HP:WU plus (or "bluetooth-powered Wands")
Lucoire
Posts: 1,245 ✭✭✭✭✭
Premise
For Niantic's other "big" game, Pokemon GO, they've released a gadget that allows you to interact with the app even when the locked phone is in your pocket. That gadget was called "Pokemon Go Plus" and had a number of features:
- track the walked distance
- try to catch Pokemon (and inticate whether that attempt was successful)
- try to interact with Pokestops and Gyms (and indicate whether that attempt was successful)
Details
The Go+ would, when paired with the app, do certain things in a certain order:
- If there is a pokemon nearby, indicates it with a colorful blinking and a ^^.^^_^^.^^ vibration
- if the button is then pushed, simulate the throw of a single, regular pokeball.
- if the pokemon was caught, the gadget would indicate it with a colorful blinking and a ^.^.^.^.^
- If the pokemon fled, it would indicate that with a red light and a ^^^^.^^^^ vibration
- If the pokemon storage is full or if the player doesn't have enough pokeballs, the gadget would indicate it with a white light and a ^^^^^^ vibration
- If there is a Pokestop or Gym nearby, it indicates it with a blue blinking and a ^^^_^^^ vibration
- If the button is then pushed, simulate interaction with the pokestop or the "pokestop-part" of the gym
- if Items were acquired, it would indicate that with a blue blinking and a ^_^_^_^ vibration
- if the item storage was full or if anything else went wrong, the gadget would indicate that with a white light and a ^^^^^^ vibration
- If the Go+ was too far away from the paired device it would indicate that with a red light and a long ^^^^^^ vibration, before disconnecting.
Wizards Tools: the wand
To some extend that very functionality could also be implemented in HP:WU:
- interacting with Inns, Greenhouses
- trying to free Traces
- pick up nearby ingredients, seeds, water and portkeys
But how exactly? (keep in mind, this is a proposition)
- If there is a trace nearby, let the wand vibrate ^^.^^_^^.^^
- if the button was pressed (or the "finite spell" cast), it would try to free the trace
- If the trace was freed, indicate it with a fast vibration: ^.^.^.^.^
- if it was an oddity trace, it would be considered "freed" if the player did enough damage to reduce the stamina of the oddity to zero. If not, that would automaticly count as "fleeing"
- if it was a "regular" trace, it would be considered a masterful cast. If not caught in the first attempt, it would automaticly count as "fleeing"
- If the trace wasn't caught, the wand would vibrate ^^^.^^^
- If the player didn't have enough energy, the wand would vibrate long ^^^^^^
- In these cases, the trace would still be there.
- If there is an Inn nearby, the wand would vibrate: ^^^_^^^
- If the button was pressed (or the "accio spell" cast), it would try interacting with it
- if energy was acquired, the wand would vibrate: ^_^_^_^
- If no energy was acquired (either because the player was already out of range or at the energy-maximum), the wand would vibrate long: ^^^^^^
- Inns that are on Cooldown would not count as "nearby"
- If there was a Greenhouse nearby, the wand would vibrate: ^.^^^_^^^.^
- If the button was pressed (or the "accio spell" cast) it would try interacting with it
- If herbs were acquired, the wand would vibrate: ^^^.^_^.^^^
- If no herbs were aquired (either because the player was already out of range or at the inventory maximum), the wand would vibrate long: ^^^^^^
- Greenhouses that are on Cooldown would not count as "nearby"
- If there was an item nearby that could be picked, the wand would vibrate: ^^_^^.^^_^^
- If the button was pressed (or the "accio spell" cast) it would try to pick up the item
- If successful, the wand would vibrate: ^_^_^_^
- If unsuccessul (for whatever reason), it would vibrate long: ^^^^^^
Keep in mind that the Inn-Interaction would only happen once there are no traces nearby OR if the player was at zero energy. Items (herbs, seeds, portmanteaus) would only be indicated if there were no traces nearby and no inns/greenhouses off cooldown.
