Portal Map: Take-Off

[Sword of Apollo]

Okay, Take-Off v1.3 is now online. I have lengthened the door timer late in the level by 0.5 seconds, and have fixed various other potential exploits/unintended solutions. I have also made some of the secrets slightly easier to spot.

[MayheM]

OK now I am intrigued... After seeing some people get stuck, I have to test my mind and see if I can get through without help...

[Sword of Apollo]

Apologies to anyone who tried to download Take-Off Version 1.3 earlier, and got a corrupted zip file. This problem is now fixed. You should now be able to download Take-Off 1.3.

[Ashfall_2008]

Puzzles are great but remember the key rule of puzzles in games, even games like portal.
Puzzles aren't fun if you don't give the player some form of direction.
The game should be working out how to achieve your goal, not trying to work out what the goal is in the first place.

That way leads to frustration.

Try adding some subtle guiding lines or signs to give the player a little more direction in the map.

Cheers...

[joe_rogers_11155]

@ashfall : this series of maps is clearly meant for advanced players. For the most part, there actually are guidelines. it just requires lots of lateral thinking and a strong sense of exploration to discover all the puzzle elements.

[Knights]

I'll give this a dl but seriously if this is one of those portal maps where you have to get a cube to bounce perfectly on a trigger through multiple tries that's not good.... Lets do this leeeerryoooyy

[srredfire]

This is only until I started noclipping around to see all ridiculous things I missed, I think this is in my head to. I tried to figure out, though what, I can not...

What is it with bots quoting me?

[joe_rogers_11155]

This was way too hard for me in some parts. It was only until I started noclipping around seeing all the absolutely ridiculous amount of stuff I missed that I figured this was way over my head. I tried figuring to out despite anything, and I could not.

[Fedora]

I made it through. It's frickin hard. Sometimes I wasn't sure if I was glitching through it or not. I enjoyed it in the same way I enjoy Super Meat Boy. Take that how you like

[Sword of Apollo]

Here is my official HD walkthrough of the latest version of Take-Off (1.7).

Naturally, the video contains spoilers, but they only start after 1:30.

[thinkbolt]

Apollo,
I've been playing this map for a week now, struggling with the secret areas. Here are my questions.

1.

I've discovered the Mint and the Orrery, but there must be at least one more secret area. Am I wasting my time trying to get to the "roof" area of the big room? Or is it related to the utility hall I can see as I fall through the funnel? A hint, please.

2.

Getting the gold book back to the trophy room was simple. The black book, not. I assume the switch-operated portals have something do with this? So far, they remain broken. Will the third secret room make this clear?

Thanks for your time.

[Sword of Apollo]

Apollo,
I've been playing this map for a week now, struggling with the secret areas. Here are my questions.

1.

I've discovered the Mint and the Orrery, but there must be at least one more secret area. Am I wasting my time trying to get to the "roof" area of the big room? Or is it related to the utility hall I can see as I fall through the funnel? A hint, please.

2.

Getting the gold book back to the trophy room was simple. The black book, not. I assume the switch-operated portals have something do with this? So far, they remain broken. Will the third secret room make this clear?

Thanks for your time.

1.

You are not wasting your time trying to get to the "roof" area. (Hint: Mind your "angles.")

2.

The third secret room should make everything clear and relatively simple...eventually.

Thanks for playing, (and not cheating like some people.) I hope that you'll find it satisfying in the end after overcoming the significant challenge that the secrets offer. I worked long hours in my attempt to make the map satisfying for those like me who enjoy beautiful surroundings in a game. Of course, as one guy, I don't exactly have the resources to make the equivalent of Uncharted 3.

[thinkbolt]

RE: question 1... I'm afraid I need more specific instruction.

I've been using the low angled wall to try flinging myself into the narrow space next to the glassed button, but I'm not quite making it. I've tried the long flight technique that you used to reach to the final button, and I've tried long falls from the deep areas. I'm painfully close, but not making it. I've also discovered that I can crawl onto the top of the glassed button from the ledges just below the secret entrance, but that doesn't seem to help.

[Sword of Apollo]

RE: question 1... I'm afraid I need more specific instruction.

I've been using the low angled wall to try flinging myself into the narrow space next to the glassed button, but I'm not quite making it. I've tried the long flight technique that you used to reach to the final button, and I've tried long falls from the deep areas. I'm painfully close, but not making it. I've also discovered that I can crawl onto the top of the glassed button from the ledges just below the secret entrance, but that doesn't seem to help.

Re: specifics and pending update:

On reading your message last night, I went back and tested my intended method for getting onto the roof. My recent update to 1.7 has had the unfortunate side-effect of making this method more difficult than it was before (still not especially easy.) While the method is still doable in 1.7, I have determined that the method is now unacceptably difficult. So I will be releasing v1.7.1 by tomorrow, which will make it considerably easier than in all previous versions. If you want to continue to try in the current version, my specific advice follows:

Whether you are playing on 1.7, or an earlier version, the advice is essentially the same: continue to do what you are doing, (assuming here that you are using the longest drop,) but place your entry portal as far away from the ledge you are standing on as possible, then take a walking leap. You are going to want to air-steer forward/backward, such that you are pushing yourself diagonally down/forward as you enter the portal. Make sure the exit portal is high on the incline, and as you exit the portals, keep your view where you are going (line of travel), and keep pressing forward. (This is touchier on 1.7, because you can't place the entry portal as far away, and will probably have to tap yourself back a little at the top of your jump, before pressing forward.) On 1.7 especially, I find that it helps to turn the portal funnel off.
After several tries on 1.7--or a few tries on an earlier version--this should get you into the slot on the roof. However, you will probably find that there is a little something additional that you have to do to progress. This is intentional, and shouldn't be too much of an obstacle in the pending update. It is doable in 1.7 and earlier, but is a real challenge in 1.7, unfortunately. (Remember, portal funnel off for 1.7.)
Apologies for this issue. I didn't intend my map (even the secrets) to be a severe test of the control skills of advanced players. But various other design considerations and engine quirks seem to have conspired to make some things harder to pull off than I would like.

[thinkbolt]

Turning off tunneling solved the problem immediately. I've never encountered a situation where it made a difference. Using a loose steel block to reach the next step was obvious. Now that I've explored the orb chambers a bit, I'm going to have to do some thinking.

I'll let you know what happens.
Thanks for the help!