Sometimes I think people just love over-complicating things.
Use the action "Order workers to gather nearby resources" at 0.0 seconds into the game. Doing so at map initialization may not work (It might still work at map initialization, but I haven't tested it).
In past versions the admin system was not stored very securely.
This was at a time when I didn't know how terrible the "Locking" on Blizzard's part was.
However since a system like one the OP mentioned was put into place I haven't heard of anyone cracking it.
In fact the score tracking hasn't even been hacked yet and that isn't even encrypted, it just uses bank signatures. (This is why I wanted to know if bank signatures were really hacked, or if people just don't trust Blizzard)
Could someone post a link to someone bypassing bank signatures?
As far as I can tell unless Blizzard let slip their algorithm for generating bank signatures, they are impossible to crack and would be completely secure.
As for the OP, that is the method used in my map and no one has cracked it since that method was implemented.
This is a very popular map with many avid hackers and quite a few people that hate me as well and would love to crack it. I would say the method is very safe, and while obviously brute forcing is an option, most people aren't even going to bother wasting that much time. Combine the method you mentioned with a bank signature, and you have a very secure system. (Basically make a trigger to generate the bank and add the signature, then delete that trigger before publishing)
The "Most Popular" and "Categories" tabs are actually the exact same thing, just presented in different ways.
Both are sorted by popularity and both allow you to filter by category, the only difference is that "Most Popular" allows you to choose "All" as a category.
At the start of the game do the following: "Pick each integer (Player Integer) from 1 to 8 and do actions", "Add player (Player Integer) to Team 1"
Player Integer is an integer variable you have created to be used in this loop.
Now make another trigger called "Pick Team 2" that does the following: "Add player (Random integer between 1 and (Number of players in Team 1)) from Team 1 to Team 2" and repeat that action to add another player to Team 2. The inner part of that action will be called "Player from player group" and then set it to the random integer portion you see above. Then remove both players added to Team 2 from Team 1.
If you go into your banks folder you will notice multiple folders. Each folder belongs to a different author.
This means you can't access another author's banks, but you can access your own banks from different maps that you published.
I have tested both methods and it verifies the above statement.
I released a new map a few days ago and am currently simply testing it with friends. It now sits at the bottom of page 3 just from testing it. To test I simply went to the "Looking For Custom Games" channel and asked people to help test, it takes a few minutes, but it isn't impossible. Now if I join the lobby I can usually see a few people actually trying to play.
I honestly think everyone is exaggerating how bad the popularity system is. If you want your map to get to page 3 it is entirely possible and if anyone likes your map it will stay at page 3 and maybe even start to rise over time.
At page 4 I would say it becomes possible to actually get a game full of players and simply play your map and it really isn't that hard to get to page 4. It takes a little effort, sure, but it is entirely possible.
I'm not saying the maps at the top are the best, but they are the maps people have enjoyed enough that every time they reset the popularity those maps rise back to the top again and again.
You may have noticed some maps were once at the top and have now completely vanished. To me this means people were only playing it because it was new, they wanted to try it, and they could actually play it. But if a map stays at the top through multiple resets I genuinely believe it deserves to be there and is a map that is well made for its genre.
@Soga
I agree that people SHOULDN'T care if their map is popular and SHOULD only care that they can play it whenever. But they actually CAN do that right now. As I said above go to the "Looking for Custom Games" channel and ask people to play. They WILL and you will make some friends in the process that you can later ask to play and it will be even EASIER. But everyone still says they can NEVER play their map when they are actually just bitching that their map isn't popular.
A function is something that you can "call" and give parameters, it then returns a value.
Every time you do something like "Triggering Player" you are actually calling a function which is returning the triggering player.
For instance you could make a function that adds two numbers.
Basically you would make two parameters, Number 1 and Number 2 that are Integer values and then the function would make a Number 3 that adds 1 and 2 together and then returns Number 3.
You would then say in an action:
Set Variable X = AddTwoNumbers(2, 5)
At which point X would be set to 7. Obviously making an adding function is pointless since Blizzard already made one for you, but that should give you an idea of how this works.
I entirely agree and they really do need to make some changes soon to the popularity system.
It is way too hard to test new maps and obviously niche maps are difficult to play at any time. This really only requires some minor changes IMO.
My main point was that there are so many mappers on these forums and on the official custom maps forums that think that because their map isn't at the top of the list, that the popularity system is broken and that it is Blizzard's fault that no one likes their maps. While, at least in the case of the post this topic is referring to, it is really just a mapper who is way too full of themselves and thinks that his maps are better than everyone else's. Basically I just want people to take a step back and realize that not every map ever made deserves to be popular.
