I reserve my right to hate SC2

However, you're all correct. I did overreact to this bit of news. I should've read more into it before posting this thread .
I'm going to partly blame the reporters for my overreaction

Time for me to change the OP post.

As for the rest of the comments... Mods/Maps don't make that much of a difference.

---

Done. Fix'd OP



Post has been edited 2 time(s), last time on Jan 22 2011, 6:41 pm by UnholyUrine.

Mods are not maps. Period. I don't give a flying dong what Blizzard thinks, they haven't acknowledged the existence of true mods since the dawn of their inception. Just because they're too stupid to figure out the difference doesn't mean you have to be, too.

Would you like to describe ur reasons behind the diff of Map and Mods?

Thanks

"My" reasons? They aren't "my" reasons, they're environmental differences.

The content of a map effects only the map. Luna is a map, python is a map, dota is a map.

The content of a mod changes the entire game and takes place on every map. AO is a mod, OR is a mod, server mods for CS are classified as mods.

Think of it like this. de_dust is a map, but the server mod running taking your entire game session's kill ratio and such is basically considered a mod because it's changing your experience throughout every map you're playing. Whether it's de_dust or one of those weird knife-only maps, that server mod is NOT changing. In Starcraft, something like the BWAI launcher which "patches" the game is modding it.

In Starcraft 2, you can mod the game by changing the version mpqs or memory patching it. And promptly get banned because SC2 monitors mpqs and RAM usage, and Blizzard has stated they will ban you for touching either.

SC2's "mod" system depends on the maps to be flagged to load these archives, excluding them from the environmental classification of globally changing the game. If the game had a menu like Supreme Commander or Sins of a Solar Empire, and could load those archives like those older games, then yeah, those would be real mods. Currently that doesn't exist. They're not mods. They're just external archives for maps.

Other key attributes that mods typically boast over maps include no size limit and no censorship but you already know that. I hope.

Clear enough?

/edit My typos would have confused you ell oh ell

Just trying to calm you down a bit

Thanks.

Also, of course I know the implications of maps and mods.
Saying that normal maps are "mods" imply that we map makers are delving into and changing the internal data of the game, which is so not true. We're using the tools that are provided to us by the game developers.

Well, even most mods don't change "internal data" (if you are referring to hardcode) even, except for memory, but the game itself is always unchanged by mods in most engines.

Most games built with custom content in mind have native mod support. The differences between maps and mods are extremely obvious. Blizzard has never acknowledged the existence of mods because technically they break the EULA, they chose to ignore it for the duration of D1-Wc3. With Battle.net 2.0 having no local hosting or LAN, they automatically assume responsibility of everything that is contained on their servers. An easy way of getting past this legal pitfall is to support mods through a menu but have developers/players transfer the data and such externally (much like SC1/d2/wc3 ect). Therefore, while the mods are played over Battle.net, no actual mod data transfer is taking place, and Blizzard can revert to "Don't know, don't tell" again.

This is very a different staffing and mindset than what we had before, though. The Blizzard before and the Blizzard today are very different. I do not expect to see legal modding of sc2 at all in the future. Everyone I know who did mod work has moved on.

Just because it won't be released in the near future or ever doesn't mean they won't protect their trademarks. It'd be stupid for them not to honestly. And all they did was take down a youtube video, you guys are insane.

Just thought I'd mention that LoL pretty much owned HoN after HoN finished beta, even though it's arguable whether LoL is actually a balanced game

Everyone on this site should read and heed this man's words.

Or in short: "I've always considered mods to be modifying the game's core, not modifying gameplay scenarios, so everyone else should do it that way too."

There aren't "mods" as you'd term them for SC2, why the hell would you reserve a term for something that can't even exist when it is better fit on custom scenarios?

...because that definition of "mod" is the one that's pretty much universally accepted for every other game and modding community?

Activision and Blizzard should not be able to order the vids deleted, because the author was not making any money from either the map or the vids. You are only only considered copyright infringing when you make money with ideas/stuff other people copyrighted =/ LET'S LET THE MAPPER KNOW ABOUT THIS AND SIGN A PETITION TO ALLOW WORLD OF STARCRAFT TO GRIND ON!

I realize that Voyager, I was just kind of making fun of that fact that he's trying to justify the naming as anything more than tradition.

Owned in what? I'm sure HoN is making much more revenue than LoL is making to be honest, and HoN actually gets decent e-sports coverage. What unit of measure is "ownage" in?

Maybe if you actually read posts you'd have some idea of what you're talking about.

You're not modifying anything in SC2. You're not changing the game data or anything. All you're doing is using the MAP MAKER to change things like graphics and attacks via triggers.

Demonslayer> You can use the map editor as a means to modify the game, by taking out files from a map and replacing them in the game's standard data. Such was also possible with war3 (and was faster than XML editing).

Sc2 has mods. They're "illegal", but people still use them. The most common mods I can think of are those being created to change the languages of unit responses, or the ones to replace sc2 sounds with sc1 sounds. People apply these changes and, because sounds are clientside, they are able to play with the clientside mods on ladder and such.

In-b4-this-topic-gets-closed (and also b4 World of Starcraft trolololol) and before Nuderaider wakes up.

On a more serious note. The lesson to be learned here is that this entire episode has done nothing but create publicity for that kid who was working on the map. It also highlights Blizzards vision and awareness to shut-down projects such as these before they become legal problems. Sure, as Ahli mentioned, it was probably just some noob employee who saw a World of Starcraft video and reported it. To reiterate: Blizzard were well within their rights to ask the map maker to delete his videos. I'm pretty sure advertising your product under a name nearly identical to that of an existing product can be construed as breach of copyright and trademark infringement.

So, this fail topic has made me hungry... I'm just going to go have a cup of Neskafe and maybe a packet of Door-E-Toes.

Post has been edited 2 time(s), last time on Jan 24 2011, 1:41 am by Cardinal.

If I recall correctly, after HoN went retail, the amount of players dropped off significantly, whereas LoL just got more and more players. I spose you could argue that it makes less money due to being mostly free.

Sorry for the huge Necro

But you know all the argument about Copyright and having the right to reserve their names?
Well fuck that!

How can I, and incidentally All of you who argued against me, be so blind?

Didn't Blizzard just released "Star Jeweled" and "Left 2 Die"??

Fuck me. Where in the world did we go wrong?

Star Jeweled is a COMPLETE RIPOFF of Bejeweled.
Left 2 Die is obviously copied from Left 4 Dead.. and isn't even 4 player co-op. Shame.

Again, from lawyer's point of view, these names aren't copyrighted because they are ever so slightly off.
Be Jesus Christ almighty. If that didn't prove that they view the custom market as an internal, secluded network so that companies out there won't sue them, I don't know what will. And yet, they are taking action on their own, loyal customers? Where are their priorities?

Haters' gonna hate. At least in this case they'd have a reason to. At least I'm not a mindless sheep paying for some game that's 10x worse than its predecessor.