I'm looking to make something here and wonder if anything like it exists today, and also what people may think of it.

I want to implement a javascript tile engine that allows anyone to create dungeons from tiles/tilesets that people/artists can upload to the site. You can then save your dungeon to the server where anyone can play. It's basically a user created/driven dungeon maker that runs within the rules of the javascript/php engine I make.

Players can then rate their favorite dungeons so the best bubble to the top. People wouldn't have to login to play, but if they wanted to make an account their xp, gold and such would be kept track of.

1) Is there anything like this out there today?

2) What do you think of the idea?

3) Any issues you see with this? I would have to check out the tiles being uploaded and approve them before they are available for use so as to avoid getting some porn stuff probably.

Other than the legal problem that most of the tiles on OpenGameArt are cc-by-sa or cc-by-sa-nc... be careful when serving ad's as you may be liable for copyright infringement. Be careful to design the site with the safe harbor clause in mind.

I can point you to a great tile engine design. And yeah, such. things exist, but they're usually 'you host them' deals (I think the legal issues is why).

Also the fun sprite-rips that people upload to other websites. There are some challenges. Checking takes the safe harbor clause off the table, not checking doesn't. I'm wondering about automated checking with a lot of tile sets with known licenses.

Was thinking of doing the same once... sans user upload (predefined tile sets). Was also going to use an 'is NC' flag for advertising to disable it when noncommercial content is being displayed... though that makes me wonder how YouTube handles cc-by-nc content.

be careful when serving ad's as you may be liable for copyright infringement.

When you say "service ad's" you mean advertising on the site? I guess I didn't plan on advertising (at least not at first if ever). If I was to make money it would probably be another avenue.

I can point you to a great tile engine design. And yeah, such. things exist, but they're usually 'you host them' deals

Yeah those are probably trying to sell their engine? I'm not so much trying to sell the engine as I am giving people the ability to make dungeons within the engine framework for all to play on my site. I'm more interested in seeing what people can create.

I wonder if I can check for inappropriate tiles but not copyright and still be under the safe harbor clause.

I can point you to a great tile engine design

Would love that!

Is there a game bound to this or is it for physical role-playing? In that case there's quite a lot of competition, one of the best IMO is http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/dungeon/

There would be an actual web based video game bound to this. You would be moving around an avatar and attacking enemies, doing quests (that the dungeon creator made) and such.