Alright here's the third release and ninth incarnation of CrazyGuy's Untitled Gel Puzzles.

Chapter 8, Three chambers centered around the physics paint, and using the gel in ways that the original valve maps did not.
Difficulty medium to hard.

in area 1, the way OUT of the top to the next area is just above the three panels that fall down; you must bounce out. This is not a spoiler, I intend to have Wheately lines to hint at it.

I have ADDED the much anticipated transition sequence between areas 2 and 3. I really want some Wheately lines to go with it, but for now just rememeber AFTER COMPLETING AREA 2 LOOK UP AND OUT. Also, a strange bug but for some reason the window on the top of the third chamber does not always open. If that happens for you, part of the exterior of area 3 is meant to see into the interior after the sequence ends, but sometimes that portal closes off for no aparrent reason.

I KNOW THERE ARE FRAMERATE ISSUES IN THE TOP OF THE FIRST CHAMBER. I'm sorry about this but I've already done as much optimization as I can for that area. If anyone has the time they could look at the included .vmf and see if they have any suggestions.

Please let me know what you think, and especially if any cheat solutions can be found.

If you get stuck on area 3, did you know that painting the UNDERSIDE of a lightbridge paints BOTH sides? yes, the blue paint does bleed through lightbridges.







File Name: CG_GP_prefinal.zip
File Size: 7.03?MiB
CG_GelPuzles PRE FINAL release! Title needed!

Looks great from your screens... Must play.

Solid map. Found an exploit, though: in the room that moves into view (the one in the third screenshot), you can gain extra momentum by jumping up from the blue gel faucet. The roof of the faucet will bounce you back down, and the floor will bounce you back up. Also, in the same room, after you activate the light bridges, you can bridge up using the panel over the door to a broken panel from the ceiling. If you crouch, you can get underneath this panel. Doesn't break the map, but I figured you wouldn't like it anyways. Actually, on second look, it seems like you can do this with any "broken" panel you can bridge to. I'll be honest, I'm not 100% sure I solved the last puzzle correctly. I bridged from the wall on the left as you enter the room, walked to the top, then portaled below me and at the center of the room, then edged close enough to the exit I could get out. Overall, a wonderful map!

grent wrote:
Solid map. Found an exploit, though: in the room that moves into view (the one in the third screenshot), you can gain extra momentum by jumping up from the blue gel faucet. The roof of the faucet will bounce you back down, and the floor will bounce you back up. Also, in the same room, after you activate the light bridges, you can bridge up using the panel over the door to a broken panel from the ceiling. If you crouch, you can get underneath this panel. Doesn't break the map, but I figured you wouldn't like it anyways. Actually, on second look, it seems like you can do this with any "broken" panel you can bridge to. I'll be honest, I'm not 100% sure I solved the last puzzle correctly. I bridged from the wall on the left as you enter the room, walked to the top, then portaled below me and at the center of the room, then edged close enough to the exit I could get out. Overall, a wonderful map!

thanks for testing! I'm not clear what you mean about the exploit in area 3, but I'm thinking of just putting a grate across the gel spots so you can't do that.

You solved it by using a vertical fling? no that wasn't quite intended.

As for the panesl you can crouch under, I am certain I put invisible walls in front of each and every one of them. It seems they aren't working. Thanks!

Overall I was impressed with this. I thought it was extremely clever to make the gel go into an infinite loop to paint the ceiling. The lighting was much better from your other chamber congrats

Your destruction ambience was wayyy cool and you just happen to make things destroy in the right place at the right time.

I got stuck on the chamber in the first screen shot. After flinging myself up to the button I saw it activated the panels but every time I tried to bounce off the panel I never got high enough. I soon realised that it was better to put the portal a little lower instead of right at the top like I was doing, THEN it worked properly. At first I thought 'where was the exit?' as everything looked like it was going into a void. (maybe an arrow decal to show where to go?) Then I was like hrmm a target, at an angle... :O! EDIT: just realised you said this in your post. Ignore

A bug in the second room: I decided to spray paint everywhere at first and blue paint somehow got underneath the tilted panel with the blue gel on it. No matter what I did I couldn't wash it off and the cube kept on bouncing into the incinerator grid.
I reloaded an autosave and it was fine.
Also in that room there is a portalable surface where the panels come out there is a good chance someone could get stuck in there if they don't keep their other portal.
I noticed you put clip (or some kind of invisible wall) to stop the player from pressing the button from down below. You could have the same effect by putting the buttons inside an offside room (instead of the middle of the room), so the player cannot reach the cube in time etc.

