supercontest2012 Naulziator

Gamma Test 1 - A map full of new textures to feast your eyes on. This map will change the ideal appearance of Portal 2 maps, creating such colour that few have ever seen in a Portal game before.

You may recall a texture pack I made for Portal 1 a few years back. It was said that the nPortal 2 generic textures had
similar appearances. Well, here's a new styel that will broaden everyone's perspective on how Portal 2's levels should look like
in the year 2012...

In addition to the new textures, you are introduced to a new button based on real life magnetic switches. Simply stand on one of these clearly marked buttons, or put a box on it. You'll know it works when the indicators turn green.

Note: The arrow key in the elevator is a button. So are all the lights that have the power toggle icons. Also, you must have expert control of bounce scenarios, including steering and the absolute need to crouch.

Enjoy.

Gamma Test 1

Click here to download Gamma Test 1

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Crap! It seems that I did overlook the paint drip issue when I last compiled the map. I had the proper output to shut the drip off at the right moment with the original buttons, but when I changed to the magnet buttons last week, I removed the proper output by mistake as well.

Aw, shoot. I hope you guys can get to the exit ledge fast enough.

This map was weird but great. I have skipped and didn't use some things, but otherwise it was cool.But, I had to noclip to the exit, because when I activated V, and then got into that room where is bridge, exit on the top and so, I just didn't know how the hell was I supposed to get up there to the exit. I haven't seen any way to activate that funnel on the top, same as how to get a cube on that button on wall, which is near that funnel on the top.

The Exit Chute puzzle (black area) requires you to press the button cuddled with the box and arrow signs, then speed back and stand on the floor button controlling the light bridge. If done fast enough, the box will drop straight down from the paint dropper, bounce off the light wall and straight into the button at the top. That will activate the portal pad and shut off the fizzler field so you can fling to the exit ledge.

This can only be done if you have turned on the Exit Chute laser and redirected it to Catcher #5 (below Box #1). You need to solve all previous puzzles and place all key boxes in their respective places within the upside-down room (big room at top of 2nd elevator ride).

As I stated on my earlier post, I forgot to reinstate an output that would prevent the paint drops from entering the funnel. However, with the fail safes I put in, you likely have just enough time to shoot the activated pad, shoot the floor pad at the bottom of the chute and fling through.

So, how were the 2 gravity puzzles?

The look of this map is quite good to my eyes. But I think you ask too much of the player to learn how all of your new textures and buttons, etc., work. I spent most of my time trying to figure out what was portable and what was not. Then I spent most of the rest of my time trying to figure out how the buttons work. Old Aperature style cube works on a button, but standard cube doesn't? And then there is the odd magic. I return to a room that suddenly has blue gel on the floor, and I have no idea what I might have done to make that happen, nor did I see a gel dispenser for it. All you've done is made a map in which a quirky design and voodoo are used to distract the player from the goal: finishing your map. And that's not really a puzzle.

Naulziator wrote:
The Exit Chute puzzle (black area) requires you to press the button cuddled with the box and arrow signs, then speed back and stand on the floor button controlling the light bridge. If done fast enough, the box will drop straight down from the paint dropper, bounce off the light wall and straight into the button at the top. That will activate the portal pad and shut off the fizzler field so you can fling to the exit ledge.

This can only be done if you have turned on the Exit Chute laser and redirected it to Catcher #5 (below Box #1). You need to solve all previous puzzles and place all key boxes in their respective places within the upside-down room (big room at top of 2nd elevator ride).

As I stated on my earlier post, I forgot to reinstate an output that would prevent the paint drops from entering the funnel. However, with the fail safes I put in, you likely have just enough time to shoot the activated pad, shoot the floor pad at the bottom of the chute and fling through.

So, how were the 2 gravity puzzles?

Aha, I got it now, well rest of the puzzles, I don't know, it was exactly as RogerL said, it was more figuring out what every single thing does and how it works than figuring out the puzzle. I, same as RogerL was confused and at most of my proceed I wasn't quite sure what I've actually done. I think that it was way too much new things together, you should've made some tutorial map where would you explain player your new inventions.
On the other hand, I loved the textures, and just this new concept was great, but you used it in a wrong way=in a very long map without tutorial or explanation. It's a shame that you've actually ruined it by this, if there would be tutorial as I said, this map would be much better.

