Forum | Thinking With Portals

#21 · November 15, 2011, 9:24 pm

This map is really stunning. You had me stumped for a good long time, and once I solved it I discover here that it wasn't as intended. Sorry I don't have a video, that would be way easier than describing it, but here we go: I, like jonatan,

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passed between the E. Grille and laser field to get the light bridge to hold the box above the button. I actually believed this to be the intended solution because I did it on my first try while standing on the ground between the two.

Then I

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used the box to get on top of the bridge outside the E. Grille, and then put it back where it belonged over the button. Then I could just jump to the AFP and everything was solved as normal after that.

I only have very minor complaints about the visuals. One is displayed in the video josepezdj posted. The light bridge just clips through the wall a tiny bit when you place it

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high up, in the intended location

- almost certainly more painful to fix than it's worth. The second is that the indicator lights seem really bright and washed out, I think I prefer them with a slightly larger range of color showing (I'm not sure if you used different overlays or if they just have bright lights shining on them?). The same could be said about the "box drop" sign, it just seems a tiny bit too bright.

Overall, a little tough for my taste/brain, but really beautiful with a good choice of music. 5/5 Gonna go check out your other stuff very soon...

Edit - Also, the screenshots in the OP aren't embedding for me. I copy/pasted the first link and it worked fine. The way I have mine embedded from imageshack is their built in forum code with a [url= yadda yadda tag bracketing the img tags, with slightly different urls.

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#22 · November 16, 2011, 12:22 am

Alright I haven't played this map yet but simply because you named your map Magrathea I adore you.

Now with 100% more inline comments!

#23 · November 19, 2011, 2:17 am

Where I should start - everything is exepcional about this map. Graphic, atmosphere, shadows those are great and Valve quality. Even more fun are "secret" areas but most enjoying is the puzzle. It`s not that easy and it took me over 1,5 hour to solve. But solving this give you great satisfaction and every true portal fan should play it. Many thanks InvisiblePanda waiting for more of same quality

#24 · November 20, 2011, 4:27 am

Woot! Finally figured it out without help! Great map!

#25 · November 24, 2011, 3:07 am

The portal surface near the exit is much, much too dark. It's a serious flaw in an otherwise creative and atmospheric level.

#26 · November 25, 2011, 1:50 am

I tried and tried - finally used tghe walkthrough.
I never would have figured that out in a million years.

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Even with the walkthrough you have to be very accurate on the last step in hitting the two portals in the exact correect 2 spots so that the light bridge lifts the cube off the button.

And, of course you don't know if you shot them in the right spots until you wait and see if the Exit opens. So that took a few tries.

Overall a 5+

#27 · November 27, 2011, 6:53 pm

This is easily the prettiest 'hard' puzzle i've played, beautiful work

Ashamed to say I used the walkthrough, only to discover I am a moron.

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(I was trying to use the ceiling panels to grab the cube, then stand on the cube and jump through the portal to press the button, rather than just pushing it through the portal....idiot)

#28 · November 27, 2011, 9:12 pm

Brilliant Map, same problem as others with the dark portal ceiling at exit to tie it all up. Also, love the name just a shame there was no easter egg involving the Infinate Improbability Drive or even just a bowl of petunias :lol:
Anyway 9/10 for that.

My PTI Collections:

RCTI - Re-Customized Testing Initiative

PAST - Previously Aged Strategic Testing

#29 · November 28, 2011, 11:01 am

Magrathea... Is that some HHGTG thing? It sounds familiar but I don't remember what it was.
Edit: I just remembered, it was the planet factory. durr...

Anyway, I love this map. It's a textbook execution of a decayed style chamber. (The large lopsided wall pieces especially are a nice touch.)

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And it has an elaborate easter-egg room to boot

The puzzle itself also had me stumped for a long time. I kept messing around with the bridge, looking for an alternative way to the exit, before I figured out what turned out to be the intended solution. This kind of puzzle is my favourite; hard to figure out, but easy to perform.

There is one thing that really bugs me though: when leaving the elevator, your head passes through a big, quite solid looking piece of metal. Perhaps you should move that away from the doorway a bit so players are less likely to bump into it?

My only other two suggestions for improvement (both already pointed out by others) would be improved visibility of the portal-enabled ceiling near the exit (just one glass light strip on the wall next to it is probably enough), and to make some walking space around the launcher so you can

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safely stand there while re-arranging portals before lift-off.

But that's about it from the nitpicking department. This is definitely one of the best maps I've played so far.
Keep up the good work!

Sendificate series: Sendificate | A Beam Too Far | Airtime | 302
Other Portal 2 maps: Medusa Glare
Portal 1 maps: Try Anything Twice | Manic Mechanic

#30 · December 4, 2011, 3:51 pm

Challenging puzzle, fantastic map design, double-secret area... about the most perfect map I've played. Cheers

[SP] Magrathea