Overlay

The overlay is a graphical layer in MegaZeux that is normally used for graphics that are drawn over the main playing area. These graphics can't be directly interacted with by the player, and only contain color and character data. Common uses for the overlay include creating scenery that the player can walk "behind", such as trees or houses. It is also often used to create special effects that can be copied onto the visible board as necessary and then removed. More complex games may use the overlay as a buffer area for graphics, though the introduction of dynamically loadable MZMs and the vlayer have somewhat supplanted this in more sophisticated code.