Dice Should Have Life

I don’t mind dice in a game; they add a bit of randomness and unpredictability that many games require.  But dice should have life.

The dice that come with the first edition of Command & Colors: Ancients are dead.  They will, of course, give you a random solution when thrown but there’s no fun in it; no thrill as you wait for the result.  They drop to the table and bounce once or twice then lie there with their answer staring at you as if to say, “There, are you happy now?”

Dice should roll and spin, adding to the suspense so that when they finally stop, you realize that you’ve been holding your breath.  I want time to yell, “Come on, green dot!  We need to kick some Roman butt!”  I want to watch them dance and swirl, catching glimpses of that which I yearn for.  “Green dot.  Green dot.”

The only way these dice would grant me the desired anticipation is if I threw them across the room eight or ten feet and bounced them off of a wall.  Ah, but then I’d have to get up and walk over there to pick them up each time.  No, these definitely need to be replaced.  Maybe the cats would like them!