Four test chambers focused on hard light bridges and the different ways they can be used.

I currently have all four test chambers playable and detailed, so the map is more or less done! Thanks to all of you who helped. Go download version 08 now and enjoy 20-30 minutes of fun portalling.

Enjoy!

Screenshots:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/18787920/img/sp ... 080001.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/18787920/img/sp ... 080003.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/18787920/img/sp ... 080007.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/18787920/img/sp ... 080010.jpg

File Name: sp_bridges_tomorrow_08_final.7z
File Size: 21.31 MiB
Click here to download [SP] Bridges to a New Tomorrow

Excellent map. I think this, not one of those pretty destroyed Aperture ones, is my favorite because it's clean, challenging, well thought out, and fun. I wasn't sure however if your fourth room is fully built because I couldn't figure out how to get the cube off the bridge at the very right. Either that or I need to think harder ha. Well anyway, I took the liberty of recording myself running chambers 1 through 3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G29PFhDZdMw

Really nice map you've got going here. I like this darker tone of lighting for this environment, it gives it a unique yet mysterious touch. The slow change in difficulty was also nice. Here's the notes I made for each puzzle:

First puzzle
- took me a little while at first, solution was pretty straightforward but fun
- bug where you can fall out the side of the level, land on a support, have the screen fade out but not kill you if you stay still

Second puzzle
- loved the use of hard light bridges
- just the right difficulty
- one 'major' spot is bunnyhoppable, you can get to the light cube without needing to do the fling part beforehand

Third puzzle
- took me a while to figure out, realised the obvious solution
- simple, but difficult

Fourth puzzle
- pretty broken, you can complete the puzzle without using any gels (see this demo)

Overall I think it's a great map. Can't wait to see once it's fully detailed

@ Mog: If you shoot the speed gel onto the platform with the buttons, with careful aiming you can run and jump directly to the cube on the bridge. Not sure if this is the intended solution though.

Really nice map! The puzzles are fantastic. I really enjoyed playing all four chambers. I couldn't get that demo file that aborttrap gave file to work for me, and I can't imagine how to solve the fourth puzzle without using gels. If it requires a special trick, might leave it in! The fourth puzzle was especially fun, taking me the longest to figure out, and requiring a couple of places to "think out of the box". I've done about 15 contest maps so far, and this is easily the best so far.

Fermat, you can play the demo by:

1. Copy the file to <Steam directory>/steamapps/common/portal 2/portal2/
2. Launch Steam if isn't already open
3. Open the demo file in the place it was moved to, and Portal 2 should automatically play the demo

Or you can do steps 1 and 2, then launch P2 and run in the console:
playdemo zhan_chmb4_cut.dem

Also to control demo playback, you can enter demoui in the console.

Edit: oops, wrong demo file in example

Impressive job which proves how puzzle expertise, willpower can replace the need for awesome graphics all around. Average looks, marginally improved by the uncommon theme, make way for smart and operose design usually not found in mapping dreadnaughts. Once rounded and polished, it will be memorable.

Thank you all for your suggestions and for catching bugs, this is all extremely helpful.

aborttrap wrote:
@ Mog: If you shoot the speed gel onto the platform with the buttons, with careful aiming you can run and jump directly to the cube on the bridge. Not sure if this is the intended solution though.

That is indeed the intended solution to the fourth chamber.

Mog also had a really creative (but overly difficult) way of solving the third area of the third chamber, which was not the intended solution, but makes me realize that there's a really easy shortcut to the last area which needs fixing.

I'm not sure if I should bother to remove the bunny-hopping ninja solutions. I might.

Fun and satisfying to solve, although I agree that the fourth chamber needs work. It didn't really look like it was designed to have the solution mentioned above (which I don't think I'd have figured out on my own), and it required a bit too much precision and timing to get right for a puzzle game.

An autosave at the start of the third chamber would also be appreciated. =)

Very nice map. Challenging through the whole level, but the 4th subchamber is a little exaggerated. Especially when there's need to use gels to hoop over field to final exit (yes, I read that theres no need to use gels anywhere, well, I didn't manage how to do that;] ). Also I think that flinging to the platform with button should be corrected... Yes, after many tries I get there (mostly I failed by hitting the wall after fling through the higher portal), but I've got there successfully after 1 try when I've got cube with me.. Strange.

These we great maps. Some of the best I've played. Loved the enviroment and the music.
Puzzles we thought provoking but not super difficult. Keep up the good work! 5 cakes for you!

Another great map that doesn't seem to have gotten the love it deserves. Aesthetically, it's a little dull, but everything else about it is well done. Good puzzles requiring some but not ninja skill and just a little more brainpower than most. I've played a lot of maps with one room as good as this; it's nice to see someone stringing four good rooms together. Well done, 4/5 from me!

Cheers, I loved this map; it actually required some thinking!

This was awesome! 5/5.
Thanks for mapping