Plugin Suggestion: TV Mode

[Snake]

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

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

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?

[Snake]

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

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

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.

[GarageGothic]

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.

[LimpingFish]

The Point and Click Development Kit 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.

[Snake]

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