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[Stallion Free]

So Valve and the the Portal 2 Mapping Community recently ran the "Summer Mapping Initiative" and they just announced the winners here.

Singleplayer
The top five maps for singleplayer are (descriptions are from the map pages):

1. Patent Pending: A 30-minute level of intermediate difficulty with four chambers set in the destroyed Aperture Science facilities. Some
puzzle elements include hard light surfaces, discouragement beams, aerial faith plates, and excursion funnels.

2. Infinifling: Infinifling pits the player directly into a chamber filled with redirections (we had to have some) and mechanics built on
prevailing mid-air portaling techniques, though with less difficulty and more fun.

3. Edifice : A medium-hard, fairly long map in the destroyed chamber style.

4. Delta Bunsen!: Delta Bunsen contains 3 linear puzzles, within 2 chambers, inside 1 sphere and features a couple of new things I
thought might be fun.

5. Cubes 'n' Funnels: The name pretty much sums it up here, it uses cubes and funnels.


Co-op
The top three co-op maps are (descriptions from map pages again):

1. Redirecting Redirection: This coop map revolves around redirecting redirection cubes via funnels, and the magic that follows. This
map is a little tough though, you might want to pre-lube for it.

2. Fast Bridge: A coop testchamber with 6 seperated tests. Typical testchamber design and a lot of details. You will have to work with
lasers, panels, lightbridges, gel, turrets, cubes and pneumatic diversity vents. The tests will need good timing and some time to find the
solution. Use your zoom and: Think with portals!

3. Fling Bridge: A medium skilled co-op chamber for the Summer Mapping Initiative contest. The chamber includes a spawn and exit
elevator plus the following Portal 2 elements: fling, turrets, laser, laser cube, light bridge and a catapult.


Install Directions
From Valve:
1) Download the map file from ThinkingWithPortals.com.
2) Open up the .ZIP file after it has downloaded.
3) Find the location of your Portal 2 installation on Steam. This is most typically found under:
Windows PC users: C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\maps.
Mac users: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Portal 2/portal2/maps
Note that your installation location may vary, depending on your initial install directory.
4) Copy the .BSP file located in the downloaded file to the directory above.
5) Start Portal 2
6) In the game's main menu, select "Options->Keyboard and Mouse"
7) Set Allow Developer Console to Enabled
8) Press the tilde (~) key to access the console
9) Type map "mapname here"
10) Solve the puzzle!



And here are some impressions I posted in the official thread:

Just beat 3 of the 5 finalists from the single player map tournament held and here are some thoughts:

-Infinifling: This one was quite short and borrows a bit too much from the original puzzles. It didn't push me to think quite as much as the others, but it was still pretty fun. He does use Wheately dialogue excellently though and that does net him some bonus points as does a lovely bit of lighting at the end.

-Cubes 'n' Funnels: Kinda short and simple again, but executing the solution to the puzzle is a real pleasure. I enjoyed the heavy use of the one mechanic in particular, which I won't give away. I was also impressed that he include bit of moving geometry to help keep players from trapping themselves.

-Patent Pending: This was the overal winner and it shows. Each puzzle is quite cleverly crafted and each one felt very satisfying to figure out. I was surprised by the length and there was a nice difficulty curve. Everyone should download and try this.

I'll write up impressions of the other 2 finalists when I play them and hopefully my Partner in Science will reinstall the game so I can give the co-op maps a try.

 

[Mikey Jr.]

Nice. Have the PS3 version, so potential console DLC?

 

[mclaren777]

Any chance they'll bring these maps to the PS3 version?

 

[Why would you do that?]

Would also like to know about the PS3 version.

If not, then at least I have the PC version to play the maps on.

 

[Keyser Soze]

What about the Xbo.....

LOL

 

[sixteen-bit]

Interesting stuff. Portal 2 is on my backlog, but I'll check these out when I can.

