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Loom (DOS)

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This page details pre-release information and/or media for Loom (DOS).

Loom_ega_pre_gdc2015_2.png The first LOOM design document was created on August 18, 1988.1 It was announced to the public at the 1989 Summer CES. A planned released date around January 1990 slipped; the game was finished on March 6, 1990,2 and released in May 1990.

A talkie CD version with VGA graphics, heavily revised and condensed dialogue, and many character close-ups removed was released in 1992.

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Floppy Prerelease Images#

"Cathedral", an early art test by Mark Ferrari

(Source: Computer Gaming World)

A very early image of Bobbin in the Forge. Bobbin's sprite has the eyes placed lower and is missing some wrinkles on his robe. The background is different also, with the woodbin and the archway to the furnace missing, as well as the door to the cell. Instead, the walkway high overhead is continuous, and there's a firepit in place of the woodbin.

(Source: Lucasfilm Games catalog, 1989)

The Great Scythe with white ropes and the same very early Bobbin sprite. The distaff appears yellow. There are no Glassmakers on this screen yet, and the teleportation bells have yet to be drawn in.

(Source: Joystick DE, August 1989)

Early view of the Forge, another screenshot showing Bobbin's lower eyes. His distaff in the wrong hand as well.
Early view of the Forge, another screenshot showing Bobbin's lower eyes. His distaff in the wrong hand as well.
The owls on Loom Island. The font is different, and the standard SCUMM crosshair cursor is visible. Bobbin's eyes are fixed, but his robe still lacks wrinkles.
The owls on Loom Island. The font is different, and the standard SCUMM crosshair cursor is visible. Bobbin's eyes are fixed, but his robe still lacks wrinkles.
Early version of Hetchel's tent, including the Straw into Gold spinning wheel. A sheet of paper is on the table instead of the Book of Patterns, and the wrinkles on Bobbin's robe are still missing. The upright flask on the table is empty. Finally, something (a cliff or another tent) is visible outside the tent opening.
Early version of Hetchel's tent, including the Straw into Gold spinning wheel. A sheet of paper is on the table instead of the Book of Patterns, and the wrinkles on Bobbin's robe are still missing. The upright flask on the table is empty. Finally, something (a cliff or another tent) is visible outside the tent opening.

(Source: Génération 4, summer 1989)

Early version of Hetchel's tent, now with the Book of Patterns added and the wrinkles on Bobbin's robe finalized

(Source: Tilt, July/August 1989)

Early version of the title screen, with a different copyright notice. The font doesn't match either the distaff GUI or the regular text font in other screenshots from this time.
Early version of the title screen, with a different copyright notice. The font doesn't match either the distaff GUI or the regular text font in other screenshots from this time.
The starting screen. Note the thin font with a vertical drop shadow, and the different GUI design. The pointer cursor would eventually appear in the final game.
The starting screen. Note the thin font with a vertical drop shadow, and the different GUI design. The pointer cursor would eventually appear in the final game.
The Loom Chamber, with a GUI drawing of the Loom that was later cut. Nobody else is present, and the background window is still intact.
The Loom Chamber, with a GUI drawing of the Loom that was later cut. Nobody else is present, and the background window is still intact.
Lightning strikes the tree on Loom Island. The right edge of this background was cropped in the final game.
Lightning strikes the tree on Loom Island. The right edge of this background was cropped in the final game.
The dock on Loom Island, without any seagulls or clams.
The dock on Loom Island, without any seagulls or clams.
The waterspout off the mainland coast. The left edge of this background was cropped in the final game.
The waterspout off the mainland coast. The left edge of this background was cropped in the final game.
The Great Scythe chamber. The ropes holding the Scythe are no longer white, but the workers on this screen are absent, and the teleportation bells are still missing.
The Great Scythe chamber. The ropes holding the Scythe are no longer white, but the workers on this screen are absent, and the teleportation bells are still missing.
Outside Fleece's hut. The smoke from her chimney is sited properly here, but in the final game it comes out from the top of her hut due to a bug.
Outside Fleece's hut. The smoke from her chimney is sited properly here, but in the final game it comes out from the top of her hut due to a bug.
Approaching the Forge. Bobbin is walking on a part of the screen that's not accessible in the final game, and the right edge of the background was cropped out.
Approaching the Forge. Bobbin is walking on a part of the screen that's not accessible in the final game, and the right edge of the background was cropped out.
Stoke's room in the Forge. The background has been redrawn with the features of the final version, but Stoke himself is absent, and the cell door is shut, which in the final game only happens when Bobbin is locked inside.
Stoke's room in the Forge. The background has been redrawn with the features of the final version, but Stoke himself is absent, and the cell door is shut, which in the final game only happens when Bobbin is locked inside.
The dungeon in Mandible's castle. All the cages are shut, which never happens in the final game, and both Mandible's beast and the Glassmakers' Sphere are missing.
The dungeon in Mandible's castle. All the cages are shut, which never happens in the final game, and both Mandible's beast and the Glassmakers' Sphere are missing.
The Shore of Wonder, with no swans, and Bobbin walking around normally rather than floating in space.
The Shore of Wonder, with no swans, and Bobbin walking around normally rather than floating in space.

