Tips and Tricks: Map Protection

[jonadrian619]

Tips and Tricks: Map Protection

Tell me if its good or bad. Just a practical advice for today's mappers.

Introduction:
This tutorial explains how to protect your map and even double-protect it. This tutorial will prevent your map from being unprotected and directly openable with the WE once deprotected.

I've written this tutorial because map deprotectors are getting one step ahead towards people to force them to 'deprotect' maps. The unprotector makers say that map protection is 'map corruption'. Map deprotection is also called pirating. Protecting a map prevents it from being copied and stolen.

Part 1 - The Basics:Requirements:
A Map Protector (I prefer Vexorian's Wc3 map optmizer at wc3campaigns)
An MPQ Browser (I prefer MPQMaster.) Download here

BEFORE YOU START: ALWAYS Make a back up or a copy of the unprotcted map so that in case of protection errors you can use the backup, make a copy of the backup and protect the previous backup again, and so on until there are no errors.

1) Use one of the best 3rd party map protectors in Warcraft III (I prefer Heavylocker or Map Optmizer.) Then, check all important values like obfuscation of trigger codes, optmizing strings, removal of BJ calls, removing as much WE data as possible (Protecting the map), and all other fields you prefer.

2) When you've done all of the protection work, save your protected version of the map. I prefer saving the protected version in another folder.

3) Open your MPQMaster. Then open the protected version of the map, using the Warcraft III listfile instead of the native listfile. In some MPQ browsers you are prompted to autodetect it's listfile, so use that.

4) Look at the list of files in the MPQ Browser. The 'File0000000.xxx' files are damaged WE only files, damaged by using map protectors, and are capable of crashing the WE when opened, and thats good.

5) Look for the war3map.j file inside. If that file does not exist, it means that it's disguised as a 'File000000.xxx file or something which has .xxx extention, and that means hackers will fail 100% deprotecting the map. But some of the import data will exist as real files, not .xxx files. Don't worry, for as long as the deprotectors will NOT gain access to your Triggers (Whether JASS or GUI) and Object Data in WE. DotA usually uses Vexorian's Wc3 Map Optmizer to damage the war3map.j file and instead turning it into File000000.xxx files, so that their maps will never be deprotcted in any way.

THIS STEP (5) IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF MAP PROTECTION

Files with .xxx extention inside the map are damaged and when opened by a Notepad or any program it's empty and contains nothing, making deprotection impossible.

These are the basics. Other map protection techniques are listed below. Beware that some of these steps are not recommended, but it's at your own risk.

Part 2 - Other Map Protection Techniques.

1) Damaging the MPQ headersize information.
A Warcraft 3 map is like a zip file. You have first a 512 bytes big map header with some information. Then you have a MPQ archive attached. The MPQ archive contains all the numerous files needed for a map. The first 4 bytes of the MPQ file are the identifier. It can be read as 'MPQ'. The next four bytes are the header size, which is always hex 0x20 00 00 00. Clever map protectors now change the size from 0x20 00 00 00 to a random number which can look like this (mine) for example: hex 0xG6 RE A2 16. Most MPQ applications now cannot open the MPQ archive anymore because of that wrong size entry. Warcraft 3 seems to ignore false header size entries, so those maps still run in warcraft 3.


2) Deleting the war3map.w3c, war3map.w3s, war3map.w3r, .war3mapunits.doo files.
war3map.w3c stores the camera settings for the world editor. war3map.w3s stores the sounds used by a map world editor. war3map.w3r defines the regions used in a map for the world editor.
All those files are also only used by the world editor (WE only files) and can be easily regenerated by the war3map.j file. Damaging the war3map.j file can reduce chances of restoration.

3) Hiding the war3map.j file (Alternative to damaging the war3map.j file, IF it's not an .xxx file)
Some clever map protectors figured out a way to hide the war3map.j file, so you cannot extract it easily with some programs (Good). Regular map files contain the war3map.j file directly in the root directory. The good map protectors figured out that a map still works if the file is moved into a directory called "Scripts\".

4) Scrambling the war3map.j file (Another alternative)
Some map protectors rename all the variables and function names with random numbers. This renders the war3map.j file very hard to read by normal people.


Other Protection Techniques:
None

TIP: If you have a way to protect maps, they will be added here after a few days.

Map protection can help reduce map size and can can reduce loading time. It is necessary to protect your maps at this time because of the rising number of hackers or map pirates. So at this time, protect often!!

