Roll Of Dice Research Articles

No Player Left Behind: Evolving Dungeons and Dragons Combat to Optimize Difficulty and Player Contributions

Creating well-balanced combat encounters can be a difficult task for Game Managers (GMs) in tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons (DnD). This work uses a simulation environment to generate new sets of DnD encounters that can be optimized for both difficulty and balance among player contributions. Encounters are evaluated using simulated games that can either be run probabilistically (using dice rolls) or with deterministic expected outcomes. While the expected approach allows game outcomes to be simulated substantially faster and is a good estimate of difficulty, it is a less reliable measure of balance. A genetic algorithm was used to generate encounters that meet the desired difficulty and where all players are needed for success.

PENGARUH PERMAINAN ROLL DICE CHALLENGE TERHADAP LITERASI AWAL ANAK USIA 5-6 TAHUN

This study is based on the low early literacy levels of children, caused by a lack of engaging learning media that stimulates children's interest in learning and the use of inappropriate teaching methods in teaching literacy to children. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of the roll dice challenge game on the early literacy of children aged 5-6 years in Polombangkeng Utara District. The research approach used is a quantitative approach with a Quasi-Experimental Design type. The population in this study consists of children aged 5-6 years in early childhood education institutions in Polombangkeng Utara District. The sample was taken using purposive sampling technique. The research sample consisted of 34 children, 17 children as the experimental group and 17 children as the control group. The data collection techniques in this study include tests, observations, and documentation. The data analysis techniques in this study include prerequisite tests and independent sample t-tests. The results of the study concluded that the roll dice challenge game has a significant effect on the early literacy of children aged 5-6 years in Polombangkeng Utara District.

Exploring facial cues: automated deception detection using artificial intelligence

Deception detection is an interdisciplinary field attracting researchers from psychology, criminology, computer science, and economics. Automated deception detection presents unique challenges compared to traditional polygraph tests, but also offers novel economic applications. In this spirit, we propose an approach combining deep learning with discriminative models for deception detection. Therefore, we train CNNs for the facial modalities of gaze, head pose, and facial expressions, allowing us to compute facial cues. Due to the very limited availability of training data for deception, we utilize early fusion on the CNN outputs to perform deception classification. We evaluate our approach on five datasets, including four well-known publicly available datasets and a new economically motivated rolling dice experiment. Results reveal performance differences among modalities, with facial expressions outperforming gaze and head pose overall. Combining multiple modalities and feature selection consistently enhances detection performance. The observed variations in expressed features across datasets with different contexts affirm the importance of scenario-specific training data for effective deception detection, further indicating the influence of context on deceptive behavior. Cross-dataset experiments reinforce these findings. Notably, low-stake datasets, including the rolling dice Experiment, present more challenges for deception detection compared to the high-stake Real-Life trials dataset. Nevertheless, various evaluation measures show deception detection performance surpassing chance levels. Our proposed approach and comprehensive evaluation highlight the challenges and potential of automating deception detection from facial cues, offering promise for future research.

Analysis of Media Influence on Military Decision-Making

Information warfare challenges, including the "CNN Effect," are increasing in quantity and complexity as the internet saturates modern life. Media communications, reliable or not, are constantly injected into American life, affecting opinions, decision-making, and actions—which may result in terrifying and permanent consequences when the media influences military members and government leaders. This research focuses on the immersive learning environment—an engaging, simulation-based educational experience with realistic conflict scenarios where students apply lesson objectives through hands-on activities. Instructors conduct immersive learning in the US Air Force Academy's (USAFA) Multi-Domain Laboratory. Traditionally, students were taught military strategy in a classroom where they engaged in wargaming by rolling dice using a board game. Now, the Military & Strategic Studies (MSS) Department uses hands-on, real-time wargaming with unique hardware and software to teach future leaders how to apply classroom concepts using experiential learning. Wargames are critical for meeting the priorities of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—specifically, preparing leaders to conduct joint operations in all domains by integrating experiential learning. The guidance explains that "curricula should leverage live, virtual, constructive, and gaming methodologies with wargames… to develop deeper insight and ingenuity." The wargame with media provides external influences like news and information from various sources, which may influence students' decision-making process, resulting in "The CNN Effect." "The CNN Effect" is a short-hand way to explain how news reports drive government leaders' responses, including military decision-making. This project builds upon existing research uniquely because this study examines decision-making from multiple leaders based on the same simulated media in USAFA's immersive learning environment. This research uses mixed methods analysis to explore how students act based on the wargame media inputs and compare course outcome differences after receiving enhanced Information Operations education or when exposed to different quantities of broadcasts. The Information Warfare (news literacy) module enhances education on the media's influence on decision-making and trust for students. Students learned to identify and research information sources, analyze biases, opinion versus fact-based reporting, and compare news reports from various outlets.

