This custom Final Fantasy 14 controller uses real paint on a canvas to control the Pictomancer, you know, for the immersion

GamesRPGFinal FantasyFinal Fantasy 14This custom Final Fantasy 14 controller uses real paint on a canvas to control the Pictomancer, you know, for the immersionWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Square Enix)

Screenshots taken of a preview build during the Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail media tour.

Final Fantasy 14’s Pictomancer caused a bit of a hubbub when it was released alongside the expansion Dawntrail. I’ve only heard glowing things from my paint enthusiast friends about how it feels to play, but its damagehas been noticeably higherthan its fellow magic DPS competition, despite the fact it brings a raid buff to the table. It allowed a streamer to1v1 Susano, though, so I’m not too upset.

I spent the weekend prototyping a Paintbrush controller for Pictomancer and I finally cracked the code!!I ended up going with the plan of having the player scan colors of paint and then literally PAINT to use the ability. So much left to build but the prototype is amazing 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/BoRyBD1CG8September 10, 2024

This is, quite possibly, one of the riskiest controller setups I’ve ever seen, as SuperLous64 shares an image of their “duct tape build” where I can easily see a splatter of acrylic getting into the circuitry.

(Image credit: @SuperLouis_64 on Twitter/X.)

An image of @SuperLouis_64 on Twitter/X’s custom Pictomancer controller setup.

It’s clearly just a work in progress—giving them access to the basic Pictomancer combo (which rotates between Red, Green, and Blue paint attacks) while using scanned colours for bigger spells like Holy in White—which expends white paint to skip the job’s usual cast times, letting them dodge mechanics. I’m not sure how SuperLouis64 is going to actually move their Warrior of Light around with a paint brush, to be fair. When he played scholar, there was an analogue stick on the pencil, so there’s probably something similar.

The biggest hurdle, in fact, might just be the physical mess of the whole operation. Dungeons in FF14 last for about 15-30 minutes, meaning SuperLouis64 is going to be rapidly muddying both his canvas and brush. Aside from accidentally getting paint on your circuitry (or monitor), I wonder if mixing paints too much will lead to mis-inputs.

Still, this thing rules—and, considering SuperLouis64 fullybuilt out a Gunbladecontroller, as well as anAstrologian Yu-Gi-Oh duel disk, I’m sure they’ll find a way. Now I just want to see Elden Ring bosses toppled with this thing—it’s only a logical next step from the time-honoured tradition ofdancing your foes to deathin that game.

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