Map Submission Rules - Preview

[Wolverabid]

The Hive Workshop

Map Submission Rules

What will be accepted:

• Virtually any and all maps, regardless of talent. Every Warcraft modder must start somewhere. Low-quality maps therefore, will not be ignored providing that obvious effort was put into creating them.
  
  
• Original content maps. All maps should be original in design and content: this means no edits of other people's work without the author's permission. This includes Blizzard's maps. One exception to this may be if a map was willingly passed on from one owner to the next, not simply edited from an open source map. If a map is based upon or contains a large percentage of another map's ideas or components, full credit is expected to be given. Resource moderators will decide on a case-by-case basis which maps are "original" enough to be approved.
  
  
• Protected maps. Maps created using third party software or altered by the use of map protection tools may be accepted. The author's description of such maps must clearly state that the map has been protected. Protected maps that lack these warnings in their descriptions will be ignored.
  
  
• Campaigns. Multiple map (usually single player) campaigns will be submitted to THW's forthcoming campaign resource section.
  
  
• Spells and Systems. These special types of maps must be submitted to THW's Spell resource section.

What will not be accepted:

• Maps that violate any of THW's general or specific site rules as detailed in the FAQ
  
  
• Maps that do not use standard keyboard characters: A, B, C, etc.
  
  
• Maps that are written in languages other than English. Mapmakers must perform a complete, accurate English translation including all cinematic components, dialogs, preview screens, quests, tooltips, and all other elements that will be accessible or visible during game play.
  
  
• Blank maps with no name or titled "Just another Warcraft III map." Maps with no credited author and/or description. Non-working maps. Maps with offensive map previews or profanity in the name or description. Duplicate maps. Maps that serve no real gaming function (i.e. special effects/trigger test maps). No demo maps. Beta maps are acceptable, but they must be late beta stage (essentially complete) maps.
  
  
• Incomplete Maps. All maps must be complete upon submission. Saying "this map is not done" and throwing out it to the rest of the community is not very professional. Beta/test maps are one thing, but to submit a map that is blatantly unfinished is only a source of aggravation for players as well as a waste of time and space. Please finish your maps!
  
  
• Unusual maps. Any map may be ignored by resource moderators at their discretion for any valid reason at any time.
  
  
  • Resource moderators must always clearly indicate exactly why any map resource has been ignored.

Map Categories and Labels:

To help keep maps in the correct category, map submitters should carefully examine the category descriptions listed below before submitting their maps. Upon submission, the proper label should be applied to the map. Custom labels may also be created upon submission. NOTE: Custom tags require administrative approval. New custom tags may be deleted or merged with existing labels without notice! Custom label creators should periodically check to ensure that their map is properly tagged. Doing so will help keep everything in clean order and make everyone's map browsing easier and more enjoyable.

• Altered Melee: Melee maps edited to either add more races, modify the already existent races or add a variety of new elements to the normal game. This category does not apply to merely altered melee terrains.
  
  
• Aeon of Strife / AoS: AoS means Aeon of Strife: Defense of the Ancients (DotA) type maps. In these popular maps, players must choose a hero and enter the endless strife between opposing teams. Units are regularly spawned at each team's base. Kill enemy troops to earn gold, buy powerful items and eliminate your enemies' hero and minions. Towers usually guard access to each team's base. Players must also protect their own base to gain time and earn bounty.
  
  
• Arena: Hero vs. Hero or small force vs. small force that does not involve building up armies. Fights are inside centralized arenas with guidelines. Players choose one of the many existing heroes and battle other heroes or creeps on the field of battle. Also includes arena-oriented third person shooter maps.
  
  
• Capture the Flag / CTF: The objective in these games is to capture enemy flags and bring them to a player's home base, possibly having to hold it for a while. Likewise, a player's own flag cannot be captured else they risk defeat.
  
  
• Cinematic: Unplayable Maps made for the sole purpose of watching a cinematic scene or movie, often in support of developing projects. Cinematic maps require little or no player participation: control is usually disabled. There's no telling how many stories one might find in these kind of maps. One thing can be certain: JASS grants multiple ways of creating amazing fighting scenes in cinematic maps.
  
  
• Defense / Survival: A map where players must defend something specific through orthodox or unorthodox means. One side (whether human or AI) must focus on destroying something specific while the other side (usually the player) must focus solely on defending it. Also includes click-defense maps.
  
  
• Escape / Maze: Be ready for a lot of action: in these maps players must be fast to escape confinement. Face dangerous traps, interesting challenges or the most wicked things one could ever imagine. Similar to maze maps although here strict time limits may be in force.
  
