Portal 2 map maker

[Rauten]

Just made all the basic logic gates and a simple timer but they are completely impractical for use in an actual level.

How did you make your timer? I used two oscillating plates that alternate blocking two lasers, switching a third laser on and off, about once a second.

Yeah I can imagine the setup would take a ridiculous amount of space.

I built something similar, an on-rails platform that goes up and down blocking a laser that triggers or untriggers this or that, change the length/shape of the platform's track to get different timings.
It's a really simple idea, but bloody hell did I have to crunch my brain cells till I thought of it.

[ckpk]

Finally joined the forums to spam portal 2 maps; what a wonderful human being I am.

Here's my first attempt, Unlocker:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=71444679

[buemba]

Completed my first puzzle: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=71483486

Feedback is appreciated. I admit I got fed up with replaying it by the end and didn't test the final parts all that well...

[c-Row]

I had a similar idea for this myself - a thread where we all post maps, then play, rate and comment on the maps of others. I vote we use this one. That way, our maps won't just get lost in the workshop. And if someone plays one of your maps, why not play one of theirs?

To get the ball rolling, here are some of my early attempts:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=68514787
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=70996780

Share your own!

"Frequent Flier" was small but interesting, but "Back And Forth" gave me some serious headache. For the record, I solved it without using the moving platform in the final room and the second laser cube - don't know if it was supposed to work that way or if I just found a clever workaround.

[c-Row]

Finally joined the forums to spam portal 2 maps; what a wonderful human being I am.

Here's my first attempt, Unlocker:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=71444679

I liked how the solutions to the left and right rooms weren't too hard to figure out but still required some skill to pull off. Not bad for a first attempt.

Completed my first puzzle: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=71483486

Feedback is appreciated. I admit I got fed up with replaying it by the end and didn't test the final parts all that well...

I didn't find any flaws or chamber breakers, so they seem to work just fine. Really liked this one.

[ckpk]

I liked how the solutions to the left and right rooms weren't too hard to figure out but still required some skill to pull off. Not bad for a first attempt.

Thank you :)

[thegooseking]

I had a similar idea for this myself - a thread where we all post maps, then play, rate and comment on the maps of others. I vote we use this one. That way, our maps won't just get lost in the workshop. And if someone plays one of your maps, why not play one of theirs?

To get the ball rolling, here are some of my early attempts:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=68514787
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=70996780

Share your own!

The difficulty level was about right for both of them. They weren't too easy, but not pointlessly frustrating. Really good aesthetics, too (apart from that one room with the laser and the goo, anyway): They felt like 'proper' chambers. Although that's a certain amount of the point of the editor, I know firsthand how easy it still is to use it make ugly chambers ;)

But there was something about them. They didn't make me feel smart for solving them; they made me feel dumb for not solving them quicker. I wonder why that is. I mean, it wasn't a major thing, but it does highlight an important point: In a way, it's actually harder to make puzzles for the puzzle creator than it was to make puzzles for the main game, because while the main game can fall back on external rewards (like story progression) for solving puzzles, puzzle creator puzzles rely entirely on internal rewards (solving the puzzle makes the player feel smart).

I did mean to play everyone else's maps, but the game had trouble connecting to my subscribed maps (I imagine the server is getting hammered while the puzzle creator is still new), so I'll get round to that later.

[buemba]

I didn't find any flaws or chamber breakers, so they seem to work just fine. Really liked this one.

Thanks for trying it!

I just realized it's possible (Though unlikely) to get stuck in the final room. Think I'll redesign it later.

[airtekh]

So I felt a little guilty about just gorging myself on other people's creations (especially when the editor is so easy to use) and decided to make a level:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=71694580

It's quite short, and I haven't really tested to see if there are any shortcuts and stuff, but have a go anyway.

I played everyone's levels, but I forgot which one was which! Anyway, thumbs up for all.

