I was recently asked, during an interview with the Illuminating Rounds podcast Illuminating Rounds 63, what I didn’t like about ASL. I listed a few things but later ended up kicking myself, as I’d forgotten to mention my main pet hate – dice that have alternative symbols printed in place of the ‘1’ pip.
To begin with, I used to think that such dice were unbalanced, even if they were nominally ‘precision’ dice, as they always seemed to roll more ‘one’ results. I used to quote the fact to any opponent using such dice that they had been banned by Gary Trezza at the Albany tournament in the US (the best weekend tournament in the world), though now I believe that only the infamous sets produced by Schwerepunkt are so outlawed. As any game where my opponent used such dice progressed, I would become more and more irritable and increasingly vocal in my condemnation of them, until the player opposite me would often offer to switch dice.
I have revised my opinions and reactions to them recently though – these dice with stars, roundels or flags in place of a solitary pip. I have come to realise that, possibly except for the Schwerepunkt sets, they probably are balanced – it is my reaction to the ‘ones’ they roll that is the issue.
The fact is that the brain reacts differently to the unfamiliar. It may only be a delay of a nano second, but my mind takes that tiny amount of time longer to process the result when these dice roll a one, and somehow, probably unconsciously, notices them more. This effectively fools my brain into thinking they are rolling lower than pure randomness should dictate, which irritates me.
Knowing this, I intend to declare at the outset of games in the future that I would rather my opponent not play with such dice, because it reduces my enjoyment of the game. I will always instead have a spare set of my own precision dice to offer them, if they do not possess their own – they can then choose to use either of my sets.
I realise that one might say my declaration to be somewhat presumptuous, requesting that my rather obtuse preferences be catered for. However, one could argue that starting a scenario with non-standard dice is also somewhat presumptuous. Be that as it may, I think it better to have a polite conversation about matters before the first die is rolled.
I should state that I might also start any game with discussions over dice if my opponent does not possess any precision dice at all, as I also don’t like playing against non-precision dice That though, is another story…
I share Toby’s dislike of non-standard dice, though surely the worst are ones with symbols on more than one face, not just the 1! This can result in the opponent having to look at the dice again to check what he’s just rolled, or – as happened recently – my having to point out to him that he had just rolled a 1 and a 6, not snakeyes as he thought!
I currently use casino precision dice, but they’re a bit big and clunky. What precision dice do you recommend Toby?
Personally, I recommend precision ball-cornered back gammon dice. I have purchased mine from two places in the past:
1) http://asl-battleschool.blogspot.com/p/kitshop-store.html
This is Chris’ store. Most people associate his store with symbols but he sells plain backgammon dice as well.
2) https://www.bgshop.com/
I like their dice too and for you, I believe they are in the UK so they are “local”.
I have two sets of dice. When I am using a dice cup (US style) or a shaker cup, I use 12.5 mm (.5 in) dice. When I use my dice tower, I use 14.2/16mm (9/16 – 5/8 in) dice. I do this so my opponent can see the dice in the tray from across the table. If I use the smaller 12mm dice, sometimes they stop close to the side of the tray on their side of the table and they can’t be seen “over” they tray wall from his perspective.
I personally hate towers/cups where I can’t see what is rolled. As much as I dislike symbols on dice, I will take symbols any day over a dice rolls I cannot see.
Thanks Jim, I’ll follow this up. (Agree with you about DRs you can’t see!)
While tempted by some of the insignias especially the US elite All American 82nd Division, I have not bought custom dice for a couple of reasons.
I’m 100% in your corner as far as that one nano second that it takes to recognize the result is irritating. And the fact that the battle dice are a little too big for my dice cup. I guess I’m old fashioned in reveling in seeing the solitaire pips of snake-eyes.
I’ve used precision dice since I found out they existed. I initially liked the custom precision dice, but no longer because of the delay in recognition, and because many opponents object to them. I still use, however, precision specialty dice for PF, Dust, Sniper and such. I use them if they help interpret the result quickly and if they seem fun to me.
“because it reduces my enjoyment of the game”. Perhaps. But being asked to switch dice- and Use Your dice would ” reduce My enjoyment of the game ” equally. Furthermore what If the dice You provided- precision or not – ended up rolling high . Then my Brain too might be fooled into “to thinking they are rolling higher than pure randomness should dictate. ” Perhaps if You are troubled by such dice- You should share dice with Your opponent provided by a third party person. I’ve used such alt. dice and had plenty of good and bad results. Which leads Me to believe they are balanced.
Reminds me of the legend of The Ducks. Fairly early in my ASL career I showed up early at Pharmbouy Tim Wilson’s house for a weekend of ASL with a gathering of luminaries. I wuz dip my foot into the world of desert. Tim and I set up A bridgehead Too Wet. I rolled my first long range shot with a 40L…eyes, and again, and again. Tim was laughing his butt off just being a part of the whole thing.
More people showed up. I played Marty Snow in Trap at Targul Frumos and I ran out of German hero counters. Same thing playing Mark Evans (no heros but a lot of ROF).
Everybody examined my dice (with a duck as a non-standard pip) in detail and all declared that they seemed just fine. Finally during dinner of the 2nd day, I wuz admiring my dice, when I realized….the duck was on the 6 and not the 1 of the colored die. I and everybody else looking at the rolls were calling an actual 7 DR an eyes.
Of course I immediately ‘fessed up….the penalties for that sort of thing in Wyoming are pretty harsh unless you throw yourself on the mercy of the mob. I seemed to pay for the next year with miserable dice karma. I finally got rid of the ducks by sneaking them into Marty’s dice stable.
I recall something similar happening at an Avaloncon: someone realized mid-game that the symbols on his dice were on the ‘6’ not the ‘1’ side as he had been playing. The person immediately conceded; ASLers are great that way.
I think we all need to take a PMC sometimes on this one. I have played plenty of opponents that had things with their kit or did things that could irritate me and lessen my enjoyment of the game. I think we need to check ourselves and ask whether or not the person we are playing is above all trying to play honestly, fairly, and a good sport and worry less about whether they have custom dice, clipped counters, use or don’t use tweezers, etc. I think we can draw the line on Cheeto fingers on YOUR counters though! 😉
Wait until somebody turns up with precision “numbered” dice rather than pips. My dice (d4-d20+percentile) for most other games are numbered so I feel it is inevitable. The howls of outrage will be heard for miles.