A short map made in the clean style. It consists out of one test that's supposed to be medium difficulty.
Edit: Turns out to be hard.
Please tell me what you think about it and report bugs/unintended solutions.

File Name: interchangementV4.zip
File Size: 2.4 MiB
Click here to download interchangement

All I'm doing is move cubes around the map. Not entertaining in any way. Didn't complete it since you need a cube to open the final door. No way Jos?...

(I'm a bit rough here, might come back tomorrow and re-wright this post to provide some constructive criticism)

This map is a combination of quality and tedium. I'd like to see an intended walk-through since the last part of my run (getting the two cubes on the buttons while still having a portal behind the fizzler) was a little more convoluted than it probably needed to be.

The inherent issue with this map is that by the time you figure out what you need to do, you pretty much have to start the map from square one since you'll most likely have the cubes where you need them to be but your portals won't be.

This doesn't provide you with an "Ahh-ha!" moment as much as a "Really? I have to do this again?" moment.

The only "bug" I found was that is is possible to get into the final hallway with a cube off the final pair of buttons but not in that same hallway with you. If you then place both portals on the hallway wall, you will have to way out and will have to load a save/restart the map.

I agree with Logic in that this map isn't so much entertainment as it is a test of your patience.

I've recorded my blind playthrough for you. I didn't edit out the dead spots, where it took me a minute to figure out how to swap the cubes on the fizzler button. I think I got really lucky on this one, I've played quite a few maps lately where fizzling a cube on purpose is necessary.

I didn't notice any visual defects like misaligned or nodraw textures. I like the way you gave a little more portal surface than you needed to solve the puzzle, without creating any obvious loopholes (now watch John11 come along and do it 3 portals!)

I noticed the varying depths of the pits, especially when I screwed up the fling to the first cube. I wasn't sure on the last fling that there would be enough room under the ceiling to do it, but the shorter depth there worked out perfectly.

I can see how this puzzle could give people fits, because there are many possible configurations of cubes on buttons that one could try. That's the kind of puzzle I like!

Link: interchangement blind playthroughembedded
GnnYDxLrwm0I think this one's ready for release!

Thank you for your reactions. I realised hiding the last button wasn't fair, so I added a window. Now the only reason for failing is you. : )
The map is released now. I hope you'll enjoy it.

The intended solution:

-grab cube1
-put it on the button at the far side of the pit
-shoot a portal behind the fizzler
-put cube1 on the button next to the exit
-walk through the fizzler into the second room
-portal up and activate the cube dropper
-jump over the pit using the two portals on the ground and then jumping in one manouvre
-bring the cube to the other side of the pit
-jump in the pit in the main chamber and throw the cube over
-go back up and portal yourself over the pit
-put cube2 on the button
-portal back to the other side of the pit
-place one portal on the higher part of the second chamber(so you can walk to the button)
-place the other portal on the ground behind the fizzler
-grab cube1 and take it through the portal
-throw cube1 on some white surface
-press the button
-put the portal that's not on the ground behind the fizzlers in the pit
-jump in
-fly out
-land on the other side
place the portal you just left under de cube and then at the white surface so you have both cubes
-put them on the buttons
-enter your portal
-pop out next to the exit
-pop your portal behind the exit
-enter it and get a cube
-put it on the button and you're done. Easy.

Very good puzzle toaster!!! I really enjoyed this map. I played last night and I've completed early today! A truly little mindbender! I loved when you get to the final corridor and discover you still need one cube in there! Awesome... I love that kind of touches... I've got some of these nice kind of surprises in some chambers in my mappack.

I'll upload my playthrough later.

Thanks for creating it.

Looking forward for more!

toaster wrote:
I realised hiding the last button wasn't fair, so I added a window. Now the only reason for failing is you. : )

This definitely removes the a lot of the tedium of having to do the puzzle again (showing the exit clearly is ALWAYS a good idea) but I still believe that it is a problem that the player can get stuck in the last room if they accidentally (or are stupid enough) to place both portals in that hallway.

