Final Fantasy 14 Streamer Casts Spells Using A Literal Book And Pen Controller

Streamer Super Louis 64 took on Final Fantasy 14 as a scholar, using a magical physical book and pen controller build!

Gone are the days of using a mere Xbox controller or keyboard! Players have long experimented with different ways to experience their favorite games. Personalized PC builds, rainbow gaming mouses, and literal banana controllers have all changed the way people approach games. However, while some gamers dabble in unconventional controllers, streamer Super Louis 64 is a true expert.

No stranger to unusual gaming set-ups, Super Louis 64 has previously gone viral for playing games with a number of strange controllers. A Ring Fit adventure, a pizza, and the previously mentioned banana. All of these different ways to play have culminated in his most recent build – a controller that is a physical book and pencil.

Streamer Super Louis 64’s Magical Book And Pen Controller

Dressed in a blue robe and graduation cap, Super Louis 64 wields his latest creation – the Book Controller. Aiming not only for a fun take on spell-casting, the streamer also aimed to make his gaming experience a little more true-to-character.

Essentially, he’s able to queue up abilities using buttons on the book controller. Then, using the massive Pencil, he draws on corresponding sensors to cast spells in-game. Altogether, Super Louis 64 combines the physical actions of drawing spell sigils with typical button pressing to play the game!

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IT’S DONE! The Book Controller for #FFXIV is DONE!

Play SCH/SMN with a literal book! Queue up your abilities with buttons and then draw on the corresponding sensor to cast your spells! Plus this time our controller actually looks like the weapon in-game! Thread time 📗🧵 pic.twitter.com/JGPtZztIOQ

— Super Louis 64 (@SuperLouis_64) August 9, 2022

The controller is made up of two major pieces: The Book itself, and the Pencil. The Book, which was crafted by cosplayer/creator Erin of @icequeenog after the Hard Leather Grimoire, contains input buttons and sensors that match in-game actions. The buttons on the left side of the book correspond to different sidebars, while two sensors on the right side will cast the spells he queues.

The Pencil itself handles all of the controller’s targeting and movement. Altogether, his clever engineering made it so Super Louis 64 could scribble doodles to heal allies.

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The idea was really cool! Using an @arduino and prototyping stuff involving the CAP1188 I was able to determine how to send gamepad inputs by writing onto a journal! There’s a sensor on the top and bottom of book’s page that you write into in order to cast abilities (2/?) pic.twitter.com/rVG8jf0XtF

— Super Louis 64 (@SuperLouis_64) August 9, 2022

Of course, not every ability could be mapped to the controller’s limited buttons. Though it made healing a tad more difficult than usual, he still enthusiastically jumped into battle. In the end, the book and pen controller was more useful and fun than anticipated.

You can follow Super Louis 64 on his Twitter and his YouTube channel!