Legality and Queries for Remaking / Retelling of classic sprite-based era games

[sheebo]

Hello dear Nexus users

After playing and beating the latest installment of the final fantasy series with my niece, it occurred to me that children and young adults are extremely turned off by the sprite-based games that were made before they were even born (trust me I tried). Now this is NOT a request for a total conversion mod, I understand the pioneering and hard work its takes to create a mod AND the "try it yourself / what do you bring to the table?" attitude of this forum (which I respect) that is why before anything I would like your help in understanding how to navigate through the legal and copyright minefield that is this proposition, before having a go at it myself.

1 - Now obviously Final Fantasy is a copyrighted term for the series owned by SE.

Are there any legal ramifications for a "Skynal Fantasy 1" ?

2- I understand that porting of any assets is illegal (art,music,assets, etc), but has any mod in the history of the nexus attempted to load the asset (in this case for example the music) from another game by detecting it from your steam library? is that even theoretically possible / plausible?

3- After a bit of research (and there is definitely more to do) I understand that US copyright law cannot protect names including "Catchwords, catchphrases, mottoes, slogans, or short advertising expressions"

so does that allow the use of "chocobo" " magical spell names such as blizzard blizzara blizzaga?" names of cities / kingdoms / dungeons / bosses used in a story?

4- in a story does a slight altering of the names protect you from any CnD orders?

if character A kills character B in a story, in a retelling is character Ä killing character bÌ viable?

Modding Queries

In the spirit of the episode of the franchise I am (thinking) of trying to retell.

- Is it plausable to mod the combat system of the game in terms of targeting / turn based (halt time - give instructions) / command companions or are these things not viable due to the hardcoded nature of such things.

- I have seen Font mods and menu / HUD mods but they all seemed to have the nordic style borders, are these borders hardcoded or can new menu textures / border designs be implemented in homage to the classic game.

Looking forward to a constructive dialogue , and thanks.

[NexusComa]

Many game programmers follow a game style or approach in their own games. But, if you notice they rename everything

and never follow the exact formula as any other copyrighted game.

 

Exp: In Skyrim we all know we are using "Mana" and "Magic" when we cast spells in game.

But to avoid any type of problem Skyrim just calls it Magicka.

 

Take a game like The World of Warcraft a very popular MMO with 100's of spin-offs online ... Each has there own names for things and their

own take on how the game looks and is used. Many have the same type of bar battle system as WoW but each are a bit different from each other. None of these games are direct copies of WoW, yet they all are on the same lines as WoW. After all WoW never created D&D per say,

they simply made their own spin-off with unique names, characters, lands, bosses ... exc.

 

Also: a copyright don't last forever (unless you're Disney apparently) or we would never be able to use a word like "Mage" or "Rogue"

in other created game. Still to avoid any possible toe stepping you see words like "Spellbinder" and "Trickster" ...

 

To try and copy any game resources is just foolish ... Take the game that tried to make a new World of Tanks game by a different name.

They directly ported just a few map and tank resources from WoT. Even though they did make a completely new game. They ended up

being sued so badly it destroyed the release and put many out of work forever in this area, hopelessly in debt over their mistake.

Edited December 19, 2016 by NexusComa

[sheebo]

Yes thank you @Nexuscoma , I understand that these terms are common generic fantasy terms, mana , mp , hp , what i need to understand are the unique words ( for example : Chocobo) can they be reused in a retelling without any issues would "Chocobas" suffice for example in a retelling, or is that to blatently close?

 

 

also with names i believe that it can be worked around, my real dilemma is with the music, if an artist friend of mine reworked the music herself would that fly?

 

I have seen Square Enix shutdown fan made remakes before (and they weren't even on competing games engine :laugh: ) [thats why I believe a retelling instead of an exact remake might just pass]

Edited December 19, 2016 by sheebo

[NexusComa]

I believe the magic number you're looking for is 70% ... you have to change 70% of something to not be in violation ...

https://www.copyright.gov/

Edited December 19, 2016 by NexusComa