I did however, jump, with blue gel, never used the fling I could build in the first room :$

The patched version has been released. Have fun!

Here's the changelog:

General:

• custom signs are now self illuminated
• All maps now have correct reflections (cubemaps)
• improvements in some map detail design trough-out the levels
• updated essential mod file to support directx 8
• fixed exit doors not closing behind the player in some maps (except for the nightmare elevator)
• Installer package now fetches for sourcemod dir in the windows registry
• Chapters now also show their titles in-game

Map 1: (chapter 1: Angular Reality)

• replaced bts arms in sky-box with decoration lights to optimize performance on low memory bandwidth video cards
• More "ratman den" decoration to make it look less dull

Map 2: (Chapter 2: A New Companion)

• moved back the catwalk which is sometimes blocking start catapult movement direction
• fixed further texture misalignments
• BTS decoration arm lights were pointing the wrong way

Map 3: (Chapter 3: The Shrine)

• prevented placement of portals outside the shrine until THE CORE is removed from the altar
• redesigned the top of the shrine room
• fixed misaligned ceiling texture near gel and excursion funnel area
• jump panels of the second room now activate when the player enters
• fixed some Z-fighting props in the jump room BTS area
• fixed unfinished look of blobulator spawn area above the gel dropper
• made the pneumatic diversity exit vent more responsive to THE CORE
• puzzle indicators for tractor beam will now match it's direction color
• New puzzle in the shrine

Map 4: (Chapter 4: Deadly Intermezzo)

• extruded glass near "bowling turret" to reduce the chance of blockages when it's tippled over
• reworked some brushwork in maze area
• removed ability to place portals in maze area to avoid players skipping the maze entirely

Map 5: (Chapter 5: Euthanazation Vault)

• decorated the jump hall with extra brushwork and models
• fixed env_projectedtexture
• core goodbye line should be a triggered once only
• texturized laser power control room interior in case that players portal in there
• prevented players from going trough the tractor beam generator prop
• sanitized the puzzle around the tractor beam alcove with an escape platform and emancipation grill

Map 6:: (Chapter 6: CatapultClysm)

• added bonus map-

Map 7: (Chapter 7: Round Tangent)

• added extra models and brushwork to prevent players spotting the ceiling of the right side entry bts area when crouched.
• prevented "cutting the race" glitch by replacing core receptacle tube piece with an iris
• overhauled design of the small test room for a less dull look and removed shallow water areas
• fixed small room exploit where players could jump & hop the core inside the glass window without having to fling it
• fixed ability to place a portal on the second fling platform for the CORE race puzzle
• changed main test room acid texture to the correct deadly slime look
• corrected misaligned light spots on the exit hatch area
• removed map prototype GLaDOS power off event in exit area
• placed exit hatch override in case the player manages to "forget" THE CORE and left it being on the race exit socket
• gave breakable glass a visually broken style so it seems more obvious that you can break it.
• fixed succeeded wallprojector puzzle indicators showing unsolved state for the sphere when it is put into the socket for a second time-

There are more changes that I didn't mention here. Can you find them ?

Has a quick play.Man that bonus map had me thinkin for a bit.Then had to get my timing just right for portal placement.Not a lot of time for that lol. Excellent job

Great that you liked it. I was trying to make it hard but not frustrating. It's hard to execute but I set it up so you have enough time to prepare for what you have to do

Szieve wrote:
Does not start... error--- Setup file 'GameInfo.txt' doesn't exist in subdirectory 'hl2'.
Check your -game parameter or VCONFIG setting.
This is on a mac...

I had this problem too and im too impatient and stubborn to be defeated easily.... plus i don't have a windows.... so
I was desperately trying to find a way to play this on my mac and after reading around a lot, i discovered a way to get it to launch. Place the "thecore" directory in Users/USerNAMe/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Portal 2
After starting up Steam, go into the launch options for Portal 2 and type in -game thecore -dev
Launching Portal 2 should launch the core, tell me how this works out for you, thanks, im off to play

Wow, what an amount of work was put into this campaign. Cosmic many, many thanks. From such dedication to mapping community thrives and people like me can have a quality time when playing. I perceive it as easy-moderate difficulty with great graphics and some interesting puzzles. The only thing I less enjoyed was the last level. Waiting eagerly for your next releases.

luvon wrote:
i discovered a way to get it to launch. Place the "thecore" directory in Users/USerNAMe/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Portal 2
After starting up Steam, go into the launch options for Portal 2 and type in -game thecore -dev
Launching Portal 2 should launch the core, tell me how this works out for you, thanks, im off to play

Well if this is a definite fix I can post it as a tutorial on my moddb page! Thx for the effort.

macko68 wrote:
Wow, what an amount of work was put into this campaign. Cosmic many, many thanks. From such dedication to mapping community thrives and people like me can have a quality time when playing. I perceive it as easy-moderate difficulty with great graphics and some interesting puzzles. The only thing I less enjoyed was the last level. Waiting eagerly for your next releases.

Good that you enjoyed it. I did much work for the patch to make it look a bit better than before and touched up some puzzles.

