Is Warcraft a "ripoff" of Warhammer?

[TaurenNinja]

Everything is a rip-off of everything.
There's no "innovation" possible anymore, every feature you see in games has already existed in a similar form earlier.
That's why I don't like patents, rip-off claims, and generally the word "innovation" in the whole IT industry. It's just stupid. What matters is the end result, not which features you copied where because it's almost impossible to bring out a new product WITHOUT building upon or copying stuff that has existed before, at least in form of a prototype or plan.

But that doesn't matter at all. What matters is the end result, the result of the whole package, how well it is done, how much and how well they integrated everything and how fun it is to play. WoW's ingredients are nowhere near innovative, but Blizzard uses them in such a way to create something of much higher quality and value than its competitors.

[Kevyne-Shandris]

You don't know jack about 3D graphics dude...no one...NO ONE...textures a rock with "all polys"...that would take too much computing power to render in real time, even for today's computers. The rocks I saw in that vid are simple 3D models with a texture slapped onto them just like in WoW, maybe with some bump mapping to make them appear bumpy (I couldn't see too well in that low-quality vid).

YOU don't know anything about EQ2 graphics with that commentary...at all.

Environmental bump mapping in EQ2 is made via polys. It's not done by textures. Point blank. Rocks to the sand to the filigree pattern even on my status armor is carved/extruded....

http://s970.photobucket.com/albums/a...=EQ2_Glare.png

That's not slapped on textures, materials and diffuse map tricks. You can clearly see the grooves on the elbows. Can see the indention on the tree behind him. Can see how the cheekbones are formed, let alone the facial lines on the forehead. All carved. All Extruded. All indented.

It's why it takes a very decent computer to play the game (let alone it's CPU rendered, not GPU).

[velde046]

I don't care really if it's a copy or onot, as long as it's improved or has new innovative elements added it can still be great.
JUst look at Apple, the 'ripped' a lot of ideas from others and put that into their devices. Sad thing is they pretend like they invented all the stuff and all the while they didn't. I still like their products none the less.

Oh inb4 we start a flame war...: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFeC25BM9E0

Like I said I don't think it's bad to copy ideas from others, as long as you implement them well and hopefully improve on them. And that's what Apple is great at. Personally I think Blizzard is much more original and creative and don't feel like it's a copy actually.

[Noujou]

i feel your gonna get a very biased answer bud, especially asking this in the WoW general discussion...because if you asked this in the gaming general discussion, it could be different...but i dont think so...although i really have no idea

[Durandro]

Warcraft: Orcs vs Humans? Yes. Blizzard pretty much says as much. Starcraft also borrows heavily from the Warhammer 40,000 universe, though was changed considerably early in the development to be its own unique IP.

Otherwise I'd say no. Warcraft is very different from Warhammer, other then the basic source material they both draw from (Dungeons and Dragons, Tolkien and folklore). Orcs in particular are very different post Orcs vs Humans, being more intelligence, rational, honourable and cultured (though this doesn't really shine through strong until WC3: Frozen Throne and World of Warcraft).

[Juno86]

It is not a ripoff of Warhammer. Is it inspired by? Yes, in the same way Tolkien was the original inspiration for Warhammer and he in turn was inspired by the different folk lore's of the world.

The original Warcraft involve's only two races compared to the massive plethora Warhammer has. The original Orcs were very familiar too that of the Warhammer orcs as well, however, as the game progressed and the lore with it, that changed. You cannot even begin to compare the lore's between the franchises as Warcraft progresses. Warhammer goes on in massive scale and time.. Wacraft does not, instead focusing on single character progression through story. Quite different from that of Warhammer or 40k.

At the end of the day, all Fantasy has similar race's and stories to a certain degree, when we start screaming about who ripped off who, we are missing the damn point! Its for our enjoyment ffs!

[Verdugo]

Orcs in particular are very different post Orcs vs Humans, being more intelligence, rational, honourable and cultured (though this doesn't really shine through strong until WC3: Frozen Throne and World of Warcraft).

If I ever saw best example of stupid and irational, it would be warcraft orcs. Hell, at least Orks have their bright moments. Orcs just go on a homicidal spree when not under control of someone that grew with humans.

[Erela]

YOU don't anything about EQ2 graphics with that commentary...at all.

Environmental bump mapping in EQ2 is made via polys. It's not done by textures. Point blank. Rocks to the sand to the filigree pattern even on my status armor is carved/extruded....

http://s970.photobucket.com/albums/a...=EQ2_Glare.png

That's not a slapped on textures, materiasl and diffuse map tricks. You can clearly see the grooves on the elbows. Can see the indention on the tree behind him. Can see how the cheekbones are formed, let alone the facial lines on the forehead. All carved. All Extruded. All indented.

It's why it takes a very decent computer to play the game (let alone it's CPU rendered, not GPU).

I'm pretty open about stuff, and I even watched all your videos/looked at all your pictures and I've come to the conclusion that WoW's graphics just LOOK better. At least to me. I've never played EQ or EQ2, but I've played plenty and plenty of games. EQ2 does NOT look that good, you are making it sound like it is the second coming of Christ. It's really not a big deal. I don't play an MMO for insane "HOLY SHIT WTF THIS DRAGONS SCALES ARE ALL RENDERED INDIVIDUALLY" because then when 100 people are on my screen, my FPS drops to 1.

I don't know if you forgot, but this is a thread about Warhammer vs WoW, although it seems from other posters and your sig that you basically seek threads to bash WoW and promote EQ2 like we are all going to convert suddenly.

