Good day to you fine folks. This is my third map, dubbed Cooling Tower. Make you're way up as you cool down the visuals of this map. Clean water doesn't kill, but you still can't breath it. Be thorough and enjoy.

Now, there are a few issues I haven't worked out yet. The first is that the blue and orange lights assigned to the lasers won't hold their on/off status on a load save. Any help on that would be appreciated. The second is that due to there being so many differently named orange and blue lights, not to mention vis leafs as a result of the map size, the lighting does get cut. Again, any advice on that is appreciated. Lastly, because the clear water texture doesn't have a proper underwater texture, viewing the world above water is impossible. If there is a replacement water texture, please let me know, because I am not fond of how the current one works, though its the only one that shows you whats under the surface.

Cheers,

-Wanderer2021

File Name: SP Cooling Tower pack V1-5.zip
File Size: 13.78 MiB
Click here to download sp Cooling Tower

A map that shows some nice ideas, it's a shame they are done so terribly that I feel this map isn't worth more than a 2/5.

I didn't finish it because I got stuck, even after 2 tries, on what seemed to be a bug.
Here's a list of problems I noticed in ball/cube section:


- What the shit. After about 15 minutes of having no idea what I was doing I got the cube out. To improve this you should probably think of a way of making clear to the player where the cube can fall and where it can't.
- The doors allowing you to pick up the cube looks like they're not going to open, yet they do.
- What's with the weird press cube button -> laser goes on, straight into a nearby socket thing? And what's it supposed to do? After a bit I figured out it had opened a door(also breaking the convention of cube buttons having an element revert to its original state when unpressed)
- The ball puzzle seems completely broken. Why can a player spawn an infinite amount of balls? Why don't they roll all the way despite the map design suggesting it would? This is what made me stop playing.

- My first impression of the looks was a failed attempt at custom art. The map looked like it was taking in a box with a space posted placed on top. Use a stock skybox or learn to make a good looking one yourself.
- Lights just change colors as you move closer to / further from them. EDIT: sorry this was already pointed out in the map post

Suggestion: be humble and try to make a simple map that works, or actually finish an ambitious map before uploading it.

Nicely done on the puzzles at first, i got the cube then the sphere, but after that i was lost , the button on the pillar in the water didn't work and i couldn't tell what to do next, other than that, the map looked pretty good, needs a little more work, thanks for mapping and have a good day

Another mind-blowing map for sure. I haven't finished it yet, but I wanted to point out a possible bug near the beginning that might frustrate players. After I got the doors open to the Hall of Lasers, the funnel only got me as high as the ceiling in that room. I even put a sphere into it -- same thing. I went back and reset the buttons and then the funnel worked correctly.

Well, I'm stil not finished but I've run into some more problems. It's hard to tell whether these are bugs or I'm not doing something right.
1. In the room with the rotating laser using the floor button, I got all the checkmarks lit, but nothing seems to happen. Maybe it just powers up something else.
2. In the swimming room, I got the laser pointed down, the cubes in position to raise the platform, got to the platform with the button, but it doesn't depress. I assume that's because the catcher next to it needs to be powered on, but now I can't get the laser to point horizontal anymore.
3. I got the checkmark to light up by the rotating blades with the reflector cube inside. So now I can use the button to deactivate the fizzler. But after trying a few times, the button stopped working and now I can't deactivate the fizzlers.
4. Nearby is a button on a timer with a label of a turret getting lasered, but I can't figure out what the hell it does -- nothing I can see comes on.

Oh yeah ... sorry about the double post.

EDIT: One other thing: in the room with the rotating laser w/ floor button, the indicator on the left on the back wall never came on when I had the laser going through its associated thingy but it did when the laser was just behind it, but not activating it.

dinnesch wrote:

• What the shit. After about 15 minutes of having no idea what I was doing I got the cube out. To improve this you should probably think of a way of making clear to the player where the cube can fall and where it can't.

Guess I'll have to change some of the textures in there. I didn't want to put any solid textures since people might just continue to rotate the cube puzzle and end up blocking their own view as a result.

