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Cryptology, patents, Warmachine Mk 2 and even the CIA all get discussed this episode! Yep, we're not sure how that happened either.

First up, patents: how do they work and why do you need them? We had such a great response to our show about Trademarks we asked Romeo from Battlefoam to come on and talk about the how's and why's of patenting something like a fancy pants laser system to cut foam.

Later Total Fan Girl chats with Elonka Dunin, a world renown expert on cryptology who has done work for the CIA!! But more importantly, she's a gamer.

Finally, the D6G team takes a hard look at Warmachine Mark 2. The book has been out a couple months now, Force books are on the streets, and the boys have played more than a few games. Is it everything we hoped for?

Oh, and listen close to the beginning of the show for news about a new product from our friends at Lone Wolf Development!!

All that and our usual 'not too horrible' humor, with features such as:

•The Hollywood Minute
•Rapid Fire
•What's in the News
•Total Fan Girl
•Inside Scoop
•& More

Link to the episode:
http://thed6generation.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=596389


Please let us know what you think!

I'm only an hour in but I you guys are cracking me up. I can feel you through the headphones screaming inside for Romeo to talk about patents instead of trademarks.

GREAT JOB Raef, "If you have all those trade marks why do you need a patent?" Excellent segway. If only it would have worked.

My coworkers are looking at me funny while I listen to this.

And now back to the show.

GREAT episode guys. I love the interviews which emphasize the small-business entrepreneurship of the companies who make so many of the games and products we love. The interview with Romeo about trademarking and patenting was very interesting. Keep the interviews coming, please! I would love to hear some interviews with creators - writers/artists/sculptors as well as the business types, but all your interviews are great and one of the best parts of the 'cast.

Craig, It's so great to hear your grumbling dissent in the middle of the Warmachine segment! It helps to balance out the bubbling enthusiasm.

Well done once more, lads.

Holywood was right with the chess analogy and trees.

Russ, AI programming 101!!

Another great episode. I've just gotten into Hordes so I like hearing you guys talking about it. I just want the MKII rules for hordes!

ashaman771 wrote:Holywood was right with the chess analogy and trees.

Russ, AI programming 101!!

Another great episode. I've just gotten into Hordes so I like hearing you guys talking about it. I just want the MKII rules for hordes!

I did figure out he was trying to reference logic trees. I got that. What was confusing me was the pruning part. He kept using that word and I do not think it means what he thinks it means. ;-)

Another great show, guys.

Makes me want to play WM even more now.

Sadly, nobody in my area shares the interest!

:(

Keep up the great work.

Narrator: This episode has been brought to you by the Intellectual Property Attorney Association of America. Thank you for your support.


Seriously, nice episode, though. Romeo's passion and knowledge made it a good listen, even if he did get a bit...absorbed into the topic!

Although I realized, based on something Russ said right near the end, why I've been so confused by your "rating system". Unless I'm still confused, you guys seem to mean that "4+ with a re-roll" should lie somewhere in-between 3+ and 4+? Do you realize that re-rolling a 4+ success chance has a greater overall probability of success than a single 3+ roll? It's 75% chance of success vs 66% chance of success. Same thing for other re-rolls (except 6+).

(I'll admit, I had to write it all down in a chart to prove it to myself, though....)

RussWakelin wrote: He kept using that word and I do not think it means what he thinks it means. ;-)

HA! Gotcha!

AdamReeve wrote:Narrator: This episode has been brought to you by the Intellectual Property Attorney Association of America. Thank you for your support.


Seriously, nice episode, though. Romeo's passion and knowledge made it a good listen, even if he did get a bit...absorbed into the topic!

Although I realized, based on something Russ said right near the end, why I've been so confused by your "rating system". Unless I'm still confused, you guys seem to mean that "4+ with a re-roll" should lie somewhere in-between 3+ and 4+? Do you realize that re-rolling a 4+ success chance has a greater overall probability of success than a single 3+ roll? It's 75% chance of success vs 66% chance of success. Same thing for other re-rolls (except 6+).

