Originality By Context: A Game Designing Rant

Why don't more games copy mechanics and/or systems from other games?

It's such a simple way to add more content to a game, and thus, more replayability. Sure, if it wouldn't fit, you shouldn't beg for it to be included or anything, but a lot of games seem to miss out on the opportunity to play around with other games' concepts!

Here's an example if you didn't read the above paragraph: Rocket Jumping is pretty normal in TF2. Very few games have even attempted to simulate such a mechanic. However, in so many shooter games, you could just imagine yourself Rocket Jumping somewhere! But you can't, because not even a simulation of that mechanic is available.

Of course, it's a bad idea to outright copy another game. If you make a game out of stolen crap, it will be just that, at the end of the day: a programmed-together bunch of stolen crap.

Sometimes, the best way to freshen up a game (especially shooter games) is to throw in something from another game. Imagine if Nintendo, for literally no reason, decided to make a mechanic similar to Rocket Jumping and put it into Splatoon 2. Not only do you get the benefits of having a part of the TF2 fanbase try out Splatoon 2 for more of the Rocket Jumping they like, but it's also just a solid mechanic to play with and fight against. In the context of Splatoon 2, Rocket Jumping would be a completely unique and original concept!

This concept is sort of like introducing a citizen who's never drank beer in their life to Nemract. And we all know what Nemract's like.

The whole idea of introducing a mechanic from another game into your own is something I feel is only done for the basic stuff, such as controls and basic movesets (run, jump, attack/shoot, etc.), when it should really be done for things which work in the environment of your game.

The basic part of game designing is incorporating things that are fun and unique from the perspective of the people who play your game. Just make sure that the quantity of referenced and/or copied ideas don't outweigh the quantity of your game's original ideas. When it boils down to the majority of your game's content, please try your best to innovate, not imitate.

Anyways, thanks for reading through this rant if you bothered to!

 

When we treat the creations of others as inspiration and attempt to build on them, the results are better than what any individual could achieve.

 

Because often creators have their own vision for a game, and want it created along those lines. Frequently those mechanics may not work with what they have in mind or the design choices they've made. Rather than taking someone else's idea and trying to retool it to fit their game, they make the game in a way that they wanted to and that makes sense for them. Also, I'd make the argument that more content does not necessarily equal more replayability. Skyrim has content oozing out of every pore, and I'd still far less like to replay it than Portal, a short puzzle game (that isn't really even meant to have much replayability). Adding a lot of mediocre content does nothing but bring a game down, or, at the very least, adds nothing of value. There are some games I've played that have great mechanics from other games that don't really fit within the game, or that are done poorly that actively lower the quality of the game in my opinion. I'd rather play a good, cohesive game than a game with any number of good systems mashed together poorly.

 

oh god please no kelp dome clam blitz would be ruined and its the only mode kelp dome is good for oh god no please