Quote:
- The doors allowing you to pick up the cube looks like they're not going to open, yet they do.

Which doors? Be a bit more specific.

Quote:
- What's with the weird press cube button -> laser goes on, straight into a nearby socket thing? And what's it supposed to do? After a bit I figured out it had opened a door(also breaking the convention of cube buttons having an element revert to its original state when unpressed)

Tossed the laser and receiver in the ball and cube rooms. I thought they controlled something, but they didn't. They were part of an earlier iteration.

Quote:
- The ball puzzle seems completely broken. Why can a player spawn an infinite amount of balls? Why don't they roll all the way despite the map design suggesting it would? This is what made me stop playing.

Fixed, only one ball can be spawned there now. You can get the ball out of there. You just have to use the buttons provided.

RogerL wrote:
Another mind-blowing map for sure. I haven't finished it yet, but I wanted to point out a possible bug near the beginning that might frustrate players. After I got the doors open to the Hall of Lasers, the funnel only got me as high as the ceiling in that room. I even put a sphere into it -- same thing. I went back and reset the buttons and then the funnel worked correctly.

Got a screen cap? I've never had that happen before. Is it that the overhead panels didn't open, or are they opened but not allowing anything to pass?

RogerL wrote:
Well, I'm stil not finished but I've run into some more problems. It's hard to tell whether these are bugs or I'm not doing something right.
1. In the room with the rotating laser using the floor button, I got all the checkmarks lit, but nothing seems to happen. Maybe it just powers up something else.

It does power something, and its visible from the platform. I guess technically it would activate three things.

Quote:
2. In the swimming room, I got the laser pointed down, the cubes in position to raise the platform, got to the platform with the button, but it doesn't depress. I assume that's because the catcher next to it needs to be powered on, but now I can't get the laser to point horizontal anymore.

The right idea, but you've only solved half the room. The button will not be enabled until you get both halves solved, then it will be enabled.

Quote:
3. I got the checkmark to light up by the rotating blades with the reflector cube inside. So now I can use the button to deactivate the fizzler. But after trying a few times, the button stopped working and now I can't deactivate the fizzlers.

Thats strange. I've never been able to create a limit for button usage before. I shall investigate
[edit] never mind, found the problem.

Quote:
4. Nearby is a button on a timer with a label of a turret getting lasered, but I can't figure out what the hell it does -- nothing I can see comes on.

replaced that sign for a different one that simply says laser. I had wanted one with the actual icon for the laser emitter, but there doesn't seem to be one, or its hidden very well.

Going to try to get some refinement done today after I deal with some other paperwork.

Wanderer2021 wrote:
Got a screen cap? I've never had that happen before. Is it that the overhead panels didn't open, or are they opened but not allowing anything to pass?

I don't have a screenshot of it, but the overhead panels were open -- I could see the Hall of Lasers sign -- but the funnel didn't extend up past the ceiling. I'll try to reproduce it and take a screenshot if it happens again.

EDIT: Did you see my edit of my last post?

I've had that problem whenever I've tried to stop on the relay, and it happens on occasion when you have the laser on the center laser relay. I think part of it has to do with the logic branch relay thats linked to it, and the other part is a weird issue with the relays that I've seen pop up on occasion in other maps. I usually just do a sweep over the relays using the laser, and it triggers the indicators proper.

OK, I found a workaround for the nonfunctioning button for the fizzlers -- just go back and press the button that originally activated it. Now I have that cube, but I still cannot find the laser the nearby button is supposed to activate. I've pressed it a hundred times and stood looking everywhere for it. I've got half the doors open for the next 02 level, but the button in the swimming room still hasn't been activated.

wait, you've only made it to the second floor, but got up to the fizzler and the switch? How did you manage this?

From the outstretched arm of the laser in the swimming room, I jump up onto the laser box, then jump up and portal to the slanted panel. Put the cube on the button and fling over.

that would be a problem. I'll take care of that. Because you haven't gotten to the next floor is why you are stuck.

