[Release] The Watcher Chambers

Avatar
infernet89
174 Posts
Posted Jun 23, 2008
Replied 5 hours later

here it is my run on that map pack

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=yfUtwrCOYtI

It's segmented, so after each level there is a cut.

Advertisement
Registered users don't see ads! Register now!
Avatar
Bulska
204 Posts
Posted Jun 23, 2008
Replied 1 hour later
very nice map, I really enjoyed playing it.

It was challanging but not annoying at all. Only the part with the cube and the ball was tricky, but still fun to do, and more fun to complete

The thing with the spikes first made me think, what a stupid thing. But I went fiddling around with it by slowly moving towards the spikes to trigger it without dying. Then I found out that I should climb over and jump trough the spikes, the hint: 'leap' painted with blood did help me out a little.

All around, good graphics and certainly good puzzles.

Avatar
jon1467
11 Posts
Posted Jun 25, 2008
Replied 1 day later
It was nice and really well made, but it was way way too hard, I had to noclip loads of parts. I liked the story and the cliffhanger though, and the talking g-man was great! I look foward to a sequel
Avatar
Nameless
34 Posts
Posted Jun 26, 2008
Replied 21 hours later
the part with the sharp metal was interesting, after i figured out that you could inch up to the spikes it was much easyer but still hard, i don't think it was that bad as long as you quicksaved after every spike set in the room with the box fling i was ably to get the box very close several times, but i think the platform with the button needed to be extended some, or maybe just have that pillar removed

wow now that i read your hints on that spike area i understand why i had so much trouble with the last part I managed to jump through the middle of the spikes that you were spposed to climb, and the next set i could crouch and crawl under the right side (the half with the swinging blade was no problem, I tought it was obvious that it would come down on me)

Avatar
uXs
15 Posts
Posted Jun 27, 2008
Replied 1 day later
How do the hell do you do the room with the large pool, the one where the g-man appears ? If you fall from the roof into the angled wall, and out another portal right next to it, you seem to have the correct angle, but not enough speed by far.

Theoretically, you could gain speed with some other trickery and come falling towards the angled wall with greater speed, but then you have to put at least one portal on it in a fraction of a second with practically no orientation, and it seems rather impossible.

Also, the spike thing kinda sucked.

Avatar
Mek
459 Posts
Posted Jun 28, 2008
Replied 12 hours later

uXs wrote:
How do the hell do you do the room with the large pool, the one where the g-man appears ? If you fall from the roof into the angled wall, and out another portal right next to it, you seem to have the correct angle, but not enough speed by far.

I tried it by putting the two portals above each other, so I was falling infinitely, and then trying to put a portal on the angled surface, but never succeeded.
And this is what I dislike on all maps - if I actually know the solution, but am unable to manage it.
The puzzles were way too hard, and I have come to an idea of binding the "noclip" command to some F-key
The only thing I liked in this map was its atmosphere (portal feeling), the design was done in a very fashionable way. The end was great, except that the lights behind the G-man were too bright so I couldn't see where is he standing.
So, if there will be a sequel, then try to adjust the difficulty so that the puzzles aren't near impossible.

Avatar
Syon
44 Posts
Posted Jun 28, 2008
Replied 10 hours later
You complete the puzzle at the start of chamber 3 like this:

||Put a portal on the very end of the lower platform. Put a portal on the ceiling above the angled platform. Drop through the portal on the ceiling and place a portal on the angled platform that you're falling towards. Crouch as you go through the portal on the angled platform.

You'll shoot across the gap with more than enough speed to make it across.||

At no point anywhere in these maps is terminal velocity required to solve a puzzle.

Also, the lights behind g-man had to be bright to hide his face. Custom scene files (that are needed to make g-mans mouth move) cannot be easily included in maps. So I had to come up with a way for g-man to talk without people being able to see his face.

And the sequel will definitely be easier.

Avatar
Mek
459 Posts
Posted Jun 29, 2008
Replied 13 hours later

Syon wrote:
Also, the lights behind g-man had to be bright to hide his face. Custom scene files (that are needed to make g-mans mouth move) cannot be easily included in maps. So I had to come up with a way for g-man to talk without people being able to see his face.

And the sequel will definitely be easier.

heh, thanx, never realised that...

Avatar
uXs
15 Posts
Posted Jun 30, 2008
Replied 1 day later
After using Syon's hint in solving the one puzzle I was stuck at (and which I really should've been able to solve myself, dammit), I must say that this map was awesome. It made me realize that I don't really like easy maps, but that I like maps that are hard in all the right ways, like this one was.

Don't make the sequel any easier, just make it as hard as this one, in the same way.

Also the last puzzle was awesome, really nice idea.

Really a truly excellent map, congrats.

(Except for the part with the spikes, that sucked.)

Avatar
Syon
44 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 2 days later
Yeah, I'm working on redoing some of the spike area. The puzzle will largely stay the same, but it'll be esier to get past the spikes ane there will be more hints.

I think the map did end up being harder than I intended though. I tried to shoot for something that would be tough, but not to the point of being frustraighting, which I think some people have found it.

The next map is going to be more of a theme map than anything else. reasonable puzzles, but with a focus on atmosphere and such. I don't want to give away too much though as plans may still change some depending on technical difficulties I encounter.

Avatar
pestchamber
614 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 7 hours later
awesome but i really didnt understand how you put a strip to the cams. i dont know what activates it
Avatar
Bulska
204 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 33 minutes later
There's a trigger around the camera which detects the cube and closes the door when the cube comes too close.
When you shoot a portal on the wall behind the camera, you activate the Portaldetector, dropping the camera but also disabling the trigger and opening the door in case it was shut close.
Avatar
pestchamber
614 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 23 minutes later
umm i meant what does it mean that he made a strip on it
Avatar
appunxintator
142 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 1 hour later
they're the exact same overlays as the indicators for buttons/switches, just used for a different purpose.
Avatar
pestchamber
614 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 1 hour later

but what activates it ? how do i know when is it orange and when is it blue?

Avatar
Doomsday192
371 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 6 minutes later

pestchamber wrote:

but what activates it ? how do i know when is it orange and when is it blue?

??????

Avatar
pestchamber
614 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 23 minutes later
i ask for what it does.. then he tells me how he did it in hammer.. i ask again what it does.. he tells me its the same overlays as the buttons ... again smoething about how he did it in hammer... i dont get it... sometimes the strips are orange and sometimes blue... but i dont get how do you know when it is?.. do i say it CLEAR enough`?
Avatar
rellikpd
1,053 Posts
Posted Jul 03, 2008
Replied 1 hour later
triggers with filters looking for the box that probly has a particular name
Avatar
pestchamber
614 Posts
Posted Jul 04, 2008
Replied 9 hours later

rellikpd wrote:
triggers with filters looking for the box that probly has a particular name

wtf.. i mean ... i dont know what the new cam game mechanics does... because you dont get any practice what it does... ... very simple: WHAT DOES IT DO? AND WHEN IS THE STRIPS ORANGE AND WHEN IS THEY BLUE... not how its made in hammer..

Advertisement
Registered users don't see ads! Register now!
Avatar
Bulska
204 Posts
Posted Jul 04, 2008
Replied 1 hour later
Ill tell ya.

When the Cube gets too close to the camera, the indicator changes, and the door closes.

The Camera sees the cube and closes the door.