Portal 2

fragger · April 15, 2011, 07:05:25 PM

It's not so much transfer speed as connection dropouts that have me concerned, of which I get more than my fair share :D I'm willing to give it a go though, if someone else is willing to be the guinea pig and we can w@&k around the time zone difference. It's just that in a co-op game, if player A drops out then it's game over for player B as well and I don't want to waste anyone's time or tax their patience.

I guess we can try though, and if it proves hopeless then we'll know for sure. Who knows, I may be pleasantly surprised.

mmosu · April 16, 2011, 04:40:32 AM

I don't think it will be as simple as "player B" is gone but the host can continue on like it other shooters. Two players will be required to solve each and every co-op puzzle. Now if the player with the more stable connection hosts, then maybe fragger can jump back in if his connection fails momentarily and everything will be ok. Hopefully the game won't sense the lack of second player and end the session automatically. Come to think of it, since we'll be dealing with cross-platform talk here, will there be a "host" in the traditional sense or will all of this be handled via some sort of MP cloud?

Binnatics · April 16, 2011, 02:16:11 PM

Let's just give it a try. Think we can w@&k out the timedifference sometimes. Not sure about the host question. How will it w@&k when it's a MP cloud? You mean the Steam server hosts the game and you, as a player from any platform, connect to it?
That sounds reasonable, since the PC-software is pretty different contructed as the PS3 software, right?

mmosu · April 16, 2011, 08:49:56 PM

I really have no idea, just spit-balling really. I rank rather low around these parts when it comes to tech-savy and understanding how complicated systems like that w%&k. Heck, back when Art and PZ approached me about becoming a moderator I was nervous about accepting for that very reason - it took them a little bit to convince me that it would all be ok :-D

On a related note, I got a buddy of mine started on Portal today. I let him borrow my copy of the orange box and sat there while he played through about the first half. It was funny cause the solutions are now transparent to me after 3-4 playthroughs, but he was seeing everything with fresh eyes and reacting much the same way I did my first time through. I was having a good time though keeping my mouth shut and watching him w%&k through it, seeing all of the crazy stuff he would try, each step being a slightly closer approximation until the lightbulb would finally go on and he would solve it :question :ideas :go :wink
We had a good laugh - him at the devilish absurdity of the puzzles, and me at him getting more and more frustrated leading up to the moment of enlightenment. I left him to it after warning his wife to pay no mind to any screams she might hear later in the evening! ^+-+

Art Blade · April 16, 2011, 09:25:40 PM

^+-+

Binnatics · April 17, 2011, 01:24:11 PM

Again great news for the cross-platform debut: Steam will allow PC-gamers to edit maps and upload them so any player (no matter of he uses PS3 or Xbox 360) can play it. Maybe that's why they give a free PC copy when you buy the PS3 version. Now we can invent our own maps and play them together, unregarded what platform we use. :) :-X

I am hatching allready on some nice maps ;)

fragger · April 17, 2011, 02:23:28 PM

Now that's interesting! :-X

fragger · April 18, 2011, 06:08:19 AM

I heard back from the shop today, I can pick up my copy on Thursday the 21st :-X

spaceboy · April 18, 2011, 07:17:31 AM

that is great news Binnatics! Extra replayability with user created content is awesome. :-X I am SO looking forward to this game.

Binnatics · April 18, 2011, 12:39:35 PM

Yeah, this is definitely going to be a good one!
I read a discussion on the site I found the message about ppl complaining that most game-industries do not dare to bring mod-mapping to their games, because they are affraid people will stick to it too much time and they won't buy the DLC's the company's planning.
That is something to say, but others mentioned that a quite a few games grown enormous in popularity due to the possibilities of creating your own levels / maps.
They also mentioned that it's not done for all gametypes, and I agree with that. Still I think Portal 2 would be the perfect game to edit some maps. Nevertheless I guess it will be hard to figure out something smart and worth playing.

Anyway, practice will do the trick.

I remember I wanted to edit a few races in Fuel. I made terrific race over the tops of the big snowy mountain in the south-western corner. On paper it looked great. Riding it with a friend it turned out to be crab.

The most important thing that can make map-editing a succes is a great community. Well, I guess steam won't have that kind of a problem. 8)

spaceboy · April 18, 2011, 12:52:09 PM

very true - it won't w@&k for all game types. On the PS3, Little Big Planet is the quintessential game with users creating over 4 million levels between the 2 games. We've had fun just messing around in the editor too with no real purpose other than to make crazy things happen. (Like Rocket Cow!!)

