Quote from compherm on February 15, 2009, 11:01 pm

Kiavik wrote:

Physics didnt really work for me on the last puzzle. The button press was supposed to release 3 balls, am I right? well it released only one. Also that paddle thing was too flimsy, it seems like a tiny breeze was enough to have it go all over the place. If I were you I'd redesign that puzzle removing an heavy use of physics, it just doesnt work well this way.

[spoiler]The trick is to make it so the ball goes through again, thereby releasing another ball. It is up to you to figure out how to do this.[/spoiler]

Further spoiler: [spoiler]If you still can't get it, try looking all the way to the top of the room[/spoiler]

Quote from monkeyman on February 16, 2009, 3:39 am

great map!

i got stuck though...
in the area underneath the elevator and with the button inside the glass case thing...
the door opened and i walked through with a ball, then the door closed behind me... :/
all the walls r metal, and pressing the button didnt appear to do anything inside the room... i couldnt get out of it, and there was no way to put anything on the buttoin from inside the room... :/

Quote from again on February 16, 2009, 9:55 am

kudos to you good sir or madam! this is by far the most innovative portal map i have played in a very long time! very ingenious use of physics, really made me use my brain, instead of the run-of-the-mill 'fling here', 'tunnel here', 'fight some turrets'....etc.
very entertaining and challenging, still cant work out the last puzzle.
the design is also very good, the space feels free-flowing and almost non-linear, and the room design really adds to the overall feel of the game.
very awesome.

Quote from Aldéz on February 16, 2009, 12:46 pm

I finally beat it! Not sure how though, the last big physics puzzle suddenly worked without me making any obvious changes

The map is very innovative, but also confusing. To goal of the puzzles are not clear in many cases. So instead of figuring out how to solve the puzzle, I had to figure out what the puzzle was about, which is quite frustrating.

It is possible to get stuck in the last physics puzzle. If you jump into the fan pipe and the door closes, you can't get out. Also, if you place a portal behind the glass pipe, just under the ball spawner, and get out from it, you get stuck in the pipe.

The bottom line is that it's a great map already, but I wouldn't hurt with some minor adjustments before the release version. Keep up the good work!

Quote from HMW on February 16, 2009, 4:42 pm

Thanks for all the comments! I'm glad that so many people have tested my map.

Skinnycap wrote:

I really liked you way how you did that so you can't cheat by set a cube betwine that door at the first room:D thats epic!

So you've found my little "easter egg" I know i shouldn'd watch so many cartoons...

For everyone who can't figure out what the "Balls Out" puzzle is about
[spoiler]It's kind of like those "Incredible Machine" games. You complete the machine by setting up your portals, plugging in the two cables, and then release the balls. If you've done it right, each ball will move through the system in turn, set off the next ball via that seesaw mechanism and end up getting shot through the fan tube to the collector behind the control room. (It can sometimes fail due to "unlucky physics", despite (or thanks to? ) my best efforts...)[/spoiler]

soad667 wrote:

Btw, one small thing. Are you going to create a thumb for your Bonus Maps folder?

Yup, that's planned for the release version

reepblue wrote:

With the second room, you give all these puzzles but I had no idea what was the exit nor how to open it.

Ald?z wrote:

To goal of the puzzles are not clear in many cases. So instead of figuring out how to solve the puzzle, I had to figure out what the puzzle was about, which is quite frustrating.

This is the main reason why i've released it as [WIP] first: striking the balance between hand-holding / challenging / frustrating. Apparently, i need to add a some clearer directions.

PortalFan77 wrote:

The spot where you get the advanced gun.
[...]
Well if you crouch like this.
[...]
You can press E and grab it.

One for the "D'oh!!" list. I totally didn't think of that. (With or without portals.) Thanks for the hint!

Kiavik wrote:

Physics didnt really work for me on the last puzzle. [...] [T]hat paddle thing was too flimsy, it seems like a tiny breeze was enough to have it go all over the place.

I spent a long time fine-tuning that thing, and it worked quite well at the end. (On my computer at least...) Anyone else having this problem?
I'm thinking about adding a trigger-activated "helper motor" to the paddle wheel or making the whole thing non-physics altogether.

monkeyman wrote:

in the area underneath the elevator and with the button inside the glass case thing...
the door opened and i walked through with a ball, then the door closed behind me... :/

Hmmm... Some wire loose there. That door is only supposed to close temporarily when you press the small button on the side. At the same time, the red hatchway above the button should open so you can drop the ball in. (From the outside, while you're inside. Good luck...)

I don't remember having taken a ball in there lately, since that's not neccessary, so that's something to try.

Ald?z wrote:

It is possible to get stuck in the last physics puzzle. If you jump into the fan pipe and the door closes, you can't get out.

Sounds like a great place for one of those "you got stuck due to no fault of the enrichment center" lines from GLaDOS. Will work on it.

Ald?z wrote:

Also, if you place a portal behind the glass pipe, just under the ball spawner, and get out from it, you get stuck in the pipe.

That's a known quirk of portals near displacement surfaces ('cause that's what the pipes are made of). I thought i'd nailed all of those. Apparently not.

Well, it looks like there is plenty of work for me to do to bring this map to release quality. Again, thanks to everyone who played and commented on it! I expect to have a release version within a few weeks. I'll keep watching this thread for new comments in the meantime, of course.

Quote from soad667 on February 16, 2009, 5:04 pm

Incredible Machine?
Hehe, when i first entered the balls puzzle, i looked right to the top and an old game came to my mind, Marble Drop. One of my favourite puzzles back then and its whole concept was really close to the one you used in this room. So that helped me to figure out pretty fast what to do. And of course loved that room.
Btw, i guess i was lucky, cause the physics were pretty solid for me.

Oh, about the 'easter egg' Skinnycap mentioned too, i did it three times to convince myself that i wasn't just... seeing things. Epic idea for sure!

Quote from Sleepwalker on February 18, 2009, 1:56 am

Is the last area not finished yet, because it only served up one ball for me even though there was three loaded. Btw, you can still cheat in the first room if you're fast enough and [spoiler]you place a portal above the doorway[/spoiler].

Quote from compherm on February 18, 2009, 1:30 pm

It is finished, read the post above in the spoiler tags.

Quote from Aof on February 18, 2009, 1:32 pm

About getting stuck in the "glass pipe" thing in the last level -
I didn't even have to use a portal near it. I simply walked up to it and got stuck inside it.