The Perfect Randomizer

[Professor_Chris]

Count down (not even-odd) d20s in a padded yahtzee cup. Yes, I know, I am a genious.

 

[CPUSrchDiscarding2forOak]

Look...everyone knows by now that players don't WANT the perfect randomizer.

Players want a randomizer that they can force to land on heads more than 50% of the time but is still considered legal by the TCG.

Why do you think the plastic Chansey coin, the regular Chansey coin, and the Vileplume coin are all so popular? They head more often than they tail.

Heck, I'm sure that if they were considered legal, players would start bringing Belgian coins to tournaments; see this article for why
http://www.guardian.co.uk/euro/story/0,11306,627496,00.html

Enforcing a perfect ranodmizer would result in an uproar from all players who are using a biased ranodmizer -- and that's probably more than half the game

 

[SteveP]

Also, the "perfect" randomizer should never get an ambiguous result. I once witnessed a thick coin landing sideways. Dice also have the problem of landing on an uneven surface.

If I suspect my opponent of using a "biased" randomizer, but can't prove it, I use it too. That should even things out a bit.

 

[psycodad]

Look...everyone knows by now that players don't WANT the perfect randomizer.

Players want a randomizer that they can force to land on heads more than 50% of the time but is still considered legal by the TCG.

Why do you think the plastic Chansey coin, the regular Chansey coin, and the Vileplume coin are all so popular? They head more often than they tail.

Heck, I'm sure that if they were considered legal, players would start bringing Belgian coins to tournaments; see this article for why
http://www.guardian.co.uk/euro/story/0,11306,627496,00.html

Enforcing a perfect ranodmizer would result in an uproar from all players who are using a biased ranodmizer -- and that's probably more than half the game

I think it is worth the one time grief to spare judges, staff, and players long term pain @ tournies. It comes up after every major. I am sure that the creators of these cards intended a 50/50 split on heads to insure game balance. In football there is only one regulation ball. Pokemon should be no different. Eliminating this variation would immensely improve the spirit of the game IMHO. And yes Steve P you can use there randomizer but if your deck is not built to maximized the impact of an uneven randommizer it is really no help at all.

 

[psycodad]

I'm thinking about it. With the right amount of technique, you can probably get a coin to flip heads whenever you want. The d20 seems to be the most random of all because of the way it's shaped. That die has triangular edges, meaning that when it starts rolling, the edge of the die will make it roll in one of several different directions, giving more random results. A cubed die, like a d6 has a longer edge, and more flat surface area, meaning that it would roll less because the force from the rolling motion has to overcome that much more mass in order to roll, giving less random results and making it possible to gain a rolling technique.

I like D20's. Hovever the D-20's I have have a region of heads and a region of tails. A clever spin is all that is required to get heads. In a cup it is much better but the small surfaces on a 20 sider allow the dice to tilt which brings interpretation into the roll. An unweighted 6 sider has large surfaces leaving little chance for tipping or interpretation. In a cup with a good shake it is random. You can not see the dice making it hard to roll a heads. Try it. 50/50 over time. On a flat table without a cover it is less of an issue but the dice frequently roll off the table.

 

[Professor_Chris]

I like D20's. Hovever the D-20's I have have a region of heads and a region of tails.

Thats why I suggested a count-down d-20, the ones used to keep score in Magic. Evens and odds are evenly distributed, however, high roll is out of the question to see who goes first. And as long as the playing area is flat, there shouldn't be much of an issue reguarding the interpritation of the end result.

 

[psycodad]

Thats why I suggested a count-down d-20, the ones used to keep score in Magic. Evens and odds are evenly distributed, however, high roll is out of the question to see who goes first. And as long as the playing area is flat, there shouldn't be much of an issue reguarding the interpritation of the end result.

D12's are the same way. For me, the numer of sides is less of an issue than the method. A cup/dice combo is what I am proposing. 20 sides, 12, sides, 6 sides, w/e.