How do the creators of Dota protect their maps?

[Ouguiya]

Hello everyone!

The question I have today might seem a bit weird, but I urgently need a good answer to it nontheless.

The question simply is: How did or do the creators of DotA protect their map?

I am asking this because I remember vividly the time when dota was known as one of the hardest nuts to break in terms of map protection. Noobs didn't stand much chance.

My problem is simply this: Even though I am not really in favor of map protection, it has become a sad necessity since so many people are just waiting for maps to be released, just to immidietly insert cheats, just because they cannot win otherwise.

I have seen this quite planly with my latest map, Footmen Chronicles. It is only 1 month old, and is only at version 1.55, and already there are hacked versions all over the place (especially epicwar, where there is no control of who uploaded the map).

I currently am using Vexorian's map optimizer (version 1.47c if I am not mistaken), but this doesn't seem to bother some people.

Thus, I hope that someone of you has a better map protection idea to make it quite waterproof for most of the people out there with no knowledge whatsoever.

Thanks in advance.

Yours,

Ouguiya

 

[WolfieeifloW]

WC3 Map Optimizer is on 4.8.

I myself don't know of any other protecting programs though, sorry.

 

[Ouguiya]

Yes, sorry, I got the version number wrong.

What I was hoping for was maybe a manual change to perform in the Map-MPQ file or maybe running multiple programs (if this is even possible without creating severe bugs and errors)

Yours,

Ouguiya

 

[Laiev]

Don't matter what you do, if warcraft can open your map in game, so it can be deprotected, no matter what program you use.

Some people are saying "IceFrog Use Vexorian map optimizer" other people say "IceFrog use japan program" bla bla...

Both can be deprotected easy without any problem. The quest is, WHAT OPTION YOU ARE USING?

Vexorian Map Optimizer can protect map very good, just active remove WE files/temporary files or something like this.

Just a add, Vexorian Map Optimizer can be used with the japan program, so if you got a map with 3mb, vexorian protect it and make 2,5mb, then japan program improve it and make more hard the protection and make a map with 2mb (just example)

Both program can be founded in wc3campaign.


Edit: Japan/korean/asian program see how it work and you can use it if want, but just one thing... MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, because it can f*ck your map deleting all models/texture/BTN/units in map and other problems.

 

[WolfieeifloW]

There's been other protection methods which I can't remember.
You can try and Search for them though .

EDIT: I don't think using two protection programs would work ?
And Vexorian's WC3 Map Optimizer isn't actually made to protect maps;
It's just an 'added' feature.

 

[Ouguiya]

Hello again! Thanks for both answers!

Yes I knew that of course, but it makes it impossible to open in the World editor, which can already be called a "protection".

Also, @ Laiev, I know that any map can be deprotected, from own expierience.

However, like I said, there is a diffrence between maps which any run-down cheater can open with some pre-made program, and those which require some skill and knowledge and multiple programs to deprotect.

My only wish is to protect the map as good as possible. I don't intend to make it unbreakable, just was robust as it can be.

Thanks again,

Yours,

Ouguiya

 

[WolfieeifloW]

You can make two versions of your map;
Then add the crashing triggers into the one you release .

 

[Laiev]

@WolfieNoCT

Yes, vexorian map optimizer can protected map just removing the WE files from the map lol

and you can use 2 program ya, just know how to do it, some programs need WE files to improve somethings, if you remove it before you use the other program, the program will crash.

You can use 3 program too, but don't need because the 3º is Widgetizer, what just convert then to .txt and .slk (vexorian and japan program do it)

@Ouguiya

If you got time, search Ultimate Protect System (or something like this) here and a 'expansion' of this what make it more hard to break, after it just close it with some program what you prefer

 

[Strilanc]

There's no point in going further than vex's optimizing. It obfuscates the code and stops newbs from opening it in the editor. That's all you'll ever achieve.

The hostbot I write has to be able to read map MPQ files in order to create games people can join. I can definitively state that I have never met protection I couldn't beat.

Of course my goals don't include making modifications, but that's pretty trivial when you can extract the map files. For example I once removed the ward classification from the units in castle fight, so I could control them. This was before the secure checksums, so I even tested with friends if it would work seamlessly with the other map (it didn't, caused desyncs).

 

[Gtam]

Icefrog also hides alot of the data so if noob unprotect it the costom data wil not show up

 

[_whelp]

I thought IceFrog used Widgetizer.

 

[WolfieeifloW]

He does.
That decreases loading time;
It doesn't protect.

Widgetizer (created by PitzerMike)
Another map optimizer, this time focused on loading time and it does this job pretty well. FWIW its used on DotA so if you played you know its capabilities.

 

[WindexIsBack]

there are multiple ways.
I don't know the exact name (or method) but there are scripts which detect the number of functions, and if it's higher than a set amount (aka: someone added more) it stops the game, or something akin to that. Someone needs to clarify this one.
Name functions weirdly, and use equations in place of set numbers. 5 = 2+2(2-1)-1 = 5 *hopefully* This method shouldn't be used in functions which are used often.

Monitoring variables such as hero level, kills to death ratio, average damage, resources, health, ect. A weird number either means one kick ass player, or one shitty ass one. Once again, fragment (and try to mislead) what the functions do. The messier you make them, the better.

The weakest anti-cheat method I can think of is simply detecting common cheat strings from your hacked map. Once again, fragmentation and misleading will make it a pain in the ass for the deprotector.


It's very hard to stop the map from opening, but you can make it a pain to do anything on it.

 

[TriggerHappy]

Any map can be hacked, simple as that.

You don't even need to open the map to "hack" it.

Just use Vex's map optimizer and leave it at that, don't go out of your way to protect it.

 

[Laiev]

If you convert all object files in your map to .txt and .slk, you don't need much work to get it hard to protect, peoples can deprotect map easy, but restore those files is a f*ck, lot's of people is lazy to do that

Protect a map is just for ALL people don't open it, but ever will have a guy what will try to open it.

 

[WindexIsBack]

Ah yes, the best protection is the recycle bin. Forgot that one!

 

[kingkingyyk3]

Widgetizer+Vex's Map Optimizer

Bonus(Set it in Vex's Map optimizer) : (I learn from DotA .j file)
Custom charmap for new functions/variables name : IO10

However, DotA Maps now is hijacked. There are some versions contain cheats is releasing.

 

[TriggerHappy]

Custom charmap for new functions/variables name : IO10

I think your trying to say Vex's optimizer obfuscates the script.

 

[kingkingyyk3]

Yup.

 

[Strilanc]

Custom charmap for new functions/variables name : IO10

I honestly don't get the point of reducing the number of characters. Oh no! I need to use some sort of variable renaming tool to understand the code!

Wait a second, I would already have needed to do that. And now my map file is larger because function and variables names need to be longer due to the reduced charset.