To make things even better, you can protect your map and reduce loading time at the same time by wigetizing your map using PitzerMike's Widgetizer, and optmize the widgetized map to reduce loading time and reduce map size. This only works with the Map Optmizer. Widgetizign a map increases size but if you use the Map Optmizer on a widgetized map then it will have slightly reduced size now with increaded loading time.

KEY POINTERS:
- Damage war3map.j, by protecting it and the protector will convert it into a damaged File000000.xxx file.
- Damaging war3map.j can ensure protection from hacks, but not 100%
- Protect your maps often to prevent deprotectors from stealing map content directly
- If your map is copied and stolen, he will claim it as his own, thus other people know that the map is owned by the map thief himself. If that happens, you're screwed for all time.

Don't worry, the war3map.j file is not really 'damaged'. It's just optmized and obfuscated. You can refer the 'Damaged' as 'obfuscated'. You can still play the map even with a damaged war3map.j file.

Comments are welcome and if you have another way to protect maps please post them here so that it will be added to the Other Protection Techniques (with all the details).

 

[Darthfett]

I don't know much about manually corrupting the files of the map, only a little about the protection programs, so I won't be saying anything about that part.

Map deprotection is also called map piracy. Protecting a map prevents it from being copied and pirated.

I've never heard it called map piracy, only map theft, and deprotectors.

A Map Protector (I prefer Vexorian's Wc3 map optmizer)
An MPQ Browser (I prefer MPQMaster. But you may use others like Ladik's MPQ Editor and a bunch of MPQ browsing tools at The Hive Workshop)

Remember, you're teaching someone how to do this. Chances are, they probably won't know what these are, if they don't know how to protect their map. Plugging in a few leaks might make it easier for beginners.

Use one of the best 3rd party map protectors in Warcraft III (I prefer Heavylocker or Map Optmizer.)

Again, links! Beginners won't know what a 3rd party map protector is. Try putting in some links, and basic info on each program.

Special thanks to some people in other websites for this stuff.

lol. What kind of a credit is that? Either cut it out, or give real credit.

Grammar:

Delete the war3map.wgt file inside the map

war3map.wgt file results in the World Editor failing to load

To make things even better, you can protect your map and reduce loading time at the same time by wigetizing your map using PitzerMike's Widgetizer, and optmize the widgetized map to reduce loading time and reduce map size.

Don't forget to add a few warnings to this. It only works with the Map Optimizer, in a few ways. It also increases the map size.
Search on the subject, for a little more info.

- Damaging war3map.j can ensure 100% protection from hacks
Not true. "No matter how well you protect a map, there are people who can open it. The bottom line is, if Warcraft can read the map, anyone can if they know how. As there are map protectors available for download, so are scripts for unprotecting them. Even if you delete the GUI (graphical user interface) triggers from a map, the JASS format triggers are still there."
-Taken from http://world-editor-tutorials.thehelper.net/protect.php

- Protect your maps often to prevent deprotectors from stealing map content directly

I think it would sound better as "Never host your map without some sort of protection." If you only protect it often, and not every time, people can still get ahold of it.

Some pictures would also be nice.

Great tutorial, just needs some work.

 

[PurgeandFire]

I've never heard it called map piracy

Skin Steal == Pirating

Pirating == Piracy

Deprotecting == Pirating

 

[jonadrian619]

thx... was an accidental typo. I'll replace the words and correct spelling

 

[hagefade]

Thx for the info!

 

[Tonks]

Map deprotection is also called pirating. Protecting a map prevents it from being copied and stolen.

None of that is true. I can easily get into protected maps, no matter what they use. It's just a matter of understanding.


You may call Map deprotection "pirating," but you're wrong. Pirating is the theft of materials or resources from a legally copyrighted material.

to use or reproduce (a book, an invention, etc.) without authorization or legal right: to pirate hit records.

So, since Wc3 maps are not in any way the creator's property, it's not pirating, and you have no more right to protect it than other people do to unprotect it. Don't get me wrong, by all means, do whatever the hell you want to your map. My point is just that it's a game, and you're no more in the right protecting than deprotecting.

The unprotector makers say that map protection is 'map corruption'.

It... is. How else do you think they prevent it from being opened? You corrupt certain files unnecessary to the map while it's being played, but are vital for World Editor.

Use one of the best 3rd party map protectors in Warcraft III (I prefer Heavylocker or Map Optmizer.)

HeavyLocker is a terrible program and is just as likely to destroy your map in the process as it is to effectively and appropriately protect it.

Look for the war3map.j file inside. If that file does not exist, it means that it's disguised as a 'File000000.xxx file or something which has .xxx extention, and that means hackers will fail 100% deprotecting the map.

