>>163
>its to early to talk about those things now when the game isnt even done or play tested yet.
I understand your eagerness. I was there once, too.
Again, my advice: Playtest the Holy Shit out of your game before you think of manufacturing your game on any level (beyond, obviously, making prototypes).
The prototype for solo-playtesting should be built with nothing more than stuff around your house. Obviously, if you're into board game design, you'll have assembled useful trinkets that can stand in for game pieces and playing cards and the like.
Should you rope in your friends / family for playtesting, you should obviously build a better prototype but it's still just a prototype. Depending upon the situation, have the playing cards be actual playing cards (and not business cards), maybe use playing pieces from a scavenged board game instead of pennies and nickels, etc so forth.
For blind playtesting, NOW you need a decent prototype that begins to look somewhat close to where you want your game to be. It's still not production grade but if it's sci-fi themed, you'll want a sci-fi themed playing board & pieces, etc.
For rulebook design, I always try to be as clear as possible. Remember: Your players are dumb. They are looking at your game for the VERY FIRST time. You, on the other hand, have been playtesting your game for weeks / months / longer to the point of mental nausea. It is easy to fall into a trap of not explaining your game fully.
Without going into too much detail about rulebook design, try this template: Title, One-line summary, List of materials, Paragraph summary, Playthrough Cycle, More Thorough Explanation, Variant Rules.
When it comes to copyrighting things, here's where new BGD (Board Game Designers) have a panic attack (don't worry - I had one, too): Rules are not copyrightable. What is protected is the overall package but not the bits. Take Scrabble for example; How many near-copies are out there?
Your best protection is that most games really don't do well. For every Settlers of Catan, there are an encyclopedia of games that will only sell modestly, at most. It is not in someone's interest to copy a game that just does "OK." Also, remember that your game is based on bits of prior games. No matter how "original" your game is, your game is likely borrowing a rule or a mechanic from a prior game. We all stand on the shoulders of giants and a future generation will stand on ours. That's just how progress works.
When it comes to cardboard and making boxes and 3d Modelers... There are a lot of different ways to go. It all depends on your unique situation. A cop-out answer? Yes but it's also true.
Here are two links to get you started: www.gamecrafter.com & www.bgdf.com. Between those two links, that'll give you some voices to bounce ideas off of.
Need more help. Let me know. Good luck.