In portal 1, the solution for situations like that was to either let the player out (open the door) or let them win (open the other door). Or you could let the player shoot a portal out of the room into the main chamber.

This could be accomplished by replacing the window with a grate and making sure that the player can't see a portable surface in the hallway from the main chamber (they can't get in but they can get out).

This is a nice little brainteaser, but it does need some work. Besides what has already been mentioned, I would suggest placing solid textures around the fizzler and the first exit door. Its too easy to portal-bump your way to an early exit. It is especially advantageous if you use it on the floor by the first exit door. Also, your description of your intended solution seems to leave out a couple of steps. Namely, once you get the first cube into the second room, you say "Press the button", but there are five buttons you could press. I think you mean the one that spawns the second cube. But to do that, you need to do a couple of other things first. Also, you say "place the portal you just left under de cube and then at the white surface so you have both cubes", but if you do that, if I read this correctly, you will no longer have a portal behind the fizzler, and that's no good.

Here is what I mean:

** Video Deleted **

Something odd I noticed is that there is an observation room in the hallway. What exactly would be observed in there? lol

Played through this last night. Didn't really enjoy it TBH, sorry. I thought the map was well made, with the exception of strange observation room placement, but the puzzle just wasn't to my taste.

Like someone else said, I didn't really like the fact that it was pretty much just moving cubes around but oh well, you can't please everyone.

UsCobra11 wrote:
Something odd I noticed is that there is an observation room in the hallway. What exactly would be observed in there? lol

Yeah, I found that really weird too, I found the fact that it was at floor level strange too. Also, there was another observation room which just overlooked a dark corner with a button in it.

Nice cube puzzle, I didn't see anything that would make this not ready for release? Better than some released that are still WIP's... thanks for mapping...

quatrus wrote:
Nice cube puzzle, I didn't see anything that would make this not ready for release? Better than some released that are still WIP's... thanks for mapping...

Indeed!

Toaster, I owed you my playthrough. Sorry for the delay, mate! There you are:

CQ-LQIk8Y9o

Thank you all for your reactions.

@RogerL:

RogerL wrote:
Its too easy to portal-bump your way to an early exit.

Fixed.

RogerL wrote:
you say "place the portal you just left under de cube and then at the white surface so you have both cubes", but if you do that, if I read this correctly, you will no longer have a portal behind the fizzler, and that's no good.

Not if you use the same portal twice. Like this: Blue is behind the fizzler on the ground. You're on the other side of the gap. Put orange under the cube so the cube starts flying up and down. Then place orange on the wall on your side of the gap while the cube is behind the fizzler.

@Taco

taco wrote:
I still believe that it is a problem that the player can get stuck in the last room if they accidentally (or are stupid enough) to place both portals in that hallway.

Thank you for noticing. I've placed a timer button behind the door so you can get out.

@josepezdj:
Thank you. I really like watching this playthroughs.

@mZLY and UsCobra11:
I agree that palcing an observationroom in the hallway is useless. I chose to do this anyway because I like beeing able to look into observationrooms and because the hallway looked a bit empty.

Toaster

EDIT:
I've managed to record a playthrough:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iThrA_m1 ... e=youtu.be
I'm sorry for the poor quality. I'll try to get it better

Edit2:
fixed:

GQ0uOWn4UuI

First of all, I would REALLY like to know your opinion about my playthrough. I mean, c'mon dude! I would like to know if you think I thought out in the way you expected, if you would ask ppl to think differently... if you're satisfied about the way of thinking about how to solve your map... understand? that kind of stuff.

It took my time to record it, to tell you I REALLY like your puzzle and such... and I feel so dismissed. Overall, I would like to know which is the intended run to solve this puzzle... would you please tell me? or at least: would I be so honoured to watch a video solution recorded by you? (that link you posted is broken!)

