Portal 2 Toolset Allows Users to Become Crueler Than GLaDOS

[Tom Goldman]

Portal 2 Toolset Allows Users to Become Crueler Than GLaDOS

Build a set of devious test chambers and then kill your test subjects in a fire with Valve's official Portal 2 level design toolset.

Valve was pretty good at coming up with a large variety of test chambers to befuddle the minds of Portal 2 [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003O6E3C8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305081868&sr=8-2] players everywhere, but I know at least one of you thought you could do better. Now's the time to put your money where your mouth is, as Valve has released a set of design tools so that fans can make their own Portal 2 content.

The Portal 2 "Authoring Tools" are currently in beta, so they may not be perfect quite yet. Anyone that owns the PC version of the game can check the "Tools" section in Steam to get started.

The Authoring Tools are apparently "versions" of those that Valve used to create Portal 2. For now, they allow users to build single-player maps, co-op maps, new character skins, and 3D models. Users can also create sound effects and music.

The tools include sample maps and instances to help guide budding creators along their path toward dosing their friends with neurotoxin. I'm about to get started on my Super Mario Bros. [http://www.amazon.com/New-Super-Mario-Bros-Wii-Nintendo/dp/B002BRZ9G0/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1305082166&sr=1-1]-themed set of Portal 2 levels right now. If anybody steals my idea, I swear...

For more information, visit the Portal 2 blog post here [http://www.thinkwithportals.com/blog.php?id=5443&p=1].

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[internetzealot1]

I've asked before and I'll ask again: Does Valve still plan to allow console gamers to play the maps made on the PC version?

 

[Da_Schwartz]

Very VERY cool. Unfortunatley i don't have that kind of free time. I imagine building a test chamber could get a bit....involved.

 

[Psycho Cat Industries]

Someone will bake cake.

 

[lacktheknack]

I've asked before and I'll ask again: Does Valve still plan to allow console gamers to play the maps made on the PC version?

Yes.

At least, on PS3. Xbox will get batches of the better levels every now and then, probably for pay (growl).

At Xzi: At least do a Google search before speculating.

 

[nukethetuna]

Ah, the Blizzard method of letting fans add longevity/fix perceived issues with your game.

 

[blue heartless]

Ninja'd on the Mario Bros. Dang.

I'll just have to do a Swat Kats themed one.

 

[Irridium]

Someone will bake cake.

An entire map made of cake.

Mark my words, it will be made. And it'll probably suck...

 

[Serenegoose]

Ah, the Blizzard method of letting fans add longevity/fix perceived issues with your game.

I'm fairly sure mods and user made levels are a hallmark of 'being on the PC' rather than 'made by Blizzard' or a cheap way to fix issues and add longevity. But that is an amazingly cynical way to look at something that's been happening since games first came out on personal computers, so nicely done.

 

[bombadilillo]

Ah, the Blizzard method of letting fans add longevity/fix perceived issues with your game.

You make it sound like a bad thing! How is this not awesome. Everyone benefits from a strong modding community. And forgive me but yeah Valve copied someone else by releasing mod tools...yeah valve never supported modders...wtf?


Edit, aww you beat me.

 

[Serenegoose]

Someone will bake cake.

An entire map made of cake.

Mark my words, it will be made. And it'll probably suck...

Usermade maps probably will suck for most people because they'll be based around perfectly angled flings and landing on 3 pixel wide platforms and stuff like that. *has experience of portal fanmaps before* I'm sure lots of people are looking for a technical rather than cerebral challenge like that though, so it's fair enough really.

 

[Hypertion]

The biggest thing Halo did right was their Level Editor in Reach. If portal can pull this off we may be looking at another Little Big Planet game in terms of User Content.

Mind you all i dont have a PS3 and havent played Little Big Planet... and dont intend to... Well Little Big Planet anyways...

Anyways the Halo: Reach style editor if managed to be ported to, Portal 2, would be impressive. We have people who create statues of things in reach.

Only it might acually be fun. The biggest downfall in the Editor in Reach is the fact that you will likley never get to put your effort to use... since there is no matchmaking for custom maps... with portal the endless stream of user content could keep it alive much better due to it, Thanks to the simple fact that a puzzle once solved is pointless to repeat limited content is the ultamite downfall. Usercontent fixes this quite easly.

 

[nukethetuna]

Ah, the Blizzard method of letting fans add longevity/fix perceived issues with your game.

You make it sound like a bad thing! How is this not awesome. Everyone benefits from a strong modding community. And forgive me but yeah Valve copied someone else by releasing mod tools...yeah valve never supported modders...wtf?

Definitely not a bad thing, I've always thought Blizzard had the right idea by doing this. We wouldn't have DotA (and tons of other games) without it, and WoW's default UI doesn't even do the job anymore.

I'm fairly sure mods and user made levels are a hallmark of 'being on the PC' rather than 'made by Blizzard' or a cheap way to fix issues and add longevity. But that is an amazingly cynical way to look at something that's been happening since games first came out on personal computers, so nicely done.

Blizzard's just the first company who's games I played did this, or at least gave players a well developed method for players to construct their own maps and mods, so I call it the Blizzard method! Wasn't trying to be cynical, sir/mam!

Yeesh, people get so offended!

 

[bombadilillo]

Someone will bake cake.

An entire map made of cake.

Mark my words, it will be made. And it'll probably suck...

Usermade maps probably will suck for most people because they'll be based around perfectly angled flings and landing on 3 pixel wide platforms and stuff like that. *has experience of portal fanmaps before* I'm sure lots of people are looking for a technical rather than cerebral challenge like that though, so it's fair enough really.

I noticed that portal 2 had a lot more forgiving portal placement, based on the square panels for instance the portal appeared in the middle. But yeah get read for a lot of mid air twitch portaling. Its like little big planet for anyone who played that. You usually know in the first jump that its a insane level and not a puzzle.

I am looking forward to see how high you can bounce on some blue goo...

 

[Johnnyallstar]

I *LOVE* it whenever companies put out toolkits. I don't care if it's the biggest game of all time or a little crappy game. I just love the fact that they're okay with the idea of "you think you can do something better? Okay, show us. Have fun."

 

[bombadilillo]

Ah, the Blizzard method of letting fans add longevity/fix perceived issues with your game.

You make it sound like a bad thing! How is this not awesome. Everyone benefits from a strong modding community. And forgive me but yeah Valve copied someone else by releasing mod tools...yeah valve never supported modders...wtf?

Definitely not a bad thing, I've always thought Blizzard had the right idea by doing this. We wouldn't have DotA (and tons of other games) without it, and WoW's default UI doesn't even do the job anymore.

I'm fairly sure mods and user made levels are a hallmark of 'being on the PC' rather than 'made by Blizzard' or a cheap way to fix issues and add longevity. But that is an amazingly cynical way to look at something that's been happening since games first came out on personal computers, so nicely done.

Blizzard's just the first company who's games I played did this, or at least gave players a well developed method for players to construct their own maps and mods, so I call it the Blizzard method! Wasn't trying to be cynical, sir/mam!

Yeesh, people get so offended!

Its all good, its just a weird thing to say since Valve has been modder friendly since half life and the company is almost synonymous with this...so its weird to here it referenced in terms of another company.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Ah, the Blizzard method of letting fans add longevity/fix perceived issues with your game.

I thought that was Obsidian's model....

 

[Ghengis John]

It looks just like Worldcraft. After all this time.