(I'll admit, I had to write it all down in a chart to prove it to myself, though....)

They are aware of this.

Is is an intuitive rating system not a mathematical rating system.

They treat a + like a half, and have said they know a + is technically mathematically better in the past.

Yeah what Roleplayer, or Angry Kirk, said. Intuitive. I like that.

Besides, if there's ever a math error on our show, it's always either the Engineer's fault or the Lawyer's fault. Never the Theatre Teacher's fault. That's intuitive too

Also: bubbling enthusiasm . . . I'm glad you cleaned that up for the kiddies reading at home!

~Craig

Aardon wrote:GREAT JOB Raef, "If you have all those trade marks why do you need a patent?" Excellent segway. If only it would have worked.

So true.

Also, good job on getting Jaffer Batica to help you out with your descent convention. I play Call of Cthulhu LCG with him every thursday. FFG has some pretty cool employees under their belt.

Yeah, Jaffer's tops. When I owned my game store he was super-helpful.

I haven't reached the Warmachine segment yet, but have enjoyed the show thus far (as per usual).

I thought the segment with Romeo was interesting, but found myself wanting to hear more about Battlefoam and how the company was formed, etc than the patent topic.

great show , guys ! never wory about the length i drive a hour and a half to work and a hour and a half back five days a week . i need long pod cast to survive ! i just picked up good board game worth reveiwing on the show . its called "the adventurers" by AEG . you can find it on the war store website , by the creators of rush and crush . lot of fun. keep up the great show guys!!

Another great show -- The Warmachine review was good, fortunately I have enough Flames of War stuff sitting on my painting table to be able to resist picking it up.

The patent stuff was interesting as well, it is good to hear stuff that is associated with the game industry as well as just games.

I look forward to the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay review, I have picked it up myself but haven't played it yet since it seems a bit fiddly.

I loved that almost tangible lack of enthusiasm from Craig (because there is no hate in the D6G as we all know) for WM. About two years or so ago when Redux came out I was all pumped to learn the game and play. I had visions of Warjacks in my head and wanted to get into the fluff (which was strangely hard to find). I finally bought my copy and tore through it...and all my enthusiasm died. Still no real idea why but having seen some tool players (and I say this completely understaning that my own vice, 40k has more tools in it than a Craftsman factory) and how the Page 5 fed into that, my lack of enthusiasm seems, well, the right thing for me at least.

Maybe for your next sellable product, a t-shirt or reference card/button that spells out the trademarked and copywritten D6G ratings system with someone in a black shirt (a gamer or voice of reason of some kind) commenting on the re-roll and it's effect on the overall probability.

Ayway, great episode guys and lady and keep 'em rolling.

Thanks again for writing, guys!

Jaffer: yeah, he really helped out and was awesome! We're unabashed FFG fanbois, as I'm sure you all know. And never met a single of their employees who weren't great to us and fun to hang out with besides!

As for the "Birth of BattleFoam", if you here: http://www.thed6generation.com/index.php?post_id=424438 you'll find just what you're looking for. Our first ever interview with Romeo was in Episode 23, and he talks all about how he founded the company.

Adventurers was actually played several times at PaddyCon, and will definitely make an appearance in next episode's Achievements if no where else . . . (apparently I'm the only one who liked it . . . ).

And . . . WarMachine . . . Well, Spooky, it sounds like you've had exactly the same experience as me, almost. Couldn't ever fully articulate why it isn't for me, but any attempts I've ever made to explain it touch on all the points you've mentioned.

As for my lack of enthusiasm . . . I tried. But honestly, maybe it was because of the contrast of Russ and Raef that looked so lackadaisical? I mean, this was the first time ever, with them gushing on an on for over an hour, that I thought the term fanboi was too WEAK to describe my friends' fascination with this game!

