SCUMM-esque Adventure Game Creation Tool

[Avalon2006]

Hi,

I hope this post is allowed (apologies if not), as this is not about ScummVM per se but my own personal project.

I'm developing a SCUMM-esque engine for adventure games using the XNA framework. Eventually I hope to release an indie game via the recently launched Xbox Live Community Games service.

Development is going well and I'm about 60-70% complete on the engine itself. Here's a quick clip showcasing thee engine (using Placeholder MI2 graphics):

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=n9ujXyv6QcU

The reason I'm posting is that alongside development of the engine, I'm also making a tool for the creation of the game content. In my opinion it's very easy to use and requires no actual programming or even scripting knowledge in order to create characters, rooms, objects, events etc. Here's a screengrab:



Basically I'm wondering if there'd be any interest in the eventual release of this tool in order for people to make their own Point 'n Click games for my engine. Games could be released for the PC, Xbox360 and Zune, but not any other formats unfortunately as the XNA framework does not support this.

Any feedback or general comments would be very much welcome.

Cheers,
Dan

[DrMcCoy]

Games could be released for the PC, Xbox360 and Zune

Could people please stop writing "PC" when they mean "Windows" (or "Windows PC")?

[md5]

Your interface certainly looks promising, just bear in mind that a game engine is quite a complex task. You can check how other such tools do this, like, for example Adventure Gaming Studio (AGS)

[Avalon2006]

Could people please stop writing "PC" when they mean "Windows" (or "Windows PC")?

Duly noted.

Your interface certainly looks promising, just bear in mind that a game engine is quite a complex task. You can check how other such tools do this, like, for example Adventure Gaming Studio (AGS)

Indeed. There has already been some interesting challanges, such as room traversal and character scaling, that are now complete. There are a few outstanding feautures that are yet to be implemented or are incomplete, such as conversation trees and external cutscenes.

I've looked at AGS and it's an impressive piece of work, though I'm mindful that its scripting language will put a lot of people off. My tool is very much a work in progress but so far everything is created by easy-to-use dialog boxes. I don't expect my tool to be quite as flexible as what AGS offers, but the aim is to be able to create a game comparable to, say, Monkey Island 1 & 2 with comparative ease.

[clem]

Wow, that youtube video sure looks nice!

[iPwnzorz]

It's fantastic, however I'm watching ScummGEN at the moment.

This, however is the most promising of all the SCUMM compilers and SCUMM-likes.

[Avalon2006]

Thanks for all the positive feedback. I've received a handful of emails so I'm encouraged that there is the potential in this.

I'll get the engine finished up and (hopefully!) get around to removing the MI2 graphics so I can properly showcase what the engine has to offer.

[clem]

I'll get the engine finished up and (hopefully!) get around to removing the MI2 graphics so I can properly showcase what the engine has to offer.

If you need backgrounds, you could take them from Flight of the Amazon Queen, Beneath a Steel Sky or Lure of the Temptress - if I read the license correctly you can legally use parts of the games in your own projects as long as you don't claim you created these graphics yourself.

[Avalon2006]

If you need backgrounds, you could take them from Flight of the Amazon Queen, Beneath a Steel Sky or Lure of the Temptress - if I read the license correctly you can legally use parts of the games in your own projects as long as you don't claim you created these graphics yourself.

I didn't know that - I'll have to look into it. I remember Lure of the Temptress on the Amiga fondly (I always liked the name Gwen since). Beneath a Steel Sky I found harder to get into.

Thanks for the info, clem.

P.S. I've just created a development blog so as not to bother people here too much:

http://clarvalon.blogspot.com/

[clem]

Oops.

I just re-read the licenses and it seems only FOTAQ explicitly allows modification of game data:

4) You may modify the game as you wish. You may also distribute modified versions under the terms set forth in this licence, but with the additional requirement that the work is marked with a prominent notice which states that it is a modified version.

I can't find a similar passage in the BASS readme on my HD, so don't take my word for it that you're allowed to use the backgrounds. I don't think Revolution would mind though.