SCUMM: LOOM (EGA): font drop shadow changes over animation & unique drop shadows in certain scenes are not implemented

[ATMcashpoint]

In the EGA version of LOOM on the original interpreter, when text appears above the black part of the screen, many scenes have uniquely coded drop shadows around the fonts, none of which are implemented in ScummVM.

Sometimes this takes the form of a reversed shadow, which generally has two pixels, one up and one left, where the regular drop shadow has three (down, right, and diagonally down-right).

Whether the reverse drop shadows are present can depend on which screen the game is currently on, which puzzles have been solved, what character is speaking, and even what direction the player entered the screen from.

However, it also seems that overall, costume animations playing below text cause the individual pixels of any text right around them to change their drop shadows.

Generally, in such instances, regular three-pixel drop shadows switch to having only one pixel (diagonally down-right), while the reverse drop shadows with two pixels (up & left) now have the lowest vertical pixel of leftward shadows omitted, or the only leftward pixel omitted if there's just one.

It's also possible for drop shadows to be redrawn when a room object under them is redrawn, though I've only found one screen that does that, and it's a special case.

Here's a list of rooms with notable issues. This list may not be exhaustive.

Loom Chamber (room 9): has reverse shadows, but only after Hetchel hatches from the egg. Note that the reverse shadows don't appear if you skip the cutscene of Hetchel emerging from the egg before it first cuts to her close-up.

Waterspout (room 13): This room is an extremely special case. Only a few lines of dialogue are affected here, and only a couple of pixels in some words are changed.

When Bobbin says "Don't want to get any closer" there's a shadow pixel missing below the start of the D in "Don't", and one missing below the start of the T in "to". When the lightning flashes on the right of the waterspout (a room object rather than a costume), two other pixels disappear from the word "get", one from below the left side of the descender in the G and one from the top of the T.

If Bobbin says "That thread is too high for me! Guess I need more experience." there's a shadow pixel missing below the start of the G in "Guess".

When Bobbin says "Whew! Listen to that twisty wind!", when the lightning flashes on the right of the waterspout, a pixel disappears from the lower right end of the T in "that", as does one at the lower left end of the T in "twisty". These missing pixels are slightly higher than the ones in the other lines.

Crystalgard Graveyard (room 17): has reverse shadows if you come in from east or west exits. If you come in from the north exit, reverse shadows are normally absent. If the cutscene with Bobbin meeting Master Goodmold for the first time plays after coming in via the north, then reverse shadows are added after the cutscene, but go away if Bobbin leaves and re-enters from the north again. (They don't appear if the cutscene is skipped before cutting to Goodmold's close-up.)

Forest (room 23): has reverse shadows for the Shepherds' dialogue, but not for Bobbin's dialogue

Pasture (room 24): has reverse shadows for the Shepherd's dialogue, and sometimes for Bobbin's dialogue depending on where he is on screen and where he entered from. If Bobbin entered from the forest on the right, then he'll have reverse shadows only while standing to the right of the fence; if Bobbin entered from Fleece's hut, he'll have reverse shadows only while standing to the left of the fence.

Forge Sword Room (room 41): lines spoken by Mandible, the Foreman, and Edgewise have reverse shadows, but not Bobbin

Crystalgard Shattered Graveyard (room 49): regular shadows until Goodmold dies, then adds reverse shadows. The reverse shadows don't appear if you skip the cutscene of Goodmold's death before it cuts away to the Great Scythe. Also, they go away if you leave and re-enter after his death.

Loom Chamber, torn open (room 51): regular shadows except for Chaos' dialogue as Bobbin exits, which has reverse shadows

I've included a ZIP file of screenshots that illustrate this behavior in the original interpreter.