User blog comment:Legionwrex/How Dead Space is now copying Mass Effect./@comment-24.56.56.27-20130818091314/@comment-58609-20130818113729

Eh, if I had to play the "x ripped off y" game, I'd replace 'Star Control' with 'FreeSpace.' As in,

-Like the Reapers, the Shivans impose a cycle of destruction for a species that reaches a given stage of development. This cycle is enacted to allow new life to rise lest the existing life destroy it.

-Like the Reapers, the Shivans are practically invincible, and are a combination of organic and synthetic technology (for their footsoldiers at least)

-Like the Protheans we have the Ancients - "ancient noble race" who's really a bunch of dicks, who get what's coming to them when the cycle begins again. Though like the Protheans, they discover the key to defeating the Shivans.

-Cycle begins again, with humanity and vasudans being at war. Humanity and vasudans team up. Team up is rendered null when the 'Lucifer' is deployed, a ship that is bona fide invincible (ring any bells?)

-Salvation comes from Altair, where the Ancients' discovery is found, exploiting the Shivans' weakness.

-Weakness is exploited, the Shivans are defeated, the cycle ends...at least until 'FreeSpace 2.' ^_^

So yeah, there are similarities, some more superficial than others, but if the Breathren Moons meet the definition of rip-off, then so would the Reapers. But I don't call them a rip-off because a) it's petty, b) it's based on ignorance, as in, I don't know every sci-fi story in existance and never will, and c) even if x inspired y, I've never ascribed to the belief that y is diminished by it.

At the end of the day, I'm happy to toy around with similarity-based oneshot crossovers (shameless plug), but usually try to avoid making grandiose claims of "y copied x" because sooner or later, someone will find "w," and make my point moot.