Protecting Maps

[teddyruxpin]

Anyone know any methods to prevent people from decompling your maps or methods to cause them to come out all wonky and unusable if they where. I am already using all of the methods listed in the VMEX documents to protect maps but it appears some douchebags have gone and cracked VMEX to bypass all security checks it provides and allow them to decompile any map.

Hoping someone may know some tricks to cause maps to not decompile or to break hammer when they are viewed after decompiled. Reason I am looking for this is with my gimmick maps some of the players are taking the new releases and decompling them to find all the hidden triggers and other secrets instead of finding them like everyone else. Want to try and keep things level.

Thanks,

-Teddy

[A Boojum Snark]

I don't actually know any, but I know if I did I wouldn't tell anyone otherwise a way around would just be found. <_< So good luck with finding anything.

[AWESOME-O]

lol, i think you have to stick with the normal ways, also, just a gamer prob wont compile maps.

[R3dRuM]

download this prefab here (http://www.geocities.com/cofrdrbob/files/protector.zip)
and paste it in your map, dont do anything too it except paste it.
should protect, but as always, it is still breakable, you can never be 100% safe.

[Snipergen]

What redrum says.

But why would you want to protect it?

[drpepper]

Anyone know any methods to prevent people from decompling your maps or methods to cause them to come out all wonky and unusable if they where. I am already using all of the methods listed in the VMEX documents to protect maps but it appears some douchebags have gone and cracked VMEX to bypass all security checks it provides and allow them to decompile any map.

Hoping someone may know some tricks to cause maps to not decompile or to break hammer when they are viewed after decompiled. Reason I am looking for this is with my gimmick maps some of the players are taking the new releases and decompling them to find all the hidden triggers and other secrets instead of finding them like everyone else. Want to try and keep things level.

Thanks,

-Teddy

What redrum says.

But why would you want to protect it?
.

[AWESOME-O]

http://stickandballguy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/simpsons-the-doh-4900579.jpg

[Brandished]

They might not even be using VMEX, you can find out all the entity settings in the map using something like EntEd, they don't even need to decompile the map. There are console commands (showtriggers_toggle) that show where trigger areas are as well. Taken from the Valve developer WiKi (http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Decompiling_Maps) "if you want to create a map that no one else will be able to change, you better do it for another engine because Source might as well be called open Source".

[Nineaxis]

I think the best you could do is write a Dev Wiki article on your techniques. I could have easily tried to hide how I made respawning dispensers, but instead I wrote an article so at least I have my name on digital paper as the one who created it.

[Dox]

the problem isnt people recreating his maps, nine, its people finding the secret spots on his map by decompiling it instead of finding them...

[Nineaxis]

Oh. Woops. I misread that. Oh well. Ignore me.

[grazr]

It's a bit like how people have released achievement boxes, that kinda defeat the point of the achievements in the first place.. it just aint so fun.

[teddyruxpin]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I am already using all of the methods listed in the VMEX docs on howto protect the maps (including the 'protector.zip' brushes). They are still able to decompile them thanks to the cracked versions of the VMEX executables out there.

I did however not really think of players being able to just download the map and run it in debug mode locally and see all the gory details. So really it is kinda pointless to try and fight against it and I will just have to get more crafty on my end and put in fake triggers and other trickery to make it more difficult.

Thanks,

-Teddy

[Dox]

Sounds like a plan, keep a copy of the map that is clean, but for the version you intend to release, load it with 1000s of fake triggers that do nothing and wont show up in game... unless that will crash the map