So I was brainstorming ideas for Temple Siege, reading this and reading this topic - http://www.staredit.net/topic/8353/ This caused a strange maelstrom of ideas in my head to give rise to something I like to think would be superior to anything to come out of Blizzard's premium map service.

I got to thinking(and reading) about all the problems that would be a part of having maps that you have to pay for. How much is too much? Can you only play with others that bought the map? How would people know it's worth the money without playing it? What's stopping someone from cracking the map, and re-saving it as a free map? So far the only apparent upside to premium maps is that it gives a developer the incentive to make the game, and make more games. Even this has its own can of worms. A good analogy would be to compare it to music creation. Isn't some music inherently better when the artists is simply expressing themselves and doing something they love, as opposed to doing something for money.

Anyways, I think a donation based system would be best

Basically, after the map maker releases v1 of his map he sets up a website, or a topic on a sc community site, with a meter for let's say $10. He posts a paypal donation address and says he will release v1.1 to the public when the goal is met, and lists all the new features and bug fixes to be included. Rinse and repeat. I know back in the MT days I would have chipped in $5 for moose to sit down and fix all the bugs and imbalances. Also, any sense of fairness keeping a player from footing the bill while others don't quickly evaporates after a few games leaving them wanting more. The maker can display a list of all the screen names that donated to give people some sense of purchase in a special thanks section or do-not-ban list.

PROS:
- Doesn't require Blizzard's support. Can be entirely fan operated
- The poor can still play
- Best demoing possible
- Unaffected by map cracking/stealing
- Player sets the price
- A much much larger player pool than just premium map owners

CONS:
- Map makers won't earn nearly as much money as they would with premium maps(assuming people would ever buy them)
- *I'll list any good ones people can come up with*


This model could have probably worked out in SC1's hay day. Remember I'm not saying this will work and is going to work, or that Blizzard would ever agree to support this. I'm saying this is just better than what Blizzard has planned.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Dec 20 2009, 10:05 pm by ClansAreForGays.

There's that whole EULA where you aren't supposed to make money. Unless the fact that it's donations gets around that.

What if someone likes what someone other than the creator is doing with the map?

But we don't know how much money that is anyway.

It wouldn't work without an unbreakable map protection, or you have the situation TS has, with moose taking over the updates.

But I didn't steal the map because I was given permission to make said updates.

Granted, but if you HADN'T been given permission, and no one else was given permission, then someone would eventually edit it without permission.

This is definitely a way around it.

This form of competition could only help the community. It would be terrible if people only played TSv1.5 just because it was the original maker's official version.

Correction zany, only the premium map service can survive with unbreakable map protection, as I had explained. If you still somehow feel this way, please rebut my statement -

It wouldn't have the intended effect of paying to play though, making the map maker wish he had chosen blizzard's P2P. If there is a good enough protection scheme, this is certainly a good method, however, blizzard will have to continually update their protection to beat the unprotectors.

You're coming off a little incoherent to me zany, are you just saying -

Let me rephrase it.

UU makes TS2. He decides that he's going to be lazy and not release the next version until he gets paid 100 bucks. So a few people send in money, and he releases 2.1. Then some annoyed person says,'I ain't paying for TS2.2, and no one else should. If there is an unprotector, he can just unprotect the map, make his own version with free updates, and most of the players will shift to his version, unless he destroys it. UU, meanwhile, doesn't get any money, or not 100 bucks, for TS2.2, so he doesn't release it.

If the protection was unbreakable, UU would be the sole person to release 2.2, and would get his money, assuming his map is popular and a few people are willing to pay a few dollars. It also assumes people want a new version, so he has to make the next version enticing.

The whole thing hinges on protection, which may be OK.

Original creators shouldn't matter. It should be the best mapmaker.

The best map maker can make his own map. He shouldn't be able to or have to copy someone else's ideas and work from the map base that they have already created.

And if the original mapmaker can't make his own map better, let the guy who improves it get some credit.

So if I go around fixing typos in maps (thus fixing/improving them), I can claim the maps as my own and get all the benefits?

Certainly not...but you also shouldn't have to remake the whole map from scratch if you want a version without typos. Just be sure to preserve the original credits.

much much better
Alright, so far you've got the idea and the system works

Alright, so basically someone has said "I'm willing to do X amount of work for charity" nothing wrong with that.

I assume there will be. My method only makes sense with the existence of unprotectors. It only strengthens my point.

This only makes sense if either A) This guy is a philanthropist, in which case more power to him. or B) TS2 is an incredibly simplistic and easy to maintain map, and it isn't even a hassle to fix it, improve upon it, AND KEEP fixing and improving upon it.

And this assumes the philanthropist has the same vision and idea of balance as the original maker.

UU did get money, 100 frikin bux for 2.1. Apparently TS2.2 had such shitty features and fixes that some 15 yr old did it one day for free because he had nothing better to do. UU has to adapt and compete in this free enterprise. He has to make something worthy of donations.

I'm gonna ignore some of the stuff you wrote because it deals with unbreakable maps. I believe an unbreakable map is impossible, and if it was possible, premium maps might actually be the way to go.

Oh I definitely assume he should only be paid to encourage him to continue content production; not sit around and let the money trickle in from people buing something he made in the past.

Again, you're right, but not in the way you think. Solid protection(a BIG "what if") = premium mapping very do-able. Unprotection possible = premium mapping impossible.

Basically, if someone can do for free what you feel you should be getting paid for, then you really aren't doing something worthy of pay.

I also feel like making another point with all this talk about map/credit stealing. In this system, and already in b.net today, a sort of brand loyalty come into play.

Let's say jimmy makes his own ts2.2. Unfortunately jimmy was dropped on his head as a child and watches a lot of naruto. He makes Leveling Up 10x easier, his favorite unit buffed, and renames heroes to his friend's names *cough* Masterjohnny *cough*). Well people's appetite for more will not exactly be quenched by Jimmy's version. People will still want UU's TS2.2 to be released and the fact that a shitty knock off is circulating will not factor into their decision whether to donate or not.

You're not going to fight your way around the system this way.

@CAFG I get what you mean. It would work just as well with good protection though. If I ever make a popular enough map, I'll give it a go

Isn't there an option to release your map for free? If there is, whats the fight about? I mean we are mapping for free for like 10 years.