 

[TheSeks]

Nice. Shame my PS3 is dead to where I can't play Portal 2 -- well, I could. But I can't be assed going through the game a second time for achievements/trophies. >_> Yes, I'm part of the problem.

 

[Bebpo]

Ok, I'm an idiot. How do you get started in the first room of Patent Pending? I...don't get it.

 

[Sp3eD]

I really hope some of these maps come to PS3. I haven't touched Portal 2 since I beat Co-Op with a friend a month and a half ago.

 

[AranhaHunter]

Hopefully Steam on PSN will start paying dividends now...

 

[Stallion Free]

Ok, I'm an idiot. How do you get started in the first room of Patent Pending? I...don't get it.

The one with the light bridge near the ceiling?

 

[Bebpo]

Yeah. Since the two walls in the OP's picture are non-light-bridge-pass-through and since the only switch is out of reach I don't see where I can go.

...unless I can jump from the light bridge to the switch? I dunno it seemed really far away. I should try that though.

 

[mizuk_i]

Spoiler

Go to the top of the light bridge shoot a portal past the lasers of death and make sure its close to the corner of the wall. After that jump out and shoot another portal so you'll land on the light bridge as your jumping. Then extend the bridge to the button area and exit the portal to the top and you should be able to figure out the rest.

 

[gdt]

Hmm, it'd be nice to get these on the PS3 version. But it doesn't matter, I'll try these out on PC later tonight.

Edit: I've never done anything like this. How do I install these, and then access them?

 

[Stallion Free]

Hmm, it'd be nice to get these on the PS3 version. But it doesn't matter, I'll try these out on PC later tonight.

Edit: I've never done anything like this. How do I install these, and then access them?

1) Download the map file from ThinkingWithPortals.com.
2) Open up the .ZIP file after it has downloaded.
3) Find the location of your Portal 2 installation on Steam. This is most typically found under:
Windows PC users: C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\steamapps\common\portal 2\maps.
Mac users: ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/SteamApps/common/Portal 2/portal2/maps
Note that your installation location may vary, depending on your initial install directory.
4) Copy the .BSP file located in the downloaded file to the directory above.
5) Start Portal 2
6) In the game's main menu, select "Options->Keyboard and Mouse"
7) Set Allow Developer Console to Enabled
8) Press the tilde (~) key to access the console
9) Type map "mapname here"
10) Solve the puzzle!

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

thanks! I'm going to give these a try

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Awesome, I can't wait to try these.

 

[Bebpo]

Spoiler

Go to the top of the light bridge shoot a portal past the lasers of death and make sure its close to the corner of the wall. After that jump out and shoot another portal so you'll land on the light bridge as your jumping. Then extend the bridge to the button area and exit the portal to the top and you should be able to figure out the rest.

Wow, that sounds more complicated than anything I ever did in the main SP campaign, lol. I need to up my skills for this it seems (never tried the co-op campaign in the base game).

*edit, nm, that sounded far more confusing in word form than when actually attempted

 

[mizuk_i]

It only gets worse

 

[morningbus]

Nice. Posting so I can grab all these later.

 

[Stallion Free]

Just ran through Delta Bunsen! and it made neat use of the water "gel" or whatever you want to call it. It also took place in

Spoiler

1970's

Aperture which is a nice change up and it uses Cave Johnson sound clips nicely.

Worth a look for sure.

 

[ampere]

Cool stuff, I will check these out. Glad I got the superior version

 

[Sianos]

Neat, downloading these now. <3

 

[Feep]

Spoiler

Go to the top of the light bridge shoot a portal past the lasers of death and make sure its close to the corner of the wall. After that jump out and shoot another portal so you'll land on the light bridge as your jumping. Then extend the bridge to the button area and exit the portal to the top and you should be able to figure out the rest.

Spoiler

You don't need to do this. Just fire a portal beyond the lasers to create a lightbridge, then walk through the portal, then reposition the lightbridge portal in the correct direction. No ninja skills required.

