Hey, I have nothing against it so long as it doesn't harm the creators or is done simply because the developer is lazy and would rather steal ideas than have their own.
I mean, my own project, Abeyance, uses a lot of mechanics used in Final Fantasy titles, for a few reasons - I love the mechanics and am an FF whore, the other reason is because I think it suits the game and I've not been 'lazy' about how I'm using it (I've worked my own systems in there, one of which has ironically been adopted in the latest update of FFXI). I'm always about thought and tactics in a game and having a turnbased battle system I think aids it. I think you can add a lot of originality and a lot of cool stuff to cloning. Okay, I wouldn't say my title is an FF clone, but I can't deny some of the obvious similarities in gameplay. My original project idea, Ronin (which, if I decide to do it, will take a lot of work) was pretty much inspired by FF, the idea of a feudal Japanese setting pretty much derived from playing Shogun: Total War a lot. Abeyance was meant to be my more 'manageable' alternative to the project.
I'd argue that an indie game I recently played and loved, Primordia, is a clone of Beneath a Steel Sky, whilst the media and characters are different, without trying to spoil the game, there are arguably enough similarities to suggest Primordia was based off of Beneath a Steel Sky, but no means does it detract from the hard work behind the game.
I would say this game is a clone (blimey, I'm agreeing with Mr Handy, that doesn't frequently happen
), but I by no means see it as derogative. They've managed to make the game their own and to be honest, it looks like a gem.
