Mapraider.com

Click on a question below to expand and view the answer. Have a question that's not listed here? Use our contact form to send us an email.

• Accounts

  Q. Is registration required ot use the site? Does it cost anything?

  No. You may browse the site and download maps all you want without registration or payment.

  Members who do decide to donate to the site get some extra perks like advertising removed off of the site.

• Q. What are the benefits of registering as a member?

  With a free Mapraider account, you can:

  • Access our high-speed, direct download mirror
  • Follow your favorite map authors and get notified when they release new or updates to maps you've previously downloaded
  • Post comments, write reviews and subscribe to discussions
  • Track your favorite maps
  • Rate maps you've played
  • Add links and tags to maps
  • View real-time map statistics
  • Build a profile to promote your maps, your clan and links to your web sites
  • Submit maps and have them hosted for free on our multiple download mirrors
  • Get notified when members post comments on maps you favorited, already commented on or subscribed to
  • Participate in private map testing
  • And access to other advanced, member-only site functions

• Maps and Submissions

  Q. My map is on the site already, but I didn't submit it. How did that happen?

  Another member of the site or an administrator submitted it for you.

  If it's not already assigned to your account, you can login and you can click the "Claim Map" button to have the map assigned to you. This will allow you to edit, correct, track and update the map yourself.

• Q. Why do some map have poor, low-resolution screenshots?

  When Mapraider originally launched over 10 years ago, we didn't require big screenshots. We're working on updating all of the maps with low-resolution screenshots. Thanks for your patience.

  If you'd like to help, please do! Take higher-resolution screenshots for any map that needs them (try to take similar shots to those that exist) and send them to us along with the link to the map on the site.

• Q. When clicking breadcrumb menus, filters on the right are removed. Can I avoid having to reselect them?

  Yes! Simply hold the SHIFT key down while clicking on new filters in the breadcrumb dropdown menus to retain additional filters you've already selected. Note that you can only do this from the game type, genre, size and play style levels. It does not work when switching game sytems since game types usually don't match between game systems.

• Q. Can I submit a map or pack created by someone other than myself?

  Yes, as long as you enter the correct author information when submitting.

• Q. What are the submission guidelines?

  When submitting maps to the site, make sure that the submission:

  • Does not violate our Terms of Use
  • Includes uploaded screenshots that ...
    • are actual screenshots of the map
    • are at least 640x480 when you uploaded them
    • don't have extra logos, graphics, text or treatments added to them

• Q. Why was my submission declined?

  There are very few reasons why it would be declined. See our submission guideliens above for a detailed list, edit the submission as needed and try submitting it again. The most common reasons for a decline are:

  • Problem with the map's distribution archive/files
  • Submission violates our terms of use
  • Screenshots aren't appropriate — if your screenshots have extra graphical treatments added to them, we won't approve your submission and will either decline or replace the screenshots ourselves, both of which will delay approval

• Q. How do I remove a map from the site?

  That depends. We almost never remove maps from the database, and for good reason. When something is published on the internet, we believe that in most cases it should remain there or redirect to its new location, avoiding the frustration of dead links. Trying to find a map you played eight years ago is a whole lot easier when the links still work.

  Our goal is to also build the most complete library of maps that we can. That means that we believe every map — even the crappy, old or buggy ones — should be on the site. Someone may want to see or download it one day regardless of how you feel about it.

  That said, there are very few instances where we will remove a map from the database:

  • The map is highly innapropriate, slanderous or defamitory in an obviously offensive manner.
  • The map is a copy of another map or a direct ripoff of another author's work without written permission and the original author requests it to be removed.
  • The map infringes on a 3rd party's intellectual property and the IP holder or legal representative of that 3rd party requests it to be removed.

  We will not remove maps for the following reasons, so please don't ask:

  • It's old, outdated, a beta version or has bugs and there is no newer version available
  • You don't like your map anymore for whatever reason (your skills have improved, you're ashamed, etc)
  • You just don't want anyone to download it anymore
  • You want to make the map exclusive for some reason (make it only part of a pack, etc)

  Of course, there are exceptions to the rules, but our administrators have the total and final say as to whether a map stays or goes. No amount of grousing about it will get you anywhere and impolite and rude removal demands will simply be ignored.

  Here are ways to avoid having the issue of needing to remove one of your own maps:

  • Keep the entry on Mapraider up to date by submitting the latest version as soon as possible. Mapraider's version control system will make sure the most recent version is displayed even when going to old links.
  • Before releasing the map as final, make sure that it is final and make sure that you really really really want to release it. If you submit your map to any site (and not just Mapraider) and people download it, it will be forever on the internet regardless if you have us remove it from our database.
  • If you don't want beta versions to appear around the net, only release them privately to your beta testers. You can use Mapraider's built in Private Beta Testing feature to automatically manage this for you.

• Miscellaneous

  Q. How can I request that a new game system, game type or play style be added to the site?

  Just ask by sending us a request using our contact form.

• Q. How do I take screenshots?

  See the screenshot guide located on our Tools & Plugins page.

• Q. What's new in Mapraider 2.0?

  The site has been completely rewritten from the ground up, so there's quite a bit! Here are just a few of the most noteable changes and improvements:

  • Browsing and search for maps has been made more helpful, allowing you to fine tune your parameters as you browse through the maps
  • Map submission has been made faster, easier and much more robust with support for multiple author listings, map packs, changelogs, required packages and more
  • A variety of new RSS feeds are available including ones that you can customize with your own parameters
  • The rating system has been dramatically improved, is faster and allows you to change your rating if you change your mind
  • Private beta testing has been significantly improved with secure download links, easier management of your testing team including the ability to send email to your testers from the site
  • Screenshots are MUCH larger, zoomable from anywhere, and embedded video support has been improved and expanded to a wider variety of video sites
  • The site now supports multiple languages/localizations based on your browser settings

• Q. Who created Mapraider?

  Many individuals have been involved in the production of Mapraider and each are owed a great deal of thanks:

  Mapraider 2.0

  Design & Development

  John "FreakinMeany" Dailey

  Testing & Feedback

  Avarin
  bobzilla
  Chris Weidert
  Firefly
  fragnbrag
  Hazel.H
  JRGoesGreenland
  JTRipper
  LittleMOM
  Mr. Brownstone
  [morpheus]
  saka
  Sjosz
  SpoonDog
  UnShame

  Localization

  Alberto "Fobos" Martínez
  GEx
  JRGoesGreenland
  Luxon776
  MagFreakinNeto
  Nathalie "Metalfist" Van Agtmaal
  Renato "RennyManJr" Gelmini
  Szögyényi Róbert
  UnShame

  Mapraider 1.0

  Design & Development

  John "FreakinMeany" Dailey

  Testing & Feedback

  Bot_40
  Chris Weidert
  Chrysaor
  JTRipper
  NYGrrrl