I agree the popularity system needs some changes, but it isn't the main problem with why some of these maps aren't being played.
Everyone needs to stop blaming Blizzard and take a second to ask themselves if their map is actually fun before they go around saying it's all the popularity system's fault.
At the very least, stop calling out other maps and saying that your own map is better. It just makes you look like a douche. (Not directed at you Motive)
Take Smashcraft, it is really well made, polished and probably balanced (Only played it once).
But it isn't FUN. THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE AND 9/10 OF THE PEOPLE ON THESE FORUMS CAN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
Now I'm not saying it isn't fun for anyone at all, obviously some people will enjoy it, but most people including myself, really just don't find it enjoyable.
Everyone here blames the popularity system for their maps failing, but in all honestly that isn't the problem.
The problem is most of you are trying to make overly complex and polished maps. These may be fun for a niche group of people, but MOST people will NOT enjoy them at all. I used to map like this back in Warcraft 3 and I bet none of you have ever heard of any of my maps from there.
Basically I'm saying stop blaming Blizzard and other people because not everyone loves the shit out of your maps.
Stop and think for one second and realize that you simply aren't the best mapper ever in the whole wide world and that maybe you should put some more time into thinking about how to make a map fun and less time into thinking about how to make it complicated and fancy.
No, even if you delete the bank and save the exact same data under the same circumstances, the signature is the same.
The signature stays the same if the bank is overwritten with the same data as well. At least as far as I have noticed, there could always be a bug.
Just tested it and yes it also depends on who published the map.
So it depends on:
1. Who published the map.
2. Who played the map.
3. The name of the bank file.
4. The data in the bank file.
This actually means that bank signatures are theoretically completely secure from other players tampering with your bank files. Unless of course someone cracks how the signatures are created or hacks into your Starcraft account in general.
A bank signature is dependent on 3 things:
1. The bank name.
2. The bank data.
3. The account of the user the bank was created on.
If any of these changes, the signature will change.
At least from testing that is what I have noticed will change the bank signature.
The name of the map will NOT change the bank signature.
2.4214279669931
Sometimes I think people just love over-complicating things.
Use the action "Order workers to gather nearby resources" at 0.0 seconds into the game. Doing so at map initialization may not work (It might still work at map initialization, but I haven't tested it).
0
In past versions the admin system was not stored very securely.
This was at a time when I didn't know how terrible the "Locking" on Blizzard's part was.
However since a system like one the OP mentioned was put into place I haven't heard of anyone cracking it.
In fact the score tracking hasn't even been hacked yet and that isn't even encrypted, it just uses bank signatures. (This is why I wanted to know if bank signatures were really hacked, or if people just don't trust Blizzard)
0
Could someone post a link to someone bypassing bank signatures?
As far as I can tell unless Blizzard let slip their algorithm for generating bank signatures, they are impossible to crack and would be completely secure.
As for the OP, that is the method used in my map and no one has cracked it since that method was implemented.
This is a very popular map with many avid hackers and quite a few people that hate me as well and would love to crack it. I would say the method is very safe, and while obviously brute forcing is an option, most people aren't even going to bother wasting that much time. Combine the method you mentioned with a bank signature, and you have a very secure system. (Basically make a trigger to generate the bank and add the signature, then delete that trigger before publishing)
0
The "Most Popular" and "Categories" tabs are actually the exact same thing, just presented in different ways.
Both are sorted by popularity and both allow you to filter by category, the only difference is that "Most Popular" allows you to choose "All" as a category.
0
Make two player groups: "Team 1" and "Team 2"
At the start of the game do the following: "Pick each integer (Player Integer) from 1 to 8 and do actions", "Add player (Player Integer) to Team 1"
Player Integer is an integer variable you have created to be used in this loop.
Now make another trigger called "Pick Team 2" that does the following: "Add player (Random integer between 1 and (Number of players in Team 1)) from Team 1 to Team 2" and repeat that action to add another player to Team 2. The inner part of that action will be called "Player from player group" and then set it to the random integer portion you see above. Then remove both players added to Team 2 from Team 1.
0
If you go into your banks folder you will notice multiple folders. Each folder belongs to a different author. This means you can't access another author's banks, but you can access your own banks from different maps that you published.
I have tested both methods and it verifies the above statement.
0
@Oatin: Go
I am on the NA servers. Also if everyone starts doing this, it probably won't work anymore. :P
0
@ZealNaga: Go
I released a new map a few days ago and am currently simply testing it with friends. It now sits at the bottom of page 3 just from testing it. To test I simply went to the "Looking For Custom Games" channel and asked people to help test, it takes a few minutes, but it isn't impossible. Now if I join the lobby I can usually see a few people actually trying to play.
