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Possibly OT: D120 Dice

Posted By: Phil simborg
Date: Saturday, 25 June 2016, at 1:25 p.m.

In Response To: Possibly OT: D120 Dice (Wolfgang)

While this is a most ingenious approach to dice, even it if could be adopted to backgammon it appears to me that it would be somewhat complicated to be sure the correct number was selected. Also I assume that the dice would be expensive as it would have to be proven to be perfectly balanced.

I do like it that you and others think about alternatives to the status quo. Unlike those who feel that any considerstion of a nee way of doing things destroys the game and means you dont love the game, I am one who believes that constantly looking for ways to improve the game means you really do love the game and want to make it better, whether it be in equipment, rules, playing strategies, tournament strategies, teaching strategies etc.

Personaly I am a strong advocate of electronic dice particularly if it is contained in a small device that the tournament director provided to the players to ensure there was no rigging of the mechanism. (Or some other way to randomly choose the device used).

I have no problem playing my matches on eXtremeGammon and using its dice against an opponent either in a tournament or for high stakes and I have yet to meet anyone knowledgeable about the game who has a problem in this area (though I know several who hate playing sgainst eXtremeGammon using eXtremeGammon's dice. To those people I say "why dont you play against eXtremeGammon using manual dice that you roll on a table and see if you do any better against eXtremeGammon?")

Now that I am a board-manufacturer I must tell you that we have talked about the option of putting in a small, electronic portable, removable electronic dice roller that fits neatly into our board as an option. It would be made so that it would be impossible to open and close without clear damage that would be noticeable and before a match the rollers could be interchanged and selected randomly or provided by a third party or TD. And I would love one that calls out the numbers for the benefit of the blind and soectators watching a stream.

So lets keep looking and trying new things.

Messages In This Thread

• Possibly OT: D120 Dice
  Wolfgang -- Friday, 24 June 2016, at 3:13 p.m.
  • Possibly OT: D120 Dice
    Caryl Stephanson -- Friday, 24 June 2016, at 3:45 p.m.
  • Possibly OT: D120 Dice
    Phil simborg -- Saturday, 25 June 2016, at 1:25 p.m.
  • Possibly OT: D120 Dice
    Art Grater -- Saturday, 25 June 2016, at 5:01 p.m.