[WIP] Tunneling Chamber 01 [v02] - Updated Feb 19, 2008
Tunneling Chamber 01 [v02]
Created by: Joel 'taco' Bells (joel@joelbells.com)
[v01] Released: January 10th, 2008
[v02] Released: February 19th, 2008
[v01]:
• Initial Release
[v02]:
• Re-packed the .rar for easier installation.
• Compiled with the parameter '-StaticPropPolys' to improve shadows, esp. around the elevators.
• Added GLaDOS speech: entry, nags, success and detaching cameras.
• Drastically improved the visual design of and lighting in both stairwells.
• Added additional geometric detail to the metal walls throughout the chamber.
• In the second puzzle room, the trigger that lowers the lift was adjusted to prevent players from triggering it by jumping from the room's floor.
• Minor optimization to geometry throughout the chamber.
About
Tunneling is the act of firing a portal towards a surface while the player is part way through an existing pair of portals (e.g. standing in a pair of wall portals, jumping into a floor portal) and then moving into position (e.g. backing out of the initial pair of portals) before the fired portal hits its target.
While this map is not a tutorial on tunneling, it is a safe environment (player cannot die) that requires the player to use two tunneling techniques in order to progress through two simple rooms before being met with a unique tunneling-assisted fling puzzle.
Download:
http://forums.thinking.withportals.com/dload.php?action=file&file_id=146
I thought the first and third rooms were great, the third one took some thinking before I realized the solution. The second room feels like I'm redoing the first room, it looks and feels too similar. Nice lighting in the entire map. The map feels a bit short and is missing music and GlaDOS. Great map so far! Also, for the heck of saying this, the observation room in the third test has the door's texture redone as cement.
E1025:
I'm glad you liked the map (and the lighting).
As for second room, the design decision behind keep the room almost the same the first is to show the player the difference in technique that is required with a simple change (in this case no floor below your portals).
I did leave out music as a design decision as well (only using soundscapes) but will add it in if people miss it enough. As well, I left out GLaDOS because I didn't want to rehash vocals from the game; though I'm not against adding some custom voice work.
And last of all, I have no idea what you mean about the observation room door texture being cement. The door looks fine on my machine - can you post a screen?
Thanks again for your feedback.
the cement door was just a wall. Oops, nevermind.
Good to know. Thanks for double checking.
So...I cannot figure out the second room.
I couldnt get past the third room :/
Yeah I couldn't get past the second room either 
You're not missing anything, you just need to practice more so that you can
First off: your .rar file is compilled so it's a pain in the ass to install. - Suggest not including the "tunneling chamber 01[v01]" folder in the .rar file, so as somebody can extract the files directly to the /portal/portal/ folder.
Other than that, I must say, well done taco.
While I had to retry room 2 about two or three times to actually figure out how to do the technique correctly, I enjoyed it very much. Room 3 took me by surprise, but when I actually thought about it, I got it on my first attempt.