Zombie Origin Redesign for USPCC

[Alex Willis]

As I've grown a little older and a little wiser, I realize that my first deck while well received did not have the design elements nor the branding that USPCC can provide to help legitimize the deck.  So I took a trip back to the drawing board and began making some serious changes.  First, the court cards.  Originally these were the same on both ends, however as a board gamer I learned quickly that I'd be able to create more games if I could reverse the cards making them pre- and post- zombie.  It's not a new concept, but I like to give this deck as much flexibility as possible.

First Change:

Courts - Changes in fonts and alignment as well as pre- and post- zombie images

[Don Boyer]

As I've grown a little older and a little wiser, I realize that my first deck while well received did not have the design elements nor the branding that USPCC can provide to help legitimize the deck.  So I took a trip back to the drawing board and began making some serious changes.  First, the court cards.  Originally these were the same on both ends, however as a board gamer I learned quickly that I'd be able to create more games if I could reverse the cards making them pre- and post- zombie.  It's not a new concept, but I like to give this deck as much flexibility as possible.

First Change:

Courts - Changes in fonts and alignment as well as pre- and post- zombie images

Looks better - I have a new suggestion for you...

Flip the court images so your "diagonal line" cuts between the non-index corners rather than the index corners, placing the upright court image to the left next to the index.  Now take the large pips in the court image and turn them so the one closest to the top is upright rather than upside-down.

[Alex Willis]

Excuse the quick redraw.  I'm assuming you mean like #1 or would #2 be adequate?

[Don Boyer]

Excuse the quick redraw.  I'm assuming you mean like #1 or would #2 be adequate?

#1 bears more resemblance to a standard court card in its layout.  I like #1.  But don't take my word for it; ask the peanut gallery!

[Rob Wright]

I kinda like #1 better, but it leaves the jacket on the figure a little too much grey or something. Maybe a slight less cut on the card- but then the pip might look like its floating.

Don, great suggestion on switching the cut. Looks much better.

[Don Boyer]

I kinda like #1 better, but it leaves the jacket on the figure a little too much grey or something. Maybe a slight less cut on the card- but then the pip might look like its floating.

Don, great suggestion on switching the cut. Looks much better.

Thanks.

The jacket looks "too grey" because he didn't replace the club with the details that normally would have been in the picture.  It's grey where the club used to be, lacking details.  Forgivable, since it was a quickie mock-up and not a finished product - I have every confidence that he would fill in the missing details for a better image before going to press.

And so what if the pip is "floating"?  What do they do on standard face cards, swim?  Fly?  Hang?  A pip in just any old picture isn't a normal detail, anyway.  He's got a background that standard courts don't, so the pip has to go somewhere.  I'd say perhaps a white outline separating it from the scene in the image might be an improvement.

[Rob Wright]

And so what if the pip is "floating"?  What do they do on standard face cards, swim?  Fly?  Hang?  A pip in just any old picture isn't a normal detail, anyway.  He's got a background that standard courts don't, so the pip has to go somewhere.  I'd say perhaps a white outline separating it from the scene in the image might be an improvement.

The way the angle line is now, almost looks like the pip is on a shelf, and fits the space. If he was to decrease the angle. that might break up the grey area some, but then make the pip not look right. Not necessarily floating, but may not fit right. 

[Alex Willis]

And so what if the pip is "floating"?  What do they do on standard face cards, swim?  Fly?  Hang?  A pip in just any old picture isn't a normal detail, anyway.  He's got a background that standard courts don't, so the pip has to go somewhere.  I'd say perhaps a white outline separating it from the scene in the image might be an improvement.

The way the angle line is now, almost looks like the pip is on a shelf, and fits the space. If he was to decrease the angle. that might break up the grey area some, but then make the pip not look right. Not necessarily floating, but may not fit right.

I like the flip on the angle but I don't think I can do the movement of the pip.  It'll cover up a lot of good art that I can't recreate in the lower body portion of the character.  I admit, it makes more sense to have the pip opposite the indice which is why I had the angle flipped in the first place, but I think I'm going to live with it and let the cards fall where they may (how often is that pun played    )