Render menu no longer gives options to make AGI games for one platform look like those from another

[johnpevensie]

ScummVM 2.7.0

ScummVM 1.8.0 added a feature to the AGI engine: "Added ability to make for example a PC version look like an Apple IIgs version. This includes palette, cursor, transition and even font. Just set corresponding render mode."
However, since ScummVM 2.7.0 limited the "Render" menu to options supported by the original game on the original platform, this feature is no longer accessible to AGI games. On my PC version of King's Quest III, for example, I only see options for CGA, EGA, and Hercules, as well as Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC, even though AGI was never released for the last three platforms. I no longer have the option to set my game to adopt the palettes and menus of the Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIgs, and Mac versions of AGI.
Similarly, on my Amiga version of Gold Rush!, the Render menu is blank, preventing me from changing the game to resemble a PC version and eliminating the room transitions in the title screen.

I have tested this with the PC version of King's Quest III from the King's Quest Collection Series and the Amiga version of Gold Rush!, on the Mac OS X PPC port.

[athrxx]

It is true that we made an attempt to limit the render mode settings to the ones that actually make sense.

For AGI, we weren't aware that you were actually supposed to have more options than the platform would normally suggest.

So, how exactly is it supposed to be like? Should all AGI versions for all platforms have the same Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIgs, Mac, CGA, EGA, and Hercules options? Or are there any exceptions?

[johnpevensie]

As far as I know, all AGI games for all platforms should have the same options. The PC version of AGI supported CGA, CGA Composite, Tandy/EGA, and Hercules graphics modes. AGI was also released for the Amiga, Atari ST, Macintosh, Apple IIgs, Tandy Color Computer 3, and Apple II. AGI was definitely never released for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, or Amstrad CPC.
Apple II is irrelevant because I doubt ScummVM supports Apple II AGI games, but all of the other versions mentioned are supported (for example, the ScummVM compatibility page for King's Quest III: ​https://www.scummvm.org/compatibility/DEV/kq3/) and should be presented as options for all games on all platforms.
I don't know how relevant the Macintosh or Color Computer 3 options are for games not released for those platforms, though. When the render mode was set to Macintosh, for example, the Macintosh palette was used, but ScummVM does not support the Macintosh versions' fonts or user interface.

All this to say, the render menu for all AGI2 and AGI3 games for all platforms should list:
CGA
CGA Composite (when it is supported)
Hercules Green/Amber
Tandy/EGA
Amiga
Atari ST
Apple IIgs
Macintosh (maybe)
Tandy Color Computer 3 (also a maybe)

The main exception I can think of is for Donald Duck's Playground and AGI1 disk images (if they ever are supported), but I have not tested that game.

[sev-]

Fixed and backported to branch-2-7.

Indeed, this was originally a feature of ScummVM: to allow, say, Amiga-style cursors and menus in the DOS version. Thus, it was forgotten about when we added GUIOs.

[m-kiewitz]

@johnpevensie

but ScummVM does not support the Macintosh versions' fonts or user interface.

I'm the developer that added all these features years ago.

I never looked into Macintosh versions, because I don't own any.
You got an idea which font was used on Macintosh?
Was it a bundled font that came with AGI? Or a system font? If the latter, where is that font located? Got any screenshots?

I guess for user interface maybe AGI used Macintosh system features? I remember something like that for SCI, but I'm not exactly sure.

[johnpevensie]

I do not own any Macintosh AGI games either, but I am aware of them. This article examines the history of these releases: ​https://www.savagetaylor.com/2019/12/15/68k-macintosh-and-sierra-agi-games/. I have uploaded screenshots here, most of which come from MobyGames. Most of them are also in black-and-white. Indeed, although all of the AGI games released for Mac were available in color, some versions can only be played in black-and-white, and I do not know if the data files are in color.
I assume the fonts used by these games were bundled high-resolution fonts that varied by game. As I do not own any copies, I do not know where the fonts are located.
I assume the user interface for the Macintosh version used many system features. From viewing screenshots, I assume it was a hybrid interface that still relied on the parser system of the original games but allowed users to choose words from the titlebar menu. it had a few icons to the side, most notably "status", which gave your score, and "look". Additional icons and top bar menus varied based on game, such as a timer with King's Quest III, a "swim" icon for King's Quest I, and the "map" and "radio" icons and the "cruise" menu in Police Quest. The fonts beneath the icons, and of course, the menu and parser fonts, are Macintosh system fonts.
Other than that, I have nothing to say because I only own PC and Amiga AGI games.

[johnpevensie]

Perhaps the additional fonts and interface elements (not related to the Macintosh system) were stored in resource forks or the original executable.