I've heard that maps in Reach are stamped with the original author (person who first forged on them) which is why it's perhaps not a good idea to use other people's forge templates. I've never looked into this because it just wasn't meaningful to me until very recently, for reasons that are highly unimportant. I have a few questions: 1. Where do you see the original author? Can it be seen in Reach in the file browser somewhere, or do you need to go somewhere on the Bungie site..? 2. Has anyone found any proven method of wiping this clean or overwriting it with a different name? I was wondering, for instance, if playing someone else's map in a lobby and then saving it from your temp files would retain the original author name. 3. Tangential to #2 - or maybe just another way of asking the same question - is there any way to basically copy someone else's map WITHOUT ending up with them as the original author on it? Short of rebuilding the whole thing? Note: if you think this information is inappropriate to be given out here or you just question my motives, feel free to PM me, and I'll explain my interest. I'm not trying to steal anybody else's map. But I also don't want to widely publicize the real reason I'm asking - at least not yet. Nobody's in trouble and there's no juicy gossip behind it.
When you're in your map list, hit X to see the file details. It should tell you the original author and if it was then edited by someone.
It's probably all listed somewhere under the file details, along with the time it was created or modified. My guess is that it's something like this: <Map Name> <Map Description> Created by <Forger1> on XX/XX/XXXX at <YY:YY:YY> Modified by <Forger2> on ZZ/ZZ/ZZZZ at <TT:TT:TT> Tags: <Tags> The fact the "created" and "modified" labels are different means that it's probably not possible to wipe it clean, at least not using a legitimate method; perhaps with a modded Xbox, but that's about it and leads to a whole host of other issues. That being said, rebuilding a map from scratch can hypothetically allow to "steal" a map... but it's a lot of work, somewhat negating the point if one wanted to "steal" the map in the first place. It then becomes an imitation of, or perhaps at best inspired by, the original map; you could also make changes to the original to fix unforseen problems, or add your own twist on the original concept. This just begs the question of if it's such a big deal to ask for permission from the original map creator to modify their map, and you can then give credit where it's due (while asking for permission isn't exactly required for maps which are inspired by another map, it's still good ettiquette to say where you got that inspiration from). Theft doesn't quite seem to be the case here, so I'll guess it's a case of finishing off a project which was abandoned in some way; or perhaps the original map creator asked you to finish it for you (or even further, it's one of your own but on a separate gamertag, perhaps a friend's, for whatever reason). If it's a map someone else started and they wish to remain anomonyous, the quickest solution is to convince them otherwise; if it's one of your own from another gamertag, you could simply be honest about that (people believing you is another story). Anyhow, the only real solution to getting the "created by" tag to match your name is to start anew from scratch. Other than that, you just have to bite the bullet about not having it (and be honest for the reasons why, should the question be asked).
Thanks to both of you for the responses. I actually just thought of something that I think will work for my purposes. Like I said I don't want to spill the beans, but I'm trying to think of a way to play a map without knowing (or even having it be possible for me to find out) who originally made it. I don't even want to modify it, just play it. And I think I just figured out how to do it. Thanks anyway!
Nut, are you talking about a way to hind your name from the map file? If so, please let me in on the details as I'd love to hide my name from my future releases... Simply because certain scumbags like to hate.
Sort of, yeah. I think in your case all you'd have to do is download somebody else's map or template, delete everything from it and build your own map, then have somebody else make one small change and save your map. That should make you neither the original creator or the person who last modified it. The question is whose name you're fine with having in those two slots, because apparently both of them have to be filled by somebody.
If you are talking about proving you are the original author, just keep a video of the map. It has the time stamp and author embedded in it as well, but it won't change even if the map has minor or major changes to it. There is one person who boasts about taking new ideas from my maps for his own. And since I won't advertise my maps here, you may see my designs in his maps here first. That is unfortunate, but I can demonstrate I came up with those ideas first if I have to. Edited by merge: It is my understanding that if you take a Bungie map and make changes, you become the creator and the modifier. If someone else then modifies it further, they only become the modifier, but you are the creator for that and any lineage map that follows from the original changes you made. In the scenario I think you are describing, person A becomes the creator and modifier, then person B replaces person A as the modifier, then person C replaces person B as the modifier and B is lost from the lineage. If you are trying to prove you had a hand in the map's evolution, then keep a video or the last map that you want to "own". Other thoughts... One thing you can do to prove a map came from you is to hide a street cone somewhere on the map where only you know it is at with a game type label that someone is very unlikely to be able to think of and delete the object - if they even bother to audit all the pieces. You could embed one block inside the other and not be able to see them, though you would know it is there and is proof of your original work on that lineage.
The only way to change the file author is moderating, apparently using data transfer cable to pc although it is bordering on moderating.