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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Snarf Zagyg" data-source="post: 8943827" data-attributes="member: 7023840">So I was gone all weekend, but I wanted to come back to this thread. Originally, I was going to go into more of the mechanics of the thread (as promised at the bottom of the OP) but I was already going long and I wanted to give this specific topic time to breath. I think that the issue of choice of dice (and how they are used) is incredibly important mechanically, and it's something I wanted to discuss in terms of RPGs as a game, and it's also something I think that videogames (with their focus on RNG) have looked at.That said, the specific focus of this article isn't about the mechanics of the dice, or even fit-to-function of the dice. Instead, it's about the cultural assumptions (the semiotics, or signifiers) of the various dice that we use. I think that this has been touched on by some of the commenters already- for example, [USER=7039850]@Enrahim2[/USER] notes that the choice of dice might be a signifier of the type of game- something I am generally in agreement on (I phrased it as "indie games"). [USER=6796661]@MNblockhead[/USER] ... perhaps jokingly ... mentions that the platonic solids are a good fit for the fantasy approach because they impart an alchemical feel. I hadn't thought of that, but it's true that there is something to it.Perhaps a bit of personal history that I elided would help. I've been designing a lot of rules-lite games for personal use lately, and between that and some FKR games, I've noticed that I've been designing a lot of d6-based games. And I started to wonder ... why? Why am I doing that? I have this giant arsenal of dice, but every single time I sit down and make a quick adventure, I always default to some modified d6 system.It's definitely not because I like the d6- I don't. In my "love of rolling dice," I rank dice roughly like this-d12 > d20 > (d10 = d6) > d8 > d4And it's also not because of fit for use. I think that there are times when, at a minimum, a d12 mechanic would probably work just as well (if not better). So why?And the brief answer is ... because that's what people do. When creating a rules-lite game, when making an indie game, you use a d6. On the other hand, when you're making a "big game" or a "giant commercial game" you go for the "big set o' dice," or, a at a minimum, more than just the d6 (d10 at a minimum). While there are some exceptions, that's a pretty good rule.This first initial post is getting people to discuss that (and, perhaps, disagree with that) before moving on to the specifics of different mechanics- why some games might have a better use for different dice.In short, after this initial post and discussion, I'd like to dive more into the nitty-gritty of the dice mechanics of different games- the "game" part of the RPGs.</blockquote>

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