Do you protect your maps?

[Healingpoison]

Simply as the subject says, do you use anouther program to "lock" your maps to make sure nobody else edits them?

 

[Bob27]

I only project my maps when their multiplayer to bring the size down for b.net. apart from that I never protect my maps.

 

[ventuz]

No mostly, but I would have to for ORPG or cut down file size under 4 MB.

 

[Healingpoison]

If the file was small enough for battle.net (just say) would you protect your map?

 

[Rao Dao Zao]

Never. Although, with me making only singleplayer maps, there is no threat of theft; I'm happy for people to poke around the triggers as much as they like. If more people left their maps open, more people would skip the n00b stage faster.

 

[Shados]

Sorta, I use WEU's 'protection', which just protects the map so that the author name and a few other things can't be changed. Means people can still look at the triggers but can't just change the author name and a few things ingame and rip it off. I mean, they could go and copy and paste everything one by one, but hell, if they're going to put that much into it they can have their damn cheap rip off.

 

[The_Taxidermist]

I've never made anything fit for general release, by my standards at least. There is one project I'm working on now that I am happy with and will probably release one day.

I think I would protect it. Although not particularily for credit, or notoriety. I have spent a lot of time so far in making the game as clean and balanced as possible. And it would really suck if someone just came along, stuck a tome shop in set agility tomes to 10 gold and then distributed it across bnet. I always look at the many "death and god" style maps in the LOAP genre, and think about how map protection is not just a tool to protect a map from plaguerism, but also as a tool for protecting people from themselves

 

[Orc_Tamer]

Sorta, I use WEU's 'protection', which just protects the map so that the author name and a few other things can't be changed. Means people can still look at the triggers but can't just change the author name and a few things ingame and rip it off. I mean, they could go and copy and paste everything one by one, but hell, if they're going to put that much into it they can have their damn cheap rip off.

Thats what I do too. I also make a large folder in folder section with a small jass code with a text message with my name. That I name "Do Not Delete Will Crash Game"

 

[GST_Nemisis]

i dont usually release my maps but if i did i would make it protected but give a link to this website and if anyone requested the triggers i would give them to whoever. i wouldnt leave it un-protected because i would like someone to ask me first. also then if it does get ripped off i know who to blame.

 

[Ralle]

I protect my maps because of people like MyLegacyOfBlood. He have taken many maps, edited nothing, and taken the honor from them.. I want to be honored when I have made a big map. But ofcourse if everyone accepted that it's MY map, and they asked me: can I use this form your map? yes ofcourse

 

[tm4free]

Template Monster Collection

Deleted Message due to retarded bot.

 

[GST_Nemisis]

i will delete this but i have left it for now to show that vb has not been bot proofed.

 

[dennidz]

Yeah, i think it would be better if all were protecting their maps. then no one could edit and unbalance them. couse thats nooby. REAL nooby!

 

[Shados]

Hmmm, you know, seeing as we have the

• tags here and the only really legitamate reason to open a map is for the triggers, then those with forums here could post a page listing all their triggers and just protect their map anyway. They'd need a note in their map saying to go here for the triggers but we would get the best of both worlds!
• P.S. I was right, there [i]are[/i] vB bots. Now bob, go put in the hidden field into registration![/COLOR]

 

[DurotarLord]

Personnaly i dont use WEU because it seems almost like cheating to me. when i make a map i want everything in it to be mine (with the exception of models). What i use is Vexorian's Map Optimizer to protect my maps.

Why do I protect maps?
1. To stop a newb from editing it and making it rigged.
2. To prevent someone from stealing it.

However, in my maps I do post a little quest that says something to the effect of "See something in here you were impressed with? Whisper me and Ill send you the trigger". If anyone wants to see how i did something im more than willing to show them (unless its the "Burrow" ability from Lands of chaos which i absolutely love. Sadly no one will ever get to see it because im probably not going to release Lands of Chaos *sniffle*).

 

[dennidz]

how do i protect my maps?

