[SP] DaMaGepy #4: Cube Training
*** Wanna play more Portal 2 custom map from me? Click HERE to visit my workshop! ***
This single-player map includes:
- 9 small or normal chamber with very easy to medium puzzles
- Optional hints for those who don't know the tricks yet and got stuck easily
- At the end of the map an optional achievement to escape outside and find the secret testchamber
- Optional behind-the-scene exploration
- Direct download link (with hammer .vmf source): sp_damagepy_04.zip (10MB)
- Youtube walkthrough video, in case you stuck
Hints/comments about the map:
- The map was made with Hammer editor (Portal Authoring Tools - it's free) !!!
- You don't need ninja skills or luck. If you are clueless, check the signages first.
- The map was made in 16 day
- Special thanks for testing: tmast98, lpfreaky90, josepezdj
- You can download most of my Portal 1 and 2 maps and their hammer sources from here.
Click here to download DaMaGepy #4: Cube Training
&
5/5 from me.
I love Portal and want to collect some gameplays (first blind runs; always aren't the fastest and intended solutions, because I take any time to look at the map and its possibilities), speedruns and bug reports.
My records should help you to understand how the player thinks.
Well, I hope I can support you with my uploads to fix any bugs and make new awesome maps.
Here are yours!
*Gameplay:* http://youtu.be/K3UYh2Q4YbY
If you like it and/or it helps: THUMBS UP, comment and subscribe 
opinion & comments: this was funny! 
i love the rooms between the test chambers (nice design idea) particularly the secret (a little bit confusing ^^).
hehe ...the way to the secret was a normal way for me. 
THX for mapping... Keep it up!
PS: Please play my map und and let me know what you think.
I learned a lot watching others gameplays, and watching others trying to figure out things that I the creator tought will be too easy and obvious. This map definetely was not meant for the pros, it may unchallenging to them.
QUATRUS: Ye, first I started that room as a fun scene where you try to crush the defective turret with the annoying lines, but you fail. The laser launcher and the receiver was only a prop, but then I came up wit the idea why not turn them on, and then why not make it a puzzle to open the door (normally the door opened when the button and the crusher failed).

I didn't want to say "haha, what a noob map, cube training? these are bullshit puzzles." NO!
The sentence "the way to the secret was a normal way for me." was just a joke, because I always look for glitches/bugs and often use such paths. That's the meaning of my records, you know.

I like your map and know the purpose of it. I have to admit, that I still forget too often the cubes behavious in a funnel. ^^ ...therefore the room was a perfect memory!
and btw: I'm definitly not a pro! 
Again: Thanks your this great map and the crazy design in transitional rooms!
PS: thanks for your comment on youtube ...i knew that cannot be the right solution?! xD
One tiny slightly negative thing was the defective turret. I thought my task was to destroy it either by burning it or pointing the laser at the receiver and was confused when it didn't work. Then, when I left the chamber he said something like "take me with you" which confused me again, bringing up the thought that I might have to rescue him. To check that, I noclipped in and discovered I can't pick him up at all.
And you believe everything a turret says? What if he asks you to "give me bulletz... please?" 
Even if you can pick him up, you cant get there. An of course he wanted you to rescue him and not leave there with the crusher milimeters above him. But first time you press the button he tries to shoot... but fails, so he changes tactics
And ye, that secret meant to be confusing, with the multiple times pressable button, the laserlauncher thats not active first and there is no clue it will be used when you enter the room (actually first it was just a decoration, and then I decided to turn it on somehow, why not). Some said it harder than the previous "tests". Good, I gave the option to leave with the elevator

"Another visitor! Stay a while... stay FOREVER!"
Solution:
H9-Irs9CqCg
Here are few suggestions:
Suggestions
-Chamber 8, part one (one dot sign) indicator lights are broken. They don't turn yellow/orange when activated.
-Defective Turret is too annoying >_<
-Secret puzzle's malfunctioning buttons are unclear. You should a little spark to indicate they are malfunctioning. Also, why does the Defective Turret not explode after burning him?
-Corridors (After secret puzzle) are too dark
-COMPANION CUBEEEEEE. NOOOOOOO