[ColOfNature]

All good stuff. I lack the creative talent to come up with satisfying puzzles myself, so I'll vent my spleen by nitpicking yours.

@Quasar - in Back and Forth, is the second lens cube a decoy?

@c-Row - I didn't even notice the buttons until after I'd got the cube.

@buemba - I hate you. Three times my cube got covered in blue gel and bounced into the toxic waste. Three times!

Now I'll have to go back and try thegooseking's again - I cheekily sidestepped most of the puzzle, but I see he's fixed it.


(p.s. buemba - I don't really hate you)

[ckpk]

As a side note, I'm not going to be selfish and just spam up my own maps, I will get around to playing everyone elses and commenting. Soon as these exams are past...

[c-Row]

@c-Row - I didn't even notice the buttons until after I'd got the cube.

Hmf... I thought the turrets would be covering each other enough to prevent someone sneaking up behind them unless you had dispensed two of them via the buttons.

[ColOfNature]

Hmf... I thought the turrets would be covering each other enough to prevent someone sneaking up behind them unless you had dispensed two of them via the buttons.

I zapped all 4 of them with the laser then realised that probably wasn't what you had in mind.

[c-Row]

I zapped all 4 of them with the laser then realised that probably wasn't what you had in mind.

Not really - that would be way to easy. ;) Guess I should make the lower wall un-portal-able then.

[airtekh]

Man I'm really getting back into Portal, I played a bunch of custom levels after I finished the singleplayer last year but I exhausted my supply!

There are so many good puzzles created with the editor, it's probably the best DLC Valve could have implemented for this type of game. Don't have to go fiddling about with the console to get them working too.

Playing all these levels is giving me a craving to do the co-op again, it's been so long since I played it.

Anyone up for it?

[Sparkasaurusmex]

I've made 2 so far. Let me know if I'm doing anything right and what I can fix.
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/7...iles?appid=620

[c-Row]

Updated mine to prevent a shortcut - hope it's not as easy as before.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=70156549

[Sparkasaurusmex]

My new map took me forever to figure out how to make, but it finally works. It's very simple but thinking with portals might mislead you.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=72189794

[ajewers]

*Summons up balls to make first post*

Hello o/

I've made a couple of maps i'm quite happy with, they play in a sort of series;
One
Two
Three
Four

Gonna go through this thread and add to my queue. I know how easily tests get lost in the abyss of the workshop....

[wail]

The difficulty level was about right for both of them. They weren't too easy, but not pointlessly frustrating. Really good aesthetics, too (apart from that one room with the laser and the goo, anyway): They felt like 'proper' chambers. Although that's a certain amount of the point of the editor, I know firsthand how easy it still is to use it make ugly chambers ;) But there was something about them. They didn't make me feel smart for solving them; they made me feel dumb for not solving them quicker. I wonder why that is. I mean, it wasn't a major thing, but it does highlight an important point: In a way, it's actually harder to make puzzles for the puzzle creator than it was to make puzzles for the main game, because while the main game can fall back on external rewards (like story progression) for solving puzzles, puzzle creator puzzles rely entirely on internal rewards (solving the puzzle makes the player feel smart). I did mean to play everyone else's maps, but the game had trouble connecting to my subscribed maps (I imagine the server is getting hammered while the puzzle creator is still new), so I'll get round to that later.

That's a pretty good point. I'd also add that Portal's structure allows them to introduce concepts and then utilize them in progressively harder ways. Unless you are playing a collection of maps, the Steam Workshop doesn't really work that way. You have to go out of your way to play a series of maps (and hope that the map author is using the sequence to introduce concepts to you, rather than just posing random puzzles at you).
Most of the maps I have played have been extremely and unnecessarily hard, or fairly straightforward. As you say, making the player stop and think, then feel like they've come up with a clever solution is important.

If anyone is interested, I've got two Portal 2 maps out there at the moment and a few more in the works:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=68664134
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...s/?id=71250048

Any feedback is appreciated.