Thanks!

jose

toaster wrote:
RogerL wrote:

you say "place the portal you just left under de cube and then at the white surface so you have both cubes", but if you do that, if I read this correctly, you will no longer have a portal behind the fizzler, and that's no good.

Not if you use the same portal twice. Like this: Blue is behind the fizzler on the ground. You're on the other side of the gap. Put orange under the cube so the cube starts flying up and down. Then place orange on the wall on your side of the gap while the cube is behind the fizzler.

That's what I thought, I just misunderstood. Thanks for the clarification.

@josepezdj:
I'm sorry, you're right. I'm uploading the intended solution right now on youtube.

GQ0uOWn4UuI
About your run:
You have solved the right way. pretty fast actually. Near the end (about 10:40) you're using way more portals than neccesary and you're grabbing the cube while flying and such. That's harder than the actual solution (watch the movie to see how I did it). Anyway, congratulations, you have passed the test (faster than I would have). : )

First: PARTICULARLY NECESSARY change introduced in the exit corridor that now shows the player that there's a "hidden" surprise near the end! THIS is how it should have been always. I like surprises but in previous version you REALLY forced the player to REdo everything!

Second: nice run of yours (you're a good player!). I guess I did a bit more complex when no need to do so... Anyway, the essence of the way of solving the map is the same. I really liked this puzzle!

It's a bit of pain though that it reminds me of an already finished map of mine, mate! Let's wait up and see if ppl indeed manage to use some of those flings I made into my own maps.....

Only one more tihng to comment: I don't really know why you deliberately used the vertex textures (or is it just an env_proj_tex that continually updates inputs?) though. It's a bit strange those lighting effects on the floor...

However, again, Toaster, this is a great puzzle! Don't let ppl say other stuff. Congrats mate!

josepezdj wrote:
Only one more tihng to comment: I don't really know why you deliberately used the vertex textures (or is it just an env_proj_tex that continually updates inputs?) though. It's a bit strange those lighting effects on the floor...

I didn't deliberatly use vertex-textures. Actulay, I didn't even know they existed. I looked it up. Vertex-textures are textures that are either light or dark right? In your video playthrough you are watching some weird lightning on the ground at 1:00. Is that what you mean? I do have an env_projected_texture in the big observationroom in the main chamber, but I don't think it reaches that surface in the other chamber. I'll check the textures and the env_projected_texture.

OK. I decompiled your map. It's vertex textures: man, it's not ME that I've got rendering problems / graphic card issues and such! Vertex textures are right that: they simply behave lighting-wise depending on player's view / light amonut rate...

I think, precisely in your map, they don't really suck. In some others, dude, they're annoying! So that's up to you, see if you prefer that effect while player's moving along them... or you don't... and do whatever you want to...

They were even called tile_black_001b-vertex or something like that. I have replaced them and the weird lightning is gone. Thank you. I learned something new. : )

I absolutely adore this map and I solved it WITHOUT fizzling any cubes.
It involved one semi-ninja move where I had placed the blue in the ceiling of the room behind the fizzler with one cube on the button and the other cube on the far button that kept the fizzler deactivated. I then went and got the other cube that kept the fizzler deactivated and dropped it into the room so both cubes were there with the blue portal still on the ceiling.

Then I jumped the gap by shooting an Orange portal into the floor at ther far side of the pit . . . jumping to the far side of the pit and through the Orange . . . down through the Blue in the room behind fizzler (now with the 2 cubes in it) . . . as I was falling shot the blue in the floor to then sail up and onto the other side of the gap. I was then outside the room behind the fizzler which had both cubes in it and it had the Blue portal intact in there.

The rest was just jumping the other gap and getting to the 2 buttons, and then simply placing the 2 cubes there while retaining that Blue portal in the room behind the fizzler. The last part was the same as everyone else.

I would post up a video but since the last post was in May 2012 I do not think anyone will ever see it. BTW - your other map, :"SecondTest" is also awesome. Seems you have stopped map-making - so sorry to see that but it is a lot of work.