7 more chambers. Again, I must warn you that these are experimental. I've attempted to give the player direction without resorting to neon signs, but some ideas are a little...odd. Some chambers have autosaves right before you are about to kill yourself. So, if you die, don't panic...much.

Each chamber will lead to the next. The last one does not have an elevator, so the transition may be a bit jarring. Start the sequence with 'map testmap_22'.

The following is a list of all the maps in the pack with their titles from corresponding YouTube videos:
testmap_22 - Up and Down
testmap_24 - Align It Yourself
testmap_25 - Enough is Enough
testmap_26 - Lateral Thinking
testmap_27 - Heavy Lifting
testmap_28 - Not Another Puzzle
testmap_29 - Assuming Control

Due to vpks not working right at the time of posting, this is a zip file with the maps and materials folders. Extract them to wherever you can get Portal 2 to recognize them.

Note: Align It Yourself will briefly toggle cheats to get sv_allow_mobile_portals working. The Peer Review update (or its subsequent updates) somehow made toggling it without cheats unreliable. The chamber isn't broken without mobile portals, it'll just take a little longer.

Please let me know of any bugs you find...except that hard light surface over videos not working right. I don't believe I can do anything about that without sacrificing one or the other. Also, the spheres in 28 may disappear through the floor. Blame Source's physics.

Release 1.0.1:
Changed the map transition command in 26 from 'changelevel' to 'map' as a fix for visibility issues in 27.

Release 1.0.2:
Added clip to mobile portal surface in 27 to prevent players from getting stuck behind.
Primary attack is automatic fire and secondary is semi-auto in 29.
Added broken room to 29 to mirror the target room. It is difficult to see and may be removed/moved/replaced in a future release.
All maps set map_wants_save_disable to 0 after 4 seconds have elapsed. This fixes the issue where players were unable to quicksave until they either reloaded the map or changed the variable themselves.
Disabled top wall projectors in 26 to make getting to the elevator easier if the player fell.

Release 1.0.3:
Assuming Control:
Added tipped over tube and crushed turret
Modified player failure execution to briefly toggle cheats
Made falling tube demonstration start earlier and more prominent
Added possibility to destroy target without having to neutralize immediate threats
Modified firing system activation to briefly toggle cheats
Realigned some textures
Made windows "less shiny"

Align it Yourself:
Made panel move around until you look at it to promote more USEful curiosity

Enough is Enough:
Added clip to prevent prematurely exiting puzzle
Added moving portallable panel to prevent players from being stranded

Heavy Lifting:
Removed upper 2 levels of portallable surfaces above entry door
Added location check for buttons
Added vphysics clips to prevent button from wedging itself in
Changed station 2's i/o to stop unnecessary panel animation changes
Changed station 3's i/o to address issues with the exit door

File Name: TestMapPack3.zip
File Size: 31.48 MiB
Click here to download [SP] Test Map Pack 3

playtesting at the moment: this is my feedback so far
Map 1: nice!
Map 2: I'm missing something
Map 3: The way you open the door is really really odd.
Map 4: Wicked
Map 5: Where is the first door?! playtest paused for a few hours... something called real life

currently playing trough aswell.
map 1: yeh ok - timed puzzles are underused, i liked this one
map 2: something seems missing - i sort of insist on finding it but... - i need a hint here, it must be something the arrows are trying me to tell, but i dont get it
map 3: ow thats just great! i love it!
map 4: i love how you turned the map 90 degrees but i would hate it if my solution was the right one becausestanding on an edge the game sorta doesnt want you to be on sucks - i got myself on the ledge with the beam whilst the cube was on the bottem, then, from there, portaled the cube up to the button

map 5 has some issues: first door isnt there, and the beam doesnt show up till you hit the button - i got stuck behind the moving portable area by standing half trough a portal i had there - had to noclip out - i also got a portal on this one going in approximatly 45 degree angle- this map overall seemed to buggy to really play, i assume the solution is moving the button under the blocks you cant move cause they're in these cool machines - however i can not move the block, as of now :/ if that is indeed the idea and you can manage to get it to work, that would be amazing