Once again, you're wrong. There's a method called Trial and Error.

Files with .xxx extention inside the map are damaged and when opened by a Notepad or any program it's empty and contains nothing, making deprotection impossible.

Once again, you're wrong.


I find it fairly amusing that someone could write a tutorial with such a biased and close-minded view. No offense to you, but you seem to be a bit overly-fanatical about stemming the mapping community.

 

[Chocobo]

Map Deprotector = GUI rebuilders

About .xxx files, it stills easy to find the .j file, just open all and see if it is readable or not.

The header shouldn't be modified.

Damaging war3map.j = Map unloadable

war3map.j can be found easily. It stills have a pointer in the listfile so it is loadable by Warcraft 3, else the map would never be loaded.

 

[Sevion]

I have a few things to say. What is the point in map protection? In doing this your taking the chance someone else has to learn from it but also giving some @$$holes a chance to steal your map. Then again.... what does it matter? Getting credit for something you made for a game for people to enjoy isn't half as important as..... say..... making some friends you know? For me..... I would much rather leave my maps open source for mappers just starting out. Besides. Everyone uses material from other maps. Things can't be totally original every single time. Everyone "steals" things from maps all the time without knowing it. Even I have, for example: Sliding Trigger. For a sliding trigger, I deprotected Maze of Sliding Bunnies 1 and 2 and checked out the sliding trigger in it then modified to what I needed. Map protecters don't have any more right over it than map deprotectors.

The unprotector makers say that map protection is 'map corruption'.

It actually is. When you "Protect" something you're just corrupting files that the World Editor needs to open the map and edit it thus causing it to not open it and/or crash World Editor. If I had anything to say this would be it, "Map protection isn't wrong or right. It's just depriving others of the chance to learn AND depriving @$$hats of stealing credit. Yet credit for something like a game "map" is sort of childlike if you care about it. I personally could not care less if someone "stole" my map or anything I've developed using Warcraft. It doesn't make a difference unless somehow they can transfer it to some other programming language and make something awesome from it and sell it. In that case I would be mad. In this case...... it doesn't matter, so I don't see why you have to protect your maps. In fact, I even found whole communities dedicated to deprotecting maps. It isn't dedicated to learning, I give you that, and they do cheat, and I do agree cheating is wrong and defeats the purpose. With all this, I have one last statement. "Do whatever you feel like 'cause I don't give a $hit if you do protect it." I don't know why I've put so much effort into writing this.


[EDIT]

DotA usually uses Vexorian's Wc3 Map Optmizer to damage the war3map.j file and instead turning it into File000000.xxx files, so that their maps will never be deprotcted in any way.

I've seen Deprotected AND Cheated DotA maps....

 

[WindexGlow]

Map deprotection is also called map piracy.

Blizzard promotes maps being unprotected.

 

[Demonspawn21]

What are your arguments against Warcraft 3 and Starcraft map protection?

I have several. However, since most arguments for map protection revolve around the same ideas, I will make a point/counterpoint section for this question.

• Map authors have the right to protect their work!

Blizzard did not incorporate map protection into the World Editor or Staredit.

• Map authors have the right to copyright their work!

Map authors may possibly copyright the story for a map if it is written down or archived. However, when you make a map, you are using already copyrighted materials to create it. These copyrighted materials are the game's sounds, textures, sprites (Starcraft), models (Warcraft III), textures, ect.

• Protecting maps makes sure that noone steals credit!

Because you cannot copyright a map, there is no way that anyone can steal from it. If you still wish to pursue the notion despite of this, then you should know that if a person changes the author's field of the map, it only affects that map, and any subsequent copies of it, but not the version of the map that you have and share.

• Protecting maps acts as quality control!

While making the map harder to edit may initially deter the map from seeing copies that have cheat codes or powerful units or abilities, it in no way stops such maps from existing. As long as the game can read the map, anyone can with the editor and some unprotecting. It is also notable that there is no guarantee that the protected version itself has quality. You can protect maps that have cheats in them, and unbalanced units or abilities, too.

• Protecting maps makes it easier to find games in which I don't need to download new versions all the time!

In Warcraft III custom games, you can tell if you will need to download the map by the fact that in the custom game preview to the right of the list, you will see a golden question mark on a blue background if you don't have the map. In Starcraft and Warcrft III, if you join a game and you see some rising numbers by your name, that means you are downloading a new version.

