Custom map updating

[TheBuilder]

Virgil, since you made it so that the mods of this forum can post maps, why not reinstate the thing where, if a person wants to update a custom map they made, they just add "[update]" to its description when they upload the updated version of it.

Don't know if this would actually be possible, but I thought I would ask.

[knucracker]

Currently only Karsten75 and I can post maps.  Now I encourage authors of maps to post updated versions of their maps if they discover a serious problem, etc.  These updates will be posted as separate maps, though.  The whole scoring system relies on immutable maps, so I don't want to replace a map binary after scores have been posted for a given map.

[Xylnalya]

Most custom maps (at least those I've seen) don't have more then 1 to 10 scores submitted. While it's a reasonable argument not to wipe those I pretty much miss being unable to update maps. Especially the more complex or 'better' maps have a higher chance to be bugged at one point or the other and leaving the old versions up doesn't appeal to me as a mapmaker.
I have no idea how much replacing the maps would interfer with the system, but at least a way to delete old maps (if the author wishes so, for example) would be great, if you can't be motivated to look into updating maps?

[Karsten75]

If someone played a map and got a score, why should the scores be deleted just because the mapmaker wants to change (read: most often wants to make harder) the map?

Many "updated" maps gets as much as if not perhaps more, play than the earlier version, especially the maps from the established mapmakers, where we understand that corrections are made "in good faith," rather than as a response to a map from a newbie being pwned after being sold to us as "unbeatable."

I'd suggest that the best course of action would be for mapmakers to get the ability to beta-test their maps before being promoted to a permanent map, but that the current system works well for maps once promoted to full status.

I imagine that this would involve a new download site (or selection option and indicator on the maps page)  for maps in beta-test mode and that then somehow (either by time or author request) a map moves from beta to permanent status. While in beta a map can be removed and it should be possible for mapmakers who don't care to bypass the beta stage.

Either way, lots more work for Virgil  with no additional revenue.

Also, as a side note, remember that once you submit a map, you cede ownership of the map according to the terms of the upload agreement.

Contributor hereby grants to Developer full ownership and all intellectual property rights for all uploaded content for a perpetual and indefinite term

[UpperKEES]

Hey, I just played about 100 custom maps and don't wanna get my scores wiped out!  :P

I understand Xyl's concern however, so what might be possible is to be able to change the description of the old map ("This map has been updated to version 2.0"), maybe even with a link to the new one.

Beta testing a map as Karsten suggests is a good idea I think. I'm not sure if Virgil should facilitate this, or that the map maker should just ask some good players here at the forums to test it for him/her. A special thread in the custom map section could be made for this ("Beta test requests").

[TheBuilder]

Then maybe an alternative?  On the page of the most up to date version of the map, put a list of its previous versions.  So rather than have 2 or 3 places in the custom maps for the basically the same map, there would only be one page with all versions of teh same map.

Oh and of course keep the previous versions scores.  Could even make it so that you could compare the scores of the different versions on the individual map pages, (if theres more than one version of it).

Could work this way for maps of different difficulty too, so if theres a different version for each of the difficulty levels, you could then also camopare scores between difficulties to see what the difference is.

I'm not commanding this to happen, just seems like a cool idea.

[Rik]

How about allowing "versioning" of maps.

So all new maps default to 1.0 (although maybe allow overriding this so people can submit a beta version with a lower number for testing).
Then any updates to the map could be uploaded with a new version - either as a major release (2.0, 3.0, etc) or as a point release for bugfixes (1.1, 1.2, etc).
I guess the exact numbering could be left open to the designer depending on how they want to display things, but the website could then have a single page per map with subpages/tabs for older versions.

The scores can then be kept for individual versions so people can record a score for the version they have.
It would also mean that people would always get the latest version of a map by default when downloading new maps.

In the long term this could also be rolled into the game itself and allow checking for any updates to a map and allow for it to automatically be downloaded and installed.

It would also help reduce the number of similar maps in either the website or the game (especially if the game also combines all versions into a single item in the map list and then has a selector page/control for the version to be played)

I guess also allowing a way for existing maps to be marked as versions of each other would allow designers to bring current maps with multiple versions into the new system. ("Mark this map as alternate version of map X")

[Karsten75]

All of this is (mostly) already happening with the current system.