| 20231214.content | ||
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The end of the year is almost upon us, along with a new release of ScummVM. So here's a quick update for one of the more ambitious sub-projects that has been percolating along in the background: Macromedia Director support! For those who aren't aware, Macromedia Director was a popular framework used for thousands of games, educational titles, catalogues, art pieces, and other multimedia works.
## New Games For Testing First off, the upcoming 2.8.0 release will have some new supported games, and we need your help testing them! * _Alice: An Interactive Museum_ * _Ape Odyssey_ * _Classical Cats_ * _Gadget: Invention, Travel and Adventure_ * _The Cute Machine_ * _The Dark Eye_ * _Wrath of the Gods_ You will need the data files from the games' original install media, and a [daily build](https://www.scummvm.org/downloads/#daily) of ScummVM. For Macintosh editions, you will need to run the disc images through [Dumper Companion](https://www.scummvm.org/dumper-companion) in order to extract a complete copy of the files. In the case of The Dark Eye, you will also need the files created by the installer. As always, if you run into issues, please let us know on the [issue tracker](https://bugs.scummvm.org/). If your favorite isn't in the supported list, don't despair! ScummVM can open Director titles from 1995 and earlier, so grab the latest [daily build](https://www.scummvm.org/downloads/#daily) and give it a try. Titles released after 1995 tend to use Director versions that aren't supported yet. If you get stuck, reach out on the [issue tracker](https://bugs.scummvm.org/) and we can try and help. If you've encountered a Director title that isn't recognized by ScummVM, that's great! Please let us know on the [issue tracker](https://bugs.scummvm.org/) so the title can be added to the detection list. ## Engine versions As of the time of writing, ScummVM can detect **1595** different titles based on Director, with the following counts by Director version: | D0 | D1 | D2 | D3 | D4 | D5 | D6 | D7 | D8 | D9 | D10 | D11 | |----|----|----|-----|-----|-----|-----|----|-----|----|-----|-----| | 12 | 1 | 14 | 288 | 602 | 262 | 194 | 97 | 138 | 31 | 36 | 4 | ScummVM 2.8.0 will be the first release to include preliminary support for the D5 version of Director! A lot of work has gone into overhauling the codebase to support multiple cast libraries, however there is still plenty of work to be done adding Lingo functions and Xtras. Adding support for a new Director version is a tricky process. First we need to check for any changes to the movie file format, then add in any new engine and Lingo features, and finally start working through issues in a bunch of candidate games. Because of the difficulty of keeping track of facts vs. assumptions, we only enable features for an engine version once they have been confirmed with testing. This is why D6 and higher games will not open at all, even if the code we have would somewhat work. Support for the D2, D3 and D4 versions of Director has steadily improved. We are building up a suite of unit tests, both for Lingo and for the various drawing modes in the renderer. Most of the remaining bugs are related to undefined or incidental behavior: consider how two types in Lingo are compared, or the precise order that events are processed in, or how functions respond when you pass them nonsense data? All of these things are relied upon by thousands of Director products! And ScummVM must support all of them as closely as possible. ## XLibs Macromedia provided a C API with Director, which proved to be very popular for adding new engine features. There are hundreds of XObject and Xtra libraries in circulation, and each has to be reverse engineered and added as code to ScummVM. As of the time of writing, we have added support for **63** of these libraries. A common use case is video; Director includes the ability to play back QuickTime videos as a sprite, but computers of the day would struggle with the added overhead of Director's renderer if the video resolution was larger than a postage stamp. To work around this, several XLibs exist to play back video as an accelerated overlay. Quite a few D3 and D4 titles are missing video playback due to this type of XLib, and we plan on creating a common method of supporting these. The good news is that most uncommon XLibs did only one or two things, and are pretty easy to add initial support for. Part of the XLib format is a list of docstrings explaining each of the functions; there is a script in `/devtools` which can turn these docstrings into stubbed C++ code, saving a lot of hassle. --- That's about it! We have some very dedicated volunteers scouring every corner of the globe for obscure Director titles and testing them; if that sounds like your bag, you can visit them in the #engine-director channel of the [ScummVM Discord](https://discord.gg/4cDsMNtcpG). Until next time! |
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| 20231230.title | ||
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ScummVM 2.8.0: Mysteries, Mammoths, and Muppets
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| 20240113.title | ||
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Lets Do the Time Warp Again, Or Burger Chow Awaits
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| 20240113.content | ||
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A poor test subject is doomed to repeat an hour over and over again. Trying desperately to prove his species worth as something better than merely meat to be ground into intergalactic fast food burgers.
