Axis and Allies Enhanced: Anniversary Edition

[Unknown Soldier]

Doing a line by line comparison would show you that almost everything from AARe is the same in AA50e.

But AA50 is a different game from AAR. You can’t just recycle all the old rules and repackage them yourself and expect to have the same quality of rule set that is AARe. It’s way too premature for a project like this, we don’t know enough about game balance with the OOB rules yet to start making fundamental changes to the rules and expecting quality game play. A direct quote from cousin_joe:

this is a whole new game and we can’t simply port over everything from AARe to AA50e

The “Enhanced” moniker is sort of like a brand name, in that it is associated with a certain level of quality. The original developers obviously put a lot of effort into the rule set, and it was thoroughly tested. Its not just a bunch of “cool” ideas someone slapped together and presented as a ruleset. For the vast, vast majority of house rules, this is not the case.

So while you may argue that most of the rules are the same anyway, and you have the right to call it whatever you want, etc, etc. well, yeah, this is true, the rules are mostly the same and the “Enhanced” name is not copyrighted. But your ruleset is not the same quality product that AARe was, sorry. And you clearly do not have the blessing of the original development team. This is not a slam at you, its just the facts: AA50 has only been out a few months for crying out loud! By using the “Enhanced” name you are misleading people. I suspect this is why axis_roll is up in arms about this, and rightly so. I would feel the same way if I was one of the lead developers of AARe.

Like I said, you can call the rules whatever you want, but why not just call it something different for now? If not to satisfy axis_roll and the original AARe developers, then at least do it as a service to the community so that the “Enhanced” brand is not tarnished.

[Jennifer]

Goody, Axis_Roll, you’ve had your say.

Now either shut up and go away or contribute something useful

BTW, anyone making a “new” version of AA50e is just going to have to copy/paste almost word for word from the rules posted here.  It’s inevitable.  Thus, they are not making a new version.

Perhaps CJ is taking his time reviewing my rules before sending me revisions he likes.  Dunno.

I do have responses from him and NONE OF THE RESPONSES say not to use the “enhanced” tag.  They are all congratulatory and thankful for the hard work put in.  Not a single response contains a critique.

In fact, the only person who seems to have a problem is you, axis_roll.  You ever think you just have a fanatic hatred of me instead of having a real argument to stand on?  Besides, who died and made you boss?  Cousin_Joe has an account here and I do believe he is capable of using the internet himself.

So why don’t you go bugger off and annoy someone else instead of making an arse of yourself here over something you have no control over?

These rules have been accepted just about everywhere at this point.  Players may chose to alter them on their own if they like, house rules are house rules, but so far, these are the only OFFICIAL Axis and Allies Anniversary Edition Enhanced Rules.  No other AA50e rules exist.

[axis_roll]

@Cmdr:

I do have responses from him and NONE OF THE RESPONSES say not to use the “enhanced” tag.  They are all congratulatory and thankful for the hard work put in.  Not a single response contains a critique.

If you would please forward these emails to me at WILLIAMJPRICE@yahoo.com and I will be satisfied.

From the looks of one of C_J’s last posts: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=13277.msg374877#msg374877
it appears that he was still considering the best way to create an Enhanced rules set for AA50.

Your forwarded emails with his approval will be enough for me to say that these are a Cousin_Joe endorsed version of AA50e.
It’s a simple request.

Looking forwards to those emails.

[BadSpeller]

@Cmdr:

These rules have been accepted just about everywhere at this point.  Players may chose to alter them on their own if they like, house rules are house rules, but so far, these are the only OFFICIAL Axis and Allies Anniversary Edition Enhanced Rules.  No other AA50e rules exist.

There are plenty of posts here the shows this is not ‘accepted just about everywhere’.

Original developer (Cousin Joe) of AARe is working on AA50e.
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=13277.msg374877#msg374877

This is not attacking you, Jennifer, but the name you are stealing.

Please continue your work; just call it AA50jen.

[Jennifer]

Cousin has not yet informed me he has gone his own route, I suspect his route is exactly what I have here.

Anyway, just an FYI, my copywrite has been approved so I legally own the name.

