#enigma protocol

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No, Valve did not tease a new Portal game... But Valve did showcase Enigma Protocol to demonstrate the new Steam Machine!

If you were unaware, Linus Tech Tips was given an early look at the new Steam hardware announced by Valve yesterday. At the 10:26 mark, people spotted an at the time unidentified Portal game running on a nearby monitor.

While I am sorry to say that it looks like Valve isn't working on a new Portal project, I am surprised and delighted to know that Valve enjoys my work enough to use it for promotional content. Enigma Protocol came out nearly 5 years ago now, and I never expected it to have the staying power that it has, let alone being (indirectly) featured by Valve themselves!

If you haven't already, please check out Enigma Protocol on the Steam Workshop!

Steam Workshop::Enigma Protocol

Steam Workshop: Portal 2. Set shortly after the events of the Cooperative Testing Initiative, a test subject wakes to GLaDOS' newest testing

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Steam Workshop::Enigma Protocol

Steam Workshop: Portal 2. Set shortly after the events of the Cooperative Testing Initiative, a test subject wakes to GLaDOS' newest testing track. Make your way through 22 brand new test chambers in this map pack. [url=htt

Happy to finally announce the release of Enigma Protocol!

It’s been a long time in the making and I’m so happy I finally get to share it with you all. You can download the maps from the linked collection and play the map pack from start to finish now.

Please let me know your thoughts and enjoy!

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I think these test chambers look even better than they did before. It was easy, really. You just have to look at things objectively, see what you don't need anymore, and trim out the fat.

Here’s a look at the newest rendition of laser_pit. Due to complaints about a sudden difficulty spike with testers, the chamber has been reduced to its core concepts. The mini-puzzle that required the player to remove a laser redirection cube from a small room has been removed in order to focus on the main puzzle: powering the exit with a laser.

Aside from the missing cube room, the layout of the chamber has seen a few tweaks as well. The pit used for flinging has been relocated and grating has been added to prevent the player from dropping from the higher ledge to the lower parts of the chamber without use of portals.

The laser placement was also changed to better the puzzle’s layout.

Playtesters had difficulties locating the laser catcher that was originally mounted on the ceiling, as most players would not look up unless directed to. To fix this, the laser catcher is now placed on a wall at the exit where it is in plain sight. The laser emitter however, is now mounted to the ceiling, where the catcher used to be. To help guide the player’s eye, light strips are placed vertically, leading the player’s up upwards. The laser emitter itself is also activated by a button, beaming a red laser down from the ceiling, indicating its placement in the room.

Other minor changes such as the white floor being condensed into smaller areas where portal placement is key, and lighting changes have been made to better the playing experience.

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I’ve been working on redesigning Impede and I wanted to show things off! Since the “reboot” of sorts, maps no longer have names unless they’re featured on the workshop. Impede is now known as tbeam_push.

The older version of the map focused primarily on the blue excursion funnel, although the player was required to reverse it’s polarity in order to reach the inside of a room. This has since been changed and now the funnel remains blue throughout the puzzle.

Some other changes include:

Using the funnel to reach the exit is replaced with a button on the ceiling

A larger side room

The exit has been relocated inside of the side room

A wall panel that changes from black to white to allow portal placement

Better lighting

“New” tiles (returning to the original walls from Portal 2)

A more spacious design that feels more like a chamber built by GLaDOS herself

As I continue to rework and redesign puzzles, I’ll keep you all updated with changes like this, there will be plenty more to come!

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There’s some major changes coming!

Here’s a quick look at the current state of Dissolve. Since last time, the aesthetics of the room have changed to match Portal 2′s original theme. Due to plot and design changes, this overrun recreate of Dissolve sports a pneumatic diversity vent crashing through its ceiling, leaving panels broken and framework scattered about. It’ll take a while for Aperture to rust over, but the facility’s definitely fallen on hard times.