Wood came in before Ruchel.
" Director Lorne," Wood, who was quite tall for his age, stood in front of the table, blocking much of the overhead light, "I would like to apply for a special position."
Lorne knew Wood.
At Hogwarts, because he often audited classes, Lorne knew almost all of Harry's first-year classmates, and he also knew some of the prominent figures like Wood and Cedric.
" Wood?" Lorne chuckled. "I thought you'd be playing for some professional Quidditch teams."
"I did have that plan," Wood said without hesitation. "In fact, I've passed the Puddlemere United Reserve Team test, but I saw Quidditch -related position on the Magic Mobile Phone Shop's job posting, so I wanted to ask what that position is?"
"You might be disappointed," Lorne said honestly, "Those words were referring to the content of the next game, and that's exactly what I'm hiring—the creator of the next game."
Wood showed no sign of disappointment; in fact, he stepped forward with delight. " The Magic Mobile Phone Shop is going to release Quidditch -related games?"
Wood has experienced both the Magic Mobile Phone and the Magic Power Matrix, and the fun he enjoys goes without saying. Even as a Quidditch fanatic, he has to admit that spending a weekend in bed with the Magic Mobile Phone is an excellent choice.
What he regrets most is that there isn't a single team-based game on the Magic Mobile Phone. He loves Quidditch, not only for the sport itself, but also for the feeling of soaring through the skies and working together with his teammates.
"It hasn't been officially launched yet," Lorne waved his hand. "I haven't decided what to make next, which is why I'm preparing to recruit a team to cover the entire process of production, planning, and development."
"Unfortunately, there are no jobs in it where people fly on broomsticks. Quidditch -related aspects mentioned in the poster probably require are wizards who have a thorough understanding of the rules of Quidditch and are willing to use it as a model to create new games."
"I understand," Wood nodded steadily, "But applying Quidditch rules to mobile phones doesn't seem quite right. In fact, I've always thought the Quidditch rules themselves are flawed."
Lorne looked at Wood's serious face, surprised that the Quidditch fanatic thought Quidditch had its shortcomings. He suddenly became interested and asked curiously, "Tell me more about it."
"First of all, the duration isn't fixed," Wood said, holding up one finger. "I've played Street Wizard Fighter. There are two ways the game ends: one is when one side's health bar reaches zero, and the other is when the countdown ends. This rule avoids the drawback of both sides passively fighting, which would lead to an endless battle. Although the five-minute countdown still makes 'bladder-style' play popular, it's precisely this time constraint that forces the side with lower health to constantly look for opportunities, increasing the excitement."
"But Quidditch only has one way to end: finding the Golden Snitch. Even if we battle for ten days in a raging storm, or the score difference is big enough to buy a house, the game still won't end. I believe not many wizards want to play a game that could last for hours."
"Second, there's a functional imbalance. A Golden Snitch is worth fifteen times the points of a goal. In many cases, a team's goal count isn't the key to winning the game. Perhaps the other six players can work together to gain a 140-point lead within an hour, but the moment the opposing Chaser gets the Golden Snitch, their advantage vanishes."
Lorne stroked his chin. Quidditch Match has become the number one sport in the Wizarding World, and its rules are certainly commendable. In such a vast sky arena, there are three goals—high, medium, and low—to support competition. In addition to hitting, passing, and goalkeeping, there are also fun additions like the Bludger and the Golden Snitch, which test both individual skills and teamwork.
However, Lorne also believes that the rules of Quidditch are not perfect. In addition to the ones Wood mentioned, the lack of substitutes, the imbalance of equipment, and the lack of a time limit for holding the Quaffle are all problems.
Lorne had also considered turning Quidditch into a game, so he already had some ideas about changing the rules. Now that Wood brought it up, he took the opportunity to share them.
"You're right. If we're going to make it into a game, Quidditch's rules won't be entirely applicable. We need to make some changes, retaining Quidditch's teamwork, tension, and basic rules, but also addressing its ending conditions, imbalanced roles, and unfair starting points."
"Due to technical limitations, we're not considering 3D for now. If we switch to 2D, we can set up three lines based on the high, medium, and low scoring boxes, turning the three-dimensional sky into a two-dimensional plane. The seven participants will also become five, with two teams of ten competing against each other. They score by catching Quaffle along the lines and throwing them into the boxes. They can also interfere with the opponent in the wilderness area... outside the three lines, they can use the Bludger to disrupt the opponent. There's even Golden Snitch can roam the entire map."
"Each of the five characters can have unique strengths. An attack system could be introduced, making the goalkeeper more survivable, the Beater dealing high damage, the Chaser adept at cooperative map movement, Seeker agile. A weather system could also be incorporated..."
Lorne's ideas alone were enough to pique Wood's interest, and he asked expectantly, "Are you planning to make this game? What's it called?"
"It's just a concept; the specific rules haven't been finalized yet," Lorne smiled confidently, "But if I had to name it, I'd call it— Quidditch Glory!"
Wood leaned forward, clearly very interested. "What are the requirements if I want to participate in game development?"
"Game development is no small matter. Currently, I'm the only one who understands software development and has the ability to teach it. After I finish my current tasks, I will establish the Banana Group Research and Development Department. If you'd like to participate..."
Lorne leaned back tactically. "No rush. You can write a detailed set of Quidditch Glory rules first. Don't worry about the technical conditions; as long as you have an idea, it's fine, regardless of whether it's feasible."
The R&D department naturally needs research and development. As for how to make software, Lorne believes that as long as he is willing to teach them everything he knows, most of the outstanding graduates of Hogwarts can learn it. What really affects whether they can be competent for this position is whether they have their own ideas.
"I'll prepare as soon as I get back." Wood's tall figure stood up, almost kicking over the chair he was sitting on.
Lorne took a sip of tea, then dropped another bombshell.
"If you're fast enough to join before the Quidditch World Cup, I might be able to secure you a special viewing spot. You know, Magic Mobile Phone Shop isn't short of money, it's short of brand recognition. I've invested in the Quidditch World Cup, so we're practically an official partner now."
"In return, they not only placed my advertisement, but also gifted me an indoor suspended box that can accommodate thirty people. I plan to treat the new employees to a relaxing getaway, as a team-building activity for their new job."