[Feature]: Possessor mode

[Toy203]

What would you like to add in terms of software changes?

Adding a pack state that resembles it being possessed by the Possessor ghost: cyclotron all lit red pulsing on and off (no rotation) and red power cell color. Growling instead of regular pack sounds. Could be activated like the spectral mode manually or even as an easter egg, although some folks don't like the lack of control on these features me included.

Would this request involve any specific hardware?

It'll work better with rgb power cell leds.

Homework Completed

• I did my part!

[nomakewan]

I actually would find this interesting, though on the wand it's a little bit more tricky:

In the film, all of the indicator lights on the wand turn red when the Possessor takes over. However, at least for now, the only addressable LEDs on the wand are in the barrel, while all other LEDs in the wand are non-addressable single-color LEDs. So the effect would not be nearly as impactful as it was on screen unless we fundamentally change how the wand hardware works, which considering the PCB is already set in stone, would be a tough ask.

[Toy203]

I was thinking it with the pack in display, so the wand should be resting. I think just having the leds blink or all turn on static would be a close enough look.

[nomakewan]

Figure I'll post a public update on this. While obviously prototyping, testing, and validation all still need to be done, there may be an option to make this work coming down the pipeline. A new vent board that uses addressable LEDs and has expansion potential would both make new pins available (the two digital pins that normally would drive the vent/top lights), and also add the ability to have addressable LEDs elsewhere within the wand.

Should that work out, it would open the possibility of having full color control over every LED, which of course means that replicating how Possessor looked in the film is on the table. After that it would be a matter of coming up with some sound effects, and working out what exactly the gimmick would be.

An idea would be similar to how Bandai handled the idea of multiple spirits inhabiting a transformation belt toy; it works normally if you're actively playing with it, but if you leave it idle for a while, it'll randomly switch to a different one, complete with voice clips, animations, etc. So perhaps something like that, where the idea is that a lack of activity can mean risking getting your wand possessed.

[Toy203]

As an easter egg would be fun, but it'll be best to have a trigger for it somehow. It could follow the Spectral Modes although i feel we already have a lot of the platter on that and you'd be rotating for a while...

Full gimmick in my idea is:

• pulsing red lights where available also on the pack (instead of rotating)
• growling sounds instead of wand regular hums
• constant pulsing vibration in the wand
• maybe some random firing/smoking?

[nomakewan]

It shouldn't be a firing mode. If it's random that's easy enough to handle. A trigger however would need to be carefully considered since we only have so many controls available, and need to consider how those controls interact in the various potential operating states of the wand.

In the film, the Proton Pack cyclotron at least continued to spin as normal (though it was already red, so hey). Couldn't see the Power Cell but would be totally willing to make it red. Growling sounds makes sense, as does vibration to go along with those sounds. Likewise having it randomly fire makes total sense (similar to how the proposed "demo feature mode" would work).

Still, it's a ways off. Plenty of time to work things out.

[DustinGrau]

Adding a note that this could be considered with #367 as another animation/effect to add as an option in the system, but would need to coincide with a refactoring of the cyclotron animation code.

[The-Y33TER]

all my indicators are red :O