After many years, we've finally arrived.
If you haven't yet, read the previous design logs that go over the intial design thought process for the first few designs which lead me here.
If you're ready, grab a drink and a snack, and enjoy the read. It's a doozy. I'll be going over all of the design changes to Asora in the next version below.
I just want to reiterate before we begin. I was a network tech before this, and the highest level of math I completed was high school algebra. My claims in here and all future blog posts aren't based on math or science. I don't claim anything to be true, I'm just giving you my honest viewpoint while I myself learn the process of yo-yo design.
I think there's a lot of other talented designers who are much more technically sound than I am. For me, designing a yo-yo that is "fun" is my goal, everytime. Understanding and defining what makes a yo-yo "fun" isn't something as straight forward as a mathematical answer. It's so much more vague and esoteric, and varies between person to person. 1+1=2, that's obviously not an opinion. Saying "Asora is fun" is an opinion, but I think there's an underlying "fact" to it when other people all seem to naturally agree with eachother on this topic whenever "favorites" come up in topic. Over the years, a lot of the same yoyos always pop up, and always have their names come up. Even with the amount of throws we've been able to sell over the years, what is it that makes some of these yoyos stand out, like a Chief, YWET, FH1, or Parlay. A lot of these throws, even though they often inspire new designs, remain people's favorite. There's got to be reasoning, there's got to be some sort of hidden link there that explains and defines what makes a yoyo fun. That to me, is just one of the many reasons I find yoyo design so interesting and fun.
I've had Asora TT-01 and 02 for a bit over a year now and have played them extensively. Having these two models forced me to really try and hone in on the changes I made to each to understand which design aspects of each I will incorporate into 03. Essentially, the concept is very simple, testing two identical designs with a few goals within those tests to design the best version of this yo-yo.
Asora has been challenging to design because of all of the features I wanted to include into the design while maintaining the shape and size of the Free-Rider. Within yo-yo design, there's always give and take and I fully understand that you can't have it all. But I think that within "having it all" you can find a balance. It's just a matter of finding it. The main things that concerned me with Asora were the way it felt in play, the performance, the response, the cap fitment, and the durability of axles. I think a lot of this was gone over in previous entries so I won't go too into it all.
I'll say that I was more than surprised with Asora. I think that, over time, it just kind of gets better and better to me. Honestly, to me, it's like having 3-4 yo-yo's in one. Changing caps, changing the side effects, changing the caps to different types of caps and weight rings, all of those combinations make up for a really fun experience.
One of the things I really cared about within the design of Asora was the ease and ability to use caps. I'm not sure if all of the Asora owners are aware, but removing the caps are intentionally designed to be as easy as possible. Again, with that is give and take, certain caps may not fit Asora. The more precise the cap is, the better it will fit.
As a result, a suction cup, a pin needle, a knife point, a flat head, or even just your fingernail should be enough to remove the caps. Obviously, this is a give and take situation with like anything in yo-yo design. I've made it easier to remove caps, but that also means they are not as firmly locked in like with a FH1.
If you ding your yoyo, it's going to lose a cap or two, so expect that. I think the trade off is worth it, I don't want to spend time taking apart yoyos to change caps, I just want to be able to swap on the go. A lot of times I'll just drop Asora from ankle height if I don't have any tools on me (the aluminum caps are harder to take off than plastic.)
I was aware of many things within the realm of caps and all of the options available to us. One of those things was the fitment and diameter of the ring that holds caps. I had learned from measuring a Strum Panzer that their inner diameter was ever so slightly smaller than 48mm. Mind you, I did design Asora prior to the release of the new FH1 reissue models. In the back of my mind I was worried about old caps not fitting or being too loose. Tightening down on that would help them stay in, which proved to be right. If you have loose caps that don't fit V1, they'll likely fit V2.
The downside to V2 is that if you have aluminum caps, they likely won't fit, since they are also precisely made at 48mm exactly.
Knowing this through testing means that we've solved the first question we had. Which was which cap diameter was perfect for Asora. 48mm exact is the choice. You might end up with some plastic caps that are loose, or fall out, but I think the trade off for accepting AL caps is well worth it. Also, with the release of the new FH1's, I've found that most, if not all of my newer caps fit with no problem on 01 and 02 respectively.
The next thing I had to test with Asora was the response area. I intentionally designed Asora v01 and 02 with a more punishing play. This was due to my logic of trying to balance the yo-yo. I wanted Asora to set you straight when you played too sloppy and I wanted there to be conversations between you and Asora. Knowing the balance between those conversations is a tough cookie to crack. This also applies to understanding what other people want to play or prefer along with the options available to everyone right now. This also includes staying true to the original design, which is the Free Rider. Though, I was really worried about how much Asora may or may not hold you back.
In theory, to me, if I designed a high wall with good weight distribution, then the high wall would offset the weight distribution to balance the yoyo. That way, if you play clean, you're rewarded, and if you're sloppy, Asora might tell you so. I think that pay off is a part of the charm or fun that Asora and other high wall designs can offer you.