  
• Footmen Wars / Footmen Frenzy: A map with a completely isometric layout where players start with a main structure that consistently spawns units that players must utilize to defeat other players' spawned units. Often heroes are selectable and get into the fray. Spawned units can be upgraded with a variety of upgrades. The object of the game is to destroy all the enemy structures. Most Footman Wars maps are 3vs3vs3vs3.
  
  
• Hero Arena: Similar to Arena Maps, Hero Arenas usually include significant alterations.
  
  
• Life of a Peasant / LOAP: Maps usually meant to simulate Real Life in Warcraft III. Get a job, purchase goods, and undertake quests.
  
  
• Melee: Melee maps are normal maps without modification, or only slight modification. They are traditional maps where players build up their bases and armies. Players must then destroy the enemy base (or bases) while also managing an economy.
  
  
• Mini-Game: A collection of mini-games or a game that is a mini-game itself. It may or may not include AI but is usually designed for multi player games.
  
  
• Miscellaneous / Other: This label is reserved for maps that do not fit closely into any other existing category.
  
  
• Offense: Maps where players have something to defend, but must focus on constant offense and secure an objective while opponents must do the same, usually within a time limit. These maps are often hack & slash or arcade style games.
  
  
• Role Playing Game / RPG: In RPG maps players control heroes or small forces to complete mission objectives in a single map in a campaign-style format. This includes single player and open RPGs. Some RPGs may have a save/load system allowing players to save and load a hero whenever they play the map.
  
  
• Shooting / FPS : First Person Shooter maps are meant to simulate the FPS game genre in Warcraft III. Weapons and ammunition are chosen or acquired. Players must pick up the best gun and shoot their way to victory.
  
  
• Strategy / Risk: This broad category of maps includes a variety of unusual strategies and historical simulations. These maps may specifically simulate Risk games in Warcraft III. Players must dominate the entire map. Each set period of time players will get a certain amount of money to build armies, depending on the territories they control. Every region has different units available, and important territories may grant superior resources per period than others.
  
  
• Template / Terrain: Unplayable maps created as templates to be used for instructional examples or in the development of other projects.
  
  
• Tower (Defense / TD / Maul / Wars): A map where players build a variety towers along specific routes through which spawned enemies approach. The object of the game is to prevent spawned enemy units from reaching a certain target while running through a gauntlet of player-placed towers.

Resource Comments and Ratings:

• All users are allowed and encouraged to comment upon and rate submitted resources.
  
  
• We owe it to the mapmakers that put time and effort into their maps and to our community itself to be as helpful and supportive as possible.
  
  
• Please leave CONSTRUCTIVE feedback only, especially if the user is new and needs it.
  
  
• Flaming, hostile feedback or down rating may be punished.

This document is subject to future revision and/or amendment.

 

[Wolverabid]

The above document has been closely derived from VGsatomi's original map rules that formerly long served another Warcraft III site with great honor and utility. With the assistance of other resource moderators I have thoroughly edited and updated these guidelines to meet our Hive's requirements: this is OUR site and we need our own current, viable rules.

This public preview unveils these new standards for public consideration and discussion. Each and every user's (reasonable, valid) opinion is important and welcome. As noted: "This document is subject to future revision and/or amendment." That means this is everyone's chance to help develop a policy that should be very much in the interests of our many users and map authors.

Before this discussion proceeds, I'll remind everyone that it's a VERY IMPORTANT topic in our Site Discussion forum. Flaming and off topic spam have no place here and will dealt with most severely.

What says The Hive?

 

[Steelb_l_ade]

While these guidelines are a solid start, they do not really state anything indivudel didn't know before (barring new people) I think the "grey" areas of map submission needed to be finally and properly addressed.

Specifically, wether maps containg data/models/sound from other games are going to be allowed or not. (modified or simpy exported/imported)

This also includes inspiration for maps.

For example: If a filter existed to support the importing of models from "battle for middle earth" and someone did for use in a LOTR map, would this be accepted?

You cannot have different stances for different games. Just because WoW is huge dosnt make its TOS (terms of service) anymore important than any other game/franchise. Thier still legal documents.

We all know mdoels/sound etc from other games is copyrighted by those games developers. But also be aware the IDEAS are copyrighted also.

Therefore if you disallow the lotr model example above, you must also disallow all "lord of teh rings" based maps flat out. Same with warhammer.

(This would also mean my map is no longer valid and would have to be pulled)

If this is so, it'd make it very difficult to come up with truely orginal maps.
I d not agree with say, banning WoW models, but allowing music rips/data rips from other games/products as that simply dosnt make sense.