OK, I won't go up there again until I get the doors open. I finally got the button activated. Kind of an embarrassing oversight on my part. Still only have half the door open. Are you supposed to be able to get the laser horizontal again? I've spent a lot of time trying to make that happen without any luck.

Nope. Once its set to vertical, its set for good. The issue of not being able to find the second part of the water section is my fault. Going to take care of that in the next build.

[edit]

File is now updated. Change log is in the readme file.

Nice map so far... I said it before I like your style. Very interesting.

I guess I'm stuck at the same spot as RogerL. I only activated half of the door.
The map could use some guidelines because I never know what to do. All the laser catchers have no sings or indicators.
1.The rotating cube was a nice idea but the textures make it very confusing to see the exit.
2.If you try to portal outside the room with the cube_floor_button at the beginning the cube gets fizzled and you wont get a new one.
3.If you kill the ball you wont get a new one. Even if you press the button.
4.The little room above the two turrets has four fizzlers. Sometimes they kill me sometimes not. If kill the cube inside I wont get a new one. ( If I fizze the reflectocube under the laser it will be gone too.)
5.I can trap myself inside the water with the three relays. There's a cube under the platform and you wont get out if haven't a portal somewhere else. Anyways I have no idea what these relays are for... I can activate them all but nothing happens. Again, indicator lights would be nice.
6.Am I supposed to go back to the start? Cuz I'm able to. I can jump over the railings with a cube.
With the cube from the start or the reflectocube inside the water im able to reach this platform.No idea what happened here.

Maybe I'm missing something or this map needs some rework but i've no idea what to do next. I'll try more stuff later because Laser Encouters is one of my favorite maps. Otherwise I would have probably quit at this point.

@ marKiu
1)Essentially I wanted this to be a glass box puzzle, though it seems its become too difficult. I've been testing solid textures to see if things work better.
2)If you placed the portal on the back wall facing the doorway, its that nasty physics glitch where the water portal cleanser manages to fizzle a cube regardless of the thinckness of the walls. Taking care of that in the next update.
3)Did you kill the ball the same was as the cube? Thats the only other way it could be destroyed that I know of right now.
4) The fizzler room is meant to kill you if you fizzle the reflector cube inside it. I should probably something like that for the one outside in the water as well.
5) I'm guessing you used the cube to hop over the railing. I'll add a ramp that leads to a spot where the cube can be used to get out again. If the other half of the first floor gets solved before the relay portion, then the player can get out easily.
6) The play can go back to the start, and is one of the many ways I've done so to get back into the funnel to advance upwards, so thats fine.

1. The walls around seem fine so you could just make this one nonportable.
   3. Yes I killed it with the wall bug. But once you have a portal on the first floor you can easily jump over the wall with a cube or shoot a portal from the top to the floor of the cubefloorbutton room. After that there are multiple ways of killing it.
   4.I remember I fizzled it and survived. Maybe you just let them respawn and add a cool light effects when they spawn or something like that. Just an idea. This is your map so you decide. I just wanted to share my thoughts.
   5. Yes I used the cube. But if you have a portal somewhere else you can easily get into the water and get stuck again.
   6. Ye I thought that myself. But is it intended that I can spawn multiple spheres?
   
   Btw You can shoot a portal on the floor with the button that activates the first half of the door to area two. If you jump besides the little house with the two buttons that control the arm you can see the ground. Or you can just portal on the side of the little house to get up a little and see the floor. So the raising platform from the water is kinda useless.
   
   I'll wait the next update and try again. thx

Just played the new version.

Quote:
Which doors? Be a bit more specific.

These. Maybe highlighting them a bit would help. Also, doors don't look too great without the usual props that surround them(maybe it's a good idea to stick to one theme where possible? why put underground and clean doors in 1 map)

Quote:
Tossed the laser and receiver in the ball and cube rooms.

Great, still it doesn't make sense to me why the first door in the middle room stays open after the cube is removed from the button, but the second one needs the cube + ball to be in place all the time. I would also suggest making it a bit easier to see what the effect of buttons is, eg by putting glass in front of the door or just placing the ball/cube sockets in front of the door. Think from a players' perspective

Quote:
Fixed, only one ball can be spawned there now. You can get the ball out of there. You just have to use the buttons provided.