The third room was really crafty but being cheap I decided to use the fling myself using the replace portal glitch up to the exit instead of using the lightbridges. I know you were meant to use the blue paint somehow but I was like meh. Flinging is easier.
Glitch: on the underside of the grate it is invisible (just so you know).

Overall it was great! It wasn't (too) frustrating and you had a couple of ideas I've never seen before. I could make a walkthrough/show your glitches if you like in a youtube vid.

Wow. Creative, original, challenging and fun... Wish I could give you a six!

Difficult, original, and good map. It just really needs a portal placement helper at the top of the light bridge in the first room. Also, in the one room that moves once you're finished with it, there's a portalable surface behind one of the panels that pops diagonally out. This allowed me to get behind there and see what the area would look like after the chamber had moved.

BOB74j wrote:
Difficult, original, and good map. It just really needs a portal placement helper at the top of the light bridge in the first room.

I don't know how you did this, but in my solution, the light bridge had to be used in a number of angles; a portal placement helper would screw this up royally.

chickenmobile wrote:
I thought it was extremely clever to make the gel go into an infinite loop to paint the ceiling.

thanks. Originally that whole chamber was going to be a lot taller and centered around doign that with both the blue and the white. But just playing it by myself I found it a little tedious to charge up the paint over and over again to get all the right spots painted, so I reduced its use to only one spot, and the rest of the chamber sort of evolved from there.

chickenmobile wrote:
Your destruction ambience was wayyy cool and you just happen to make things destroy in the right place at the right time.

Thanks. I was hoping you'd be impressed by how shaken up chamber 3 was after it had been hastily moved into place by Wheateley. I can't tell you how long it took to set up the animations for all those arms, I wanted to make sure I used difderent ones and over the 40 or so arms I used at least 25 different animations. What's really annoying is that a lot of them have the arm start way off its original center and lining it up is annoying. If you open up the .vmf and look there, you'll see several sticking out of the wall and floating in the middle.

chickenmobile wrote:
I got stuck on the chamber in the first screen shot, etc.

yes. Wheateley lines, or game text. Final version =) Also will add exit overlays to better lead the player.

chickenmobile wrote:
A bug in the second room: I decided to spray paint everywhere at first and blue paint somehow got underneath the tilted panel with the blue gel on it. No matter what I did I couldn't wash it off and the cube kept on bouncing into the incinerator grid.

i'm not sure what you mean by getting paint underneath the tiled panel with the blue gel on it. The panel with the prepainted blue gel on it is metal, but that aside, do you mean you painted the lower part of it or the under surface of the angled panel? If its on the under surface it shouldn't effect it. Well I've put a paint cleanser all under the blue panel so only the top surface can get painted.

chickenmobile wrote:
Also in that room there is a portalable surface where the panels come out there is a good chance someone could get stuck in there if they don't keep their other portal.

fixed. That concrete wall was part of the broken observation room I built, and I had to extend it up to the top to keep the vis portal flow sealed. Its fixed now, I also added a clip brush across that whole opening (after the panels come out) in case someone tries to bounce in.

chickenmobile wrote:
I noticed you put clip (or some kind of invisible wall) to stop the player from pressing the button from down below. You could have the same effect by putting the buttons inside an offside room (instead of the middle of the room), so the player cannot reach the cube in time etc.

Actually, the clip is above the railings, but I see what you mean. I want the buttons to be in the center overlooking the room because otherwise the puzzle would be too slow and tedious (running or potalling back and fourth.) The original version I actually had a grate and a fence but it just didn't look right so I am using simple railings instead. You really think I should change this? Maybe I could go back to the original setup, like in this screenshot back from when they were all individual maps

chickenmobile wrote:
The third room was really crafty but being cheap I decided to use the fling myself using the replace portal glitch up to the exit instead of using the lightbridges. I know you were meant to use the blue paint somehow but I was like meh. Flinging is easier.