i reloaded the map - the door is there, and the tunnle is there from the start, i also figured out you needed to use the beam to move the button i liked that idea and it works out, i dont quite understand what the first button presser is for, because i didnt use the angled area to solve the puzzle - so good map, but a little buggy, especially when it first loads

map 6 - good! really shows how creative you are with using the engine and the game for stuff that isnt standard - refreshing, and it actually works out pretty ok

map 7 - the first few times around i didnt notice the cage falling onto one of the laser paddles, thus not realizing that that was the way to go - once i noticed it still wasnt clear to me how to make the other "glass boxes" drop
when i finally managed to "fix" this part just spamming attack at the base they hang from- it doesnt let me go back to my character to move on - am i missing something?

Ok so now that im done - final verdict: i love your creativity, and some of the ideas are absolutely great - to bad some of it isnt working perfect atm, but hey thats what its wip for, right?
keep it up - and erm, please give me a hint for that second map, i cant stand not finding it -.-

Map 2 was pretty tricky till I figured it out.Actually map 1 took a bit of thinking also lol,but map 2 almost had me give up.I've only seen that used once before and it wasnt for a panel.Back to playing

andyb wrote:
Map 2 was pretty tricky till I figured it out.Actually map 1 took a bit of thinking also lol,but map 2 almost had me give up.I've only seen that used once before and it wasnt for a panel.Back to playing

I'm back to the map now that some1 figured it out, but... i still dont see it, urgh!

I liked the maps. I thought the solution to the second map was awesome. Never saw a panel used in that way before. Nice Idea. I also had an issue with the door and funnel not appearing when map 5 started. Took me a while to figure out the first button wasmovable with the funnel. Nice surprise with the turrets also.I did make it to the "The End" by shooting the glass area below the turrets.This part was a little strange for P2 but OK.5/5 from me

This no saves in map 3 and 4 piss me off lol

Edit:Ok saves work but only if you reload the map.Couple of auto saves I've seen so far in the moving button map seem to save just as the turrets come up

ow man - i really needed that hint for the second map...
i have been looking at that map forever, maybe hint the letter esomewhere, to make it more obvious?
Not a bad concept, but yeh... its really unobvious

bruzag wrote:
currently playing trough aswell.
map 4: i love how you turned the map 90 degrees but i would hate it if my solution was the right one becausestanding on an edge the game sorta doesnt want you to be on sucks - i got myself on the ledge with the beam whilst the cube was on the bottem, then, from there, portaled the cube up to the button

map 7 - the first few times around i didnt notice the cage falling onto one of the laser paddles, thus not realizing that that was the way to go - once i noticed it still wasnt clear to me how to make the other "glass boxes" drop
when i finally managed to "fix" this part just spamming attack at the base they hang from- it doesnt let me go back to my character to move on - am i missing something?

Map 4: Standing on an edge was the solution. I didn't post it here, but my YouTube video description for this map said something along the lines of "The player has an iron grip in addition to perfect balance." I didn't want the map to look like it would accommodate its...situation completely.

Map 7: I'm aware of the player being unable to disengage. It popped up when I changed the control system. The solution was to complete the section and fire i/o to kill the system, thus returning control to the player. It seems like I need to make the solution more apparent. That makes sense as I didn't give too much direction there. Aside from that, was the second step easy to locate?

bruzag wrote:
I'm back to the map now that some1 figured it out, but... i still dont see it, urgh!

"Use" the panel. EDIT: Ah, you got it.

I'm don't know what's going on in map 5. I spent all of yesterday putting the P2 elevators in each map and that was an issue that popped up. I thought it was a one time deal as it didn't happen again. I think its a visibility issue, but I'm not too sure.

