[WORKSHOP COPYRIGHT GUIDE] How to defend your mode from copying! 🛡

Tired that everyone copy your mode by one click and then using as his own? Then this article for you! This guide how you can protect your mode by key-actions and about something else.

I actually was inspired by this post about everyone can copy the mode by one click, so i decided to make a guide for players and suggest to Blizzard idea.

All who worked on the mode a days and more, know, why so offensively, when you paid so much efforts to make interesting, balanced and unusual mode, and someone just copy it by one click, clear the description and keeping the mode like they created it.

We already know the system of match joining:

  • For all
  • For friends only
  • Only by invitation

So, i suggest for Blizzard developers the the idea how to fix this problem.
The author of the mode can pick in special block “Privacy” who can copy the mode.

https://ibb.co/GpVfcSR

Like joining to match system i suggest this variants:

  • ALL PLAYERS
  • FRIENDS ONLY
  • NOBODY

https://ibb.co/rkrNDfn

After author picked the “NOBODY” mode, all who haven’t access to copy can’t copy the mode.

https://ibb.co/s1L5cz0

This thing will be so useful for authors and people will put more efforts to creating the interesting modes, knowing that their work will be rewarded by admiration of others players.

In case this mode is open sourse “ALL PLAYERS”, other people can copy it and save settings like usual.

Another way - just create the special block where will be who creator of the mode, and who developer of the mode.

https://ibb.co/0J67DL3

And now, while Blizzard thinking about this ideas, i created guide for players how they can protect now their modes from unhonest players.

THE FIRST WAY

The basic way to confirm your authorship, dont be lazy - make the Description. Of course, everyone who copyed the mode can easily change it and write there own Battletag, but honest players will not change it and will keep the mark of author.

https://ibb.co/bPz2m3J

Advantages:

  • Easy to make the mark, it does not take much effort.
  • The mark will be in your description and everyone can see it

Disadvantages:

  • Also everyone can easy change it and put there own Battletag

THE SECOND WAY

The second way more reliable, but it not 100% protect your mode. The way - you change all comments from your code to your battletag

https://ibb.co/qYq5D4C

Advantages:

  • I swear, when i copyed some codes from my friends SO HARD to understand what does each function and especially hard to understand the code of mode generally. It will be one more stair for protect your more from people who can copy it and modify, and then pass as own.

  • 50% Auditory who copy the mode even don’t go to the code and just use it as it exist now. Even if someone want to change it from Battletag to 1-2-3-4 etc. it will be so hard if you have 50+ functions, so the more functions in code, the more probability that the player who can change it just won’t do it because it will be so long. And if he will try to pass it as own, everyone who also copy the mode will see the real author of the mode.

Disadvantages:

  • It can be long, not so long, but maybe on it you will spend about 1-2 mins of your free time.

  • Better have unauthorized and authorized variations of the mode, because if you will have only the authorized variation and want to modify it somehow, you can get confused if own code.

THE THIRD WAY

The hardest one and most reliable. Encoding and decoding the mode by actions-keys of the author.

The idea is: If you will not do some actions and the start of game, game mode is changing the rules in some match time (as simple example, if Author of game in slot 0, will not make 10 teabags and hello communication, the mode in 30 seconds declare draw or start damage over time to all players 9999 time and 9999 damage).

The simple example of code you can get here:

N17ZY

This mode have the 2-keys activation: The 10 teabags and hello communication from the player in slot 0. If any condition is false (teabags < 10 or Hello = False) the mode close in 30 seconds Total Time Elapsed.

For you - not hard to make 10 teabags and say hello at the start of the game, but everyone who want to copy your mode and will try to play it, they will discover that nothing works. Only who know this rule (author or his friends who know about this thing) can play mode normally.

Of course someone can try to decode it. To try a find a function of Key-Actions and delete it. But the more key-actions will be - the more hard will be to decode it. Actually, if you put the key-actions not at the top or bottom of code, but in the middle, player can spend so much time for read all your code and delete not In-Mode function, because if he delete the system function, game mode will stop work normally. If you combine with Second Way, the decoding become almost impossible or will be needed so much time, so no one will be ready to this sacrifice only just to play your mode.

Advantages:

  • So strong protection level сopyright of mode.

  • So hard to decoding mode even if player skilled in Workshop.

  • Mode stop works for all who dont know the key-activations. So you can choose who should know it, who shouldn’t.