What is this replace portal glitch of which you speak? I tried flinging striaght up to the exit by falling through the fizlers from the top and firing two successive protals, but its really hard. I don't see how flinging is easier.

chickenmobile wrote:
Glitch: on the underside of the grate it is invisible (just so you know).

fixed. Thanks, I didn't think to check there

chickenmobile wrote:
Overall it was great! It wasn't (too) frustrating and you had a couple of ideas I've never seen before. I could make a walkthrough/show your glitches if you like in a youtube vid.

thanks for testing! Yes I'd like to see a demo of any glitches found (don't bother with the errant portalable surface in area 2 or the nodraw surface in 3)
I am also already aware of the fact that several of the holes in the wall of area 3 can be crouched into. I have already clipped them all off so don't bother with those.
But yeah if you can show me that paint glitch in 2, and the "cheat" solution to 3, and if you find anymore nodraw surfaces (with me that's rare) I'd like to see em. You don't need a youtube vid, a .dem will be fine

CrazyGuy wrote:
Actually, the clip is above the railings, but I see what you mean. I want the buttons to be in the center overlooking the room because otherwise the puzzle would be too slow and tedious (running or potalling back and fourth.) The original version I actually had a grate and a fence but it just didn't look right so I am using simple railings instead. You really think I should change this? Maybe I could go back to the original setup, like in this screenshot back from when they were all individual maps

I actually think that the walkway in the centre of the room kinda of gets in the way of the gel spraying from the back wall. I don't know if you wanted to do this as you need the portable texture on the roof to spray the bouncy paint. Even if you had some kind of platform to the side (which could be raised and have stairs to with observation glass) might be better than what you currently have.

I'll record the demo soon. PM it back to you when I do.

I REALLY don't like that you are basing the intended solution of the last chamber on a bug. The bug is that gels are not influenced by air friction. It shouldn't be able to get that high.

CrazyGuy wrote:
If you get stuck on area 3, did you know that painting the UNDERSIDE of a lightbridge paints BOTH sides? yes, the blue paint does bleed through lightbridges.

Are you serious? That seems to me like another bug. Light bridges are solid to paint, so that shouldn't actually happen.

Interesting map.

A few things:
In chamber one, I wasn't sure if I solved it correctly or not, but bringing the cube up with me on the light bridge to the gel box button was a colossal pain in the rear. Unless I moved the light bridge up an inch at a time, the cube would just fall through the bridge. It was an extremely tedious process.

Chamber two was very nice. My only complaint is that there are a few nodraw textures on the panel that extends out after pressing the button.

Chamber three was well done. Good use of gel and water. In my opinion, the best out of your set. The overdose of fizzlers is a bit of a wonky sight, but for test purposes, they function correctly. The moving chamber was very neat, too.

Chamber four was both interesting and tedious. The infini-fling with conversion gel was neat and enjoyable. However, after that part, with the return of the light bridges, I could not work out a solution. In your hint, you said to use gel to paint the bottom of the bridge, but during that section the gels are turned off. Only the fire-sprinklers are on. I tried moving the box around but I could never get the gel to return. So, I ended up flinging up using the method Chickenmobile used.

So far, it's pretty good. I look forward to the end release.

2CAE7256 wrote:
I REALLY don't like that you are basing the intended solution of the last chamber on a bug. The bug is that gels are not influenced by air friction. It shouldn't be able to get that high.

thats not a bug. Even WITH air friction on gels you would still easily be able to shoot it up there. It doesn't need to be going full speed to get to the top/

2CAE7256 wrote:
CrazyGuy wrote:

If you get stuck on area 3, did you know that painting the UNDERSIDE of a lightbridge paints BOTH sides? yes, the blue paint does bleed through lightbridges.

Are you serious? That seems to me like another bug. Light bridges are solid to paint, so that shouldn't actually happen.

maybe, but thats the way the bridges are designed. They are 2 dimensional, and there is no real way to get them painted from the front at this point.

ForbiddenDonut wrote:
A few things:
In chamber one, I wasn't sure if I solved it correctly or not, but bringing the cube up with me on the light bridge to the gel box button was a colossal pain in the rear. Unless I moved the light bridge up an inch at a time, the cube would just fall through the bridge. It was an extremely tedious process.

you don't need to get up to the button using a bridge climb. If you notice, the floor panels under the white wall flips open. You can get up there using a regular fling from the top of the wall facing the button to the floor right under that wall, then 2nd pass through portals flings you across. Maybe I should find a way to make that more obvious.