The Effects of Construal Level on Predictive Heuristics: Disentangling Representativeness From Availability

Intuitive predictions about the future can expect upcoming events to conform with a pattern - representativeness heuristic - or to simply repeat the most recent and accessible outcome - availability heuristic. The present work proposes that while representativeness predictions require a relatively abstract comparison process, availability-based predictions reflect a concrete and local use of accessible information. Grounded on the construal level theory, this research pits one heuristic against the other in predictions about random events (rolling dice; coin tosses). Three studies suggest that low construal levels increase predictions consistent with the most accessible and recent outcomes while high levels of construal facilitate representativeness-consistent predictions. The findings highlight how construal level may determine reliance on one heuristic or the other.

Hitting a Prime by Rolling a Die with Infinitely Many Faces

Alon and Malinovsky recently proved that it takes on average 2.42849 … rolls of fair six-sided dice until the first time the total sum of all rolls arrives at a prime. Naturally, one may extend the scenario to dice with a different number of faces. In this article, we prove that the expected stopping round in the game of Alon and Malinovsky is approximately log M when the number M of die faces is sufficiently large.

Mathematical analysis of the Royal Game of Ur

Abstract Despite many discoveries and proposals for rules for the ancient board game known as the Royal Game of Ur (RGU), no mathematical analysis has yet been performed investigating those rules. In an attempt to fill that gap, this paper presents an initial mathematical analysis of the RGU from an introductory point of view. The paper deduces the overall complexity of the RGU using a state-space and game-tree complexity analysis, allowing the RGU to be compared to the popular games Checkers, Backgammon, Ludo, Chess, and Go. The paper builds upon the fundamental laws of combinatorics and probability to improve the understanding of the game: what patterns should you expect, what moves increase your chance to win, and what moves should you avoid. The paper also presents theorems to predict the probability of future dice rolls and piece movements within the game, allowing basic inferences to be made about strategy in the RGU. The game is further examined by analysing three different influences when determining the best move: advancement and attack (beneficial to the player), and captures (detrimental to the player). These influences are used to deduce explicit equations for the advantage gained by playing each possible move from a position, which allows the formalization of a strategic algorithm to play the RGU.

Honesty-humility negatively correlates with dishonesty in romantic relationships.

Despite the clear existing theoretical links, ours is the first direct systematic series of studies investigating a potential negative association between Honesty-Humility and general dishonesty in romantic relationships. Eleven preregistered online studies with community samples were run (total N = 5,677). For a first test of our hypothesis, we conducted a series of seven cross-sectional studies based on self-reports; these studies used different methodological approaches to assess relationship-based dishonesty (i.e., closed-ended self-report scales, scenarios, and direct frequency measures). This was followed by one diary study and three studies that base their assessment on more behavioral measurements of relationship-based dishonesty (e.g., a dice roll task and an anagram task). In line with our hypothesis, all studies reliably revealed that participants higher in Honesty-Humility reported less relationship-based dishonesty. The classification of the found results to past research and the general relevance of the Honesty-Humility factor for romantic relationships are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The power of the lens: Filming increases honesty in children as young as five

