Debate: Protecting a map, Do you support it?

[-Azrael666-]

I am a strict map protector. I won't even test an early version with a single person if it isn't protected, and then I'll only test my protected versions with personal, trusted testers who have proven themselves before, so I know they won't distribute the unfinished map. The first map I made, I did it without protecting it, and I put a lot of work into it. I didn't really have any concept of what I was doing altogether, but it was still a lot of work since I was figuring out how to do stuff. After I finished, I released it, and not 24 hours later there was a new version that had replaced my name in all places with someone else's. So I found out how to protect it and have been ever since. Then I started testing my maps until I was positive they were finished because I got sick of multiple versions, which led to me having to DL my own maps when they were being hosted by someone else.

All in all I find map protecting very beneficial. I never learned anything from someone else's maps, I just imagined something I wanted done and then tried everything I could until it worked. And if you want to edit a protected map so badly because something is wrong with it or you'd like something different, then remake the whole thing from scratch and make it balanced. I've done it before, it isn't that hard. Sometimes when other people leave maps unprotected, I add improvements and debug it, like Mole Hunt and The Thing, but it isn't my fault they left them unprotected, and I would never leave mine as such.

Oh and.. fear the kitties

[Lwek]

Why is it so important to have your name be on your map?
As I have said to coRtALoS:

Originally Posted by Lwek

That's what I hate these days. Everyone wants to be well known for the maps they made and must do everything it takes to keep it that way.
A year or two ago, I rarely saw maps that had a force be named the creator. It's just gotten so irritating. Have it on the scenario description and brief and that's enough.

[-Azrael666-]

It isn't being known for my maps, it's someone else being known for my maps.

[Lwek]

Why does that matter?
www.battle.net is not a popularity contest.
You know you made the map, so it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks who made the map.

I actually like the fact that my map be tampered with after I release it. It shows that my map was that 'worth' it to even be opened in an editor by someone other than me.

[₪Zeratul₪]

I love debates.

I fully support map-protection, because many times, "noobs", rip off what was once a good map and turn it into something bad.

[-Azrael666-]

Also, a lot of times map makers make the map a certain way because they really liked it like that. I consider it a form of art, and it sucks when you get on b.net and everyone is playing your map.. except it's been completely ruined, with rigging or something else. It just sucks, especially if you put a lot of work into it, and some newb decided to change stuff just because he can. Then everyone is playing a ruined version and you can't get anyone to join because "Omg another version? **** that." even though yours is the original, no one wants to dl it again. B.net isn't a popularity contest, but I'm not comfortable with someone else taking credit for work I did. Those months I put into the map are mine, and I'm not going to lose months worth of work because some newb takes a few minutes to ruin my map and/or slap his name on it. He doesn't deserve it. The first really popular map I made was the original Deadship.. within a month there were a good number of rip-off maps called like "Deadship Extreme" or "Unofficial Deadship" or even "Deadship 2".. but I protected my map so they had to completely remake it, but they liked it enough they did, with their own changed and stuff.. and all the really good ones gave credit to me for the original even though I gave nothing to their map, and they built it from scratch. Having your name on it is just a matter of respect I guess, taking pride in your work. I doubt Panzer would let you have his unprotected maps either

[Lwek]

Again, I still think it's better to have a multitude of atleast decent map makers than to protect every map and have the community be 'retarded'(sorry if I offended anyone).
Maybe, just maybe reasons why maps are so rigged when left unprotected these days is because there are so many maps protected and 'riggers' are just drooling to wait for a map to be unprotected. But when we start having a large number of unprotected maps, 'riggers' won't care so much. Hard to explain.

[-Azrael666-]

So basically, someone needs to spend a lot of time making a mass of half-way decent maps, leave them unprotected, and flood BW with them so they can get torn apart by newbies I'm not volunteering for that one.