Difference between ScummVM and DOSBox?

[Tawmis]

I have not used ScummVM, so I don't know the first thing about it (and I didn't want to sidetrack the current thread about ScummVM - so I figured I'd start a new thread) and ask...

What's the difference between ScummVM and DOSBox and how is one better than the other?

[AndreaDraco]

If you ask me, there is no doubt. DOSBox is indefinitely better

[MusicallyInspired]

DOSBox is a DOS emulator that emulates the DOS environment. Command line interface and all. DIR/W, C:\>, del, CD games\sierra\kqc\kq1, the works. So you can play (almost) any DOS compatible game and the game will think it's playing in a DOS environment. ScummVM is a virtual machine/multiple-game-engine program that specifically supports certain games. You cannot play just any game with it. It was initially created to just support LucasArts' SCUMM adventure games (hence the name: Scumm Virtual Machine. Scumm itself is an abbreviation for Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion). Since ScummVM's inception, however, more and more game engines have been reverse engineered or had the source code donated to ScummVM for further compatibility.

And therein lies the biggest difference: ScummVM support is based on reverse engineered game engines (or game engines whose source code was donated by the original developers) and in so doing only supports certain games with certain game engines. Because most engines are reverse engineered some games might even play slightly differently than the original counterparts. For instance, the AGI engine used in ScummVM is called Sarien which is an open-source AGI engine written by a fan in C (or C++) and, as per the discretion of the author, looks and feels a little different to the regular DOS AGI engine by Sierra. For one thing there's mouse support. In the case of Sierra's SCI games, ScummVM uses the FreeSCI engine which is an unfinished reverse engineered version of Sierra's SCI engine capable of running *most* Sierra SCI games. But with subtle differences (and some game breaking or even game crashing ones).

DOSBox doesn't target specific games themselves but rather simply the DOS environment and can play almost any DOS game ever made. Ever. Obviously not everything as it's very hard to support EVERYTHING as different DOS games take advantage of DOS compatibility differently. But you can virtually run any DOS program in DOSBox now. ScummVM is game-specific with rewritten engine code (or donated original engine source code).

Hopefully that makes sense. Also, ScummVM has a built in game launcher. When you launch ScummVM you see a window with a list view and some buttons like Options, Add Game, Remove Game, etc. With the Add Game button you add compatible ScummVM games to your ScummVM game list and pick and choose which game you want to launch, click Play Game, and you're having fun. So it has its own game launcher window. DOSBox doesn't have this by default and people who can't deal with the command line interface of DOS use frontends to launch DOSBox games like DFend and such.

It's difficult to say which is better. ScummVM certainly is easier, but doesn't run nearly everything DOSBox can. And it's mainly 2D P&C adventure game oriented only. With only one exception, and I believe that is The Lands of Lore which uses the same game engine as the Kyrandia adventure games and therefore there is support. DOSBox is pure 100% authentic game experience the way you remember it, though. Visually, interactively, and such. Both programs have the same sound support, though. Both support the MT-32, Sound Blaster/Adlib music, and such. It's all preference really. Do you just want to play your games or do you want to feel like you're running that old 486 DOS machine you used to own?

Both programs have a lot of customization options. But DOSBox definitely has the upper hand here. ScummVM has options to choose different graphics modes, sound modes, and such. But they don't work with every game as sometimes the different graphics modes of a game weren't coded in when said game engine support was added to ScummVM. With DOSBox, on the other hand, all you have to do is change the type of computer you're emulating (Tandy, EGA, CGA, VGA, SVGA, etc) and any game will respond accordingly because it thinks it's being run on that system.

I know I wrote a lot, but I tried to make it as down to earth as I could.

[Tawmis]

Awesome info. Okay. Cool. See I had never used ScummVM... I suppose because I don't have any LucasArts based games, except for like X-Wing, Tie Fighter, etc - and those are all on floppy - and I never got a "Collector's Edition" of it that put them on CD so... that would explain why I never tried ScummVM back when it was initially around, I suppose!

[DeadPoolX]

I think it'd be a good idea to have links to different DOSBox GUIs on this site. DOSBox can seem very intimidating for people who've never used DOS.

Although I know DOS quite well, I'm often too lazy to type in commands, so I simply drag and drop the EXE, BAT or COM onto the desktop shortcut. The only game I've ever had a problem running through the drag-and-drop method is Crusader: No Remorse. That game was a real chore to get working back in 1995 when it was released in a real DOS environment, let alone DOS emulation.

[Collector]

Short and sweet; DOSBox is an emulator of an entire old PC with DOS. It emulates all of the necessary hardware and DOS itself. ScummVM is a replacement interpreter that is compatible with modern machines. In other words, it replaces the original game EXEs to play the game data.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. ScummVM is limited to only games that have been reverse engineered and accepted to be implemented into ScummVM. And only 2D point and click games will be accepted. By far, the best advantage of ScummVM is that since it does not emulate all of the hardware, it has a much lower overhead. This makes it easy to port to all sorts of platform, specifically handhelds, like the Android, etc.

SCI support is being added to ScummVM. DOSBox handles the SCI games so well, that outside of the handheld argument, the only real advantage of ScummVM I see over DOSBox is for the Windows only games and the ones that the Windows game has something that is more desirable over the DOS, à la KQ6.