LOTR Inspired Game Nearly Ready for Playtesting

[Hobbiton Lad]

Here are some preview to wet your palette. All artwork is either public domain or obtained with artist permission.

[Cw0rk]

I can't see the pictures... You uploaded them wrong or my computer is playing tricks on me.

[LOTRFreak15]

I saw them. So it might be your computer or something like that.

[Not a Zombie]

The cards look great. Nice work!

[macheteman]

by "lotr inspired" do you mean it uses the same mechanics as lotr tcg? because while the artwork and card design look GREAT, it kindof seems like a very similar format/gameplay. almost copywrite similar. of course, wth only 9 cards, its hard to get a good perspective.

it looks awesome though! keep it up

[FM]

Yeah, I'm afraid the mechanics are easily recognizable as a LOTR TCG rip off, if I'm guessing them correctly, which would kinda doom your project, if you're not careful and legally assisted. Have you cleared it with a copyright attorney?
I mean, there are only so much game mechanics anyway (and Magic has used them all at one point or another, if you look too closely at it), so repeats are bound to happen, but I'd shield myself before starting playtesting (which indicates an advanced progress and that the product is almost ready to go live).

[Hobbiton Lad]

Yeah, I'm afraid the mechanics are easily recognizable as a LOTR TCG rip off, if I'm guessing them correctly, which would kinda doom your project, if you're not careful and legally assisted. Have you cleared it with a copyright attorney?
I mean, there are only so much game mechanics anyway (and Magic has used them all at one point or another, if you look too closely at it), so repeats are bound to happen, but I'd shield myself before starting playtesting (which indicates an advanced progress and that the product is almost ready to go live).

One of my best friends is an intellectual property attorney and I've consulted with three others. All of them have said essentially the same thing: game mechanics cannot be copyrighted. Wizards copyrighted the "tap symbol" but not the mechanic of turning a card to its side, etc.

Some of the mechanics are heavily borrowed. There are new ones though. And the turn looks a bit different than LOTR TCG. I'm 100% confident there are no legal issues with this game.

[FM]

Than blast off.

[menace64]

Hobbiton Lad: You're wrong, man. Any work can be copyrighted. Decipher has ownership of the SWCCG mechanics; when they lost the license to the Star Wars property in 2001, they chose not to sell the rights to the mechanics. Hence, a few years later, the release of Wars TCG utilizing the bulk of their rules.

If a company released a game with the same rules as Uno, they'd get their pants sued off. Because those rules are owned.

But, really, this is all silly talk. You could do whatever you want here because Decipher doesn't exist anymore. This forum is the last bastion of fear for copyright violations with regards to card games. You're perfectly safe using their rules, their images, and making your own concoction of whatever.

Also, your cards look great. 

[Zurcamos]

I agree about the cards looking amazing.  The art has a very consistent feel.

You could do whatever you want here because Decipher doesn't exist anymore.

I thought they are still around, quietly doing their lousy looking "Fight Klub."  Are they really completely gone?  I always hoped they'd make a final hour comeback.  If not, I'm genuinely sad.

[Not a Zombie]

The website is still up, but the forums are pretty much dead. I think they are around, just hanging low.

[Hobbiton Lad]

Hobbiton Lad: You're wrong, man. Any work can be copyrighted. Decipher has ownership of the SWCCG mechanics; when they lost the license to the Star Wars property in 2001, they chose not to sell the rights to the mechanics. Hence, a few years later, the release of Wars TCG utilizing the bulk of their rules.

If a company released a game with the same rules as Uno, they'd get their pants sued off. Because those rules are owned.

But, really, this is all silly talk. You could do whatever you want here because Decipher doesn't exist anymore. This forum is the last bastion of fear for copyright violations with regards to card games. You're perfectly safe using their rules, their images, and making your own concoction of whatever.

Also, your cards look great. 

Decipher copyrighted the design for the template, but not the mechanics themselves.

BGG has a great write-up on game mechanics and copyright. It isn't a substitute for a legal professional's advice, but I've had multiple IP attorneys review the game. They know their stuff.

[FM]

Small caveat: I'm not entirely sure "Liber Mortis" is correct, I'm not sure "liber" means book in latin, I remember it being "libram" or "libris", or something to that effect. And as far as latin goes, "Ovultimo" would be a bit more accurate than Ovultim, and sound better. And in THIS front, I think "Kalinda" might sound better than "Kalindra", rolls off the tongue nicer.

[Cw0rk]

Have you considered crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter for your project?

[Hobbiton Lad]

Have you considered crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter for your project?

That's a potential avenue. This project is on hold right now while I work on the 2nd Edition of LOTR TCG. This game will likely make it to Kickstarter at some point, though.