Testing focus: Lasers
Difficulty: Easy / easy-medium
Expected play time: Several minutes

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This is the second Portal 2 map I have released on ThinkingWithPortals.com, this time featuring thermal discouragement beams and redirection cubes in the destroyed map style. I have created as much areaportals and func_details as possible, but there may be some that experience a lower framerate than usual. Lemme' apologise for that in advance.

Back on topic, the map features two test chambers of easy/easy-medium difficulty (I think), and one Ratman's Den for those that can find it. Try to create that party atmosphere!

I hope you enjoy playing through this map as I sure did creating it.

Also, go play the advanced variant of this map, cleverly named sp_fr_lasers_01_advanced!

Changelog:

Version 1.1.000000001 (rounded down):
- Made the map compatible with the workshop.

Version 1.1:
- Stretched out the corridor between the test chambers. // To prevent trapping. Also fixed trapping at the second door in that corridor.
- Relay's now get killed, as well as their playerclips. // People don't seem to like standing on air. Hmmm, seemed like such a good idea at first.
- Better entrance elevator instance. // Both aesthetically and gravitationally. (when you fall out, 'cause now you can't...)
- Removal of a certain placement helper. // Purely experimental, of course.
- A nodraw wall is now metallic. // Not the biggest change, but I felt obliged to put it in here.
- Playerclips placed where the need be. // No more infiniflinging towards the ceiling, people.
- Noportal volumes and portal bumpers added. // Some incidents occured where portals would stabilize mid-air (on an invisible surface).

Version 1.0:
- Map Release

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Credits:

FourthReaper - for design and creation
Valve - for making the Half-Life/Portal universe a better place

2CAE7265 - for giving me a list of bugs and glitches they wanted me to fix
Tyronis3
BlumCoLe

Adair - for making walkthroughs of my map
BlumCoLe

Feel discredited? Want in? Contact me at the topic for this map on ThinkingWithPortals.com

Click here to download sp_fr_lasers_01

Click here to download sp_fr_lasers_01

&

For anyone out there hoping for screenshots, belowe are some. Click them for the fully sized version.

Also, here is the link to the whole set of screenshots.

Nice laser puzzles. Somewhat easy, but I like laser puzzles.
In the first puzzle, that panel was placed a little bit too conveniently though.

EDITS:
You can get stuck in the door like this:

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 170BF1A3A/
If you go back immediately as the next door starts closing, you can get trapped between doors like this:

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 90F8A2FA3/
And you can also get stuck in the exit door:

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 9D2FC4647/

Realays are gone after you solve the first part of the second chamber, but you can still stand on them like they were there:

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 15F27A578/

You can fall down through these holes:

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 572FC0756/

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 2488F5F96/

This area portal is closed while it shouldn't be.

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 332182599/

You shouldn't be able to stand like this:

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... B48B71A5F/

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 8C6A3B39D/

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... F2261248F/

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 8D690D490/

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 3AE321C6F/

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... 164E08F3C/

I think that this portal placement helper is annoying, it actually prevents you from solving it

http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/59581 ... A3B7D1838/

I don't think that the first problem it's hard to fix, just don't close the door if the player stands inside (and close it after he leaves iff the puzzle is not solved)

Quote:
In the first puzzle, that panel was placed a little bit too conveniently though.

Yeah, guess so. All the playtesters I have are my 2 brothers though, so I don't know how easily people will find that solution.
I was just thinking about making a (possibly clean style) advanced version of this map. Anyone got any feedback on that idea?

On a different note, It's okay to rate and post if you like, everybody.

EDIT: @2CAE7256: Oh yeah, guess so. Maybe that's not the brightest thing to do, though... Besides, that seems hard to fix.

EDIT: @2CAE7256: Oh, the same goes for that second edit you made. Guess I didn't have to reply like this then, ah well... By the way, I do appreciate your effort in finding bugs, however, so thanks.

I really liked you're map. I didn't have any any framerate problems, so I think you optimized just fine. The first puzzle as really easy, but I found the the second room to be very creative. It made me think about being conservative with portals and it was fun to visualize where the laser would go. The visuals where very good as well, and I really liked how much you tore up the place. I would have posted here earlier but I saw the pic of the ratman den and went in search of it for about ten minutes with no luck. I did find this though. I finally nocliped and found the ratmans den, and then realized that there was no way to get into it without nocliping. I think you should make it to where you can get in without cheating. I think the transition from the first to second room should be longer as well in order to prevent bugs and junk. Make it longer please, it would help smooth out the the flow.

About the first room, you could probably make it more challenging by making the second reflector cube harder to get.

Overall, I enjoyed this map, it had great visulls and atmosphere, but the first puzzle was kind of easy. 4/5.

EDIT: Oops I mispelled visuals. As for the ratmans den, I figured out that you need to take down the blocks to get in, but I can't figure out how to get on the other side of the wall... I'm probably missing something pretty big.

