Unprotected Maps with Custom Skills

So it seems to be the style of professional map makers to come up with lots of really cool stuff and then lock it away so no one else can see how they did it. I've read several tutorials on spell editting, and I'd like to try my hand at making some maps for play on B.NET with custom abilities. Right now what would be most helpful is a couple of maps that I could open up and see how everything ticks. Does anyone know of any map with custom abilites (like in Rival Nations) that isn't edit-protected? Even if you don't have the URL, the file name would be helpful - I can probably find it. But at the moment I don't know what to look for. Only a small percentage of map makers seems to go through the hassle of creating new skills.

Another quick question, what happens when you open a map with custom skills in the world editor (UMSWE 3.4)? Do they show up like the rest of the abilities, or not at all? Someone said that I could damage the map by openning it after custom skills were added.

about the custom files in the w3m file (the map) the World Editor will not read the files that are in there for the custom spells, upgrades, artwork, anything... and when you click that save button, the original w3m is replaced with a newly created file, loosing all custom files that were in there, so yes you will erase it by opening and saving a map

However, if you first extract the custom files from the map, and put them in the corresponding folders in your Warcraft III\ directory, the World Editor will read them and allow you to place them as you want. Then you just need to add them in again with WinMPQ or whatever you prefer, after saving the map.

However, if what you want is to see the custom spells themselves, most of that information is in the files you'd extract, anyway.

Im making a map like that right now and im proberly finished tonight.. Anyway i could give you my map unprotected but then you have to promise me you dont give it away to anyone esle..

Why are all protecting our maps against newbies that just changes the name and add one tree and call the map their's it sux! The proberly add some cheat to their to :\

Just pm me or answer with an email or something i can post you my map but then you have to promise me dont give it away.. ?

First off, there's no such thing as a "professional mapmaker" except maybe working for blizzard. You're thinking of "skilled" mapmakers, which is something different.

Most mapmakers are only too happy to share the details of how they've done a particular skill. Most feel, however (quite rightly), that their "brand" gets diminished and their reputation diluted if every hack, lazy-*** and newbie can copy their map, make some minor changes, and then release a near-identical map. This isn't exactly the expert mapmakers lording their skills over the poor newbies - it's more about self-protection.

If there's a particular thing about a map you'd like to learn about, I suspect you can ask the mapmaker, and they'll tell you - there are very few if any "trade secrets" among mapmakers. If you're trying to do something in particular, though, why not simply ask people here how to do it? Usually you'll get a response.

Elil's Vale Of Dreams

JUST a little too big to attach it. Go to battle.net forums, he hangs around there.