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Post by 50tbrd on Apr 14, 2014 19:52:06 GMT -5
A lot of homebrew developers are looking to design overlays for their games. It seems like getting them professional screen printed is the hang up. There is no doubt that the quality of the originals is difficult to reproduce even when you can find a printer to produce something. Finding the material, the proper thickness, getting colors and registers correct, etc are all gigantic concerns that cause delays and financial set backs. As I said in another thread, I don't believe that every game warrants a professional screen printed overlay but there are some that do and some that it'd be a nice addition. I present this idea to developers in the community, design your game around the overlay of an existing professional overlay and design a revision or add on to the design to make it themed toward your game. The border would be the part that you'd revise and you could get it professional printed in vinyl to cover the original artwork. It would be cheap to get printed, available everywhere and anywhere, removable and reusable without damaging the original overlay and the overlay basis would more than likely already be part of most peoples collection or easily obtainable, plentiful and in expensive. cNp has been utilizing the Berzerk overlay and I think this would be a great idea for his game to utilize. Most people have Berzerk, cover it with a removable, reuseable vinyl decal and it's now themed toward Big Blue. |
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Post by 50tbrd on Apr 14, 2014 20:13:44 GMT -5
In addition, you are not limited in colors for your design and you can make variations of your design, so it's a lot more liberating than it may seem at first.
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Post by TrekMD on Apr 14, 2014 20:19:38 GMT -5
That's an interesting idea and it would make things much easier.
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Post by Der Luchs on Apr 15, 2014 7:12:23 GMT -5
If I understand it right, you mean an Overlay for the original Overlays?
Is that right?
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Post by binarystar on Apr 15, 2014 8:07:00 GMT -5
Deisgning games around existing overlays is a good idea imo, (i have designed a few of mine around existing overlays already) but the problem is still the players will still need the (often expensive) original overlays. I have considered buying some lexan sheets and printing transparent vinyl stickers and then using a lacquer to finish to make a homebrew overlay. I'd like to try this soon, sadly my printer is broken at the moment though.
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Post by 50tbrd on Apr 15, 2014 12:42:40 GMT -5
@der Luchs, if you want to call it that. My idea is more like a sticker. Maybe CnP and I can discuss the execution of this idea. Or I can go through the homebrew games I have and see what I can work up. I have a friend who owns a vinyl decal business and owes me a few favors anyway.
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Post by cNp on Apr 15, 2014 14:56:14 GMT -5
I'm not sure on what to do yet but if I'm happy with my game I think I'd like to do one where I do the box, overlay and instructions to a really high quality... but we will see... with Big Blue likely just needing a plain blue transparent I could find a suitable transparent material and use a decal on that.
I do love the high qual reproductions and the homebrew ones like Protector and Kristoff's ones.
Maybe if the game is not so good then I can use the high quality packaging as the equivalent to a clear plastic binder for a school project!
cNp
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Post by TrekMD on Apr 15, 2014 15:29:02 GMT -5
One suggestion about these, if anyone decides to go this route. How about making the sticker for the overlay with a static cling material. Easy to apply and remove from an existing overlay without damage.
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Post by gliptitude on Apr 16, 2014 10:08:50 GMT -5
I think the modification of an original overlay using custom stickers of some kind could be really cool. But I would see that succeeding mostly in a special example rather than a repeatable solution to the problem. .. Like i think it would take some particular insight from the author to devise a retro-fit design that worked with his game, and that he should put these together himself in a permanent way, preferably using an overlay that was both common and not one of the better games, (Clean Sweep?). Perhaps purchase of the game would require a donor overlay from each customer.
.. For a while I have thought that a good idea would be to have some GENERIC overlays printed and cut, and then people could do more with them than just play the one game that most overlays are made to play. .. To me it is very annoying having all the titles and embellishments from one game when I am using the overlay with another game. I'd rather have no identifying marks than the wrong ones.
Generic overlays of course would be better candidates for the sticker job also. Not so precious as the antique ones and unused so lacking in scratches and imperfections, (how many GCE overlays have you seen that were as clean and bright as Kristof's?)
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Post by VECTREXER on Apr 17, 2014 9:41:12 GMT -5
One suggestion about these, if anyone decides to go this route. How about making the sticker for the overlay with a static cling material. Easy to apply and remove from an existing overlay without damage. This is an interesting idea. But instead of apply to the overlay, apply the static cling components directly to the CRT. In order to accommodate the curve of the CRT face the static cling components may need to be cut to s shape allowing deformation. Cutting special shapes should be east enough with the one of the Cutting Printers or Plotters available. Accommodating multiple colors for the static cling components is just a matter of changing the color of the material used. Storage of the static cling components when not in use could be accomplished by include a board. Similar to the way Coloforms pieces are store when not in use. |
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Post by TrekMD on Apr 17, 2014 13:29:50 GMT -5
That is something that may also work, vectrexer.
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