Warp wrote:
> http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=249

Delightfully awful.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   Understanding the structure of the universe
    via religion is like understanding the
     structure of computers via Tron.

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Darren New wrote:
> Warp wrote:
>> http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=249
> 
> Delightfully awful.

They even say "nap time" too...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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scott wrote:
> Hehe, I think I played it for about an hour one afternoon, like I said I 
> think it was about 30 levels I did but they just got really repetitive. 
> Shoot one portal here, one there, jump into one, repeat until you're 
> near the exit.  Nothing was particularly challenging about deciding 
> where to shoot the portal.  And (at least on my PS3) it seemed to take 
> longer to load each level than to actually complete it...


There are 19 test chambers, of which the first 14 or 15 are specifically 
crafted to teach you a particular skill.  After that, they start to get 
a little tricky.

Then, there are the "behind the scenes" levels, which are unnumbered, 
but which there are less than 10 of.

The first time I played through, it took me a total of about 4 hours 
play time (spread over 10 days, though :( ).  The second time, I 
listened to the commentary as I played, and it took me just under 4 hours.

Last night I played for 45 minutes, and got to level 17.

It's really a short game.

...Chambers

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scott wrote:
> Well you said "the actual game starts after that", so I thought you 
> meant the bit before is not the actual game?  Anyway it doesn't really 
> matter, I'll check it out another time and see if I can skip (or at 
> least finish) the intro levels and start the "actual game" (or 
> "non-intro" if you prefer) levels if they will be more challenging.

That would be a bad idea.  If you don't know how to solve the test 
chambers, you won't know how to solve the other portions.

...Chambers

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>> Well you said "the actual game starts after that", so I thought you meant
>> the bit before is not the actual game?  Anyway it doesn't really matter,
>> I'll check it out another time and see if I can skip (or at least finish)
>> the intro levels and start the "actual game" (or "non-intro" if you 
>> prefer)
>> levels if they will be more challenging.
>
>  I was not trying to say that the intro is not part of the game. It is
> part of the game. What I meant is that the game changes significantly in
> nature after the test chambers.
>
>  You don't skip the first third of a movie just because it's the intro
> part of the movie, where the premise is established?

No, but a lot of games have optional training levels at the beginning, eg if 
you're not familiar with the controls or weapons or whatever.  Anyway, 
sounds like I was near the end of the intro levels and on the border of 
getting to the more interesting stuff so will get back to it when I have 
time.

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My, that game is really mental (in the best sense)! Just gave the free 
demo a shot, killing myself laughing, so decided to buy it right from 
the spot :-)

"Your business is appreciated"

(Anyone found this already? ;-))

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Chambers wrote:
> I can't remember the last time I watched the credits for a video game. 
> That song is great!
> 
> Overall, it was a really fun game.  The puzzles weren't as hard (or 
> annoying) as the flash version (though I haven't tried the bonus levels, 
> yet), and the length felt right (not too long, not too short).

I reinstalled Portal yesterday, and played it last night. I started 
playing at 8, completed the game at 11. I wasn't particularly *trying* 
to finish it fast; I guess it's just because I know the solution to most 
of the puzzles. (Chamber #10 is stupidly hard though...) The first time 
I played the game, it took a lot longer. (Like, 6 days or something.)

I do like how it challenges the norms of usual gameplay. Grill fence? 
Can't go that wa- oh, wait, I can shoot portals through that, can't I?
Inaccessible ledge? Not when you have a friggin' portal gun! Oh no, 
another puzzle where you have to run between the bits of machinery 
without dying... or just use a portal!

I think I could have preferred a longer game with a less vertical 
difficulty gradient, but hey, maybe in Portal 2?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> just because I know the solution to most 
> of the puzzles. 

I guess that makes it kind of like an adventure game, too. Lots of adventure 
games you can finish in almost no time if you know the solution. You can 
finish Myst in about 20 steps if you already played it once. :-)

I like those kinds of games. I'll have to try this one.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

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>> just because I know the solution to most of the puzzles. 
> 
> I guess that makes it kind of like an adventure game, too. Lots of 
> adventure games you can finish in almost no time if you know the 
> solution. You can finish Myst in about 20 steps if you already played it 
> once. :-)
> 
> I like those kinds of games. I'll have to try this one.

It's just a pitty that a lot of the harder puzzles are only hard because 
you have to time things, or because you have to do elaborate manouvers 
very quickly. I hate the puzzles that rely on timing. I prefer the ones 
that just require thinking about...

(E.g., there's an advanced chamber which requires you to fall through an 
infinite tunnel and then redirect the portal while falling. Which is 
almost impossible. There's nothing technically complicated about it; 
it's just extremely hard to do, physically. *yawn*)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> I prefer the ones that just require thinking about...

Me too. That's why I like adventure games.

I think the problem is that with obvious goals, there's only so much you can 
do in a physical simulation without involving timing. I.e., if it was all 
"thinking about", then you'd exclude all the puzzles that require timing.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

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