AbstractAs early as 5 years of age, children begin to manage their reputations strategically. We investigated whether the reputation concern elicited by filming affected children's mental cheating, which is a form of cheating that cannot be detected even if someone else is watching. During the test, the experimenter was in the room with children, and we operationalized reputational cues as whether the video camera was actively recording or not. We compared the self‐reported accuracy of a filmed group versus a non‐filmed group in a mental cheating game, under two motivational contexts: self‐interest and other‐interest. A total of 320 children aged 3 to 6 years played a mind game in which they were asked to predict the outcome of a dice roll and to report whether their prediction was correct. We found that 5‐ to 6‐year‐olds were less likely to cheat for their self‐interests when being filmed than when not being filmed. However, filming did not reduce 5‐ to 6‐year‐olds' other‐interested cheating. Furthermore, we found that filming did not influence the self‐interested or other‐interested cheating of 3‐ to 4‐year‐old children. This study highlights how reputation concern elicited by filming motivates children to appear honest to others, even in purely mental cheating scenarios. Additionally, our results suggest that young children are sophisticated in their early reputation management and that prosocial justifications can alleviate concerns about dishonesty.

Dishonest collaboration in an intergroup context.

Collaborations may sometimes increase the likelihood of engaging in dishonest behaviour. As yet, it remains unknown what factors contribute to this phenomenon. Here, we investigate whether it matters with whom people are collaborating for the extent to which they are dishonest. We aim to (I) replicate dishonest collaboration effects and (II) examine whether collaborating with an ingroup member (vs. outgroup member) amplifies dishonesty. In three pre-registered studies (N = 782), we used the sequential dyadic die-rolling paradigm in both student (Study 1: Lab context) and community samples (Studies 2-3: Field context). In this paradigm, two players form a dyad (either with an ingroup or an outgroup member) and earn winnings depending on both their own and the other's dice roll. Crucially, dice rolls are private, and players can inflate their winnings by misreporting their dice roll. Collectively, our studies replicate the dishonest collaboration effect, showing the robustness of collaborative dishonesty over samples and contexts. However, our studies suggest that dishonesty is similar when collaborating with an ingroup versus an outgroup member. Alternative processes are discussed that may play a role in collaborative dishonesty resulting in the absence of an intergroup effect.

Semiconductor Emitters in Entropy Sources for Quantum Random Number Generation

AbstractRandom number generation (RNG) is needed for a myriad of applications ranging from secure communication encryption to numerical simulations to sports and games. However, generating truly random numbers can be elusive. Pseudorandom bit generation using computer algorithms provides a high random bit generation rate. Nevertheless, the reliance on predefined algorithms makes it deterministic and predictable once initial conditions are known. Relying on physical phenomena (such as measuring electrical noise or even rolling dice) can achieve a less predictable sequence of bits. Furthermore, if the physical phenomena originate from quantum effects, they can be truly random and completely unpredictable due to quantum indeterminacy. Traditionally, physical RNG is significantly slower than pseudorandom techniques. To meet the demand for high‐speed RNG with perfect unpredictability, semiconductor light sources are adopted as parts of the sources of randomness, i.e., entropy sources, in quantum RNG (QRNG) systems. The high speed of their noise, the high efficiency, and the small scale of these devices make them ideal for chip‐scale QRNG. Here, the applications and recent advances of QRNG are reviewed using semiconductor emitters. Finally, the performance of these emitters is compared and discuss their potential in future technologies.

Going with the crowd in volatile times: Exposure to environmental variability increases people's preference for popular options

AbstractMore extreme temperature and precipitation events are defining features of climate change, and higher volatility in asset prices is a defining feature of globalization. Four experiments (two preregistered; total N = 2086) found that exposure to a high degree of variability in a given domain shifted people's preferences toward more popular products, that is, products rated by a larger number of consumers. This finding replicated across different experimental manipulations of variability, including graphs depicting either high or low variability in annual rainfall or temperature (Experiments 1 and 2), and in the experienced outcomes of dice rolls, which were manipulated to be perceived as having high or low variability (Experiment 3). The results generalized across different consumer choices, including services (Experiment 1) and products (Experiments 2 and 3). After exposure to higher variability, participants who received a more popular but lower rated option felt less anxious than those who received a less popular but higher rated option, indicating that choosing popular products serves to reduce the anxiety induced by higher variability (Experiment 4). This research highlights both a novel consequence of exposure to greater variability and a novel antecedent of people's preference for popular options.

