Heroscape flattery or blatant rip-off?

[insomnimaniac]

I came across this game called Halo Interactive Strategy game in a toy magazine last night. I found out that this game will be coming out this month so I decided to look it up further as my initial impression was that this game is based on Heroscape with the Halo universe. While looking at it, I started to wonder, is this game flattery or a rip-off?

I have a tough time figuring it out.

Flattery-
I feel that copying an idea can be concidered flattery. In this case, there are differences that are initially noticable. The map tiles are square, plain and look very boring. The figures are not prepainted and the character cards have a few differing stats such as the energy bar and melee #. There seems to be a glyph idea but instead of plastic hex pieces, they are smaller cardboard pieces?

Rip-off-
It seems like the creators took a very strong working idea and put the Halo logo on it. I'm going off of initial reaction to the pictures on boardgamegeek here, but the modular design, height, cards/stats can be seen as a Heroscape knock off. To add to that, the description reads that the game will have a heroic game for faster play and Legendary for the strategically more advanced players. What makes this game unattractive is the fact that the modular map is so....Blah, ugly and you're stuck to it being a boxie map. I do understand that if they went with a modular hex design, it would have been seen as a bigger rip off. The towers could have had some design to them or at the least, stickers to place on them to become aethstetically pleasing. When reading in the magazine about this game, it said that expansions are planned. I sure hope that the expansions include much better looking terrain/map pieces. The description on BBG says that there will be the addition of vehicles, more charaters and weapons.

So, for $40-$55.00 (depends on what store you find it at) you get
1 interactive DVD (I didn't find much about the DVD), 1 game board (4 pieces), instructions, 15 character pieces, 2 large towers, 1 medium tower, 2 small towers, 1 UNSC flag, 1 Covenant flag, 3 fences, 8 teleport tokens, 12 weapon/halo card tokens, 5 campaign tokens, 7 charater cards, 25 halo cards, 22 covenant weapon cards, 18 UNSC cards, 14 dice and a sticker sheet.

So, what is your take on it?

[Mutt Lo]

Its not really a rip off in my opinion because given the chance, any semi-intelligient person would be able to tell that Heroscape looks and is much better than this game whilst comparing.

[insomnimaniac]

Originally Posted by Mutt Lo

Its not really a rip off in my opinion because given the chance, any semi-intelligient person would be able to tell that Heroscape looks and is much better than this game whilst comparing.

I do agree. I feel that the Halo game is a dumbed down version of Heroscape.

I'm interested in trying it out, but if it is going to be a plain jane version of heroscape with different figures, then, no thank ya. It just seems like the took a working idea (heroscape) and slapped it on a different item.

[ninthdoc]

The Halo Interactive Strategy Game has some really cool bits in it, but the game itself sucks. I have 2 copies and would like to have more when I see it go on sale, but just for the bits. The game is horrid.

[Sokol]

Yeah, it looks like it is not worth the money. The designers of Heroscape put A LOT more thought into it than the designers of that poor Halo game.

Heroscape is so awesome!

[insomnimaniac]

Originally Posted by ninthdoc

The Halo Interactive Strategy Game has some really cool bits in it, but the game itself sucks. I have 2 copies and would like to have more when I see it go on sale, but just for the bits. The game is horrid.

and that is great information to have. Thank you ninthdoc!

[Malechi]

Ninth, basically you're saying get The Halo Interactive Strategy Game, but only to play HaloScape!

[GromBloodboy]

You beat me too it Malechi. It is Haloscape in terms. Where is that lawsuit smily when you need.

[Sherman Davies]

Originally Posted by Malechi

Ninth, basically you're saying get The Halo Interactive Strategy Game, but only to play HaloScape!

Just as a warning to anyone thinking of doing this - the pics on BGG show that the figs from this Halo game are smaller than Heroscape figures, so you're better off buying Haloclix figs if you wanna make Haloscape customs.

[SuperflyTNT]

I'd rather just take HaloClix figures and play Heroscape with 'em like Shermie said. I do that with SW minis already...

[Malechi]

Considering HaloScape is not played in the HeroScape universe, it is a completely separate game, I am willing to take the smaller figures of The Halo Interactive Strategy Game if I get what's needed to play HaloScape cheaper than buying them via the blind purchase of HaloClix ...

[Sherman Davies]

Originally Posted by Malechi

Considering HaloScape is not played in the HeroScape universe, it is a completely separate game, I am willing to take the smaller figures of The Halo Interactive Strategy Game if I get what's needed to play HaloScape cheaper than buying them via the blind purchase of HaloClix ...

I'm not getting you. Are you saying people couldn't make custom Halo figures in order to have mixed Halo/Heroscape games?

(If the above was a joke and I missed it, I apologize.)