Ah yes this was my fault, I didn't know the lower floor button also moved this panel. Once again: think from a players' perspective. I think it could be more fun if players could clearly see the effect of pressing a button when standing on it, not by quickly looking behind a corner after unpressing it.

Some more points of improvement:
- Indicators. Especially the complex upper part is too much guesswork.
- Why do the 2 standing buttons in the upper part do the same thing(move back/forth 90 degrees), needing both of them to be on/off for the laser to be 0 or 180 degrees?

I think this map has potential if a bit more time is put in the "user experience".

Spheres are expendable for the most part, so infinite spawn is fine, especially on level 1 with the lasers. Just took care of the water and indicator issues, and added an elevator in the water relay part to get back onto the laser control platform. I've also added portable walls inside the tower, so in case anyone decides to liberate a sphere of its life, then can still move about on at least the hall of lasers. Floors 2 and 3 inside the tower won't have portable surfaces.

Also added indicators for notifying the player how many levels are finished, as well as others for control/slave purposes. I'll ignore the doors for a bit until I get the mechanics working cleaner. They are supposed to open as you approach, so no its not a break in the system. I'm not that cruel to make you figure out another puzzle to open those doors after getting the cube out of the puzzle cube.

Updating shortly.

[Edit]
And updated to v.1-3.

What an extraordinary map. Unique, mind-bending puzzles, incredible aesthetics, and tons of fun. A couple of minor points: the three dimensional maze is a great idea, but even with your changes, it is still pretty hard to see the paths. A found it somewhat helpful to get on top of the cube and look down. I know you can't make the textures too opaque or you won't be able to see anything at all. But maybe there is a way to make it a bit clearer. I know you're getting mixed messages about this, but I think you have too many indicators now and it detracts from the aesthetics. For example, the one running up the button platform in the swim room seems completely unnecessary. But these are minor quibbles. Thank you very much for taking the time to make this map. Now I'm going to go play it again!

You've actually given me an interesting idea now. I don't know if it'll work, but I'll take a crack at making the cube viewable from above. The only thing I can thing of to make things completely transparent are to use the no draw or invisible textures. I'll see what I can pull off.

This is a list of things that bothered me while playing. Some of them are minor things or me just not having the energy to figure out certain puzzles. But the player is supposed to have a clue of what to do next, something that I definitely didn't feel while playing this map.

Sphere room:

- Press button nothing happens (make it not reset)
- A bit cryptic that you need the cube from the other room (but OK)
- Awkward lighting (Black wall in sphere-button room?)
- Placement of buttons way off / can't see what's going on
Status: Finished it

Cube room:

- Good idea
- Controls not practical
- Made me rage and noclip just to get the cube
- Not fun
Status: Didn't finish

Laser Designator:

- One of the checkers not connected to laser thingy but something else?
- Aim speed on the laser way too fast, slow it down
- Improve it so that you can see all parts of the room properly
- Unnecessary elevator effect on the platform you're standing on
Status: Don't know if I finished it or not

Swim Laser:

- The arm with the laser has awkward controls
- Didn't see that you could swim to the turrets until 10 minutes in
- An area with noclip as a texture in the water?
- Didn't know what anything was connected to
- Couldn't get up since it's hard aim the cube and get on the platform fast enough
- What is the turret cube for?
- Button on the silo not working at all? Has to be activated?
- Too many sockets. Confusing :/
- Couldn't rotate the arm to aim for the higher sockets again
- Didn't understand what all the sockets did
Status: Didn't finish

Double laser pointer:
- Didn't know what to aim on
- Too many sockets. Confusing :/
- Didn't understand what all the sockets did
Status: Didn't finish

Grab ball:
- I guess that one worked OK

Generator:
- Didn't fully test this one

Overall:
- Good ideas...
- ...bad execution
- Aesthetics are OK but not exactly breathtaking
- Didn't really have fun playing this to be honest
- Too many things to keep track of in the different puzzles
- Puzzles need to be more separated
- Not enough portal use and too many buttons in my opinion

Logic, the map is designed so that some puzzles need to be completed before others can be started. You can't just noclip your way around the map and expect everything to work. And I think you were playing an early version of the map because some of the things that confused you have been addressed in ver 1.3.

