- Joined
- Jul 1, 2005
- Messages
- 393
"I have an uber idea!! My map will pwnzor!"
Yeahhh about that. If it's that good then you should be able sketch out the following check list within 15 to 35 minutes without a hitch.
o Opening Scenario
o Universal Triggering & Copyrighted Content
It seems to me that everyone is terrified of copying anyone else when it comes to how a map's start up settings are triggered. As a host I am beginning to hate the need to read a manual to figure out how to trigger the map to the settings I want. This gets into those fancy degrees I've got so I'll go ahead and explain it so everyone can understand.
It is okay to be non-original when it comes to starting triggers. We all know the modes for the most popular maps. DotA for example has -ap, -ar, -id, -sc. We all know what those mean (all pick, all random, item drop, and super creep) As a host I am finding myself in the bucket of needing to read a manual for the starting settings of each new map. It gets kinda annoying when I need to always read a new manual for each new AoS, each new TD, and otherwise map to work the way I want. I am by no means a genius and I can not remmember every starting trigger for every map. That said, it does help when the type command trigger is both simple to remember easy to type out.
I know most of you are likely teenagers and do not have any knowledge in copyright stuff. There are also a lot of bad myths and rumors out there based on past bad experiences people have had so here goes a basic rundown of the truth. You may copy ideas, an idea is defined as something non-specific that can be changed or modified to become a different idea. An example of this could be a Tower Defense, now if you go around copying Duke Wintermaul's tower defenses and relabeling them as your own with a minimum of alterations, you are going to get all of the scorn that is due you from the community because that is plagarism. But if you make your own Tower Defense map, like for example what BK did with his Gem TD, you are worthy of respect. Yes it's a tower defense but it's totally different from Duke's.
An idea, such as a night elf, or a ninja is non-copyrightable, because this is an idea. It is what a night elf or ninja acts, speaks and does within the confines of the media being used that is copyrightable, but only to the extent of exactly what the ninja or night elf (the idea itself) specifically does. There are lots of ideas used in stories and as long as they are not duplicated word for word or in movies action for action, unless it is intended as a parody.
The reason there is a lot of confusion over copyrights, copyright law is because for one, a lot of big publishing companies for the past 50 years have been hiring expensive lawyers to twist the truth and harrangue anyone who dares write something like fan fiction. Fan fiction in itself is perfectly legal in the confines of the law as long as you don't steal specific ideas, like character names or places. They do this to try and hold a full monopoly over specific ideas, which is actually illegal but most people are too frightened by the drum beating of a thousand lawyers bearing down on them to do the research and find out the truth for themselves. That and more than a few US court judges back in the 1800s made the wrong interpretations on the law of copyrights and copyright holders, which has reinforced the false myths surrounding copyrights and copy law.
In fact the truth has been very difficult to uncover because of all of the myths and rumors. It took me 6 years of investigation and fact-checking to get it all straight in my head, and I have enough content to write a book on it, but this is just a working rundown for the average Joe. To copyright an unpublished work, you need to travel to Washington D.C. and find a special kind of lawyer to actually register your copyright for you. While everyone is covered automatically by universal copyright, this natural protection only extends for 50 years on the anniversary year of your work. In addition to this, once you have a copyrighted work, you must renew your copyright on it every so many years depending on what it is. Books and films are at 100 years but other kinds of artmedia terminate after 20 years. Nothing other than a registered copyrighted work will stand up against other claims in court. Also the fee for this service is around $200 to $1,000 depending on what it is. The postage dated stamped envelope can be easily altered if you have a friend who works in the post office, and will never hold a plate of beans in a real court.
Blizzard is actually bending the rule on this by allowing everyone to have access to the Warcraft Editor. But that's there business, I'm sure they have good lawyers and advisors on that one.
o Theme & Setting
o Sketch the Game's general appearance
- minimap
- different region selections
- point to point movement
- a few skill trees
- a few tech trees
- important pieces your liable to forget along the way from brainless amounts of terraining, triggering and other things.
o Plot or Story
o Declare Genre "What kind of game is it?"
o Goal or Reason for playing
o Anti-climax what happens when the game is won?
