Stupid hive mind!

[Stumpydave]

What do you do when the idea you've been tooling with for the past year or two turns out to have another game treading exactly the same ground on it's second edition?

I'm talking same premise, even some of the same terminology - do you carry on and risk calls of plagiarism or do you toss the whole thing?

 

[PolarBlues]

If the case of a commercial project, if you new game attracts enough attention to warrant accusations of plagiarism, frankly, that's already a win. In the genuinely small press world, getting anyone to even look at your game, let alone talk about it (even if its in negative terms) is uphill struggle.

If your just doing this for fun, then just have fun. Everybody in influenced by everyone else in this hobby, it's all good.

 

[Winterblight]

I know a few folks that have spent their entire lives writing games only to discover they aren't original or are remarkably similar to an existing game or new movie that comes out. They end up tossing it each time and publishing nothing. Don't toss it, just tweak it. Unless they have trademarked some term you are using, I doubt there will be an issue. Both games will still be written very differently, have different artwork, layout, etc., and end up not really being the same at all.

 

[CRKrueger]

What do you do when the idea you've been tooling with for the past year or two turns out to have another game treading exactly the same ground on it's second edition?

I'm talking same premise, even some of the same terminology - do you carry on and risk calls of plagiarism or do you toss the whole thing?

That depends. What's the other game?

 

[Stumpydave]

Part time gods.
I've never read it, seen it mentioned here a couple of times and only had a proper look the other day when I was looking for possible titles.

 

[VisionStorm]

If the case of a commercial project, if you new game attracts enough attention to warrant accusations of plagiarism, frankly, that's already a win. In the genuinely small press world, getting anyone to even look at your game, let alone talk about it (even if its in negative terms) is uphill struggle.

If your just doing this for fun, then just have fun. Everybody in influenced by everyone else in this hobby, it's all good.

I know a few folks that have spent their entire lives writing games only to discover they aren't original or are remarkably similar to an existing game or new movie that comes out. They end up tossing it each time and publishing nothing. Don't toss it, just tweak it. Unless they have trademarked some term you are using, I doubt there will be an issue. Both games will still be written very differently, have different artwork, layout, etc., and end up not really being the same at all.

Pretty much ^this.

Just think of all the fantasy heartbreakers out there. Has that ever stopped anyone from writing another fantasy game? At this point in history almost every possible idea has been tried at least once. If you're working on some new original thing, chances are there's already something like it out there, even if it isn't exactly the same thing.

If you're really into it, just file the serial numbers off, and look closely at the published work and what you're doing, then try to figure out a way to give it a new spin, or emphasize something different about the version you're working on.

 

[A Fiery Flying Roll]

Considering how much Part Time Gods is influenced by a combination of White Wolf and American Gods I really wouldn't worry about it. Hell, it shares certain similarities with the little known Pantheon RPG from Lonely Die Press.

Very few ideas are going to be completely novel, it's all about the interpretation of those ideas.

I think I'd give the opposite advice to Visionstorm though. Avoid reading any more Part Time Gods until you have at least a final draft. That's the easiest way to stop unintentional influence sneaking in.

 

[Stumpydave]

I think I'd give the opposite advice to Visionstorm though. Avoid reading any more Part Time Gods until you have at least a final draft. That's the easiest way to stop unintentional influence sneaking in.

Luckily I've not read anything beyond the contents on DTRPG and a review on TBP. I think I'm good. ;)

 

[AppleJax]

Pretty much ^this.

Just think of all the fantasy heartbreakers out there. Has that ever stopped anyone from writing another fantasy game? At this point in history almost every possible idea has been tried at least once. If you're working on some new original thing, chances are there's already something like it out there, even if it isn't exactly the same thing.

If you're really into it, just file the serial numbers off, and look closely at the published work and what you're doing, then try to figure out a way to give it a new spin, or emphasize something different about the version you're working on.

To add to this, there's a bazillion ways to do rules and fluff and the published games may not be what you're looking for anyway. For example, I've found that certain older game IPs give me ludonarrative dissonance due to poor design and I now prefer indie "heartbreakers" that cite it as an inspiration.

I've also noticed that supposed "heartbreakers" created by experienced writers are typically an improvement, rules and/or fluff-wise, over their inspirations. For example, Godbound is vastly superior to Exalted because it doesn't suffer from problems like charm bloat.

 

[Fenris-77]

Man, this thread makes me sad. I'm writing a Sci-Fi horror exploration hack of Trophy Gold and three different games doing mostly, or even exactly the same thing have come out in the last year while I've been working on it. I never really though I'd make any money off it, but now I'm wondering if I can even get anyone to play it. (although, that said, I think Mothership in particular is a shit game with great peripherals). Anyway, colour me salty.

 

[Winterblight]

Man, this thread makes me sad. I'm writing a Sci-Fi horror exploration hack of Trophy Gold and three different games doing mostly, or even exactly the same thing have come out in the last year while I've been working on it. I never really though I'd make any money off it, but now I'm wondering if I can even get anyone to play it. (although, that said, I think Mothership in particular is a shit game with great peripherals). Anyway, colour me salty.

You still got to get it out there, because, if you go down the road of "three different games doing mostly, or even exactly the same thing." and you move on to something else, you will find yourself in an unending cycle of noncompletion because you will continually find someone has got there first. This is especially true if you are a one-man show.

 

[Silverlion]

Look. Write IT! Write it anyway. Don't use the same name/copyright stuff, but DO write what you want, even if there is something similar on the market. Because your spin will be unique to you.


Stumpydave Why not try, 'Gig gods' or the like. Part timers are pretty much gig-workers these days (some full timers too.) Or something similar!

 

[A Fiery Flying Roll]

I've also noticed that supposed "heartbreakers" created by experienced writers are typically an improvement, rules and/or fluff-wise, over their inspirations. For example, Godbound is vastly superior to Exalted because it doesn't suffer from problems like charm bloat.

Plagiarism is necessary. Progress implies it. It embraces an author's phrase, makes use of his expressions, erases a false idea, and replaces it with the right idea. - Guy Debord

(I would not suggest using this defense in an IP dispute however).

 

[AppleJax]

Plagiarism is necessary. Progress implies it. It embraces an author's phrase, makes use of his expressions, erases a false idea, and replaces it with the right idea. - Guy Debord

(I would not suggest using this defense in an IP dispute however).

What does that have to do with what I said?

 

[A Fiery Flying Roll]

What does that have to do with what I said?

It's agreeing with you; it's about how building on previous ideas can improve and strengthen a work.

 

[AppleJax]

It's agreeing with you; it's about how building on previous ideas can improve and strengthen a work.

I don’t think that applies to direct plagiarism. In any case, the ones I’m thinking of aren’t worth plagiarizing in the first place. I find it really frustrating when the less worldly heartbreaker authors default to copying/ripping off their inspirations because they clearly don’t know any better.

 

[Stumpydave]

I am reinvigorated by this thread. The disappointment i felt when I realised my stunningly original idea was nothing of the sort .