WoW models in Starcraft 2?

[Revolve]

No, I'm not talking about the night elf strippers.
I haven't played Starcraft 2 for long, but in many of the custom maps I've seen, I've seen imported WoW models. I know for certain that this is illegal in Wc3, and no such map with WoW models would ever be uploaded.
Two examples I've seen lately is a worgen marine with a full set of WoW-ingame worgen animations, skin and model (With some parts added), and I've also seen a boss from Magisters Terrace.
I know that I'm correct, considering I'm a WoW player myself, those animations just doesn't pass by my eyes.

So what's up with this? Is this ok in Starcraft 2? Thanks, Revolve.

 

[AionCannonzSC2]

polycount is probably way too high to spam them. you can make way better models with lower polycount in sc2 because of normal maps.

i dont see why hives stance on WoW models would be different in sc2. its not illegal, i think the reason they banned it was because every kid thought it would be cool to turn every game into WoW and flood the map list with crap

sine you upload maps to bnet for sc2, theres no way for hive to stop you though.

blizzard will probably let you do it but if you make a really good map that they would consider a candidate for premium, it might give them a reason to totally cut you out of a) getting credit b) getting any money

 

[CloudMax]

Blizzard allow the usage of WoW models in starcraft II.
There was once a guy that made a video where he created terrain similar to the art style, and he used a wow model as the unit you control.
Blizzard thought it was looking so good that they showed it on their facebook.
They also do not ban maps that use wow models. So this should be enough proof that it is allowed.

And if blizzard allows it I do not see why hive wouldn't.

 

[Dr Super Good]

polycount is probably way too high to spam them.

Um... Battlecruisers are 3K each. Most WoW models are not much more.

SC2 models also use 4 texture players and real shading and HDR. WoW models do not.

The problem with WoW models is they look... Crap in SC2 as the SC2 models are higher quality.

 

[CloudMax]

Some cataclysm models look good in starcraft II, the quality is improving. I would even say that many Wrath of the lich king models look nice in starcraft II, but most of those are important characters.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Well, ofcourse they look nice as they are massivly better than WC3. The problem however is they do not use the SC2 engine fully.

SC2 needs separate models for different kinds of unit death (which WoW lacks). SC2 uses more texture layers than WoW so the models are not fully utalizing the game engine. WoW models use a different form of animation system (one without the physics SC2 uses) so that the models can not perform as well as they potentially could.

They are usable, but they are below SC2 in quality. However, if people ported the models correctly adding extra textures, deaths and improving the animation to use the extra features then they will be perfect.

 

[Catch_ya]

Starcraft models are indeed high quality, but if you zoom in or play in first person mode then it just looks really really bad. But then you just scroll out a little bit and then it looks much better again, I don't understand, do they have low quality textures or something?

 

[Dr Super Good]

For someone who spent many years playing WC3, they do not look low quality when zoomed at all.

 

[Catch_ya]

For someone who spent many years playing WC3, they do not look low quality when zoomed at all.

I've been playing warcraft 3 for the past 5 years, and I think they look pretty bad, and I have everything on Ultra.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Then you are eithor are living in the future or have a defective graphic card that is not rendering models correctly.

 

[CloudMax]

Haha, StarCraft II models does NOT look bad when you zoom in. Saying that wold just be madness.
Have you seen HoN models or something similar to that? They are actually about the same quality as WarCraft III, if not worse. And I am dead serious.
Now look at StarCraft II, It looks good even when zoomed in.

 

[Catch_ya]

Something is wrong with my graphic card then, because it looks horrible when I zoom in.

 

[Tleno]

Wait I was kinda thinking about this... on Cortex Roleplay - Crusades I've seen some Wow archers and warriors from WoW... I tough those would be great for medieval/fantasy maps, since we lack those mostly, but I wasn't sure if that would be legal...

 

[CloudMax]

It is legal. Blizzard is okay with it.
If they happen to change their mind in the future they just remove the map from battle.net and contact the author through email telling him/her why the map was removed, and what to do in order to get it back up.
That is what they have done so far with different maps that have broken against the rules (by mistake ofcourse).

 

[Dr Super Good]

It is legal.

The proof? The only proof of ripping legality I have is for music from blizzard games (as said by their mapping contest rules). WoW models seem to be permited yet also illegal at the same time as many SC2 maps are using them and not getting removed despite it violating the terms of use of both WoW and SC2.

 

[CloudMax]

The proof? The only proof of ripping legality I have is for music from blizzard games (as said by their mapping contest rules). WoW models seem to be permited yet also illegal at the same time as many SC2 maps are using them and not getting removed despite it violating the terms of use of both WoW and SC2.

I do not have the link, but if you go waay back in blizzards facebook you can find that they once showed of a custom map that someone on sc2mapster created, and it used alextraza from world of warcraft.
They would not exactly make something famous if the wow models wasn't even allowed.

I can try to find it when I get home later today.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Lack of enforcement does not give permission to do something. Just because you never get punished does not make it legal.

 

[CloudMax]

Lack of enforcement does not give permission to do something. Just because you never get punished does not make it legal.

Why would blizzard suppost a map that make use of world of warcraft models by actually advertising it on their facebook (They showed a video of it) if it was against their own rules?

 

[Tleno]

Why would blizzard suppost a map that make use of world of warcraft models by actually advertising it on their facebook (They showed a video of it) if it was against their own rules?

