Tournament Likes / Tournament Hates....

[BattleSchool]

I was initially skeptical of these. Having seen them, they do look pretty awesome although I have never used them. Maybe when I run out of other ASL to buy. -- jim

Thanks for the generous praise. In fairness to you, I had only shown you the early designs. Ken Young deserves credit for suggesting the Radio-Contact token. At 2-1/2" (63.5mm), this purple and yellow token is hard to miss.

Tying back into Forgotten War specifically, and tournament rules in general, I was pleased to see that ASL210 "This is Where We Stand" incorporates the Pleva OBA (tourney) rule into an "official" SSR. What suprised me more was that the scenario was designed by an MMP "insider." The MMP crew apparently appreciates a good idea when they see it.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

I cannot recall if I mentioned it in this thread, however, some Aussie tourneys call for the use of four dice for each DR. I don't claim to understand all of the nuance of this approach, but proponents claim that it speeds up play. For example, one set represents a TH DR, while the second set stands in for a TK or IFT DR.

Please see the bit about Jamie Westlake’s Four Dice
https://hongkongwargamer.com/2016/08/06/mayhem-in-manila-july-29-2016/

 

[Spencer Armstrong]

I was initially skeptical of these. Having seen them, they do look pretty awesome although I have never used them. Maybe when I run out of other ASL to buy. -- jim

I bought a set even though I rarely play FTF. They replace chits/cards and OBA status counters (which I tend to lose being offboars). They’re wonderfully made and will be very handy.

 

[Justiciar]

Would you buy 16mm Korean-War BattleDice? Would you use them when playing scenarios set during the KW?

Would you allow their use at a tournament?

I give them as gifts, have purchased them from Ritterkrieg. I am of the "old-school" and use your smaller backgammon dice basic forms, just because that is my aesthetic choice and those fit the dice glass I used better, i.e. more tumbling action.

I do not set tournament rules, and play by whatever the "No soup for you!" TD specs. out.

 

[BattleSchool]

Please see the bit about Jamie Westlake’s Four Dice
https://hongkongwargamer.com/2016/08/06/mayhem-in-manila-july-29-2016/

Thanks Jack. Copied relevant text here for ease:

Jamie Westlake
Aussie convention…..red and white first. Blue and yellow second. If multiple morale checks, top unit red and white, next blue and yellow. Then roll again for third and fourth etc. Exception: if you roll HOB, blue and white become HOB resolution. If leader creation, yellow is next. When first introduced to this twenty years ago I hated it. Now I love it…..on a to hit roll, red and white is the hit, blue and yellow the kill.

 

[BattleSchool]

I give them as gifts, have purchased them from Ritterkrieg. I am of the "old-school" and use your smaller backgammon dice basic forms, just because that is my aesthetic choice and those fit the dice glass I used better, i.e. more tumbling action.

Got something against sugar bowls?

Hadn't thought of the gift angle. Thanks. Will keep this in mind.

Not sure what will come first, 12.5mm or 16mm. Latter offers more design possibilities. Need to give it some more thought.

 

[volgaG68]

I loves my 1/2" Battleschool Nationality dice, and there are a few I would like to yet see made, but I do not think trying to consolidate DRs into one throw are going to save much time at all in an average game. A fair few would stare at them all for a minute trying to digest what they all represent for that action. No dice rolling schemes or consolidated-counters are going to prevent slow players from playing slow. If they simply sped up one phase per Game Turn, the dividends would quickly outpace any gained from dice consolidation.

 

[Sparafucil3]

I bought a set even though I rarely play FTF. They replace chits/cards and OBA status counters (which I tend to lose being offboars). They’re wonderfully made and will be very handy.

They look awesome, no doubt. Maybe I will pull the trigger on them. Given how little I play anymore, it may be hard for me to do. Que sera, sera. -- jim

 

[bprobst]

Thanks Jack. Copied relevant text here for ease:

And again ... it's not an "Aussie Convention". Nor is it "required for use at some Aussie tournaments". It's a style of rolling dice that some Australian players like to use. I moved on from it when I realised that I was getting cocked dice much more frequently than when I was rolling two dice, and it takes more time to explain the dice "rules" to a player unfamiliar with them than to just roll the freakin' dice. So ... don't get obsessed by it; it sounds a lot better in theory than it actually is in practice.

 

[rdw5150]

I cannot recall if I mentioned it in this thread, however, some Aussie tourneys call for the use of four dice for each DR. I don't claim to understand all of the nuance of this approach, but proponents claim that it speeds up play. For example, one set represents a TH DR, while the second set stands in for a TK or IFT DR.

there is no way I would want to keep track of 4 dice in a cup/tower. My feeble brain can barely keep track of 2, let alone, "OK white and red dice are a 7 so that is a hit, (re-checks dice colors), yeah white and red are a 7, (checks hit location using red die) OK hit it in the turret (eyes getting crossed concentrating on so many colors (SMILE). Green and Blue dice are a 6, (re-checks red die for location) not enough to kill it, but rolled double 3's (checks dice colors again just to make certain) so that is multiple hits, (takes out dice and rolls 2 of them) OK 4 kills it........... "

This is total for fun post BTW..........


