Shadowrun
Shadowrun General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Cubby on <04-09-19/1641:05>
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Hi all,
Coming tomorrow (Wed 4/9):
--Shadowrun Executive Dice: High-end, luxury dice for the Mr. Johnson with everything.
--30th Anniversary Pin: The perfect accent for everything from a three-piece suit to a leather jacket.
--Limited editions of Shadowrun sourcebooks: Many never before released to the webstore; stock of each volume varies.
These products will be live in the CGL store at store.catalystgamelabs.com at 1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST. Check back here, on the front page at shadowruntabletop.com, or at catalystgamelabs.com for live links!
(https://i.ibb.co/NCryQdk/30th-Anniversary-SRPin.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Syc3W41)
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Woo! Cubby's over on this side of the house now, too!
Great news all around!
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Ooooh, wonder what the dice will be like.
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Haha, now let's see how long it takes until I don't have to type in the unreadable verification letters anymore...
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Thanks for posting the news -- it had all seemed pretty quiet for a while, so glad to hear of things happening.
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Executive Dice, Anniversary Pin, Limited Edition Sourcebooks Now Available
Hoi, chummers! We’ve heard your requests for exclusive swag, so we’re proud to offer the following items for sale now at store.catalystgamelabs.com (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/):
--Shadowrun Executive Dice (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/shadowrun-executive-dice-set?fbclid=IwAR2_LHS9rfnYeQYvu9g13-9NYI5hkGuczcXuPj4dZCnFxcI3mLnWz0Q6e4I): High-end, luxury dice for the Mr. Johnson with everything.
(https://i.ibb.co/pQL45pM/CAT9662-B6-SRExecutive-Dice-w-Case-Alt2.jpg) (https://ibb.co/PM6108P) (https://i.ibb.co/rt6r101/CAT9661-B6-SRExecutive-Dice-Loose.jpg) (https://ibb.co/n0cJ5m5)
--30th Anniversary Pin (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/shadowrun-30th-anniversary-lapel-pin?fbclid=IwAR3lQKZ_OUoKKJWwqEnUnwPcT5CROk23UTI9LQhksB8xSztFjEMVr4pH7uQ): The perfect accent for everything from a three-piece suit to a leather jacket.
(https://i.ibb.co/7z9wy4r/30th-Anniversary-SRPin.jpg) (https://ibb.co/N348YSW)
--Limited editions of Shadowrun sourcebooks (https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/products/shadowrun-limited-editions-sale?fbclid=IwAR2UMcbjhkaTcx-wDCujpbiRPVAZ77-9Wxq96BgmBhrbXGdoTwHEaagEaTA): Many never before released to the webstore; stock of each volume varies.
(https://i.ibb.co/vYQWSfZ/CF-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/qrpdzQ9/CoS-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/Mcn671H/DT-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/dLVkYzV/FA-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/qgqy3Vd/HS-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/D8y070B/KC-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/f9rQPVm/R5-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/pLHXFvs/RF-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/KW0rM1P/SG-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/) (https://i.ibb.co/wWKWC1v/SL-LE.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Note: We expect the dice and pins will sell out very quickly—however, we’re expecting to restock them just as quickly. If you miss out on the first batch, check back for further announcements and availability.
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The dice look quite nice and the pin will complement the one Echo put out last summer. :)
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Holy fudge. Want. O_O Failing my composure and self-control checks here.
Edit: Bought 2 boxes for showing off. No need to worry about having enough dice, I still got 42 normal Shadowrun Dice: 6 Agent Dice, 12 Street Sam, 12 Decker, 12 Mage.
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Those dice truly are tempting, but I already have 11 of the original jade dice and 24 Decker dice ...
Bought 12 too, because it’s black Shadowrun dice ...
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I understand profit margins, but is this really $5 per die?
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5 bucks seems a little steep, but keep in mind...
aircraft grade aluminum
small batch runs
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$5/die is a pretty normal price for metal dice yes.
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...so for a standard "brick" of 36 dice, (which would equal Leela's soak roll when she's in her milspec armour) that would be 180$.
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I failed my composure check and ordered 3 sets. 18 covers most dice pools, and rolling twice will surely cover the rest.
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I understand profit margins, but is this really $5 per die?
Yeah, miss me on that one. $30 bucks for six dice and another $30 for an aluminum tin? No way omae.
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I bought my 12 before I knew the dice were metal. And no, they can keep the can to themselves.
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I'm not going to roll these much so I'm fine with the can. =) They're rather cheap for metal dice anyway, Norse Foundry's cheapest d6 is $6, coloured pairs are $20 while a set of 4 Fate Dice is at $35 (and not listed as Aircraft grade). Their relatively-fancy Aircraft grade D&D sets are at $100 or more, +$40 for a container. So these puppies aren't that expensive compared to NF standards.