 

[Stallion Free]

Yeah the maps haave been shockingly good about the "no bullshit ninja skills" and have stuck to logic IMO.

 

[gdt]

I'm having a hard time finding the maps in the dev console. I put them all in the right folder :/.

 

[Stallion Free]

Just wrapped up Edifice, completing the singleplayer set, and I really enjoyed it. It did some interesting things and used one concept that I don't think was ever used in singleplayer. Definitely a neat little twist.

I'm having a hard time finding the maps in the dev console. I put it in the right folder :/.

Start typing the name, they are all sp_... for the most part, and it should show like the autofinish.

 

[gdt]

Start typing the name, they are all sp_... for the most part, and it should show like the autofinish.

Yeah, still not getting anything.

Would this be a W7 issue? I know it's funky with program files sometimes.

 

[Spotless Mind]

Nice. Will definitely try these out later tonight.

 

[Stallion Free]

Yeah, still not getting anything.

Would this be a W7 issue? I know it's funky with program files sometimes.

nope, I'm on windows 7 too.

 

[gdt]

nope, I'm on windows 7 too.

Hmm, I've followed all your directions to the t.

 

[Stallion Free]

Hmm, I've followed all your directions to the t.

Are there like a shitload of other maps in the maps folder?

 

[gdt]

Are there like a shitload of other maps in the maps folder?

Yep.

It's a bunch of maps (plus commentary for a bunch) + a "soundcache" folder at the top.

 

[Stallion Free]

Yep.

It's a bunch of maps (plus commentary for a bunch) + a "soundcache" folder at the top.

Weird...

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

Yep.

It's a bunch of maps (plus commentary for a bunch) + a "soundcache" folder at the top.

I don't know if they all come this way, but for Patent Pending there is a link in the zip file along with the .bsp file. You can just click that and it should launch the game straight into the add-on map.

 

[_Isaac]

Cool. I'll try them out soon.

 

[gdt]

I don't know if they all come this way, but for Patent Pending there is a link in the zip file along with the .bsp file. You can just click that and it should launch the game straight into the add-on map.

This worked for me.

 

[gdt]

Ahhh. You have to type "map sp_blahblah." No underscore after map.

 

[Zeouterlimits]

Competition finished? Awesome! *downloads hurriedly*

 

[Sax Russel]

Oh nice, I was eagerly anticipating when we'd get the maps from this. The few samples from the entrants posted in the Portal 2 thread were pretty good. And god knows we won't be getting the official DLC anytime soon.

 

[MNC]

Still waiting a bit for an easier solution to adding maps a la L4D(2).
Yes, I know how it works, I just like the extra added functionality to my menu to select them from there.

Gonna try these maps ASAP though.

 

[subversus]

how to install this on Mac?

edit: oh I see

 

[balladofwindfishes]

I'd wager there's a strong possibility these maps will be included into the P2 DLC coming whenever.

 

[Stallion Free]

I'd wager there's a strong possibility these maps will be included into the P2 DLC coming whenever.

But you can try them *now*

 

[balladofwindfishes]

But you can try them *now*

yea, bur the same could be said about TF2 maps.

 

[Stallion Free]

yea, bur the same could be said about TF2 maps.

Except TF2 maps require a server + 12 or so people to enjoy while these require no effort beyond your own.

 

[TimmiT]

I just played Cubes 'n' Funnels. It was short but fun. I'll play the other maps later today.

 

[Void Insanity]

I was hoping for some real nut breakers. They are still all very nice though, the map that won is the best by far.

 

[cooljeanius]

OK, so I followed the instructions, downloaded the maps, put them in the correct folder, and executed the proper console command, and it got stuck loading halfway. Any idea what's going wrong here?

 

[Cels]

I would like some maps with crazy ninja skills required. I understand perfectly well why Valve omitted this kind of puzzle from Portal 2, but we're talking about community maps here, not the official campaign.