Restauration of FREE classics

LOGAN · Post by **LOGAN** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:28 pm

I know there are some restauration projects for voice, and music, but what about graphics?

Are there graphic restauration projects?

Is there a list of projects, how far they got and how far the scumm team is willing to help out?

Anyone working for example of Beneath A Steel Sky or other games?

[EDIT]
Guys, relax, I mean FREE adventure games. It would be really really sad if it's biggest fanbase would say no to an updated version.

well anyway go and play my free game, http://www.albartus.com/motas (Working on it scince 2001 !)

clem · Post by **clem** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:55 pm

you underestimate the work which has to go into gfx redesign; I doubt anybody will ever get around to finnish such a project

edit: I'm voting "no" because that question is almost as rhetoric as "do you want to pay less taxes?"

Adventureguy · Post by **Adventureguy** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:43 pm

Well, there's only a fanremake of Maniac Mansion by LucasFan with 256-color graphics. It's called Maniac Mansion Deluxe. And it's FREEWARE! (But only MMD, not the other normal versions of Maniac Mansion) But I don't think there are plans to enhance graphics for the SCUMM games. You would have to make a whole new game because you can't just change the backgrounds. Besides, why reinventing the wheel anew? There are different video modes available in ScummVM. So in some modes, the graphics do look better.

JamesWoodcock · Post by **JamesWoodcock** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:33 am

Filters are probably the easiest way to get a nice enhancement with little fuss. However Another World has some nicer background visuals now: http://www.jameswoodcock.co.uk/?p=319

I would love to see Simon the Sorcerer with high resolution backgrounds, but hey that is extremely unlikely.

Ender · Post by **Ender** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:13 pm

You also have to remember that remakes like Maniac Mansion Deluxe are technically as illegal as (so-called) 'abandonware' copies of Maniac Mansion.

Remakes of this nature must have the permission of the original author, since the new graphics would violate copyright. (the degree that the graphics would have to be different to be 'non-infringing' is something lawyers could argue over for decades :)

[Edit: Although it is completely feasible to replace backgrounds in most SCUMM games, through some jiggery-pokery (as we technical people put it)]

Adventureguy · Post by **Adventureguy** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:57 pm

Ender wrote:You also have to remember that remakes like Maniac Mansion Deluxe are technically as illegal as (so-called) 'abandonware' copies of Maniac Mansion.

Remakes of this nature must have the permission of the original author, since the new graphics would violate copyright. (the degree that the graphics would have to be different to be 'non-infringing' is something lawyers could argue over for decades

I think there was already such a discussion in this forum.
I don't think MMD is abandonware. Neither do I believe fanremakes in general are abandonware. They were made by individuals not related to any companies, so it's their own work they worked on. They can decide wheter they distribute it as freeware or not. Fine, the games nearly have the same story as the original game, so what? E.g. there are hundreds of Arcade clones of games like Arkanoid, Pong, Boulder Dash, etc. Are these all abandonware games because they copy the game idea? Many firms and companys are using these game ideas for free promotional games for themselves. Also, some of the fanremakes like the KQ1 fanremake say that you should buy the original games.
Concerning MMD and other fanremakes, there are some serious sites offering them to download, for example the German "Adventure-Treff".
But frankly, I don't want discuss this stuff further.
And P.S.: Ron Gilbert found the remake a good one, even if LucasFan missed one small thing in it.
P.P.S.: There is also a German RON-like adventure creation series called "Maniac Mansion Mania" with over 50 episodes so far. A much bigger thing than MMD since everyone can make an episode featuring the characters of MM and DOTT.

fingolfin · Post by **fingolfin** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:34 pm

A "fan remake" almost certainly violates some copyright, by its very nature, in case it actually faithfully copies the story, which is copyrighted, too. Not just the "game idea" but really all the details & little bits, even full dialogues. Not to mention things like characters

In the case of MMD, they also copied the verb graphics from DOTT and apparently took a lot of stuff from the FM-TOWNS version of Zak McKracken.

So while I fully agree that MMD is not "abandonware" I think it's legal status is dubious at best.

It's great that Ron Gilbert likes fan remakes, unfortunately, it has zero impact on the legal status since Ron Gilber doesn't own the rights, LucasArts does.

LOGAN · Post by **LOGAN** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 6:18 pm

The targets would be of the **free** games Flight Of The Amazone Queen and Beneath A Steel Sky.

Even replacinf 256 colors with 16 bit offers great improvements:

[EDIT: Content and links removed]

Adventureguy · Post by **Adventureguy** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 7:28 am

fingolfin wrote: In the case of MMD, they also copied the verb graphics from DOTT and apparently took a lot of stuff from the FM-TOWNS version of Zak McKracken.

Okay, they copied the story and the DOTT-Interface, but that they used stuff from the FM-TOWNS version of Zak McKracken in MMD is wrong. You might be confusing this with the fanmade sequel "The new adventures of Zak McKracken", but let's not further discuss this anymore.

MetaFox · Post by **MetaFox** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 8:45 pm

Adventureguy wrote:
fingolfin wrote: In the case of MMD, they also copied the verb graphics from DOTT and apparently took a lot of stuff from the FM-TOWNS version of Zak McKracken.
Okay, they copied the story and the DOTT-Interface, but that they used stuff from the FM-TOWNS version of Zak McKracken in MMD is wrong. You might be confusing this with the fanmade sequel "The new adventures of Zak McKracken", but let's not further discuss this anymore.

If I remember correctly, I believe they did infact use some graphics from the FM-Towns version of Zak McKracken (the bookshelf, room backgrounds, floor textures, etc.).

citizeneman · Post by **citizeneman** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 12:21 pm

I like my old aventure games just the way they are, god knows I dont play them for the graphics anyways.

Scienott/me · Post by **Scienott/me** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 1:10 pm

Hloo LOGAN!

I voted yes cuz good ol' adventure games (eg. The Mystery Of Time And Space ) when looking better, seem to play better at the same time.

nordlicht · Post by **nordlicht** » Sat May 20, 2006 5:27 pm

MMD is declared as freeware and is downloadeble on so many and big german sites (e.a. www.chip.de , www.freenet.de or wintotal.de). In some cases I find those whole Copyright Discussion a littlebit rediculous. Only my opinion...

Oh and: I've voted "yes", because the Original Games are existing too, or not? Everyone is free to choose to play the old or the "new" Version.

Oh, and have you seen THIS???

Restauration of FREE classics

I would like to have updated versions of games

Restauration of FREE classics