Complete Outland Gatherer Data: Should I Share?

vespoli · 03-09-07, 11:57 AM

Hi all.

Back in the day, I used to use Gatherbook to import a database containing just about every herb and mineral spawn into my Gatherer database. Gatherbook is no longer updated and does not work with the current version of Gatherer. So, being super sneakly and clever, I made a Find-and-Replace Visual Basic script in Microsoft Word that took coordinates from WoWHead and converted them into the format for the Gatherer entries. A little copy and paste, and voila, I now have the data for every single herb and mineral spawn in Outland: 1933 herb and 2273 mineral nodes.

Here's a sample pic: http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...d2/Nagrand.jpg

The question is, should I share this? The method of distribution would be the "Gatherer.lua" file in the savedvariables folder.

Things to take into consideration:
-The developers of Gatherer have explicity stated that the most comprehensive sharing they will support is sharing nodes you pick with party members and guild members who are online at that very moment.
-A few other authors have created their own Gatherer sharing mods that transfer data between players. However, sharing over 4000 nodes (as in this case) takes over an hour.
-Some people think that having such a comprehensive Gatherer database is "cheating" players who don't have the mod.

Thanks for your input!

P.S. I am not at all a coder, just a player who happens to be pretty good at using find-and-replace.

sid67 · 03-09-07, 02:35 PM

I think the question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you want to create your own competition. Inevitably, if you make this available to everyone, some people will be disappointed because it will create more competition for nodes. Those people will obviously jeer you and feel it is cheating. Others, the ones who took the easy road, would thank you.

Personally-- I wouldn't make such a thing available. In the end, you'll be disliked by a good deal of people for doing it (and possibly even the creators of Gatherer) regardless or how many people thank you for it. Karma has a way of coming round on people and I wouldn't want to have the ill will directed at me.

But that's just me. If your asking if I think it's unethical, then the answer is no. I don't think it's unethical to share information. It may be unpopular, but it's not unethical.

Jackis · 03-12-07, 08:53 AM

YES, mate ppls need your data!

Wikwocket · 03-12-07, 10:03 AM

For what it's worth, someone did the same thing with the Wowhead data for Cartographer. They created herbalism and mining files containing every node in the entire game, and posted these files in the wowace forums.

As for whether you want to share yours, it is a decision you will have to make. But in case it affects your decision, this kind of data is already out there in some form.

Jackis · 03-12-07, 05:13 PM

Vesopoli I personally ask You for that data. I don't know anything about scripting or addons making. So please I need it, don't be greedy.

Robinton · 03-23-07, 12:39 PM

Ves,

I sent you a PM. Please reply.

Rob

Wowgamer233 · 03-23-07, 01:57 PM

Maybe I'm missing something or misinterpreting this but if someone maps "every node in the game..." for particular skills, then would the map not just be absolutely covered in nodes since nodes do appear randomly ?

There is an element of logic to where things apper, i.e. copper near water, etc. Once you have done a few circuits of a zone it's kinda obvious where things spawn.

Again, sorry if I am missing something but I do think I am stating the obvious...

GrissomXIX · 03-23-07, 02:31 PM

Well, nodes don't randomly spawn as much as you might think. I've farmed EPL almost since release for thorium and found that the spawn points are almost always the same if not always. Unless they have changed some coding in BC that has allowed nodes to spawn randomly in the Outlands (which I'm not sure why they wouldn't add it to Azeroth).

Personally, I say keep the information yourself...I have full Cartographer database files (both herbalism and mining) that I won't be sharing with anyone other than maybe my friends/family/guild if they ask.

Originally Posted by Jackis

Vesopoli I personally ask You for that data. I don't know anything about scripting or addons making. So please I need it, don't be greedy.

It's not a matter of making an addon or being greedy, it's about using the tools available and taking the time to track and store the data yourself.

Imme · 03-25-07, 03:28 PM

I would love to have this information, my harddrive just crashed and I just cant bring myself to even think about herbing without a proper map!

