why is this Banner Saga?

[Drinkcup]

weak, make your own game

[Giopeppe]

Hello, as i said in reply to another similar question:

It's not, no more than every 3D FPS is a ripoff of another one.

- It has its own lore and original story (a bit longer than a single BS title), with a different setting: not really "vikingish", with less if any norse mythology influence, more "slavic" with a medieval western european influence, and it's written by a professional ruassian fantasy writer;

- Different mechanics in tactical battles: no dice rolls (only fixed amount), use of battle cards mechanic, different turn order, different stat systems and ability trees, of course different chars with different classes and skills;

- Different story telling.
BS has a more linear approach: you have side quests and events that require a choice that could affect the game, while moving on a main plot, like on a line from "A" to "B" (with a change of perspective when you switch caravans).
AoG is much more webbed and rogue-likish: for every single "team" (there are three) you have a series of "set" locations you must visit (for example a specific city) but the path to them could be very different. It's much more branched. At every step you need to choose a road to follow and you usually have two or three options each time, and i mean not only choice in dialogues, but literally roads on the world map.

Do you know the mistreated Skyshine's Bedlam (that use the same engine of Banner Saga, while AoG is based on Unity)? Well, the movement on the world map is more similar to the one used by that game than to the Banner Saga's one.

It's much more like a gamebook (do you know Lone wolf?) or an heavy branched interactive novel;

- No caravan management (no "clansmen" and "fighters" or similar mechanics).

Of course there are also similarities:

- Both are quite lower fantasy: there isn't ludicrously astonishing magic sparklings everywhere (BS is quite peculiar with his Norse setting, while AoG is a bit more Gothic/Dark fantasy, vaguely in The Witcher's style) and, but i am not completely sure, there aren't any dragons nor a dragon's Queen :)

- Both have a story telling similar to interactive visual novels;

- Both have tactical RPG combat;

- Both make use of rotoscoping and have 2D hand-drawn charchters, animations and backgrounds with a huge influence from classical animated films (Banner Saga main artist has a really nice hand inspired by Eyvind Earle, while AoG seems less "Earlish", with a bit more classic and realistic style, like in the shape of trees for example.



In the end, if we consider that Banner Saga revamped and mixed together a couple of genres (Tactical RPG, like Final Fantasy Tactics, The Oregon Trail mechanics for the caravan part and so on), we could say that AoG is of the same hybrid genre of Banner Saga.


If you consider "Planescape: Torment", "Baldur's Gate" or "Fallout" ripoffs of each other (depending on which one was released first), then it is a totally different perspective.

[Drinkcup]

Originally posted by Giopeppe:

Hello, as i said in reply to another similar question:

It's not, no more than every 3D FPS is a ripoff of another one.

that's right, and those games are all trash and everyone knows it. But even there, it's hard to find such a blatent rip off. the art style is exactly the same, the scrolling screen is the same, the tactics screen the same... it's just obvious.

[Giopeppe]

So... you think also that a milestone like Planescape: Torment is a ripoff of Baldur's Gate?

That many RTS are ripoffs of each other?

Keep in mind that this is a game with more than 300K word in it, considering it "obviously" a ripoff, a fraud, it seems quite illogic to me, considering that the authors of Banner Saga supported it (i think they know their game and their asset);

Anyway, this is my opinion, and that's yours.

[Drinkcup]

Originally posted by Giopeppe:

So... you think also that a milestone like Planescape: Torment is a ripoff of Baldur's Gate?

That many RTS are ripoffs of each other?

Keep in mind that this is a game with more than 300K word in it, considering it "obviously" a ripoff, a fraud, it seems quite illogic to me, considering that the authors of Banner Saga supported it (i think they know their and their asset);

Anyway, this is my opinion, and that's yours.

it doesnt matter what banner saga said, and from the 10 seconds i read about it, it seems likely they can still sue for infringement at any time. them being aware of it doesn't mean they won't look at the final product and decide to act.

[Pirate]

So many people are so disrespectful. All the work, passion and time spent on this game and people saying the developers stole everything. Now clowns are saying certain characters vaguely resembles some person.