And if you think LFR/Heroic Dungeons/Battlegrounds queues are taking the "community" out of WoW, then you're an idiot. Those 3 things are literally there to help you gear up to the point where you can HELP the community. You can be done with all 3 in a week, and never have to deal with them again. It's that simple.

EDIT: Because my spelling gets silly D:

[Solonar]

Warcraft universe is based on Dungeons & Dragons, not Warhammer.

[Scummer]

I'd say no.
But Starcraft absolutely does with 40k.

For Sigmar and the Empire!

[YouAreAllWrong]

Yes, the Warcraft universe is slightly "inspired" by the Warhammer universe, but when another game dares to take an idea from WoW then a it's a complete WoW clone. :P I love MMOC!

The reality is that Blizzard always rips off other projects and tries to make them more popular. They have always been doing that and they are still doing it. Look at WoW for example.There is nothing original in this game apart from instancing. But you know what? That's fine, that's ok, it works and it works great. Games still evolve.

[Elegiac]

Warcraft 1 was originally intended to be a Warhammer game, I believe. But the project was cut and then developed independently.

(I wish this hadn't been the case. World of Warhammer would be more awesome)

[Kevyne-Shandris]

I'm pretty open about stuff

If you were you wouldn't be so interested in shooting the messenger for the message itself. There's openness and there's defending your own biases at another's expense.

Folks don't expect this forum to be unbiased (it is a fanboi forum for WoW), but don't disguise being open minded. My sig is there for a reason to explain the dichotomy that exists in WoW top down. It explains it perfectly, especially when folks are sure to make the statements true via their own actions.

BTW, LFR/LFD/BGs are the reason why so many did leave to play other MMOs, Erela. It's one of the points they did leave the game as they grew tired of the riff-raft. Your Utopia of trolls/misfits/idiots/and carrieds is not the cup of tea of others...as it doesn't help a community at all.

But for some reason, I doubt you'll understand why.

[SageKalzi]

Everything's a rip off of everything. Doesn't mean it's necessarily bad. I just truly hope Warhammer continues due to the fact that THQ is going under. I've thought a lot about THQ going under and initially didn't really care, but then I realized they made some of the best RTS games and I don't want them to die out.

[Yig]

Anyone who saw Warcraft when it came out and knew Warhammer saw the obvious similarities. Warhammer created stylized Tolkien fantasy, they created beefcake green skinned orcs with big tusks, they created massive shoulder armor and boots with exaggerated silhouettes. In the 80s, nothing looked like Warhammer. Warhammer is basically an extension of the artists who created the 2000 AD comics like Judge Dredd in the UK.

Warcraft was Warhammer with an animated twist that made it look like Disney or Don Bluth, it was basically a spoof on Warhammer. Which is hilarious as people denigrate Pandaren as a "joke" race, when Warcraft is all a joke based on Warhammer in the first place. Warhammer is a joke in that it takes British stereotypes and makes them into characters, Northern Yorkshire dwarves, Soccer hooligan orcs, posh elves.

But at this point, Warcraft has more than distinguished itself from Warhammer and has a life of it's own. They are similar in spirit, but very different. Most of the Warhammer's best artists now illustrate for Warcraft as well.

[Mandible]

No, they call games "WoW clones" because the follow the basic premise gameplay wise. Warcraft is a video game, Warhammer is a tabletop game. That's like calling Warhammer a Monopoly clone because they both use dice and game pieces that you move.

Does the Warcraft story borrow elements from Warhammers? Sure, but that's not what a "Warhammer clone" is. If someone made a giant table top wargame using Star Wars pieces and used all the same rules from Warhammer's table top game, then that would be a Warhammer clone.

Warhammer universe video/computer games have been out long before warcraft was thought of.
But in regards to topic its not a ripoff since it would require far more elements to be similar.

[Deleted]

The times were different back then.
Blizzard wanted to make Warcraft a Warhammer rts, but could not get the rights.
When they went to develop their first MMO they STILL wanted it to be a Warhammer game, because of the huge fellowship it had and because they knew exactly that their Warcraft world was a less dark Warhammer clone.
Blizzard was developing WoW aka World of Warhammer, during the development the deal with GamesWorkshop fell trough.

So they changed the names and build in an own story. From there it grew by itself.
The overall feel, the weird humor are still there to this day. But the story and world are something new.

It is something people nowerdays cannot understand. Mostly because they buy the BS copyright lawyers try to sell.

Warcraft is a sampler of Warhammer. Cut, scratched, played in reverse pieces of Warhammer make the groundwork of Warcraft.

It was a copy to begin with, but Blizzard made it into a new world, a new piece of art. Same as N.W.A songs are not rippoffs, they just used samplers from other songs to make something new.

[Chonar]

Let me show you what a true ripoff looks like.

[sdracklryeg]

Not a lot of Warcraft is original OP. It gets a lot of It's influences from Warhammer, Lord of the Rings and ancient Religions.

[Pull My Finger]

YOU don't anything about EQ2 graphics with that commentary...at all.

Environmental bump mapping in EQ2 is made via polys. It's not done by textures. Point blank. Rocks to the sand to the filigree pattern even on my status armor is carved/extruded....

http://s970.photobucket.com/albums/a...=EQ2_Glare.png

That's not a slapped on textures, materiasl and diffuse map tricks. You can clearly see the grooves on the elbows. Can see the indention on the tree behind him. Can see how the cheekbones are formed, let alone the facial lines on the forehead. All carved. All Extruded. All indented.

It's why it takes a very decent computer to play the game (let alone it's CPU rendered, not GPU).

Yes, very insightful. WoW just looks better on every level. Plus, it has an actual art style, as opposed to EQ2.