Just wanted to write up some UI/useability ideas I had. Many of these are inspired by how unreal's blueprint editor works:
1. Right click anywhere to bring up a list of all nodes with a text input at the top that filters the list as you type. Makes adding the node you want very quick
2. Drag an input/output into empty space to bring up a list of nodes that could be connected to that input/output, again with a progressive filter input.
3. The ability to rename nodes is cool, but the fact that you then lose visibility of what type of node it actually is worries me - maybe there should be a separate 'label' field for the user to enter info rather than replacing the name of the node type. Or at least put the node type in the tooltip.
Anyway, with or without these it's a great tool, nice work!
I'm taking the pool span of 2d6 and plugging it into a histogram and getting an output of 100% zero. Is this a bug or am I misunderstanding how some of the nodes work? I would expect a distribution of values between 0 and 5.
OK - I figured out what's going on. There's a bug in the Pool Span node, where it requires 3 or more dice to work instead of two.
I've fixed it, but in the meantime you can just use the SPAN node which takes two numeric inputs. Here are two examples with the fixed POOL SPAN node on top, and the SPAN node on two dice on the bottom. Both histograms are the same.
Thanks for the quick reply! Also just wanted to say, if you're ever looking for contributions on the programming side I would be interested - I'm guessing it might be C#, which I'm familiar with?
It seems that if you try to connect multiple pools to something taking a pool as input, it just silently ignores one of the pools. I was wondering for a long time what was going wrong for a more complicated setup. I can't seem to be post a picture.
I really would enjoy using this but its sad that its only made to run on windoz. A javascript or Unity-based, even online and open to contributions (trough GitHub) version would kick ass! Anyway, thanks for making such a tool available, even if I can not use it.
Hoping some intrepid McDie master can help me with this. I've tried, but I'm really stuck with a few aspects of this. I can write it out logically, but I can't figure out how to spit out the histogram I want and don't know where else to ask.
The basic idea for the combat system I'm working on is that an attack die pool is rolled against the highest die of the defense pool aiming to meet or exceed it, the color of the attack die (green / yellow / red) determines how many successes the attack die scores (1 / 2 / 3 respectively), and doubles / triples / quads rolled that are successes add 2 / 4 / 6 hits respectively. In detail:
An attack die pool is made of xd6 + xd8 + xd10 (each die can be green, yellow, or red)
A defense die pool is made of 1-3 d6's
Both pools are rolled. The defense value is the highest defense die rolled.
Each [green / yellow / red] attack die scores [1 / 2 / 3] hits if it is equal to or greater than the defense value.
Additionally, each set of [doubles / triples / quads] among attack die that hit score an additional [2 / 4 / 6] hits.
Histogram: average hits scored by a given attack / defense dice pool.
This is the .mcd file for what I have so far, I have no clue how to incorporate the different die types, nor the additional hits for rolling sets. Any help at all would be hugely appreciated!
I need to think about this, but I don't believe McDie can handle dice having another attribute besides different #'s of sides and faces (e.g. color in your case).
It's possible this might be handled by the new card/cube/tile system I'm working on adding, which let's you add arbitrary 'attributes' (like color) to elements.
Since each die size can be any color, how did you want the model to set that up? Are there certain configurations? Is it random? Are there always one of of each type on a pool?
So I basically just wanted to be able to, via integer, determine how many of each die are in the attack pool. We have 9 die total (d6/8/10 in green/yellow/red), so the pool would be made up of some number of these. Just being able to output histograms from various pools would be helpful enough. Being able to compare, say, the number of successes of
Thanks for the kind words! To encourage this kind of behavior, here's a file that should get you most of what you want. You can specify any number of red D6, D8, D10, yellow D6, D8, D10, green D6, D8, D10, and defense D6's. It does NOT do the bonus stuff.
I didn't 100% vet this, but I think it should be right.
EDIT: Quick note - I just looked at your original post and see that ties should go to the attacker. Here they go to the defender. To fix that just take out the +1 I add to the Defender highest die.
Great program, thank you! I'm less than an hour into it, but it seems like just what I need for some board game design analysis. I was going to create my own simulation in Google Sheets, but this is definitely more fun! I haven't donated yet, but I will.
One minor request - "A > B" and "A < B" would be useful nodes. I know I can simulate "A > B" with "A <= B"-->"Not", but it's a little clunky.
Hey Geoff, I love this program and have been using it a lot recently! Super intuitive and well put together. Thank you for making it :)
One feature request I have is the ability to lock the scale on histograms so that they match each other. I want to compare bell curves with quite different ranges but keep them to scale with each other to help visualise the difference.
I see a lot of value in this. Is there any way to do an `If T/F then #P1\X2 else #P2\X2`? I feel like this would simplify some processes I'm trying to model. A case switch would be even better!
I'm trying to model a sort of an inverted bell curve distribution by using a die pool and a coin flip (basically, I want to set up a die pool, separately roll a single die, and if it comes out even, send the highest roll from the pool to the histogram, otherwise send the lowest roll from the pool). I think I need to use a "Switch Integers" node for this, but while this node is mentiones in the user manual, I can't find it in the actual program. I've tried using the search function and no nodes with the name "switch" come up.
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Just wanted to write up some UI/useability ideas I had. Many of these are inspired by how unreal's blueprint editor works:
1. Right click anywhere to bring up a list of all nodes with a text input at the top that filters the list as you type. Makes adding the node you want very quick
2. Drag an input/output into empty space to bring up a list of nodes that could be connected to that input/output, again with a progressive filter input.
3. The ability to rename nodes is cool, but the fact that you then lose visibility of what type of node it actually is worries me - maybe there should be a separate 'label' field for the user to enter info rather than replacing the name of the node type. Or at least put the node type in the tooltip.