 

[Bob27]

hehe I'm gonna be having some fun with some IP Addressed tonight!

Yea i'll see what I can do about that hidden field.

 

[Ralle]

well read the other peoples post.. its called vexorians map optimizer..

 

[Sphelix]

How do I protect me map, it on the editor or a website?

 

[Deckboy]

There are lots of map protectors out there on various websites, just gogle for them.

I specifically like to look at maps just to see how they did things, so I can learn from them. The only problem is the good ones are all protected. =P (For obvious reasons.)

 

[Darkdraak]

Its a difficult problem, the protecting issue. I dont like to protect but it sometimes really is better, no one likes it when someone else runs away with their project.

 

[brad.dude03]

Well, I don't protect my maps...and I'm glad tha other people don't because I mod a lot of them. For example, family guy maul wasen't created by me, but I played it, was unsatisfied with it and then I edited it to make it more fun for me to play, of course I gave credit to the original creators and made sur ethat everyone knew that I only made modifications and that most of the ground work was done by them and/or duke wintermaul. thats the way all mapstealers should be

 

[The_Taxidermist]

Brad makes a point, I recently fixed some exploits in a map I encountered, and have been hosting the altered version. If the map were protected, I and my friends would still be having problems with a game we love.

 

[brad.dude03]

thats exactly my point. I don't mod maps to hack them up and steal the credit, I just mod them to make them more fun for everyone. All of the modders should be like that, but unfortunately, a lot of them aren't and they're just out there to steal credit.

 

[Bob27]

Well if theres a bug with the map, you should first of all contact the author, and should at least ask the author for permission to edit the map. I disagree with people, even when leaving the authors name in credits going and editing someone elses map.

 

[brad.dude03]

If (like with family guy maul) the authors have long stopped since making maps, I think a exception to that can be made. With other maps, if tey have released a final version etc etc and it still sucks, well then I think you should be able to edit it guilt-free.

 

[Bob27]

Ok well if its a final version people usualy just say you can edit anyway I belive so that dosn't matter, and I would still have to disagree with it, if you think you can make something better then you can make it from scratch still, not using their map and changing about 2 triggers.

 

[SFilip]

well i kinda never acutally released a map yet but when i do i will protect it.
reason? first of all to reduce its size and improve performance. yes, map "protecting" can reduce its size and loading time.
and yes it protects the map from noobs that can "take the glory" from you if they decide to rename it or add something imbalanced (that possibly only works when they play it). however some more advanced users can easily unprotect a map and edit whatever they want.
anyway here are 2 programs that can optimize & protect your map:
widgetizer
vexorian's map optimizer
the first is focused on reducing the loading time, but it can also increase the map's size. the second is rather focused on reducing the map's size.
they both come with good readme files so i suggest that you read them.

 

[Bob27]

yes it protects the map from noobs that can "take the glory" from you if they decide to rename it or add something imbalanced (that possibly only works when they play it). however some more advanced users can easily unprotect a map and edit whatever they want.

Well the more advanced users luckily don't want to steal maps

 

[SFilip]

luckly, yes. but it hasn't got to be that way...
ever heard about opendota? its an unprotected version of dota available for download...this doesn't mean that can happen to anyone's map but still...

 

[brad.dude03]

yep... sked released the final version of battleships as an open version so...people do that...since everyone knows that sked created battleships wut has he got to lose? lol...its just like mauls...duke knows that everyone knows that he created the maul TD....so there was no reason to protect his map...and if he did we would only have wintermaul...and not all of these other lovely rip-offs lol.

 

[Darkdraak]

And that is a pitty its hard to find a good rip-off, but you can also see it like this: those versions attract noobs and than they wont join my game

 

[Healingpoison]

Themed tds stink, in my opinion the world might have been better off if Duke protected...


But then again it is not my decsion

 

[Bob27]

Well in my opinion if b.net wasn't full of so many noobs no one would have to protect their maps. But the truth remains that if you release a map and it becomes popular unprotected then you'll probably never see an official version of the map again...