, other bugs or crashes may appear, which were not present in the stable version. However, we do of course still try to make the unstable version as stable as possible. | ||
== Further reading == | == Further reading == | ||
That was a short introduction of ScummVM, we hope that we've answered most of your questions. You may now refer to the pages in this wiki for more information, our [http://www.scummvm.org/faq.php FAQ] and our [http://www.scummvm.org/documentation.php documentation page], especially the [https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm/blob/v{{StableVersion}}/README.md README] file. | That was a short introduction of ScummVM, we hope that we've answered most of your questions. You may now refer to the pages in this wiki for more information, our [http://www.scummvm.org/faq.php FAQ], and our [http://www.scummvm.org/documentation.php documentation page], especially the [https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm/blob/v{{StableVersion}}/README.md README] file. | ||