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They look a lot like the offerings from Gravity Dice (https://store.gravitydice.com/)...and pricing is pretty much in line with those and other vendors. Not suggesting they aren't expensive, but they seem pretty fairly priced, especially given the etching.
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That reminds me, I got a massive octagon dicetray which is a bit loud, so I put a tiny circular table-cover in. Really decreases the nice, better than a normal dicetray. These dice would probably roll fine in that without risk of scratching.
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I got my dice in!
Upside: They are absolutely gorgeous! The box is real slick too! Perfect for showing off.
Downside: They don't seem to be perfectly symmetrical, because in one way they easily slip in and out of the box, and under another face I'll have to bash them out. Differs per die even. And when using a dice tray they don't really roll, so I'd have to consider either a cup or a tower.
Incidentally, the opening post here mentions Limited Editions in the store. I should note that currently there's a sale on the various 9 Limited Editions, where they go for $50. If I had a bit more money, I'd consider it (though I already own Howling Shadows Limited). https://store.catalystgamelabs.com/collections/shadowrun/products/shadowrun-limited-editions-sale
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Downside: They don't seem to be perfectly symmetrical, because in one way they easily slip in and out of the box, and under another face I'll have to bash them out. Differs per die even. And when using a dice tray they don't really roll, so I'd have to consider either a cup or a tower.
Thanks for the heads up on this...need to check that out with mine.
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Mine landed yesterday as well here in Japan. Excited!
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Downside: They don't seem to be perfectly symmetrical, because in one way they easily slip in and out of the box, and under another face I'll have to bash them out. Differs per die even.
this guy can't even get his out of the box:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Shadowrun/comments/c3fmh0/a_small_warning_for_those_thinking_about_getting/
I'd say dice with uneven sides are a pretty huge downside.
Dice only need to do one thing; deliver random numbers by rolling them.
A core requirement of a D6 to do that is: be symmetrical.
This is what you get with zero quality control.
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Is it definitely the dice, or a problem with the box not being cut correctly?
I only ask because dice are made from a mold, so it's unlikely that the dice would be of differing measurements, and more likely that the box was cut incorrectly.
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Is it definitely the dice, or a problem with the box not being cut correctly?
If the claim that dice fit in one pattern, but not another (https://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=29096.msg517295#msg517295) is correct (I'm not claiming it isn't, I simply can't verify), then it is impossible for the box to be cut wrong.
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Is it definitely the dice, or a problem with the box not being cut correctly?
If the claim that dice fit in one pattern, but not another (https://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=29096.msg517295#msg517295) is correct (I'm not claiming it isn't, I simply can't verify), then it is impossible for the box to be cut wrong.
I agree, just looking for confirmation. Is a specific facing, or specific die placement?
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(Incidentally, my mother was a tiiiiny bit upset when I initially dropped them out, because she had spent effort making sure all were in smoothly. I'm sure she got some glee out of my efforts to then get everything back in properly.)
Replacement post: Experiment-time!
First box:
First die: Didn't go in properly with 6/1 or 4/3. Went in smoothly with 5/2, no matter what rotation. Results were identical for each slot in the box.
I tried a lot of orientations for the first die for each slot, so I can confirm the box is fine, each slot appears identical.
Second die: 4/3 smoothly, other sides go bad, for each slot.
I did find 1 die that goes in smoothly no matter what, so at least 1 die is perfect. And with the other dice, some get stuck quicker so it appears there's a significant difference between the dice after all the sanding.
Second box: Some dice go in through 2 axes, but if I try them in the first box, only 1 works! In other words, the first box is a bit tighter than the second one. With the second set and second box, there were multiple axes for several dice, so I switched the sets and will now continue experimenting with the first box only...
Final testing results:
First set: Perfect/6/5/5/4/4
Second set: Perfect/6&5/6/5/5/5
So all in all I have 2 perfect dice, 1 near-perfect (in the second box it just takes a tiiiiny bit of force on the 4-3 axis, but in the first box it needs significant force), and a whole bunch that in the first box only have 1 good axis. I made my second box first set 6-5-4-3-2-1 and the first box second set 6-6-6-5-5-5 for display purposes. :P
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(Incidentally, my mother was a tiiiiny bit upset when I initially dropped them out, because she had spent effort making sure all were in smoothly. I'm sure she got some glee out of my efforts to then get everything back in properly.)
Replacement post: Experiment-time!
First box:
First die: Didn't go in properly with 6/1 or 4/3. Went in smoothly with 5/2, no matter what rotation. Results were identical for each slot in the box.
I tried a lot of orientations for the first die for each slot, so I can confirm the box is fine, each slot appears identical.
Second die: 4/3 smoothly, other sides go bad, for each slot.
I did find 1 die that goes in smoothly no matter what, so at least 1 die is perfect. And with the other dice, some get stuck quicker so it appears there's a significant difference between the dice after all the sanding.
