All maps built prior to the release of ManiaPlanet 4 should be upgraded.
Why do we say that? Keep reading...
ManiaPlanet 4 Update
ManiaPlanet 4 includes great performance improvements. Blocks received geometry updates; some that had no clips previously, now do. And the way lightmaps work has been improved.
Because of these changes, and others, old maps can't be played without looking broken, sometimes even breaking the route. For example, this is what a map looks like if it's played without being updated:
This is what the same map looks like when upgraded to ManiaPlanet 4:
How do I update my maps?
Currently:
- Your map becomes invalidated if you open it in the editor.
- Setting a new validation time will change your map's unique identifier (UID).
-
Uploading an updated map with a different UID will cause all replays to be lost and previously set Dedimania times will no longer be synced with that map page.
Therefore,
we recommend that you not use the editor to upgrade your maps, unless you're doing some block changes that will require a new validation time to be set.
Instead, you should
use the batch converter. Guides here:
https://forum.maniaplanet.com/viewtopic.php?p=289131#p289131
Please note: Some older blockmixed maps that used TM2Unlimiter, or other similar tools, may not convert properly.
What about replays?
Maps that have been updated to ManiaPlanet 4 on
ManiaExchange may have replays from a previous version. Those replays will be tagged with a little warning icon showing they were from a previous version of ManiaPlanet.
Old replays contain the old map data, so it's best to play against new replays or download the updated map itself.
Maps that have not been updated to ManiaPlanet 4 will display a warning at the top of the map page.
Replays driven in ManiaPlanet 4 cannot be uploaded to older maps until the map has been updated to ManiaPlanet 4.
How do I find ManiaPlanet 4 compatible maps?
You can search for ManiaPlanet 4 compatible maps by using the GameVersion search filter, or using this URL:
https://tm.mania-exchange.com/tracksearch2?gv=1
Who will update the maps on MX?
Players are welcome to upgrade their own maps.
Those that don't upgrade will eventually have their maps upgraded by the Project GPU team.
Project GPU is a team of players which includes MX crew, and a select group of trusted server owners and community leaders. Our goal is to have nearly every map playable in the current version of the game.
If you find your map has already been updated by the Project GPU team, you can check to make sure it works properly. If changes are needed, you can do them yourself and update the map again manually. If you feel you can't update the map, you can always hide it, or leave it in it's current state.
Hidden maps will generally not be updated by the Project GPU team.
Maps already updated to ManiaPlanet 4 will not be updated again (with the exception of those in the RPG titlepack).
We are on track to finish upgrading all the maps on MX by early July 2017. Valley and Storm are already completed. Canyon is nearly done. Stadium is very close as well.
What about old versions of maps?
We are keeping a backup of old versions of maps the Project GPU team updates.
Downgrading a map is possible, but takes a lot of time to find the map. Most players will not be playing the old versions of the game, so please think seriously before requesting a downgrade. We will choose to honor such requests on a case by case basis.
We won't have backups of old versions of maps authors update themselves.
Feedback
Post any questions or comments below. We'll do our best to answer them. Thanks for supporting
ManiaExchange during this transition!