WebDice vs. dicebot

[Priest]

The new VASL includes a few interesting features that can be added on to new version of VASL. One of these is new extensions is called WebDice. Evidently what happens with this extension is that when you press the dr or DR button a request is sent off to the WebDice site which generates a die roll and emails it to an address that you specify. With the debate over the accuracy of the dicebot I guess RK wanted to give people a choice, so what does everyone think about this?

 

[hydrou]

I think, it´s a quite complicated system, waiting for the email to arrive can increase playing legth to infinity. And can you send the email to two recipients simultaneously? Otherwise how does your opponent know, what you have rolled?

 

[Johnny Canuck]

I agree with Sam Belcher's argument about the dice bot.

Not a big enough of a statistical sample to predict, so it's dice bot for me unless secret DR's are required.

 

[Reepicheep]

I think the WebDice extension is rather unnecessary, but if there are folks that are that unhappy with the DiceBot... I'd predict that in a few months time they'll be posting about how WebDice isn't apparently random either! So I don't think this would solve anything.

Hydrou is quite right that this would slow a game down to watching paint dry - at least, a live VASL game. It's probably workable for games played via email, but the extra work it would involve for very little, if any, gain means I still wouldn't be excited about it. (btw Hydrou, I expect it would be sending results to both players). The only possible advantage it would add is an anti-cheat mechanism, since once the dice are rolled in a given situation someone couldn't reload the logfile and try again. But we're all playing for fun, right?

Perhaps the only big downside I see with WebDice is that the very fact it's available might cause some doubters sitting on the fence to abandon the dicebot.

 

[Priest]

Well the reason that I asked id that a couple months back when people were complaining about the dicebot RK said he was satisfied with it. Now he has included this WebDice extension, just wondering what changed.

 

[Jazz]

Well the reason that I asked id that a couple months back when people were complaining about the dicebot RK said he was satisfied with it. Now he has included this WebDice extension, just wondering what changed.

I think that what changed is Rodney got sick of hearing all the (unsupported by any meaningful data) complaints about the dicebot. It was starting to take on the rational and logical characteristics of a witch hunt in Salem

I've made off-hand comments about things like repeated results and seemingly "un-real" results on the dicebot. I've done that same thing about the dice I use playing FtF.

 

[ToxicShock]

I've made off-hand comments about things like repeated results and seemingly "un-real" results on the dicebot. I've done that same thing about the dice I use playing FtF.

From my own experience, I can vouch that the dicebot is just as faithful in reproducing results as my FtF stealth dice. Boxcars on the first shot, 6 on a wound dr, and snake-eyes on a Wind Change on a regular basis. Hence, my bias towards the 'moving' style of play vice the 'firing' style. How I manage to win a match with such crappy dice awes me everytime.

 

[Jazz]

Hence, my bias towards the 'moving' style of play vice the 'firing' style. How I manage to win a match with such crappy dice awes me everytime.

Shooting is over-rated. A common newbie mistake is shooting when they should be moving.

 

[Priest]

I think that what changed is Rodney got sick of hearing all the (unsupported by any meaningful data) complaints about the dicebot. It was starting to take on the rational and logical characteristics of a witch hunt in Salem

I've made off-hand comments about things like repeated results and seemingly "un-real" results on the dicebot. I've done that same thing about the dice I use playing FtF.

Your probably right Jazz, I also remember my ftf dice rolling days from SL whenever the dice were good for me I was happy, if they were bad...then there was something wrong with the dice.