(Updated to Version 1.4)

I'm working on the first of a series of gel puzzles that I will eventually include as one package. This is a more progressed version of the first map. I still need to fix an overlay (the one near the first faith plate, if anyone can help with that), but it's almost done! Please give me feedback!

P.S. - The textures have a little break in them on the emancipation grills in the larger room in chamber 2. Hopefully someone will know how to fix this if they check out the .vmf

P.S.S. - I have also included my instances (Geodome and Custom Faith Plate)

File Name: Underground_1.4.zip
File Size: 4.91 MiB
Click here to download Currently Unnamed - Underground Theme [UPDATED V1.4]

Any feedback guys? There are 50 of you.

Needs a lot of work. I couldn't figure out what to do on the first puzzle. I think I might have had an idea as to what the intended solution was, but the problem is that there are so many ways for the player to get stuck - at the base of the supports, for example. If you want the player to enjoy solving the puzzle, they should be able to experiment with relatively few consequences. Death traps should only be used when the solution is clear or in situations where the player is unlikely to fall into them. I know this seems to defeat the purpose, but it Portal, death traps are mostly there for atmosphere (this doesn't apply to co-op)

I think it's a bad idea to use the faith plate in the speed gel test. It doesn't stand out visually from the surroundings because the player is unfamiliar with your design, and probably will not have stopped to examine the first one. Notice that Valve spent some time getting the player to stare at a faith plate in their campaign. Because of that (and other reasons), they are recognizable throughout the game. If the player cannot distinguish what it is (which is made more difficult by the emancipation grid) then they will have difficulty figuring out how to proceed.

The old test spheres lend themselves to large puzzles. As this is a work in progress I won't criticize this yet, but make sure you make use of all this space. As it it, the map feels very empty.

Keep working on it though.

I was just trying to get a couple puzzles done (i will do some work on making the puzzles more apparent and less places to get stuck) and it is my first map in hammer that I plan to release. I was just trying to get a feel for old aperture, since that is my favorite theme along with destroyed. I feel like one way to solve the aerial faith plate problem is to add a looping sound associated with it (like in lobster's map), put an arrow next to it, change some skins so it stands out more, and also:

-In that first room where it is encountered, have some junk drop from a hole in the ceiling that gets launched off to show that it is an aerial faith plate.

Also, in the old aperture areas, there isn't ACTUALLY that much in the puzzle itself, they just spread everything out around the spheres. So I COULD spread out the beginning puzzle room... it might be less confusing... but I feel like the puzzle would have the same result... maybe move the second angled brush in puzzle 1 a few units towards the original room and create a catwalk below that leads back up to the main test chamber to keep deaths at a minimum.

Personally I didn't think it was hard to understand what to do, didn't have a problem with recognizing the faith plates either. I agree that the map feels a bit empty though, the visual detail could also be improved.

I could solve the second puzzle (the one with the faith plate that leads to the exit elevator) without the white gel, don't know whether that was intended.

But overall nice, short map!

Can you tell me how?

You should fix that problem first:

Underground_1_test1.zip

Just sayin', you double post a lot.

Dilbao, I'm working on the problem where you can skip the first test, but the second problem is a mystery... I've never seen it happen when I'm playing...

Vordwann wrote:
Dilbao, I'm working on the problem where you can skip the first test, but the second problem is a mystery... I've never seen it happen when I'm playing...

Open door problem is about triggers. Since I enter the room from other side, I triggered "close" first and then I passed the "open" trigger. And both of them are trigger_once, so last triggered state will stay which is open. Basicly, if you fix the first problem, second will fix itself.

Yup. Thanks!!! Also, do you know how I can get rid of that line in my emancipation grids?

Downloaded the latest version and I can still use the exploit to finish the 2nd puzzle. Could it be that you uploaded the new version with the same file name? I think I read somewhere that the old file will still be in place if you upload a file with the same name to replace it. So I guess I still played the old version.

The first jump was a bit annoying btw. On my first try I immediately succeeded, but now I hit the wrong position multiple times and fell down into the water/acid. It's pretty easy to miss the correct spot, maybe you could do something about it (if didn't already, guess I played the old version).

I put a catwalk underneath... in the new version. I did upload the new version with the same file name. You might have to delete the previous one.

What I meant is that on this site the old file is not replaced with the new one you upload if you use the same file name. The old file simply stays in place. That's why I can't play the new version since I can't download it.

I'll change it as soon as I get home Sorry about that. I didn't know.

Just fixed it!