I really wanted to design a yoyo that gave you JUST enough modernization to give you the same feeling or vibe of something from 2008-2012. The worry I had was if I place a "schmoove ring" in the design then it would take away those conversations you're having with Asora. Part of this was also the aesthetic of the yoyo. A clean round profile without any disturbance is just perfection to me. Adding in a schmoove can effect that visual beauty for me, but I'm sure other's would rather have performance come first or even most might find the Schmoove Ring to look good. I don't think it's ugly per se, I just think the clean rounded profile of Asora is top tier aesthetics.
A lot of Asora's design revolves around trying to be a sleeper. Like that 95 accord that pulls up to the line against a super car with some 50 year old dude behind the wheel hiding some monster of an engine under the hood slamming gears like no ones business. I want Asora to surprise you, I want you to sit back and go "that plays better than I expected."
After playing a lot of my throws for the last year back to back, I feel like the change in response area won't affect Asora negatively. Instead, I feel that it will open it up to more players who want to try out an organic yoyo. I felt like Asora was ever so slightly "too punishing" and maybe just ever so slightly too fussy when attempting tricks with more extreme break angle.
I think that the Parlay, Sudo, Canvas, or Grail is just proof that it works. I know it's kind of surprising, but the Schmoove Ring design is well over a decade old, firs appearing in the Canvas, and then the Parlay, and other designs to follow. It's not like the Schmoove ring is some new crazy concept, everyone applies it to their design because it's tried and true.
I don't want to admit it, but I've felt over the last year that Asora's performance was being held back by this. As minor as it is, I can not deny the fact I noticed it. A lot of thoughts have gone through my mind over the last year, and I don't want to lose sight of my initial goal. However, I do feel like Asora would only benefit from a schmoove ring design to allow for less string contact during more extreme break angle tricks or zoning stuff.
This also allows me to cut off a bit more meat near the response area. You can see in the picture below how when your string makes contact with that wall area it's only touching a singular edge on the green updated version 03. On the current design of Asora 01 and 02, the wall is making way more contact with the string when you're attempting any sort of extreme break angle trick. Sometimes, you just can't get around this based on the makeup of the trick, and if Asora can't handle it or is holding you back from that, then I think it needs to be changed.
Modern throwing has changed since 2008, and forcing a design that is outdated by 2024 modern standards leaves a bit to be desired in the realm of doing more modern tricks. At the end of it all I want Asora to be something that you want to pick up all the time with intentions that it still plays great 10 or 20 years from now. I personally feel that a small quality of life improvement is just what Asora needs to take it to the next level.
Another solution to this is to simply just move the wall out further so that you can push more string break angle, but still be touching walls. It would create for a less punishing yoyo, but give you the same sort of contact as the current version of Asora at a more extreme break angle.
However, something important to me is maintaining the shape and look of Asora, which is inherited from the FH1 and Free Rider. I can alter the shape to help the response area and string contact, but that also again, is a part of the give and take within yoyo design.
I know it might seem minor, but it's something I care about a lot within yoyo design. Aesthetics are just as important as how the yoyo plays to me, it's almost like food, we eat with our eyes. This is one thing I can't overlook when designing Asora, it has to have the correct shape and look to the profile. Changing that changes the yoyo to something that is completely different than my original goal. So working within the constraints of the shape of the FH1, we have to be mindful that we don't ruin this shape.
So right now my plan is to implement the schmoove ring to Asora's next design.
Another thing I tested with Asora was the response size. I wanted to know if a wider more broad response pad would help Asora feel different on the throw as well as the bind. Deciding between 21mm and 19mm is something that I've always wondered about. It seems like there's a lot of debate among the community between the two pad sizes and I think that just simply speaks volumes about how small of a difference we as throwers can feel when we're throwing.
From my observations, it seems as if there's not too much difference. I suppose the most obvious is that 21mm is far easier to silicone.
Right now, I'm still on the fence about how I feel about 21mm vs 19mm. I think that the differences are so minor. However, It's been something I've been really keeping track of while playing between the two versions. Playing the same setup, swapping between the same string, doing all the tests and tricks I can. Through that I think that there's a difference within the play of 21mm. When you release the yoyo, there's an ever so slightly less "tug" or "thunk" at the end of the release, a reduced kickback.
With a lighter yoyo, this isn't very apparent, but I can certainly feel and tell the difference when you have caps on.
Initially, my whole idea with 21mm was that a broader response would give you a feeling closer to an old school throw like the Free Rider which uses very broad pads that pre-date response wells. In my mind, I thought you would get more torque from the release, perhaps helping reduce kickback when capped as well. I was more worried about how the yoyo felt in play and how the response affected that. These were all speculations from my own thoughts. I had no way of knowing until I tested, and even now, I would say the differences are so minor that I have been wrestling between the two.