I hadn't thought of a solution to the map that didn't involve the angled panel. Now I'm trying to find a way to force it to be necessary. Then again...ugh. I'll make the button drop when you enter. I thought putting it askew would be enough of a hint.

Is there a special key to use in the last map to make the laser "cut" or something?I've been trying to knock down the drop boxes about 40 times now.Nothing happens.

Edit:Didnt realize that you must use left/right fire repeatedly.Auto on one button would work if possible.Thought it was a laser not a gun lol

Quote:
Map 4: Standing on an edge was the solution. I didn't post it here, but my YouTube video description for this map said something along the lines of "The player has an iron grip in addition to perfect balance." I didn't want the map to look like it would accommodate its...situation completely.

I didnt think of it that way - i guess for this map it really does make a lot more sense then i had initially though

Quote:
Map 7: I'm aware of the player being unable to disengage. It popped up when I changed the control system. The solution was to complete the section and fire i/o to kill the system, thus returning control to the player. It seems like I need to make the solution more apparent. That makes sense as I didn't give too much direction there. Aside from that, was the second step easy to locate?

I'm unaware of what second step you might mean here - i must admit i didnt actually finished it, i noclipped first, to see if the part where you control something else was the last - and since it was i just quit after i figured that one out (but was unable to disengage) maybe i skipped something there - might go back to look at it

@ map 5 - its a visibility issue for sure, i can hear the door open/close, and actually cant go back, as for the tube (or whats it called, the blue thing) that shows up as soon as you use a portal for it, or use it in another way - so everything is there, it just looks weird.

The skewed button was enough of a hint - just given the fact so much other stuff was going wrong i didnt really bother to look for the solution, when i reloaded and it looked less broken i figured it out without much issue. Dropping it as you enter might be even more clear though, not sure if its nesceserry.

Quote:
I hadn't thought of a solution to the map that didn't involve the angled panel. Now I'm trying to find a way to force it to be necessary. Then again...ugh.

I'm guessing you figured it out since then? i can post mine if you need it . As for making it nescerry - its a decent puzzle as is, making it needed is a possible solution, but getting rid of it and adding another element to the puzzle might also work...

Once again: thanks for a great map - really enjoyed my playtrough

benvent wrote:
Nice surprise with the turrets also.

I was trying to decide between them and somehow respawning the button.

andyb wrote:
Couple of auto saves I've seen so far in the moving button map seem to save just as the turrets come up

I'll modify those to trigger when the button gets further onto the platforms.

bruzag wrote:
I'm unaware of what second step you might mean here - i must admit i didnt actually finished it, i noclipped first, to see if the part where you control something else was the last - and since it was i just quit after i figured that one out (but was unable to disengage) maybe i skipped something there - might go back to look at it

You have to shoot stuff up. Down, slightly left.

bruzag wrote:
@ map 5 - its a visibility issue for sure, i can hear the door open/close, and actually cant go back, as for the tube (or whats it called, the blue thing) that shows up as soon as you use a portal for it, or use it in another way - so everything is there, it just looks weird.

I've thrown a func_viscluster at it. Because of how I positioned the map, there are 12-14 visleafs from the elevator to the button. I just happened to hit the magical visleaf cut on the hammer grid (every 1024 units I think) and that, coupled with the world brushes for the hallway, turned visleafs into confetti.

bruzag wrote:
The skewed button was enough of a hint - just given the fact so much other stuff was going wrong i didnt really bother to look for the solution, when i reloaded and it looked less broken i figured it out without much issue. Dropping it as you enter might be even more clear though, not sure if its nesceserry.

slowly puts button down and backs away

bruzag wrote:
I'm guessing you figured it out since then? i can post mine if you need it . As for making it nescerry - its a decent puzzle as is, making it needed is a possible solution, but getting rid of it and adding another element to the puzzle might also work...