This one has me baffled. The lack of any sort of direction, and very few indications of what does what to what for what has me stuck. I'm playing version 1.3 now.Here's what I've got so far

1. Got the cube from the maze. I love the idea, but the execution is a pain.
2. Got the sphere, and saw the first check mark
3. Solved the rotating laser puzzle, and got the cube under the platform (an absolute miracle I found that)
4. Got the laser pointed down, and pointed laser at underwater target
5. Got the cube from the turret room
6. Solved the three sphere puzzle (you really need some indication, I had a very hard time finding that portal surface) and have both lasers pointed at their catchers.
7. Took one cube upstairs and threw it on the super button by itself on the platform. I'm certain that's unintended, because if I blew the throw, I can't find another way to get on that platform.
8. 0 and 1 are checked

1. What activates the button on the pedestal in the water room
2. How to fling up to the spinning whatchamacallit

KennKong, I had some of the same problems. Here are some hints:


1. The cube from the turret room goes onto a button that is accessed underwater; you don't need to throw it anywhere. You'll get another cube for that button.

2. Since you haven't finished the swim (water) room yet (turned its yellow energy beam blue), the rest of the map isn't going to be completely functional.

Hope that helps.

Alright, I'll give some hints here and there. I'm working on creating signs that point in the right direction right now as well, and I've retooled the puzzle cube room some. RogerL mentioned being able to look down, so thats now a possibility. Anyway, the hints.


Floor 01:
Don't jump in the water, thats for floor 02. On the left side of the funnel(01) all checks mean rolling and singeing. The center is self explanatory: 3 spheres in three slots leads to power.
Floor 02:
Swan dive for contrast, then 180. Exploring explains your conundrums. Don't kill reflectors, or they'll kill you.
Floor 03: More flying and buttons to press. Being creative in how you fly would be best.

Like RogerL mentioned, things become useable as you progress. The cube KennKong mentioned would normally be impossible to view until floor 03 from one of that floor's vantage points.

RogerL wrote:
KennKong, I had some of the same problems. Here are some hints: Hope that helps.

Indeed it did! Thanks, RogerL. I never would have found that, because from in the water room, all I see is a gold panel, and from the tunnel, all I see is black.

Now I'm stuck right at the end, I think. I have the laser cube from the whirligig redirecting the X laser at the catcher, and a weighted cube on the other button. I push the laser button, I hear the timer ticking, I can see the laser is turned on by looking through portals, but nothing else happens. I also have no idea what the high-voltage arcs are for, besides pointless deaths.

I am terribly frustrated by this map's lack of direction. It could have been epic, instead it has just been endless torture.

@Wanderer: I know all you've read so far from me are complaints. I want you to know that I think this map has the potential to be an excellent one. I think you need suggestions from expert mappers on how to get it there. Perhaps you should have this moved to WIP until you can iron out the kinks. I haven't had much trouble executing most parts of this, and have had quite a bit of fun on some of it. But finding the things I needed to do in this has been like pulling teeth the whole way.

you know theres three buttons in there. All 3 need to be active.

Wanderer2021 wrote:
you know theres three buttons in there. All 3 need to be active.

No, I didn't know. That's what I mean about finding things in this map. I was in and out of that room numerous times and didn't see the third button until you told me it was there.

KennKong wrote:
Indeed it did! Thanks, RogerL. I never would have found that, because from in the water room, all I see is a gold panel, and from the tunnel, all I see is black.

Yeah, I had the same problem. As the mapmaker said in his/her comments, there seems to be no good way in P2 to see above the surface while you are underwater.

KennKong wrote:
Now I'm stuck right at the end, I think. I have the laser cube from the whirligig redirecting the X laser at the catcher, and a weighted cube on the other button. I push the laser button, I hear the timer ticking, I can see the laser is turned on by looking through portals, but nothing else happens. I also have no idea what the high-voltage arcs are for, besides pointless deaths.

