ID:118279
 
I don't know how many of the forum(or blog, depending on where you are reading this) regulars have kept up with the big Lizard_Sphere_X and Phoenix: Sundered Earth(previously Phoenix DBZ) shit fits that have been going as of late, but they are of significance to the community as a whole, completely regardless of Falacy's personal vendetta against everything in existence. The issue isn't with LSX specifically, but rather the situation as a whole.

My intention in writing this post is not to defame these games or attempt to prevent their listing, but rather to make the general community aware of the potential consequences that may come of the decisions that have been and that have yet to be made.

While I can't say that I particularly care whether this game is listed or not, I am a bit worried about the precedent that the moderators are setting here. That precedent is that we, as a community, voiced through the moderators and volunteers of this site, are ok with what is going on. That we approve of these and other games like them, the thinly veiled transformation from a fan-game rip to an "original" game, with only so much as removing a few references and changing the shading on some icons.

Listing this game, and other games that have done similar things, tells people that it's fine to rip games, as long as they don't shout in your ear that they are DBZ/Naruto/Bleach. It tells them that all they have to do to be allowed the same status as an original game, created through the countless hours put in by real developers, is to change a few names, palette swap a couple of their icons, and write up a paragraph of nonsense backstory.

What will you do when someone removes all of the Naruto references from WOTS(or whatever the newest source is) and changes a few of the icons? Is it alright to rip games as long as it's not an anime based fan-game? I mean, you can't technically PROVE that it's a rip without comparing the actual code, right?

Are these games, "created" by people with no great love for BYOND or this community, whose only interest is to be able to brag to their friends that they "made" a game, to be afforded the same status and rights as the product of our days, weeks, and months of dedicated, tireless, and loving work? And all because they finally figured out how to use the find/replace function in Dream Maker?

This is not a matter of mindless rage or personal disdain for the "creators" of these game, but a serious question to the community that has been a part of my life for years, and to the people who have been given the task of watching over it. Is this honestly what you believe is best for BYOND?

To say, as we try to dig our way out of the pit that we were left in as a result of the rampant and wanton cycle of stealing, ripping, and inevitably spreading of sources, as we try to make this a respectable place for budding developers to get their start, and as we try to rebuild BYOND's reputation, that no, we should not try to do these things, that it's just easier and nicer to do things the old way because we can't stand to hurt anyone's feelings, because we can't stand to step on a few toes on the way, and kick us back into the pit that we have worked so hard to make out way out of.

I recognize that I have no say in the decisions of the volunteers and the staff, but I do ask that they consider the more far reaching consequences of their actions and decisions, and that they ask themselves, is this really what is best for everyone?

If you actually read this whole post, and didn't just blow up in mindless stupidity during the first paragraph, then I thank you for your time and(potentially) consideration.
I agree.
Meh, I guess you can say that. Sundered Earth is technically a rip, but ONLY due to the icons. All coding appears to be original, and most likely is.
I very, very, very seriously doubt that the programming is original. It started as Phoenix DBZ, which was likely a Finale/Zeta rip. Upon logging in and creating a character, the creation process was almost completely identical, down to the calculations involved in allocating stat points, to LSX/Finale.
Uh, not a rip of Finale/Zeta. The owner of Finale gave the source to a different owner to do as the own see fits. And for the record, the ONLY thing remotely similar on Phoenix --minus the icons of course-- (AKA, Sundered Earth)that is on Zeta is the train verb since the core function is pretty the same. But even then, it's very, very,very likely the coding for Sundered Earth's train verb is drastically different. For example, the train verb is constantly affected by another function known as statranks that affects how fast the user gains from the training. Also, Sundered Earth's train verb raises COMPLETELY different stats, stats that each have different functions from Zeta, so yeah... That's all I gotta say about that.


Again, I do agree Sundered Earth/LSX are rips since they used ripped icons. But the programming can easily be seen as original.
You go on thinking that, I'm not interested in arguing with a blindly loyal fan.
I saw Lizard Sphere X before. And I didn't bother to click or join the game. And anyone else with half a brain will do the same. I didn't even have to log in to know it was going to be some low quality anime game that was made "original". I don't think it's really an issue.

If you've been following a lot of the front page blogs lately, you'll see that a lot of people are "raising the bar". These outdated anime rips will soon fade away as more quality hits the hub. It's like a new, clean restaurant in the same neighborhood with a roach-infested burger joint. Eventually, the burger joint is going to get put out of business unless they step it up to compete with the higher quality restaurant down the street.

Even anime game developers are doing a better job, so if the "Lizard Sphere X" crowd aren't interested in original titles, there are much better alternatives to this ripped trash in the making. We just have to hope they actually follow through and finish the projects. =/