Wizard Tag
Should a spell have a different effect if it is performed clockwise instead of counter-clockwise?
Probably, but with Wizard Tag, we want the casters to have flexibility.
For example, some spells can be cast in a mirror image. Some spells are more difficult to cast depending on which hand holds the wand. That is why we made some spells with left-handed versions.
Designing Flexibility in the Wands Improves Immersion by Further Hiding the Technology in the Toy.
What do we mean by flexibility?
Gesture recognition systems in technological devices rely on magical information that they receive from gyros, compasses, and accelerometers.
Some of these systems need to be calibrated before each use. Some need to be held in a certain orientation or with a finger on an activation pad.
Wizard Tag Wands remove those worries!
A wizard can pick up the wand with either hand, hold the wand with a firm grip on the handle, by the pommel, two handed, or even with a strange overhand grip (like Lord Voldemort), and it will still cast spells.
There is no pre-battle calibration.
The technology inside figures out which way is up, no matter how the wand is rotated in your grip.
This is what we mean by flexibility!
How did this topic even come up?
When we were designing the spells, we wanted some of them to be simple and others to be more complicated.
In fact, we have gestures that must be performed in three dimensions, unlike most of the gesture recognition systems where you could display the symbol on a screen or chalkboard.
Some spells have shapes that could be drawn differently by different wizards.
For example, if I ask you to draw a square with your wand, which corner would you start in?
Should it matter?
We decided that it does matter, and in most cases, the spell must be performed as it was designed.
BUT, we noticed that some spells would be difficult or non intuitive to perform depending on which hand you used to cast the spell, so we made accommodations because magic doesn’t have to be mean!
Why is this flexibility important with gesture recognition systems?
We are proud of the spells that our Wizards came up with, and the 3D shield spell is one of the best examples. The gesture that activates this defensive spell indicates the threat area, then drops down the shield by completing two gestures in two distinct planes.
Completing this spell gesture would be difficult with the left hand, so we added a mirrored version of the gesture into the database. This means you can cast Shield Left or Shield Right and the wand will identify what the gesture is and perform the appropriate effects.
The best part is there’s no setting that you have to modify between left or right handers, the wand is always checking if the gesture registered; it doesn’t care which hand cast the spell!
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
- Have you used a gesture recognition system?
- What was good or bad about it?
- What would you like to see in such a system for magic wands?
Want more Wizard Tag updates?
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