Sometimes water is more useful than what is first perceived. How is your green thumb?

File Name: Flower_Tower v1-1.zip
File Size: 9.77 MiB
Click here to download Industrial Flower Tower

This is too confusing for me. I managed to get to an area with a pink/purple color with a laser cube in it. But the way to go there demanded just finding the different buttons spread over the map. I don't feel like continuing this right now, hopefully I can do better next time.

As I expected, there were many surprises in this map, some of them put a chill down my back. After getting the first cube, it took me a long time to figure out what to do next. There is no obvious (or even obscure) way to get to the room where the cubes go, so I just fell from the top and strafed over to the arm. It seemed not quite right, but I couldn't figure out what else to do. After that, everything fell into place. Everything worked as far as I could tell, and, other than that one jump, I felt like everything was intended. I was a little disappointed that more wasn't going on under water. I kept swimming around hoping to see a room open up or something. Another great map.

Yeah, I wasn't sure what to do for the top, but I think I have an idea now, after taking a short break from it. I'll try to make the water more interesting as well. Thanks for confirming that everything seems to work. Nearly lost the map the other night when I was adding in some stuff. Figured out I had miss connected some of the world portals.

After playing through it a couple more times, I have some additional observations. First, cubemaps! Second, it might be useful to have sound effects of something opening when you press the buttons to make it more obvious what is happening. And third, in my opinion, if a button only needs to be pushed once, and additional pushes don't do anything, then the button should remain in the pressed state after the first press. Otherwise, you're just going to cause players to revisit places needlessly, endlessly if they're stuck, especially if there is no clear indication (i.e., no indicator lights) of what they do, which can add to frustration.

EDIT: Now I know why you put that hollow square below the fizzler. I kept thinking it was another world portal like some of the other squares, so I kept trying to jump through hoping it would take me somewhere. But when I finally succeeded, I only got wet.

Alrighty. Its now the early hours, as I got distracted working on this, but I believe I got things a bit smoother. Added cube maps in the hopes of getting reflections to look better, added sounds to moving parts, as well as indicator lights to two particular things in the map. Rearranged two routes for some cubes, did some brush cleaning, and just general fixin's. I also added some bg music at low volume to try to get a light mood going for the map, but I'll probably toss it if people feel it detracts from the map.

Cheers

I got more confused after getting the first cube than I was on the last version. There's a new portalable panel, but it only leads to the retractable platform, and fizzles my cube when I go through. I finally found a way to place a funnel on the high wall panel and then I do the jump I did before. Is that right? The hollow square has indicators which light up when I push the button in the cube room and then they go out when I place my first cube. So I never found out what that was about. I appreciated the new panel to make getting back into that room easier. There's a new world portal under water in the far right corner as you enter, but it didn't seem to lead anywhere; maybe its tied in with the hollow square. I'll have to investigate that more. The music was pretty groovy and the new sound effects were nicely done. The map felt more complex and multi-layered this time -- which I think is a good thing. Some of the labels baffled me, though. Why is there a one-dot on that platform? I never found a corresponding one-dot like there was for the two-dot. And one-dot usually indicates the first stage of a multi-stage puzzle, but as far as I can tell, it has no role in the puzzle. And why is there an exit door sign in the funnel room? Overall, I think this is an improvement, but the labeling really threw me off more than it helped.

EDIT: OK, after more investigation, I found out why that platform is labeled one-dot and I found its corresponding button. My cube didn't fizzle this time, so perhaps I just jumped too enthusiastically the first time. Also found out what the hollow square leads to, but didn't see any use for it. Maybe I did something in an unintended way. Still have no idea what the underwater world portal is for.

Could you send me a recording of your run? It definitely seems I've overlooked a lot of things this time. I'm most curious to how you managed to get the first cube without using the hollow cube.

So far the jump method you used the first time for the first cube is currently wrong. I also realized that by leaving the top most portable wall alone, it lets you access the first panel mildly early. I won't say its bad, but its not intended either. As to the underwater world portal, that is part of the intended route to get off the top of the tower, though it seems the fizzler to that section is causing problems. I'll be removing the prop fizzling ability of that field come next update. It'll act more like a different fizzler that is part of the maroon room, though since you hadn't been solving the map the intended way, you've yet to see it.

