I have been throwing around the idea for a while of making an 'Unofficial' app for XCOM, which can do the same as the standard app, but have advanced timing options and other fixes/changes that can allow players to mod or play their game differently. This will also go a long way to address the concerns that some have with a proprietary app being required to play a board game, in terms of both support and flexibility.

The obvious big issue is licencing, made additionally more complicated by the 2K/Firaxis/FFG combination. I would intend to make it very clear in all labelling that this was an unofficial, unendorsed version of the app, but I don't want to spend the time just to get shut down notices.

One way around this would be to use all new art, but not only is that a lot of work it makes tying it is with the board game much harder.

So in short: Are FFG OK with this? Should I scrap the plan now?

I've been thinking about something similar. I plan to go without the graphics and use custom audio/music (call it minimalistic mode app), but I would like to keep the reference texts.

FFG Representatives rarely respond or even read in these forums in my experience. The best way to get an answer to wether FFG would be OK with it is to contact them directly via e-mail.

I would be very interested in an App for the PC which would have no timing for the Timed events phase. I have ADHD and find it very difficult to keep up with the events. My guess is that trying to figure out the randomness of the events and duplicating them in this new App would be difficult at best.

Personally, I think the game is too hard when it come to the number of UFO's that show up each turn. It's bad enough that the success rate for all resolutions is 33%. It has made the game not fun for me. Having a selection for the range of possible UFO numbers would be a nice addition.

Bruce;

I don't think you have to worry too much about Licensing. The main reason is the copyright on written material only exists when it is submitted to a media; a file. Any liability only occurs if you use images and/or sounds from the original. A play concept is not covered, as shown by the legal precedent of PacMan vs one competitor that used a worm chasing and eating your avatar through a maze. PacMan owners lost that case.

In fact, I think it would be better to not include any reference to the game at all. Even eBay flags mentions of manufactures names in auctions, even when it a disclaimer that says the item is NOT <company> product. It is too easy to misdirect viewers when they don't look at every thing. Simply say " an App for your favorite SciFi boardgame. Aside from that, if you give it away, no one would have a leg to stand on.

I am currently designing a Miniatures game based on the play of the XCOM video games. I already have miniatures made for it, though I am using the FFG XCOM soldiers. You can see photos on my FB page "William Greenwald". I have found miniatures that are already in production, and made some from parts of other game company's figures, Genestealers and Hormagaunts (GW). Others are 3D printings. I'll publish the rules, while customers will have to make their own terrain. But, the combat rules will be based on the same combat mechanisms in the video game, percentiles. I'll have to license the name, however if I want to market it.

I any event, I would like to playtest your work if you decided to write the code. What would you write it in?

Bill

PS: I did figure out why I was having so much trouble with the dice. I was playing it very wrong.

Bill,

I agree with your stance on copyright, however as I have indicated above I wouldn't be able to use any of the artwork from the current app or game. Not only is this a LOT of work to recreate, it would make it much harder to link the two - IE: the case could be made that I couldn't use the Commander Icon when the Commander has an action. An app that had text only and no matching style and symbols from the game would be harder to use and take a lot of the flavour out.

The official app uses Unity so that would be the obvious most easy place to start.