Aha, I got it now, well rest of the puzzles, I don't know,

Very innovative map. The only con is trying to figure out the order of things, and getting acclimated to the new button styles, etc.

I'm rendering a walkthrough right now, which will probably be uploaded to the TWP Youtube by the end of the day.

Here is my video walkthrough.
You will notice that in the chamber prior to the exit, I was able to get up to the ledge simply by bouncing off the top edge of the light bridge. You might have trouble fixing that.

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This is my playthrough of this map. In order to not influence the opinion of anyone, I won't say what I think about this map yet. Have fun watching the video and get your own opinion about the map for now

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(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA7UbWqTUSs)

The trouble with custom textures is trying to re-work-out all the rules regarding each one's behaviour...
After the elevator there was ana area with a push trigger pushing me back, and light surfaces weren't portalling so I prettymuch rage quit on this one :\ I do sorta like the decor though, very 70's sci fi

My feedback:
Do not read if you are judge!

||If this map wasn't so confusing I think I would have liked it much better.

The start was easy however getting towards the later chambers made me completely stuck. The cube room with the world portals I assumed was impossible seeing as the companion cube went through the catapult instead of being launched. Plus I saw no easy way for me to press the button to enable the funnel plus stand on the button WHILE chucking the cube for it's fling into it.

I'm not sure what was the purpose of redirection the laser with the lasercube on the platform, and I couldn't solve the final puzzle with the bounce gel to get to the exit.

All bad things said, the visuals were absolutely amazing and interesting; I have never seen a portal map like that before. The ambience and music was good and all your custom models, textures and the rest were very well made. By doing this, you literally made your own custom theme.
Your chambers did not feel cramped or too big and most of the puzzles were pretty straight forward once you knew how to do them.

I say well done on this one, it looks like you put a lot of work into it.||

Loads of stuff to play with here but I didn't manage to complete the map.

Aesthetics
Once you get past a small fling puzzle you're thrown into a completely new aesthetic style. I can't fault the looks, everything was pleasing.

Gameplay and Difficulty
Half the time I didn't know what I was doing nor what I was supposed to be doing. I didn't feel like I was solving puzzles - just wandering around hoping for the best. All in all, I stopped playing after 25 minutes. Sorry to complain so much, but here were some of the reasons I was annoyed:

If you're going to introduce custom textures PLEASE make it clear which are portalable and which aren't. There are inconsistencies like bright white 'look at me I'm portalable' metal panels and dark grey 'I reject your portals with malice' panels which were actually portalable. Players shouldn't have to click every surface to know if it's portlable.

These new buttons are inconsistent too - the first one you meet responds only to the player but later floor tiles respond to cubes as well.

The door with the I and III signs was a particular highlight of confusion. At first I didn't even realise that it was a door - I thought it was a place to dump cubes to make something else happen later on in the level.

There were timer buttons with no timer sound.

There was an invisible forcefield which didn't let me past to if there was a cube nearby. What the heck was that about?

Bugs and Mapping Details
* Visleafs are a mess - almost everything appeared to be a world brush. Needs more func_detail!
* In the first room, the fizzler models weren't set into the walls
* Many tick signs were backwards
* The elevator that takes you down to the custom-style area continued to emit it's moving sound when it had stopped
* After fizzling the 'I' cube, another two spawned in its place. I fizzled another and summoned three!
* In the tall room with the diagonal light bridges, the sign for light bridge was drawn behind its supporting brush.
* Somehow I managed to pull the cubes onto the 'I' and 'III' elevator and exit quickly, meaning the lift rose up without me on it.

i really liked this one! as far as i'm concerned, getting used to the new aesthetic elements could in itself be treated as a challenge, and with that understanding finishing off the puzzle is really satisfying. well done...

Well, I didn't expect getting a "Best" out of this contest. Thanks, guys.

Anyway, I'm getting back on track next week and will have a LARGE texture pack for you to work with. I'll also have tutorials and a more playable version of this map in the next 48 hours as well.