klauslanza
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Just went on and implemented the idea you suggested, using the digital crown.
The interaction feels smooth, and the functionality is almost exactly what I envisioned. There’s still a bit of tweaking needed for the haptic feedback to make it just right, but overall, it’s coming together nicely.
I recorded a quick video of the app running in the simulator. Keep in mind that the digital crown interaction is a bit finicky in the simulator because I’m using the mouse scroll wheel—on the actual device, the sensitivity and feel are much better. Unfortunately, the video doesn’t capture the sound or haptics, which really add to the experience, but it should still give you a good idea of how it’s working.
https://a.dropoverapp.com/cloud/download/2074a242-5cdc-480a-98b3-eacfd78cbb76/0b...
I’m glad you enjoyed the Marsaglia link! It really offers some valuable insights into the nature of “true” randomness and highlights how well-thought-out solutions like yours can achieve “good enough” randomness for gaming purposes.
Thanks for the suggestions on the app! Adding functionality to track things like harm could definitely be useful, though I agree that harm is typically easy to track with fingers. The main challenge I see is that there aren’t many intuitive ways to interact with the watch screen without looking at it, especially since the current UX requires the full screen for touch input.
I’m considering using the digital crown (the side wheel on the watch) as a potential solution. Here’s what I’m thinking:
• Rotate clockwise: Add harm
• Rotate counterclockwise: Remove harm
After each rotation, the app could provide haptic feedback to indicate the current harm count, similar to the random number haptics. Once the harm count reaches 5, the watch could deliver a stronger buzz to signal the limit.
I’ll need to explore the feasibility of this, but it seems like a promising approach. What do you think?
I’ve recently discovered Diedream and I’m absolutely in love with this game! Huge props to Alfred Valley for crafting something so simple, yet so engaging. It’s perfect for those late-night solo sessions when you’re too tired for anything complicated but still crave a bit of adventure.
What I love most is how easy it is to customize. You can tweak the game to your liking, and the random number generator is a genius stroke! I will admit, though, that after playing a lot, my math brain sometimes tries to recalculate odds and guide the totals when there are important rolls. To counter this, I’ve started using numbers with 3 or 4 digits for the summing process, but that can take a bit more time.
I’ve been on the lookout for a less conspicuous way to generate random numbers, and I’ve explored quite a few alternatives, always keeping it within the mind. But I have to say, the method used in Diedream is the most elegant I’ve found. It reminds me of some classic randomness concepts, like those discussed by Marsaglia—such a neat implementation! (For the curious, check out this fascinating post on randomness: https://www.hillelwayne.com/post/randomness/)
In fact, I was so inspired that I decided to make an Apple Watch app! Yes, I know there are tons of random number generators out there, but most of them require some attention. With this app, you don’t need to look at your watch at all. I’ve even introduced haptic feedback to communicate the generated number—just tap the screen and feel the series of taps that represent your new number. Plus, there’s a night mode, so the screen stays really dim and doesn’t disturb anyone sleeping nearby… or give away that you’re sneaking in a game session. 😉
So, what do you think? Any suggestions for improving this little project (codenamed RandomDie)?
I’d love to hear your thoughts! If there’s interest, I might even create a TestFlight version of the app for others to try out. Now that I think about it, this app could potentially be useful for other mind games too—who knows what it could evolve into!