Forum | Thinking With Portals

#1 · December 6, 2011, 6:59 am

This is a set of four coop racing maps that I have created. I have created racing maps that don't just include fast reaction puzzles, but a mixture of quick reaction puzzles, thinking puzzles, and new or different things you haven't seen. I did this so that if one player isn't good at one type of puzzle, then they could catch up in the type of puzzle they are good at. Map 4 is going to be laggy for P-Body, unless you have a really good connection, so it won't be very fair, but will still be fun none the less.

I hope you all enjoy yourselves, and I want to see LOTS of feedback and videos, telling me which maps you liked the best, how close your races were, and your overall opinion of the maps.

!!!Make Sure Both Players Finish!!!

Tip: When you get into the maps, type into the console "+remote_view" This will allow you to keep up the screen of what your opponent is seeing, so that you don't have to hold down Tab.

Play instructions: Unzip the maps from the archive and place all five in your Steam/steamapps/common/portal 2/portal2/maps folder. Both players have to download the maps. Start a normal co-op game and whoever is hosting (the Blue Robot) type in "changelevel mp_coop_theamazingrace" in the console (which is activated by the ` key under ESC. This will bring you to the hub I created and you will be able to access all the maps.

Thanks to my playtesters: Xires, That greek guy, Hobbax, and Elephant

v1.1
- Fixed heaven button on map 4
- Fixed Boulder bug
- Fixed Portal texture on map 4
- Added helpful signs at start of map 2
- Fixed and added some props on maps 2&4
v1.2
- Fixed getting stuck on map 3
- Changed Glass on Map 3
- Fixed shortcut on last puzzle on Map 3.
- Fixed Cube going out of map 2

File Name: TheAmazingRacev1.2.rar
File Size: 72.9 MiB
Click here to download The Amazing Race

Maps(Newest to Oldest): Storming the Castle / The Amazing Race / Wreaked / Mental Breakdown / Lost In Transition / Split / Mind Lock
Mapping Since May 21, 2011

#2 · December 9, 2011, 6:19 pm

So many nice and new ideas, wow! :thumbup:
Map is looking good and your ideas were really good, too.

These maps are really fun to play - thanks for sharing them.
5/5 for "race" and challenge fun.

[back on TWP since 08. July 2017]
Steam: DrFauli

#3 · December 9, 2011, 6:47 pm

Finally someone posts on my map! My map has been up for a few days, and nobody has been saying anything. Well I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Maps(Newest to Oldest): Storming the Castle / The Amazing Race / Wreaked / Mental Breakdown / Lost In Transition / Split / Mind Lock
Mapping Since May 21, 2011

#4 · December 9, 2011, 8:00 pm

Ok we've played this map 3 times. And I must say I need practice! My favorite chambers were the destroyed and the machine room chamber with the conveyors and the nice flings!
I liked the first chamber as well - but I had a real hard time getting up the momentum to fling up to the next level. Im not that good at that and it got a little frustrating.
Worst for me was the motion chamber - Level 4 I think - we died alot, but practice makes perfect! One thing that surprised me was the fact that the puzzles were almost too detailed to be in a race map. There was alot to do and elements to use and tackle - of course I was always in the death pit at the end and my partner had tons of fun killing me! LOL - and I died and went to Heaven just to push the button to go back to the hub!
All in all - thoughtful, challenging and worth playing over. Thanks for making!

#5 · December 9, 2011, 10:10 pm

Yes! Glad you guys enjoyed it enough to play it 3x.

Maps(Newest to Oldest): Storming the Castle / The Amazing Race / Wreaked / Mental Breakdown / Lost In Transition / Split / Mind Lock
Mapping Since May 21, 2011

#6 · December 10, 2011, 4:11 pm

Excellent selection hub, great fun, fantastic design and diversity. If I could give 10 points I would. Top Drawer stuff. Myself and my 6 year old son play side by side (how quickly the pupil becomes the master though). Have played through 4 or 5 times on each now and its top of our list along with gelocity. Keep it up, look forward to you working for Gabe. Constructive feedback coming up: (in no specific order)

1. Level 2,

Spoiler

The breaking of the glass by sneaking/dropping down was found after almost giving up for us, we did try flinging the cube at the window and other such attempts, perhaps make the window ONLY breakable by cube flinging?

2. level 4, found a possible oversight, while it doesn't seem to affect gameplay, it might be just a mapping thing:, Not sure those surfaces should be portalable <--new word?

3.

Spoiler

The bit with the sphere and the waving steps dogleg run through proved too difficult/frustrating for both of us so we ended up noclipping through it to continue, maybe remove floor fizzler or make it a little bit easier? Seems just a bit hard (unless I am missing the intended solution of course)

Hats off to a fantastic, well thought out set of maps, replay value is top notch too.

07 (salute)

PsyMan & Harvey

#7 · December 10, 2011, 5:45 pm

Great feedback, I had no idea those surfaces were portalable.

Spoiler

If hitting the glass with the cube didn't work... then I should fix that, It should work if you or the cube hits the glass.

Now the ball puzzle. The solution is

Spoiler

you have to slow down the ball in order to be able to go and catch it where you can put blue gel down. So, you have to make the ball hit the top wall and bounce into the grate catcher, while you are running towards the fizzler, then you need to portal under the grate catcher and to the panel that can launch it above the blue gel. once it gets launched you need to go through the fizzler jump up and catch it.

*edit*
i just realized you were talking about the other ball puzzle... that one you have to

Spoiler

ride the top of the wave to the start of the middle fizzler... stop... let the wave move on, which will allow you to ride the bottom of the wave under the middle fizzler... then stop again.. wait for the next wave... then ride the top of that wave over the last bottom fizzler.

It's really easy to do, just have to figure out the technique.

Maps(Newest to Oldest): Storming the Castle / The Amazing Race / Wreaked / Mental Breakdown / Lost In Transition / Split / Mind Lock
Mapping Since May 21, 2011

#8 · December 11, 2011, 4:51 am

Cheers baca, that sphere/ball/catcher solution we worked out ourselves, in fact its one of the most ingenious puzzles there. its

Spoiler

The one where you have to run through the waving steps and avoid losing you portal

we had trouble with

#9 · December 11, 2011, 6:53 am

glad you like my new creation. :thumbup: I'm going to upload a newer version of the map tomorrow. takes a while to compile one of my maps.
*edit*
Updated.

Maps(Newest to Oldest): Storming the Castle / The Amazing Race / Wreaked / Mental Breakdown / Lost In Transition / Split / Mind Lock
Mapping Since May 21, 2011

#10 · December 13, 2011, 3:07 pm

Great collection of maps!
I was really surprised because this is so large, so many maps and mostly nice visuals. When did you do all these?
I liked the cube/funnel/light bridge puzzle best. You have to think a moment and finally finish it with some timing and fast portals - Portal at its best :thumbup:

A few parts of the "motion chamber" were probably a little to hard (for me), but mainly because of lag. It was a little frustrating to fail again and again...

All in all a nice collection of race maps!

My Maps:
[Coop] Gelocity | Stage 2 | Stage 3
[SP] Gelocity Time Trial - Track 1 | Track 2

[Coop] The Amazing Race