The last puzzle can be solved in multiple ways. I didn't spend a lot of time on it because it's not in the original course of tests i'm making.

This map is actually made of 2 testchambers, the latter unfinished, in one series featuring conversion gel. Since the map is now somewhat mangled, other gels have been implemented more, as the last test chamber was (sort of) hastily made.

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Version 1.1:
- Fixed the bug that hid the walkways from some players
- Was very helpful for other maps I'm working on as well

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Credits:

FourthReaper - for design and creation
Valve - for making the Half-Life/Portal universe a better place

Special Thanks to:

ZeepaAan - for helping me find the solution (and the problem) to the walkway-bug

File Name: SP_Convergent_Breakout_v1_1b.zip
File Size: 3.54 MiB
Click here to download Convergent Breakout

I really liked it! I had a small bug at the start where if you had the button pressed by the cube, and pushed the standing button, you would get both gels. You can fix this by using a logic-relay or other device that you can disable when pushing the pillar button. Overall, good map! I was trying to figure out how to make the large backstage area, and your vmf really helped!

Enjoyed it, good work also I was able to complete the last challenge without using the propulsion gel, is that by design?

I was able to complete the last chamber with the white gel alone. Put a portal under the exit, then jumped from the top of the first panel. That's the problem with using white gel. Once you get it somewhere, assume the player will get it EVERYWHERE.

Good map. Is it meant to be invisible walls around the last turret?

very nice I'm pretty sure I solved it in just the way you meant it to be done. nice design man A+

Thanks for the feedback people. This is the first map I've ever uploaded and I didn't expect any posts.

In the last room, you were supposed to need all the gels. Though I didn't have much time left, so I wasn't able to perfect this map. I see why it has a lot of bugs. I shouldn't have forced myself to make a test for all three gels, even more so last-minute. The actual series of conversion gel maps I was making is probably better.

PS: I noticed I may have put this in the wrong categorie for the contest, is it still in? Or can I change this? I have no idea about uploading on this site.

PPS @ZeepaAan: What invisible walls? Do you mean the skeleton model turret or the box in the elevator?

Around the skeleton turret. There were invisible barriers around him. They were shaped weird and you could shoot through them.

EDIT: After checking the .vmf I can see that I miss the models for the metal bridges you used to stand the turret on and the way there.

@ZeepaAan: It's strange that you don't have the models. I used the models included with portal 2. Are you sure you have all the correct files? btw, there is no solid walkway there. You have to portal to the turret.

I know. But the turret was just hanging in the air which I found weird. I have no idea why I couldn't see those models. I'm gonna try to verify game cache and see if I have the same issue.

EDIT: It didn't solve the problem. Some pictures:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84 ... 00004.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/85 ... 00005.jpg/


I am fully aware that, since noone else has noticed this, it's definately a problem my computer causes. I don't want it to seem like I'm blaming the map maker or anything since I think the map is great.

First part is good. Second part is too easy (but could be OK as a transition between the first and third). Third part is confusing, it's not clear what to do, I just sprayed white gel on the floor by throwing it in the air and removing the portal from under it, moving it nearer and nearer to the door, then replaced it with blue gel to jump on the platform where the door is. I never used the orange gel

I YouTubed the solution that I used, just for reference purposes, so you can see how I used the gels (Don't change the design IMO, I like maps that you can solve in your own way, with multiple solutions)

I edited out some of the sequence of the cube bouncing around the room

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auwImlqV0sY

I found it easier to just make portals so the water is close to the button, grab the cube and just take it into the water. I also had the whole square covered with blue gel. Great with a map which has many possible solutions.

I appreciated the no-frisks, functional nature of the map until the invisible structures started messing with it (that lone skeleturret is flying). That's really too bad, as external locations seemed adequate as well (if rigid).

Any chance of a fix?

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/68 ... 95137.png/Turret looks normal for me

Okay, since more (at least two) people have encountered problems with seeing the walkways as something else than invisible walls, I'll see if I can fix this when I get home. It may have something to do with not disabling Vertex Lighting or something, although I know fairly little about that.

To players experiencing this problem, sorry for the inconvenience.

I noticed something odd also.

Here's how it's supposed to look:
http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/559784493884055027/4387A5302B9CFD6DBCB59CD0616BA89B778E9E41/

and here's how it looks if I take one step to the left:
http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/559784493884056418/E7FDD6B111928BDB9B3A184B5B74F3A0A0F6F903/

Notice that not only do the walkways look different, but the cylindrical gel tube on the left looks different too, it turns blue. It doesn't matter how far away I am from the window; it's like there's an invisible line I cross that changes the lighting. I'm not a mapper, but I think it would be an easy thing to fix.

To the people that can't see the catwalk models, have you tried walkways in other custom maps? Maybe you have some visual game options different. As I don't have the problems with this myself, I don't know an easy fix.
Any mappers out there that could help out?

@Adair: This is a strange bug indeed, I see in in the map as well, I assume that means everyone does. Though I made this map from another map I made, wich doesn't have the problem. This is strange, since this part is identical. Ah well, it could be map size. It isn't excactly optimized, as I ran out of time. (Man's gotta' sleep)


I will continue to look into this, mostly because I still want to upload the complete, less deformed, series of conversion gel tests I'm working on.

Get me another map with catwalks and I'll gladly try out your theory. I share your theory since there are so few people that have this issue.

@ZeepaAan: I've drafted up a quick map featuring three catwalks, same model the turret rests on. The left is copied from my map. The middle one is new. The right is too but has vertex lighting and self-shadowing disabled. I kinda' hope you can't see any of these models, since that would mean the problem is not with the map. Probably. Or I just made thesame mistake again....

