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BGonline.org Forums
Meyer Dice Tube VIDEO, Randomness & Cheating -- My Turn to Rant an Opinion
Posted By: Henrik Bukkjaer In Response To: Meyer Dice Tube VIDEO, Randomness & Cheating -- My Turn to Rant an Opinion (Brett Meyer)
Date: Tuesday, 14 December 2010, at 10:08 a.m.
>> The fact is that the exact amount of tension of the tubing is completely insignificant, with regards to producing random dice rolls.
I think that's exactly what Bill's trying to point out, in his grumpy I-just-don't-like-that-tube kind of way...
If it's irrelevant for the sake of producing random numbers, then why do you go out of your way to point it out in your description on your web-site? (as if it were important). A lot of people (myself included) react negatively towards bogus arguments, because we feel we're being sold something that maybe don't hold it's own. I mean, why would anyone make up selling points if the product don't need it?
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That said, I think you have a good product and a great idea, and it really seems that you have worked on the issues and implemented some needed improvements.
I'll place an order for a tube within short, to try it out, and to see if I'd recommend that it is assimilated with baffleboxes in our tournament rules.
I think that a lot of people will be very reluctant to using the tube in regular play, simply because it takes something tangible out of the game - namely the rolls - that we often refer to. But it's just something that will take time. And just like the clock, you might never see the tube (or any bafflebox) being used exclusively, but there are many scenarios where it do make sense. Speedgammon being the primary one IMHO. In speedgammon proper shaking and rolling of the dice will always be something that are debateable, and using a box or a tube will guarantee random numbers and it will guarantee the same (short) time taken for each roll.
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The only two real challenges I still see with the tube (keep in mind that I haven't tried one yet) are that:
1) The dice seem to fall through the strings a bit quickly sometimes, so you can end up with your hand on the tube while one of the dice are getting close to it's resting position. Maybe the tube needs a little denser string pattern right at the middle to make sure a die don't take the fast-path through?
2) The problem of tubes tipping over. I don't have any idea how sturdy it stands. But it's certainly an area that mechanics and cheaters could learn to exploit I'm afraid. How would you handle a tipped tube, say if one of the dice had settled on an unfavorable number, and the player then knocks over the tube?
Those two points above might not be big issues in actual game play, but it must be thought well through before the skeptics would become willing to play using the tube.
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