A Dicey Dilemma

[Jabbernewt]

I've been looking at this game for a while now, have almost three fleets completed, and am just now starting to make my way through the rules. However, I have yet to play an actual game. There are a few reasons for this; Comprehending the rules (namely their length) was and is a daunting concept, I had nobody who might take an interest in the game itself, and I didn't know where to find dice and their specialized versions without an internet purchase. The 'people' issue has been nullified, we have a strategy club with people from school that meets weekly at my home. The dice, however, are still very much an issue. Regular dice are easy to obtain, I pedaled my way down to the local dollar store the other day and picked up three packs of five for just a few dollars. Where I'm having a problem is with the eight-sided die. Without those dice, I'm not sure the game would function properly!

That brings me to the heart of this post: Has anyone played a game with just normal dice? Has anyone tweaked the rules for use of plain, six-sided die? I've personally thought about changing all the 'ace' dice to be a roll with 2 or 3 normal dice, but I don't know what havoc that could cause during gameplay. Help me Mobile frame forum, you're my only hope!

[Atavism]

The internet has a number of webpages that do dice rolls or random number generation. If your computer is near your gaming space, or you have a smartphone (they even have apps for that) it might be worth checking out. D8's don't persist on the table so you don't need the physical dice.

[Jabbernewt]

Aha, hadn't even considered searching for a website, I'll see how it works!

[Blorf]

You have lots of options. It shouldn't be hard to find a page or app that simulates a D8. Even my Commander's Handbook can do it.

Where are you located? There are lots of specialty game stores that will sell you single dice, and you might not pay more than USD $0.25.

If you're part of a strategy club, ask there! Your friends might have some, or might own games that include them, like Risk 2210. Someone there might even just give you one.

I don't recommend modifying a D6. There's another thread on here somewhere about doing that with a discussion of the implications. Bottom line, there's no good way to make that work fairly.

[Jabbernewt]

I have to be honest...
...I've never played Risk either...

I'm in West Michigan, close to a mall that has a comic/nerdy goodness shop. I know they do Magic, but I haven't ever gone in to see if they do any other games involving dice.

My friends and I play many strategy games, and almost all of them involve dice somehow, but there's not a single d8 to be found... at least, not in the games we play, and certainly not in red, blue, or any other colors (though I'm not sure the colors matter too much when it comes down to it)

I suppose that a request to peruse the aisles in the mall comic shop is in order next time errands are being run, until then I'll be glued to taking notes on the rules and using virtual dice randomizers.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[Jabbernewt]

(Your handbook is beautiful, by the way)

[Blorf]

You're welcome. The Handbook is specific to Rapid Attack, but having an understanding of :RA is helpful for playing :IO. Hopefully you'll find it useful.

I'm sure you're near a game store! You ought to be able to find a d8 close by. Make a run over to that store and if they don't have any, ask. People who play Magic will generally also know where to find dice nearby.

Oh, and do yourself a favor and play Risk 2210. Make sure it's 2210, a very different game from the others in the Risk franchise. You've got the right one if you start the game by irradiating territory, (the result of global nuclear war,) fight battles with combat mechs, and have the ability to explore both underwater and the moon.

[Jabbernewt]

Wow. Guess you could say that the game starts off with a bang!

[aurlaent]

You can also make your own dice.

or use a "spinner"

[soriansj]

You can also use 2 - D6s per 8 sided dice needed.

For example, if you need to roll a red D8 for an attack, grab 1 White D6 and 1 Red D6 and roll:

White - whatever is the face value
Red - on a roll of 1-2, add 0 to white's face value
on a roll of 3-4, add 1 to white's face value
on a roll of 5-6, add 2 to white's face value

This gives you pretty much the same value range as rolling a D8.

[Blorf]

[soriansj]

[aurlaent]

You could use three coins flipped in order to generate a 3 bit number.
If you add one you'll get the proper distribution.