Thoughts
What I'm not entirely sure yet is how the wand would detect "spell casts" but I think it could be done with 2 gyroscopes: one at the tip of the wand and one and it's back-end. Whether the wand should glow, I'm uncertain. Also, I don't know if the wand should have an internal power-pack to be charged via USB-C or whether a replacable battery would be better. Given that the wand would probably have a thick hilt, an internal power-pack could work...
As for customization, the color and texture could be changed... the "bending" or "fragility" qualities are probably limited due to the technical nature of that gadget.
Comments
I saw someone with the little pokeball and I couldn't stop thinking how much I want it for WU as well! So I'm so excited to see someone else talking about this 😍 would be so amazing!!
I would be the first person lining up for this.
Would I seriously carry a wand around? Yes... yes, I would.
Wow...was unaware of this device . thanks for the great description of capabilities and how to apply to a wand. In the meantime, I harvested a Holly branch and will carve out my own wand...finding the Dragon heartstring will take a little more time.
I Would seriously carry around a wand too, @Acumen .
Oh, I would take it absolutely everywhere. And I would seriously love to get a witch hat as well... if someone asked me about it I'd just go "shhhhh, not in front of the muggles" and I'd wink.
Bump
I was just pointed here. And I'd like to nominate a wonderful wand device that already exists in large numbers: Wii remotes. Bluetooth, rechargable, gyros, accelerometers, and the newest ones have motion trackers built in.
Now, this would not eliminate the need for the screen to be able to see what spell to cast, but instead of tracing fingertips, we could actually wave our wand in the air.
The "outstanding" part of the Pokemon Go Plus (or Pokeball Plus) was that these devices were subtle. They didn't make everyone in your surrounding aware of it (or that part of your brain was focussed on something else)
So my original Idea was based on keeping that theme of subtety, making the extension
You're right, the WII-Remotes are already somewhat available but to me personally they don't necessarily fit into "augmented" reality - but hey, that's just my opinion.
And linked with @Lucoire 's post, I feel like Wii remotes (unless they have changed in the last few years) are too bulky to be discrete and wand-like.
This morning walking to work I witnessed someone on a push bike stealing a mobile phone from a pedestrian, over in a flash and someone’s week ruined
I can’t imagine wands being stolen, way too geeky!
@OriginalCaruso Hm... imagine such a theft failing - followed by a shouted "CRUCIO!"
(Unforgivable curses are NOT okay. Be smart, use stunning spells)
@Lucoire I also condone "expelliarmus" in such instances. I think low level spells such as "petrificus totalus" would also be acceptable.
My word.... When did I get so geeky?!
@Magpie31 And now ask yourself: what would you do if someone waved at you with a WII-Remote, shouting "Ridikkulus"?
You'd laugh, wouldn't you? But not because of the spell 😏
Edit: One day, I want to see Pokemon-Player throwing their (virtual) pokeballs, shouting "Pikachu, I chose you"... only to wave my wand, responding with "Aguamenti".
Did someone say "geeky"??
@Lucoire water attacks are weak against electric pokemon like Pikachu. Unfortunately, you would want a ground type attack but I couldn't think of a spell that would fit the bill.
My answer to any such problem is to call Ginny in to cast the Reductor curse, @MtPollux. 💥
Two words:
ACCIO PHONE
@MtPollux Hm, bombada? Wingardium leviosa until really high in the air and then stop the spell? Accio Basilisk?
How about instead of a Wand, we got to purchase a Ministry of Magic badge?
But I do like @Keybounce’s idea of Console Remotes being paired with the game to allow gesture spell casting rather than finger squiggles. Though I wonder how difficult it would be to get masterful casts waving your hand around. I guess they’d be small and tight hand gestures rather than large gesticulations. 🤔🤷🏻♀️😍
I would totally be down for a wand to carry around. As a cosplayer I am used to being looked at anyway xD
I've been mulling over this idea too. If you could use an accelerometer to detect the spell motions (perhaps with some in-game feedback and a room in the game (Room of Requirement?) where you could practice the spells), I think this would be really cool. The wand would need to signal you somehow as to what spell you need to perform.