I really did think they might start extolling its virtues in the Mid-East Peace Process, or maybe suggest it might curtail Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons . . .

same here . i have a decent size khador army and a big painted legion of everblight army . but im lost in the new game coming out . the sparks just not there . if you check my dakka gallery you'll see i play everything from starship troopers , FOW all the way to waterloo . but for some reason i cant get back into warmachine . i think its because i hate named charcters . i hope i get over it. i think hoards will bring me back.

MattRendar wrote:same here . i have a decent size khador army and a big painted legion of everblight army . but im lost in the new game coming out . the sparks just not there.

Me neither. Can't place my finger on it either. I've got >1,000 (old style) points of Khador painted in a box and haven't played a game since they announced they were rebooting the game. I bought the new rules the other week, but seriously, I read the fluff (and wasn't really blown away by it - mainly because, of necessity it is just retold backstory and not advancing narrative) but really couldn't be bothered to read the new mechanics. So I didn't. I've never really been into Tournaments, or competitive gaming in any form really. I need inspiration for my games, not just competition. And so far all the hype seems tainted with that side of the hobby. Which leaves me cold.

No hate, just apathy I think. And I really don't understand why the issue of just PP talking about redoing the rules instantly made me put my old books into storage and not want to touch the game! Why should forthcoming obsolesence so stigmatise a game for me like that? I really don't understand myself sometimes!

I need a reinjection of enthusiasm somehow. How? I dunno? Maybe listening to a podcast somewhere with a couple of fanbois gushing on about the new rules might help? If only I could find one of those somewhere...! Perhaps someone on here would be kind enough to point me in the right direction?

Osbad wrote:I need a reinjection of enthusiasm somehow. How? I dunno? Maybe listening to a podcast somewhere with a couple of fanbois gushing on about the new rules might help? If only I could find one of those somewhere...! Perhaps someone on here would be kind enough to point me in the right direction?

Oh it's just AWESOME WITH AWESOME SAUCE!!!

Actually, I think it would have been disingenuous for Raef or my self not to gush about the game, as it is the miniature game we have played the most often and the most consistently for the past 5 years. Mark II only makes it better!

What amazes me most about WM and Privateer is execution. I don't think anyone else executes there ideas and the complete package as well as they do. You may not like their art style, or their genre, or their fluff style, or whatever, but the execution is top notch in every aspect of the game and hobby.

In fact Raef and I are making plans as we speak to attend the Team Tourney again this year and start up the Nightfall league locally. We've even got a stunt double for Craig all lined up.

JACK ATTACK BABY!!

Good times!!

i agree the stuff is top nocth. awesome presentation , and im glad the game exist , to make more options in the war gaming scene . i think hordes well get me back . i'll just to have to try it again . russ i blame you for all the games ive had to buy . tannhauser , decent , sea of blood , were wolves of miller hollow , last day on earth :the zombie game ,and bang . and many more . you guys do a good job of promoting stuff , to good of a job . keep up the great show!

Battlefoam Suing Outrider Hobbies -- Tabletopgamingnews ; Link: http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2010/03/30/34885

Another TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT case, this time between the marks Battlefoam and Foam Corps (Outrider Hobbies). And, not coincidentally, another opportunity for a PAID SPONSOR to use the D6G podcast as a venue to save face in order to legitimize their litigious business practices (ie Romeo justifying the enforcement of his patent-pending laser foam-cutting process and his Battlefoam trademark). This time, however, Romeo was allowed preemptive damage control on the same day he got his attorney to file the complaint, and well before it reached the gaming community (Podcast Erred: 3/23; Complaint Filed: 3/23). But hey, whatever it takes to please your paid sponsors.


Keeping it real classy, guys. Your podcast is a joke.

First, great podcast as always, guys! Add another loyal Austrian listener in Tokyo to your achievement trophies!

RussWakelin wrote:
I did figure out he was trying to reference logic trees. I got that. What was confusing me was the pruning part. He kept using that word and I do not think it means what he thinks it means. ;-)

Ah, but it's the correct term for when you abort a search in a branch of a tree because the result cannot improve anymore - see, e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-beta_pruning[.