The ScummVM Team is pleased to announce full support for _Orion Burger_, the classic game by Sanctuary Woods. The engine also adds a few niceties that the original didn't have, such as mouse wheel handling, and using the spacebar to skip walk animations - something the original didn't do properly. Help us test the game by grabbing a [daily build](https://scummvm.org/downloads/#daily). Read through our [testing guidelines](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Release_Testing#Testing_Guidelines). The game's logic was all hardcoded, so we really need people to try all sorts of weird actions, and make sure the game handles everything correctly and matches the original implementation. And please take some [screenshots](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Screenshots) along the way. Now, luck be with you. And remember, with the aliens cheating on the tests they set up for you, this will be no easy task. |
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| 20240310.title | ||
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ScummVM has been accepted to the Google Summer of Code 2024
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| 20240310.content | ||
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For the 17th time, ScummVM has again been accepted for the [Google Summer of Code](https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com) program this summer.
The program intends to bring new contributors into open source projects. In the most recent two years this has included both students and non-students as eligible candidates for participation. Like last year, participants can apply for working on either short tasks (about 175 hours of work), or large tasks (about 350 hours of work). The coding period typically runs from start of June through August, but there is some flexibility which allows participants to have longer time frames if they are unable to work full time through the summer. ScummVM is looking for people interested in participating in GSoC with us. A list of suggested projects can be found on [this page](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php?title=Summer_of_Code/GSoC_Ideas_2024), but we are also open to your own ideas as well. Please provide the [required information in your application](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php?title=GSoC_Application) before submitting. We also strongly encourage you to join our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/4cDsMNtcpG), in the #scummvm-gsoc channel. This allows you to engage with our mentors and the rest of the team, to get advice about how to get involved with the project, as well as writing your application. Based on our previous 16 years of experience with GSoC, we have put together a [Google Summer of Code miniportal](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php?title=Summer_of_Code) to help you get started. Looking forward to hearing from you! |
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| 20240331.title | ||
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Please welcome ScummVM 2.8.1: Oh MMy!
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| 20240331.content | ||
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Oh MMy — a new ScummVM release!
Please welcome the first ScummVM release of the year: ScummVM 2.8.1. ScummVM 2.8.1 is a maintenance release mainly focused on fixing bugs that were uncovered since our last stable release. This update includes upgrades for the following engines: AGI, AGS, GRIM, SWORD2, MM (which is now enabled — yes, we really skipped it in 2.8.0 by accident), mTropolis, NANCY, SCUMM, TWINE, Ultima, and V-Cruise. The Android, Atari and macOS ports received multiple bug fixes, mostly for improving overall stability and preventing some crashes we’ve seen under certain circumstances. The detailed list of improvements is available [here](https://downloads.scummvm.org/frs/scummvm/2.8.1/ReleaseNotes.html). As always, you can find the latest release [on our Downloads page](https://www.scummvm.org/downloads/). Go grab it while it's hot — enjoy! |
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| 20240407.title | ||
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When facing the Curse of the Sun God, sunscreen won't save you
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| 20240407.content | ||
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_Total Eclipse_, a real-time, curse-breaking, 3D adventure (with a dash of Indiana Jones flair), is ready for public testing!
Originally unleashed by Incentive Software Ltd. in 1988, [_Total Eclipse_](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php?title=Total_Eclipse) added yet another groundbreaking title to their repertoire of revolutionary games. Step into the shoes of a heroic archeologist on October 26, 1930, as a total solar eclipse akin to the one happening today over North America looms over Cairo. Knowing of the Ardognus prophecy, created by the powerful high priest Hahmid III, you must find and destroy the hidden shrine devoted to Ra before the eclipse occurs. Embark on this exciting journey packed with a trusty gun for blasting through doors or dispatching undead mummies; a compass to guide you through a treacherous pyramid; a wristwatch to track the precious time left; and a water bottle to fight dehydration (you’re only human after all). Can you solve this ancient mystery within 120 minutes and avert catastrophe, or will Rah's wrath obliterate the moon? Our modern reimplementation of the Freescape engine features graphics using hardware mode (OpenGL) at arbitrary resolution. The initial _Total Eclipse_ support includes DOS (EGA/CGA modes), ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC. More releases are coming at a later date. Additionally, there are [three playable demos](https://downloads.scummvm.org/frs/demos/freescape/) if you want to test the game. Please [contact us](https://www.scummvm.org/contact/) if you have some other release or demo. To play any of these supported releases, you will need a [daily development build](https://www.scummvm.org/downloads/#daily). As always, please submit your bug reports to our [issue tracker](https://bugs.scummvm.org/). |
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| 20240413.title | ||
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A walk in the park with ScummVM and Thimbleweeds
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| 20240413.content | ||
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1987: In the small town of Thimbleweed Park, two officers-a-reno are investigating a murder.