Okay, I'll compile it and try it out

EDIT: I tried it and I could see all of them except the left one, copied from your map.

Same problem as ZeepaAan. I still managed to complete it by looking at a walkthrough and walking on the invisible walkway.

@Lawton: Wait, you mean you have the problem, even in version 1.1? Damn, I guess I didn't fix it, did I?

Yes, I mean version 1.1. I got the same results as ZeepaAan on the test map as well, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

@Lawton: Have you tried out the simple map I map for ZeepaAan a few posts earlier? I wonder if you can see (one of the) walkways there.

I had the same problem as ZeepaAan, can't see the walkways...
I liked the first room

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear.> Lawton wrote:

I got the same results as ZeepaAan on the test map as well, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

What I meant by that, was I downloaded test_map.vmf and could only see the second and third walkways and what appeared to be the shadow of the first (still invisible).

There have been other maps with the same problem, iirc it's caused by some custom props not everybody has. Maybe you could include those in a vpk.

@xdiesp: Okay, now I'm really confused. I didn't use any custom material, of any kind, and I don't see any difference with the default prop_statics (as far as keyvalues go) since version 1.1.


I'm clueless. So if anyone at all, experiencing this problem, feels like opening up my vmf and spot the problem, feel free. I'd credit you in an update, of course.

Great map! 5/5

Especially the ambiance and such things make the map cool. Washing the cube was good and seeing skeleton turret was original for me.

I'm stuck on the second chamber. I cannot see the stairs.

@Cnone: Thanks, it's been a while since the last post on this forum, nice to get such a positive reaction

@Lostprophetpunk: Do you mean the walkways? Yeah, you're not the first to have this issue. I can't seem to fix it. I'm really sorry though...

I'm playing custom maps and record my first time of playing them. So the run is not perfect and may not use only intended ways, but maybe it can let you see how other people may understand the map or you could just enjoy someone playing this map for entertainment.
Anyways, here is the recording:

zus1uBHbSeE
(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zus1uBHbSeE)

Also note the video description for more feedback and my signature for additional project information.

@Djinndrache: Thanks for showing me this video. Reminds me of some of it's design flaws and error's, but cool to see people still playing the map. Uploading you first playthroughs is a great idea!

I had a quick look at the vmf file and i'm pretty sure the reason for the invisible stairs is the setting for minimum required GPU. It's set to medium, where such things should definately be default.

Edit:

Also check out a lot of doors and items at and after the stairs, i noclipped there and had horrible effects. I think a few walls etc. have the same issue inside the 2nd building.

@GreyHound: Thanks for the intell. I'll definitely check that out in the morning (GMT +1). Your suggestion seems right to me, must have missed that. As for the noclipping, I'm pretty sure you mean the second room inside the house, and if that's the case, I think you might have missed an areaportal....

EDIT: Err, I had no luck finding any prop_static with "Minimum GPU" set to anything else than default. What staircase do you mean, exactly? I first thought you meant the walkways.

FourthReaper wrote:
@GreyHound: Thanks for the intell. I'll definitely check that out in the morning (GMT +1). Your suggestion seems right to me, must have missed that. As for the noclipping, I'm pretty sure you mean the second room inside the house, and if that's the case, I think you might have missed an areaportal....

EDIT: Err, I had no luck finding any prop_static with "Minimum GPU" set to anything else than default. What staircase do you mean, exactly? I first thought you meant the walkways.

I didn't check all but i tried the 2 first stair/walkpath parts you are supposed to take. (the ones directly next to the pipe) and both were set to medium in the vmf you supplied with the release. (mayb that somehow changed over time so you can't find it?)

http://www.weown.de/files/portal_2/conv_breakout_hammer.jpg

About the noclipping, don't get me wrong. I used the console command to solve the 2nd part of the puzzle, i did not noclip because of an map error. But yeah i might have missed a necessary trigger/similar_item to have that fixed.

Edit: If you don't have a "bad-enought" pc to check that out you could send me a new compiled bsp so i can see if the problem still occurs.

Edit 2: Just to be sure, i redownloaded the map, loaded the vmf and ensured that i didn't make a misstake, i didn't, the hanging_platform thingies all have that property set to medium.

Nice map, I loved the clever use of back tracking in the first and second puzzles.

GreyHound wrote:
If you don't have a "bad-enought" pc to check that out you could send me a new compiled bsp so i can see if the problem still occurs.

Sure thing, here you go. Made a .zip-file with the .bsp and .vmf. I can only see default GPU on the vmf, though it's possible I've already changed the data after V1.1 and just never uploaded it.

While most of this thread are about visual bugs in this map, I didn't encounter any obvious ones. Maps with conversion gel usually lead to ridiculous exploits, and rooms with infinite supplies of all three are often a joke. Somehow, this map avoided those problems. It ends up looking better than it plays, but it has interesting if straightforward puzzles. This gets 4/5 on artistic effort, if not results.

@ KennKong: Thanks!
Strange to see some activity on a map dated way back, but much appreciated.

Well I just played this,not sure why I never saw it before.Actually played it twice because the first time there was no catwalk.It is fixed in 1.1 but the main download is not 1.1 You have to change the zip file name or the file wont update.I used the link a few posts up and that worked

@ andyb: Wow, really, that was the problem here all the time? That rule sucks. But thanks for pointing that out, I'll upload it here under a different name. Really appreciate it.

Nice game play - I enjoyed it - liked the puzzles, environments and music. I don't think I solved the last chamber as intended though - just put some white gel down and then some blue at the end and bounced up. Good work! Thanks for making!

@ OnePortalizedGal: Thanks! And yeah, I kinda' rushed that last chamber. Ghost from the past haunting me.