Quote from matrixbandit on June 11, 2011, 1:18 pm

Please don't use external links for downloads. Just upload the zip.

Quote from Nahor on June 11, 2011, 2:36 pm

I'm not quite sure how this one is supposed to be solved. I finished it mostly by retrying the same thing over and over until I got a favorable outcome.
For instance, [spoiler]I used a turret to block the lower laser but since sometimes they burn and explode, I'm not sure it's the correct solution, moreover one could run out of turrets[/spoiler].

I never used the reverse funnel either.

Somehow, the turret on the left on the lower level can see through the upper floor when the player is against the wall with the exit door and near the hole above the other turret. It doesn't shoot so it's not too bad but if the player does jump in that hole, he gets killed immediately since the turret is ready to fire.

Quote from Dr_D1cK_H4nDleR on June 11, 2011, 3:17 pm

Nahor wrote:

I never used the reverse funnel either.

Quote from matrixbandit on June 11, 2011, 4:12 pm

Yea I have no idea how it is supposed to be solved either. Here's how I did it though..
[spoiler]Went around and murdered all the turrets first. Then used the hardlight to get on the platform with the prism cube drop button, and while up there I placed a portal on a panel off to the left near the excursion funnel, to run the hardlight bridge in that small horizontal gap between platforms, thereby sorta blocking the prism cubes from falling into that fizzle protected room. Then I hit the button like a million times until the dropped prism cube managed to land on the hard light bridge near the left side, which I was then able to carefully grab through the gap while crouching on the hard light bridge on the other side of the wall. I couldn't throw it off completely from that position, but I managed to get the box close enough to the corner of the top of that room that I could grab it while jumping toward the room from a hardlight bridge placed high up. One I got the damn prism cube, I just redirected the bottom laser into the far wall, threw a couple portals up to redirect it to the goal receiver on the ground floor, and the exit door opened.[/spoiler]

I have to imagine there is an easier way.

Quote from satchmo on June 11, 2011, 4:51 pm

I designed this puzzle.

The intended, less brute-force and frustrating, way to solve the puzzle is:

[spoiler]Use the light bridge to get to the high turret on the right side on the upper level first. Get to the other turret on the upper level from the back side to avoid getting shot at.

Drop one of the deactivated turrets from the upper level directly at the turret on the lower level to deactivate that one (the one on the higher platform). For the last turret on the lower level, use the light bridge as a shield, and crouch while walking slowly toward it to avoid any hits. If you do it correct, you will not be hit even once by the turrets.

Use the light bridge to press the button to drop the reflective cube. Portal a light bridge on the paneled wall between the two lasers. Bring one of the deactivated turrets to the upper level, and release it into the excursion funnel upward. Your light bridge will protect it from rising all the way to the top and getting burned.

Now, walk to the button and stand on it. Once the funnel direction is reversed, the turret inside the funnel will move downward and interrupt the cube laser and deactivate the emancipation grid for a fraction of a second. This allows you to shoot a portal onto the floor of the room containing the reflective cube, and you can get the cube through the portal.

After going through the laser, the turrets have the tendency to explode, so you have only a limited number of tries before you are out of turrets. However, if you reverse the funnel again even after the turret has exploded, the debris from the turret can block the laser beam too, and that allows the player to have additional opportunities to shoot a portal into the cube room before the debris ultimately disintegrate.

Then just use the cube to deflect the upper laser near the ceiling toward the exit door.[/spoiler]

If you follow the method that I intended, it's not frustrating at all. It just takes a lot of thinking and planning ahead.

Quote from satchmo on June 11, 2011, 7:25 pm

I since uploaded the file instead of using an external link.

I wonder how is it possible to solve it without reversing the direction of the funnel. You must have super-human reflexes. It's not meant to be solved that way.

And if you do it the way it's meant to be solved, you will not [spoiler]run out of turrets, because four is plenty, even accounting for mistakes and missed trials[/spoiler].

