[WIP] AB_Test

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Shoklar
11 Posts
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Here is my first map.

dload.php?action=filefile_id=122

http://www.myaperturelabs.com/maps/Shoklar/AB_Test.zip

This map has some advanced portal moves, plus some humour. The room with the green cube needs to be reworked to be easier and more self explanitory, but everything else is at 99% complete. I have added a demo for the room with the green cube in case you can't figure it out. You need all 5 cubes to win. Presently if you lose one in the toxic chemicals you'll have to reload. (i'll fix that later)

&&

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espen180
307 Posts
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 27 minutes later
Upload it to the TWP database and add some screenshots please.
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Shoklar
11 Posts
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 3 hours later
I uploaded it to this site as you requested. I don't have any screenshots at the moment. Is there a command in-game to take a screenshot? If not, do you recommend a freeware program or some other way to take a screenshot?
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Mapster
396 Posts
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 6 minutes later
There should be a binded button that takes a screen shot and places it in your portal\portal\screenshots folder.

If that doesn't work just push the print screen button, laod up paint, press ctrl+v and save!

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msleeper
4,095 Posts
Member
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 30 minutes later
By default it is bound to F5, but you can bind it to any key you'd like. The command is "jpeg". You also might want to increase the jpeg quality, the command is "jpeg_quality X" where X is a number between 1 and 100.

Or for those of you who are lazy:

bind "f5" "jpeg_quality 100; jpeg"

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iamafractal
272 Posts
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 2 hours later
the time limits on a couple things were scary at first, but i liked them because they forced me to think of a super fast way to do those things.

||i really liked the turret puzzle. i liked having more than one pair of portals. its funny, but i broke the glass after using energy balls to knock over 3 of the 4 turrets, then i was like.. oh. haha...the second time i played your level, i just broke the glass first, then simply knocked down the turrets super fast before the explanation for the room could even finish playing heh

after i opened the door, i wondered what you'd have in store behind there. i can say one thing, dropping all the cubes in there and setting them up on the table doesn't seem to do much but make for a nice photo-op.||

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msleeper
4,095 Posts
Member
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 49 minutes later
If you beat me to the color matching puzzle idea, I'm going to be pissed!
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Shoklar
11 Posts
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 28 minutes later
I think ppl aren't getting all the way to the end. I need to add more detail, like overlays to show you are supposed to get up to the top.

The ending has a ending speech by Alpha and Beta and then the map closes.

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Shoklar
11 Posts
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 1 hour later

New version available! I have added overlays to the ending so it is clear where the last room actually is. The blue room has been tweaked as well.

http://www.myaperturelabs.com/maps/Shoklar/AB_Test.zip

Next update will have a new green cube room.

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Lorithad
240 Posts
Posted Dec 04, 2007
Replied 14 minutes later
Right now I'm stuck on room 4. I can get to the two buttons, but the timer prevents me from getting to the second button once the first one is activated.

7 seconds or whatever it is, just is not enough time for me
Perhaps I'm just missing something.

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iamafractal
272 Posts
Posted Dec 05, 2007
Replied 11 hours later

Lorithad wrote:
Right now I'm stuck on room 4. I can get to the two buttons, but the timer prevents me from getting to the second button once the first one is activated.

7 seconds or whatever it is, just is not enough time for me
Perhaps I'm just missing something.

if a klutz like me could do it in 7 seconds EVEN YOU CAN

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Shoklar
11 Posts
Posted Dec 05, 2007
Replied 6 minutes later
I know that the green room may be a little too hard and not polished at all. In the zip file that has the map in it is a demo file for the green room that shows how to beat it.
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iamafractal
272 Posts
Posted Dec 05, 2007
Replied 1 hour later

Shoklar wrote:
New version available! I have added overlays to the ending so it is clear where the last room actually is. The blue room has been tweaked as well.

http://www.myaperturelabs.com/maps/Shoklar/AB_Test.zip

Next update will have a new green cube room.

the green cube room is the easiest. the flying room was difficult for me the first day, but oddly when i came back to it today i just went right through it without any mistakes. i wish i'd recorded it.

at first i didn't notice that there were TWO cake paths. i thought there was just one that simply closed, and that you'd made a change to the level requiring me to somehow get back to the missile shooter room without the secret passage. whew i'm glad i found it though, because i don't imagine i can figure out how to do that without two portals... i liked the ending, but i donno, i don't think you need a zillion arrows. just one or two perhaps.