Wait a minute ... aren't pointless deaths the whole point? Okay, I'm just kidding. You need three cubes in the last little room. The reflector cube needs to be pointing in the right directiom (don't laugh, I made that mistake), and once you hit that button, it will be obvious that your work is is done.

New update to v1-4. Managed to get the reflect cubes in the water to respawn, so no more killer fizzlers. Added more light in some spots, some new indicators, and modified the piston room a bit so all 3 buttons are visible. Full log in readme.

RogerL wrote:
Logic, the map is designed so that some puzzles need to be completed before others can be started. You can't just noclip your way around the map and expect everything to work. And I think you were playing an early version of the map because some of the things that confused you have been addressed in ver 1.3.

I probably should have realized that. I'll edit the list a bit.

I didn't play any of the earliar versions. I played 1.4. I enjoyed the map. Lots to explore and figure out where to go next. I didn't like the fact that the water area was pushing me around though. I started to get nausous and had to stop for a minute. Other than that I thought is was fun. Thanks for creating.4/5

I'll give v1.4 a shot later today. That shoud be proof enough, Wanderer, that I really do like this map.

I commented before about the electric arcs, and wanted to balance that with the positives. One, it looks really cool. Two, you can avoid death with patience and avoiding the death zone. Three, it looks really cool.

I have additional comments on the water. I died sometimes while just exploring. If the player can drown by remaining submerged too long (and that's entirely logical) you might want to dim the lights or add a red fog as the player's health reaches a critical level. The movement behavior is odd. It pushes you while you're standing on a surface, but not while standing on a cube or floating. It doesn't push the cube at all. However, that works out nice, because you can get on the platform by holding the laser cube in the laser above the platform, then dropping it. Of course, once you've discovered some of the other "outs" in the level, you realize you don't need to get on the platform at all.

On a side note, another arrow on the wall of the tunnel might help in finding the button room.

Yeah, funny thing about water. If you aren't dead in it, it pushes you to the left. It did the same for the toxic water texture before I added a kill trigger. Anyway, I ended up tossing the electric arcs. As cool as it was, it didn't work as I hoped, so I'll save it for another time. I also couldn't get the dynamic light to cooperate with me when the arcs were active, otherwise it would have been a lot more interesting. As to drowning, the screen actually jumps and does get red, but because of the orange lighting, its not as noticeable. Either way, we are not fish, so we can't swim underwater indefinitely. A for effort though. As to the multiple paths of the same routes, I want players to find their own, non exploit ways sometimes, rather than restrict them to one. I suppose its a matter of how the player left things that determines which is more viable.

I just finished v1.4. Major improvements all around. The rotating cube is much easier to follow now. I would move the double-action button in the first sphere room to the other side of the pedestal so the player can see what it does.

I'm still not sure how a player is supposed to find the cube in the 4-target laser puzzle. Sure, it's always the player's job to explore, but that sucker is really out of the way.

The indicator from the 3-target laser puzzle helps, but the bright lights and grate in the room it opens makes it very difficult to see the panel open to the 3-sphere room. Perhaps just railing there would be better.

The box around the downward laser was a good idea, but it made placing the cube a little difficult because the laser was so close to the side of the box. I like the new version better, nonetheless. I see you were ahead of me on the extra arrow in the tunnel.

I don't know how it happened, but I solved puzzles 0, 1 and 2 without ever going to the "Splatter Room". And I still don't know what action exposes the slanted panel. It isn't clear what raises the fizzler on the sphere dropper, nor what action drops it again. I'm not sure what good the button to stop the whirligig does, I only need the button that lowers the cube chamber. But that's OK, I think a few harmless red herrings are a good thing.

While I think version 1.4 stills needs some work, it is a much more playable version. But I feel the epic scale and complexity of this map elevates it to 4/5 for me. Please take my criticisms as a sign of appreciation for a map well worth the effort it takes to polish it up.