Disadvantages:

  • If you want strong protection of copyright mode, will be needed much action-keys , scattered at the different parts of your code. It can be so long and much work needed for it.

  • Works only if author or who know the keys, in game now. If author will leave on 1-2 mins to somewhere so mode stop working.

How mode working you can watch here:

THE FOURTH WAY

The patent of the gamemode somewhere, like some sites or youtube video.

Advantages:

  • If you add your mode at the some popular resourse, all auditory of this resourse will know that you developer of this mode.

  • Also it will be evidence of your authorship if someone in game will try a pass mode as his own, the early youtube video or post on popular resourse will be good authorization of your mode.

  • By this way you can also get some popularity in the community as good gamemoder.

Disadvantages:

  • If you invented same mode, which someone already created, resourse can not admit your authorship of this mode.

  • If you posted the mode not on so popular resourse, people can not admit your authorship too.

THE FIFTH WAY

Elegant, but not so effective way - The Hidden Code.

The idea is:

Algorithm:

  1. Pick lobby mode “Closed for all”
  2. Pick the preset you want
  3. Start the mode
  4. Change in settings from mode preset to empty-preset mode
  5. Open lobby for others

Mechanics of copying mode works, that people can copy the preset which activated now, not which in game now. So, if you picked the empty-preset mode, people who copy it copying the empty mode without any settings, which protecting your mode 100% from copying.

Advantages:

  • 100% protecting level of mode, because people just cant copy real setting of your mode
  • Not needed to encode/decode mode, which making this way easier

Disadvantages:

  • You can do this only one time, because when gamemode will restart, the settings of the mode will be emply, and you need to refresh it. After mode settings will be refreshed and before you change it back to empty, will be some time for real settings of mode will be activated, so people can easy copy it. For prevent it, you need to kick all people from lobby and repeat the algorithm above. Because you need to kick all, that way not effective, because people will not back to your lobby, so this way effective only if you planning only one game.

I hope this guide was useful for you. Be honest for others and don’t get hung up on protecting of your mode, but also be honest for other players. Never copy and use it without author-marks.

GOOD LUCK FOR ALL!

19 Likes

It’s pretty easy to find ‘Declare Match Draw’ or similar and remove.

Look
 fakes don’t fool anyone in the long run. No-one who is skilled enough to improve/change your mode in the first place cares about copying it. Will some people host versions of peoples work? Yep
 might claim it, might even edit it a bit. Ohh well. They aren’t going to put the time/effort into maintaining/improving/etc


I understand you guys are proud
 but it’s such a constrained system
 surely most people can copy maps just by observing the behavior.

4 Likes

Actually you are right, its look stupid, but i guess while Blizzard not made the system of privacy modes, its only way to defend your mode from copying, but:

  1. Who said its must be declare draw? It must be any rule which change gamemode rule, like healthpoints = 10%, gravity 400% or start damage over time to all players mode 9999 value and 9999 time (instant death for players). It can be anything that change gamemode rules and dont let play it normally, so your “its ez to find declare draw” - yes, its ez, on this simple example. If i make the good mode and will put there about 50 functions encode im sure you will not decode it so fast as you said.

  2. Why you think people dont like that others copy their modes? Why you think they creating posts here about this? You think ez to make any mode only if you see how it works? I dont think so. I saw the situations that some people created nice modes and on next day i saw already 3-4 same mods with changed description. And what you think i saw when i opened the code? The code i saw previous time, no one function was added or modified. People just copyed and played it like they developed this mode. You know that people dont making own modes when they even see how it works? Because its hard work, people dont want sit weeks for develop same mode if they just can copy it, and i understand the people who say on this forum that they dont like when someone copy the mode and then pass it like he developed this move, when did zero efforts for it.

The point is that regardless of that the bad effect is, it’s easily detectable, obvious, and easy to pick out. If you think otherwise, post a “protected map” and I’ll prove you wrong. Usually, just as with real software, a single modification will break the copy protection.

It takes less time than making the protections
 Spend your time making stuff

Yes, you are right, but this post made for players, who dont like that non-skilled people copying the modes without any efforts, bcz skilled players can make own mode without any copying from others. That mean that people, who non-skilled dont want to learn the workshop and spend much time to develop the mode.

Of course im sure that if i spend a 1-week human-hours, for encode, you will decode it on 1-day human hours or less. But actually up to this point did not have any ways for protection own modes from copying. So i guess i first in this way who paid attention on this direction. Maybe soon someone will invent more stronger way to defending mode from copying, or Blizzard will put finally the security of mode copying, but now i dont see other ways to defend the mode from copying.

