Sorry to bother everyone on SEN again, but I was going to showcase a map, and I didn't want it stolen. Does anyone know where to find a good map protector? (for some reason Uber@tion didn't seem to work, as it keeps saying: "'Run-time error 438': Object does not support this property or method.

Uber@tion 2 (guess you used 3, but 2 is more reliable)
Starforge
Pro Edit? (not sure, but as far as I can remember it can protect.)

I never protected a map myself, since the unprotectors can crack any protection method anyways.
That means you don't need to protect it with the uber-hardcore program.
Any protection will keep ppl from just opening it which will work for quite a number of ppl.
But those guys who REALLY want to open it will do it anyway.

http://www.maplantis.org/index.php?sid=6f011a52da91d34aa8c8d598d9c8d887;pg=wiki;id=5#wiki_9

I use Proedit.

Yeah, I'd just use the best compressor you can find, which requires protection, I think OS Map 2 has had all the bugs worked out of it, but I'm not certain..

Falk, do you pray to the OSMaptic gods?

Just use the built-in Starforge protector; it doesn't have to protect well, because most people on Bnet are too dumb to open it anyway. Anyone who really wants to steal it can do it no matter how it's protected.

Why, yes, Dark_Marine, I do.

And yes, it really doesn't matter what you protect it with, since anyone who really wants to get in will easily open it, all you really need to do is make it unopenable to editors to begin with, just to stop most B.Netters.

Which is why it's really up to compression at this point, so unless you don't care about getting it any smaller, I'd say Uberation 2 will compress it the best.

Only professional map stealers exist anymore. Amatures are eraticated because all there is, is Osmap, and it doesnt RUN on most computers because it is a dos script.

It runs on XP and lower, and in my opinion, that's most computers, and I think it even runs on Vista, not sure though.

Wrong. There is also unused's Unprotector which is a windows application. Download it from Maplantis.
It's even better than OSMap and more convenient. I don't use OSMap anymore since I have it.

I've never used map protectors mostly because I don't know how. Are there any complications that may arise from protecting a map, say, if you want to get back in to do changes?

I Thought maplantis banned map unprotectors.

When you unprotect a map you will lose location names (they are numbered instead) and lose all comments which makes it hard to understand and a pain to continue in case you want to improve it. The map will be fully playable but you should keep an unprotected backup for yourself.

But even better is if you don't protect it in the first place, so other people can learn from your map. Who cares about credits...? If you make quality maps you will be known for it, even if some ppl try to steal your map.

Not necessarily, it's only if the protector used deletes those(which most do).

I totally agree. How can people learn if they cannot figure out the complex forumulae and the density of vast mapmaking? Well, they can always go to SEN. But I digress, what I'm worried about is someone screwing around and messing up the supposed feel of the gameplay, and then keeping the title and credits and everything the same and hosting it so it looks like my fault.

You COULD make a quality map, and then right when you release it, some punk could put his name on it and start spreading it too? Ive seen it happen.

The less people talk about Map Unprotectors, the faster they dissapear, so nobody will remember thier crude existance, and the various maps that were stolen with them. So before osmap, did you use Archn (or w/e)'s STOLEN map unprotector? Look even he stole.

Its like opening a PS3 the wrong way and voiding the warrenty. With map unprotectors, credibility goes to hell.

Looks like StarForge is the only one that works for me. Well anyways, I was just making a defense map and they all get stolen and (usually) modified anyways, so no major losses on my behalf.