Peace

Roger

 

[jrv]

I find that when I roll more than two dice at once it takes longer to figure out what I am looking at. The dust dr is one example; once there are two colored dice I have to work hard to sort out which is the colored die and which is the dust die. It might be something that gets better with practice, but I have never reached a point where it does.

JR

 

[von Marwitz]

The dust dr is one example; once there are two colored dice I have to work hard to sort out which is the colored die and which is the dust die.

Or maybe it is just that the dust needs some time to settle before you can perceive anything?

von Marwitz

 

[BattleSchool]

there is no way I would want to keep track of 4 dice in a cup/tower. My feeble brain can barely keep track of 2, let alone, "OK white and red dice are a 7 so that is a hit, (re-checks dice colors), yeah white and red are a 7, (checks hit location using red die) OK hit it in the turret (eyes getting crossed concentrating on so many colors (SMILE). Green and Blue dice are a 6, (re-checks red die for location) not enough to kill it, but rolled double 3's (checks dice colors again just to make certain) so that is multiple hits, (takes out dice and rolls 2 of them) OK 4 kills it........... "

This is total for fun post BTW..........


Peace

Roger

For the record, I have no interest in rolling four dice everytime I roll a TH DR, for example. I simply mentioned the practice (what Jamie Westlake referred to as an "Aussie convention") for interest sake.

 

[BattleSchool]

I find that when I roll more than two dice at once it takes longer to figure out what I am looking at. The dust dr is one example; once there are two colored dice I have to work hard to sort out which is the colored die and which is the dust die. It might be something that gets better with practice, but I have never reached a point where it does.

JR

I agree.

When coloured pips became an option, we added these to our Dust Devils for precisely this reason.

The bright orange pips are hard to confuse with the white or black pips of most dice. Moreover, because each dust die has a +/- sign (for adding or subtracting this dr from the DR), even a dr result of 1, 2, or 3 is easily distinguishable from the results shown on the other two dice.

 

[Will Fleming]

The only dice I prefer people not using are the SP dice. Though I do agree with Spenser way upstream, if someone thinks their dice are lucky, they are probably not "true"......

Glad to have the SP guys making scenarios, but I too am wary of the SP dice. Those suckers are brutal both times I went up against them.

Battle School (and the owner of that site) dice are quite nice and I don't see the same troubles with them. FWIW, I use some simple precision dice with pips for most things and throw in a Battle School die now and then for special occasions.

 

[bprobst]

Those suckers are brutal both times I went up against them.

You of course recorded every dr and DR, and were able to determine the reliable chi-square values from the many hundreds of dice rolls that were recorded ... right?

Couldn't possibly be that maybe the guy rolling the dice was just having a good day. No way under the sun that could be possible, right?

And of course people using precision dice never have streaks of luck (good or bad). Those suckers average "7" in each and every game, no matter how many or how few turns, and no matter how many times the dice need to be rolled ... right?

Can we find something new to be unreasonably paranoid about ... please?

 

[Will Fleming]

The absurdity flag went from off to on?

Take your favorite dice to the Casino, plop down a couple thousand in chips and try to roll them. Pretty sure they will throw you to the curb before you can get your 'chi-square' out of your @ss.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Can we find something new to be unreasonably paranoid about ... please?

You are lovely as an opponent, online & FtF.

But I am "unreasonably paranoid" about your online rants. Terrified, in fact.

 

[witchbottles]

overall this thread got boring about page 2 mid page when it turned into a dice debate.

As for dice, I'd be just as happy to see someone using these:



or these:



You gonna tell me you can't tell if its a 3 or a 5 because some pip paint fell out?

What difference does it matter, I am equally capable of losing horribly with any dice I use, even yours.

By the by, Spencer, how does a dice "fail"? Does it fall into multiple pieces when rolled, aka:


How about these, - best is you can use one die for any DR:



I kind of like them, the manufacturer claims they are precision as well.


But back to the OP:

Likes:

1. # of rounds. 3 in a day is pushing it unless accommodations are available.
2. Use of ABS of some sort adds variety and an additional level of strategy.
3. Good food close. I don't want dinner at "Taco Bell". I want a nice texas-sized porterhouse with some creamy habenero sauce and a Lone Star beer to chase it down with, after a long day gaming. Or a plate of baby bluebacks on the half-shell if we are up in Nor-Easter country, with some sam adams to top it off.
4. camaraderie. I want to see and experience a lot of ASL players interested in playing and having fun. The best part of any tourney (or ASL game for that matter), is the guy across the board from you.

Dislikes:
1. Arguments over dice. Really? Sheez! just get a hot plate and melt any dice you aren't happy with, and let's get some game on.
2. play lists of scen selections that came out 3 months before the tourney.
3. Anyone who shows up wearing Nazi regalia, I'm out. Have a nice tourney.

KRL, jon H

 

[Robin Reeve]

The absurdity flag went from off to on?

Take your favorite dice to the Casino, plop down a couple thousand in chips and try to roll them. Pretty sure they will throw you to the curb before you can get your 'chi-square' out of your @ss.

Casinos are places full of irrationality.
Even going into a casino and expecting to win is irrational.
They will provide their own dice for two main reasons :
- avoid loaded dice
- feed the irrational quest of absolute balance of their customers

At the scale of an ASL scenario, I don't think that the difference between precision dice and average ones is perceptible.
Schwerpunkt dice work fine for me and I never noticed any difference between them and my precision dice.