Second box: Some dice go in through 2 axes, but if I try them in the first box, only 1 works! In other words, the first box is a bit tighter than the second one. With the second set and second box, there were multiple axes for several dice, so I switched the sets and will now continue experimenting with the first box only...
Final testing results:
First set: Perfect/6/5/5/4/4
Second set: Perfect/6&5/6/5/5/5
So all in all I have 2 perfect dice, 1 near-perfect (in the second box it just takes a tiiiiny bit of force on the 4-3 axis, but in the first box it needs significant force), and a whole bunch that in the first box only have 1 good axis. I made my second box first set 6-5-4-3-2-1 and the first box second set 6-6-6-5-5-5 for display purposes. :P
Thanks for the detail!
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Is it definitely the dice, or a problem with the box not being cut correctly?
I only ask because dice are made from a mold, so it's unlikely that the dice would be of differing measurements, and more likely that the box was cut incorrectly.
Aluminum dice would probably not be made in a mold, but milled to size, which would explain why they only fit in certain orientations. The cost of machined parts is driven size, complexity, and tolerance. Since these are small and have simple geometry, its clear they tried to save money by relaxing the tolerancing, if they even specified any at all.
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Is it definitely the dice, or a problem with the box not being cut correctly?
I only ask because dice are made from a mold, so it's unlikely that the dice would be of differing measurements, and more likely that the box was cut incorrectly.
Aluminum dice would probably not be made in a mold, but milled to size, which would explain why they only fit in certain orientations. The cost of machined parts is driven size, complexity, and tolerance. Since these are small and have simple geometry, its clear they tried to save money by relaxing the tolerancing, if they even specified any at all.
Unfortunately, the more that's coming out, the more I have to agree with that assessment.
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To be fair, they're very cheap dice in comparison to other aluminum products. But it's a bit of a shame that they're purely pretty boys without proper utility due to this stuff.
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Well, I just checked one of my sets and one die is wedged in there so tightly, it won't come out. >:(
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welcome to the club Pixel. :-\
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I've raised a ticket with the web store...will advise what I learn.
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you're a stand up guy ;-)
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To be fair, they're very cheap dice in comparison to other aluminum products. But it's a bit of a shame that they're purely pretty boys without proper utility due to this stuff.
Not really that much cheaper. I've found sites selling Al dice at ~$5/die, and none of them charge $30 for a case. Or have dice stick in said case.
Hopefully people will get replacements, and an apology from Catalyst.
And to be fair, you shouldn't have to stick up for a company's lack of quality control, no matter how much you like their products.
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Not really that much cheaper. I've found sites selling Al dice at ~$5/die, and none of them charge $30 for a case. Or have dice stick in said case.
True, cheap aluminum dice exist at $6, but those may not be listed as aircraft-grade. I did my research before with comparison to a few sites, including Norse Foundry, and actually their cases are more expensive (and very wide since they must fit anything from d4 to d20, so nothing can get stuck). Their aircraft-grade dice are also significantly more expensive, at $100 for a D&D set.
I'm not going to roll these much so I'm fine with the can. =) They're rather cheap for metal dice anyway, Norse Foundry's cheapest d6 is $6, coloured pairs are $20 while a set of 4 Fate Dice is at $35 (and not listed as Aircraft grade). Their relatively-fancy Aircraft grade D&D sets are at $100 or more, +$40 for a container. So these puppies aren't that expensive compared to NF standards.
But I agree that having the dice stick in the cases kind of defies the whole 'precision-crafted' aspect. Though I'm not going to blame that on Catalyst's "lack of quality control", since Catalyst obviously outsourced this product and I see no reason to assume Catalyst didn't make them send a proof and validated that proof to be as perfect as 2 of my dice turned out to be. I personally didn't realise this could be a problem either, though a company should be a bit more careful than a consumer I guess.
Anyway, to make sure Catalyst picks a better partner next time, even if it means more expensive dice, I think I'll make a note to the webstore so it's available feedback, and throw in a mediocre review. Fortunately I bought mine just to be pretty boys, so I'm fine, but the complications here both screw over some box-owners and mean the dice may not be as reliable as some hoped for.
Edit: Whups. I'm so used to DriveThruRPG that I didn't realise there's no way to review these on the webstore. Ahwell. I sent in feedback regarding the disappointing lack of precision-crafting. Since I'm fortunate enough to A: not have anything stuck, and B: not needing to roll these anyway, I made it clear I personally didn't need replacements, but that the quality was unfortunately not as hoped for.
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I got mine a few days ago but since I was too stingy to get a case I cannot comment on quality other than looks which is nice.
They feel heavy though but I suspect that’s because I’m normally used to plastic dice.
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To be honest, I doubt these issues have much to do with CGL per se, rather with their supplier. I can’t imagine anyone ordering dice that aren’t symmetrical...the manufacturer needs to step up and confirm tier QC (or lack thereof). I do hold CGL ultimately responsible for addressing and sorting the issue though as they are the vendor I purchased from.