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Portal for Dummies
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Spike
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June 3, 2010 - 4:14 pm
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I put the "entry" portal on the right wall because it seemed that the travel time for the sparkle was less than when I put the entry portal on the left wall.  Plus, from my position between the left wall and the pedestal I had a hard time getting the left wall portal in the correct spot since I couldn't see the wall straight on.  I was facing portal on left wall to hit E, then turning to get the right wall portal open, and then turning left to shoot the exit portal on the high-up panel on the wall opposite the trapdoor.

I tried doing this many times, at one point even turning the sound off because I found it distracting.  I thought maybe my hand wouldn't sweat so much if I didn't have the "reminder" of what was happening oh-so-quickly without sound.  I didn't play at all last night.  I took an 18 mile bike ride yesterday, and by "play time" I was exhausted.  I'll go at it again tonight.

How are you faring on lvl. 19?

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Yapette
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June 3, 2010 - 6:30 pm
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OK, maybe you can tell from my description that my portals for the sparkle are placed before I open portals for button mashing. More time to take aim, get that one on the black marks. And Portal (the game) seems to be pretty forgiving about making portals even when I'm aiming less than directly/optimally. Like a real side shot instead of dead on. I think trying to swing all the way to right just took too long. You've timed how long the trap door stays open (3 sec) - could you time how long from exit portal across room---> hit closed trap door?  If 3 sec. then you'd have  time to fire 1 portal + reach + smash E. That is, if you fire first button-portal before sparkle exits 2nd portal.

Despite my success, never let it be said it was easy. I did it over & over & over. And the time that it worked was no different that the many earlier failures. Dumb luck. My concern was not knowing if the strategy ever would work.

My hands always drip sweat at timed anythings in games & I usually turn off the sound unless I need audio for cues. Needless to say, I loathe timed game mechanics.

Haven't gone back & reloaded the Room of Death yet. Did study what was happening while I was dead but not with any logic. Meaning, I still have no idea the order in which stuff happens so not yet ready to deal with: #1 Android->bam, #2->bam, #3->bam, #4 + helper->bam!

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Spike
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June 3, 2010 - 7:21 pm
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Oh, now I'm very confused.  I'll have to think about what you're saying when I'm in-game.  I can't see how you can have the 2 required portals open to mash the button if you've already placed one of the portals for Sparky.  I need one portal high up opposite the pedestal containing the button, and one at ground level for me to reach through.  I can only have 2 portals open at a time - unless I missed something major somewhere along the way.  Wouldn't surprise.

I think it might be time to head to YouTube, or a WT.  This game was great fun until this bit.  Sweat+frustration=no fun. 

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Yapette
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June 3, 2010 - 8:46 pm
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What you're saying is correct. What I'm saying is also correct. [Image Can Not Be Found]

 

(I will assign which is blue & orange to start but it makes no nevermind as long as you stay consistant)

(we will assume you are standing between pedestal & wall with your nose to wall)

 

1. Look right & shoot blue portal on black spot, left wall.

2. While looking, shoot orange portal on far wall opposite trap door.

 

(as sparkle source turns, eventually a sparkle will enter the blue, exit the orange portal, bonk! onto closed trap door. then again, as source turns, sparkle will enter blue, exit orange. we are watching awhile to "feel" the rhythm of enter…exit, enter….exit. our head is facing right to watch)

 

3. As soon as sparkle enters blue portal, quickly spin to wall & shoot blue portal in front of you @ ground level.

 

(note, you still have only 2 portals open)

 

4. Either by pausing an instinctual second or by quickly swiveling right to watch sparkle exit orange portal, you fire orange portal just above blue in front of your face and immediately hit E.

 

(note, you still have only 2 portals open but now they are different 2 portals. sparkle is intransit to trapdoor).

 

Buyer beware. I think this is how I did it or if I didn't, it's what I intended to do. Knowing my limitations I wouldn't try opening 2 portals and mashing E while sparkle intransit. Better for me to divide the actions although more difficult to coordinate, allows more time to achieve.

 

 

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Spike
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June 3, 2010 - 9:33 pm
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Now I get it.  Now to see if I can do it.  I printed your instructions and will work on this tonight.  Thanks, Yap.

