[WIP] [WIP] Think Outside the Box (Early alpha) [WIP]
Yeahhhh cool. Making the Goo lower makes it look better 
Yours is way too high. 32/64 units beneath the floor is good. For the glass frames, you made it with brushes I guess? I think the frame models look better.
Anyway, here's my playthrough:
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it's awesome to see you listen to the feedback you get and improve upon it! Keep up the good work!
Thanks, I really want this to be really good, but, I'd need someone whom I could trust to help me make this. If anyone wants to help me, they have to be decent at hammer, and willing to help. I'll explain the details to that person once I choose someone whom wants to help...
Yours is way too high. 32/64 units beneath the floor is good. For the glass frames, you made it with brushes I guess? I think the frame models look better.Alright, I'll lower the goo, but what prop should I use for the window?
Just search "frame" in the model browser. You'll find one identical to the one in the picture.
Just search "frame" in the model browser. You'll find one identical to the one in the picture.
Yup, found it. I'm compiling and testing. BTW, jumping at the leaned panel doesn't do anything... You'll figure it out though... 
Pictures 
(Dimensions are too big :/) :
The images are also in the .zip...
Should be the last time I fix these maps...
http://www.mediafire.com/download/a9b0gqrbhwk23hi/Think_Outside_The_Box+Alpha+0.1.1.4.zip
Just played this, and I have to say that the puzzles were very... interesting; they definitely lived up to the name. The first chamber gives very little impression that the player is able - and at that, required - to jump onto the door frame. This is a result of both that it feels very much like a "speedrunner" thing to do, and that it is agonizingly difficult to get onto it. Even more so when you miss the jump to the slanted ledge. The map also offers very little evidence that there is, in fact, anything up where the cube spawns that would be of any significance; indicator lights should fix that, however. The second map's puzzle seemed to me to be more of a reiterations of the first; requiring you to perform very similar actions, thus making it easier to solve. It was also very unclear as to where the exit door was, but again, indicator lights should fix that. There is also a lack of autosaves in the second part, as if you were to die you would start back at the beginning of the map.
The rest of this post is pretty much all about the way it looks, so, prepare yourself for that.
The first thing I notice when I walk through the entry door is the tile variation, or the lack thereof. An entire wall consisting of 32x32 metal tiles is not aesthetically pleasing; some 64x64, 64x128, and 128x128 textures mixed in there should fix that. Also note that some tile/white textures wouldn't hurt either, but might make the player feel as if they should be in possession of a portal gun. Also, IMO the observation room is too close to the ground, and is lacking props (e.g. desks, monitors, etc.), which makes it look very boring.
Something else that bugged me in that first room is the behind-the-scenes texture usage.
The orange gradient texture, especially (which was something only used in the first Portal IIRC), looks very out of place here, especially since those metalwall textures are usually only used in destroyed settings. I would probably suggest using a metal framework texture for the inside of that piston base (filter framework in the texture browser) or perhaps look at the piston instances Valve created and use those as a reference. As for the actual piston, I would use a white plastic texture for those sides (filter plastic), or perhaps the squarebeam one (again, filter framework). A piston or squarebeam model at the back of the piston would also look nice (just don't forget to parent it). One last thing about this that bothered me was that the piston (albeit not visible) clips through the button when it retracts. Perhaps having the piston move only 16 units in or so would solve this problem (it would probably also help the player jump onto to the ledge).
Several things about the lighting in this map-pack seemed off. For starters, the (one and only) light strip in this casts it's light onto the wall in a really weird way. Usually, light strips emit a bumpy looking sort of light. Yours, however, is flat. This may be the result of a too small texture scale (for reference, Valve stretches their light strip textures to 4). Too bright of a light (or too low of a scale) is also evident in several other parts of the map-pack (see below). My suggestions for these lights would be to increase the texture scale, and - for the square ones - to maybe place square light models over them.
In terms of lighting, your maps would greatly benefit from a couple of env_projectedtextures. In case you don't know what that is, a projectedtextures is an entity that projects a dynamic light. What's so great about it is that casts shadows upon everything it touches, which can look really nice if used correctly. A great example of one in use is this. Keep in mind, though, that you cannot have more than one active at the same time.
One other thing that's really nice to have in your maps is the global_ents instance, which they don't look like they have. Another Bad Pun explained it to me pretty well a year or so ago, so I guess I'll just pull the quote up and use it here:
My last complaints go to the acid pit in the second test chamber. The pit is not very deep, for starters, and when you die the surface glitches out. This can be solved by simply making the pit bigger. There are also no tideline overlays around the edges of the acid, which I would advise putting in (just filter tideline in the texture browser). Finally, the acid texture you are using does not fit the map very well, and I would suggest looking at the following video for a better one.
Glad I read the read me this time... Generally if the solution involves a "ninja" type move - maybe a hint or an intro chamber would help. Without your readme this would have been very frustrating... maybe a faith plate which pops one up on the top of the door frame would help the solution.... A map series of these types of moves would drive me crazy unless I had a hint what I should start thinking about....Thanks for mapping.
To what use? This map has been put to sleep... Permenently. I have near no idea how to continue, and I needed help at the point. I gave up from these 3 cretia: Lack of Ideas; Little understanding in some mechanics; no help during request.
Don't give up like that! This map pack has great potential, and Caden just gave you some VERY good advice! But I think it's too early for anyone else to get involved yet. Keep mapping.