[Imperious Leader]

Ok everybody is now limited to ONE whining post. All who have posted so far have filled their quota.

Talk about the ideas and not the other stuff.

[mpc220]

If you’re going to delete my posts, you should delete hers as well–there is absolutely no way that she owns a copyright on that title.  I would think that this site and this hobby deserves better than to let obvious lies stand while deleting the posts of people who point them out.

I will delete every post that is a whining post. Jennifer is not complaining but basically answering the whiners and its sidetracking the thread.

You and the other have had way too many posts where you just complain. Look at your total posts and compare them to posts that are not about the whining sound. I could give you more latitude if you have 1,000 posts and you got 5 complaining posts, but your ratio is like 98% complaining posts. enough.

The owner for Enhanced is here:

INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW
AXIS & ALLIES ENHANCED REALISM RULES …. AXIS & ALLIES ENHANCED REALISM RULES … Internationa Axis and Allies Players Association Link.
www.angelfire.com/biz2/axisalliesrules/ - 18k - Cached - Similar pages

AXIS & ALLIES ENHANCED REALISM RULES
Our Axis & Allies Gamers Group welcomes players for face-to-face games in the Washington, D.C. area. Email: rdbaker43@yahoo.com …
www.angelfire.com/biz2/axisalliesrules/advancedairpower.html - 16k - Cached - Similar pages
More results from www.angelfire.com »

Amazon.com: Axis & Allies Enhanced Realism Rules Part One: R. D. …
Amazon.com: Axis & Allies Enhanced Realism Rules Part One: RD Baker: Books.
www.amazon.com/Axis-Allies-Enhanced-Realism-Rules/dp/1887641270 - 262k -

The owner of the other name ( Axis and Allies) you all STEAL is here:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/aa/welcome.

So if you want to copyright ENHANCED you need to talk to Mr. Baker and if you want to copyright Axis and Allies call AH and pay them off.

Other than that your basically just making house rules for a game that has been published and NOBODY can claim anything because 100% of all the house rules came from other people who took the rules and called it their own.

[Unknown Soldier]

Anyway, just an FYI, my copywrite has been approved so I legally own the name.

Hahahaha. Any credibility you might have had just went out the window.

[Jennifer]

mpc:

Bring it up with the US Copyright office.  They had no qualms since the copyright states:

“Axis and Allies: Enhanced”

• Trademark for “Axis and Allies” belongs to Wizards of the Coast

It was filed online and granted.  I’m still waiting for the USPS to deliver the official certificate (you get one from the copyright office, I’ve had a few things copyrighted, it’s really easy and pretty cheap to be honest.)

It’s all how you word it.  As long as it is significantly different or you give credit to the original owner for the substantial parts, you are fine.  This is exactly how Gamer’s Paradise was able to copyright their addon packs for Axis and Allies back in the day, as well as others.  The basis was still Axis and Allies, a copyrighted production, but the changes were significant enough and only the changes were copyrighted.

I could do the same for Forgotten Realms.  If I write a Forgotten Realm’s Book, I can still copyright the book, but I have to list that Forgotten Realms is a trademark owned by whoever owns it.

[Viracocha]

Whew… some bad blood rolling around here. But an FYI, you cannot have sole rights to that exact name… because you do not own the material/trademark it is based on in the first place. Save yourself the $15 and don’t bother copyrighting  what is classified as a “derivative work,” unless there is profit involved (which also entails a contractual agreement with the owner/original creator).  Good stuff though.

[Imperious Leader]

You like to reopen old wounds that healed over a year ago?

[Viracocha]

No, I’m saving people some cash, time, and a useless gesture (getting a copyright on derivative work).  And I’ve also stated (“Good stuff though”) that the rules are good, I like 'em, I plan on seeing if one of my groups would like to try incorporating a few. If you’re so worried about ‘reopening wounds,’ then why would this thread still be here as it is? Lock it, or delete it (but take the enhancement rules and make them readily available elsewhere first of course).

[Imperious Leader]

Usually people don’t bring up threads that are about 8+ pages back. I figured the people who were in this thread had decided that they had to agree to disagree and leave it at that.