#also a little bit of this really neat unfinished hack i played that's been fantastic so far

[dykedragonrider]

I'm gonna bend the rules a bit and merge two of the FE questions together because I think they're more interesting hand in hand.

32 and 26: What direction do you wish the series would take, and what would your pitch be for the first title to go in that direction?

I want to see them lean harder into strategy, or at least give us reasons to not juggernaut. I ain't good at designing games yet so this'll be a fun thought exercise.

Smaller cast of units with greater distinction between units. Units are locked in their class (unless they have like, story promotion stuff idk), they have personal skills and stats that give them specific niches in their class. Maybe someone has Adept and high speed as a Mercenary but another has Pavise, so you have one that is really really good at killing shit, and another who's a tank and spank unit for an example. They feel distinct from each other, and one has the overkill combat that makes them good with priority targets while the other has the ability to handle multiple enemies well to buy time/create space. This is probably the biggest departure as we haven't really had a game that did this imo.

More challenges that aren't just about your stats. Status staves, enemy packs with reaver weapons, packs vulnerable to strong effectives, somewhat open maps, things that allow you to engage with the maps differently. Maps that aren't straight lines but have multiple options for egress and reasons to use those options based on your available tools are great!

Inventory items that give stat bonuses. These were a really good thing that allowed for flexibility to hit benchmarks that we saw in Gaiden, FE4, SOV, Houses, and sort of Engage that added legitimately meaningful depth in the kind of solutions to problems you could find. They can be "win more" things which sucks I won't deny that, but I also value their flexibility too much to really dislike them.

So, with that, I'll try my hand at a pitch.

Your lord is a staff unit. This means that designing things can be done around you *always* having a utility unit and you can be expected to use/react to enemy magic accordingly. You've got a prepromote wyvern who'll be good at combat for a while, and as their combat worsens their utility as a mobility tool is a much more relevant reason to use them. Motley cast goes forth from there, I just think those two things are legitimately interesting ideas to me I want to explore more.

As for story, I've got the least expertise here but... Let's say our main lord haaaates fighting and is optimistic about people. That's why they prefer to disable their foes, heal or protect their allies, that's why they're a staffer. Give them a personal weapon to reflect that, too. There's a background war going on that the lord doesn't get involved in for a while but you *feel* it as you're recruiting your early playable cast (maybe your lord is on some personal mission and your prepromote is their escort. Could have some knight/liege yuri there idk I like that). Townspeople talk about what they've lost along the way because of the war, some people are displaced by it and you can help them out on maps for rewards, etc. Eventually, the cast ends up fighting one of the factions in the war, the other comes to reinforce on that map, and *that's* when the story picks up, as the cast is thrown into the deep end of it. Your lord is convinced to help one faction end the war, and they reluctantly agree because they think it's the best way to stop the fighting because they can't just stay out of it. Things proceed as normal for FE, but there's a greater emphasis on the civilian cost of war along the way, because your lord *wants* to help the people that are hurting because it's their nature. And they're getting *so* tired of what they're hearing, but they keep going on, because at this point that's all they can do. Help those who are hurting, and end the war. Unsurprisingly, the war came about because of the Problem Dragon, who you learn more about the chapters before you fight them. Maybe this dragon is why your lord is on their quest, they wanted to find them? Uncertain about that plot thread especially, but either way they need to in some way be sympathetic or redeemable for one reason or another. Not just because I think that these games are at their best when there is some tragedy with the dragon, but because the lord needs *some* reason to have their faith in the goodness of people be what carries them through this conflict. Maybe they get exploited for it throughout it, maybe they didn't, idk how I'd wanna frame that but the point needs to be them *giving a damn* about people is what lets them end this (yeah I like Idunn, how did you know).

In short, small ragtag cast with a focus on the lord primarily (most other people are there just supporting them) tempering their perception of reality but not letting it get them down. It's a coming of age for them, but they keep their sense of hope for the world because the kindness they showed to others and got back in turn is what enabled them to survive. You need some genuine darkness for that light to show probably, but it needs to be a story about making a difference in other people's lives and how important that is, no matter how small.

[generationtrygirl]

DIY Harry Potter Wands for #20YearsofMagic

#20YearsofMagic #20YearsofMagic #20YearsofMagic #20YearsofMagic #20YearsofMagic #20YearsofMagic #20YearsofMagic

One of my favorite benefits of working at an arts & crafts company is that I never know when a major craft session will break out. A few weeks ago, through the initiative of one of my communications department coworkers, a small group of us began participating in a lunch break “Twisted Crafts” series.

Last Friday, we crafted what I’ve always dreamed I might own–authentic Harry Potter Wands! I could NOT be more excited about how mine turned out. I am, to say the least, utterly obsessed, and very excited to use my wands to celebrate #20YearsofMagic.