I just sent you via PM a demo recording of my solution.

Okay, I see where the paths deviated. Moreover, I see now that the one dot indicator trigger is hidden too well for players and can be completely ignored. I shall fix this so players can locate it a bit more easily, as well as block off the unintended path for the first cube.

[Edit]

And updated once again. It should now be impossible to bypass the one dot button, which has been converted to the two dot since its activated later compared to the platform that opens up in the water. I removed the cube fizzling portion of the top most fizzler and changed the mat to indicate as much(its now the blue fizzler mat from underground vs the green from the main facility). Also did some lighting changes to help lead players a bit more, as well as some sound adjustments so the harmonious tones don't blow out your ear drums.

Well, that played seamlessly for me. The map just keeps opening up (like a flower?) as you progress, with new surprises at every turn. Everything worked and I had no confusions and I believe I visited all areas this time. It is still going to be a difficult map for others, I think, because so much is hidden at first, which will force them to explore at each iteration. A wonderful map with a style all its own. Not as epic (in the literal sense) as Laser Encounters, but conceptually its more cohesive. Nice job!

I've just spent a couple of hours trying to break this map, but I found nothing significant. I think its ready to be released to SP. I managed to lose a cube while attempting some wild idea of mine. But I eventually found it. Unless you like to hug laser beams, death is impossible. Nothing ninja is required. But having an open mind is absolutely essential. This is not a map like any other.

Okay, did a final release. Another playtester mentioned that a player could get stuck in the top most room with the cube in it, so I added an escape hatch into it, as well as indicator lights representing the polarity of the funnel into that room, in case players neglect to check it. If a mod could move the map into the single player section, I would appreciate it.

Cheers.

moved from WIP to SP on author's request

Thank ya kindly, good sir.

Holy smoke, I made it through in just 57 minutes! Considering how confused I was almost the entire time, I'm surprised I didn't rage quit. But I'm a stubborn s.o.b., and after I got the first cube, things started to make a little sense.

I'm going to edit down my blind playthrough before I post it, so you can see what problems I had. While I'm doing that, I might have more perspective on why the thing is so damn confusing. Right now I can't even remember how I got the first cube!

This is one of the more different uses of world portals that I've seen. I can't recall anyone using world portals to move you around the same room this way. I think it's a very interesting design. Unfortunately, the lack of direction at the beginning made it a very frustrating map to play. This map has the potential to earn a 5 from me, but the initial misery drags it all the way down to a 3, because it definitely needs work.

EDIT: Here's the video of my blind (and mentally handicapped) playthrough. I managed to chop it down to under 26 minutes, but it's still painful to watch.
Link: Industrial Flower PowerEmbedded
gXdAAYdE2Q4
Just a few thoughts on improving it:

1. The red titles in the video are real problem areas, won't repeat them here
2. Signage needs to be greatly improved, just to list a few
3. Something over the little door in the bottom corner
4. The funnel direction buttons
5. The door to the world portal to the red room
6. The lighting is meant to guide the player, but it doesn't really help that much
7. The room is too large, it contributes to the visibility problems.

Going to work on this tonight. I've added some indicator lights to the polarity buttons, as well as the funnel icon sign near them to indicate what they control. As to the door on the lower area near the water, there is a reason I say that the water is more useful than is first thought of. Anyway, I'm also going to add some more portable surfaces to make travel throughout easier. The button that opens the "flower" now has the magenta light inside of it, so it should 'pop' in comparison to its surroundings.

You might also want to edit your first post to change the Subject from [WIP] to {SP].

For some reason I can't change the actual thread name, even if I change the download page.

okay, updated the map. moved some stuff around a bit, added a new set of doors, some new triggers, and added some indicator lights to the funnel buttons.

Yeeee I finished it! It was really, really hard! Very nice map I loved the idea of the 4 lasers, and the portals!