I post it here since the anouncement on the community releases forum did not specify where to post

A small portal map, I tried to be a bit more unique.
There is a basic version, advanced version and challenges for the basic version.

http://bluestrike.steamfriends.com/maps/m_bs01.html

Should be posted in the maps section, but I'm sure a mod will move it to the release section soon enough.

Please upload it to the database.

dload.php

Bluestrike wrote:
I post it here since the anouncement on the community releases forum did not specify where to post

You were ON the community releases forum, saw all the threads for community releases, and because it didnt tell you to post there, you posted here?

Ooookay. A mod will fix it, anyway. . .

Is that a reskinned ball? I like the look of that! But is that also a blue button? Not so sure I like that, IMO; unless maybe it has a different function than the normal button?

I guess I'll find out when I download it this evening.

Yeah, apparantly the Community Release announcement didn't say to post it here, so I edited it.

Upload to Download Database, post the link, and someone will move it to the release board.

There's something I may have not understood. When I try to put the orb into the catcher, the comboing always get hit by a giant ball. I don't wan't to try it again and again and hope I'm lucky, so I stopped, but there must be something I missed. If not, well, you got my feedback.

Sometimes my FPS drops down to 7 fps and stays until I press escape and exit the map (not the game)

Are you a modeler? Or someone makes models for you?

The map looks amazing. The models look great. That said...

For regular map:
-Glados gets annoying quick
-Ball catcher puzzle relies too much on luck
-The walk that you have to take every time you miss the ball catcher puzzle is annoying
-The second step in the puzzle is easy to miss, as the ledge leading into the room blends in a little too much
-Getting into the second room requires 2 portals, so if you leave the companion cube without placing a portal in this room, and then go to the bottom room you have to do it all over again
-No save points

For advanced map: Nothing was too much harder, just more inconvenient.
-The ball catcher now relies more on luck because you have to use the cube to bounce the ball on a ~45 degree angle

Sorry to be a whine, but again the map and models look great.

Screenshots look awesome, I will try it out when I get home.

volt wrote:
-Ball catcher puzzle relies too much on luck
-The walk that you have to take every time you miss the ball catcher puzzle is annoying

I don't know what you're talking about here, honestly. As far as I could tell, there was no element of luck involved getting the catcher puzzle to work; Put a portal opposite the fizzler, go up into the switch room, toggle the switch, go into a portal (to save time), then put the other end of the portal on the raised wall that's now in front of the launcher. Bingo: Ball goes into the portal, through the fizzler, and into the catcher.

I must say that I really liked this map. The puzzles were not especially hard, but the overall look and feel of the map was excellent.

Elements like the rolling balls, the large observation room in the first area, and the final room all help to give the map a unique and well polished look. The aesthetics of mapping in portal are something that often doesn't get enough attention, but you've done an excellent job in this area.

Only a couple things I would change. The hallway leading up to the button in the first area. It's very dark in one spot and almost looks like it's unfinished. When trying to shoot portals through the rolling balls in the first area, the emancipation grid blocks portals even though the graphic for it doesn't extend the entire width of the ball area (ie. I can't shoot through the holes in the wall to the left and right of the grid.) I'd make the graphic and emitters wider to clearly show this. Also, the blue button at the end seems out of place. It doesn't seem to do anything that a normal button wouldn't, so why is it a different color?

Difficulty wise, I though the puzzle was OK. It wasn't particularly tough, but a portal map doesn't have to be difficult to be fun.

Overall 9 out of 10.

Pretty much everything I was going to say has already been said.
Except that for some reason, if I leave your map running too long, I get serious FPS lag. I think it starts happening around the time you stop the balls from going to the third chamber.

I think he used a blue button because you can take the cube off the button and the door stays open.

Korjagun wrote:
I don't know what you're talking about here, honestly. As far as I could tell, there was no element of luck involved getting the catcher puzzle to work; Put a portal opposite the fizzler, go up into the switch room, toggle the switch, go into a portal (to save time), then put the other end of the portal on the raised wall that's now in front of the launcher. Bingo: Ball goes into the portal, through the fizzler, and into the catcher.

But the ball has to travel through the place where the huge balls fly by, right? And the energy orb isn't high enough to clear the huge balls that are going by, so if their paths intersect you have to try again. And to try again, you have to walk all the way back up to the button. right?

its 50/50 if its going to go and really i only had it get knocked off course once, all i can say to you is dont play in the lottery!

I must've lucked out the first time and never realized that could happen.

