You become a server for Far Cry 2 user-created maps if your connection is faster than Ubisoft's

Ubisoft's told us you'll be downloading user-created Far Cry 2 maps both from Ubisoft's servers and other gamers' consoles: it all depends on speed.

"[The service is] through Xbox.com or PSN's network, but it's on Ubisoft's server," said Far Cry 2 multiplayer producer Richard Gaetan.

"There are two strategies, because if you created a map and then if you [set up] a match with it, people that connect to your game will download it from you.

"But if you post it on Ubisoft's server, then players will connect to your game but they won't have your map. The engine will select which has the best connection - is it from you or the Ubisoft server? - and then it will download it from the fastest connection."

The Far Cry 2 map editor has been catching a lot of attention in the last few weeks, and is said to be basically the same toolset the developers themselves used to create the on-disc maps. If you've got the PC version, though, you won't be playing 360 maps: all the content from the three version is to be kept separate.

"The engine at its core is the same, but the specifics for each platform are a bit different," Gaetan added.

"The saving format is different in respects to the PC and the PS3, so its three different [formats]. But at the same time we thing that with the strategy that we have, the user can store their maps and publish their maps on Ubisoft's server, and everyone can see the PC and PS3 maps, and Xbox maps.

"I think we'll have enough maps for each console. We'll be OK."

Far Cry 2 ships on October 24 for PC, PS3 and 360.