Maybe some of Blizzard employees posted it without knowing that ripping WoW models is illegal? I mean that's possible, right?

 

[CloudMax]

Maybe some of Blizzard employees posted it without knowing that ripping WoW models is illegal? I mean that's possible, right?

That does not sound like something blizzard would do.

But seriously, just try to upload a damn map to battle.net that use wow models, all blizzard does is removing the map from battle.net and email you why they removed it, that is how they have done it so far on all projects I have heard about from both udmod and sc2mapster.

Here is the facebook post btw: http://www.facebook.com/StarCraft/posts/140964685945522

Blizzard have not said anything at all about not using wow content in starcraft II, and as long as they haven't mentioned that I would assume it is alright, if it isn't, then it is their fault for not telling us about it beforehand.

Edit: When I think about it, I have uploaded maps (in private) to battle.net that use lots of warcraft 3 icons and world of warcraft models/textures.
It was uploaded for about 2 months without any happening.

 

[Tleno]

That does not sound like something blizzard would do.

But seriously, just try to upload a damn map to battle.net that use wow models, all blizzard does is removing the map from battle.net and email you why they removed it, that is how they have done it so far on all projects I have heard about from both udmod and sc2mapster.

Here is the facebook post btw: http://www.facebook.com/StarCraft/posts/140964685945522

Blizzard have not said anything at all about not using wow content in starcraft II, and as long as they haven't mentioned that I would assume it is alright, if it isn't, then it is their fault for not telling us about it beforehand.

Edit: When I think about it, I have uploaded maps (in private) to battle.net that use lots of warcraft 3 icons and world of warcraft models/textures.
It was uploaded for about 2 months without any happening.

Well everybody makes mistakes... and if that's private... I doubt Blizz will check it out, I mean they check out only reported public maps, right?

 

[Dr Super Good]

Only public maps get tested and so are enforced. Yes privatly it is illegal but restrictions may not be enforced.

As far as I am aware this site is strongly against game exports of any kind, including WoW models. Thus even if they were legal, discussion of the methods of doing so would not be possible on this site. If your evidence is strong enough you may wish to try and change the rule but sucess is not likly until Blizzard activly admits that they support it.

Why would blizzard suppost a map that make use of world of warcraft models by actually advertising it on their facebook (They showed a video of it) if it was against their own rules?

They did this with WC3 and their spotlight maps. Still did not mean it is legal.

The argument so far for use of WoW models in SC2...
They permited the use of music from any blizzard game in SC2 (for the competition which garunteed map publication) so why not other resources. Blizzard owns WoW and all its contense thus placing them on their servers in SC2 will not put them in violation of international copyright.

And against...
The liscence for WoW probably states that the game resources are to be used by owners of WoW and only within WoW (and not SC2). SC2 custom map liscence states that no resources from copyrighted games can be used and WoW is copyrighted (although to Blizzard so internal lawsuit would be dumb).

Due to the against reasons and the site rules, I am forced to oppose the use of them in SC2.

 

[Rispetto]

There are certain model viewers that can strip the information right out of the files in WoW.
The polycounts are actually very fing gorgeous, as you can imagine a very large image like a tauren being compacted into this little tiny unit. There is a lot of detail.
Unfortunately I do not believe it is legal. It may be, I'm not really too sure.
If it isn't, you'll find out real fast, because Blizzard will ban your map lolz.

Edit: Also it may be illegal to use WoW models outside of a Blizzard game, but think about it really, you're using it in Sc2. I don't think they'll have a problem. The restrictions may not be enforced.

 

[CloudMax]

I THINK blizzard would just support it if it makes starcraft 2 more popular in some way, and aslong as you use resouces created by blizzard themself.

But yeah, we can't be 100% sure if this is correct or not.

We could just ask blizzard on the starcraft II forums that they actually read, believe it or not.

 

[Tleno]

Well they are pretty ingorant on what's going on EU forums, so you can or personally send them an email, or ask on NA forum...

 

[Rispetto]

Well I remember one of the first maps they banned was a survival game.
The units would travel in circles and you would have to avoid them.
At one point the units formed a swatzika, and thus blizzard banned the map.
So yeah.. they can be dicks xD

 

[CloudMax]

Well I remember one of the first maps they banned was a survival game.
The units would travel in circles and you would have to avoid them.
At one point the units formed a swatzika, and thus blizzard banned the map.
So yeah.. they can be dicks xD

Thats just logical you know
Here in sweden your screwed if you even paint that symbole somewhere and you get caught doing it.
If blizzard finds it within their own game it would just be totally stupid not to do anything about it.

Also, another map that got banned was nexus word wars.
It had words that wasn't appropriate.

 

[Tleno]

Wait, the game is rated 16, so why should they remove everything like that? I mean Svastikas or offencive words... wait a sec, I'm sure Tychus or Raynor swear too, why should they remove games with swearing?

 

[Dr Super Good]

Ok I am closing this topic as it is a mater of time before it gets out of hand and people get punished.

The reason it was removed is because such symbols are illegal. If any of you look at internet news you will be aware of the Baker in Austria who is being sentanced to 3 years in prision. It is still taken very seriously there and even a map like that could result in criminal penalties like a fine in Austria or Germany. Yes it may not be a crime in the UK it is still extreemly bad taste. As we play with people in Austria and Germany and the rest of the EU it means that the map rules have to conform with all the local rules in each country.

It has nothing to do with age limits, it is purly because it is criminally punishable to support such a symbol in any way.