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Lorithad
240 Posts
Posted Dec 05, 2007
Replied 12 hours later
Ok, I finally beat it. Thank you Death Remains for helping me with the 4th chamber.

<freakout>
Now, let me get started by saying, "Seriously, WHAT THE HELL!?" You've included an invisible platform in the 4th chamber, that you need to use something that doesn't exist within the normal game in order to get to. Then you fail to provide any explanation of how to use it correctly. No wonder I was struggling with that chamber.
</freakout>

Aside from that, and the really sub par voice acting/writing, I enjoyed the map. It was pretty well made, with a lot of things that weren't that difficult. Sure, you had a tunneling area, and some would argue that your map forces people to utilise an exploit, but screw them! I liked it.

I'm kind of hoping that in the final version you have a 5th room for the black cube. It seems kind of pointless as it stands right now.

And finally, you might want to rework your ending. It just doesn't seem right.

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Shoklar
11 Posts
Posted Dec 06, 2007
Replied 13 hours later
I'm thinking of eliminating the voices altogether. I did them with a crappy microphone and they are full of jokes that only me and a couple close friends would get. Maybe i'll just give the voices to my buddies and eliminate them from the public map.

About your freakout...I agree...the 4th chamber is crap right now and needs reworking. It's all in my brain as to what i'm going to change it too, I just need to find the time! Darn work!

As far as another room for the black cube....that is definetely an idea....i'll have to give that some serious thought. It seems that nobody really likes the whole 'secret wall' thing so maybe one more room is the way to go.

For the ending...did you not like the method to get to the last room? Or the ending room itself? I trying to think...what makes a good ending? Most games don't have satisfying endings IMO.

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iamafractal
272 Posts
Posted Dec 06, 2007
Replied 26 minutes later
well don't give up on the talking. honestly its an important part of portal. just use a voice more like glados's...

hamsteralliance, a user on this site, is very good at making glados like voiceovers. so why not hit him up. i bet he'd be glad to do it.

you just need better writing. why not google corporate announcements and memos for inspiration?

i liked your invisible walls. i don't think you should take those out.

i also really liked ||standing under a table and having my head stick out of a ceiling to make a shot. i think you should set that up, though, so the user can see the oddness of their body sticking out upside down from a ceiling. i think instead of a table there, you should have something that is more obvious to try to get under. i think it could be in the main lobby. as a matter of a fact i think you should expand on the upside down shooting you can do from such a nifty portal combo. use it more

in the 4th room, before i got the hang of it, it was a bit messy. i even got stuck in mid air because i didn't go QUITE high enough to cause a platform to appear. i had to reload.||

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Hober
1,180 Posts
Posted Dec 06, 2007
Replied 1 hour later

Shoklar wrote:
they are full of jokes that only me and a couple close friends would get

Ahem.

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Lorithad
240 Posts
Posted Dec 06, 2007
Replied 6 hours later
The ending itself was the problem. The part about "Congratulations, you're now a secret agent." WTF?

I did like getting to the end. I'm glad I brought my cubes with me, otherwise I don't think I could have done it. Or at least not as easily.

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Shoklar
11 Posts
Posted Dec 08, 2007
Replied 1 day later
Changes from last version: Green cube room was redone to remove the bugs and make it easier. The ending was totally redone to add a nice puzzle that will hopefully get your mind going. If you have played this map before it'll be worth it to get to the end again.

Also, I got rid of the speech altogether.

Link is the same, but a new file has been uploaded.

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iamafractal
272 Posts
Posted Dec 08, 2007
Replied 2 hours later

Shoklar wrote:
Changes from last version: Green cube room was redone to remove the bugs and make it easier. The ending was totally redone to add a nice puzzle that will hopefully get your mind going. If you have played this map before it'll be worth it to get to the end again.

Also, I got rid of the speech altogether.

Link is the same, but a new file has been uploaded.

aw! don't give up on the speech! like i said! go to hampster and put in some! it really makes a level more fun.

where's the new one though? i still only see the 12/4 version that i had for a few days in the WIP folder.