Couldn’t really find an area of the form that fits this question but I really need feedback.
Ok here is my situation. I’m working on my first game. For it I developed what I thought was an original control scheme for my melee combat system. This is the main focus of my game mechanics. Unfortunately I discovered another company beat me to it and has released several game using the same control scheme. I’ve tried to come up with a new system with little success. Part of me thinks look at all the first person shooters, all of them use the exact basic controls, this would be no different, but I’m still not sure.
I would like to know what other game developers think, is it still ok to use my original control scheme even though it matchs some one else so closely.
You’ve got two problems, actually - an implicit social contract with your users, where they expect certain aspects of your interface to act a certain way, and the other problem of worrying that your mechanics are too similar to Company X’s games.
First, the first dilemma should be self-solving; if the majority of your play testers agree that Company X’s control scheme works best, go with it - as a caveat, allow players to control their control scheme, just in case of the oddball who wants the attack command bound to the defend key, and vice versa. That player will appear.
Second, I think your true ethical dilemma is, “I thought my mechanics were original, and found out someone else got there first.” You have to accept that, despite the many permutations on creative media, someone has probably done something you have first. However, this does not mean you should out-and-out copy them.
I would suggest playing their titles thoroughly first to ensure your mechanics are not infringing on their IP (things like item names and enemy names are OK to cross game boundaries; explicit details such as a golem looking a certain way or the main villain too closely resembling that game’s main villain are certainly not.)
To help you, I would take a critical play of their game, and look for at least one long-running, but fine-grained detail in that game that you think could be improved on. Articulate a way it could be better, then build it into your game, and let the playtesters bang on it.
You shouldn’t avoid an idea just because someone else has had it before. Truly original ideas are incredibly, incredibly rare.
To be honest, if someone’s already made multiple games and had some modicum of success with an idea similar to yours, that’s kind of something to feel good about - it validates your idea and says that, if done well, it can certainly be successful. And if you’ve only found the idea in one other place, that still means it’s relatively original - it’s not like you’re making yet another FPS.
Contrary to Asvarduil, I recommend not playing the game that also uses your control scheme. Why pollute your creativity by seeing someone else’s solutions or ideas before you’ve come up with your own? I also wouldn’t worry about poring over their game with a fine toothed comb and avoiding anything that looks or sounds similar to theirs - it’ll be pretty obvious if you’ve ripped them off, and - just like with the control scheme - you don’t have to avoid an idea just because someone has had it before.
Who knows? Maybe they copied someone else - or there are other games that you don’t know about that happen to use the same type of control system as well.
How original could this system possibly be? Did the company file a patent? Then read this for a good laugh…
Taking out a feature that makes your game more fun just because someone else did it is ridiculous. If you make a great game who cares where the ideas came from or who else may have came up with them first?
Thanks everyone for the feedback, that’s actually a weight off my shoulders. The look,feel and settings of the games are totally different just the way I use the mouse to control strikes and parries are very similar so I don’t think I’m going to worry about it. I spend so much time glude to my computer my social skills are more than a bit rusty.
If a game mechanic is solid then I dont think you should change it – unless you are sure that changing it will actually improve the gameplay otherwise you just made it worse.
I guarantee you’re being more ethical than most game developers in the world. For no good reason. It doesn’t benefit you or the customer. (Not that I would consider something like this unethical, I don’t)
Give the customer a good game. That’s all that matters. And make some $$.