Would it be ok to recycle a certain mechanic that you are very fond of. And put it in not just another game, but many other games?
Did you do this too?
What was the outcome of that?
Recycling a mechanic
Fri, 06/27/2014 - 19:55
Fri, 06/27/2014 - 19:59
#1
I'm not exactly sure what you
I'm not exactly sure what you mean? Are you saying that you want to use a mechanic in more than one game?
If so, go for it. You'll want to change other parts of the game so that it's not a perfect copy... but reusing mechanics that work is Game Dev 101.
There are many mechanics that I reuse in different ways and some even evolved in pretty cool ways.
Fri, 06/27/2014 - 22:05
#2
Something doesn't have to be
Something doesn't have to be unique to be good and fun
Mon, 06/30/2014 - 03:27
#3
Watch out!
You might get used by GW, because they did the same with WH and WH40k and since they are the first ones to have ever done anything they might sue you for trying to copy them. You know, Copyright infringement and stuff ...
;)
Mon, 06/30/2014 - 05:57
#4
I have not done this yet, but
I have not done this yet, but I see no reason not to use a mechanic in more than one of your games.
But you should make sure that the rest of the game is different enogh so it realy feels like different games with the same mechanic and not just variations or re-themings of the same game.
Mon, 06/30/2014 - 07:55
#5
Mechanics cannot be
Mechanics cannot be copyrighted, so as long as you do not make a similar game, there should be no problems there.
As for reusing mechanics for other game ideas you have, effectively, this is game dev 101. I do this all the time. Even sometimes use mechanics in variants for some of my games. Which proves that making various can be useful.
Mon, 06/30/2014 - 12:35
#6
...
Have I *personally* reused a mechanism? Yes and no. I didn't come up with the most unique game in the world... but at the same time, many games are similar in some way to my first project.
As for successful games, you need look no further than "drafting".
Many credit Magic: the Gathering with popularizing the draft.
Then 7 Wonders made the draft *the whole game*.
Sushi Go is like 7 Wonders lite - I would call it a "total ripoff", but that carries negative connotations.
The WYSIWYG-style worker placement games all work in pretty much the same way: put your worker down; take the action/goods/etc.
Some WP games have you leave your workers out there, and the actions happen later (Caylus, Lancaster, Tzolkin).
Now maybe you're talking about a more specific aspect of the WP genre, like the "draw workers out of a bag" mechanism in the Pillars of the Earth. Not many games have copied that (that I know of)... maybe Village, to some extent.
So TL;DR - what are you waiting for? Make the game you want!
Good joke about the copyright. :)
Was just wondering about it. I am not worried :D. I am actually glad that the mechanic might see more light in this world.
The mechanic in question was intentionally designed for being used behind the scenes. Like in video games. It was designed for an infinite and auto balanced expansion for the game. And the mechanic is more a designing guideline than something that is actually used by the players. But all those video game attempts failed due to various (other) reasons.
The only one, not being a video game but a board game "succeeded". "" because it is a hobby any way (unless I get fired). And because the mechanic is to hard to understand. If players simply use the mechanic instead of understanding, there is no problem.
***
Now a fourth video game attempt might be made. All I do is lend the main man, this mechanic for use. I am not going to explain how it works. I am only going to tell him how he should use it. It is up to him to accept or decline. He too knows of the failed attempts. But he also knows of my little personal success.