What is #20YearsofMagic, you ask? Well, on June 26 2017, it will be the 20th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Crazy, right? Well, don’t worry–this Harry Potter Wand craft is inexpensive, and quick, so you have plenty of time to craft one before the big day!

But, before we begin. A brief ode to #20YearsofMagic

Like many in my generation, I have been a bit of a Harry Potter nut since I was a child. I still remember  (in 1998, a year after the release) getting my first copy of Harry Potter in the Sorcerer’s Stone from my next door neighbor. I grew up with Harry and Hogwarts through the Harry Potter books, and aged alongside Emma Watson, Danielle Radcliff, Rupert Grint, et al. as they filmed the amazing Harry Potter movies. In high school, my other Harry Potter fanatic friend, Remy, and I hosted a two person “Harry Potter Hufflepuff House” party. Later we hosted bigger Harry Potter movie premiere parties, complete with “Butterbeer,” Chocolate Frogs, Chocolate wands, and lots and lots of costumes!

I went to Harry Potter world the year it opened, have read the original series countless times, and for the past few Christmases have purchased the new beautifully illustrated Harry Potter books (so far, The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets) for two sets of young cousins. And myself of course! I’ve also got the new illustrated “Prisoner of Azakaban” (my favorite in the series!) on Amazon Pre-order. October 3rd could not come fast enough! My bookshelf contains the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Screenplay, The Cursed Child script, and even a Harry Potter adult coloring book.

I know, I know. You’re not here to hear me go on an on about Harry Potter treasure. You’re here for the wand making! Fine. Without further ado…

The making of the wands

My three coworkers and I made two wands each, and they all were so unique! As the saying goes, “The wand chooses the wizard.” Even if we WANTED to have control over what our wands ended up looking like, we really couldn’t. Every step about making our wands was trial-and-error, adding and subtracting, and “just going with it.” There was no way to mess up! I loved it.

Another thing I loved? Playing with texture. Though the minimum you need for this craft are thin wooden dowels or chopsticks, hot glue, and paint, you can add so much more to your wants by getting a little creative! The following are the supplies we had lying around our craft table while we made some magic with our wands.

DIY Harry Potter Magic Wand Supplies:

Here is everything we had on hand for our crafty Harry Potter lunch:

Wooden Dowels and/or Chop Sticks

Hot Glue Gun (this one’s great! )

Glue Sticks

Mod Melts / Mod Molds

Beads and Jewelry pieces

Bubble wrap

Duct Tape

FolkArt Color Shift Paint

FolkArt Brushed Metal Paint

Martha Stewart Gilded Gold

Acrylic Paint [We used FolkArt!]

Round Wooden beads (slide them over the dowel for a fun effect!)

That was all we used, but the possibilities are endless!

How to Make Your Harry Potter Wands; or How to Make Olivander Jealous

To make the most basic wand, all you need is some hot glue, a hot gun gun, and wooden dowels. After plugging in your hot glue gun and loading it up, squeeze the hot glue onto your wooden dowel in the pattern you would like to achieve. The basic goal is to create one end of your wand that is larger than the other end, and create something more akin to a point at the smaller end of your wand.

The Many Ways to use Hot Glue

A more hap-hazard squeeze while simultaneously using the tip of the glue gun to spread out the glue will result in an unfinished, knobby wood texture. Meanwhile, squeezing out a large glob of glue and holding your wand vertically will result in an interest “large drip” effect. Shauna’s second wand ended up looking almost bone-like!

To achieve a more precise round effect like Anna’s, simply hot glue a ring around your dowel, allow it to dry, and keep adding new rings in layers. Eventually, you’ll have a somewhat sphere-like object on your wand.

I personally adored the technique I used for the base of my second wand. I hot glued 5 glue sticks around the base of the dowel. Slowly but surely, I used the hot tip of the glue gun to melt these sticks together and shape them to my desired shape. I also found that my running the hot tip around my glue sticks in a slow circle a fews times, a nice indented/negative-space effect would occur.

There is no limit to what patterns you can make with a hot glue gun! I personally also really enjoyed creating a spiral pattern down my wants for an interesting texture. Other coworkers made beautiful slithering vines and more!

Other Harry Potter Wand Building Hacks

Bubble wrap

One of my coworkers discovered a pretty neat hack for building up the base of your Hogwarts-worthy wand. By cutting a long strip of bubble wrap and wrapping it around your wand’s base, you can easily build-up your wand’s width. Just be sure to secure the beginning and end of the bubble wrap wrap with some hot glue! This hack is helpful if you don’t want to just use a lot of hot glue to build up the base. I used the “Bubble wrap” method with my first wand, and the “glue stick molding” method with my second.

