Online is an extension of the copied engine.
But here the line between technicalities is getting blurred.
This is why I specified that on a technical level the only difference is the open-sourcedness.
After all, Square Enix wouldn’t be able to tell a judge they “feel†I have written a new game; it’s ephemeral. To prove a case you need solid guidelines and clear definitions, and exact terms for when those boundaries are overstepped.
Incidentally, I can just as easily write my base engine with plug-in support and add online play as a plug-in feature.
Now see how blurry the line gets?
After all, the addition of online play would be inconsequentual to anything related to Final Fantasy.
The base engine is a copy that does nothing but load data and accept commands.
The online layer only interfaces with the base layer so much as sending commands; it has no idea what data is loaded and thus has no relationship with Final Fantasy or Square Enix in any way.
In the end, both would result in the same game, so if implementation is enough to shatter their arguments then they never had an argument in the first place.
It just so happens I am writing my online play as a plug-in feature, seperate from the base engine.
With that being said, I once again would like to know why my game is illegal and this isn’t.
L. Spiro