Hello, Blizzard!
I’m writing this message to make a heartfelt appeal for improvements to the World Editor in Warcraft, which to this day has not received the updates it truly deserves. I’d like to request a new interface for the editor and share a list of suggestions, bug fixes, and limitations that need to be addressed to help the mapmaking community thrive.
The World Editor is not only a crucial tool for Warcraft — it’s an important piece of gaming history. Two entire genres were born within it: the MOBA, through the iconic DotA mod, and Tower Defense. Many other creative game types also originated from this editor. This proves the incredible creative potential of the community, which unfortunately has been neglected for far too long.
With that in mind, I sincerely ask Blizzard to turn its attention back to this tool — one that has kept Warcraft alive and relevant for so many years, even during long periods without major updates. I truly believe that improving the World Editor would bring great benefits to the game itself:
- It would motivate creators to launch new projects;
- It would generate positive visibility on social media as players share creative maps and mods;
- It would boost game sales, as many people buy Warcraft specifically to enjoy custom maps.
Warcraft was the first game I ever bought in my life, and it was thanks to the World Editor — a tool that allowed me to create my own game worlds without needing to be a programmer. I have a deep love for this franchise, and I know I’m not alone.
So, with all due respect and enthusiasm: please give the World Editor another chance. It still has so much to offer — to Blizzard, to the community, and to the future of Warcraft.
Sincerely,
A Warcraft Lover
Below is a wish list for the world editor
World Editor Limitations Removal
1. Inventory ability should allow more than 6 slots. It should display 9 or more items in the interface, with additional items accessible through an extra button, like a bag. Native support is required, not just scripts. (This is very useful for custom maps.)
2. The number of Tile Sets should have no limit. We should be able to use all available tiles.
3. Render more than 2 cliff types correctly. Maps with 4 cliff types currently render 2 types as duplicates of others.
4. In the object editor, abilities in the Damage field should support damage formulas and allow editing damage type beyond just “spell damage.”
5. When adding an AI-controlled player, it shouldn’t require occupying a player slot or color. Create AI with no color and free customization.
6. Fix AI crashes on larger maps (reported on Hive).
7. Maps larger than 60 MB cause desyncs and player disconnects when downloading in the lobby — needs fixing.
8. Map size should be larger than 480x480 or support seamless multiplayer map transitions with full editor support.
9. Improve loading speed for large maps with many triggers and objects. Accessing player properties should also be faster.
10. Increase the number of ability and command buttons available.
11. Increase the number of skills a hero can learn (currently limited to 5).
12. Abilities like Life Steal, Critical Strike, and Evasion should also work with abilities, not just basic attacks.
13. Maximum unit movement speed, currently capped at 522, should be doubled or quadrupled.
14. Add natives for detecting when a unit is healed or damaged by specific types (fire, frost, shadow, etc.).
15. Fix water pathing issue — shallow water terrain lowering leaves aquatic pathing active, causing units to float on land.
16. Allow PNG or JPEG images for loading screens, minimaps, and preview screens. Bring back map preview in the lobby.
17. Improve the World Editor UI: fix small fonts, improve lists, allow custom folders for spells, units, and assets; allow deleting models/textures in folders.
18. Add the option to create additional currencies besides gold and lumber in the object editor, allowing mapmakers to set custom currencies for purchasing items and units.
19. Add alternative resource costs for spells (rage, energy, runes, etc., like WoW).
20. Add multiplayer cinematic triggers so only specific players see cutscenes.
21. Allow applying buffs directly to units via triggers without requiring spell casting.
22. Support simultaneous use of JASS and Lua scripting in the same map.
23. Increase the item ability limit (from 4 to 30 or remove the limit).
24. Fix Orb effects so they work with auto-attacks, not just manual commands.
25. Add option to enable/disable auto-attacks per unit or globally (useful for espionage maps).
26. Add an option for item name suffixes in the editor for internal organization without changing the player-visible name.
27. Add a buff field similar to the unit point value field for easier trigger identification of buff types.
28. Add the option to disable cheats in single-player mode within custom maps.
29. Increase the player limit from 24 to 32 or 48.
30. Add more editable fields in the Object Editor via triggers (e.g., gold and lumber cost for items).
31. Add skill charges so skills enter cooldown only after charges are depleted.
32. Add a native map protection system allowing password locking to prevent unauthorized access.
33. Allow mapmakers deeper access and enhancements in object and trigger editors.
34. Provide an export mode for “playable-only” maps that can’t be reopened and auto-optimize by removing unused assets and compressing scripts.
35. Ability to change keybinds for abilities via triggers.
36. Ability to change spell icons per unit basis without hacks.
37. Increase JASS line-limit from 256 to 512 or 1024 for longer strings and tooltips.
38. Implement Template Strings (e.g., sprintf or String.format) for dynamic text in tooltips and quests.
39. Improve compile times for maps with many triggers and systems.
40. Allow adding/removing bonuses like Strength, Agility, and Intelligence, as well as base values, directly through code without requiring abilities.
41. When changing ability values via triggers, new values should apply immediately without needing to re-level abilities.
42. Add triggers to enable/disable attack 1 or attack 2.
43. Support clean registering/unregistering of unit event listeners to prevent memory leaks.
44. Add multiplayer-safe GetZ functions for units and effects, prioritizing safety over precision.
45. Add IsUnitDestinationValid(unit, x, y) to check if a unit can path to a location, considering terrain and collisions.
46. Add GetUnitValidPathable(unit, x, y) returning the nearest reachable point to target coords.
47. Allow specifying string keys from war3map.wts and StringList FDFs in all string fields to reduce custom strings needed for translation/localization.
48. Fix bug where upgrade effect fields (like rmvx) are wrongly added to war3map.wts.
49. Make entries in war3mapMisc.txt translatable instead of requiring per-language file copies.
50. Fix summon unit event for Pocket Factory (currently does not work).
51. Fix GetTriggerUnit for EVENT_PLAYER_HERO_REVIVE_START (does not return the altar unit).
52. Fix EVENT_PLAYER_HERO_REVIVE_CANCEL event, which does not trigger when clicking the hero icon in the revive queue.
53. Black Arrow ability needs a field to specify max creep level (currently hardcoded to 5).
54. Staffall buff effect (the star effect) is always the same and cannot be customized — needs option for variation.
55. Fix game crashes when dependencies have equivalent IDs.
56. Fix crashes when the minimum number is larger than the maximum number in Dark Portal settings.