I'm interested to see what people come up with for P2, but even without it, the game seems to have enough to offer between the single and co-op campaigns.

My edited races in FUEL were horrible - I just randomly placed waypoints along a general direction and wound up having a few strange paths to get. Not very race-like, more free roam feeling.

Binnatics · April 18, 2011, 01:10:07 PM

That is an interesting way of making races actually. By accident you could find great runs sometimes and if you edit it again...

I remember one funny race I made, on a lake. It was made for the hoovercraft, but somehow e few friends picked fast motorcycles for the race, very funny to see them get into the water ^+-+

Art Blade · April 18, 2011, 01:31:15 PM

:-() :-X

I always liked editing maps and I did create races for FUEL, one was a drift course :)

Binnatics · April 18, 2011, 02:34:34 PM

Wow, a drift course, that is a fantastic idea. I should fire up Fuel again to be able to try it sometimes :)

mmosu · April 18, 2011, 03:37:53 PM

In the developer commentary for Portal, they talk about never shying away from difficult situations or problem areas because they knew, once the game was out, custom map makers would be stressing the physics system in ways they never imagined. It takes a lot more game making know-how to design something good and then put the tools in the hands of the user and say "now you give it a try" :-X

I had a message from my friendly neighborhood Gamestop yesterday - they are actually having a release party for Portal 2 tonight so that they can let people start walking out the door with their pre-orders at the stroke of midnight. They've done these release parties before but I've never gone - I'm actually considering it this time :-[

Art Blade · April 18, 2011, 04:01:36 PM

why not.. go for it, mmosu :) :-X

mmosu · April 18, 2011, 06:06:35 PM

Probably will, the store is less than half a mile from my house :)

PZ · April 18, 2011, 10:14:16 PM

Cool, mmosu - if we lived in the same town, I'd go with you :-X

Binnatics · April 19, 2011, 01:51:18 AM

Me too Mmosu, I'm waiting here for the final count-down at steam. That's pretty les romantic :-\\

Well, atm only 6 hour left :)

spaceboy · April 19, 2011, 06:16:09 AM

yeah I've never been to one myself. I think my wife would really think I went off the deep end ::) , well, at least if I had w@&k the next day, maybe not so much if I was on vacation. The point is mostly moot for me as I am typically ordering from Amazon. $0.99 Release day delivery! The truck normally doesn't come until around dinner time which is fine since it's always a w@&k day anyways... :)

Looking forward to trying it out tonight! Can't wait to hear everyone's impressions.

mmosu · April 19, 2011, 10:41:26 AM

Well, didn't end up going to the release party, as I fell asleep on my couch at around 11pm last night (. . . what a loser . . .), but I did swing by on my way home and picked up my copy this morning (had a light schedule today, was only at the clinic for ~2 1/2 hours :-X) First impression on the way . . .

PZ · April 19, 2011, 10:43:37 AM

Quote from: mmosu on April 19, 2011, 10:41:26 AM
Well, didn't end up going to the release party, as I fell asleep on my couch at around 11pm last night ...

Age, my friend.... age creeps upon us all. :-()

Looking forward to your impressions. :-X

Art Blade · April 19, 2011, 11:11:18 AM

Quote from: PZ on April 19, 2011, 10:43:37 AM
Quote from: mmosu on April 19, 2011, 10:41:26 AM
Well, didn't end up going to the release party, as I fell asleep on my couch at around 11pm last night ...

Age, my friend.... age creeps upon us all. :-()

Although I'm growing older (and I'm way ahead of mmosu) I still enjoy 24+ hours without sleep particularly on weekends either being out clubbing or at my puter. Usually when I get back late at night from whatever activities I switch on my rig and start a gaming session until the sunlight signals "bed time, already" :) Even during the week more often than not I go to bed like at 3 or 4am and still manage to have a good day at the office ;D

mmosu · April 19, 2011, 11:20:06 AM

There was recently discovered a so-called "night owl" gene - carriers are able to get a few hours of sleep a night and wake up just as refreshed and functional as the rest of us after 8 hours. Who knows Art, maybe you have it. One thing is for sure though . . . I do not (:)

Art Blade · April 19, 2011, 11:44:01 AM

All I know is that already as a child I stayed up way longer than I was allowed to, reading books with a flashlight under my blanket at night ;) I have no difficulty in passing an entire week with no more than 4 hours of sleep per day. Without any alarmclock I'd wake up after like 5 or 6 hours and get up :)

Portal 2

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