The body, still in the process-a-reno of being pixelated, lies in the river. The agents meet a video game developer, a mysterious clown who never takes off his make-up, and many other strange characters. You can purchase the game in your favorite place: [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/569860), [GOG](https://www.gog.com/game/thimbleweed_park), [Epic Game Store](https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/thimbleweed-park), [Xbox](https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/store/p/Thimbleweed-Park/9NBLGGH40DCM), [Switch](https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/thimbleweed-park-switch), [iOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/thimbleweed-park/id1228969539?mt=8), [PS4](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/thimbleweed-park-ps4/), [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.terribletoybox.thimbleweedparkandroid&hl=en). You're invited to try out this adventure with ScummVM. First, download the [daily build](https://scummvm.org/downloads/#daily) and enjoy! If you encounter any bugs or oddities, please report them on [our bugtracker](https://bugs.scummvm.org). |
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| 20240505.title | ||
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Google Summer of Code 2024 - drum roll please!
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| 20240505.content | ||
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Please welcome this year's participants!
On Wednesday 1st May Google [announced](https://opensource.googleblog.com/2024/05/google-summer-of-code-2024-accepted-contributors-announced.html) the list of participants accepted for this year's Google Summer of Code and we are very happy to report that [4 contributors](https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com/programs/2024/organizations/scummvm) have been accepted to work on various parts of the ScummVM project this summer. Now we have had a chance to dot the i's and cross the t's we are really pleased to welcome them all to the project and ask everyone to show them a very warm welcome as they get settled. In no particular order, a heartfelt welcome to... ---- **Project: Implementation of a Game Files Integrity Checking System for ScummVM** _Chike Lee_ - Chico / [InariInDream](https://github.com/InariInDream) ScummVM requires game data files to operate. Frequently, especially when copying from the old media, the files can be damaged. Thus, a system that could let the end-users compute checksums and compare them with known good references is desirable. Chike will be looking to extend existing work in this area and complete the end to end implementation during the summer. ---- **Project: Enhance Macromedia Director Support** _Krish Ganatra_ - Krish / [Krish28](https://github.com/Krish2882005/) Macromedia Director is a popular multimedia authoring tool from the 90s, and many iconic adventure titles have been released using it. Improving its support in ScummVM will preserve gaming history and provide players with access to beloved classics. Krish will be undertaking a range of targeted enhancements to Macromedia Director support in ScummVM to extend compatibility and support. ---- **Project: Porting qdEngine to ScummVM** _Kunal Tiwari_ - [kunxl.gg](https://github.com/kunxl-gg) K-D Labs created qdEngine and it has been used in several point-and-click adventure games, primarily in Russian, and also translated into Lithuanian, Czech and English. The most known games are Pilot Brothers 3 and Pilot Brothers 3D. Kunal will be working to bring this engine's code into ScummVM with a goal to add full support for the engine during the summer. ---- **Project: Add Keymapper to multiple Engines** _Nabeel Shabbir_ - kashmiri_markhor / [NabeelShabbir](https://github.com/NabeelShabbir) ScummVM includes a global fully configurable keymapper, but this requires engines to be adapted to use it. The goal of this project is to fully integrate ScummVM keymapper into a large number of our supported engines. Nabeel will be working on this throughout the summer, starting with the larger engines and more advanced keymapper requirements. ---- We are now in the community bonding period that runs up until the 27th of May when coding on the projects formally begins. Please give them all a very warm welcome, and visit our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/4cDsMNtcpG) if you want to discuss these projects, each project has a dedicated channel. You can also expect regular updates from the participants on their respective blogs that will be linked from the [planet](https://planet.scummvm.org/). The team is very excited about these projects - and we hope you are as well. We also wanted to take the time to thank everyone who applied to ScummVM for this year's Google Summer of Code programme. Unfortunately, not every application was successful, but we are so grateful for the interest shown and would love you all to still consider helping with ScummVM in some capacity in the future. |
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| 20240615.title | ||
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It’s a Bar... In Space!
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| 20240615.content | ||
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In a universe where bagels meet bars, the BAGEL engine has been perfectly toasted, and the ScummVM team is now ready to serve a slice of **The Space Bar** nostalgia. No, it’s not the key on your keyboard. Rather, it’s a detective story set on a distant planet. Important data has been stolen, and the perpetrator is a shape-shifter laying low in a spaceport dive bar until he can flee off-planet. You play a hard-boiled detective who has the skill to psychically visit bar patrons’ memories to gather clues and narrow down suspects.
