FelixGriffin:

Thanks for the help, but how do I validate my game files?

Open Steam, right-click Portal 2, and choose Properties. Under Local Files choose Validate Integrity of Game Cache. Then wait.

Ummm...I've never used Steam, but I went ahead and downloaded it to my computer, created an account and then tried to find what you said I should do. No luck.
Sorry...guess I'm going to need more hand holding for this...if you have the patients.

bmail wrote:
Ummm...I've never used Steam, but I went ahead and downloaded it to my computer, created an account and then tried to find what you said I should do. No luck.
Sorry...guess I'm going to need more hand holding for this...if you have the patients.

The problem is the pirate copy you're using. You'll need to actually buy the game (which requires a Steam account in order to run.)

My copy of Portal 2 is not pirated. Besides, I downloaded Cleanup from Thinking with Portals.

Then how do you have Portal 2 without Steam?

Sadly - although I raved about how awesome the attention to detail and the new mechanics are in this map - the bugs in level 3 are making this an unpleasant experience.
I never could get the cube to reflect properly and with chamber 3 - even after restarting the Level several times . . the cube would reflect for a little while, then stop.
In addition, I was able to hit the laser sensor at the upper left of the exit door without the cube - and I had the laser right ON IT but it would not activate !

One smaller issue - the "squeak-squeak" sound, apparently as a replacement for the walking steps. But it is extremely annoying over time. But that is minor.

I did finally skip to Level 4 and after a few hours have given up. The cube would not stay centered on the suction plate - I set it in the center . . walked over to the the button and looked back. But the cube had moved away from the center of the metal suction grate. I saw no way to get the cube or myself to the button on the right which is needed to allow access to the reflector cube. I need a video for Level 4.

I didnt upload part 3-5 yet because I'm very busy with other things right now and uploading the previous videos to youtube took about 2 hours each

Even though the cube is a bit buggy, I can't believe that it won't work after a reload. Did you try every side of the cube? 90% of the time it works.

There is only one spot where the cube has to reflect a laser in chamber 3: when you put it on the grate above the laser to hit the first catcher. After that there is a second spot to reflect the laser to open the door, but I use a workaround there that doesn't require the laser to reflect at all.

I also don't see a problem with the panels in room #4. Yes, the cube moves a bit but that shouldn't matter. It always hits the center of the portal for me and because a use a trigger_catapult to do that it should also work for you. If it doesn't I have no idea why. My testers didn't had a problem with that either.

Because everything worked for me and my testers I thought everything would be allright and that's why the mappack is not in the WIP section. Now it's time for some finetuning but that there would be problems that would cause heavy problems surprises me as well.

Oh OK - thanks.
I edited my previous message slightly.
I think the main thing for me personally is that it would be great to have a video of the rest of the sections. Sounds like LP is maxed out currently.
I hate to refer to videos but when I really get stuck as I am in #3 and #4 right now . . . I will watch them just up to the point where I see something I missed, and then continue on.
I really do want to get through this - and it is the most challenging new map right now that I see on the board.

I guess you are right about WIP - if you do that it can end up there for months.
This way you get it posted - more people will play it - and you get more feedback.

I just found that in #4 you can get the cube to slide around more slowly if you place it exactly in the center.

Just re-read some posts.

lifeson99 wrote:
Gel Coloring - as you play and get to the levels with reflector gel, it is dark brown. Looks like someone with diarrhea took a dump all over the place - LOL. But then when you save it - quit - and come back in with the F7 key, the brown stuff changes to light gray which is ever so much more appealing.

Lol, now I see that you was talking about the gel and not the fog. Stupid me.
I use commands to color the gel. Actually, it looks white but with 2 simple commands I can re-color it. But this command needs a restart of the map to affect the gel. That's why there is a intro map anyway because I use the commands there. And after the map changes, the gel is black.

PCdoc wrote:
In addition, I was able to hit the laser sensor at the upper left of the exit door without the cube - and I had the laser right ON IT but it would not activate !

Can you take a screenshot of your solution? The catcher is a fake one which only "activates" when you solve the chamber in the intended way. Didn't see a second solution comming

PCdoc wrote:
One smaller issue - the "squeak-squeak" sound, apparently as a replacement for the walking steps. But it is extremely annoying over time. But that is minor.

Seems like you also don't like playing coop maps then? .
I can give you records to watch if you want. This way you don't need to wait for videos.

Wait, a fake catcher? Why?

Map 03 Solution
(the final part I learned from Sprowl's demo) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl6bf-WURSw&feature=youtu.be

I was able to complete 04 and 05 except the 2nd part of 04 which requires an unnatural move (I assumed if I shot the sideways portal up high that would propel the cube to the far end and over the glass - but you need to shoot that portal low).

