Valve Calling GLaDOS Wannabes to Portal 2 Design Contest

[Tom Goldman]

Valve Calling GLaDOS Wannabes to Portal 2 Design Contest

The best Portal 2 puzzle designers have a chance to win some sweet prizes from Valve.

If puzzle-based cruelty runs through your veins, now would be a good time to start learning the ThinkingWithPortals [http://www.amazon.com/Portal-2-Pc/dp/B002I0JIQW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1306343417&sr=8-3] map-making community to put together a Portal 2 level design contest that'll award 2 participants with prizes and prominence.

ThinkingWithPortals isn't associated with Valve, but Valve announced the contest on its blog and is supporting it with official prizes. The first and second place winners will receive an "ultimate Portal 2 gift pack" signed by the developers of Portal 2, which hopefully contains more than the game considering that map-makers already own it. The winning maps will also be spotlighted by Valve on the official Portal 2 website and on ThinkingWithPortals.com.

Maps can be of the co-op or single-player variety, but cannot contain any custom assets. Designers must use only what Valve has provided in the toolset, and maps have to feature solutions possible without glitches or associated craziness. Entries will be judged on complexity, visual appeal, attention to detail, innovation, fun, playability, and number of here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110146-Adoptive-Parents-Call-Portal-2-Jokes-Offensive-to-Orphans].

The contest only runs until June 6, 2011 at 11:59 PM EDT. From the time of this writing, that's less than two weeks, so you'd better get to work at applying those devious GLaDOS impulses.

Source: Valve [http://www.thinkwithportals.com/blog.php?id=5539&p=1]

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[Quaxar]

Valve has teamed up with the ThinkingWithPortals [http://www.thinkingwithportals.com/] map-making community to put together a Portal 2 level design contest called the that'll award 2 participants with prizes and prominence.

So it's called "the that'll award 2 participants with prizes and prominence"?

 

[Owlslayer]

I'm pretty sure there's gonna be some pretty amazing puzzles there...and a lot of crappy ones, too. We learned that from the TF2 video competition, didn't we?

But I'll bet some of those puzzles will be nightmarish... sounds fun.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I wish I had time for this.
I already have a few ideas for some vicious, brain-bursting test chambers.

What about "Lemon Party" jokes. Those okay?

 

[Ne1butme]

I wish I had time for this.
I already have a few ideas for some vicious, brain-bursting test chambers.

What about "Lemon Party" jokes. Those okay?

Doubt anyone in a Lemon Party will complain about Lemon Party jokes.

 

[Nacimota]

Wow, thanks for the exposure, guys. We're really excited to be running this contest especially with the awesome prizes Valve is giving away.

Just a note, we are allowing existing work to be entered into this particular competition (at Valve's request). So if you've already been working on something cool, there's no need to start over. You're still only allowed one submission per catagory though (ie, one for coop and one for singleplayer), so make sure your submission is your best work.

If you have any questions head on over to our forums; I hope to see you there

 

[tofulove]

i cant wait to play the puzzles produced in this contest.

 

[Azmael Silverlance]

Man i bet they will release the 2 winning maps with a free DLC for everyone to play

and why not. its new goodies for the players that they didnt even need to design

 

[Speakercone]

Looks like fun might see if I have time to make a level

 

[RadiusXd]

If only I had portal two now (sigh).
It just so happens I downloaded the Source SDK yesterday.

 

[Newbiespud]

WHAT!?

You want me to run a crash course through the Hammer tool, design a Portal level, polish it, and submit it by THE TUESDAY AFTER NEXT?! That's only a week and a half! And you want this map to compete against those of people who've been doing this for much longer AND...

Just a note, we are allowing existing work to be entered into this particular competition (at Valve's request). So if you've already been working on something cool, there's no need to start over.

...aren't totally starting from scratch?!? Goddammit, I've heard of crunch but this is utterly ridiculous. I'd love to, but there's just no way any outsider can reasonably expect to enter this without submitting something unwinnable.

 

[MrGFunk]

I bet Valve are supporting this. Easiest way to produce good DLC - filter through one thousand user created levels and release.

 

[Glamorgan]

I think now it's apparent people should be careful about the jokes they submit.

...I don't get it...

This is pretty great. I've been playing my way through the custom maps, so a surge of new, top quality one, excites me very much indeed.
I sorta wish that Valve released the mapping thing for Mac though.

 

[WaderiAAA]

I really hope they'll have a top ten list or something. I want to play those levels.

 

[Nacimota]

I really hope they'll have a top ten list or something. I want to play those levels.

There will be an undetermined number of honorable mentions