Once again: thanks for a great map - really enjoyed my playtrough

Aye, I figured it out. I looked at the map, dropped my jaw, compiled with the viscluster in place, and solved it without using the first station or dropping the button. I'll leave the station there just in case someone finds it easier.

Quick update for the visibility issues in map 5. It turns out the transition from map 4 always triggers the visibility issues, regardless of visleaf arrangement. I think it has to do with the viewproxy I use. However, despite adding i/o to fadeout and then kill the proxy before the transition takes place, the issue still arises. Using 'map testmap_27' vs 'changelevel testmap_27' appears to remedy this.

I've added some clips to the end of 4 to help with movement.

Just played it again.Sideways elevator part much smoother.map 5 worked good.Still cant quicksave/save thou in some maps unless you reload the map.Still gets a 5 thou

Thanks.

I'm forcing autosaves, not quicksaves. Is there a priority between the two? Perhaps I should use the clientCommand to quicksave instead of sending an input to a logic_autosave.

You can put your auto saves anywhere but I like to be able to save whenever I want also.According to the console it says
*** REJECTING: quick, due to map_wants_save_disable.

If I just type reload in the console I can save then

andyb wrote:
You can put your auto saves anywhere but I like to be able to save whenever I want also.According to the console it says
*** REJECTING: quick, due to map_wants_save_disable.

If I just type reload in the console I can save then

I found out the cause of this. Exit elevators call script files that toggle map_wants_save_disable to 1 to prevent players from saving in the elevators. I used modified elevator logic that removed the i/o that triggers the teleport to the "End of Playtest" message room so I could change levels manually. Apparently, this also removed the function call that toggles map_wants_save_disable back to 0.

I've made every map's logic_auto fire an output to set map_wants_save_disable to 0 on spawn. I'll be testing this to make sure it actually fixes the issue as map_wants_save_disable is a cheat but can be set without cheats enabled.

I rather dislike all this scripting and whatnot that's littered throughout the instances. I appreciate the flexibility it allows, but man, it is annoying to modify.

Speedran first 5 maps. Will upload a video soon.
EDIT:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKJnyR5hi5I
131 seconds

Haha! Awesome!

I now have more things to consider for future maps.

Some very original ideas, but a few issues

- in map 7, when you find yourself inside a turret , I am guessing you have to fire to emprison the other turrests, however no for me no key seemed to fire. Which key is supposed to do that normally? Tried all of them. After a while I found myself 'teleported' above the turrets unable to do anything

- In map 5, what is the point of the first cube and the moving panel? I did not need it, it is possible to speedrun from the second cube to the entry then to the exit. What is more if you shoot a portal when the panel is moved out, then it moves back in, the portal stays hanging in the air. And it seems to last for so little time to be of any use...

- In map 2 I would never have found out without your hint in the forum. I think people can only find that out out of desperation or sheer luck, because there is no logic to it. I think you should make the hint much stronger, the arrows are not enough (they normally suggest ways to go), for instance by having some kind of mechanism and/or handles fixed on the panel that suggest it can be moved. Even in that case people would probably expect to have to do so by switches or press plates if they are the usual articulated arms

Yorgn wrote:
Some very original ideas, but a few issues

• in map 7, when you find yourself inside a turret , I am guessing you have to fire to imprison the other turrets, however no for me no key seemed to fire. Which key is supposed to do that normally? Tried all of them. After a while I found myself 'teleported' above the turrets unable to do anything

Primary attack is full auto, secondary is semi-auto.

The teleportation should have been your "death" as after 20-25 seconds the player is killed via console. Can you replicate both issues?

Yorgn wrote:
- In map 5, what is the point of the first cube and the moving panel? I did not need it, it is possible to speedrun from the second cube to the entry then to the exit. What is more if you shoot a portal when the panel is moved out, then it moves back in, the portal stays hanging in the air. And it seems to last for so little time to be of any use...