(Source: Game Player's PC Strategy Guide, volume 2, no. 4, September/October 1989)

Early screenshot of Hetchel's tent with the spinning wheel.
Early screenshot of Hetchel's tent with the spinning wheel.
Early screenshot of Mandible's balcony. The thin font has a different, more complicated drop shadow here.
Early screenshot of Mandible's balcony. The thin font has a different, more complicated drop shadow here.

(Source: Game Player's PC Buyers' Guide, volume 2, no. 5, November/December 1989)

An early image of the Loom Sanctuary. The tapestry on the wall is not torn, and glass shards from the shattered window are visible on the floor.

The distaff GUI has now taken on its final form, and the in-game text has become bold rather than thin.

The text of the accompanying article mentions "the triumphant conclusion of the game". Either there was a miscommunication or something very different for the ending was planned at one point.

(Source: Computer Gaming World #70, April 1990)

A screenshot on the box with a different GUI image for the sheep in the meadow.
A screenshot on the box with a different GUI image for the sheep in the meadow.
A screenshot on the box with a different GUI image for the seagull. Notice the small crosshair cursor.
A screenshot on the box with a different GUI image for the seagull. Notice the small crosshair cursor.
Another version of the screenshot with the different seagull image in the GUI. The cursor is absent here.

(Source: Computer Gaming World advertisement)

This black-and-white scan from the manual shows more clearly that the font in this screenshot has a different, more complicated drop shadow.
A prerelease screenshot of a French build. Notice how the game window is vertically centered during cutscenes. It's possible this was a "bullshot" where the French translators pasted French text over an original pre-release English image.
A text caption for the exterior of Crystalgard that doesn't appear in the final game.

(Source: Génération 4, February 1990)

One of the Shepherds talking to Bobbin. In the final game only Bobbin has white text.
One of the Shepherds talking to Bobbin. In the final game only Bobbin has white text.
In some early builds the GUI displayed a grayed-out distaff during some cutscenes.
In some early builds the GUI displayed a grayed-out distaff during some cutscenes.

(Source: Génération 4, April 1990)

Bobbin outside the Loom Island tents, without the distaff. Notice the screen is vertically centered even though this appears to be gameplay.
Bobbin outside the Loom Island tents, without the distaff. Notice the screen is vertically centered even though this appears to be gameplay.
The Loom Island docks, with the grayed-out distaff
The Loom Island docks, with the grayed-out distaff
Bobbin being caught by the workers polishing the Great Scythe, with vertical centering. The dialogue here does not appear in the final game.
Bobbin being caught by the workers polishing the Great Scythe, with vertical centering. The dialogue here does not appear in the final game.
Mandible's castle, with vertical centering
Mandible's castle, with vertical centering
Mandible's dungeon. The Sphere is still not present.
Mandible's dungeon. The Sphere is still not present.

