[SP] Patent Pending
Congratulations. Definately one of the best maps done here, if not the best. It's great when you can add to the original strategies with new twists. Really enjoyed
Great map, it was extremely enjoyable to play through. I encountered a glitch at the end of the crusher puzzle (which, interestingly, I arbitrarily launched myself at the correct time without even noticing the crusher). If you back out of the door you get trapped - the good ol' walk halfway in and back out trap. Not a huge deal though... I also had fun climbing around in the "second floor" of the room before the last chamber.
Very well done map. Great Visuals and the puzzle level difficulty was about perfect for this contest. Puzzle designs in other maps that are too easy or too hard won't be seriously considered even if visuals are amazing. The puzzle in your map were near perfect.
There is one thing in the map design that I did not like, and its one of those small things that I call a "paper cut" design, something that not serious but is really really really annoying. Its when a map is designed to include subtle elements to intentionally frustrate the player. Here is a screen shot of what I am talking about.
http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/57780 ... D9396A109/
The pile of garbage placed on the floor is put at that specific spot to block 90% of the laser shot possibilities, so the player has to fuss around to find that 10% where they can thread the needle. That's just not a good design. If you want a player to do, or not do, something, make it a clearclean design; don't tease players with frustrating possibilities that requires them to spin and spin as until the find a small awkwardnarrow angle to the target area. The only exception is alternate solutions, alternate solution can be designed to have much more precise target areas for success, because player can always revert back to a easier, and less frustrating solution. The main solution shouldn't be designed to tease and frustrate the player.
That issue aside, this ranks in the top three maps I've played, and clearly one or more notches above other entries.
There is one thing in the map design that I did not like, and its one of those small things that I call a "paper cut" design, something that not serious but is really really really annoying. Its when a map is designed to include subtle elements to intentionally frustrate the player. Here is a screen shot of what I am talking about.
http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/57780 ... D9396A109/
The pile of garbage placed on the floor is put at that specific spot to block 90% of the laser shot possibilities, so the player has to fuss around to find that 10% where they can thread the needle. That's just not a good design. If you want a player to do, or not do, something, make it a clearclean design; don't tease players with frustrating possibilities that requires them to spin and spin as until the find a small awkwardnarrow angle to the target area. The only exception is alternate solutions, alternate solution can be designed to have much more precise target areas for success, because player can always revert back to a easier, and less frustrating solution. The main solution shouldn't be designed to tease and frustrate the player.
That issue aside, this ranks in the top three maps I've played, and clearly one or more notches above other entries.
Thanks for catching that! That was totally unintentional and got past the previous playtesters. I'm sorry that it messed up your shots.
Community spotlight, 2011 Summer Mapping Initiative first place winner. Congrats ebola - the old school showing the new kids how it's done.
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Congratulations. I'm definitely going to download this map and try it out. I have to say, just seeing the screenshot and reading these comments makes me intimidated to enter mapping contests. I wish they'd make a contest for beginners 
Thanks for over 1,000 downloads: The Cold Shoulder
Was very cool. Thumbs. 
In the final chamber I acted very stupid:
A map pack coming soon. - click for more information
Congratulations. Especially because being in the special thanks list of the winner map makes me feel a little that I've achieved something in this contest after all.. 
By the way I've found two bugs but I've made somthing wrong and can't find the screenshots and I can remember only one of them: under the crusher the cube can sink in the floor. I might look for the other later.
I can only parrot what praise has been said. (I love the overgrown theme, as well )
I'm interested in how long it takes you to destroy/overgrow the chamber...I imagine you get pretty good as you go along, but it seems a daunting task to make the growth and destruction actually look good.
How much work did you put into "growing"/"destroying" this map?
--On another note:
I imagine, as it has been mentioned, that the intended solution is
Now I need to grow two more thumbs so I can give you four thumbs up.
I downloaded this because you won the competition, and I must say, it's a great map. I found a few unintended solution and played through your map using them. And was smart enough to record it. If you'd like me to, I wouldn't mind recording one that uses glitches (the filename doesn't say "glitchless" for no reason).
As far as praise and critique is concerned: the little pile of rubble (as mentioned earlier, by JackSafari) really annoyed me too, and even made me think I was using an unintended solution for a while. But the maps looked, and felt, really great. The puzzles took enough thinking, but once you were on the right path, were quite straightforward (which is a good thing). The sound was great, except for one thing: if you're fast enough to trigger a speech while another one is going on, the first one doesn't get cut out, which makes for a really annoying noise.
Anyway, keep making maps, you're good at it.