The first station was supposed to be necessary, but the final design didn't hold. I have left it just in case anyone finds it easier. Consider it intended to prolong the player's time in the chamber by implying an unnecessary step.

Oh, and check out the speedrun a few posts back.

Yorgn wrote:
- In map 2 I would never have found out without your hint in the forum. I think people can only find that out out of desperation or sheer luck, because there is no logic to it. I think you should make the hint much stronger, the arrows are not enough (they normally suggest ways to go), for instance by having some kind of mechanism and/or handles fixed on the panel that suggest it can be moved. Even in that case people would probably expect to have to do so by switches or press plates if they are the usual articulated arms

I've been thinking about my hint for that. So far, my best solution is to create a custom sign depicting a hand.

Rand0mNumbers wrote:

Primary attack is full auto, secondary is semi-auto.

The teleportation should have been your "death" as after 20-25 seconds the player is killed via console. Can you replicate both issues?

I could replicate the issue every time, but I managed to solve it by using sv_cheats 1. It has to be enabled for the firing to work. You could force it like you did in map 2.

Quote:
I've been thinking about my hint for that. So far, my best solution is to create a custom sign depicting a hand.

I don't know if it will be enough (can't do it blind anymore), but it would definitly be an improvment already. Perhaps also the symbol of a cube on the panel?

Yorgn wrote:
I could replicate the issue every time, but I managed to solve it by using sv_cheats 1. It has to be enabled for the firing to work. You could force it like you did in map 2.

Is there any output to the console (maybe on 'developer 3')? I just tried the map again and it works fine. The console isn't spitting anything out of the ordinary for me and cheats are off. I wonder if this is another bug related to the transition elevators like the autosave/quicksave bug...

Yorgn wrote:
I don't know if it will be enough (can't do it blind anymore), but it would definitely be an improvement already. Perhaps also the symbol of a cube on the panel?

I just need to tear myself away from Fallout:NV to make the graphic (stupid steam sale...).

These ideas.. these concepts... these scripts.... this mapmaker! Awesome work! Just map 29 is not really playable. I can't get out of the turret-thing after I finished my turret-job...

But there you get blindruns for all the other maps of this mappack!


map 22:
VzOqq0XPrto
(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzOqq0XPrto)

map 24:
Zxesc2JPy08
(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxesc2JPy08)

map 25:
241xocN6feU
(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=241xocN6feU)

map 26:
wzXpD8Cy7Qg
(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzXpD8Cy7Qg)

map 27:
FqgJI7DYNrU
(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqgJI7DYNrU)

map 28:
Mze_N5yScP0
(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mze_N5yScP0)


Let me know when 29 is fixed, then I'll add it btw where is 23?

Djinndrache wrote:
But there you get blindruns for all the other maps of this mappack!

Let me know when 29 is fixed, then I'll add it btw where is 23?

Thank you!

You're the second person who has recently mentioned an issue with 29. Are you getting a console message about ent_fire not being allowed without sv_cheats 1? If so, try setting sv_cheats to 1 and see if things work. I use a point_clientcommand to send outputs to make entities think the player initiated the i/o chain. If this is the issue, I may have to force cheats on and off to get this working properly for everyone.

I think I may be running afoul of Valve's crackdown on commands that should be flagged as cheats.

Testmap_23 is a collection of ideas that didn't make it through my brainstorming sessions. I have 3 map packs and one contest submission for a total of 22 released maps. The missing numbers are ones that either didn't make it or are idea playgrounds.

29 sucked - just shooting into a power console through soem glass isn't much fun.
And the Pinball machine did not work well either. No matter where you release the ball from the flipper you cannot hit the upper left spot - only if by luck doe that spot get a ball into it.

The rest were very good and innovative.

Rand0mNumbers wrote:
try setting sv_cheats to 1 and see if things work.

That won't change a thing. Still I don't get out of that turret mode

Djinndrache wrote:
Rand0mNumbers wrote:

try setting sv_cheats to 1 and see if things work.