Evaluating the Feasibility of a Multiplayer Role-Playing Game as a Behavioral Health Intervention in Adolescent Patients With Chronic Physical or Mental Conditions: Protocol for a Cohort Study.

Numerous studies have revealed that adolescents with chronic physical or mental conditions (CPMCs) are at an increased risk for depression and anxiety, with serious direct and indirect negative effects on treatment adherence, family functioning, and health-related quality of life. As game-based approaches are effective interventions in treating anxiety and depression, we propose to explore the use of a multiplayer role-playing game (RPG) as a potential intervention for social isolation, anxiety, and depression. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the feasibility of using Masks, a multiplayer RPG, as an intervention for social isolation, anxiety, and depression in adolescents with CPMCs; (2) evaluate the viability of the research process; and (3) gauge participation in and engagement with RPG-based interventions. This study is a remote synchronous game-based intervention for adolescents with CPMCs aged 14-19 years. Eligible participants completed a web-based baseline survey to assess anxiety, depression, and social isolation and to identify their gaming habits. After completing the baseline survey, they participated in 5 moderated Masks game sessions. In Masks, players assume the roles of young superheroes; select their character types, superpowers; and perform actions determined by the game's rule system and dice rolls. All game sessions were played using Discord, a communication platform commonly used by gaming communities. Games were led and moderated by game masters (GMs). After each game session, participants completed surveys to assess changes in anxiety, depression, and social isolation, and their attitude toward the game and the user experience. The participants also completed an exit survey after all 5 game sessions (modified version of the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, and 17 open-ended questions). The GMs rated each game session and reported on gameplay, player behavior, comfort, and engagement levels of the players. As of March 2020, six participants were recruited for the pilot study to participate in moderated web-based game sessions of Masks; 3 completed all game sessions and all required assessments. Although the number of participants was too low to draw generalizable conclusions, self-reported clinical outcomes did seem to indicate a positive change in depression, anxiety, and social isolation symptoms. Qualitative analysis of postgame survey data from participants and GMs indicated high levels of engagement and enjoyment. Furthermore, the participants provided feedback about improved mood and engagement related to weekly participation in Masks. Lastly, responses to the exit survey showed interest in future RPG-related studies. We established a workflow for gameplay and evaluated a research protocol for evaluating the impact of RPG participation on isolation, anxiety, and depression symptoms in adolescents with CPMCs. Preliminary data collected from the pilot study support the validity of the research protocol and the use of RPG-based interventions in larger clinical studies. RR1-10.2196/43987.

Priming the future leaders for scientific and technological exploits: Zikas International School, Kaduna, Nigeria, welcomes PEAN for the Science Incubation Project

The Pharmafluence Education Advancement Network (PEAN), a Nigerian youth-led organization aimed at promoting access to quality education, organized a science outreach program for high school students dubbed Science Incubation Project (SIP) 1.0. The outreach event was sponsored by the Biochemical Society, UK, and had the participation of PEAN committee members, school staff, media reporters and 136 students. The objective of the outreach event was to ignite a passion for science among the students and improve their reading culture and mentorship and encourage a healthy lifestyle. The program involved two experiments: making DNA bracelets and the Dice Roll Choices game of epigenetics, which demonstrated the impact of lifestyle choices on genetic labelling.