The puzzle difficulty was fairly low, but it was still fun. (before I go rant on some pet peeve of mine, I do want to make that very clear; it was enjoyable!) I had no troubles with the puzzles but I did play it 2-3 times and ran into a few quirks (yes, I did get caught by the randomness of the energy-ball puzzle, but it didnt give me TOO much trouble. It wouldnt hurt to raise the ball catcher a little and reduce the chance more, or maybe reduce the ball rate until the energy-ball part is done?) The new ball model was cool (even if excessive use could kill your framerate); I wish there were more portal-specific models being made, or were available. . .

Nice atmosphere; sometimes its good to step outside the traditional portal room setup (which admittedly gets a little sterile after a while). Changing the atmosphere is fine. . . but changing the look/feel/behavior of the standard puzzle components almost always leads to trouble, IMO. It certainly leads to controversy.

I realize there might have been a reason for the blue button; some kind of hint as to how it behaves or what you need to get it to work (ie cube only and not person, etc). . . but whatever the secret language is, the fact is it doesnt affect how I am going to approach/use the button, because this secret code isnt well-known and certainly not universally followed. Besides, I dont NEED to be able to determine the button behavior by sight from across the room, and I'd much prefer the existing standard be followed, rather than have 3-4 button colors come about to "let me know" that a button only needs to be pushed once, can be used by people as well as cubes, requires a companion cube only, etc. You wanta give a hint? MAKE NEW SIGNAGE. Its clearer for everyone involved, and doesnt go into the whole "color-blindness" issue some players have either. Same is true for fizzlers that can destroy companion cubes, like yours could. Nuff said. . .

First off, kudos on a really cool level. I especially like the conclusion Glados comes to when you destroy the companion cube. I ran into some troubles like most people seem to report. The low FPS issue I think has to do with too many balls being backed up... that's what she said? Also the two lifts (not the ones by that crazy blue button) when they lowered the glass was the only thing to lower, the supports and frames were still there. You could still jump across them. I'm thinking that was not intentional? I took a screenshot if you want to see.

Great map, however it's possible to get to the end without using the companion cube at all

When you have to orb ball into that room, when I was trying to fling around to avoid it the trigger activated and the wall moved out so I was able to skip the frogger-like puzzle altogether. Plus with a bit of timing it's easy to get down the little tube.

I haven't figure out how to beat the rest of it without the cube (does the blue button imply the door stays open?) but it looks great.

Quote:
Great map, however it's possible to get to the end without using the companion cube at all

Hmmm, to be precise based on your message, its possible to get to the final room before the exit elevator without the cube. Going farther than that. . . maybe not so easy.

Omnie wrote:
I haven't figure out how to beat the rest of it without the cube (does the blue button imply the door stays open?) but it looks great.

Who knows why its blue, really? It could just as easily imply that only the cube operates it. But I can tell you that if
the cube isnt on the button, then the balls dont stop rolling, and they do when the cube is on it. The button operates a bit different for person vs cube. Likewise, I would be suprised if you could jump on the back of a rolling ball and jump to the exit level; I would think you would need a stationary ball AND the cube to get the required height)

volt wrote:
The map looks amazing. The models look great. That said...

For regular map:
-Glados gets annoying quick
-Ball catcher puzzle relies too much on luck
-The walk that you have to take every time you miss the ball catcher puzzle is annoying
-The second step in the puzzle is easy to miss, as the ledge leading into the room blends in a little too much
-Getting into the second room requires 2 portals, so if you leave the companion cube without placing a portal in this room, and then go to the bottom room you have to do it all over again
-No save points

For advanced map: Nothing was too much harder, just more inconvenient.
-The ball catcher now relies more on luck because you have to use the cube to bounce the ball on a ~45 degree angle

Sorry to be a whine, but again the map and models look great.

i like glados, but i just wish it were new quotes.
if you set up your portal right, and use f6, there's no long walk. fact is you don't need the button at all if you want to use the cube to deflect the ball...

what happened on mine is when i got into the penultimate room, the system got really laggy. actually maybe only on the advanced chamber...

i hit f6 a lot.

one thing that wasn't satisfying is the fizzler at the end. i wanted to bring my friend onto the lift...and on the advanced one... NO KAKE4ME??@#)($*&

xitooner wrote:
Hmmm, to be precise based on your message, its possible to get to the final room before the exit elevator without the cube. Going farther than that. . . maybe not so easy.
Who knows why its blue, really? It could just as easily imply that only the cube operates it. But I can tell you that if

Yah that's what I mean. You can get to the final room without the cube.

As for getting up there without a cube... I'm not sure if it would be possible but it might be. I haven't looked at the terrain around the area to attempt it.