The one flaw that I can identify within 21mm is that when you go for several wraps around the axle or bearing of the yoyo for anything extremely dense (we're talking 5-6 roll ons.. a lot of wraps.) you have more of a chance to hit the response pad on a 21mm than the 19mm. The extra width of the response allows for more space for your strings to get into the response pad area during multiple wraps. Again, this only becomes evident when you do 5-6 roll-ons. I would say that if you have a good recess on the response, this doesn't really matter for either response sizes. They're both going to lock up around the same time around the same amount of wraps.
Also, just based on a factual note, 21mm forces a higher wall innately. This means that the break angle of your string is different on a 21mm than a 19mm.
Right now, I'm thinking that we're probably just going to end up running with 19mm response. Initially, up until a month or two ago I was set on 21mm. I think that I had this placebo effect in my brain that it was better. Maybe not that, since I recognize that it's not better. But, I wanted it to be better, I wished for it to be better. However, I think that the simple fact that the only benefit to 21mm is that it's easier to silicone is not enough of a reason to choose it over 19mm. The difference in the reduction of kickback is also so minimal that I don't think anyone aside from myself noticed it.
I think the main thing to keep in mind is this. The bigger the response well, the more area that gives for string to touch at any given moment based on your string wraps and string thickness. I feel like thicker string is the future, and with that being said, having thick string and a thick response pad means that there's more space for that thick string to engage with the pad and slow your RPMS down.
Conversely, if you have thick string, and maybe even thicker than the thickness of the response pad area, then you're never going to touch the response area unless you're intentionally binding the yoyo. This to me is the most optimal situation and also why I like to silicone recess my throws. I feel like your string should NEVER engage the response unless you want it to.
I'm designing yo-yos for fun, but that doesn't mean that I'm disregarding the foundation of yo-yo design or trying to intentionally design something that sucks so that you suffer for no reason. I want my yoyo to bring you joy, and if a 21mm response could in the end hold you back from some heavy string wrap trick you're working on, then I can't justify choosing it over 19mm. I don't want to implement 21mm "just because" there needs to be a valid reason to run this size of response pad, and frankly, I just can't find a reason strong enough to choose it over 19mm. I think if anything, it has more flaws than benefits from my observations. The significance between the release of the yoyo is not enough reason to run 21mm, nor is the ease of silicone.
Lastly, one of the things I wasn't intending on changing, but felt like it was a minor thing that needed to be changed. I am going to reduce the size of the yoyo by a very small amount.
Initially I was pushing the diameter as big as possible to help increase float and spin time. The actual result of Asora was something that I personally felt lacked a little bit of stability. Spin time and zip to the throw felt phenomenal within the design but there was a little bit of stability lacking which left a bit more to be desired for my goal and intentions. Balancing the weight of the yoyo, plus the dimensions, plus the ability to use caps, plus trying to make sure it "feels good" in play is a big balancing act. The final thing I need to balance is the stability and then we're done, it's perfect.
Reducing the Diameter will only be by 0.30mm or so, we're still going to be around 57mm at the end of it all.
This will allow me to place the weight taken from the height of the yoyo and place it where i need in order to gain more stability. This was one of the biggest things I feel like is where the yo-yo will change the most. I was off the mark, but knowing just how far off the mark I was and how much to correct it is sort of a guessing game. I have a pretty good idea of what needed to be changed based on my observations and am confident it's going to have a lot more stability paired with the schmoove ring.
While I was playing Asora over the last year I have also been recording myself more. Previous to starting Dreamcraft, I didn't record myself at all; in all honesty, I'm camera shy and am working on getting better about it. Through recording and "performing" more, I've intensely thought about what would help Asora so that I would never feel like "I need a better yoyo to do this trick." Maybe if I wanted to learn a trick, I'd choose something else, but if I had Asora in my hand, I didn't ever want to feel like, I need to swap because Asora isn't able to do this trick. If anything, over this past year, I've felt like a lot of the yoyos I own aren't able to handle a lot of what I throw at Asora. (designs similar to Asora, not competitive designs) In that regard, I really feel like Asora is on the tip of being perfect for the design I want to achieve. There's just small things that we can do to improve the design. A while ago I was afraid that these changes could take away from Asora and her personality. Now after playtesting a year, I definitely think I've arrived at a perfect design.
I'm going to shoot for better performance, and improved quality of life with this next rendition. If you feel like you somehow want the design to go back to change any of the things I've mentioned or have any opinions about the design so far, please feel free to share your thoughts. The design is still in the works until I send it in to get made and I want everyone to get a chance to read through the blog and let me know their thoughts if they have any.
LAST LASTLY.
The look of Asora won't change much, but I'm definitely planning on changing up the hub a little bit just to help identify the difference between 02 and 03. I think 01 and 02 are blatantly obvious, one has an SE and the other doesn't. I think having the Schmoove Ring will help identify 3, so the change to the hub won't be dramatic. I want to maintain a distinctive hub look for each design.
Thank you.