I believ this area needs to be clarified once and for all.

Personally, i dont see the problem with using data from otehr sources IF its fully credited, and used for a different purpose than the devlopers intended (for example, the map has a different story elements from the source data and isnt simply a total rip in wc3 format)

Peace.

 

[Wolverabid]

... the "grey" areas of map submission needed to be finally and properly addressed.

Specifically, wether maps containg data/models/sound from other games are going to be allowed or not. (modified or simpy exported/imported)

These issues have (to this point) deliberately been left rather vague. One must carefully "read between the lines" to discern the answer: "Unusual maps. Any map may be ignored by resource moderators at their discretion for any valid reason at any time."

This is because, as a general rule, The Hive Workshop does not encourage, support, or discuss the use of models from games other than Warcraft III. The bottom line? While directly exported (or shallow edited) models from other games may not be acceptable in the model resource section, map authors may submit maps containing such imported resources at their own risk. Resource moderators may possibly ignore them (if they wish) but for my own part, I would not do so if the map were otherwise of acceptable quality. Is this a double standard? No. Map and model rules are entirely separate: maps submissions are far more liberal in this regard.

As this discussion proceeds, the recommendation for further clarification will be most strongly considered.

I should also add that no maps that have been submitted prior to this date are necessiarily subject to these strictures: there will be no ex post facto.

 

[Steelb_l_ade]

That's what i figured, as not allowing them in the models resource section would make sense as it'd fill up with material that pple coudl simply pull off thier own discs if they wanted too.

Essentially, it cuts down on tehse kind of maps as the author would have to know hwo to rip and convert them in the first place, and that reduces the number of pple doing it significantly.

So, essentially, using copyrighted ideas is alright (warhammer TD, lotr maps) whitch follows else virtually everything would be rejcted, and heavy imports form otehr sources is due to moderator discretion.

Now, what about maps that contain resources from other peoples maps without consent, banned?

 

[Wolverabid]

Now, what about maps that contain resources from other peoples maps without consent, banned?

This is, in my opinon the most difficult decision with which all resource moderators are faced: no one person (or group of moderators for that matter) could possibly be familiar with every single map ever created (and their contents).

That's why it's so critically important that each and every member of the community examine and comment upon as many maps as they possibly can. Honest resource creators must support one another and watch out for the few unscrupulous hacks that will rip off anything, from anyone, at any time.

 

[Rui]

Thanks for the reputation there, I'm glad I helped. By the way, in the Lord of the Rings category, please remove "These maps usually involve periodic spawns, and players must often take over strategic points.", there are more maps of LotR being made with different styles. Maybe you should also make reference to the movies by Peter Jackson and the New Line Cinema.

 

[Teh_Ephy]

I looked at the map types that will be accepted, and noticed an entire map type missing: Territories.
What I mean by that is map types that are largely based on controlling areas over an extended period of time for resources in many forms (additional/special units, gold/wood, food, etc.). While the previous may only be parts of certain maps, there are also maps in which the only/main/easiest way to win is by controlling key areas for a certain amount of cumulative time.

 

[Fulla]

Semms well thought out and written.

Im glad to see you guys are going very easy on submissions, giving alot of the noobs/beginners a chance to upload their maps.

 

[wyrmlord]

You still have both Defense and Hero Defense at 2 different categories as well as Arena and Hero Arena. You should just group these two categories under Defense and Arena since it's rather silly to have 2 categories that are basically the same thing.

 

[Teh_Ephy]

You still have both Defense and Hero Defense at 2 different categories as well as Arena and Hero Arena. You should just group these two categories under Defense and Arena since it's rather silly to have 2 categories that are basically the same thing.

actually arenas and footman wars could probably be considered the same thing, but hero arenas usually ONLY involve heroes.

not to mention that in ANY game, the presence/lack of a hero completely changes the balance and game mechanics.

 

[Wolverabid]

I hope that users will continue to comment on these guidelines and provide more input.

...please remove "These maps usually involve periodic spawns, and players must often take over strategic points.

I have removed those references.

...noticed an entire map type missing: Territories. What I mean by that is map types that are largely based on controlling areas over an extended period of time...

I believe that such maps should be categorized as either Risk-like or Strategy. It's very important that our map resource section not include a great many categories that may contain only a single (or very few) maps. Authors are encouraged to choose the most fitting available label instead of creating new ones.

Some of the recent label submissions that are unlikely to be approved include:

Battleships
Offense/Shooting/Space Combat
QUESTIONS
Star Wars /Hero Maul/ Tower Defense / TD / Maul
Star Wars Hero Maul
Star Wars Maul
StarWars
The settlers 3.8X
This is a map where are two teams: The Spiders and

Moderators have discussed similar labels in the past and condensed the current list down to its present form.