I appreciate all the work that was done on the game, it looks amazing. This game has its own orchestra, writers, animators, battle designers, nope, they stole everything and made this game in a week with a $100 budget. *rolls eyes*

[Drinkcup]

Originally posted by pirate8188:

So many people are so disrespectful. All the work, passion and time spent on this game and people saying the developers stole everything. Now clowns are saying certain characters vaguely resembles some person.

I appreciate all the work that was done on the game, it looks amazing. This game has its own orchestra, writers, animators, battle designers, nope, they stole everything and made this game in a week with a $100 budget. *rolls eyes*

it doesnt matter if all th work in the world went into it. if it's ripping off someone else's idea, it's ripping off someone elses idea. it's blatent, cheap, and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ and should probably get taken down

[Elidar]

Originally posted by Bonder:

it doesnt matter if all th work in the world went into it. if it's ripping off someone else's idea, it's ripping off someone elses idea. it's blatent, cheap, and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ and should probably get taken down

Everything you see, know and read about is ripped off from someone else's work, ideas, etc. Are you going to sue every single work of art, book, story, music piece, etc., because they use similar even identical motifs to tell a story?

Don't be ridiculous please, and understand that there's nothing new, only well forgotten old that surfaces here and there as presumed "innovation".

P.S.: I am not defending ripping other people's work off, all I am saying is that today there are no new ideas, sadly. Everything is copied.

[Giopeppe]

Well, as soon as the the rightful owners of the assets will denounce them for copyright infringement or fraud, i am sure it will be taken down, if it's the case.

Hopefully, this will not happen :)

Anyway, i think the discussion ended: the OP received a fair amount of informations and points that could make him change his mind, but apparently he didn't, so...

So, Bonder, is there anything else do you wanna know?

[Sneaky Seal]

Originally posted by Bonder:

weak, make your own game

Thanks, man, appreciate your input.

Maybe you should play the game first - those who shared your view did change their mind after giving it a try, including both our Kickstarter backers, several indie cups judges, various media.

There are visual similarities, but it plays differently - both in terms of the narrative and combat. So maybe try not to judge from several screenshots.

[duiveltje2004]

Dont bother the OP is just trolling :)
Youre just feeding him

[Retro]

I'm going to be honest and i rarely say this stuff the OP is coming off as a superiority complex ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, there is one of these type of people in every STEAM forum, I see this frequently with Stardew valley, they think every game is copying that one and they don't even realize harvest moon was before it, it's really baffling and odd why they even care, I wish someone would rip off the WITCHER 3 and make a BERSERK game like the witcher lol.

[Sneaky Seal]

Originally posted by Pie:

I'm going to be honest and i rarely say this stuff the OP is coming off as a superiority complex ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, there is one of these type of people in every STEAM forum, I see this frequently with Stardew valley, they think every game is copying that one and they don't even realize harvest moon was before it, it's really baffling and odd why they even care, I wish someone would rip off the WITCHER 3 and make a BERSERK game like the witcher lol.

Well, you know, people care for something and express their concern, nothing too bad about it, as long as they stay reasonable.

[Mitth'raw'nuruodo]

The entirity of the UI, narrative style, and art is clearly blatantly ripped off from Banner Saga. Anyone without "tinted glasses" can see it.

What is the point of lying about it now, since Stoic has already expressed their consent? Just say "Yes we love Stoic's work and were heavily inspired by it, as rookie creators often are. Stoic are okay with it." and move on.

Its the pretense and dishonest attitude that I find concerning at this point.

[[__h.stickeye_]]

they have said all that and more, it appears to me that they jsut dont want to keep repeating it over and over to all the idiots who cannot bother to reasearch the game properly.

If you have nothing better to say other than 'but itsshhha bwanner swaga ripoff wah wah wah', F u ck off.

[Roland Svanson]

This is how it's always been done. You take one innovation and tweak it to create something new. Could be minor differences, could be major ones. The reason that I even found this game was because it is exactly that, similar to Banner Saga in many ways. The similiarities are the reason that I'll be getting this game and get a just as lovely experience but from another angle with its differences from Banner Saga.