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Well Dice being dice shouldn't matter Round dice are more likely to roll around after dropping
All of which shouldn't matter unless you are trying to use rolling techniques
Which puts me off immensely.
However IF your talkign about chessex dice. they do apparently have bubbles which may cause higher or lower rolls compared to machined dice which probably wont.
Edit: Also IIRC machined dice are bad for wargaming tables (non felt) as it will probably start chipping really quickly off hard surfaces.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/06/24 20:11:52
Assuming the design of the die is symmetrical and has the ability to roll evenly, it's not strictly important what shape the die is in.
What you're probably referring to is people justly warning you against Chessex brand dice. The casting quality of those particular dice are wretched, well-known for air pockets and inconsistencies in the plastic. They're also not weighted correctly thanks to the way they do their pips. Chessex do, in fact, roll wonky, and tend to bias the number one.
Just spend more than bargain basement prices for your dice, and you'll do a lot better. I personally roll Kopchow, which have been just fine for me, for example. I also have two sets of backgammon dice (which I bought from Zontic, and while they're crazy expensive they also track shockingly accurately with predicted statistics.
If you're going for nice dice, say, those made uniform and properly weighted, you're likely (but not required) to buy casino dice, and all of them have square corners, unlike chessex. Thus the likely source of the confusion.
They can make properly-weighted ones with round edges, though. They just have to actually try (and charge you accordingly).
'It is a source of constant consternation that my opponents cannot correlate their innate inferiority with their inevitable defeat. It would seem that stupidity is as eternal as war.'
- Nemesor Zahndrekh of the Sautekh Dynasty Overlord of the Crownworld of Gidrim
cfoley wrote:A cube can more often trap other orientations making it more random.
A round edge dice favours the sphere result but still has a chance of other orientations.
Right, which only matters if you have badly-weighted dice, which only happens when you buy cheap dice.
Fixing the balance will do a lot more than making the edges a bit crisper.
Except if you have perfectly weighted dice, and you're striving for 100%, then you need to go back to cfoley's argument, which - while on a level that really shouldn't matter to a wargamer - are still true.
There's a reason why casinos only play with very sharp edge dice. (Which are also perfectly - or as humanly close to it as is possible - weighted.)
But to be honest, with all the terrain, models and rough surface we bounce dice off of, edges (and even chessex famed bubbles) are a secondary concern. Unless you're gonna participate in a high roller's 40k tournament for serious cash, get anything you like the look of.
edit: oh, also, rolling. If you're just gonna plant your dice, then sharp edged are just gonna refuse to roll at all, while rounded might actually start rolling a bit.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/06/24 23:07:41
All solved by everyone just using the same set of dice but nobody seems to do that.
It was a revelation to me the first time I played in a store. I offered to let my opponent to use my dice. I had over 50 of them and it saves us mixing our sets up.
He looked at me like I was mad and said people usually just rolled their own dice.
I wasn't thinking about people cheating with loaded dice at the time but it would help cut that out.
this would also back the theory behind removing "poorly behaving dice" haha
so this one more often rolls 6's thats a weapons dice,
these roll low, they can be leadership dice
Round edge dice are USUALLY rounded because they've been tumbled (generally for in order to color the grooves or pips). This process is inherently asymmetrical, and will leave dice treated in such a fashion uneven.
Check this out for more information on what makes your dice uneven. (The title isn't in English, but the video is.)
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/06/25 00:37:54
I used to play with a guy and both of us used to roll our dice gently. Neither of us wanted dice ricocheting off our models, hitting other dice or ending up under the couch. He would always pick up dice that had 6s. He'd take it as a good omen for a high rolling dice. I thought it was funny so I started seeking dice that had 1s showing.
The strangest thing happened. I think I was more lucky with my dice than he was. I wish I had the data to run some tests but I really think it gave me an advantage.
At some point, I decided that the silly anti-superstition had turned me into a cheater. Even though I didn't know if it was statistically significant, thinking I could predict the outcome before I picked up the dice meant I was cheating with every roll. I changed my rolling technique. I still rolled them gently but I would shake them really well between my cupped hands first.
I'm telling this story because I think it brings an interesting point of view to the discussion. I don't class my friend as cheating, even though he was seeking out 6s as a good omen. I don't think he was really silly enough to think that dice showing 6s would give him better results.
Likewise, I wasn't cheating (at least initially) when I sought 1s to roll. It was just part of the banter. To this day I don't know if I had a real advantage but I gradually became more confident in the pattern I noticed. At some point I crossed the line into cheating.
It strikes me as interesting that we both started doing the same silly thing but only one of us ended up cheating.
According to the people who sell persision dice chance is only truly random with sharp edge dice. That being said it doesn't really matter unless you abuse how you roll the dice like said above.
cfoley wrote: All solved by everyone just using the same set of dice but nobody seems to do that.
It was a revelation to me the first time I played in a store. I offered to let my opponent to use my dice. I had over 50 of them and it saves us mixing our sets up.
He looked at me like I was mad and said people usually just rolled their own dice.
I wasn't thinking about people cheating with loaded dice at the time but it would help cut that out.
My issue is, as an Ork player. I never have enough dice as it is to roll all my attacks, let alone spare some for other people to use :p
cfoley wrote: All solved by everyone just using the same set of dice but nobody seems to do that.
It was a revelation to me the first time I played in a store. I offered to let my opponent to use my dice. I had over 50 of them and it saves us mixing our sets up.
He looked at me like I was mad and said people usually just rolled their own dice.
I wasn't thinking about people cheating with loaded dice at the time but it would help cut that out.
My issue is, as an Ork player. I never have enough dice as it is to roll all my attacks, let alone spare some for other people to use :p
Obviously somebody needs to play more Shadowrun.
You will never run out of dice after getting involved in that.
Greebo had spent an irritating two minutes in that box. Technically, a cat locked in a box may be alive or it may be dead. You never know until you look. In fact, the mere act of opening the box will determine the state of the cat, although in this case there were three determinate states the cat could be in: these being Alive, Dead, and Bloody Furious.
Orks always ride in single file to hide their strength and numbers.
Gozer the Gozerian, Gozer the Destructor, Volguus Zildrohar, Gozer the Traveler, and Lord of the Sebouillia
cfoley wrote: All solved by everyone just using the same set of dice but nobody seems to do that.
It was a revelation to me the first time I played in a store. I offered to let my opponent to use my dice. I had over 50 of them and it saves us mixing our sets up.
He looked at me like I was mad and said people usually just rolled their own dice.
I wasn't thinking about people cheating with loaded dice at the time but it would help cut that out.
My issue is, as an Ork player. I never have enough dice as it is to roll all my attacks, let alone spare some for other people to use :p
Obviously somebody needs to play more Shadowrun.
You will never run out of dice after getting involved in that.
Shadowrun?
Edit: Never mind, amazing what a google search with tell you!@
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2014/06/25 22:45:52