ForbiddenDonut wrote:
Chamber two was very nice. My only complaint is that there are a few nodraw textures on the panel that extends out after pressing the button.

this is actually chamber 1 upper, but thanks. You mean nodraw surfaces on the panels, or the edges of the walls? I'll look.

ForbiddenDonut wrote:
Chamber four was both interesting and tedious. The infini-fling with conversion gel was neat and enjoyable. However, after that part, with the return of the light bridges, I could not work out a solution. In your hint, you said to use gel to paint the bottom of the bridge, but during that section the gels are turned off. Only the fire-sprinklers are on. I tried moving the box around but I could never get the gel to return. So, I ended up flinging up using the method Chickenmobile used.

you thought the gels turn off after you turn on the lightbridge? no... it just turns the white one off and the blue one back on so you can still paint the bridge for the angled bounce and bridge catch now the fling is impossible, some arms opo out of the floor where you would put a portal to do that

thanks for the comments, I'll take note of your ideas

Quote:
you don't need to get up to the button using a bridge climb. If you notice, the floor panels under the white wall flips open. You can get up there using a regular fling from the top of the wall facing the button to the floor right under that wall, then 2nd pass through portals flings you across. Maybe I should find a way to make that more obvious.

I figured I was doing it wrong. That corner of the map is a little dark, so I must have skipped over it.

Quote:
this is actually chamber 1 upper, but thanks. You mean nodraw surfaces on the panels, or the edges of the walls? I'll look.

I will try to get a picture up for you. It's on the edge of the panels.

Quote:
you thought the gels turn off after you turn on the lightbridge? no... it just turns the white one off and the blue one back on so you can still paint the bridge for the angled bounce and bridge catch now the fling is impossible, some arms opo out of the floor where you would put a portal to do that

Then it was a bug I encountered. I'll try to reproduce it, but when I turned the light bridges on, the blue gel also stopped. I even moved the box back down to the first room to get it running again, but it wouldn't return.

CrazyGuy wrote:
thats not a bug. Even WITH air friction on gels you would still easily be able to shoot it up there. It doesn't need to be going full speed to get to the top/

Really? So how is it possible that if you do it with a cube instead of gel, it doesn't even reach the exit door level? (of course the grid needs to be removed and you need an another cube)

2CAE7256 wrote:
Really? So how is it possible that if you do it with a cube instead of gel, it doesn't even reach the exit door level? (of course the grid needs to be removed and you need an another cube)

Ok. I tried it with a cube and then the player. The game handles terminal velocity and portal velocity of each item differently. The cube only made it up to the door. The player made it nearly to the top. And the gel makes it all the way to the top. So each object has different air friction. IMO, the terminal velocity in the game is a little slow for both cubes and players.

Noone else seems to have a problem with the gel fling. I'm still concerned about the painting the bridges from the bottom, like, will people get that? or should I try to think of a way to shoot the paint at them from the front or top? cause if I do it kind of screws up the rest of the puzzle.

You said that the blue gel is turned on again after activating the light bridges. That didn't happen for me. Both white and blue gels were cut off. I had to fling myself to the exit aswell.

CrazyGuy wrote:
Ok. I tried it with a cube and then the player. The game handles terminal velocity and portal velocity of each item differently. The cube only made it up to the door. The player made it nearly to the top. And the gel makes it all the way to the top. So each object has different air friction. IMO, the terminal velocity in the game is a little slow for both cubes and players.

Hmm, I also tried it and it was not so big difference for me, but yes, it handles them differently. So that's a little bit strange. But the maximum speed the gel can reach is absurd. It is about 4 times faster than a cube. I agree that it shouldn't be problem for players, I find it intuitive to try that solution. I guess Valve won't fix it but if they fix it, your map will break.

EDIT:

CrazyGuy wrote:
I'm still concerned about the painting the bridges from the bottom, like, will people get that? or should I try to think of a way to shoot the paint at them from the front or top? cause if I do it kind of screws up the rest of the puzzle.

I guess they will just find an alternate solution. I've already found 4 different solutions of that puzzle and none of them is the intended one (none of them uses blue paint).