Anyway, with or without these it's a great tool, nice work!
I'm taking the pool span of 2d6 and plugging it into a histogram and getting an output of 100% zero. Is this a bug or am I misunderstanding how some of the nodes work? I would expect a distribution of values between 0 and 5.
Can you post/send me a screen shot of your network? I should be able to debug it from there.
OK - I figured out what's going on. There's a bug in the Pool Span node, where it requires 3 or more dice to work instead of two.
I've fixed it, but in the meantime you can just use the SPAN node which takes two numeric inputs. Here are two examples with the fixed POOL SPAN node on top, and the SPAN node on two dice on the bottom. Both histograms are the same.
Thanks for the quick reply! Also just wanted to say, if you're ever looking for contributions on the programming side I would be interested - I'm guessing it might be C#, which I'm familiar with?
It is c#, with WPF on the front-end. I may take you up on that :)
It seems that if you try to connect multiple pools to something taking a pool as input, it just silently ignores one of the pools. I was wondering for a long time what was going wrong for a more complicated setup. I can't seem to be post a picture.
It would also be nice if I could see the numbers at each node to figure out where things are going wrong
If you hover over a node after a run it will show you the value at that node. Clicking the single run button is a good way to get to this quickly.
Sorry for the long delay in responding!
I really would enjoy using this but its sad that its only made to run on windoz. A javascript or Unity-based, even online and open to contributions (trough GitHub) version would kick ass! Anyway, thanks for making such a tool available, even if I can not use it.
Hoping some intrepid McDie master can help me with this. I've tried, but I'm really stuck with a few aspects of this. I can write it out logically, but I can't figure out how to spit out the histogram I want and don't know where else to ask.
The basic idea for the combat system I'm working on is that an attack die pool is rolled against the highest die of the defense pool aiming to meet or exceed it, the color of the attack die (green / yellow / red) determines how many successes the attack die scores (1 / 2 / 3 respectively), and doubles / triples / quads rolled that are successes add 2 / 4 / 6 hits respectively. In detail:
This is the .mcd file for what I have so far, I have no clue how to incorporate the different die types, nor the additional hits for rolling sets. Any help at all would be hugely appreciated!
I need to think about this, but I don't believe McDie can handle dice having another attribute besides different #'s of sides and faces (e.g. color in your case).
It's possible this might be handled by the new card/cube/tile system I'm working on adding, which let's you add arbitrary 'attributes' (like color) to elements.
Since each die size can be any color, how did you want the model to set that up? Are there certain configurations? Is it random? Are there always one of of each type on a pool?
So I basically just wanted to be able to, via integer, determine how many of each die are in the attack pool. We have 9 die total (d6/8/10 in green/yellow/red), so the pool would be made up of some number of these. Just being able to output histograms from various pools would be helpful enough. Being able to compare, say, the number of successes of
[2 green d8s + 1 green d10 vs 1 defense die]
against
[3 red d6's vs 2 defense die]
would be *super* helpful.
OK - As noted I don't think McDie can do this now. But let me think about if/how this could be accommodated.
Question - Is the "defense value" the sum of the defense dice? Or the highest defense die?
The highest of the rolled die. (That part I figured out at least.)
Thanks so much for looking into this Geoff, longtime listener of Ludology btw, always impressed by your thoughts on design.
Thanks for the kind words! To encourage this kind of behavior, here's a file that should get you most of what you want. You can specify any number of red D6, D8, D10, yellow D6, D8, D10, green D6, D8, D10, and defense D6's. It does NOT do the bonus stuff.
I didn't 100% vet this, but I think it should be right.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_HQRUsq72dFo_BHu3_ZbfhlbSB0xQkoe/view?usp=shari...
Please let me know how it looks!
EDIT: Quick note - I just looked at your original post and see that ties should go to the attacker. Here they go to the defender. To fix that just take out the +1 I add to the Defender highest die.
Great program, thank you! I'm less than an hour into it, but it seems like just what I need for some board game design analysis. I was going to create my own simulation in Google Sheets, but this is definitely more fun! I haven't donated yet, but I will.
One minor request - "A > B" and "A < B" would be useful nodes. I know I can simulate "A > B" with "A <= B"-->"Not", but it's a little clunky.
Good ideas! I will look to add those in the next release.
Awesome, many thanks!
Hey Geoff, I love this program and have been using it a lot recently! Super intuitive and well put together. Thank you for making it :)
One feature request I have is the ability to lock the scale on histograms so that they match each other. I want to compare bell curves with quite different ranges but keep them to scale with each other to help visualise the difference.
Oh - interesting idea! I will take a look at how to do that. I guess people would need to pick and choose which ones they want linked.
I see a lot of value in this. Is there any way to do an `If T/F then #P1\X2 else #P2\X2`? I feel like this would simplify some processes I'm trying to model. A case switch would be even better!
there are SWITCH nodes that should do what you want. Let me know if that helps!
Ooooh, RTFM, amirite? I swear I read through all the nodes in the quick start guide. Thanks, I'll have a tinker!
Yeah, that's what I needed! Managed to get Pathfinder 2e and Pokemon Tabletop United damage modelled pretty easy. Thanks for the help!
This is an amazing tool!
However, I'm having a little problem.
I'm trying to model a sort of an inverted bell curve distribution by using a die pool and a coin flip (basically, I want to set up a die pool, separately roll a single die, and if it comes out even, send the highest roll from the pool to the histogram, otherwise send the lowest roll from the pool). I think I need to use a "Switch Integers" node for this, but while this node is mentiones in the user manual, I can't find it in the actual program. I've tried using the search function and no nodes with the name "switch" come up.
Weird. They should be there.
Maybe you're not running the latest version? Try running the Updater (under the Help Menu). The latest is 2021.061