This is thanks to the kind people at [ZOOM Platform](https://www.zoom-platform.com/?affiliate=c049516c-9c4c-42d6-8649-92ed870e8b53), who provided us with the original game sources to work with. Help us test the game by grabbing a [daily build](https://scummvm.org/downloads/#daily). Read through our [testing guidelines](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Release_Testing#Testing_Guidelines). The game features a lot of options to chat around with bar patrons’ and do various actions in the different flashbacks. So we really need people to spend time experimenting and make sure everything works correctly. And please take some [screenshots](https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Screenshots) along the way. If you don’t own _The Space Bar_, you can try one of the [free demos](https://scummvm.org/demos/#other) or purchase it digitally from the [ZOOM Platform](https://www.zoom-platform.com/product/the-space-bar?affiliate=c049516c-9c4c-42d6-8649-92ed870e8b53). Testing is also available on Steam via a beta branch, check the [Steam announcement](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2253580/view/6850618508609768472) for more details. Now, good luck, and fingers crossed you can find the perp. Otherwise, your bureau chief will have you getting up close and personal with toilet duties for the rest of your career. Oh, and PS: The viewpoints of different aliens differ. For the Bartender, who has segmented eyes, even the original developers felt it was difficult and left in a cheat key of ScrollLock to switch back to a single viewpoint. Feel free to use it if, at any point, the flashback becomes too much for you :) |
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| 20240703.title | ||
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“Your move, Commander.”
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| 20240703.content | ||
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_Moonbase Commander_, one of the very last games ever created in the SCUMM engine, is now finally supported and ready for public testing!
Although not an adventure game, _Moonbase Commander_, developed by Humongous Entertainment (creators of _Putt-Putt_, _Freddi Fish_, _Pajama Sam_, _Backyard Sports_, etc.) is a turn-based strategy game that isn’t like any other strategy games at its time. The main objective is to prevent your opponents from taking over a planet before you can. Its unique aim, timing of your power, and launch aspect makes this one of the most “easy-to-learn, hard-to-master” type games. You can easily spawn other hubs from your central hub, spawn collectors at the energy pools, fire projectiles at your opponents’ hubs, the list goes on! It even has a custom map editor, which allows you to create your own maps and share them with other players! Even though the game can be played via single player Skirmishes and Challenge mode, you can also play multiplayer games either with other people online, or through other devices connected to your Local Area Network, both of which are fully supported! Just click on Multiplayer in the game’s menu and you can create a game and let your friends join! Easy as that! Tired of playing the same maps over and over again? We have incorporated the map generator from the popular fanmade tool [Moonbase Console](https://github.com/michaelbarlow7/moonbase-console) and all of its algorithms and configurations within ScummVM! You can enable this feature by downloading the latest [daily build](https://scummvm.org/downloads/#daily), go to the Game Options dialog and click on the “Generate random maps” checkbox. This will generate a new randomized map when starting a Skirmish or a Multiplayer game. This can be disabled at any time by unchecking the same checkmark. Dedicated players have organized a Discord server, where you can find people willing to play online and discuss all things _Moonbase Commander_! [You can join the server here!](https://discord.gg/6J8c7XW) You can purchase the game on [ZOOM-Platform](https://www.zoom-platform.com/product/moonbase-commander?affiliate=c049516c-9c4c-42d6-8649-92ed870e8b53), [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/254880/MoonBase_Commander/), or [GOG](https://www.gog.com/en/game/moonbase_commander), or download and try the [demo](https://downloads.scummvm.org/frs/demos/scumm/he/moonbase-win-demo-us.zip), both multiplayer and the map generator are supported there as well! Many thanks to the current IP holder [Rebellion](https://rebellion.com/) for providing access to the game’s source code to the team! |
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| 20241003.title | ||
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“What Time is it? GAME TIME HOO!”
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| 20241003.content | ||
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_Backyard Basketball_, is finally ready to come off the bench for some sweet public testing! You can now play again on ScummVM this beloved Backyard Sports title (not to mention __the last unsupported game on the SCUMM engine__). Play with the Backyard Kids and even create five of your own! This game also features (now former) NBA and WNBA stars _Kevin Garnett_ and _Lisa Leslie_!
Much like the other sports titles of this franchise, controls are point-and-click by default, with gamepad and keyboard options. Pick your favorite kids and play some 3 on 3 basketball. Don't forget your _110% Juice_ or _Dunking Donut_ for a _slamma jamma_! Pass that ball in, listen to the live commentary from Sunny Day and Barry DeJay and shoot some jumpers on your way to a championship. Are you ready to play? Dig up your good old CD and fire up the latest [daily build](https://scummvm.org/downloads/#daily)! |
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