My next relesae might not be a portal map though. Unless I get a good flow from the ingame map editor and I decide to add another level or so. Maybe a maintenance update next year or so. But after that I have to go back to music making or maybe work further on my l4d project "dead things".

Next update will be: THE CORE Reloaded 2.0 (the brushwork hell, as darth_brush would call it)

The maps will be greatly enhanced visually
Changes to some puzzles
Extra map (making it a total of 8 test chambers)

I hope we'll be ready for this at Xmas/newyear period but it's not an exact timeframe. It might be later too.

Here are some previews:

http://www.moddb.com/mods/coremod/image ... 3#imagebox

http://www.moddb.com/mods/coremod/image ... 6#imagebox

It seems that things have been changed on Chamber 7:

I'm stuck after making my way to the top of the chamber and across the room is a core receptacle next to a light bridge device that is currently turned off. It appears that I have to press the button on one side of the platform and pick up the core on the other side of the platform before the clock runs out. I've tried several times, but I always come up short of activating the light bridge. Speed gel would surely help, but there is no way to coat the platform.

Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks,
Chris

It looks like mac users are getting the error about missing GameInfo.txt. There's been a fix posted that makes Portal 2 run this mod instead of itself, but if you want The Core in your Steam games list, you can do this:
1. Extract thecore to /Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteapApps/sourcemods (as per the readme)
2. Open terminal and type in:
ln -s /Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Application\ Support/Steam/SteamApps/sourcemods/thecore /Users/<USERNAME>/Library/Application\ Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/portal\ 23. Open (or relaunch) Steam, then set launch options for Portal 2: THE CORE to -game thecore

That should work, please tell me if anyone has success this way.

Oh hi,

Nice map, took some time for some rooms !

Just wanted to know if in room 3 :
||- Is it normal that if I go in the room with the jumper with the funnel, it sends me in some weird place ? it sends me in a room with a door opening when I walk on a specifical place on the floor; I didn't really try to get out of this room, since I understood what to do with the ball... but I couldn't get out of this room, didn't know of this is intentional, some kind of easter egg, or a bug ?

To be specific, I was near the button next to the jumper, and when I created my portal on the floor with the funnel on, it did send me there.||

Anyway, finished it, was really fun, looking forward your next realeases

Oh and tell me if my description sounds weird or wrong, myn english isn't really strong in me

Thx for liking it. Well as you finished it the room with the faith plate will hold the key to enter the laser protected shrine.

Thanks CosmicD. The work you put in shows. The Core was great fun, and you captured the Portal experience perfectly in your custom maps. I hope you do another mini-campaign in the future that is as funny and enjoyable as this one.

This was the first mod/mini-campaign that I've downloaded. I was very impressed with the amount of content and the detail of everything. Provided me with plenty of fun, head scratching and thinking. Looking for more maps like this.

Everything was just brilliant - from the intro over the looks, the puzzles and the nice voice acting to the ending - EXCEPT the first map. It wasn't the gravity change which forces you to think "around the corner" I had problems with, but realizing that I can exit through the shaft by flinging to it.

First, I didn't realize that little "dust cloud" after putting the cube on the button means that I would get sucked up into that vent above the exit door. And second, I didn't even try to get near the door in any way because I could easily see that the door was still closed. Maybe you could make it so that the door opens when the cube is put on the button so that it becomes obvious that the exit is available from then on?

ah, yeah that would be a bit more readable. The problem we had there was that this whole thing is suspended in a 3d skybox and I had some skafuddles with how the nearby geometry would glitch out when you show too much geometry of behind the elevator. I was already glad that in cooperation with another mapper, that I could fix this thing.

It's an optimization thing, the skybox is already huge, Opening the door when you are still on the ground near the button would mean that you'd see a gaping hole which doesn't look nice. everything behind that door is deactivated from rendering until you actually fly trough it, to avoid too much lag for slower computers.

Perhaps i'm a bit too strict with all this, and I Could test if opening the door/closing the door could just activate/Deactivate the geometry behind it without adding more lag for slower computers. But that would be in the next patch and It's a bit on hold for now cause my collegues are busy.

If it doesnt work out i could always enable some lights in that section to make sure that it's readable.

BUt you have to know that the button actually doesn't activate the door but toggles the passage towards the pedestal room and the ratman's room.

in dlc2, valve altered the main menu scripts which cause this version to break. If you want to play the campaign, just boot it up normally so you're in main menu, then type map sp_cosmicd_intro in the console!

I'm not sure when I4m gonna research this. I'm inclined to fix it when the pimped reloaded maps are ready.

I've just made a hotfix for the broken main menu in my mod since DLC2. Download it here:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1319539/pak01_dir.vpk

Just put it in your sourcemods/thecore menu!

I'd really recommend updating your file in the download DB, since there's no way to guarantee people will see that fix. Just go to your download page and press the "Edit" button in the top right.

Do you mean that I just should update my entire release with this one file ? It's a bit hard now because my installbase update is heavily updated. + my test build is always updated with the latest builds of scripts etc....

If you preffer this, I will do it this weekend and just install the installer to another dir where I can place the fixed file and repack.