Some Chess Pieces I designed

[JonnyBoy]

Hey guys, if you haven't seen my other thread it's right here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=88477.0

The short story is that I'm an industrial design student, and I go to DAAP at University of Cincinnati. The link above was our "mechanical toy project". Now I'm in the family of form project, and for that particular project we have to design chess pieces with some sort of unity in form. I opted for something simple with a lot of vertical emphasis.

Here are some initial concepts, tell me what you think.

Thanks.



Queen, King, Rook

[thatitalian]

I like em. Funky yet classic.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Very nice...

I'm curious to see how you handle the rest of the pieces.

[drventure]

I like em. Really curious how you'll do a bishop...

[JonnyBoy]

Working on the bishop right now, it's turning out to be a pain in the arse.

[Hoopz]

Working on the bishop right now, it's turning out to be a pain in the arse.

Comments like this should go in Politics and Religion not EE.  Keep it clean, man!

j/k     

I'm also curious to see how the rest turn out.  The first three look really good.

[RayB]

Love them. Modern with old art deco flavor.

[JonnyBoy]

Hah, thanks guys, I appreciate the kind words. I was thinking of doing a small production of them once I get the actual models resin-printed.

[ahofle]

Working on the bishop right now, it's turning out to be a pain in the arse.

Comments like this should go in Politics and Religion not EE.  Keep it clean, man!

 

[Franco B]

Working on the bishop right now, it's turning out to be a pain in the arse.

Comments like this should go in Politics and Religion not EE.  Keep it clean, man!

j/k     

I'm also curious to see how the rest turn out.  The first three look really good.

Thats just too funny! 

They do look awesome though, love them! 

How are you planning on manufacturing them?

[massive88]

Since he mentioned resin-printing my guess would be some sort of sintering methodology.  I would imagine they have that machinery at a university.

[Jouster]

They kind of look like pieces of a cut up heatsink.

That's a pretty cool idea...nice design.

Jouster

[testicle187]

They kind of look like pieces of a cut up heatsink.

That's a pretty cool idea...nice design.

Jouster

Exactly what I thought.  I was going to see if he would sell me the Rook for my northbridge.

[JonnyBoy]

Looks like I have the computer dork market cornered. 

[CheffoJeffo]

Cool!

 

[JonnyBoy]

Here is a set of scaled pieces. There are few changes that are going to come. The knight is getting completely redone, think of him as a placeholder until I can figure out something nicer. The queen might get some more scaling, taller.

I made every piece taller, I made them outside of my build window, so they're 2.5 inches instead of 2. This gives them a much better vertical read. I think they're looking good. Some refinements and they should be all designed by the weekend.

[Kevin Mullins]

Nice work. 

I would so buy a set of those.

[danny_galaga]

they look great! however, anything other than the standard pieces are too distracting i find. worst would be novelty ones like 'the simpsons' or 'lord of the rings'- you shouldn't have to think about which piece is which!

but yours sure look good 

[Cakemeister]

These are the white pieces? What material are you going to use to make the black pieces? Or are you going to paint or powder coat them?

And what about a board?

I used to play chess many years ago, I still get Chess Life magazine (lifetime member).

[JonnyBoy]

There are some final-ish renders. I don't think I'm going to refine them too much more, they need to be ready to send out tomorrow.

[Kevin Mullins]

I like them..... I could so see them in an anodized aluminum or such metal. 

Only recommendation I would have (and I understand you are under time constraints at the moment) is to have the pawns shaped a little more "bishop-ish".
Guess I'm just not used to seeing them squared off. (not that I don't like them or anything)

[calder]

oh god those are sexy, the pawns are done how they should be. i would buy those, if they were not to expensive, which they would be. damn.

[boykster]

I think those are very sharp 

[hypernova]

anything other than the standard pieces are too distracting i find. worst would be novelty ones like 'the simpsons' or 'lord of the rings'- you shouldn't have to think about which piece is which!

I don't like any other specialized sets/games either.  As much as I love SW and LOTR, among other cultlike things, I don't ever want a Risk, Monopoly, Chess, or any other game based on them.

Boardwalk should be Boardwalk, Kamchatka itself, and Chess staunton.

Nice looking pieces, though

While on the subject of Chess, has anyone tried the 4 player version I've seen in board game stores?

[knave]

While on the subject of Chess, has anyone tried the 4 player version I've seen in board game stores?

I have A long time ago. It was fun. I don't think chess purists would like it but I liked the added strategy elements.

[drventure]

Very nice result. I do like the bishop.

I have to say, I also don't generally like "specialty" type sets, because if you have to think too hard about which is which, it confuses the game, but these I think are very much in keeping with traditional sets. I'd have play a few games with them to be sure, but they certainly seem to be very "accessible" as it were.

About the 4 player chess set, are you talking about Sceptre?

I friggin' loved that game. Used to play it all the time when I worked in a comicbook/gaming shop in the mall (that was years ago).

It was chess, played on 9 terrain'ed boards that could be rearranged arbitrarily for each game. It stuck very close to the standard chess rules, except that terrain had an effect on the pieces. Definitely not classic chess, but a lot of fun.

[JonnyBoy]

Thanks guys!

http://www.coroflot.com/jonpanichella

There's a link to my coroflot if you want to check out my work. My arcade machine is actually on there too.

[Hockeyboy]

Those have some sweet lines, and look modern yet stylish. I'm thinking they would look completely sweet on a crystal square that has the alternating squares lightly frosted or etched.

Nice job! 

[Donkey_Kong]

Thanks guys!

http://www.coroflot.com/jonpanichella

There's a link to my coroflot if you want to check out my work. My arcade machine is actually on there too.

You do nice work. I really like your mouse concept as well.

[JonnyBoy]

Thanks guys!

http://www.coroflot.com/jonpanichella

There's a link to my coroflot if you want to check out my work. My arcade machine is actually on there too.

You do nice work. I really like your mouse concept as well.

Thanks! That means a lot to me. I'm just a sophomore, so those projects are actually just over the span of a few months. It's been an intensive few months to say the least. I have 3 other projects that I didn't even upload yet.

[missioncontrol]

While on the subject of Chess, has anyone tried the 4 player version I've seen in board game stores?

I have A long time ago. It was fun. I don't think chess purists would like it but I liked the added strategy elements.

the kids at my son's chess club play a 4 player variant of chess called "Bug House", it's really fast paced. You are teammates with the person beside you and you are both different colors.  when your partner takes an opponent piece he hands it off to you or vice versa and you can place it anywhere on the board except the last row. I don't think it's a game made up by just this region since I've seen it being played by others in between tournament games as a way for them to cool down or take your mind off standard game play.

[SirPeale]

Those are awesome.  I'd totally buy a board.

Speaking of the board, you could have the board as plates of aluminum (alternating anodized black) inlayed into a nice piece of wood.  Get one of those funky tropical varieties that you don't have to stain.