Well, after going through hell to set up the opening sequence (it doesn't seem like much, but this is my first map ever in Hammer, and it was a pain to do something like this), I'm done with the basics of this map. At the moment, I'm looking for some feedback on how the gameplay of the map is.

IMPORTANT;

• I'm aware there's no lighting. This will be added quite shortly.
• I'm aware the beginning and ending serve no purpose. They will when I implement voices.
• I'm aware that the texturing is tacky. Like I said, this is a basic draft. It will be re-textured.
• Feel free to comment on how the gameplay could be improved, but keep it to the gameplay &/or large issues, please.
• Also, I'm planning on replacing BOTH doors in the map. Don't worry about that.

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Thanks in advance.

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The platform you slide onto near the end has a nodraw texture

there are way too many places where it becomes possible to loose your companion cube and have to suicide

remember - forcing the player to kill themselves is a golden nono. killing the player by them failing to make a jump or something is ok, but a player should never be put in a situation where the only way they can continue is to suicide or load an older save. In otherwords you need a get out clause or something to give you more WCCs i suggest the first because the latter removes the 'compainion-ness' of the WCC

over all the map is kind of easy with the exception of the first challenge wher you are suddenly dropped into the paths of three turrets, which is mean because the first time the player isnt expecting anything to happen.

in the room with the button you can use the turret to get onto the platform whilst leaving the cube on the button, I suggest making the steps slightly taller, so you can jump up to them from a WCC but not a turret

the final bit is frustrating because I suicided so many times trying to complete it with me WCC with me and then found out i dont need it past a certain point - add a suitable end for the WCC!

but none the less, a good start

I already hove some ideas on how to improve it, like Railings at the points where it's easy to lose the companion cube in the water, or an emancipation grill designed to kill turrets and nothing else.

Also, there will be alot of voice clips to give obvious instructions as to what is supposed to be done with the WCC, and What happens at the beginning. Trust me, the beginning was a lot worse. You started right in the line of fire of the turrets and died almost instantly.

Thank you for the feedback though, you revealed a few things I didn't think of.

Duffedwaffe wrote:
Railings at the points where it's easy to lose the companion cube in the water

oh I didnt do that, I left it on the button after firing a portal through the small gap, went through to the water and then placed another portal

as well as just before the slide i left it in the corridor, dropped down to the top of the slide and couldnt get it again

also I dropped it down the slide and then had no way of grabbing it whilst sliding

and if you don't need it by that point make it clear and/or destroy it

I guess I just assumed since it's a WCC it would make sense to carry it with you.

Edit: Also, you're not supposed to take it with you through the fling at the ramp, you're supposed to roll it down and come back for it at the end of the glass platform.

Just finished the map. Not at all what I was expecting. You didn't try to sell me didly squat. Where's the hair in a can? Where's the super blender? Or the knives that just won't dull!? WHERE!?

The map seemed unnessesarily large. Lots of open space where the player can mess around in. At times I was looking around for a place to go.

The companion cube, I took it everywhere I went. And I'm glad I did, as if I did not, i'm pretty sure I would not have been able to get it back.

You mentioned a ramp fling. I'm pretty sure I did that wrong.
When you stand at the bottom of the ramp, you can just barely see the portalable area at the end of the glass walkway. I just portaled to that, and took my cube with me.

One thing I found slightly frustrating: The various sets of stairs that you need to the WCC to go up; They're very thin. Not enough room for you and the WCC to be on comfortably. I mean, yeah it can be done. But you need to struggle with it to get it into just the right spot. Otherwise it'll fall off. I can understand wanting to put a little challenge into things. But they're stairs.

There was also a Step up type portal (I think it was the last one that you need to do.) That I for some reason just had a hard time with. I'm quite familiar with this type of technique, it's actually one of my favorites. But this one, I just always had a rough time starting it. I think you might want to lower the bottom step, or raise the top step. So you can gain a bit more air in your first step-up.

