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What we need are programs compiled down to some minimal instruction sets, simplifying the implementation of custom vm able to run such software. The source doe

What we need are programs compiled down to some minimal instruction sets, simplifying the implementation of custom vm able to run such software. The source does not mean anything if there is no working compiler, or if the compiler doesn't support your new shiny platform. It is the same for servers. Having the source for a whole hosting service depending on some specific hardware doesn't matter. If we decide to truly care about software legacy, we need to re-think the stack.

mid-kid 3y ago
Having the code makes it easier to write a new minimal compiler, translator or interprer, just to run the specific game. Or understand how the game works to make a good rewrite/port. Not every game has a dedicated enough fanbase to do this, but having the option is always great. Rewriting the engine doesn't mean you have to rewrite all the dialogue and in-engine scripts, after all. Of course, if you want to write and use something like SCUMM for your games, that's appreciated, too...
anthk 3y ago
No. As long we have gcc/clang and SDL/GL/Vulkan, games will be portable to anything.
- TheMode 3y ago
  Raw assembly is theoretically portable as well, why do you want the source? My problem with these is that they are cross-platform only as long as the maintainers decide they are, you aren't gonna write a vulkan software impl from scratch if the platform doesn't come with one. Now you can argue that this is all very unlikely, but you have to agree that this is no archival. At some point the project will become unusable because of all the automation code it depends on. Binary search will outlive it.
brohee 3y ago
SCUMM VM is now like that, plenty of Point and Click games https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm
- TheMode 3y ago
  My main point is that you shouldn't depend on code to be able to run the program, but on the spec. Hence the emphasize on the spec being simple to implement. There is no way to ensure that a vm/compiler will last forever, especially given the infinite amount of potential platforms. Binary search as a concept will last longer than ScummVM.

mid-kid 3y ago

Having the code makes it easier to write a new minimal compiler, translator or interprer, just to run the specific game. Or understand how the game works to make a good rewrite/port. Not every game has a dedicated enough fanbase to do this, but having the option is always great. Rewriting the engine doesn't mean you have to rewrite all the dialogue and in-engine scripts, after all. Of course, if you want to write and use something like SCUMM for your games, that's appreciated, too...

anthk 3y ago

No. As long we have gcc/clang and SDL/GL/Vulkan, games will be portable to anything.

TheMode 3y ago
Raw assembly is theoretically portable as well, why do you want the source? My problem with these is that they are cross-platform only as long as the maintainers decide they are, you aren't gonna write a vulkan software impl from scratch if the platform doesn't come with one. Now you can argue that this is all very unlikely, but you have to agree that this is no archival. At some point the project will become unusable because of all the automation code it depends on. Binary search will outlive it.

brohee 3y ago

SCUMM VM is now like that, plenty of Point and Click games https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm

TheMode 3y ago
My main point is that you shouldn't depend on code to be able to run the program, but on the spec. Hence the emphasize on the spec being simple to implement. There is no way to ensure that a vm/compiler will last forever, especially given the infinite amount of potential platforms. Binary search as a concept will last longer than ScummVM.