Hey, I'm having some problems with germination, too. I tried planting some seeds directly into pots with soil - no soaking beforehand or anything. I put these under lights, which I don't recommend to anyone because they dry out super fast and I'm having to spray them several times per day which just isn't practical. It's been nearly a week and all the seeds have their tap roots, but only one has actually sprouted up above the surface of the soil. I don't think this guy is going to make it, because he's wearing his seed shell for a hat for the past three days with no signs of any leaves.
So I'm trying to figure out the fastest, most reliable way to germinate seeds. Everyone seems to swear by the paper towel method, so I'm giving that a shot. I put about six seeds into a wet paper towel, put the paper towel into a ziploc baggie, and put the baggie on top of my Xbox 360 to keep it warm. I've also started two more seeds directly in pots using a different planting medium (the first ones were planted in a compost/potting soil mixture, and the other two are planted in a sphagnum/vermiculite mix), which I plan to keep out of the light until they sprout.
I've grown plenty of plants before, but never this one =) Flowers and veggies are a snap compared to this.