I honestly think everyone is exaggerating how bad the popularity system is. If you want your map to get to page 3 it is entirely possible and if anyone likes your map it will stay at page 3 and maybe even start to rise over time.
At page 4 I would say it becomes possible to actually get a game full of players and simply play your map and it really isn't that hard to get to page 4. It takes a little effort, sure, but it is entirely possible.
I'm not saying the maps at the top are the best, but they are the maps people have enjoyed enough that every time they reset the popularity those maps rise back to the top again and again.
You may have noticed some maps were once at the top and have now completely vanished. To me this means people were only playing it because it was new, they wanted to try it, and they could actually play it. But if a map stays at the top through multiple resets I genuinely believe it deserves to be there and is a map that is well made for its genre.
@Soga I agree that people SHOULDN'T care if their map is popular and SHOULD only care that they can play it whenever. But they actually CAN do that right now. As I said above go to the "Looking for Custom Games" channel and ask people to play. They WILL and you will make some friends in the process that you can later ask to play and it will be even EASIER. But everyone still says they can NEVER play their map when they are actually just bitching that their map isn't popular.
0
@DrHu: Go
A function is something that you can "call" and give parameters, it then returns a value. Every time you do something like "Triggering Player" you are actually calling a function which is returning the triggering player.
For instance you could make a function that adds two numbers.
Basically you would make two parameters, Number 1 and Number 2 that are Integer values and then the function would make a Number 3 that adds 1 and 2 together and then returns Number 3.
You would then say in an action:
Set Variable X = AddTwoNumbers(2, 5)
At which point X would be set to 7. Obviously making an adding function is pointless since Blizzard already made one for you, but that should give you an idea of how this works.
0
@TheSkunk2: Go
I entirely agree and they really do need to make some changes soon to the popularity system. It is way too hard to test new maps and obviously niche maps are difficult to play at any time. This really only requires some minor changes IMO.
My main point was that there are so many mappers on these forums and on the official custom maps forums that think that because their map isn't at the top of the list, that the popularity system is broken and that it is Blizzard's fault that no one likes their maps. While, at least in the case of the post this topic is referring to, it is really just a mapper who is way too full of themselves and thinks that his maps are better than everyone else's. Basically I just want people to take a step back and realize that not every map ever made deserves to be popular.
0
I agree the popularity system needs some changes, but it isn't the main problem with why some of these maps aren't being played. Everyone needs to stop blaming Blizzard and take a second to ask themselves if their map is actually fun before they go around saying it's all the popularity system's fault.
At the very least, stop calling out other maps and saying that your own map is better. It just makes you look like a douche. (Not directed at you Motive)
0
You guys really don't get it do you?
Take Smashcraft, it is really well made, polished and probably balanced (Only played it once).
But it isn't FUN. THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE AND 9/10 OF THE PEOPLE ON THESE FORUMS CAN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT. Now I'm not saying it isn't fun for anyone at all, obviously some people will enjoy it, but most people including myself, really just don't find it enjoyable.
Everyone here blames the popularity system for their maps failing, but in all honestly that isn't the problem. The problem is most of you are trying to make overly complex and polished maps. These may be fun for a niche group of people, but MOST people will NOT enjoy them at all. I used to map like this back in Warcraft 3 and I bet none of you have ever heard of any of my maps from there.
Basically I'm saying stop blaming Blizzard and other people because not everyone loves the shit out of your maps. Stop and think for one second and realize that you simply aren't the best mapper ever in the whole wide world and that maybe you should put some more time into thinking about how to make a map fun and less time into thinking about how to make it complicated and fancy.
0
@avogatro: Go
No, even if you delete the bank and save the exact same data under the same circumstances, the signature is the same. The signature stays the same if the bank is overwritten with the same data as well. At least as far as I have noticed, there could always be a bug.
0
@avogatro: Go
Just tested it and yes it also depends on who published the map.
So it depends on:
1. Who published the map.
2. Who played the map.
3. The name of the bank file.
4. The data in the bank file.
This actually means that bank signatures are theoretically completely secure from other players tampering with your bank files. Unless of course someone cracks how the signatures are created or hacks into your Starcraft account in general.
0
A bank signature is dependent on 3 things: 1. The bank name. 2. The bank data. 3. The account of the user the bank was created on.
If any of these changes, the signature will change. At least from testing that is what I have noticed will change the bank signature. The name of the map will NOT change the bank signature.