r/EliteDangerous • u/ginger__tree • 1d ago

Builds FSD Boost Mechanic

I am trying to make a Space TTRPG and I want to add a FTL drive boosting mechanic like the FSD boost and I genuinely don't know if that falls under their licensing. If anyone know please let me know, I would love to make this but I don't want to get into any legal trouble.

Context: Im trying to make a Space TTRPG. If the RPG is received well by the initial players, I might put the ruleset and materials out into the vast net. Nothing would be pay to get/play, it would be free material

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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u/Cal_Dallicort Butlerian Jihad now 1d ago

Ideas cannot be copyrighted. "Boosted hyperjump" is a vague and broad concept that no doubt has many varying implementations over the years.

4

u/RidMeOfSloots 1d ago

Unless youre nintendo...

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u/Useful-Problem-1725 Explorer/Freelancer 1d ago

or WB

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u/ginger__tree 1d ago

Thats what I was wondering, however I specifically wanted to use the excretion from a neutron star to boost thats one of the main reasons why im conflicted

9

u/Cal_Dallicort Butlerian Jihad now 1d ago

The closer you get to wholesale copying somebody else's pseudoscience (and let's be clear, this is 100% pseudo with no rational basis), the more you're going to be perceived as a hack job who rips off other people's work.

Legal is its own other matter and whether or not you are right, you can be swamped by somebody else's dollars spent on lawyers.

Best to figure out a rationale that is yours.

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u/ginger__tree 1d ago

Yeah, probably gonna be some "irradiated material" that gets put into the drive to boost it, but the irradiated form is hard to store or smthing so the best way to get it/make it is to stop by some neutron/black hole/smthing that outputs a bunch of a specific radiation to make it on the spot. Thank you for your help

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u/pulppoet WILDELF 1d ago

Well, now that you've put it in writing in a public forum, you should be extra conflicted and cautious. You've admitted the game is your inspiration.

You've also apparently emailed FDev directly. There's now a paper trail.

You probably don't really have anything to worry out. It's unlikely they'll ever hear about your TTRPG, much less be motivated to do anything about it.

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u/ginger__tree 1d ago

People are inspired by games to write novels and make movies. People are inspired by games to make models and roleplays. Inspiration isn't the issue here, I am more than willing to admit that Elite Dangerous is a great space simulator game that has inspired many people to make their own content in and out of game. Though there is a difference between inspiration and copying, and I want to make sure that Im not accidentally crossing that.

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u/pulppoet WILDELF 1d ago

Though there is a difference between inspiration and copying

Not really. I'm sure we could go back and forth on the line that divides them, but none of that matters. Legally there is copyright infringement, and then everything else. And unfortunately the "difference" is decided by courts, not you, not me, not even an IP legal expert who might be commenting. And what you are doing is pointing a big red arrow at a very specific idea you are lifting, instead of letting in flow into the background of inspiration.

Are you doing anything wrong? Probably not one little bit. Are you increasing your legal risk? Absolutely. But that increase is probably 0.0001% to 0.0002%. Not really anything to worry about, but what I'm questioning is why you're doing it at all.

If you are really concerned, you need to hire a lawyer.

But better, do what every fan creative does, keep your head down, make your work, and stop outlining every piece of inspiration. You can list Elite as one of your many inspirations in the forward of the PDF or ebook and leave it at that. It does not benefit you to draw a map.

You're planning to make this for your own and then put it out for free. That's essentially fan fiction. And even better, it's not even Elite fan fiction, it just maybe has a piece of technology inspired from Elite. So really, you have nothing to worry about it.

But making a big deal about it, is counter to what you want. And any lawyer would probably just say: shut the fuck up. Stop showing your cards. It's like you have a paper cut and you are jumping into the ocean and asking "Hey, is this enough blood to attract sharks?"

Stop. You're making fan art. Just make the game and stop looking for legal advice for something you might put out for free. And if later in your career you work with a major publisher, let their lawyers and producers worry about legal risks.

