ScummVM is an executable replacement program focused on running older adventure games and RPGs on modern systems. The Linux version can be used in conjunction with libTAS to make tool-assisted speedruns of these games.
Table of contents
What you'll need
Starting off, make sure you have a game in mind. For a list of compatible games, look at the compatibility page for the version of ScummVM you want to use. If the compatibility is listed as "Good" or "Excellent", then you're good to go.
- libTAS
- Remember that the run must sync on an official emulator version or it will not be accepted.
- An official release of ScummVM, preferably the newest available version. Install the
.debfile with the terminal commandsudo dpkg -i myscummvmfilename.deb, substituting the filename with the one you downloaded. - Data files for your game. For a list of the data files you need, check the game's entry on the ScummVM wiki.
Using with libTAS
You first need to install the game in ScummVM.
- Put the game's data files in a folder by themselves.
- Open ScummVM natively (
scummvmin the terminal). - Click the "Add Game..." button and choose the folder that you put the data files in.
- If you did this correctly, it should show you the ID and the game name. Make a note of the ID, you will need this later. Click OK and close ScummVM.
Now you can set up libTAS.
- Set the executable path to the ScummVM version you want to use. If you installed it through the terminal or through a
.debfile, it should be/usr/games/scummvm. - Set the command-line options to the game ID you noted when you installed the game. If you forgot it, it will just be the "Game Short Name" on the compatibility list.
- TODO: Figure out frame rates and any other needed settings
Movie submissions
We allow submissions using ScummVM with libTAS. Please follow these guidelines to ensure your movie is acceptable and can be synced:
- Follow all rules already in place for submitting libTAS movies.
- Make sure your game is listed as "Good" or "Excellent" on the compatibility list, otherwise it may be too poorly reproduced to accept.
- Make sure your movie starts with no save data! Different save data can cause desyncs when run on other systems. Delete or move any relevant save files in
~/.local/share/scummvm/saves/.
- When making a libTAS movie that you plan to submit to TASVideos or upload it to userfiles, depending on the game's original platform, put
Platform: DOSorPlatform: Windowsat the very start of the movie annotations, that way the site will recognize your platform properly. If the game you're using has an official Linux release using ScummVM, you can leave this out.
- In your submission, please provide the following:
- libTAS version
- ScummVM version
- Filenames and MD5 hashes of your datafiles (use
md5sum /path/to/files/*in a terminal)