ARGGH Lost my first post I HATE it!!!
Yeahhh about that. If it's that good then you should be able sketch out the following check list within 15 to 35 minutes without a hitch.
o Opening Scenario
o Universal Triggering & Copyrighted Content
It seems to me that everyone is terrified of copying anyone else when it comes to how a map's start up settings are triggered. As a host I am beginning to hate the need to read a manual to figure out how to trigger the map to the settings I want. This gets into those fancy degrees I've got so I'll go ahead and explain it so everyone can understand.
It is okay to be non-original when it comes to starting triggers. We all know the modes for the most popular maps. DotA for example has -ap, -ar, -id, -sc. We all know what those mean (all pick, all random, item drop, and super creep) As a host I am finding myself in the bucket of needing to read a manual for the starting settings of each new map. It gets kinda annoying when I need to always read a new manual for each new AoS, each new TD, and otherwise map to work the way I want. I am by no means a genius and I can not remmember every starting trigger for every map. That said, it does help when the type command trigger is both simple to remember easy to type out.
I know most of you are likely teenagers and do not have any knowledge in copyright stuff. There are also a lot of bad myths and rumors out there based on past bad experiences people have had so here goes a basic rundown of the truth. You may copy ideas, an idea is defined as something non-specific that can be changed or modified to become a different idea. An example of this could be a Tower Defense, now if you go around copying Duke Wintermaul's tower defenses and relabeling them as your own with a minimum of alterations, you are going to get all of the scorn that is due you from the community because that is plagarism. But if you make your own Tower Defense map, like for example what BK did with his Gem TD, you are worthy of respect. Yes it's a tower defense but it's totally different from Duke's.
An idea, such as a night elf, or a ninja is non-copyrightable, because this is an idea. It is what a night elf or ninja acts, speaks and does within the confines of the media being used that is copyrightable, but only to the extent of exactly what the ninja or night elf (the idea itself) specifically does. There are lots of ideas used in stories and as long as they are not duplicated word for word or in movies action for action, unless it is intended as a parody.
The reason there is a lot of confusion over copyrights, copyright law is because for one, a lot of big publishing companies for the past 50 years have been hiring expensive lawyers to twist the truth and harrangue anyone who dares write something like fan fiction. Fan fiction in itself is perfectly legal in the confines of the law as long as you don't steal specific ideas, like character names or places. They do this to try and hold a full monopoly over specific ideas, which is actually illegal but most people are too frightened by the drum beating of a thousand lawyers bearing down on them to do the research and find out the truth for themselves. That and more than a few US court judges back in the 1800s made the wrong interpretations on the law of copyrights and copyright holders, which has reinforced the false myths surrounding copyrights and copy law.
In fact the truth has been very difficult to uncover because of all of the myths and rumors. It took me 6 years of investigation and fact-checking to get it all straight in my head, and I have enough content to write a book on it, but this is just a working rundown for the average Joe. To copyright an unpublished work, you need to travel to Washington D.C. and find a special kind of lawyer to actually register your copyright for you. While everyone is covered automatically by universal copyright, this natural protection only extends for 50 years on the anniversary year of your work. In addition to this, once you have a copyrighted work, you must renew your copyright on it every so many years depending on what it is. Books and films are at 100 years but other kinds of artmedia terminate after 20 years. Nothing other than a registered copyrighted work will stand up against other claims in court. Also the fee for this service is around $200 to $1,000 depending on what it is. The postage dated stamped envelope can be easily altered if you have a friend who works in the post office, and will never hold a plate of beans in a real court.
Blizzard is actually bending the rule on this by allowing everyone to have access to the Warcraft Editor. But that's there business, I'm sure they have good lawyers and advisors on that one.
o Theme & Setting
o Sketch the Game's general appearance
- minimap
- different region selections
- point to point movement
- a few skill trees
- a few tech trees
- important pieces your liable to forget along the way from brainless amounts of terraining, triggering and other things.
o Plot or Story
o Declare Genre "What kind of game is it?"
o Goal or Reason for playing
o Anti-climax what happens when the game is won?
ARGGH Lost my first post I HATE it!!!
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