World Editing Ethics

[Undead Me]

There is a game I once played on battle.net which was very badly made. However the map's idea was great. Is it acceptable for me to remake the map only better as long as I give the original owner credit for having made it in the first place?

 

[polo2005]

There is a game I once played on battle.net which was very badly made. However the map's idea was great. Is it acceptable for me to remake the map only better as long as I give the original owner credit for having made it in the first place?

if you ask the creatior, yes, if not, i would say no... at least not if you open up his old map and remake it, it would be better to start over from scratc and make your own version of it

atleast that is what i think

 

[SwedishChef]

if you ask the creatior, yes, if not, i would say no... at least not if you open up his old map and remake it, it would be better to start over from scratc and make your own version of it

atleast that is what i think

i agree. Ask creator if he want to improve it with you, if he dont want to ask if you can make own version based of his.

 

[DarkSonicele]

Depending on how old the map is (based on the last update), I personally don't think there's anything wrong with it. Hence, even copyright expires after X years too, so if he/she has abandoned it, why not pick it up and carry it further?

With that said, I still agree with Polo2005. Remake the map from scratch, do not use his/her.

 

[Ioannes]

I think that as long as you say "based on ThisMap v.XX.X by ThatBnetGuy" it's fine. This statement draws a line between where his work ended and where your innovations to the map begin.

Also, if the mapmaker knows how easy it is to modify another person's map, this attitude works for both sides. Simply by releasing the map unlocked, the guy/girl (?) has agreed that someone else may modify it. If the original maker is not okay with other people building on it, he can just avoid hosting normal copies of the map.

Trying to contact the mapmaker could be too tedious in the first place. I couldn't find GolluM for many weeks, for example. That's why I disagree with the last three posts, such ethics is too impractical for many people to abide by. At least I am okay with people modifying the maps that I've made as long as their copies say "based on Thismap 0.00"

 

[Jesus4Lyf]

>There is a game I once played on battle.net which was very badly made. However the map's idea was great.

DotA grabs the idea off Three Corridors.
Element TD grabs the idea off... Geez, who knows.
Tree Tag grabs the idea off Sheep Tag (which grabs the idea off Kodo Tag?).
TriggerHappy grabs ideas off anywhere.

Being unoriginal is what makes the world go 'round!

PS. Just joking about TriggerHappy, who certainly comes up with his own ideas also.

 

[PrisonLove]

There is nothing wrong with editing someone's map, especially if it unprotected. You don't even need to give someone credit, it's just something that people do out of respect. If they put it on the internet (including battle.net), anyone can do what they please with it. I would say go for it, and if you want to give them credit go right ahead.

 

[cowmenace]

You seem like a person with the right thoughts in mind, why would steal another person's map? You are limited to what the original map maker created by editing his, so why not start from scratch? Besides, if the map is crappy, you shouldn't want to use a crappy base for your map. That's like building a skyscraper on uneven ground, it's not going to work out. Make it yourself, and be proud of your work.

 

[_whelp]

TriggerHappy grabs ideas off anywhere.

Lol...

On-topic:
Oh and I don' think permission is needed if the map has been trashed by the creator or if it is really old...

 

[WolSHaman]

There is a game I once played on battle.net which was very badly made. However the map's idea was great. Is it acceptable for me to remake the map only better as long as I give the original owner credit for having made it in the first place?

well... if you want to open the map and fix it, yes, get permission. However, it seems like if you wanted to make a map with similar concepts but you made it from scratch, it should be fine? People borrow ideas all the time, that's what genres are arguably.

 

[PrisonLove]

Lol...

On-topic:
Oh and I don' think permission is needed if the map has been trashed by the creator or if it is really old...

Permission isn't needed period. It's a video game, it is not private property. You cannot copy right a UMS map as far as I know, and you can't get sued for copying one and making your own version. People only ask permission and give credit out of respect, it's not actually required. In conclusion, make your own version of the map, no one gives a crap.

 

[Undead Me]

Here's another issue. The creator never gives his name on the map. Ever. I checked every place I could for it, it isn't in any reasonable place. Right now I think I'm just going to label the map as Melth's remake of Ice Dragon Hunt until I find an actual name. It seems like most of you think editing it is ok as long as I don't claim it was mine to begin with.

 

[Romek]

Every map out there was based on some other map.
With the exception of the original 5 or so.

So no worries.

 

[BlackDeath09]

or based on something else like a movie. But i say if the map is bad screw the person who made it take delete everything start over and make it your map. I did that once with a map that was just absolutely terrible but had the terrain layout i wanted.

 

[Jesus4Lyf]

i say if the map is bad screw the person who made it take delete everything start over and make it your map. I did that once with a map that was just absolutely terrible but had the terrain layout i wanted.

Y'know, I might just do that with DotA.

 

[BlackDeath09]

you could if u wanted to, like if you wanted the spells already made then you just saved yourself a lot of time

 

[Romek]

I'd consider that stealing someone elses work.

 

[BlackDeath09]

not really seeing as how your mods already have by creating a map that has every single dota trick in it so people can use it. i wouldnt be so quick to judge for crimes that you have committed

 

[Romek]

Using other peoples ideas isn't stealing at all. Especially when there are only about 5 different 'ideas' out there, and everyone uses a variant of one of them.
Terrain, however, is somebodies work. They took time to make it, and there's probably nothing identical to it out there. So you taking that is stealing.

> i wouldnt be so quick to judge for crimes that you have committed
Wut?

 

[Ouguiya]

Personally, I am also of the opinion that making the map from scratch is acceptable. (Yeah, I know, coming from me who made a Footmen map is quite a justification )

In either case, opening the map with unprotection methods and then simply adding 1 or 2 features and claiming "MY MAP!" is really something which I don't find very useful or good.

If you can remake his entire map, only far far better, with better triggers, better terrain, less lag, cooler spells, etc. then it probably took you more trouble than him doing it in the first place, so I'd say that's ok.

Yours,

Ouguiya