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Yapette
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June 4, 2010 - 2:14 pm
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Level 19. High up. Very high up. But not high enough. Need to reach catwalks. [Image Can Not Be Found]

Have: Strategy

Lack: Skills

 

Edit: And.....  I've hit my head repeatedly on the catwalk. And zoomed along side of the catwalk. And grabbed at the catwalk as I flew by. Finally, on the catwalk. And met: The Boss.

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Spike
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June 4, 2010 - 5:14 pm
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Good golly!  There's a boss????  That Boss better have cake in his or her hand. 

Kept nodding off standing in the corner counting, counting, counting....  Will try again tonight.  I kept getting the left-wall-upper-portal in the wrong position so I kept losing a precious 1 second to move closer so as to reach and mash.  Like I said, that Boss had best be ready to reward me when, not if, I meet him/her.

Good job, Yap.

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Yapette
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June 4, 2010 - 5:50 pm
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No cake. Yet. But plenty of Death Sandwiches. [Image Can Not Be Found]

 

 

Edit: Later. Many, many reloads later.

I did it, I won!

Never in a million years thought I could play this game.

I learned sooo much.

I am sooo going to miss making portals and jumping from great heights into portals.

I wish every game had a portal gun.

Wish I could import a portal gun into Alpha Protocol. Then I could play it.

 

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xtal
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June 5, 2010 - 12:56 am
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Congratulations, Yap!

 

Defeating Portal is something that every living, breathing homo sapien should do. Even Roger Ebert.

 

I hope you found the ending worth it 🙂

If being wrong's a crime I'm serving forever

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Pokey
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June 5, 2010 - 2:48 am
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Congrats, Yap. Now you have Portal 2 to look forward to. It should be released later this year. I believe the portal gun may also be used in the next Half-Life 2 episode

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Spike
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June 5, 2010 - 2:09 pm
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Enjoy your well-earned accolades.  In 4 months or so we can have a Bollocks thread about Portal 2.  I saw screenshots here: 

 

White girls can so jump!

I want a long distance portal gun.  I'd shoot one portal in my kitchen wall, and another in a wall at the grocery store, drug store, hardware store…  Might be some security issues, though.  I guess I'll have to wait for the transporter.  And the replicator.

Over the last few nights I've realized that I have about 20 or so attempts to get Sparky "home" before I get bored and tired.  After correctly placing Sparky's entry/exit portals I saved, so when I inevitably screw up my timing with my 2 portals and the button mashing, I just reload.  I think my timing is getting better, but I'm still missing the mark.  Another day, another opportunity to meet the Aperature boss who put me in this situation.

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Yapette
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June 5, 2010 - 2:49 pm
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Spike? Could you check some WTs to be absolutely certain my strategy works - like did anyone else do it this way? There seem to be more than one way to accomplish the task.

 

Pokey? Xtal? Anyone out there? Do you remember how you did this?

 

I dread the day you return to our thread after finishing this sucker - full of triumph & self-esteem (as I know you will get by this part eventually). The next big room with the highup platforms: [Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found]

 

I learned something in that very last Boss Room. [Image Can Not Be Found] Heretofore I always tried jumping down into my ready-made portal when redoing something or when attempting to pick up speed by dropping through more than one portal at a time (we did that, right? I never quite understood how it was happening though). ANYWAY, instead of periodically missing my preplaced (usually always blue) portal on my fall & having to begin again, well hell, simply shoot another blue portal every damned time I am just about to hit the previous one. Then, I'll always go through! [Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found] [Image Can Not Be Found]

 

What insight. Only took till last 5 minutes to realize.

 

Oh, and I "won" the game with less than 20 seconds to spare.

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Spike
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June 5, 2010 - 3:10 pm
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Yap, your strategy looks to be on the money.  It's my counting (while facing the wall) while I wait for Sparky to get close to his first portal so that I can open my first portal to get to the button.  It's my timing.  I'm much better at timing jumping and other actions than I am timing the shooting of portals.

 

Oh, and I "won" the game with less than 20 seconds to spare.

 

Oh great, just great.  Another timed sequence.  The catwalks sound fun, though.

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Yapette
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June 5, 2010 - 3:42 pm
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Spike, your comment reminded me of another game feature I learned while lying dead on the floor (yet again) in the Boss Chamber. Oftimes when dead, nothing much happens & you can't swing around & see anything. Same thing here, but I could listen. Spending so much time face down & out of commission, i knew I needed to learn. Anything! Somehow increase my chances for survival.