KennKong wrote:
I'm not sure what good the button to stop the whirligig does, I only need the button that lowers the cube chamber. But that's OK, I think a few harmless red herrings are a good thing.

I did just the opposite. Since the lowering and raising loses a portal you place inside, I thought it was easier to just deactivate the fizzlers, stop the blades, portal inside, jump on button and down to the slanted panel to retrieve the cube. For me, if I just lowered it, and try to retrieve, it would always kill me.

Ah, that button was there to entice people to do just that KennKong. I wanted to see which method people tried first. Think of it as the experiment where the monkey tries to pull the banana out of the cage, but can't because it won't fit pulling directly.

For the cube in the laser receiver room, Its viewable from the platform next to it that holds the button. The slanted panel on there is revealed once you reach the 3rd floor.

Pertaining to the underwater laser cube, Its a matter of where you left the laser before turning it vertical. One way makes it easier but takes a moment longer to set up, the other is faster to set, but makes redirecting a bit more challenging.

As to the splatter room, or rather the sign that reads splatter house, its just a play on the fact that level 2 is mostly involved with the water, not so much the splashing of gels. If there was a caution: wet floor sign that matched the other styles, I probably would have gone with that.

I'm glad that folks are enjoying this thing, even if it was horrendous at first.

I played 1.4 only.. Great mapping, if not just a bit directionless.. By saying that, I spent a lot of time wondering what was intended to be the next step.. I did solve at least one puzzle out of sequence.. the water.. you can do that while still on level 2...Then I died and had to go back and re solve when on 3... I spent over an hour on this map and did not mind it one bit.. it was a bit frustrating at points, and I admit I did noclip around at one point after I got to "mind that gap" just to see what was up, but ended up going with a solution i hadn't thought of while doing that.. Again.. I spent a lot of time trying to find direction, as in "what comes next" I completely get what you were trying to achieve and the direction you were going, and applaud you on a great map. Please please please keep doing what you're doing..

Again thank you for your efforts... 5/5

I forgot to mention a small exploit that I found. I never needed to get a sphere for the button on the pedestal in level 3. You can strafe the big fling directly onto the support arm of the tower and get the last cube, etc. Not much of a timesaver, so it may not be worth trying to prevent.

RogerL wrote:
I forgot to mention a small exploit.

Wait, that wasn't intended? I guess I should ask what the "intended" method of getting to the cube was.

It involves the ball button on top of the door that conceals the ball dispenser. It opens up a few more panels and allows for a fling, rather than a strafe. More steps to it, but no real frustration of a missed strafe and falling all the way back down should you miss. I'll leave it in though since I like that people find alternate routes to the same solution, and that one isn't too puzzle breaking.

Wanderer2021 wrote:
It involves the ball button on top of the door that conceals the ball dispenser.

I guess that's why I had to find the exploit, 'cause I never did find the concealed door. Just spent another hour looking for it, still couldn't find it. Noclipped all over the map, still couldn't find it. I remember now that on my first playthrough with the original map, I just "borrowed" the sphere from level 0 temporarily.

One more update to add to this thing. No more strafing onto tower arms, since I raised them up above the top of the players arc, and added some railing to one of them to further prevent an easy hop to the platform that disables the emancipation grid. I've also added a custom water texture to replace the wonky texture I've been using. Its not perfect, but its an improvement. Still can't see through the windows underwater though. I've also removed the button to reset the hydrolic laser on the first floor. The button was redundant after I added the gate to prevent players from jumping into the water early. I also have the button that makes it go vertical lock after the first use, so you can't spam it. Back up front, I tossed the ball button on top of the dispenser, as it really wasn't helping much of anything, so now the button near the top of the map has a larger purpose.

I believe that covers the updates. more detailed notes in the readme.

Wanderer2021 wrote:
I've also added a custom water texture to replace the wonky texture I've been using. Its not perfect, but its an improvement. Still can't see through the windows underwater though.

The new water texture really helps; I didn't feel quite as disoriented. The only problem I noticed with it is that you can no longer see the underwater part of the laser when you are above water. But that might be fixable by just adjusting my graphical settings in the game. I didn't try that.