A Miscellaneous / Other label may soon be added.

 

[Teh_Ephy]

I believe that such maps should be categorized as either Risk-like or Strategy.

Ah, I feel silly for not paying enough attention to notice that.

It's very important that our map resource section not include a great many categories that may contain only a single (or very few) maps. Authors are encouraged to choose the most fitting available label instead of creating new ones.

Situations like that can be rather strange on label-based image hosting sites.

Some of the recent label submissions that are unlikely to be approved include:

Battleships
Offense/Shooting/Space Combat
QUESTIONS
Star Wars /Hero Maul/ Tower Defense / TD / Maul
Star Wars Hero Maul
Star Wars Maul
StarWars
The settlers 3.8X
This is a map where are two teams: The Spiders and

Wow, some of those are pretty bad. The only one that doesn't fit under a preexisting category is QUESTIONS, which sounds better as "Trivia" anyways. I doubt that THW receives enough trivia map submissions to create a label for them, though.

A Miscellaneous / Other label may soon be added.

Sounds like a great idea. Since there doesn't seem to be enough RP maps on THW to merit a RP label (I feel silly for not remembering that, I RP a lot) they could go under that. In fact, any sort of map type that THW gets in small numbers could be umbrellaed under Other, not to mention the oddities that could only be classified as Miscellaneous.

 

[Wolverabid]

Map Labels

1. Several unacceptable map labels have been deleted.
   
   
2. Two new labels have been accepted and approved:
   • Miscellaneous / Other
   • Star Wars

Map authors are encouraged to choose an existing category rather than creating new labels.

 

[Wolverabid]

Map Submission Rules

The Hive Workshop's map submission rules have been officially approved and included in our FAQ

On behalf of the entire community I would like to thank VGsatomi for authoring the original document on which these guidelines were based. I'd also like to thank all the moderators and users who assisted in the revision of them.

Further revision of these rules are sure to be made, especially in regards to the category labels. The Chieftain has a new system in mind where the main map TYPE (AoS, Defense, etc) would then be further sub-divided into specific genres (Halo, Lord of the Rings, etc).

Further development and improvement of these important rules may continue to be discussed by the community in this thread.

 

[Teh_Ephy]

hmm. Maybe have a map Type field and then an optional Theme field?

 

[panther-anthro]

Revision of Map Submission Rules

I would greatly appreciate if the rules for Map Submission were redone, to allow at the moderators discretion the ability to reject maps of a inferior quality.

This would allow for us to make it so that a certain standard of quality was mantained, maps would not be rejected/ignored but would be put on un-approved until they were made to the quality specified by the map reviewer.

This would greatly help in making newer map makers have something to work forward to, and those maps that did get accepted people would know of are a level of quality that is at least mediocre.Also, this would cut down on maps like DOTA and Footmen getting tons of clones in here and letting acctual maps get the attention they deserve, leaving things 100% up to the public leads to maps like DOTA and Footmen staying popular.

As far as what other additions I would like are at least a requirement for the game to display instructions about gameplay somewhere, for those who are new the genre.

Make this quality level rule apply to maps of genres that are spammed, E.G: Footmen wars, countless of these maps have been made and a vast majority of them are quite similar.

My proposal would indeed make the map approval semi-elitist, but in a constructive format, so that maps would not be rejected but improved until they were worthy of being approved.

The overall quality of maps on the hiveworkshop would also greatly benefit from this, of course this means that reviewers would have to spend more time with each map. I for one have no issue what so ever with this.

 

[GST_Nemisis]

for the most part i agree with you. this approach will allow high quality maps to get greater downloads and be recognised. many of us would like to see good maps that are ignored up there with maps like DotA and footman wars which are dominating the scene. by allowing these high quality maps to get recognition we would give them a greater number of downloads and hopefully get them greater recognised. i think we should still keep the popular maps for download but also have a list of fantastic maps that should be recognised by the community. good work panther-anthro, keep it up

 

[Wolverabid]

It's very unlikely that the map submission rules will be revised to make it more difficult for map makers to have their creations approved:

Virtually any and all maps, regardless of talent. Every War craft modder must start somewhere. Low-quality maps therefore, will not be ignored providing that obvious effort was put into creating them.

That guideline has always applied and always should: if a map functions as advertised and is original in composition it will be made available for public consumption even if it may not happen to exihibit any outstanding qualities.

[off-topic] ~ Thread merged.

