[SP] Infinifling V2.5
Great work! You gotta stand firm on the "quality over quantity" colloquialism if you want to get past how short it is, but I don't hold it against anyone to spend as much time as possible on the immersion factor. I really believed that wheatley was running things in this chamber, and although the spoken lines you used are a bit mainstream now, they nevertheless added to the experience. They're just generic enough to be used in as many maps as possible and not get old. Also I don't even want to try to imagine the scripting nightmare of your opening sequence. Well done. My biggest criticism is how disappointingly short it was. But with the work you put into other areas (not to mention only two weeks to do it) I fully appreciate this map for what it is.
I found one glitch. I accidentally sucked the cube into the orange funnel, and it got stuck behind the funnel emitter. I had to noclip to get it out. I would put a fizzler there or turn on the models collision if you can, or just put a clip brush over it.
I didnt like the first part of the puzzle-
The large amount of paint needed, and small beam length complicate the timing of this. This was also complicated by the large-ish portalable surface- i ended up with a wonky path that didnt get me into the beam because of quick aiming. An info_placement_helper is needed, or the radius needs tweaking.
With all due respect to everybody who's posted so far (with the exception of Idolon and Engimaphase), how is it that anybody likes this puzzle? Sure, it looks good, but the puzzle literally makes no sense. Would everybody here have liked this map if it showed you a giant red door with a picture of a giant red padlock on it, but then the "solution" was to use a green key on it? Portal is, in essence, a physics puzzle game. This puzzle has absolutely zero basis in physics and with no indication that the physics are going to be different, the only way that you can "solve" this puzzle is by accident. This is terrible, terrible game and level design.
After having played the map, it is my impression that this is map, or was, part of a larger Portal 2 project, which I understand is within the contest rules. It seemed to be off to a good start, and I was thinking there would be more, but it ended once I reached the exit elevator. I was so surprised it ended, I used noclip to check the map to see if I had some how skipped doing something. I rarely ever use noclip for any reason, but I think I spent more time exploring the map using noclip than I did playing because the designed looked so cool. Hope this is used in a Portal 2 mappack in the future.
You hit the nail right on the head.
Uh what? Accidental puzzle solution? I don't really see where the physics basis totally comes into the picture though. If you're talking about the Infinifling I agree that is kinda funky. I should have more or less made the fling panels completely symmetrical in distances from each other based per the middle gap panel, versus the odd length currently between them.
That definitely is something I didn't notice until way later on I wish I could have redid, but with the time limit imposed I went with it. Infinifling is actually not the first map I've made with the Infinifling mechanic though. I have an actual puzzle as part of a planed map pack (which this was also going to be in) that's completely symmetrical and ends up having a fairly believable fling to it.
But regardless of that I am glad you enjoyed it thoroughly.
That definitely is something I didn't notice until way later on I wish I could have redid, but with the time limit imposed I went with it. Infinifling is actually not the first map I've made with the Infinifling mechanic though. I have an actual puzzle as part of a planed map pack (which this was also going to be in) that's completely symmetrical and ends up having a fairly believable fling to it.
But regardless of that I am glad you enjoyed it thoroughly.
I think you completely misunderstand how infinite flings work to generate velocity. The reason the standard "infinifling" works is because you are constantly falling, which is supported by the porals being at two different heights. Because the two angled platforms are at the exact same height, you have the exact same speed going into it that you do going out, and therefore you would never gain any height. It doesn't matter how many times you go through the angled platforms, as adding zero velocity over and over again still nets you zero velocity. In fact, this puzzle is EASILY doable without any sort of "infinifling" --
The reason this puzzle works has nothing to do with physics or infinite flinging or anything, but rather that you have trigger_catapults on both angled platforms that give you the necessary velocity to make it to the other platform. That's the only part of this puzzle the allows it to work, and is incredibly unintuitive-- even if you know that there are trigger_catapaults on the angled platforms, there's absolutely no way to tell whether they will gain you any velocity or not, and I don't think I need to convince you that requiring knowing how trigger_catapults work should never be required to solve any puzzle.
Actually, the panels are at slightly different heights (height difference of two tiles, I think), but the point still stands. You could/should have made one panel lower than the other, meaning that a fling across would actually generate some velocity from the fling (I used the solution listed in rossman231's spoiler).