(And to think that I registered just to write this... me <- nitpicker)

LordAn wrote:(And to think that I registered just to write this... me <- nitpicker)

LordAn: Yeah, someone else called me out on this already in e-mail.


DD:

I've been on the 'net long enough to know that if someone wants to believe in evil conspiracy theories, they will, regardless of what anyone says. However the following are facts:

- We had a huge positive response to the trademark episode & thought patent discussion would be fun
- Romeo did not pick the episode to appear on, we did.
- We learned about this law suit the same way everyone else did, via TTGN. We had no prior knowledge.

One of the goals of our show is to provide affordable promotional services to THE BEST companies in our industry, and give them a platform to discuss how business works in the real world.

I know many gamers are finding it shocking that some of our favorite companies seem to be resorting to the legal system a lot. Sadly, I think it is a sign that our little industry is growing up. There are legal battles between beloved companies in other industries all the time, just look at the latest tech headlines: Apple vs Google, Sun vs Microsoft, etc.

One other note: The description of our show has always included the word “controversial.” Hopefully many of our topics get people to think.

Agreed. A lot of folks got on Romeo in prior discussions for complaining about his competitor and talking about legal action. "If his beef is that serious, he should be suing, not just complaining." And he is. Sadly, this is part of the world of business.

[Redacted just to stay out of drama! ]

On to other things, have any of you D6ger's tried the miniatures game "Infinity"? I just played my first game of this with my starter pack yesterday, and I must say INNOVATIVE MECHANICS abound! It's a very refreshing rules set, and the models are absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. The game has a sci-fi anime influence (think Ghost in the Shell), and that may not be everyone's thing be everyone's thing, but the models are indisputably beautiful. I thought Russ would be interested in the Rules and Craig in the models.

Anyhow, if y'all get the chance to try it in your area I would highly recommend it, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it if you do.

Looking forward to next Monday....

Cheers,

Osbad wrote:I need a reinjection of enthusiasm somehow. How? I dunno? Maybe listening to a podcast somewhere with a couple of fanbois gushing on about the new rules might help? If only I could find one of those somewhere...! Perhaps someone on here would be kind enough to point me in the right direction?

Hey Paul,

A few of my friends locally have a podcast that has been receiving some good reviews amongst the privateer press community.
A word of warning to those who would listen though. It is, in their words "An explicit and opinionated podcast".

With Nigel being a regular contributor for the podcasts, its always an enjoyable and humorous listen. Though I think he may very well be the lovechild of Patrick Swayze and Steven Segal....

http://www.focusandfury.com/

nathonicus wrote:[Redacted just to stay out of drama! ]

On to other things, have any of you D6ger's tried the miniatures game "Infinity"?

Anyhow, if y'all get the chance to try it in your area I would highly recommend it, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it if you do.

Me too, I'd be interested in the D6Gs take on it.

it's got very interesting mechanics, beautiful models, but it needs very dense terrain layouts (LOS to a sniper rifle means you are dead!), and scenario based play imo - but they don't provide the scenarios.

I like it, and built a fair bit of terrain especially for it.

*General Applause*
Great episode guys, also you've saved me a bit of studing as I'm having to take patent law for engineers this term at college so great timing

So I have NQ 29 and there is nothing about Booze in the IK Hollywood? What page is it on?

Gobbo

Thanks again for the the kind words, guys!

I wrote my response to Russ so I wouldn't have to redact it.

Raef doesn't often come on this forum, so I'll presume to answer for him:

Unfortunately, apparently there was a shake-up at No Quarter, with the editor being replaced recently, and Raef's story was misplaced in the shuffle.

However, he has been asked to resubmit the article which he has done, and we're hopeful that this and many others will grace the pages of No Quarter in the not-so-distant-future.

Remember, any of you who have a dream: You lose all the races you don't run.

Of course, just running doesn't guarantee you're going to win, either.

I mean, you could spend years in school and still be irredeemable . . .

But you don't know till you do it, submit it, run it, try it, whatever.