Bubbles Multiwilliams CPO design, feedback wanted...

[gwarble]

Bubbles Multiwilliams CPO design, feedback wanted...

latest:

Hey all,

I scored a free bubbles cab not too long ago, at some point i'll make a thread for the restore, etc... short of it is i'm going with a clay's multiwilliams with only bubbles, robotron, joust, and splat...

main reason is i don't like the cluttered multiwilliams panels, kills most games for me (and i recently got a defender so i won't be missing it for now... another discussion)

anyway, i want some feedback on my layout and CPO design... i'm going for simple, and bubbles theme (as the rest of the cabinet will be regular bubbles artwork... and making robotron the priority i put the sticks centered on the panel... makes joust a little more crowded but they're the wrong sticks anyway (i'm not looking forward to joust with tall, large, 8-way sticks, but better than robotron with tiny 2-ways

things i haven't decided yet:
- should i add a regular bubbles stick in between the two robotron/joust sticks?
- should i make everything blue (the robotron surrounds and start text) or should i make the wings/move/flap text yellow/blue like joust and leave the robotron red stuff?

my ultimate goal is true-to-original controls as much as possible... so the third joystick would look weird but would make bubbles better...

anyway, i'm rambling, but feedback appreciated on what i've thrown together the last couple days learning illustrator... i drilled more holes in my swiss cheese moon patrol panel that came on the bubbles, and placed my sticks and buttons in these positions already which feels good without actually playing yet (i'm still working on wiring the cabinet and getting my old multiwilliams boards working)... the artwork felt clean when i started from the bottom, but now its starting to feel cluttered, so i may shrink stuff and go back to the bottom and remove some more things

thanks
- gwarble

ps: i'm looking for a vector file for the original bubbles cpo if anyone has it, thanks

 

[gwarble]

quick change trying the all-blue control artwork (stick surrounds), added artwork for each game it will play to the top corner of dead space, but its too cluttered looking so that will probably go and maybe a bubble or two like the left side


opinions wanted, i'm wondering if the bubbles character will look weird without a joystick-nose and button-stigmata, since he's lower on this version and there (probably) won't be a center blue joystick... although if i go with the above blue scheme i'll use blue sticks instead of red... or if you think the limited multiwilliams is a good or bad idea, or the centered robotron controls...

also scored by finding a sinistar control panel (converted) in storage that i can use to make a dedicated bubbles panel with the real bubbles stick and NOS cpo...

thanks
- gwarble

 

[Brick Top]

I like the all blue version, looks pretty nice, not homemade. However I would nix
the added games up in the corner. They do clutter things up a bit.

It's not like anyone ever reads CPO's anyway.

I am also of the belief that trying to add the Defender/Stargates to a MW panel is just too much. I am currently redoing mine in a Robotron cabinet. Trying to figure out a place to slip in that one extra button. I have a Stargate panel to swap in if I get the urge to play those games.

 

[gwarble]

thanks, i'm liking the all blue too... blue sticks would look cool, what do you think about a third centered actual bubbles joystick, too much?

one button on a robotron is a good idea (using 2P start i would assume as 2p flap as well?) and i'm glad you agree (i also saw phet's joust with 8-ways for the same effect... the defenders can have another panel, even though panel swapping sounds good in theory and rarely gets done in my arcade, bubbles may get its own dedicated panel too

i agree, game artwork in the corner is out, maybe blue-scale the other game stuff in the bottom right corner too... or remove it... i'll mess around with it more this week but i'm liking the layout so far

 

[gwarble]

ok a quick cleaner version, smaller control surrounds, removed the game titles, removed some but not all from below, one with bubbles and one without (or one only in the corner)

flap wings could be blue'ed as well, i like the top left corner bubbles/multiwilliams, so i may keep that but remove the rest... or turn each button into a bubble

hmm... so many choices

 

[gwarble]

the more i simplify it the better i like it

small change... i will probably go back to decluttered lower right corner though, but i like the grunt better than the 2084

 

[pookdolie]

the more i simplify it the better i like it

small change... i will probably go back to decluttered lower right corner though, but i like the grunt better than the 2084

If you do that, then this is the version I'd go with. I agree: simplify, simplify.

 

[Silverunicorn]

This looks REALLY good.

Nice work!

Chris

 

[gwarble]

Thanks....

 

[jow]

I like that... a lot.

The only reason I picked up the MW was for Robotron, Joust, Bubbles, and Splat. I have a Robo cab though. Any interest in making a CPO like this, but in a Robotron theme?

 

[gwarble]

Thanks, i'm glad i tried this

Admittedly i deserve no credit for any of the artwork, all i did was scale, position, and color the beautiful work of talented artists

I could try a robotron theme, but it will be low priority in a long list of projects... and i wouldn't want to contribute to the destruction of any real robotron cps, and i hear there are no more repro metal cps avail

I never installed my clay kit in my robotron, couldn't bring myself to do anything but play robotron on it anyway, too good of a game, but adding robotron to a bubbles seems like an upgrade of sorts

EDIT: you two with robotrons... would you want the 1p flap button spacing the same as 2p joystick - to - 2pStart/Flap spacing? or more standard spacing on the 1p side? or moving the start buttons to joust's position (in the middle) and have two better spaced flap buttons (my preference, and it would discourage people from drilling a clean robotron panel)

 

[gwarble]

small update, nearing completion... i'm pretty happy with how it looks, i'll print out a mockup and see what it looks like in real life soon

so top right corner, looks bland without anything, bubbles are a little much, no?


changed the joust character to the sideart image... fixed some colors (wings, text, outlines...)

- gwarble

 

[pookdolie]

so top right corner, looks bland without anything, bubbles are a little much, no?

How about keeping the "Williams" and W logo on the left upper, and moving the "Multigame" and the M to the right upper?

 

[gwarble]

Thanks, i did try that but liked it better all together...

 

[OldTymeToys]

I really like what you did here! I'm very partial to blue, so the overall look of it really appeals to me. Just make sure you print it out on plain paper and lay it over your cp. That way, some minor adjustments may jump out at you where they might not have while looking at a flat image on a computer screen.

 

[gwarble]

Yeah, i thought about that, ill print a mockup tonite

 

[gwarble]

here's with the williams W and multigame M split to each side, pookdo...

i like them together better, personally

i'm going to find my printer tonight and print a mockup, i'll post a photo when i have a chance, thanks again everyone for positive feedback and suggestions

- gwarble

EDIT: and i'm still wondering what it would look/play like with a third joystick in the middle in true bubbles fashion... good or bad idea? could make the artwork have a nose...
EDIT again: any artists out there that could draw a nose (or a couple to choose from) or the hand details missing where the buttons would be? i don't think i want to get that much into learning to create vector artwork, nor can i draw what would look anywhere near decent

 

[gwarble]

here's mockup #1... some drastic spacing errors from assumptions on available artwork, i had to do some manual "cut and paste" to see how the front would look as it was set too far down (seen in the middle)

but that should be easy to fix, mockup #2 should actually look decent

- gwarble