Other than those gameplay aspects, the rest of the things that I noticed were pretty much aesthetic;
Impossibly thin floors, Platforms that seemingly just float on the map, constant use of the same texture.
And you've already stated that you're working on some of the textures/lighting etc.

Overall, I'd say that you did an amazing job for your first map.

Edited to fix spoiler tag mistakes.

Dude! Waffle!

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I made some major changes around the map, and it'll be done bieng re-worked by about... 7:00 EST tonight.

Also; When the lighting is done, I plan to have the companion cube on a pedestal with very epic lighting around it, then when you take it away form the pedestal the lights are killed and the room becomes fully lit. Would this be a good idea?

Duffedwaffe wrote:
Also; When the lighting is done, I plan to have the companion cube on a pedestal with very epic lighting around it, then when you take it away form the pedestal the lights are killed and the room becomes fully lit. Would this be a good idea?

if you do it well, and don't have any areas of pitch black before or after, then it could be really awesome. the trouble is getting cubemaps for before and after, I don't know if you can have two cubemaps for one env_cubemap and then swap them.

remeber, don't use dynamic lights, just turn normal lights on and off

New-ish version posted. Same idea as before, textures and lighting are crap. Looking for gameplay feedback.

Just played the updated version. I think the fixes you provided help a fair deal. The hand rails/fences kind of look tacky though. Not something you would see in a standard portal map.

I still think some work needs to be done on the ramp. Because I didn't do it correctly the first time around, this time I actually got to do it right. And I got it wrong. I really think there should be something to indicate there is a portalable surface to the right of the ramp

Also, you monster! You made me kill my friend!

Lorithad wrote:
I really think there should be something to indicate there is a portalable surface to the right of the ramp

That's where the lighting will come in.

Also~ I'll take a look at some of the official portal map files later ot get the gist of what the fences and crap should be made of.

Doors that do nothing... unless they are used they shouldnt really be there.
what is the first box for now? it seems useless really because you have to destroy it, only to get a WCC

take our the fizzler and make the steps taller, so that using a cube you can jump up but using a turret you can't

The handrails look odd, one of them (on the final platform) even dissapeared for a moment

Now, with the changes you've made the map has become much easier which is quite dissapointing

Also, it is quite a large map, each room is too big really, you shouldnt really give a player much more space than is needed for A. Them to do what is necassery and B. The story to be told.
So whilst Episode Two had large open spaces due to it being set in the countryside Portal needs much more enclosed spaces because it is set inside a laboratory that is struggling for funding (see the projector in later levels) which will mean they will want as many test chambers in as small a space as possible.

Is that a TF2 texture at the bottom of the ramp? it doesn't really fit with the Portal textures well

Something I just rememberd about the second time I played through.

The large number of turrets, the part where the music starts playing? Yeah, none of them shot at me.

Lorithad wrote:
Something I just rememberd about the second time I played through.

The large number of turrets, the part where the music starts playing? Yeah, none of them shot at me.

They can't you're too far away. Do you want them to? lol.

No..I mean when I portaled to right in front of them.

That's weird. Probably just a glitch in the game. They don't have any trouble shooting me.

I took your problem into account and made it quite obvious why they can't see you now.

The texturing should be finished later today, then on Monday I'll be handing it to Donut to do the lighting. Then the sound clips will be made, and it will be an official release.

Edit:

youme wrote:
Also, it is quite a large map, each room is too big really, you shouldnt really give a player much more space than is needed.

This is being addressed, however I cannot make a lot of changes, seeing as the map started out as a giant box and was built from there. I should be able to condense SOME areas, however.

Duffedwaffe wrote:
I'll be handing it to Donut to do the lighting.

Doughnuts...Waffles... oh man

Duffedwaffe wrote:
The map started out as a giant box and was built from there. I should be able to condense SOME areas, however.

Thats a very bad way of starting a map, for future reference.

youme wrote:
Thats a very bad way of starting a map, for future reference.

I realize that now. >.<

Oh well, it's my first. Can't be perfect.