 mmitchell  | 04 Oct 2013 10:48 a.m. PST |
An electronic die. Very interesting. And be sure to scroll down to the comments for some good observations on this. link This is interesting. At first, my thought was that you shouldn't let someone review an item who thinks that boardgames begin and end with silly trifles like backgammon and Sorry. But then the reviewer does go on to RPGs and other dice-heavy games and name drops Talisman. So, thinking out loud here, the idea of a die automatically tracking hits and damage to my tablet during a game of GUTSHOT is a very enticing idea. It would save a lot of time to create a game "log" that goes turn by turn. It would also track ammo for me. I don't think it will replace real dice, but it is interesting to think about. |
| MajorB | 04 Oct 2013 10:50 a.m. PST |
But I don't want to die electronically .. |
| mmitchell | 04 Oct 2013 10:56 a.m. PST |
Not even if we enable your death via bluetooth? |
| gameorpaint | 04 Oct 2013 11:10 a.m. PST |
I'm not so sure about this being anything beyond a gimmick. If I'm reading this right: The only thing this does is just change colors? I can see a use for a very small display in the way you mention, but this doesn't even remotely look like that. |
| TurnStyle | 04 Oct 2013 2:25 p.m. PST |
A bit too gimmicky and expensive for me. Also, curious with the electronics etc. how "balanced" is the actual dice? |
 etotheipi | 04 Oct 2013 2:38 p.m. PST |
"Oh … man! There is no way! That  hacked my dice! You gotta kick him out … or penalize him. Man. C'mon, ref … show some love!" There is no new thing under the sun. |
| darthfozzywig | 04 Oct 2013 6:57 p.m. PST |
Also, curious with the electronics etc. how "balanced" is the actual dice?
About as balanced as 90% of the non-casino quality dice out there. |
| CeruLucifus | 04 Oct 2013 10:20 p.m. PST |
The picture shows a single die on a backgammon board, but in backgammon you use 2 dice not one. |
| mmitchell | 07 Oct 2013 5:23 p.m. PST |
Just a novelty… but the idea of replacing the front with LCD screens capable of displaying any number or image would be pretty cool. |
| Thunderman | 11 Oct 2013 9:27 a.m. PST |
Oh man a way to play RPGs without math?! Maybe we can digitize the gameboard too! And automate the monsters! Perhaps play remotely with friends? We could call it a…CRPG! I'm so not a fan of people trying to mix electronic gizmos with tactile, physical boardgames. Part of the appeal of tabletop games is to get away from the constant need for instant, thoughtless stimulation. Computers do computer games, and boardgames do boardgames, and never the two shall mix. |
| DOUGKL | 13 Oct 2013 1:11 p.m. PST |
In addition, backgammon is not a silly trifle. Millions have been one and lost over the years by people playing it. |
| etotheipi | 14 Oct 2013 3:13 p.m. PST |
In addition, backgammon is not a silly trifle. Millions have been one and lost over the years by people playing it. … and that doesn't even count people other than me playing against my wife. She's a backgammon-shark. I do remember droves of very excited college kids playing backgammon on the waterfront for a fistfull of drachma … back when that was a currency. |
| Mehoy Nehoy | 01 Nov 2013 9:06 a.m. PST |
Wot he said. Backgammon is no silly trifle. |
begins to think about terrain for Team Yankee.