I found the bubble part of the bubble wrap a bit annoying, however. Perhaps I was worried the bubbles might pop? Or that it didn’t feel the right wand-weight? I’m not sure. What I ended up doing was popping all the bubbles and wrapping the deflated wrap instead. …Probably because I mostly just wanted to pop the bubbles.

Also, instead of just wrapped the base, I wrapped my entire wand, using fewer layers the farther up the wand I got. It created a pretty nice tapered effect in the end!

Duct Tape

Duct tape was my saving grace when I was making my first wand. As mentioned, I used the bubble wrap to create my wand’s base shape, but the texture that resulted in the end didn’t feel quite like a “sturdy” wand any more. Duct Tape to the rescue!

I wrapped the bubble wrap base of my wand with duct tape to get back to a more sturdy “wooden” feel. It also helped me shape my wand even further. When I wrapped it more tightly, it made an excellent smooth grip in the handle. I ended up using this tight wrapping technique all the way up my first wand before adding extra glue and mod melt embellishments and paint.

My cat, Binx, checking out my wands back at home. Because what good Witch doesn’t have a black cat?

Beads  & Accessories

Though most characters in the Harry Potter Cannon have wands carved strictly from wood, containing some slight embellishments perhaps. The majority of their wands most “flashy” sounding attributes comes from their wand’s core– Veela hair, Unicorn Hair, Phoenix Feather, etc.

But some of the Harry Potter characters (at least in the movies) have some pretty fancy looking wands. Here’s looking at you, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. I decided to make one of my wands (my second) a more traditional carved wood. The other, though, I had some fun with, gluing a few beads and metal pieces I found lying around in my craft drawer to the handle and base.

As one coworker described it, “Sure they’re made of wood. But they can have some flair. It’s like a phone case for your wand.” And boy, am I proud of my pretty “phone case.” I imagine this one would belong to an older witch, who likes to be a little glam, but remain elegant. Maybe a mix of Minerva McGonagall and Neville Longbottom’s grandmother?

Mod Melts & Mod Molds

In addition to the regular glue gun sticks, we tried our hand at using Mod Melt sticks as well! These were excellent for more intricate designs, as the Mod Melts tend to come out the glue gun less liquid-y. So you have more control over your pattern.

Shauna also discovered that Mod Melts  create a very beautiful large-drip effect (see her white wand in the picture at the bottom.) It reminds me of a combo between The Goblin King in the Labyrinth’s style and Lord Voldemort’s wand.

One pro-tip: the Mod Melts take a bit of time to cure, so you’ll want to wait a little longer before painting them for the paint to adhere properly. Something else you can add to your wands are the melts that have been formed in “Mod Molds.” I have some made in the floral pattern that I’m going to definitely use for future wands!

PAINTING YOUR #20YearsofMagic  WAND

The final step in your wand making process is painting your wand! After allowing your hot-glue to dry, use a styrofoam plate to create your palette. I used FolkArt “Nutmeg” as a base coat for my wands. I also used a mixture of a number of FolkArt Brushed Metal Paints and FolkArt ColorShift Black Flash to give dimension to the wood of my wands.

The technique in terms of painting was very simple. Using a craft sponge, I sponged on regular FolkArt acrylic as a base coat. Then, I dabbed my sponge in all of the different Brushed Metals in almost a marbled pattern and from there sponged that on my wands. I went back with a smaller brush to add accents wherever I thought it was necessary after that.

For my first “fancier” wand, I also painted a large portion of the handle in FolkArt ColorShift Aqua Flash. I then with a smaller brushed, used Martha Stewart’s Gilded Gold to accent the floral metal piece and flower & ball beads that I’d glued to the bottom of the wand’s handle.

My coworkers and I each holding one of our finished wands. This picture was admittedly taken on my Mac’s PhotoBooth App, because I totally (regrettably) left my phone at home that day.

How are you celebrating #20YearsofMagic?

Wands are complete, so now it’s time for me to review all of my Harry Potter spells! Over the next couple of weeks, I’m hoping to post more fabulous things about Harry Potter. Because why not celebrate while the getting’s good?

I’m also pumped because I’ll be in Europe during the 20th anniversary. And I will be traveling through Spain with noneother than my Harry Potter Obsessed Friend, Remy! One of Remy’s travel quirks is she enjoys buying a Harry Potter book in every new country she visits. And I’m TOTALLY DOWN for that tradition!

So, are you a Harry Potter nut like me? Did you realize it’s been (almost!!!) 20 years? What will you do to celebrate the day? Let me know in the comments below!

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