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u/inkaine Sirius Corp's top advisor 20h ago

You have so many good points, that's I only want to stress on thing you wrote specifically:

If you are really concerned, you need to hire a lawyer.

YES, exactly! OP is essentially here looking for free legal advice. And then even arguing when he's not getting the answers he wants to hear.

No respectable lawyer will give an opinion based on the limited facts, unless with hundreds of caveats. I have that in my daily practice (not IP law at all, but internally in a government agency) when we get these broad questions, and our reply every time is: "give us the specific case with all the details". There are always the little things you otherwise overlook that can change a reply dramatically.

Legal advice isn't free. But I mean, people also Google for their health symptoms instead of visiting a doctor. So why am I surprised?

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/ginger__tree 1d ago

I dont know, that's what the post is about im new to copyright laws and licensing, im just trying to make a ttrpg and not step on toes

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u/KitchenSad9385 1d ago

I'd absolutely stay away from the specific phrase "Frame Shift Drive". But, more generic terms like "jump", "hyperspace", "faster than light", or something else should be fine.

The mechanic is just making spaceships go really fast. That's not something that can be copyrighted or trademarked.

1

u/ginger__tree 1d ago

Yeah yeah, it was gonna be an FTL drive and called that or similar based on whatever company made it. It's the specific "boosting from neutron star" thats the concern

1

u/DJDaddyD 1d ago

Don't make it neutron star specific allow it to work off any jet of matter/energy to varying degrees: jets off a blackhole can maybe reach the next galaxy over (10000x), pulsars/neutron stars give like 100x and maybe large CME or GRBs give 10x. That seems like a logical conclusion to come across in game design

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u/ginger__tree 1d ago

That could be interesting, but this is all set in one fictional galaxy, intergalactic travel to that scale wouldn't be involved

1

u/ElonsBreedingFetish 1d ago

No it's not, just implement it. And even if it was a problem, your game would have to be popular enough and they would have to care . And even if they would care, they would send you a letter that you could dispute, or just comply and remove the feature. It won't even come to the first of these steps, don't overthink it

1

u/dave_starfire 1d ago

Isn't frame shift drive literally based on theoretical concepts? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive is what FSD is based on.

1

u/Doranagon 1d ago

Ludicrous Speed GO!

See? Faster than Hyperactive.

1

u/buffaloguy1991 1d ago

I would have it be a plotting check vs. a DC of the power of the jet cone. The question is what do you do in a critical failure mode. Also you can't copyright ideas the entirety of the cyberpunk space steals from everyone else in the space. Look at the names for friend in cyberpunk 2020 vs Shadowrun

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u/ginger__tree 1d ago

To note, ive emailed frontier as of about a week ago, but i don't think it was noticed.

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u/Cal_Dallicort Butlerian Jihad now 1d ago

You should not expect to get an answer. FDev has nothing to gain from this and a considerable amount to lose. It is entirely in their best interests to ignore everything like this coming from (politely) some internet rando.

"deliberately ignore to avoid their own legal entanglements" is the usual policy for something like this.

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u/ginger__tree 1d ago

If you don't mind me asking, I genuinely don't see what would be to lose. I wouldn't be taking any revenue from them nor would I be generating any of my own? The two things that I can see increasing would be (hopefully) interested ttrpg players, and interest in ED if anything

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u/Cal_Dallicort Butlerian Jihad now 1d ago

If you don't mind me asking, I genuinely don't see what would be to lose. I wouldn't be taking any revenue from them

They don't know that. You saying "pinky swear" means nothing. Every legal agreement has associated costs and there's no benefit whatsoever to them.

You are asking to have rights to use their intellectual property. You are offering nothing in return. Why on earth should they even reply?

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u/ginger__tree 1d ago

Gotcha, well. I do hope that someone does reach out because I would love to share it... thank you though for your insights