Another Bad Pun wrote:
I finally nocliped and found the ratmans den, and then realized that there was no way to get into it without nocliping. I think you should make it to where you can get in without cheating.

There is a way to get there.

You can get into the holes in the ceiling by making infinite portal loops and flinging up.

Excellent map!
And those who wrote about the many errors (in particular 2CAE7256), or armless entirely, or use "noclip", just to mock the creator of this map.

(Please do not judge strictly for the translation, I from Russia.)

@2CAE7256: Seems like you've spent enough time on these bugs and failures, but those about standing inside the metal are a bit neurotic (sorry) if I may say so, that areaportal is really needed to smoothen the performance of the map (and opens as soon as you press use), and the relays just don't like to be moved.
As for the elevator gaps, you're right, I forgot about those, I wanted to put more work into the entrance elevator but didn't. Will possibly upload the new instance later. And that thing about the placement helper not helping is actually some pretty solid advice.

@Another Bad Pun: Thanks for the feedback Please note, however, that it is definitely possible to get to the Ratman's Den without cheating or using glitches. Try to find it, and note that you haven't seen everything there is to it unless it's a party.
EDIT: If you really can't find the Ratman's Den, here is a hint. SPOILER ALERT. Try to find this.

@Cache: Thanks, although (not judging here) I'm not quite sure what you mean by "armless".

Nice map and puzzles, but need some fixes!

http://steamcommunity.com/id/s3thcole/s ... tab=public

http://steamcommunity.com/id/s3thcole/s ... tab=public

http://steamcommunity.com/id/s3thcole/s ... tab=public - http://steamcommunity.com/id/s3thcole/s ... tab=public

http://steamcommunity.com/id/s3thcole/s ... tab=public

http://steamcommunity.com/id/s3thcole/s ... tab=public

cya

>

BlumCoLe wrote:
Nice map and puzzles, but need some fixes!

@BlumCoLe: I know it's far from perfect. I am currently fixing the first two, where you get above the testing area, expect a fix in V1.1. As far as the other bugs go, I'll see what I can do with func_portal_bumpers. I thought Portal 2 had these issues fixed for the most part. Guess not, thanks for noticing.

@Tyronis3: Same as for BlumCoLe, expect a fix in V1.1.

EDIT: @Another Bad Pun: Oh hey, I just realized that that screenshot you posted wasn't about the Den at all, you saw a nodraw textured wall. Thanks, see it fixed in V1.1

Nice map, but.. Using destroyed theme and then placing all perfectly working lasers, panels and fizzler? That's the only think i didn't liked about the much.

infernet89 wrote:
Using destroyed theme and then placing all perfectly working lasers, panels and fizzler?

@Infernet89: Yeah, I guess that's pretty weird, huh? As soon as I read your post, I started wondering about what could have been. But well, that would destroy the puzzles even more than I have because of the issues I experienced during developement. Besides, this project was mostly to see how making a destroyed style map would work out. Malfunctioning panels or lasers (or fizzlers) aren't that much of a learning curve. Oh, and not to state the obvious, it's a -blam- to create malfunctioning panels as decoration. Sorry, though...

Hmmm, the puzzles are easy, but the ratman den is hard to find. I no-clipped to find it first, then I couldn't figure out how to get in there legitimately until I decided to restart the map. The reason I couldn't figure it out before is because it seems that once you are in there and leave you get shut out of it.

I made a demo file that shows how to get in there and get the party. Then it shows what happens when you leave. fr_lasers-ratden.rar

@Adair: Yeah, the reason you get shut off from the Den after you leave is to create that sense of secrecy, and because I don't want players to move too freely behind the scenes. Also, I have no idea how to use the .dem file you uploaded, so that's pretty hard to reply to...

Wheee! Found that ratman's den!
Awesome map BTW.
About the demo files, put them where all of the maps and materials folders are found in the Portal2 directory. There's not a specific folder for them, so just paste it somewhere.

Very nice map, laser puzzles not too hard - even the second one, just needed to find the key placements like all laser puzzles...Thanks for creating....

Your map looks scrumptious!

I love your brushwork, and the attention to detail . . . all signs of a talented mapper.

Tremendous job.

thanks again for the map!

walkthrough for ...who wants!
V3NtQun0XrA

Thank you for such positive feedback people, really elevating.

@Satchmo: Hey, I just learned a new word. Awesome. (No, not the word awesome, I mean scrumptious, duh )

@BlumCoLe: Thanks a bunch for creating that walkthrough, just hoping that people aren't going to spoil things for themselves due to the ease of doing just that. Also, guess I've been a bit too eager with the debris. Last time I thought of trying, I didn't allow for that last (in your case) blue portal to be entered. Ah well, it seems like it's supposed to be there and doesn't change much... I'll just leave that there.

EDIT: Btw, I'd appreciate if no one would make a walkthrough on the Den. That would make looking for it less rewarding for others. If you can't find it, sorry. (See my hint back a page)