If you challenge me, okay, maybe someday i will try to make a mode and encode it, then publish it on forum as competition, on fast decoding the encoded mode.

Will see you soon :slight_smile:

Anyway,

“Everything can be hacked, and everyone” ©

1 Like

What?
This makes no sense at all, what if the games finished (like it should be when you first open it to everyone) and nothing needs to be changed? oh quick! post this to reddit so i get all the fame all over youtubers and reddit.
:roll_eyes:

2 Likes

Fourth way, and if you’re feeling quite paranoid: Obfuscation
Before you remove all your comments (so you still know what you’re doing),
Add junk code that does not affect the game, but would make it EVEN more difficult for someone to edit and/or find your secret code to start the game.
Get fancy and require a certain variable for functions to run that itself is set from another function that requires a variable to run. Recursively nest these annoyances and your code gets to a point where it would be easier for a person to remake your game mode from scratch than to dissect your abhorrent monster of what was once code.

3 Likes

Don’t worry m8, nobody wants to steal your bad word. Trust me. You gotta make something worth something first.

Here’s how to actually make sure you are known as the author: publish it first (e.g. on Reddit or https://overwatchcustom.games/). Yes, this doesn’t protect it from changes, but it also keeps people from claiming the mode as their own.

3 Likes

Yes, you are right. If you can patent your mode somewhere its very nice, but i just suggested the way to encode the gamemode from unhonest players. Actually if Blizzard will also make the Author Marks at the created modes , when at the top of description players can see the author of the mode it will be so nice.

Upd: Added your way at my guide, thx for answer ^^

You can also make the code hidden. But this doesnt work on all modes. Especially if you need to restart.

But for example, a upgrade game goes between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 mins. After that, the server hard resets the game.

If you start the game with your setting and then change it to a blank one, the game remains the same until you restart yourself.
Hard resets keep the codes you had. And if you make a blank one, people can only copy the blank one.

So its hidden.
But this only works if you let it hard resets after 1 hour.

The problem is NOT people copying the game rooms. Why does it matter if someone wants to copy it? There’s only so many people that can play in a room at once.

The issue is people claiming to have done work on something that they didn’t. I have people who sit in my custom games for hours
 all the time. And, it’s not copied by anyone. It’s fine if people do, I don’t mind, but I would mind if they claimed they’re the ones who put the hours and years into the rebalance.

I can’t use any of this for the simple fact that it would make the game impossible to play if i choose to spectate. As long as no one is claiming to have done any of the work you did, I really don’t see the issue. If you’re going to be like that, then who are you making the game mode for? It’s not the community if you dont want them playing it.

Yes i agree, but as you see community so toxic because some people make zero efforts to make nice gamemode, just copy it and then using as own. I just told here about some ways how you can authorize your mode. If you want that people can copy it and play so you can use the Way One and Way Four, just indicated yourself as author in Description or by Youtube Video, but be ready for situations, that some people can just change your description and put there own Battletag. So dont cry in this case, because if you want people can copy it, some people can be unhonest and will not save your author mark. Without Blizzard you cant prevent it anyway, because no instruments exist to save your author mark in description and make no one can change it.

So way Three exist for encode your mode if you want others can play in your mode but cant copy it, so no one will pass your mode as own.

So you can choose the way you go, but if you choose the open sourse mode, be ready for aftermath.


P.S. Thank you SamusPharan for answer, added your way in the guide ^^

Really good guide ,I don’t even know “the 5th way” until I read this post.
Good work !

1 Like

Thanks for adding the one i use!

Its not just for one time use, if the game makes a normal hard reset (Game takes to long or when an error happens) the settings stay and you dont need to reset yourself.

What you mean?

I tryed to do what you said, i started the match and then i changed the code to empty preset. So then i restarted the match and preset was reset to empty preset.

Yeah. Thats one way.

But if you have a gamemode, that dont require time, the game shuts down after 1h and 30 mins. Cause the games takes to long. Then the game gets restarted. But the restard doesnt load the new settings.

Also if you have an “Unexpected Error” it also restarts this way.

Which means, you dont have that just for one game.

But anyway it will be one game, just match will be 1.5h, right?

Nope. After the reset, you get the second game. Which goes again 1.5h. And so on
 Until you decide to restart yourself.

Hmm you mean if match started and its not have a match time, it not will be 1,5 hours like one long match? It will restart in some match time ownself with old preset?