"Stealing" RPs?

[Soja]

I just wanted to know what your policy is toward "stealing" RPs. I'll give a few hypotheticals.


1) Person 1 finds an RP with a great premise and wants to join. Problem is, the RP is closed. With a little tweaking, Person 1 could make an RP like, but not exactly the same as, that other RP. Can they?


2) Person 1 finds an RP with a great premise and wants to join. Problem is, the RP is inactive. They want to make a newer, better version of that same roleplay. Can they? (A possible solution is to have the RP reactivated, but if it's a 1x1...)


3) Persons 1 and 2 have pretty much the exact same idea for an RP. Person 2 makes the RP first, but it isn't as great or up to the standards or good as the RP Person 1 was going to make. They still wants to make their RP, but are afraid of getting yelled at for having a very similar premise. Can they make their RP?


4) Person 1 joins Person 2's 1x1 roleplay. They have a grand old time until Person 2, who created the idea, suddenly decides they no longer wish to RP and disappears. Person 1 put just as much if not more of their time and energy into roleplaying as they did and wants to start over, with this idea, with someone else. That simply wasn't fair! Can they?

 

[Pineapple]

1) Person 1 finds an RP with a great premise and wants to join. Problem is, the RP is closed. With a little tweaking, Person 1 could make an RP like, but not exactly the same as, that other RP. Can they?

Absolutely.

2) Person 1 finds an RP with a great premise and wants to join. Problem is, the RP is inactive. They want to make a newer, better version of that same roleplay. Can they? (A possible solution is to have the RP reactivated, but if it's a 1x1...)

Absolutely

3) Persons 1 and 2 have pretty much the exact same idea for an RP. Person 2 makes the RP first, but it isn't as great or up to the standards or good as the RP Person 1 was going to make. They still wants to make their RP, but are afraid of getting yelled at for having a very similar premise. Can they make their RP?

Absolutely

4) Person 1 joins Person 2's 1x1 roleplay. They have a grand old time until Person 2, who created the idea, suddenly decides they no longer wish to RP and disappears. Person 1 put just as much if not more of their time and energy into roleplaying as they did and wants to start over, with this idea, with someone else. That simply wasn't fair! Can they?

Absolutely


-

Now, Unless the creators of these games believe they have more rights then the creators of all of Universes or characters in the fan-fiction section of the site, there is no rules saying you can not make games like this.


However, if we were to say that a user can not make games that are just a rip of someone elses then we will have to say the same about all Fan-fiction and ban it from the site.

 

[Soja]

Yay! Thank you!

 

[Mitheral]

I've had something like this happen to me, where I created an RP. Several people joined. Then one went off and created a similar RP and took a couple members with him - without warning. The RP staggered and died when the plots were left hanging.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Obviously that's poor form on the player's part, not communicating with you the concerns/issues they had with your game/the way the game was turning out. A player who takes issue with some aspect of the should really inform the person running the game, if not so the Creator can alter or adjust their game or so try can write out the player(s) without compromising the story.


Captain Hesperus

 

[White Masquerade]

Interesting timing of this question. Was just in the 2nd scenarios situation. As Pineapple said it's all allowed, but it really isn't in good taste. If you absolutely feel its too good of an opportunity to let go. Discuss, discuss, discuss. Tell the original author your idea, plans, and ask permission. See what they think and how they feel about it. Do they still want to be included in what you do? It may turn out good or bad, but at least they were informed and made aware. It's all about courtesy and respect.

 

[Mitheral]

Well, this was a case of the members not reading the rules or even the overview and wanting a school RP rather than the more mission type of RP I had set up. Not a big deal. But it is hard to reboot an RP and as with many of my RP's a lot of work had gone into it.

 

[JayTee]

I used to mod on a freeform site where this issue came up before. My own ruling was that if a thread was closed or inactive, I didn't care if you made a similar RP thread. On the other hand, I did look carefully to make sure people weren't deliberately poaching players, as that was how the previous site I was one had died. There was a lot of bullshit going on back in my freeform days.