Makivante · 03-27-07, 07:58 AM

I want to make sure I'm understanding you. You took the coordinates from wowhead and wrote a program that basically translates them into cartographer data? If so, the coordinates are of course, not your work - they are the work of all people who contribute data to wowhead. Your work is the program that translated them into a cartographer file.

Does this mean you have any obligation to share it? Of course not. Others have access to the same coordinates and can write the program if they have the savvy. In response to another poster, someone who doesn't give you their work is not "greedy".

Personally, the reason I even found this thread was due to the fact that I Googled for it after installing a new version of cartographer that somehow turned all of my existing mining nodes into red "X's on black backgrounds. It makes for an unsightly world map. I hope to find a file like yours so that I can easily replace all my lost data. I am sure it would also add a few nodes that I do not have, which would rock (bad mining pun ftl).

As far as the competition aspect - well, there are over 100 servers so the amount of direct competition you'd create is pretty insignificant.

It's a tough call.

Good luck, either way, and grats on a full map =)

vespoli · 03-29-07, 07:51 AM

Hi all,

I apologize for not replying promptly, I have been away (spring break!) for a couple weeks and am just getting back into my schoolwork. Thanks for being patient.

I have decided that at this time, I will not be sharing my Gatherer data files. I came to this decision after thinking about a number of different things, including:
-Competition. I'm not worried that I will start running into competition from other people on my server. Instead, I worry that making it so easy for many people to get a complete gatherer database makes it unfair for players who don't run the addon, to the point where getting Gatherer and Cartographer is a "must-have" addon like CTRaid was back before Blizzard added the raid frames.
-Legality. Publishing such complete database files drifts into the gray area between legal modifications of the UI and simply taking advantage of other people. If this became too popular, Blizzard might change the API to prevent Gatherer/Cartographer from functioning (think of the overhealing/mana-conserve mods). I do not want to jeopardize the countless hours of hard work the developers of Gatherer and Cartographer have put into their mods. Furthermore, I do not want to risk my account (or any my friend's accounts who I use to mine) getting suspended or banned.
-Developers. Norganna, the developer of Gatherer, explicitly stated that the other level of data "sharing" he supported is the online guildie sharing that is currently implemented. I would not want to circumvent his wishes in how his addon is used by distributing such a file.

This being said, please do not send me any e-mails, send me any private messages, or (in the case of Jackis who called me "greedy" when I hadn't even replied to his original post) track down my guild's forums and send me four private messages over the course of one day regarding sharing the data. I trust that you won't distribute it and that you are on a different server than I am on, but I have made my decision and I stick by it.

Maybe in the future I will consider sharing it, but for now I will not.

Thanks for reading.

-Vespoli

P.S. I will be regularly checking this thread if you have any further questions/comments.

Summary:
DO NOT PM me asking for the file. I have made my decision, and I will NOT be sending it to you.

rommal · 04-04-07, 07:39 AM

kk your choice

I am VERY disapppointed but I respect your decision

bsm0f0 · 04-04-07, 11:36 AM

Great decision =D

I'm all for information exchange etc ... but, I can't believe the number of people that are too lazy to pull up wowhead.com and look with their own eyes. I have gatherer and I use wowhead to find the nodes ... if the node not there, I make my rounds and check again. It's not that hard or difficult, or even time consuming for that matter, since I'd be running around looking anyway.

vespoli · 04-06-07, 05:14 PM

PLEASE STOP sending me private messages asking for the file.
I will not be distributing the file, no matter how much you insist that you won't share it with anyone else or how miniscule an impact it would have on me. This decision I made on principle, and I stick by it.

Thank you.

-Vespoli

**Seerah** · 04-06-07, 06:18 PM

Back off, people.

zaneosak · 04-12-07, 03:07 PM

Immature to post at all and not share it. You should expect to be bombared with PMs with this kind of information.

You should of either a) posted it on your original post and said merry christmas
or

b) not posted at all and not shown a screenshot making people bug you

Ziraji · 04-13-07, 04:07 PM

Idiot........