5/5. Keep it up!
Cheers! 
Quote:
-Defective Turret is too annoying >_<
Cool, then he works as intended 
You wanted to kill him badly, don't you?
Quote:
-Secret puzzle's malfunctioning buttons are unclear. You should a little spark to indicate they are malfunctioning.
They are not malfunctioning, just not connected. They are just there
Quote:
Also, why does the Defective Turret not explode after burning him?
Because he is defective 
And why should a metal explode from some flame? Plus there is no live ammunition in him that could explode...
Quote:
-Corridors (After secret puzzle) are too dark
They are abandoned corridors. Save electricity, save the world!
And ye, hallways are cool, this map was about them. I ocassionally inserted some testroom as a transition between hallways so they are not boring 
Everything was really solid and well throught out I really liked the way areas kept joining up and passing eachother through grates and things. It felt large and mazelike without ever being too confusing or too insanely easy! The main bulk of it was good too; I had some real facepalm moments on those, and the connecting sections felt a lot like QUBE which really added to the atmosphere. The outdoor bit was beautifully detailed and busy, and it's awesome how you let us go OOB and that you left a bunch of Bhop shortcuts to explore! Oh and the secrets- so many secrets! It's just a beautiful map, clearly a labour of love. Thanks for sharing!
P.s. where's the skybox tex from?
sicklebrick wrote:
P.s. where's the skybox tex from?
I downloaded it from a CS website 2-3 year ago, there were at least 50-60 custom skybox, but I forgot where it was and who was the author. I had to tweak it to work with portal.
DaMaGepy wrote:
sicklebrick wrote:P.s. where's the skybox tex from?
I downloaded it from a CS website 2-3 year ago, there were at least 50-60 custom skybox, but I forgot where it was and who was the author. I had to tweak it to work with portal.
Aah, thanks ^^ I'll have to steal it sometime!
Anyway, I needed an excuse to replay this over and over, so here's an attempt at finding an alt solution for every chamber. Not 'cause I wanna break the map or anything, just 'cause I wanted an excuse to play it over and over 

Sick portalgun
||> sicklebrick wrote:
P.s. where's the skybox tex from?
Hey Sickle, there are a lot of them in Gamebanana... I'd suggest you to use Komaock's ones (that guy is awesome at skyboxes creation!). Many of them must be slightly modified in order to properly work in Portal2 (I mean the .vmt's mainly). Basically, the following:
- Most of them use the 'Sky' shader, change it for 'UnlitGeneric'
- You don't really need the parameter "$ignorez" 1* unless you want to make use of a 3D skybox AND a env_sun* entity; just dismiss it.
- Some of the HDR skyboxes are difficult to implement into Portal2, besides, you don't really need that, so if you find the parameter $hdrbasetexture..., erase it

-
Finally, only if you are building an outside map where the corners of your skybox could be viewed by the player, you'll find some skies with a noticeable thin white line dividing the faces of the skybox (identifying the sewing vertices); to correct that, open each of the 6 .vtf textures with VTFEdit and tick these flags:
-
Clamp S
- Clamp T
If that wouldn't work just tell me ok?
That said, I already have a lot of already modified and working skyboxes for Portal2, just tell me and I'll send them to you or drop them in dropbox
||
Thanks man! ...specially for so much info^^ I Stole the Portalkart one from L4D2, but more choices = awesome
I made you a blindrun!
Pretty simple and fluent puzzles that felt really solid. Don't think I made anything unintended. The atmosphere were great and the attention to detail is also outstanding! A job very well done!
Here you go:
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I already knew most of the cube tricks, and solved it with disabled hints,
without getting stuck, so I guess it was a good reminder to me.
Thank you so much for spending your time and creating such an amazing, good looking
and fun to play map, with usefull puzzles for beginners (and a reminder to the rest ^^).
sicklebrick wrote:
Kwty_AvROo4
Holy '#!* !!
Man, this was sick!
I really can not believe what I just saw.
There are so many awesome things, which you do in your video.
You just made this awesome map, look like your personal playground. 