Should map-making bots be allowed?

[spoof]

Well, the idea behind map-making bots is that you create "sections" of map, of various sizes and challenges. Then you "highlight" bordering sections that could possibly connect with other sections. You can then submit these sections into the bot program, and it simply and randomly combines sections, of course accounting for size and possibly similar theme. It wont make the golden maps, but it offers a variety of potential. Should they be allowed?


By the way, these map-making bots are vaguely discussed on Numa here.


Any opinions? Ideas? Blatant objections?

[otters~1]

Eh. Ought to be moved to N Mapping. As for the subject, no problem unless the mapper tries to claim it as his own work. I used tileset generators once or twice a few years ago.

[spoof]

Ha dang i was half kidding, are these kind of bots actually made? Well theyre probably not called bots, but id wonder if any good maps could be made from this. A harmonious map wouldnt just 'put sections together' but have a flow that couldnt be replicated.. on the other hand, variety is the spice of life, certain kinds of slower sections could fit together no problem.

[RandomDigits]

Well...
This guy is a bot. He's pretty good.
I think as long as you say how it was made, it's fine...

[SkyPanda]

"Map making bot"? I think you mean map generator.
There's a few out there, LV's is my favourite. I don't have a link sorry.

What you have described is not actually how the generators work, either. Most existing generators (there's only been about four or five posted to the forums) use random placement, not 'highlighted sections' or whatever. In pseudo-code:

repeat (random#)
{
var_x = random#;
var_y = random#;
function_place_gold(var_x,var_y);
}

Or something similar.

At the moment I'm using a generator to make some maps. If I submit them to NUMA, I won't feel the need to say that. I made the generator, and therefore I indirectly made the maps. The quality of the maps is directly related to how I code the generator. Therefore, there is no less skill involved in generating maps.

Furthermore, practically speaking, there is no way to determine whether or not a map has been generated by a program. Even if you could, there is no rule against it, nor should there be.


The only possible problem with these generators is when mapper A uses a generator made by mapper B, and submits the map without crediting mapper B. This is not so much a problem with using generators as it is a problem with stealing and not crediting.



/case closed?

[PsychoSnail]

I'm fine as long as it's tagged as autogenerated.