That won't change a thing. Still I don't get out of that turret mode

I was hoping I wasn't running afoul of restricted commands (ent_fire isn't always reliable in that system without cheats...I'm doing something wrong somewhere). Blast...

PCdoc wrote:
29 sucked - just shooting into a power console through soem glass isn't much fun.
And the Pinball machine did not work well either. No matter where you release the ball from the flipper you cannot hit the upper left spot - only if by luck doe that spot get a ball into it.

The rest were very good and innovative.

Trapping turrets in glass amused me.
I was just happy to get the turret system finished. I have something else in mind for it.

I used the world portal in the middle of the table to hit the top left button. Still, I agree it isn't easy to get to, but that's pinball for you.

Outstanding series. Only had a problem with last chamber (29) - nothing seemed to work against the turrets? Still 5/5 for the other chambers. thanks for creating.

quatrus wrote:
Only had a problem with last chamber (29) - nothing seemed to work against the turrets?

Don't shoot the turrets, cage them! You can get an idea of this when you watch through the window in the beginning of this map. However this only happens once per map launch, you should not miss it. Also this map still bugs out for some (including me) after catching the turrets.

The pinball machine was the most awesome thing I've seen in a Portal 2 map to date, so well done on that one.

A couple of issues I found: on the map with the movable floor button, it's possible to push the button and its enclosure right up against the portalable surfaces and thereby prohibit placing portals on the surfaces to move the button with the excursion beam again. I got stuck this way and was unable to move the button any further than the platform where the exit door is, so I had to skip that level.

Also, some possibly unintentional ways in which I solved a couple of the levels:

6J4w3dsENyo

The first one might well be intended (I just wondered because of the ninja move I had to pull after quickly stepping off the floor button), but the second one I'm pretty sure wasn't supposed to happen. Also, if you don't manage to nip through the door when it opens then you're stuck on that exit platform with no way off other than to kill yourself.

x6herbius wrote:
The pinball machine was the most awesome thing I've seen in a Portal 2 map to date, so well done on that one.

Thank you.

For Up and Down, I didn't really want the player to shoot from that angle, but I didn't rule it out either. I think that's actually harder than the intended solution.

Heavy Lifting wasn't completely affected by the bug correct? Only some surfaces were susceptible? If so, it is because I didn't cover all of them with a vphysics clip to prevent that. I noticed this while finishing the map and only covered the ones I encountered throughout the solution. This has been remedied. I've (hopefully) corrected this in the next build by covering every portallable surface with a vphysics clip and removed an exploit on a speedrun that allows the player to pretty much skip the entire test.

For Enough is Enough, I haven't released the fix for it yet. I merely covered the exit door with a clip that doesn't go away until you complete the puzzle. I was thinking about adding a wall projector or vertical deathfield (that sounds like a band name...), but they didn't seem right. I didn't consider being stranded a bad thing at the time (no idea why). This has been fixed by adding a moving portallable surface to the map that only appears if you strand yourself (further reenforcing the notion that someone is watching and manipulating the world).

If you don't mind me asking - where did you put the script files for the maps? I'm trying to sort out some scripts of my own but they're giving me a lot of grief, and it would be really useful if I could see some examples of working scripts so that I know how to properly set up things like think triggers.

I don't use scripts. Well, aside from one case of using them to get turrets to use defective VO, I don't use scripts. Everything you see in my maps was made using I/O in Hammer (all the mappacks, test map pack instances, and that one contest entry...).

That's probably my only complaint about the RoundUp entry: I'm not an awesome scripter. Well, I haven't tried scripting, so my proficiency has yet to be seen.

I have to admit, I was going by the roundup description when I assumed you'd used VScripts. I was just looking for a way to monitor the point at which the player was looking at a constant rate, but it doesn't look like there's a scripting command for view angles anyway.