FOF: 'GH Clone' or Not?

[The Muffin Man]

I think that the devs may have intended for it to be similar to guitar hero (they were definitely inspired by it at least), but ultimately due to this community here, it is starting to become its own game. I havne't posted much, but I've been haunting threads for alomst 8 months now and it seems to me there are two very distinct groups of people here: people who want a GH-like experience, and those want a more stand-alone one. The customization features of FoF allow it to take either path depending on the preference of the gamer. I think that, stand-alone FoF "out-of-the-box" so to speak, without any mods, is not a clone because it does not emulate GH gameplay. I am very good at FoF, but I suck at guitar hero because it is a very distinct experience. So ultimately, FoF can be made to be more like a guitar hero clone, but I personally believe it is not one.

[dgrams2000]

40/60 so far.
Pretty close either way.

Just like the Poll about changing scoring. Pretty close to 50/50.
My guess is that those who didnt want scoring to change in the game are mostly the same people who voted that FOF is an original game and not a clone.
(Just a guess - maybe I should make a poll for it!? Nah. Just kidding)

[Air Guitar Hero]

As dgrams clearly explained, it is obviously a clone. I've seen this nonsense plastered in a couple topics: "It's not a guitar hero clone, it's a guitar simulation." It's much closer to being guitar hero than being an actual guitar. The inspiration for frets on fire obviously came from guitar hero. I learned how to play guitar hero from frets on fire actually :laugh:

I never thought this was widely debated. It was simply "FOF is different because of the community surrounding it." Guitar Zero was the one tagged as a "clone."

Guitar Zero just hit a little closer to home, but they are both clones.

Graphics have nothing to do with it. What is the point a any game? Yup, the game play. And no matter the subtle and out right differences in gameplay. The basic mechanics are exactly the same. Strumming while trying to hit notes with 5 fret buttons.

Got to say though...I think this is the 1st time I liked a clone better than the orignal. Except maybe Crazy Kong.

"Don't mind the differences, it's the same"? By that logic, everything from DDR to Pa Rappa is the same game because you're trying to hit buttons in time to music.

I don't think FoF has enough features to be considered a GH clone. GH is much more fun to play because of the possibility of failing songs and the career mode.

Congratulations on getting what rex said wrong. You took what he said and broke it down further, missing the point. What he meant is, although there are differences on the surface, the core gameplay is the same, "Strumming while trying to hit notes with 5 fret buttons." Let's break it down a step further, to show YOUR logic. "games are the same, everything is the same because you're hitting buttons." See? look at that. I rearranged some of your words in quotation marks and called it "your logic."

Just because guitar hero is "more fun" and "failing songs and the career mode" doesn't make fof exempt from being a clone.

[S3RB]

The game is the same concept making it a clone by imitating it. Features don't mean anything just because a car has a navigation system and OnStar doesn't mean its any different than like an 89 volvo in the what it truly is. They're both cars and no mater what u do to it feature wise it will ALWAYS be a car.

[RexMundi412]

I'd like to clarify my argument some. In the srtictest sense FOF is not a clone. Like Crazy Kong and all those Pacman clones. Where they copied the game changed a few graphics hopeing to skirt copywright laws. And released the game.

But I think the spirit of the question is, is it a copycat or was it inspired by Guitar Hero? Maybe one of those options should of been added to the poll? And to that, I bet if you asked the developers they would tell you yes themselves to at least being inspired by.

And no matter the subtle and out right differences in gameplay.

By this I was mostly thinking of the HO/POs. I still remember when we didn't have any with FOF. And even then I thought to myself this is a lot like Guitar hero.

DDR to Pa Rappa is the same game because you're trying to hit buttons in time to music.

I've never played DDR. And only played a demo of Pa Rappa. But If you play Pa Rappa with a dancepad I bet the would be damn similar. And if you ask me all these games owe a debt to Simon.

[dgrams2000]

I'd like to clarify my argument some. In the srtictest sense FOF is not a clone. Like Crazy Kong and all those Pacman clones. Where they copied the game changed a few graphics hopeing to skirt copywright laws. And released the game.

Good point. And this is just another definition of 'clone'.
I'm heavy in the Video Game emulation area and yes, clones are also used to describe video game programming that has been 'tweaked' and re-released (for whatever reason) as a different game.

So in this case, is FOF 'tweaked' code of GH? No. So by this particular definition - FOF is not a clone.

But personally, I still go off of my comments in my opening post - where I quoted dictionary.com's definition and also go off of the general 'looks' of the game.

[MichallusTG]

It is a clone.

Both games rely on pressing certain buttons with your left hand and hitting another button with your right one. Clone is a game where the basic rules are the same - all the Pac-Man games mentioned up there are Pac-Man clones. Stepmania is basicly a DDR clone, too.

[Pyroccini]

I can't see any reason FoF isn't a clone, especially since it was based on Guitar Hero (so i hear).

[uberlulz]

Clone doesn't mean it isn't a good game.

I.E. For any guitarists out there, if GH is Gibson, then FoF is Epiphone. Lower quality, lower price.

[MichallusTG]

I.E. For any guitarists out there, if GH is Gibson, then FoF is Epiphone. Lower quality, lower price.

You do not say you are going to play Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man Adventures in Space or Some Other Completely Unknown Adventures Of Pac-Man. You simply say you are going to play Pac-Man. Am I wrong?

[quizzledorf]

i call it the "awesomely bootleg free version" of guitar hero. it's a clone in its own sense, but also its own game.

[RexMundi412]

You do not say you are going to play Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man Adventures in Space or Some Other Completely Unknown Adventures Of Pac-Man. You simply say you are going to play Pac-Man. Am I wrong?

If it was variant Pac-Man I would likely say Pac-Man. But Ms. Pac-man is Ms. Pac-Man.

Similarly, when I do talk games with someone. I mention Frets on Fire. And they usually say "Huh, what's that?" And I invariably say "It's like Guitar Hero." So no I don't call it Guitar Hero, but I'd say not too far from doing so.

[MichallusTG]

If it was variant Pac-Man I would likely say Pac-Man.

This is what I mean.

But Ms. Pac-man is Ms. Pac-Man.

This is the second thing I mean.

GH does not have modifiable notes, BGs (sorta.) and songs (Mostly.).

[skaniol]

It's clone for sure <; but why people think bad about clones. They could be better than the original sometimes ;p

[poison]

i call it the "awesomely bootleg free version" of guitar hero. it's a clone in its own sense, but also its own game.

QFT. nothing much needs to be said after this.