Why use ScummVM for Dos Games Over DOSBox?

[Tawmis]

Hello, welcome to my TawmTalk, where I rant about ScummVM.

While, yes, ScummVM is nice, because it allows me to play all my favorite games on my work given Android phone.

That's swell.

And I understand, ScummVM allows to play old Windows games on modern machines.

That's swell.

But why the #&$#@*&# use ScummVM over DOSBox for DOS based games?

Effing GoG.

ScummVM does not have the native ability to record gameplay, like DOSBox does.

So this means using a third party recorder.

No problem. I have FRAPS.

It's how I made Neverending Nights.

However.

FRAPS records in raw, uncompressed video.

So to play 40 minutes of, let's say GK1, means having a 20 to 30GB video being made.

And 40 minutes is just the intro, talking to Grace, and going to Gran's and talking to her.

All of that takes 40 minutes (granted, I am not using a walk through so I am looking and clicking on things randomly).

So while it's saving to an external drive with room - I am constantly needing to then render down the videos so I do have room.

There's also some weird things when recording ScummVM for DOS - where timing is off in the beginning (but then corrects itself in the game).

So.

I wanted to come here and thank Collector for his installers.

Yes.

That meant voyaging into the darkness of my garage, sorting through my plastic bins (I really do need to label them!) and finding out which ones had GK1, GK2, and GK3.

And using his CD-less installers.

And since those bins had Shivers 1 and 2. I used the CD-less installers for those as well, since I've yet to play those for my channel. (It's been like 20 years since I've played either of those!)

So thank you again Collector for your awesome installers.

And that concludes my Tawmtalk.

Have a great night, everyone.

[Collector]

Keep an eye on this space in the near future for a new way to play AGI games.

[Tawmis]

Keep an eye on this space in the near future for a new way to play AGI games.

Eyes. Peeled.

[Rath Darkblade]

So, to summarise: All hail Collector and his Sierra installers, indeed!

Cheers to Collector and DOSBox! Jeers to GoG and ScummVM!

(And yes, I did read the entire rant. Nicely done. Have you thought of putting the installers on an external drive, so they're easier to find, than in unlabelled plastic boxes?)

[Tawmis]

(And yes, I did read the entire rant. Nicely done. Have you thought of putting the installers on an external drive, so they're easier to find, than in unlabelled plastic boxes?)

Well, for Collector's installers, you still need the actual game. The installers just allow (for example in GK games) CD-less play.
So I'd still need to dive into the garage and find the right bin with the game I need.
All the bins are on top of one another, neatly stacked.
But they're next to bins of old D&D books too (which are not easy to move). Bins full of CDs, DVDs, and BluRays.
The garage is a dangerous place in my house hold. (We also moved our dining table in there, because we put a rug on the tile floor for Odin to walk on when his legs were giving out - and the dining room table remained in there, because we never used it since moving to this place, and we like the open room it gave us - it sadly now chews up a large amount of real estate in the garage - which is pretty much next to the bins - so I need to move the table, or move the bins like Tetris, to get to specific bins)

[Collector]

viewtopic.php?f=86&t=6124

[BBP]

I'm in the "No Fan Of ScummVM" camp as well. I hate how it takes you out of the game when you save, with that unattractive save screen. I hate how it gives you the option to save at points where you shouldn't be able to save. DOSBox gives you much more of a feeling that you're playing the games and if you have Lemmings (or KQ5 or anything with a waiting puzzle) the Alt + F12 is a godsend.

Hurray for Collector's installers, DOSBox and Sierra for making games that are still great to play even if they're thirty years old!

[Collector]

And now don't forget about AGILE for AGI games. It uses the games' original save system. Even the "loading" message on game launch was made in an AGI font. It is also incredibly easy to use. Plus, we need play testers to check for any bugs in how it handles the games.

[Tawmis]

I'm in the "No Fan Of ScummVM" camp as well. I hate how it takes you out of the game when you save, with that unattractive save screen. I hate how it gives you the option to save at points where you shouldn't be able to save. DOSBox gives you much more of a feeling that you're playing the games and if you have Lemmings (or KQ5 or anything with a waiting puzzle) the Alt + F12 is a godsend.
Hurray for Collector's installers, DOSBox and Sierra for making games that are still great to play even if they're thirty years old!

Agree!

Although, just so you know - for games that ScummVM is better at (old Windows games) - and you have to use it - there's an option to use the original "Save Game" screen so it doesn't do the ScummVM thing.
If you launch ScummVM, click the game, then click Game Option to the right.

And now don't forget about AGILE for AGI games. It uses the games' original save system. Even the "loading" message on game launch was made in an AGI font. It is also incredibly easy to use. Plus, we need play testers to check for any bugs in how it handles the games.

So far, I've been tinkering with Space Quest 1 - off and on now, since I have that game memorized... and it's been flawless.

For every day old skewl AGI game, this is pretty easy!

I'd use DOSBox for my channel stuff, just because of the built in recording.

But if I just wanted to play a AGI game, Agile is pretty sweet.

[Collector]

Also for 16-bit Windows only games we now have WineVDM ( https://github.com/otya128/winevdm ). Run the games using the original Windows interpreter. One to keep an eye on, "Windows 95 in Electron" ( https://github.com/felixrieseberg/windows95 ).