Anyway, I'm not a mod on this site and my opinions don't matter any more than any other member's as far as official rulings go, but in general so long as you follow the universal policy of "don't be a dick", then things should be fine.

 

[White Masquerade]

@Mitheral


Did you love your idea so much so, that you'd rather not have amended it? Like a compromise. School and Missions. Or...missions in the school underground training space, that spanned the whole city? =P Just an idea to bridge the wants.

 

[Mitheral]

Well, the RP was already a compromise. There were trainers, etc. The missions were to gather materials for their studies and gear. It was already a learning RP. It simply wasn't set in a school - but across the entire planet and into other realms. Their "school" was an entire city. The idea was to go out and come back as a routine. The other player wanted to have everything handed to them on a silver platter.

 

[White Masquerade]

Ah, okay. Seems very sticky! Well it can't be helped =/

 

[Pineapple]

Any situation where a person has 'stolen' a roleplay or characters in an issue between users, not of the staff. Staff will not hlep you resolve the issue or conflict.


All the staff could do it move the game to 'fandom' category as it would be a fandom of the first game. This would only occur it they stated it's using your setting.

 

[Melix]

None of the scenarios other people mentioned lined up, and none of Soja's should be under Fandom unless characters are used, in my opinion. And there is absolutely NO REASON to steal another RPers characters. None that I can see. What's the policy on that? Stealing OC's? It should be a giant "no". 
Also, if someone made an RP based on one of mine, I would be HONORED. I would be so happy and proud someone liked my idea that much.

 

[White Masquerade]

Okay, now I'm curious. For the stealing characters point; I agree whole-heartedly. Without permission, it should be a big no-no. As for Fandom, I believe you may be missing the point. It's not about the characters, it's about the idea. If an RP of "Robots with Intelligence Trying to Kill Humans" is made called "Robomanity", then it is an original idea. If someone takes that same setting/world but just uses different characters....it's still a Fandom. That new RP, would not have been created, if it wasn't for the old RP.


And Melix; it's sad to say, but not all people think like you. I know you'd be honored and so would I, but others would be jealous and take offence. I admit, if it does better than my own, I'd even be a bit jealous.

 

[Melix]

That isn't an original idea though. Taking an overused idea and giving it a new name does not make an original idea. And anyway, if a movie is "based on a true story" or based on a book, but tweaked a whole bunch so it is very different from the original, it isn't called a fanfiction. Was Lion King considered a fanfiction of Hamlet? NO. It was an original movie. Why should an RP be different?


Also @Kinesthetics I agree that number 2 would be in poor form IF it were a group RP (group being more than 2 people). If however, it was an inactive 1x1, then no matter what idea was used, the roleplay would end up very different. This is supported by sample error in math.


http://fouryears.eu/2011/12/04/one-over-square-root-of-n/

 

[Michi]

I follow the rule of credit where due. If I find a plot I love, but my partner(s) die in some mysterious way and I never hear from them again, I steal the plot but I tell people the plot is stolen, and if it's possible to link it to their site or whatever I do. I just feel if you come up with a plot based off someone else's idea, at least be polite and give them credit. If you came across a plot from an ex-partner that was dangerously similar or an exact copy of a plot you had with said person, wouldn't you get a bit irritated seeing them trying to take full credit? Keep in mind I'm meaning like they're like I was wanting to try this plot. And not saying anything like "This is a plot I had in the past with a partner, but that one sort of died. I really liked it though, so I want to try with someone else." Even if you don't mention their name, it's just polite.

 

[Ricia]

This was a help thread to answer a question. The question was answered and the staff have cleared up how any situation of 'stealing another RP' will be handled.


If you wish to discussed and debate this topic, feel free to make a thread in Serious Topics & Debates or Roleplay Discussion.


This thread is now locked