A few Chamber 3 issues

-45-degree angled surface coated with reflector gel would reflect then not reflect - then reflect than not reflect.
-the catcher to the left of Door is a fake - then becomes real after the get reflector cube. Not a bug but confusing
-the squeaking - I think this is to replace the sound of steps - but the sound of steps remain
-spinner activated without laser touching it
-dropper opened but the cube would not drop - happened a couple of times - has happened with other maps too so not that rare. Used noclip to pull the cube down then saved game and restarted to fix
- at the end it does not matter where the cube is so long as it is in that area. A laser just appears from the cube to the catcher as if the cube was a laser emitter. This is a bug - because you are not required to aim the laser to the catcher

FelixGriffin wrote:
Wait, a fake catcher? Why?

Because I need an input like "activate" for the catcher. But the catcher entity doesn't have one, so I need to fake it with an prop_dynamic (and sounds and particles).

PCdoc wrote:
Getting the Cube
Here is a part of 03 - getting the Reflector Cube.
But I could not finish. After that I tried everything . . I lit the spinner again - and it had no effect on anything. The wall sensor is a fake so that doesn't help. And the other sensor on the floor is just to activate the ride to get the reflector cube. So I cannot see a way to open the exit door ? Since the angled platform stops reflecting and lowers down - that must be a clue. I am not sure why is stops reflecting.

The "fake catcher" is still a normal catcher. And the indicator sign goes from there to the door - so you need to activate it to open it (along with the relay on the ceiling you have to activate too).
I said before that the not reflecting laser is a engine bug I cannot change. But it doesn't matter for the puzzle. And yes the panel lowers down, because I gave the panel the input for it. It is not a bug or something. I'll make a button next to the panel in the next version the player can press to lower / raise the panel. But I believe this will make the puzzle even harder because you have to decide which panel you need for which part of the puzzle.

PCdoc wrote:
The first part I was trying to activate the spinner by reflecting the laser off the 45-degree angled surface which was coated with reflector gel. I could not get it to reflect consistently. It would reflect then not reflect - then reflect than not reflect.

Sounds like the laser was moving from side to side. It's because of of entites that helps the laser to go the right way (it snaps to them), and sometimes when something comes near the laser it goes the way back to its original position. So it goes from one point to the other. It's helpful when you do it the intended way but I can believe it's annoying when you do it on your own.

PCdoc wrote:
Once I finally activated the spinner - as you can see the laser was not touching it. At that point - fine - I was elated to get it spinning. But then I looked around everywhere to see what had changed - nothing changed.

Follow the indicator line and you see that it goes to the door. The line is also yellow...

PCdoc wrote:
Sometimes when I pressed the button the dropper opened but the cube would not drop - seemed to be stuck a few times. The upon reloading the Level it worked OK.

That's odd and I've never seen that happening before. Man you break everything in my pack - stop it

PCdoc wrote:
I would love to see how Level 3 is solved once you get the cube.

That's why I send you a PM with the intended walktroughs.

I took Sprowl's advice and restarted Level 3 and the cube did then begin reflecting OK. And that reflection off the cube part of the video got me through. I had a couple of problems too but worked through them. Better to have a few bugs and be a great map than vice-versa. The trickiest was getting the cube up top and reflecting off it. I probably shot about 20 portals before I got it, but it worked.

Question on Level 4 - I got through the main room which was quite a challenge - that was my favorite room. Then I ended up in a second room with 2 more of those yellow pushing devices. I tried a sneaky workaround by throwing the cube up to manually get it over the glass. However it seems to be hitting some sort of invisible barrier. So I tried side portals high and then low on the wall while dropping the cube in through a floor portal - to no avail. Is there a small hint that might be OK to release ? Sorry to ask - these devices are new to me and no one has posted a solution yet.
TIA

There's an invisible wall there to stop people from throwing cubes.

Hint: what use would a reversed magnet-panel be with a grate over it? You couldn't get its force to anywhere else, could you?

Ahhh - I see. Did not see a portable surface above the grate.
The old "alley-oop" up and over. Worked, thanks.

Updated to version 1.1.0; the changelog can be found at the bottom of my first post. Have fun!

WOW!! At level 3 and taking a break... Impressive.....
Edit: like PCDoc: last laser deflection off cube worked but didn't actually hit the cube?
Edit 2: Finished all 5. An astounding piece of work - Awesome decayed theme that all worked (minor glitches with the reflector coated cubes), creative puzzles and new effects. A masterwork.... Thanks for creating!! 5/5..
Will definitely run this one again...

Edit 3: Ran workshop versions - crashed my Steam on starting video of 01, second time was OK. Choosing go to next map at end crashed Steam, choosing Queue and then next map was OK.