If the problem is that your version you like isn't hosted enough, or ever, this is not necessarily a problem with unprotection, but is what happens with new releases of anything. Unprotection just amplifies this, since several people instead of one released their maps. If you want to fix this, you could make your own version of the map, and try to make it popular. You could also host the map you like, or have a friend host it if you are unable to.

• Protecting maps keeps novices from editing my work!

Novices have as much a right to edit maps as anyone else. Blizzard did not make a caste system when they released Warcraft III and Starcraft. All game owners are equally entitled to the same things in this regard.

• Unprotecting maps is the same as stealing them!

Stealing can only happen if one person loses something at another person's gain. When anyone unprotects a map and edits it, there are only making a copy of the map. Both versions still exist.

• Unprotecting maps is the same as cracking or hacking!

Cracking involves bypassing copy protections built into software. Copy protections are used on software that is under a copyright law, and software that is sold for money. Warcraft III and Starcraft maps are never protected by copyright, and never are sold for money. If they ever are copyrighted or sold, it is under illegal conditions. Cracking also involves using advanced methods of reverse engineering. Because executables are often the only types of files cracked, it means that while cracking, code is run in the background of the computer that protects the software. Maps cannot do this, so they are not nearly as difficult to unprotect, thus another thing seperating the two. Hacking involves exploring networks for vulnerabilities and exploits to gain unauthorized access. This is nothing like unprotecting.

• You cannot learn from unprotecting maps!

Some people can learn how something in a map is done by perusing is JASS files or object data files. Everybody learns in different ways.

• Novices should ask for help instead of unprotecting maps!

Everybody learns differently, and sometimes what is sought after to be learned can only be found in the protected map, such as a map unique spell.

• It is impossible to rebuild the GUI triggers file!

As seen by the basic GUI trigger rebuilders on this site, it is possible, just not very advanced.

• I will make a perfect protection that will prevent all editing!

As long as the game can read it, the editor can edit it. It is a simple rule of logic.

• Copies made via unprotection are always low quality!

If you look at some versions of Enfo's Team Survival, for example, you will find that the unprotected edits are more advanced than the "official version."

• Protection spares the game of edits like *maul!

Every map ever made, as long as it does not violate the ToS of Battle.net or the Warcraft III or Starcraft EULA, is equally valid for Battle.net. There is no criteria for maps that makes them somehow more valid than another for play. Someone may enjoy that *maul, and you are in no position to ridicule their enjoyment.

• Unprotecting allows people to give themselves credit, when they've done nothing!

First we must identify how much work the unprotector did. If it was indeed none, then the map that was released first should maintain popularity, and get more players because people would favor not redownloading the same map on Battle.net.

If there was any work done on the map, then it becomes a competitor. In this case, both people, the author and unprotector must battle for popularity. In this case there would be more attention given to the maps, unless one of the competitors isn't interested in giving all effort, or doesn't care about competing, in which case popularity didn't matter to him anyway.

However, let's say one competitor gets crushed, so that noone plays his map, or hardly anyone. Perhaps his map didn't satisfy the community.

I think in any case, some work has to be done for at least some credit.

• Unprotecting maps is the same as stealing credit!

You could say that because there is no inherent way to prevent maps from being edited, and there is no inherent system of needing explicit consent on behalf of the author, that the author acknowledges this and accepts that edits can and will be made when the map is released to battle.net.

With that in mind, if all versions of the map were played, then the author would still get popularity from those who play his version. Which brings me to something else.

If the thing being stolen is popularity, then having several versions would make everyone compete for that popularity. In that case this competition would force the map maintainers to compete to satisfy the community, thus making better maps.

 

[Sevion]

I would have said:

I'll have to hand it to you, creating a such a biased and stupid post. Protecting maps is retarded. I've unprotected and looked into countless maps, but I've never, ever changed the quests, map descip, or changed any triggers to tell that it "is" my map. The only things I've ever done is make everything, EVERYTHING, uber rigged and even so, I've only played those maps with my friends and made them promise not to release them. So far, for about two years, I've never seen any of those edited maps anywhere at all. I do admit though, you did put a lot of useless effort in this. I have to say this, "I think every map should be open source." Look around. If every map was open source and in both GUI and JASS, no one would need sites like www.TheHelper.net as much as it is today. Though I do like this site a lot, I'm not criticizing it, just saying that without map protection more people in the Warcraft Mapping Community would be smarter with a lot more things. Because of map protection, I've never been able to input a Wisp Wheel into my maze map because of this dumbass "Protection". I end this with one thing. Map protection is just plain stupid.

But I think Demonspawn21 got it down good enough.