force field properties
There's always the option of signs. Maybe we could make some suggestions in that thread that people could post next to their fields to indicate their properties. Unfortunately this could ruin some of the puzzle elements of these fields that might not have been so obvious (yet still ascertainable by just looking at them) if they had been given unique textures depending on the materials that could pass through them.
The only thing that are important are :
- keeping the same properties than in the original game for elements that look the same.
- when creating a new element, it must look different and have a "tutorial" with an easy to understand usage of it before. Situation, sign, Glados voice or game text are all valid options to make sure this tutorial is understood.
I think it is pretty impossible to make sure that all mappers share the same visual properties for a same custom element : there is just too much custom content to keep track, and also mappers feel blocked in their creativity if there are too much rules.
Each mapper should be coherent with his own work for better understanding, but you can't expect the combine field (random example) to be used the same way in all maps, since it is not official portal stuff.
The main thing is that the player never has to be lost because he didn't understand the new element. That is all. If the player gets it easily, anything can be done.
In fact even official portal stuff can be changed with correct explanation.
For example, the very common "cube friendly fizzler" you have in lot of custom maps is a perfect example of modification of official stuff, but it is often correctly explained through signs that this particular fizzler is "cube friendly".
A good proof anything is allowed if the player understands with a few seconds of observation and/or experimentation.
So to answer your poll : yes, new elements must look different, but that includes the context such as signs, lights...
NO! THE CAKE! NOOOOOOOO !
I don't really agree with that.
a growing, healthy, organic memebase of various ideas in any field that remains consistent adds to the enjoyment for all. I don't think that just applies to games but to any field.
when you have standards, then those standards can be built upon to any extent anybody wants.
when people just randomly create things that are not behaving in a consistent way then you get an anarchic mess and its not nearly as fun.
As long as you adhere to standards that already exist and build on those, it allows everybody to rapidly get to the interesting part--the new and creative part--of your work.
if you were creating something completely new with its own visual queues, ideas, physics, etc, then it might be okay to change everything around, as that tends to happen game to game, although to be honest many games follow basic ideas pretty consistently, which shortens the learning curve.
it also makes users very happy. fans like internal consistency. and its up to the mappers to live within the universe we are in.
The cake is a PI
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Add me on STEAM: iamafractal
I'm up for coop games & beta testing your maps...
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Wow that looks pretty cool. :0)
http://forums.thinking.withportals.com/new-types-of-fizzlers-doable-t738.html
In my maps, I simply use a grate/fence to represent a place where you can't go but through which you can portal. It's somewhat intuitive and the texture already exists in the game... (plus, I saw a lot of people using this in their maps)
They actually use this in portal. Remember, android? When dodgeing turrets, you run into a large floor to ceiling grate, and must portal behind the turret on the other side!! IT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE!!!!! 
D
