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[Cymon]

Yeah, I figured that title would get your attention.

When I first saw Osmos I thought "I could do that in allegro and put it up on Cymon's Games. A bit simpler, less polish, and I'd fix that blasted control scheme, but the same game in all other respects." Even then I thought, tho, that someone somewhere would call me on it and that everyone would think less of me. Still, I wouldn't be ripping it off wholesale, just cloning it. But if I cloned it, and it ended up offering pretty much everything that the original game did, would folks think less of me.

Personally I think less of them for making such a big deal out of such a simple game. I ought to do it in allegro and release the source code just to raise the bar for the future. You wanna make an indie game and make a million off it? Better not be no one-note Johnny.

I haven't done it yet, but if I did what would you all think?

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I think it's one of those games that makes you feel as if it were simple to make it, but in actuality it's very hard, because most of what makes the game good are the colors and feeling and atmosphere of it, which isn't as easily cloned as the mechanics. I'd even say it's a game that's kind of uncloneable, because most of what makes it special are things that you can't clone.

[Eclipse]

it's good if you improve on it while keeping clear the source of your inspiration. Personally i'd appreciate a lot more an original game over a clone, because while the first one is possibly made of love, the latter is surely not

[mirosurabu]

I can't see why would anyone think less of you. Personally, I think that would be great.

[Lynx]

I'd say, why not try and add something to the original?  Make it a spiritual sequel.

[Snakey]

I reminds me of when I was developing a match three game at the end of last year. Even though a lot of my friends liked what I was doing, people who weren't my friends critisized what I was doing in that I was just created yet another clone (yac; yac; yac). I don't feel it will make people think less of you, but you may upset some people if it is just a straight clone with nothing new in it.

[genericuser]

I reminds me of when I was developing a match three game at the end of last year. Even though a lot of my friends liked what I was doing, people who weren't my friends critisized what I was doing in that I was just created yet another clone (yac; yac; yac). I don't feel it will make people think less of you, but you may upset some people if it is just a straight clone with nothing new in it.

Doing clones to make popular/"good" games is just lazy.

Doing clones to learn new stuff, however, is a good idea.

As long as you keep the source of inspiration clear, I think making a clone is perfectly fine. 
 

[Alex2x]

So you made a topic in the hopes of drowning your conscience? Don't say you didn't

Cloning is good for learning programming, but unless you plan to release it on a platform on which the original game is not and likely will never be available, you should keep it to yourself and not make it public.

Making a game inspired by, as opposed to a clone of, Osmos, would be a much nicer use of your time though, of course.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

It might also be a good idea to ask the person first; if they're fine with it everyone else would be too. They'd likely grant permission if you asked.

[Cymon]

Ha, good responses everyone.

switch (user) {
case Paul Eres : No, I actually think it would be simple, at least what I'm doing. I'm distilling the game because... well, have you seen the programs on Cymon's Games? Don't expect osmos2. More like protosmos. break;

case Beer : You may be right. I can never quite tell what's going on in my own head. /*no break*/
case Eclipse :
case Lynx :
case Snakey :
case genericuser : I think it'd be the learning experience and the teaching experience that this would be. Since the focus would be on releasing the code in a printable format there would be implementations of the distance formula, etc. break;

case Miroslav Malešević : Thanks. break;

case Paul Eres : Ask permission? To write a clone of their game? Unheard of! These guys are indies, they may be cool with it. But I don't know if I want to bother with that since I won't be asking them to do it for me and the fact of the matter is there's nothing they could do to stop me if I decided to do it, really. Bit of a jerk move of me I guess, but I didn't need Alexey Pajitnov's permission to make alleytris. break;
} /* end switch */
Now I wonder how many of you can read that.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

If you don't care about being a jerk or if the author of the game doesn't want you to clone it, why even start this thread? Why not just clone it without asking us if it's a good idea? Why should our opinions matter to you more than the developers of that game?

[genericuser]

If you don't care about being a jerk or if the author of the game doesn't want you to clone it, why even start this thread? Why not just clone it without asking us if it's a good idea? Why should our opinions matter to you more than the developers of that game?

It's an interesting topic; why shouldn't we discuss it?

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Not saying we shouldn't, saying it seems contradictory to not ask the author before you clone his game and instead ask a bunch of random guys on a forum.

[Craig Stern]

Well, what if he asks and the author says no? Then he'll be seen as an even bigger jerk if he goes ahead and clones it anyway.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

There's almost no chance they'd say no, especially after they see his other games (which seem more like practice exercises with line art than fully developed games, as he mentioned). It's not like it'd be a threat to their sales or anything.

[mirosurabu]

I guess he started the topic to see if we'll think less of him. But he forgot to start a poll.

Author's permission, from what I can judge from his post, is not what he's interested in. Even if he's given permission we can still think less of him.

[Cymon]

It's an interesting topic; why shouldn't we discuss it?

I likey hypothetical discussions. Until I rewrite my sites css, write a chapter of two of my book, and finish ASCIIpOrtal I can't even think about writing this. Plenty of time to contact the author... or avoid doing so.

[Problem Machine]

Was anyone else bothered by the last case being dead?  :D

[Levin]

"Find a subject that you will be able to mimic sufficiently and add something that will make people choose your version over the original" (Cactus says: "Boobs are the way!"  )

[Ryan]