Revelations: Theatre That Celebrates the End of the World

This poster will focus on the participatory play Revelations by Toronto-based theatre creators Anahita Dehbonehie, Griffin McInnes and Aidan Morishita-Miki presented as part of Kingston’s Kick & Push Festival in the summer of 2020. The show used game mechanics to have us prepare for the apocalypse- but not the one we were living in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the potential future nuclear apocalypse. The first half of the show involves the audience communicating with the other groups who are all isolated in their own households via walkie-talkie. The audience then came together in a park downtown to determine who would win the game and “survive” the apocalypse by escaping via boat, car, or on foot (ultimately decided by the roll of dice).
 At its core, this show asked what we value more, the individual or the collective. This is a piece of participatory theatre and participation is, by definition, not something you can do alone. And yet when we look at the inspiration for this show we see so much individualism. Doomsday preppers create bunkers for themselves and their loved ones, preparing for the day when a natural disaster, economic collapse, or nuclear war means that it’s everyone for themselves. In its sim, Revelations asks us to confront our own approach to the end of the world; it offers us valuable lessons in collective care that can be applied easily to our real world.

Hitting a Prime in 2.43 Dice Rolls (On Average)

What is the number of rolls of fair six-sided dice until the first time the total sum of all rolls is a prime? We compute the expectation and the variance of this random variable up to an additive error of less than . This is a solution to a puzzle suggested by DasGupta in the Bulletin of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, where the published solution is incomplete. The proof is simple, combining a basic dynamic programming algorithm with a quick Matlab computation and basic facts about the distribution of primes.

Icepool: Efficient Computation of Dice Pool Probabilities

Mechanics involving the roll of multiple dice---a "dice pool"---commonly appear in tabletop board games and role-playing games. Existing general-purpose dice pool probability calculators resort to exhaustive enumeration of all possible sorted sequences of rolls, which can quickly become computationally intractable. We propose a dynamic programming algorithm that can efficiently compute probabilities for a wide variety of dice pool mechanics while limiting the need for bespoke optimization. We also present Icepool, a pure Python implementation of the algorithm combined with a library of common dice operations.

Critical Success: The narrative weight of chance in TTRPG based shows (actual play)

In recent years TTRPG (Tabletop Role Playing Game) based shows or actual plays have seen amazing growth, with shows like Critical Role being the number one grossing channel on the streaming platform Twitch .TV and Dimension 20 becoming the flagship content for the newly rebranded Dropout.TV. This shows put in the forefront of their storytelling, chance, and the players´ ability to improvise, to the detriment of a traditional screenplay. The failure or success of every action and the making of every player character (the stats and backstory of the characters are rolled and fleshed out in pre-production phases) is often determined by luck of the draw (dice roll, card draw…), thanks to the rules provided by the TTRPG system of choice (in most cases Dungeons & Dragons 5e). The system allows for Dungeon Masters (the players that run the game and consequently the story) to step out of the rules set and change the impact of some dice rolls, allowing the chance of a natural 20 on D20 roll to completely restructure the narrative of the story. Is this rolling of the die aspect and more important natural 20s and 1s where this study will focus, trying to comprehend how special they really are and how much impact they can have in the result of the show.

Threat Matrix: A Fast Algorithm for Human–Machine Chinese Ludo Gaming

Chinese Ludo, also known as Aeroplan Chess, has been a very popular board game for several decades. However, there is no mature algorithm existing for human–machine gambling. The major challenge is the high randomness of the dice rolls, where the algorithm must ensure that the machine is smarter than a human in order to guarantee that the owner of the game machines makes a profit. This paper presents a fast Chinese Ludo algorithm (named “Threat Matrix”) that we have recently developed. Unlike from most chess programs, which rely on high performance computing machines, the evaluation function in our program is only a linear sum of four factors. For fast and low-cost computation, we innovatively construct the concept of the threat matrix, by which we can easily obtain the threat between any two dice on any two positions. The threat matrix approach greatly reduces the required amount of calculations, enabling the program to run on a 32-bit 80 × 86 SCM with a 100 MHz CPU while supporting a recursive algorithms to search plies. Statistics compiled from matches against human game players show that our threat matrix has an average win rate of 92% with no time limit, 95% with a time limit of 10 s, and 98% with a time limit of 5 s. Furthermore, the threat matrix can reduce the computation cost by nearly 90% compared to real-time computing; memory consumption drops and is stable, which increases the evaluation speed by 58% compared to real-time computing.

Godman‐Salvin Prize

Godman‐Salvin Prize