Ah, I've double checked and you're right, there is a difference, but it's very slight (64 unit difference in height) and over quite a long distance, so it's very difficult to notice. I little spent a while in-game trying to decide whether they were the same height and ended up thinking they were. But since you can do the solution using either platform as a starting point, the height difference isn't what's solving the puzzle. As Idolon pointed out, there's no reason why the two platforms couldn't have been at obviously different heights and made this puzzle much more "figuring out" and much less "try stuff until you get it right."
Ah, I've double checked and you're right, there is a difference, but it's very slight (64 unit difference in height) and over quite a long distance, so it's very difficult to notice. I little spent a while in-game trying to decide whether they were the same height and ended up thinking they were. But since you can do the solution using either platform as a starting point, the height difference isn't what's solving the puzzle. As Idolon pointed out, there's no reason why the two platforms couldn't have been at obviously different heights and made this puzzle much more "figuring out" and much less "try stuff until you get it right."
If you have different heights, and let physics do its thing, you should fly farther back each time--the problem with angled infinifling...I don't think that would make the puzzle any more "figuring out." (If the height difference were significant enough and you dropped yourself very near the fizzler--or let it drop you and have one more portal to place--it would only be two flings...that is, you'd place BLUE on the angled one, fall into ORANGE, and place BLUE on the lower angled one...that doesn't seem like the infinifling that's suggested in the title.)
Anyways, I agree with those who have a problem with skirting physics in a physics-based game, but the ANGLEd infinifling is the problem here (for the map-maker).
A possible solution could be something like: (1)animated panel moving back each time you complete a fling...
or possibly: (2)multiple panels
or just: (3)a strip of portalable surface...
----
Aside from this issue, it is more than clear that a lot of time went into the "immersion" and aesthetics, so I commend you for that. It's not easy work.
Anyways, I agree with those who have a problem with skirting physics in a physics-based game, but the ANGLEd infinifling is the problem here (for the map-maker).
This is a very good point, no infinifling that attempts to gain velocity is going to be possible on anything but a purely vertical situation. Although a significant height difference wouldn't allow for infinifling, it would allow the "solution" I used to solve the "puzzle" (in spoiler tags above), which is the essence of the puzzle (
or possibly: (2)multiple panels
or just: (3)a strip of portalable surface...
I don't think any of these allow infiniflings any better, but maybe I misunderstand.
This seems to be the reason why everybody likes this map. But in my opinion the point of Portal is the puzzles (just like the point of, say, Starcraft is the strategy). As soon as it becomes ok for people to spend the majority of their effort on aesthetics and let the puzzle elements fall by the wayside, we're stuck in a world of meaningless and unfun, but pretty maps.
The angled panels are at exactly the same height. Open up the vmf and take a peek to be sure.
Anyways on the larger structure of the infinfling, I think arguing it's ability to exist in theoretical physics is going to eventually lead to comparisons made on other mechanics and oddities contained within Portal 2 and the previous. Special Olympics.
Anyways with the infinfling, I think arguing about the fundamental physics is really a waste of time. I mean I could go in and totally correct the situation but it's not something I plan to do at the stage the map is obviously. With the Infinifling mechanic one thing I can say is that it more or less technically possible if both angled panels are at a specific closer distance, and aren't angled at 45 degrees.
As you stated ross; the obvious issue is the actual trigger_catapult that's there.
The Panels would have to be angled at 20 degrees or so to achieve an arc with enough momentum created at the apex of the arcs height. Thus when you fall, you distribute the same speed over and over again, creating an infinite loop. Obviously the science comes down to how much momentum and air drag you encounter, but for fucks sakes, this really could go on. Like it really doesn't need to get that technical.
For any next installments in the Infinifling series I am likely going to alter panel height and angle like previously adjusted, so that way even Carl Sagan will approve. I'll be sure to also get Neil Degrasse Tyson to test my maps, just for extra measure.
That's an interesting idea. However i think the constant visual changes while flinging in mid air like that will be confusing. Part of the reason the actual fling itself isn't physically correct is partly for it's ease of use. I really wanted to avoid any type of complexity behind the actual fling when in mid air. I'll look into doing other things though, and evaluating what could be cooler/funner/easier in the longrun. One of the great things about releasing Infinifling is that it's honestly me taking advantage of it being out in the public. This is something I got a chance to do partly because I never intended to actually release an Infinifling based map outside of a planned map pack.
Physics in the real world aside, I'm able to receive feedback on the actual gameplay understanding and readability of the actual mechanic, as well as gauge the difficulty of it for players of all types. I bring this up because it plays a major role with how I'm going to approach doing more of this mechanic in the future and why I choose it for this contest (out of the many I had made already) regardless of it's odd/not Carl Sagan approved solution.