(slight spoiler that will be meaningless for now but may assist you on your travels from now on – edit: this sentence makes no sense but I can't describe below otherwise)

 

I realized that what was killin' me was not in fact the same blue beams or random or continuous. Behold! The android made a sound when shooting off the killer red spark down the harmless blue beam. And lo! I could hear that – in other words know the moment when – even when my back was turned! (or face down dead, as the case may be)

 

Where you are, Sparky's Source likewise makes a sound when Sparky is ejected. You should be able to face right to watch your left-wall-portal and tell when Sparky is a'comin' by sound alone.

 

In hindsight, as Portal is created by gamers, for gamers, I'm thinking all of those seemingly randomly generated killer situations are preceded by an audio cue. A cue that I was too otherwise occupied to notice (or did, but not a pattern there of)

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Spike
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June 5, 2010 - 4:14 pm
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Where you are, Sparky's Source likewise makes a sound when Sparky is

ejected. You should be able to face right to watch your left-wall-portal

and tell when Sparky is a'comin' by sound alone.

Yes, I count, based on the sounds the Source makes as it's making its sweep, then counting the 8 or 9 seconds it takes Sparky to reach the wall (about 5 seconds to release after Source makes the turn to the left wall, another 4-5 seconds for Sparky to get to the wall).  But I guess I could turn right to watch him and still have time to turn left and shoot my portals.

Sparky:  I had to name the guy or else I'd end up hating him.

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Yapette
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June 5, 2010 - 4:26 pm
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My way:

Turn right - watch Sparky in

Swing front, fire portal (same color as in) front of me...pause half-a-beat (use your own way to time between in & out)...position gun up

Fire portal (same color as out) top 'o that one, lean in & E!

 

No consolation, but I feel your pain. [Image Can Not Be Found]

 

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Spike
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June 5, 2010 - 11:57 pm
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Hallelujah!  Managed to get Sparky home on my 2nd attempt tonight.  Now, as I wander around, peering down, portal-ing almost back to the beginning of this level, I think I'm gonna have to drop and then fling my hate-heights self yet again.  Too bad I couldn't have brought my Companion Cube here with me.  I miss my CC.  After this level the catwalks and Boss of 19 don't seem so scary.  I'll eat my words, won't I, Yap?  And thanks for the pointers and encouragement.

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Yapette
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June 6, 2010 - 12:42 am
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Whew & Hooray!

 

Now I can wait for you to discover the really bad part(s). [Image Can Not Be Found]

 

Honestly, once you got what you had to do, you did it...right? Can't wait till you arrive at places where my first, second and third thoughts were, "what the hell?" Once I figured a strategy, fourth thought, "No way in hell!"

 

Funny, this game reminds me of something I've wondered about other games. It's like different people were responsible for different levels. Some games/levels/puzzles ---> almost immediate aha! Other games/levels/puzzles I could ponder till doomsday & never figure out. Some devs seem to sync with my logic while others' thought processes wouldn't intersect in a million years. Ever wonder about this?

 

 

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Spike
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June 6, 2010 - 2:11 am
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Funny, this game reminds me of something I've wondered about other
games. It's like different people were responsible for different levels.
Some games/levels/puzzles —> almost immediate aha! Other
games/levels/puzzles I could ponder till doomsday & never figure
out. Some devs seem to sync with my logic while others' thought
processes wouldn't intersect in a million years. Ever wonder about
this?

 

Well, the game was developed by more than a handful of people, so I guess what you say is true.  I'd have to think about games I've played to see if I've had this feeling too.

I thought that once I placed the cube on the door-opening button/plate/thingy I would be home free.  Imagine my surprise (line thru) crestfallenness (line thru) confusion.  After a while I understood what I had to do, but OH, actually doing it.  Many missed portals, much falling into the pit.  This section will take days as well, I think.  No more tonight.

Here's your prize for finishing the game.

 

"…you just keep on trying 'til you run out of cake."

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Pokey
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June 6, 2010 - 2:58 am
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I loaded up my save for level 18 to take a look at it. It didn't look anything like I remembered and I finally figured out that I was in the bonus or advanced level and there were no energy balls. I had to jump to the platforms and knock the androids off. I accomplished that but still have to get the cube back through the big door.

 

The last part of the level requires a rhythm and the correct portal at the right time. I do remember falling a lot. I think one of the updates made it a bit easier.

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