ScummVM Dev dreammaster has just finished initial ScummVM support for Starship Titanic. Needs testers; see the thread in the game sub-forum.

Ok, silly question probably, but if it's only now being tested on ScummVM, then how does the version available on GOG run?

Not through ScummVM, presumably?

Something tells me this is going to be a long thread.

The motivation is - if it runs on modern systems already and not through ScummVM, why bother making it run through ScummVM?

ScummVM can run on other platforms besides Windows.

It's for the same reason why people have asked for original DOS versions of games that may have had Windows releases: Linux and Mac OS X compatibility. Starship Titanic does run in WINE, but has been plagued with rendering errors and problems with the FMV. I've actually been eagerly anticipating native support for Starship Titanic in ScummVM, as I missed out on playing this game when it was released.

Why bother making anything run through ScummVM? For one thing because it's a cross-platform engine. For another, because there is a difference between making the original engine run on a modern system, and writing a new engine to replace it. Writing a new engine (which is how the ScummVM support is achieved) allows you to do things like making a unified interface for various options across all games (such as savegame management) and to possibly fix bugs in the original game.

See, I didn't know any of that :D I always thought of it as just something that makes the old games run on my modern PC, end of story. Keep in mind, I'm the definition of a stupid end-user. When I got ScummVM to see the second CD of Discworld II the other day I felt like I hacked NASA :D Now this whole makes sense, thanks.

So you're the reason the next mission to the ISS is delayed.

Hehe, sorry. You always struck me as a more technical type, so I assumed you knew more about these things ;-)

Other reasons, besides the ones others already mentioned:

ScummVM can fix all sorts of glitches present in the release or final versions of games, including game logic errors that may have caused unintended dead ends and stuff. I haven't used ScummVM all that much but I think on the website I found a few notes about a few fixed glitches.

Edit: I just remembered, I actually read on the GOG forums that a notorious game breaking bug in the first chapter of I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream was fixed in ScummVM, to name an example.

Secondly, GOG only makes sure that the games run, not necessarily that they run perfectly. There may be performance or rendering issues left in a GOG release that ScummVM most definitely will take care of.

Finally ScummVM can improve games in a number of ways. From what I recall there were some optional interface improvements in a number of titles, I think I saw something like that in Space Quest IV. And I believe ResidualVM (a sister project aimed at 3D games) added an experimental point & click interface to Grim Fandango.

In addition to the other reasons listed ScummVM port should allow greater compatibility even on recent Windows OSes. This title can be finicky depending on one's particular PC setup.