"Skirmish rules idea" Topic

I have some ideas about the combat mechanics for a skirmish game, suited for combat with hand weapons and archaic missile weapons. How do I ask peoples opinions, as I have noticed has happened on TMP, without the mechanism, which I believe is unique, being 'borrowed' during the process and me losing grip on my intellectual property?

Can you copyright a method or way of resolving a problem?

IIRC rules cannot be copyrighted, only the 'presentation of the rules.'

So, for a real world example, one cannot simply copy "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" and sell it as one's own work. One can however, change the presentation of the rules for "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" while leaving the mechanics intact and sell it as one's own work. In this case "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" has been re-released as OSRIC.

I am however, just a gamer, not a lawyer and in any case the laws may vary depending on your country.

No, but surely you should be able to safeguard an idea? The more unique the idea the more commercially viable, seems to be the message of rules reviewers, who often praise new approaches. Or am I doing a diservice to gamers who are honourable and would pitch in their opinions, as to its viability but allow me to continue to develop it?

Draft a legal document with those with whom you will share the rules with.

I would agree that you don't actually have any "intellectual property" until your idea has some physical form and then the only "property" is that form itself. The same idea, expressed in a different form, would belong to that form's maker. Probably the best thing to do is to simply type up your idea and publish it, in some form where you either do or do not control who sees it. Then, you will have your idea in some form, so you can point to that document as your creation.

If you want to playtest a set of rules, you could ask for people to participate in a closed playtest and agree to not redistribute your material.

Sorry Flashman, it's late here in the UK so my sarcasm meter is not functioning to its full capability. Was that a genuine suggestion, or should my meter have pinged into life?

I have the basic combat system typed already, would a post on this blog satisfy your suggestion? If so great, I want more peoples input/feedback or would that be doing a Boris, as regards the cake, (pro-having it, pro-eating it?)

Whay would you want to "safeguard" your idea ? Most people that post on here about their ideas for rules are happy for others to borrow these ideas and put them in their own rules.
Are you thinking of selling these rules ? If so, you'll need a lot more than a single unique mechanism to make them commercially viable. Unique ideas don't necessarily make a good set of rules.
I would just post your ideas on here, get feedback, and just accept that other people might want to use and develop your ideas.

I would not post it here. I would find a few people to work with and have them agree not to share it or steal it. I would find some great gamers (there are tons here who post their after action reports). Are you going to release a set of rules – if so this is a business you need to think of it as one.

Ideally, I would like to turn these into a commercial proposition. The core combat system feeds into the overall system, as it was originally designed to represent combat in the late medieval period, though it can now represent any fighting with edged weapons, by human and non-humans.
Coming round to your idea Marshal, probably get opinions on my first idea, which led to the current one.

P.J. trouble is I don't have much access to them at the moment, hence the TMP option, with attendant risks of disclosure.

Frankly, it's not like a good rule set will make you a lot of money. The few companies in this business who do much money do so on their presentation, and miniatures, rather than on specific rule ideas.

Game rules have been deemed impossible to copyright or patent, and they all borrow from one another anyhow. It's like when everybody started reverse engineering PCs – the basic ideas were not patentable.

So I wouldn't worry much.

Yeah, look at Saga! The dice alone cost more than most games! I appreciate the miniscule revenue stream but still would like to give it a try. It's more an exercise in combating mental atrophy, than the means to buy a gold house and rocket car.

I borrowed a lot of mechanisms for PRIDE OF LIONS. I also developed some new ones (I think). I would/will feel complimented if someone else likes one of my ideas well enough to make it their own. I think you (and me, and anyone and everyone)are more likely to gain than to lose in a free exchange of ideas.

Nope. Can't copyright or patent an idea. Ever. You can only copyright the actual expression of an idea (that is the wording or art through which the idea is communicated, as in say, a book, a painting, a piece of sculpture, a song, a performance, etc., etc.). In the same way, you can only patent a specific design or detailed process, i.e. the way in which the idea can be actually made to work or does work. So, for example, the idea of a rocket is not patentable, but the specific design for a rocket engine is.
But relax; there simply aren't "rule thieves" running about swiping other people's rule ideas and making ginormous sums of money off the same. What people do make money off is the presentation of an idea (or rather a broad amalgam of ideas). There is no money, for example, in the concept of the dice-based armor save. But there is a great deal of money in the game Warhammer, which is both the combination of many ideas AND the presentation of the same in an artistic and attractive manner.

So do your best at the latter and you need not worry about the former.

(Standard disclaimer: IANALNDIPOOTV. But I have read a great deal on copyright and patent law for professional purposes (US)).

You may not be able to copyright or patent it, but you can "safeguard" it, at least in the sense of keeping it to yourself until it's released, thereby granting you pride of place as the first to commercially use it, if nothing else.

I may be misunderstanding, but I don't think the issue here is "it's MINE and I don't want anyone else to use it, EVARR!!!!" but rather, that the OP would simply like credit for his original work, and to be the first to benefit from it, really.

Not such an unreasonable request, I don't think.

As for how to go about things, I'd say find a small core group of people you trust- be it in meatspace or online- and share it around with them, with a gentleman's agreement that you'd prefer it not leave the circle until such time as you're ready to put it to press, and go from there.

- Monk

Milites, I understand your concern. I kept Brink of Battle under wraps for most of its 6 years in development. I had some unique mechanics and some things no one had done before and I'm honestly glad I did.

I did a Poor Man's Copyright around year 3. I took copies of all of my notes and then mailed the originals to myself using Registered Mail here in the US. It still sits in a safe place unopened, in the event I would need to prove my copyright came first, or was established before 2010.

If opened in court, they would use the fact that it was registered and unopened to establish the date of copyright.

Unfortunately, if you are going to get feedback or test the waters online you run the risk of exposing your great idea to some folks who might either grab it and run, or tear it to shreds because they don't have all of the 'big picture' of your game.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

In the day of the Internet? Never once it is out there someone will use it.
VR
James Mattes