This isn't nessesary and definately isn't on top of anyone else's list, but I thought it would be fun to play around with.
The best way I think to do this would be to have an option for 25%, 50% or 100% scanlines and an option for fast blur. 25% or 50% with the fast blur looks the closet to a TV.
Yeah, I know there really isn't any point to have this for an adventure game made to be played on the computer, but I have a couple ideas were it would be great:
-Anyone who's making a video game inside the adventure game that the character is playing on a TV.
-The best reason for this would be if someone is making a remake of a video game (ie, Colxfile or me) and wanted to add a bit more to the nostalgia ;)
-Could also use the scanlines alone for the perpose of it looking like an older computer monitor.
Like I said, I'm not pushing the issue, just a fun suggestion.
--Snake
Well, as far as scanlines as concerned, I don't suppose a large permanent GUI with alternate transparent and black lines would do the trick?
Yeah, it works. I tried it once but it looked like ass. If I remember right, the cursor is still drawn over the GUI.
--Snake
Well, if it doesn't look good (and come to think of it, in lower res of course it wouldn't), then there's no real sense in keeping at it, but a possible workaround for the cursor thing would be to have a GUI that followed the cursor around, changed graphics when the user changed mode, and generally behave like the cursor, while the cursor itself was invisible. Naturally, this Mouse-impersonating-GUI would be under the scanlines GUI.
But this is just a bit of a fun little exercise. If it looks bad, then it's best to drop yet, yeah.
Scanlines by GUI look fine in 640x480, I've been doing exactly this for my game and even text is easily readable as long as the scanlines are about 75% transparent.
The Point and Click Development Kit (http://www.adventure-creator.com/?page=news&lg=e) has a number of special effect filters, a TV/Monitor effect being one of them.
I raised a point about the feasibilty of adding similar stuff to the AGS engine a time ago, but...nobody cared :'(
I think it may have to do with the non-DX accelerated nature of the AGS engine. Or something. I'm just plucking stuff out of the air. :-\
Oh well. Just thought I'd throw it out there...again. I guess I could try the scanlines GUI thing again if I choose to use that idea later on. It still wouldn't be the same without the blur anyway.
--Snake