Quote from Nahor on June 11, 2011, 9:32 pm

satchmo wrote:

[spoiler]Drop one of the deactivated turrets from the upper level directly at the turret on the lower level to deactivate that one (the one on the higher platform).[/spoiler]

[spoiler]I put a light bridge behind that platform so that I was hidden from the other turret then I just fell on it and grabbed the turret with the portal gun[/spoiler]

satchmo wrote:

[spoiler]For the last turret on the lower level, use the light bridge as a shield, and crouch while walking slowly toward it to avoid any hits.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Or put the light bridge over that turret so you don't need to crouch then remove the bridge to fall on the platform, behind the turret.[/spoiler]

satchmo wrote:

[spoiler]If you do it correct, you will not be hit even once by the turrets.[/spoiler]

Except that you need to know the map. With the turrets, especially since they are not very forgiving, it's difficult to explore to figure out what the options are. So you'll get killed plenty of time.
I died a few times while playing and replaying the map, trying to kill the first turret (highest one), because I need to [spoiler]move bridge nearer to the platform while I was hiding from the other turret, placed the portal too much to the left and got the bridge blocked by the platform, so I fell and got killed by that other turret (you might want to add a hint wall or a non-portalable one).[/spoiler]

satchmo wrote:

[spoiler]the turret inside the funnel will move downward and interrupt the cube laser and deactivate the emancipation grid for a fraction of a second[/spoiler]

Tried your solution, it didn't always worked. [spoiler]Sometimes it was floating in a way that didn't interrupt the laser.[/spoiler]

satchmo wrote:

I wonder how is it possible to solve it without reversing the direction of the funnel. You must have super-human reflexes. It's not meant to be solved that way.

[spoiler]If you hold the turret with the laser going between its legs than release it, it will stay upright, block the laser and not burn, giving plenty of time to get the cube.[/spoiler]

satchmo wrote:

[spoiler]And if you do it the way it's meant to be solved, you will not run out of turrets, because four is plenty, even accounting for mistakes and missed trials.[/spoiler]

- Don't underestimate the stupidity of the players . [spoiler]Some will easily waste 2 or 3 turrets trying to run for the fizzler.[/spoiler]
- [spoiler]Sometimes I burn turrets just for fun, or for revenge if they kill me to often, or out of frustration if I have problems finding the solution.[/spoiler].
- Then there are the accidents [spoiler]like moving the turret in front of the laser while trying to put it in the funnel[/spoiler].
- Then there are possible timing and/or aiming issues when trying to put the portal. For instance, if the cube falls on the left side (when standing on the button) of the box, the fizzler "pole" can prevent you from placing a portal (there is some kind of hidden wall around those "poles")
- Another solution [spoiler]like inserting the turret at the bottom of the funnel and to running for the fizzler while the turret rises but because you're in a hurry then, it's fairly easy to hit a wall instead of the floor.[/spoiler]
In my opinion [spoiler]a regular cube[/spoiler] would be better even if it makes the solution more obvious, which is a good thing, also in my opinion, I tend to prefer mild challenges.

(this post looks like a redacted CIA document :p)

Quote from satchmo on June 11, 2011, 11:22 pm

Thank you for the insightful comments. It's great to hear the perspective of another player, and to see alternative approach to the puzzle.

Quote:

[spoiler]placed the portal too much to the left and got the bridge blocked by the platform, so I fell and got killed by that other turret[/spoiler]

Or the way I approach it, I [spoiler]portal the bridge while standing in the safety zone near the entrance, so the opposing turret cannot even see me.[/spoiler]

Quote:

if the cube falls on the left side (when standing on the button) of the box, the fizzler "pole" can prevent you from placing a portal

You do not need to place the portal on the floor directly below the cube. You can shoot a portal anywhere on the floor and just walk into the room to pick up the cube.

Quote:

Tried your solution, it didn't always worked. [spoiler]Sometimes it was floating in a way that didn't interrupt the laser.[/spoiler]

That's where the funnel reversal comes in. [spoiler]If you toggle the directional flow of the funnel a few times, the floating turret is going to block the laser.[/spoiler]

Quote:

[spoiler]If you hold the turret with the laser going between its legs than release it, it will stay upright, block the laser and not burn, giving plenty of time to get the cube.[/spoiler]

Wow, that's a glitch that I had not anticipated. Good to know.

Quote:

I tend to prefer mild challenges.

Someone played an earlier version of this map, and told me that it's way too easy. That's why I made it less intuitive. The player really needs to think outside the box to solve this puzzle.

Quote from satchmo on June 12, 2011, 3:11 am

Based on the feedback I've gotten, I modified the map so all the known "glitches" of the previous version have been fixed.

I also added indicator lights to give additional hints for the solution.

New version (v1.6) now available for download.