 

[panther-anthro]

That needs to be changed wolver, and ill do whatever I can to make that a reality.I feel strongly that the public should not have to suffer through badly made maps when mods can easily with little effort can un-approve it until the map maker makes it to the quality that it can be approved. And what I said coincides with that rule it says *will not be ignored* they won't they will be forced to be made to a certain quality before being accepted.

 

[Teh_Ephy]

Hmm. Perhaps an extra Type for maps that may not be up to standard? Maybe something like Creator is new. Anyways, panther-anthro, this is a mapmaking community, not a site for Üb4r 5w337 maps. Everybody has to start somehwere, and for a lot of people THW/WC3S is that place.

Edit: Not to mention that most people putting in effort will produce something workable if, clunky. I'm paraphrasing VGsatomi because the sig got cut off, but "A little effort goes a long way. A lot of effort goes all the way. No effort goes nowhere." For a map to be accepted, it must be in at earliest the beta stage. Maps that are just random spam/utter crap hardly fall into that category. Not to mention they're trying to produce something workable, meaning it's going to be at the least profanely close to.

 

[panther-anthro]

I don't see how edits of footmen maps or life of a peasants fall into this category? Please explain this to me Ephy, because very few people who do this are trying at all.

Oh point in case that your wrong, Conflict for Sereg D`or is a hosted project here and it's my first map. So, that statement and theory should be thrown out the window, it's lack of trying on their part obviously if they can't make a map with a minor or mediocre degree of quality the first time.

 

[Wolverabid]

I have updated the version of the Map Submission Rules displayed in this thread to reflect recent revisions of the map category labels. The FAQ and upload pages will soon be edited as well.

Recommendations and suggestions for map and other resource labels are most properly discussed in: [self="http://hiveworkshop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34538"]Categories[/self]

 

[Teh_Ephy]

I don't see how edits of footmen maps or life of a peasants fall into this category? Please explain this to me Ephy, because very few people who do this are trying at all.

Oh, that's what you're referring to. I skimmed past the part about the spammy maps, and apologize, because now that I've read that part, I'm aware that I'm currently mostly wrong. Agreed, there should be some sort of way to filter those out.

Also, I believe I may have lost you somewhere about the effort thing, we have the same view on it.
I did was not trying to say that "well they're totally new of course their maps suck", I was aiming "well they're totally new, their maps will be clunky but they'll be workable". My belief is that most of the people that submit maps will put in a strong effort, or people will just stop caring about the maps those idiots submit. Perhaps display the submitter's name along with the minimap and map title, so people can quickly skim and ignore maps from frequent idiots, and mods can quickly skim and delete maps from them.

 

[Ralle]

After many conflicts I would suggest a rule change. Editing other people's maps is bad, but only if the author actually cares.
So I would only like complaints about pirated maps when the original author contacts us. It will be removed by then.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

It should also be noted that if the author actually posted any comments earlier on this or other boards that he does NOT want the map edited at all then ofcourse the map will be removed (if a valid link to the proposed comment gets shown).

 

[Ralle]

I agree Raging

---

[EDIT by Wolve]


Please post recommendations and suggestions for map and other resource labels in:

[self="http://hiveworkshop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34538"]Resource Categories[/self]

 

[busterkomo]

Is posting "hacked" maps allowed?

For example, I have Dota 100% restored: object data, triggers, etc.. and would like to submit it to allow others to learn from it. It wouldn't come close to jeopardizing the state of map for almost everyone knows who the current Author is, and where only to download newer versions. Would this be allowed, or?

Edit: Can someone please change the title to Submitting hacked maps instead of Posting?

 

[Wolverabid]

Community > > FAQ > Resource Section Rules > Map Rules outlines the criteria on which map submissions are based.

Original content maps. All maps should be original in design and content: this means no edits of other people's work without the author's permission.

Resource moderators will decide on a case-by-case basis which maps are "original" enough to be approved.

[off-topic] ~ Threads merged.

 

[Captain Griffen]

Doesn't protecting a map implicitly mean they don't want people to edit it...?

 

[Kitabatake]

For example, I have Dota 100% restored: object data, triggers, etc.. and would like to submit it to allow others to learn from it. It wouldn't come close to jeopardizing the state of map for almost everyone knows who the current Author is, and where only to download newer versions. Would this be allowed, or?

Edit: Can someone please change the title to Submitting hacked maps instead of Posting?

All you can do is to ask the author to upload the unprotected version.

If you would upload the unprotected map without the authors permission, it would be against the rules as mentioned before.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Actuall, protection does not always mean you do not want people to edit it, something it is a side afect of making your map as small and as fast loading as possiable. But that is another topic and only affects 0.1% of maps.