(Source: Tilt, February 1990)

Bobbin in the dragon's lair. The dragon appears to be talking, but no text is visible. Just below Bobbin is the small crosshair cursor, captured mid-flicker.

(Source: PCGames (US) magazine, September/October 1990)

The Loom Island crossroads. The exit to the tents is marked with a picture in the GUI, a feature which was later cut. (Other screenshots from this article show the pointer cursor from the final game was in use by this point.)
The Loom Island crossroads. The exit to the tents is marked with a picture in the GUI, a feature which was later cut. (Other screenshots from this article show the pointer cursor from the final game was in use by this point.)
Elder Atropos, with white text later changed to teal. The word "Membership" in his dialogue was later put on its own separate line. Vertical centering is present here as well.
Elder Atropos, with white text later changed to teal. The word "Membership" in his dialogue was later put on its own separate line. Vertical centering is present here as well.
Fleece's text color is green here instead of yellow. Her sprite has a proper right-facing view with her distaff in her right hand. This was later cut and her left-facing view was mirrored.
Fleece's text color is green here instead of yellow. Her sprite has a proper right-facing view with her distaff in her right hand. This was later cut and her left-facing view was mirrored.

(Source: PowerPlay, May 1990)

A deleted room in Crystalgard, along the passages from the chalice room to the graveyard and the sphere room, containing three giant hourglasses. Two of them are sealed and have run down, but the third is open and active, and being filled by a Glassmaker shoveling a giant pile of sand. In the floppy version the hourglasses are still visible in the long shot of Crystalgard.

(Source: Tilt advertisement, September 1990)

Some unused art for LOOM that was shown off by Brian Moriarty in his presentation at GDC 2015:

An early version of the exterior of Crystalgard.
An early version of the exterior of Crystalgard.
An early version of the chalice room in Crystalgard, featuring a maze and several mirrors.
An early version of the chalice room in Crystalgard, featuring a maze and several mirrors.
The deleted hourglass room in Crystalgard. The Glassmaker shoveling sand has white glasses.
The deleted hourglass room in Crystalgard. The Glassmaker shoveling sand has white glasses.

Moriarty's presentation also featured some footage of the ending, but the footage appears to have been from an early build, with some lines of dialogue absent.

Chaos' lines "Your pious meddling has foiled my dream of an eternal empire, bound together under One Rule... MINE!" do not appear. As a result, his angry face as he finishes speaking is used with an earlier line. Cygna's line "However, it is also a chance for we on THIS side to begin a second Pattern, cleansed of wickedness!" is absent as well.

The music also has some differences. After Bobbin tears open the Loom, Chaos' theme plays for a bit, before being cut off when Bobbin gains the high C note. The final version instead uses a reprise of the intro theme that begins when Cygna's closeup appears. Additionally, there's a musical sound effect when Chaos breaks the handle of the Great Scythe (the same as the window shattering in the Loom Sanctuary earlier) that was later cut.

Chaos' angry face appears with different dialogue than in the published game

(Source: GDC 2015)

DOS CD Prerelease Images#

The forest, showing an unfinished sky and sea in the background
The forest, showing an unfinished sky and sea in the background
The Shepherds, wearing gray tabards like they do in the FM Towns and TurboGrafx-16 versions. However, their animations shown here are unique to the DOS CD.
The Shepherds, wearing gray tabards like they do in the FM Towns and TurboGrafx-16 versions. However, their animations shown here are unique to the DOS CD.
Mandible's dungeon. It looks like there's a crack of some sort in the Scrying Sphere.
Mandible's dungeon. It looks like there's a crack of some sort in the Scrying Sphere.

(Source: Génération 4, June 1992)

Rusty and Bobbin both holding distaffs in the scene where Rusty shows Bobbin the Forge

References#

  1. Brian Moriarty (LucasArts, Infocom) - Loom Post-Mortem talk at EVA 2015 (Argentina) - EVA Expo, 2015↩︎
  2. GDC Vault - Classic Game Postmortem: Loom - Game Developers Conference, 2015↩︎