[RELEASE] Manic Mechanic

[HMW]

This is the release version of my first Portal map, Manic Mechanic.

I have made many improvements, most of which were suggested by the forum members at thinkingwithportals.com. Thanks to everyone who played the beta version and provided feedback!

** Download **

EDIT: updated the link to point to the 1.2 version.
RE-EDIT: link now points to myAPERTURElabs until TWP download DB is fixed

The zip file also includes the source code (Hammer vmf fila a.o.). You can use this map as a basis for your own work, under certain conditions. See the readme file for details.


Please let me know of any new bugs or other suggestions.

[msleeper]

Awesome looking map.

[jrlauer]

This looks fantastic. Can't wait to play it.

[venator92]

Well done on a great map. I found it challenging and thoroughly enjoyed playing it.

[Mek]

I only played a part of this map for this time. I got stuck when returning to the beginning (the place where you cannot jam the door with the cube - I lol'd at that). Could you possibly give me some hint?
I had to noclip only one part - the one with the rotating platform, since it is impossible to reach the door in time (is there another solution when you don't have both portals?)
The timings at the "Combinations" part were very low, I had 5 unsuccessful tries and after I decided to give it up, suddendly I managed it. Damn, I hate those timings in maps But that's just me and my humble opinion.
After all, this map is very nice, the atmosphere is great and the lighting and brushwork are all polished. Great work.

[HMW]

Mek wrote:

I only played a part of this map for this time. I got stuck when returning to the beginning (the place where you cannot jam the door with the cube - I lol'd at that). Could you possibly give me some hint?

Go to the other end of the hallway, walk up to the vertical glass panels and look down.

Mek wrote:

I had to noclip only one part - the one with the rotating platform, since it is impossible to reach the door in time (is there another solution when you don't have both portals?)
The timings at the "Combinations" part were very low, I had 5 unsuccessful tries and after I decided to give it up, suddendly I managed it. Damn, I hate those timings in maps But that's just me and my humble opinion.
After all, this map is very nice, the atmosphere is great and the lighting and brushwork are all polished. Great work.

You should have plenty of time if you use the intended solutions. I understand your criticism though, i also hate timing puzzles which give you only half a second of tolerance. (The "stub your toe once along the way and you're too late" kind. )

In the first room with the rotating portal gun, before pressing any button, work things out so that you are inside the chamber with the mesh window and the ball is on the two blocks in front of it. Wait for the orange portal to open in the other chamber, then get over there, push the button, get back and push the other button. The next stop for the orange portal is above the funnel. When it gets there, place a blue portal on the wall where the ball is and it will roll neatly into the funnel and to its destination.

For the part with the rotating platform, press the right button first, wait five seconds, then press the left button and see what happens. This circuitry returns in the last part of the map, so make sure you understand how it works before moving on.

[again]

amazing map! i really love the atmospher and some of the lighting effects you used! the puzzles are the first real new and innovative thing si've seen in quite a while! my only qualm is that the signs do not work for me at all. i have a feeling the last puzzle would be a bit more possible if i knew what all of the signs were saying. and some of the textures and platforms still looks like a bunch of white lines.
wait, i think i know what the problem is, never mind.
EDIT: nope still doesnt work.
EDIT2: never mind, i got it to work. but some of the objects look like they are made of white lines...?

[Mek]

HMW wrote:

In the first room with the rotating portal gun, before pressing any button, work things out so that you are inside the chamber with the mesh window and the ball is on the two blocks in front of it. Wait for the orange portal to open in the other chamber, then get over there, push the button, get back and push the other button. The next stop for the orange portal is above the funnel. When it gets there, place a blue portal on the wall where the ball is and it will roll neatly into the funnel and to its destination.

wow
I didn't even use the two blocks, now I know I found an alternate solution (but a little time-critical one): First I brought the ball from the second room and put it on the top of the funnel thingy (made sure it doesn't roll in). Then I did what was supposed to do, but instead of just firing portals I went on the top of the funnel thingy where I left my ball before and put it in myself
Thanks for your hints, I will try again tomorrow.

[dvlstx]

MSLEEPER, YOU'RE ALIVE!!!

Can you update the community spotlight, now? I think you promised sbrown a shot at the glory

[HMW]

again wrote:

EDIT2: never mind, i got it to work. but some of the objects look like they are made of white lines...?

Very cool that you figured it out on your own eventually.

The white lines indicate that one or more material files are missing. You need to copy the entire portal folder from the zip file over the "inner" game folder, merging their contents. All files will then end up in their correct places. (map file under portal/maps/hmw and materials under portal/materials/HMW_*.) If you look in the bonus maps menu, there should be an "HMW" entry on the first screen. If the HMW folder is in a separate "portal" folder, you've copied the files one directory level too deep, and it won't find any custom materials.

[HMW]

Mek wrote:

[...] now I know I found an alternate solution (but a little time-critical one): [...]

There are actually lots of ways to do it. I tried multiple ways while designing this part. Eventually i settled on placing the ball on the floor where the blocks are now and putting a portal under it, but the darn thing kept rolling away. So i added the blocks as a nice stable holding place.

By the way, if the ball is in the funnel when the time runs out, the seesaw will stay in the open position until the ball gets through, as a sort of "grace period". The indicator lights will flash orange/blue when this happens. So if you see the seesaw flipping back right as the ball rolls off of it, it's not necessarily due to tight timing.

[Sleepwalker]

Still don't get the ball puzzle, every time I get a ball up and locked in place it just evaporates when i hit the button; and the other balls just stay up top doing nothing!

[HMW]

dvlstx wrote:

MSLEEPER, YOU'RE ALIVE!!!

Can you update the community spotlight, now? I think you promised sbrown a shot at the glory

He deserves it. I enjoyed playing PESP. The atmosphere is great and the voice really plays on your conscience in the end.

[HMW]

Sleepwalker wrote:

Still don't get the ball puzzle, every time I get a ball up and locked in place it just evaporates when i hit the button; and the other balls just stay up top doing nothing!

You need to set up everything so it solves itself, using the first ball to release the others. The button near the door is just an 'emergency' reset button in case your solution doesn't work. Also, notice that the dial configuration on the right is the same as in the third room of "Combinations"!

[Hen7]

Difficulty killed it, after sitting close to a hour and half on the damn ball puzzle I quit, not all of us can understand those **** equations and signs, if I would want myself this headache I would just go and do math tests.
Graphically and "ideally" it was great.
I would love to see a video walkthrough, just to see how it can be solved.