Chris_Tolworthy wrote:Does this mean that, if I found the script format for a supported game, and wrote a new game that only used those existing commands, then the new game would automatically work in existing versions of ScummVM?
Well, the scripts are just one part of course, along with graphics, sound, etc., but in theory that would work. It's what happened with Infocom's Z-machine and Sierra On-Line's AGI.
In reality, some engines may not be suitable for that. For instance, the Kyrandia engine has some script opcodes which are very closely tied to that game. And you'd probably have to add some code to make the engine recognize the game as one it can play.
Thanks for the ideas. I have a dream (it will never happen) of new games created in the original Lucas/Sierra style, with the original tiny file sizes. They would be fairly quick to create (no need for ground breaking cgi, and tools for this fixed format could be endlessly refined). Every electronic device of any type (thanks to ScummVM) could have a hundred of these games with very little memory footprint: a virtual universe of adventures that anyone can dip into, any time, anywhere. But Like I said, it will never happen.
sev wrote:I.e. in case somebody would add such creation tool, what would be difference between AGS or, say, tuxracer, Nexuiz or FreeCIV which all are free?
Adventures can do things that racing and fighting games cannot.
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"I.e. in case somebody would add such creation tool, what would be difference between AGS or, say, tuxracer, Nexuiz or FreeCIV which all are free?"
Let's say I may find some sponsors to collect some money to finance these tools that may give an opportunity to play new adventures on several platforms (I have so many friends that use DS, PSP, PS, PC.. that would be please to play an adventure created by a frirend) as many other folks.
rivadolmo wrote:Let's say I may find some sponsors to collect some money to finance these tools that may give an opportunity to play new adventures on several platforms (I have so many friends that use DS, PSP, PS, PC.. that would be please to play an adventure created by a frirend) as many other folks.
So how much could cost such tools?
Depends on the programmers you'd need to find for such a project...
Great tools do not ensure great (or even good) games.
Making good games is terribly hard. A good story, well-written dialogs, good graphics, those require talent and time. No computer tool, no matter how could it is, can ever replace those.
Sadly, many fan-made adventure projects seem to completely ignore that. The result usually shows -- very few ever get polished enough to get at least somewhat close the genious of some of those classics by LucasArts, Sierra and others.
My point here: The biggest problem with your dream is not a lack of tools, it's a lack of talented people doing the *hard* work require .
fingolfin wrote:Great tools do not ensure great (or even good) games.
Making good games is terribly hard. A good story, well-written dialogs, good graphics, those require talent and time. No computer tool, no matter how could it is, can ever replace those.
Sadly, many fan-made adventure projects seem to completely ignore that. The result usually shows -- very few ever get polished enough to get at least somewhat close the genious of some of those classics by LucasArts, Sierra and others.
My point here: The biggest problem with your dream is not a lack of tools, it's a lack of talented people doing the *hard* work require .
Make a deal ! I'll get the creative crew and you'll get the technical !
Are you in?
fingolfin wrote:Great tools do not ensure great (or even good) games.
Indeed. I think the easier it gets to make games, the more bad games there'll be. Sort of like how blogging changed journalism
There's a difference between no tools and raw tools
Every professional developper built usefull tool to reduce time of implenting ideas and increase time to develop ideas...Frederick Raynal told me that during the creation of Alone in The Dark 1 (I was in charge of the italian version)
In case anyone is interested, the OpenSludge engine has now finally been ported to the Mac by Trumgottist. The engine runs on OpenGL now, is hence both open source an cross-platform, has a free editor/studio (albeit not yet fully ported) AND even has finished games, as well as a small community cooking up new ones. The OpenGL Mac code has been uploaded to the SourceForge repository:
Maybe this could become a playground for all those people who hang around the ScummVM forums, but would actually prefer to enable new games rather than support the classics. There's now a viable alternative to relaunching the old fruitless discussion about a technically and legally questionable SCUMM studio every other month.
If any of you'd like to help porting the OpenSludge development kit, or getting the engine to run on Linux, join the adventuredevelopers forum:
It's nice to see something new on the Sludge scene. Still, I think most adventure game makers will stick to AGS. After all, it's been around for quite a while and it's certainly loved by small development studios. Al Emmo, the Blackwell series or Super Jazz Man. Good stuff. Sludge never got the same amount of quality games as AGS did. Or are there some titles I'm not aware of?
I realise this is quite an old thread but... I found this whole thing so funny I had to comment - even if it fell on deaf ears...
This Chris_Tolworthy... all his talk of 'rocking the boat'. What planet is this gentleman living on? I mean his original post sounded like some businessman making a serious proposal or a salesman trying to sell his client's product.
And his priceless comment: 'Keep up the good work! Most people like me just talk about it. But you're actually doing it.' Chris_Tolworthy - again, from which planet do you hail? He's working on AGI! Come on man! We're not talking about never-before-seen innovation in interactive software here. This guy isn't on the front-line delving into unknown territory.
I won't repeat the part about 'walking the tightrope' or 'disappointing someone in the game industry'. The very thought that the marketing divisions in Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony - are honestly losing sleep because some nutter might go and make a 2D point-and-click adventure game on some neanderthal game engine...
I'm not gonna lie guys. I came here cos I'm a pirate who's got Broken Sword (the only adventure game I've ever liked - for sheer novelty) and I needed something to play it through. I sort of got stuck on this forum though. Something about the sheer ignorance of scummVM's (ridiculous name by the way, gets me every time) users. They all seem completely oblivious to how this thing works. 'So technically if i do this...' 'Yeah, scummVM works like this...' 'engine...engine...engine...'
In a way, I hope none of you (blokes with their heads screwed on) reply to this. I hope you stopped bothering ages ago - cos these people on here are morons and this thread is absolute proof. I'd recommend getting rid of this forum and forcing these idiots to read. the. damn. FAQs! Christ's sake!
Well gentlemen... I wash my hands of this weirdness.
Well, seeing as you are a pirate you won't recieve any comments or help at all here anymore. The only moron on here right now seems to be you, who shouldve bothered to read the forum rules.
And in regards to scummvm's name it is an excellent one and you are obviously ignorant of this projects history and how it works.
[quote="Jonatan"]Well, seeing as you are a pirate you won't recieve any comments or help at all here anymore. The only moron on here right now seems to be you, who shouldve bothered to read the forum rules.
And in regards to scummvm's name it is an excellent one and you are obviously ignorant of this projects history and how it works.
Hope we don't hear from you again.[/quote]
Hahahahahahaha! Hmm... I was hoping for a reply from the now-legendary Chris Jobsworth - who's idiocy is now the laughing stock not only of myself but of my beautiful wife, all my friends and anyone they care to share the joke with.
And 'the forum rules'? Ahem... pirate? You make me wanna weep, you really do.
Back to the developers etc. really, give up on these chumps... Or... you could challenge the corporations with your pointy-clicky adventures! It's mentals like you, Jonatan that make people like me look so good.
(And I know that next dev will agree to do it for just $99,500)
The engine runs on OpenGL now, is hence both open source an cross-platform, has a free editor/studio (albeit not yet fully ported) AND even has finished games, as well as a small community cooking up new ones. The OpenGL Mac code has been uploaded to the SourceForge repository:
