Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Dragonbone Dice Roller App (Dungeonbone)

Lately, I've become obsessed (albeit slightly so) with obtaining a Dragonbone Electronic Dice Roller. This truly retro piece of technology is something I've been wanting since it originally came out back in the day, but only recently decided it was becoming a "now or never" time to buy, since they seem to be harder and harder to come by. This is why I've put my mother-in-law, the "Queen of Ebay", on the case; if anybody can get one at a reasonable price, it's her (but I may have to wait until Christmas for the payoff on this).

Recently, I bounced an idea off Welbo to see what he thought about getting a Kickstarter going to produce something similar and completely analog, only to get a mild lecture about the failure of electronic randomizers (digital or analog) to be truly random (which I already knew from being a dedicated Numb3rs watcher); not to mention, we both came to the conclusion that the front-end work required on something like this before we could put realistic numbers and expectations against a Kickstarter would take more time than either of us has. And the last thing I want to do is end up "pulling a Nystul."

For lack of a better option at the moment, I turned my attention to the Apple App Store and found... wait for it... the Dungeonbone app! Made by Moontech Studios, this app pays homage to the Dragonbone, and comes in both a phone and pad version. The phone version shows a "cropped" version of the wand, while the pad version shows the "full stick." Unfortunately, the iPad app requires the newer iPad OS, and my iPad is still running the old OS because the iPad is older and the new OS does not support the two-finger zoom feature (which I cannot live without); I should be getting my new iPad soon, and this will be the first app I purchase. But I did buy the phone version. The selector "clicks" when you slide it, and the device "clicks" (more of a "plunk" really) when you punch the button to "roll" (a feature which you can disable if you're trying to keep rolls hidden/silent from players; but it's too cool not too leave on). The app settings also let you change the color from bone to red to black (I leave my on black). I LOVE IT!!! It was two bucks VERY well spent!

The only downfall of this app, as with the original Dragonbone and most dice roller apps in general... there's no d30.

6 comments:

  1. Dicenomicon supports a d30, and just about any other die under d1000. It and GoodReader are essential buys for any gamer with an iPad.

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  2. Thanks, Charles. I'll have to check that out.

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  3. Cool! I always wanted one myself, and I had no idea about the app.

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  4. Thx for the kind words NBG! This is Kyle from MoonTech Studios. Your review was pointed out to me today, i'm sorry I missed it until now. I thought I'd add info about the changes we made to the latest release and whats coming next for the Dungeonbone over the next month (Jan/Feb).

    Latest Version:
    - We added a "funny sound" if you roll a “fumble” on the d20
    - We fixed a couple bugs.

    What’s Coming:
    - Apples new iOS7 picker control made our skin selector go invisible when using the Coal skin. We've fixed that.
    - We're also adding new skins in cooperation with popular gaming companies, which will be in-app purchases.
    - We're adding the ability for your roll to stay persistent when you roll, switch to the back or preference screen view and then come back to the front/roll screen.
    - We’re engaging the vibration functionality of your device. If you roll a “crit” on the d20. Also the screen will flash. We’re also looking into strobing the camera flash.
    - As with the option to turn on/off sound with the app, we’re giving he option to turn on/off vibration and flashing.

    Thanks again for the kind words!
    k

    PS: We’re also adding a d30, hehe. Thx for the suggestion!

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    Replies
    1. Interesting updates.

      d30, eh? Can't wait for that addition!

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    2. What about an android version for those of us who wouldn't be caught dead with an Apple product?

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