The map editor would probably be inside a test chamber where u can just pull the walls in our out, add some puzzle elements, I'm not expecting much from this through

Good for rapid prototyping

I will not use the simple editor, because you can just create such better maps with Hammer. But the map distributing thing will lead to a very big mapping and playing community, much bigger than it is at the moment. I'm looking forward to that.

I'm also interested in becoming a community contributor.
I really like to help people improve their maps and mapping skills. I am very familiar with website management, got html, javascript and php experience in case that's interesting. (though my personal website is !@#$ at the moment, I can pm some other websites I've build though.)

~Lp

For some people this will be a cool way to conceptualize their own puzzles and it'll be amuzing to see what puzzles creative people can make without needing to also learn the very balistic and cerebral way you work with hammer. So creative ppl can use this tool to be creative without too much circunvention.

For others this will be a cool prefab generator to start from in hammer maybe (that is if you have access to the vmf's that it creates.

Then I'm trying to think further and want to imagine what it creates.

• buttons, catapults, doors, funnels etc.. all with only the relevant inputs and outputs that can be programmed
• simple walls that can maybe contain a set of certain motifs that will be correctly optimized and texturized.
• goop or abyss elements that can be fitted inside the room to have slime or a bottomless hole a user can fall into.
• prefab bts backscenes that will have 32x128 256x256 512x256 units versions or maybe animated panels versions so a user can enrich their room with some detail.
• prefab lights you can slap on the walls wherever you want and it will auto-cut the brushes around it to auto embed themself and prevent leaks.
• prefab elevators attachable to each map.
• global entities and transitions ents would be included in the form of map properties that let you choose which model of fog, tones and post processing fx that you want just like with hammer. Also which map the arrival elevator comes from and which one the departure goes to, which bik movie to play etc...

Then for advanced users it would be cool to have ambient_generics, env_fire, push trigger enabled vac tubes and mountable security doors for dummies.

It would be verycool if some of these things would happen procedurally when the player stretches his wall out of the floor to form their room.

I share the same concerns as many of the people have already pointed out. This will be so easy to troll and probably won't be as powerful as Hammer for map editing. However, the ease of access that this is sure to provide will definitely help bring mapping into a greater light and hopefully help people transition into Hammer for map making. As for the bad maps, if a proper ranking system is instituted, perhaps something along the lines of Happy Wheels, then the top maps will be played more because of their visibility and will get greater attention.

I would be interested in becoming staff though, although I am not very active yet on these forums, I am active in the community as a host of ASEMBLE (http://asemble.thepodkast.com) a Portal 2 Podcast. If you are interested in having me on board send me a PM and I will give you may E-mail so that we can communicate more easily. Of course you could always just contact me on the ASEMBLE email; [email protected]. Hope to hear from you soon.

I hope you can export the map editor levels to an .vmf file, to edit custom features into hammer

Quote:
For me, this in-game map editor is a good opportunity for beginners in mapping.

Another thing not being pointed out yet might be, that for beginners this editor could mean a deadend. What I'm trying to say is, that people would be interested in learning about Hammer, but simply stop to care for the more complex map-editor.

Just like "Bite what you can chew", not even trying what they could do and learn with Hammer.

(My first post here! Yay!)

That's a good point; there will certainly be lots of mappers who will not look beyond the simple editor.
The question I would ask is: would these people have tried Hammer if the simple editor didn't exist? Some might have done that, others might not have thought about making a map ever.

HMW wrote:
That's a good point; there will certainly be lots of mappers who will not look beyond the simple editor.

Hammer isn't simple? Compared to other stuff I've seen, I personally think Hammer is pretty simple (at least when it's not buggy).

MasterLagger wrote:
HMW wrote:

That's a good point; there will certainly be lots of mappers who will not look beyond the simple editor.

Hammer isn't simple? Compared to other stuff I've seen, I personally think Hammer is pretty simple (at least when it's not buggy).

Relative to Hammer it is/most likely will be.

On that note, here's a short list of things I expect will be handled by the editor as opposed to manually designed:
--Soundscapes
--Any actor entity work (actually, I don't know if they'll have dialogue in there, it seems like they'd stray from having designers play rehashed sound bytes)
--Ah...

Shoot. Thought I had more than that. I'll probably think of more later.

WinstonSmith wrote:
On that note, here's a short list of things I expect will be handled by the editor as opposed to manually designed:
--Soundscapes
--Any actor entity work (actually, I don't know if they'll have dialogue in there, it seems like they'd stray from having designers play rehashed sound bytes)
--Ah...

Shoot. Thought I had more than that. I'll probably think of more later.

When you mentioned dialog, I couldn't help but think about GLaDOS insulting the player while making a mistake in the map editor.

MasterLagger wrote:
WinstonSmith wrote:

On that note, here's a short list of things I expect will be handled by the editor as opposed to manually designed:
--Soundscapes
--Any actor entity work (actually, I don't know if they'll have dialogue in there, it seems like they'd stray from having designers play rehashed sound bytes)
--Ah...

Shoot. Thought I had more than that. I'll probably think of more later.

When you mentioned dialog, I couldn't help but think about GLaDOS insulting the player while making a mistake in the map editor.

Yeah, its a lot better to make your first map and release it and get feedback here. (Although we may insult you.) A engine editor can't give you feedback on how to make your map more fun.

Actually, I was referring to the idea Valve had to have GLaDOS talking to the player in the new map editor.

MasterLagger wrote:
HMW wrote:

That's a good point; there will certainly be lots of mappers who will not look beyond the simple editor.

Hammer isn't simple? Compared to other stuff I've seen, I personally think Hammer is pretty simple (at least when it's not buggy).

Well when you're pushing the maps to their limits, yes I'm talking to you HMW, then the editor can get pretty hectic. This doesn't look like it'll be able to support the amazing community made maps that actually think OUTSIDE the box. HMW is personally my mapping hero, because all of the new puzzle elements were refreshing, AND worked well. Not to mention the maps are beautiful AND fun. The new editor is going to get a LOT of bad maps when it launches, I don't doubt that a bit.

Hopefully the new map editor saves files as .bsp files. That way, the basic design of the map can be made and add extra special bits using Hammer.
I could only see myself using the new map editor just for the basic design of a map (shape, buttons, doors, etc).

MasterLagger wrote:
Hopefully the new map editor saves files as .bsp files. That way, the basic design of the map can be made and add extra special bits using Hammer.
I could only see myself using the new map editor just for the basic design of a map (shape, buttons, doors, etc).

I believe you mean vmf.

Oh, I thought .bsp could also be read by Hammer, not just .vmf files.

No, it cant, but there are various programs that will decompile .bsp to give .vmf

Spam Nugget wrote:
No, it cant, but there are various programs that will decompile .bsp to give .vmf

There are, but they don't work 100% of the time, and there are a few annoying things about them (func_instances become part of the .vmf once decompiled) and the results will depend on which decompiler you use. I have a feeling, however, that the compiled .bsp will end up in the portal 2/portal2/maps folder or somewhere else accessible. From there it could be decompiled.
My question is, will they handle lighting? If they do, they'll have to figure out a way to speed up vrad. Or maybe they'll all be fullbright maps.