Portal 2
Portal 2 - Update
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed a bug with broken voice overs in languages that have voice localizations (Russian, French, Spanish and German)
- Fixed the audio settings being unusable in languages other than English
- Compiled cubemaps on a3_crazy_box
- Fixed a bug with broken text on the PeTI map selection
- Potentially fixed motion pack DLC failing to launch
Portal 2 - Update
Improvements:
- Improved Vulkan implementation
- Overall performance improvements
- Massively improved performance with Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) on AMD
- Made the intro video skippable by any button on a Steam Controller
- Added controller glpyhs to the main menu when using a controller
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed the Super 8 teaser not playing on Linux
- Fixed certain Unicode characters being displayed as garbage on Linux
- Fixed text corruption in the challenge mode UI on Linux
- Fixed a crash that could occur wrt. networking on Linux
- Fixed the text color in advanced video settings not respecting the dark panel UI variant
- Fixed Model/Texture detail defaulting to Low in Vulkan mode
- Fixed the challenge mode timer being cut off
- Fixed a crash after trying to play a demo without having the respective map
- Fixed a crash when trying to load invalid VPKs
Portal 2 Authoring Tools - Update
Portal 2 Update Released
Portal 2 Update Released
Changes:
- Linux / SteamOS beta is now available
- Steam controller support beta
- Some translation updates
- Fixed bugs with triple-monitor displays
- Some other bug fixes
PeTI is Ready!
In fact, one of the beta testers made so many great maps that we've decided to award him the first ever Aperture Science Employee of the Moment Certificate for his provisional excellence in the field of test chamber construction. Congratulations, Mevious! Enjoy it while it lasts.
Those of you interested in checking out Mevious' terrific maps can get them all at once by subscribing to them at this collection page. Make sure to also Follow Mevious on his Workshop author page so you can keep track of what he makes in the future.
Remember, the next employee of the moment could be YOU! That's right: transient fame and fleeting fortune could be yours. Dethrone the tyrant Mevious! He's been on top for too long. He's getting soft, and you're hungry. Be like Rocky in all the Rocky movies. Except for Rocky I, where he lost (unless you're counting victories of the heart, which won't win you any awards from us). Or Rocky VI, where it was a show fight and didn't count. In fact, just focus on Rocky IV. The last half.
Dun.
Dun dun dun.
Dun dun dahhhhhhh...
A Message From Cave Johnson
FROM: Cave Johnson
COMPANY MEMORANDUM
Cave Johnson here. Your boss. It's come to my attention that some of you are concerned after receiving my all-staff memo yesterday ("You: Design Test Chambers or You're Fired"). So to put your minds at ease, let me clarify: You are not mentally ill and you did read the memo just fine. It was real. You should be designing test chambers, right now and at all times, or by God I will fire you.
Having said that, let's be honest: Some of you are incapable of designing a test chamber, whatever the motivation. You're only getting marginally better results than a dog would. Worse, actually. A dog designing even a substandard test chamber'd be pretty damned impressive, let's not kid ourselves.
But don't worry, you're not fired yet. It turns out there's an even better job you can do instead of being fired: Getting launched into an infinite series of alternate Earths to evaluate all the test chambers your smarter coworkers are making.
Wait, it gets better: I'll be right there with you. Every step of the way, whether the tests work or not, Cave'll be by your side, facing whatever life-threatening dangers we might run into out there. And even better, I won't actually physically be there. I'll be here, talking into a microphone, from complete and total safety. That way the people who'll be monitoring whether you're still alive won't have to split their focus worrying about me.
So there you have it. Everyone's useful in the Perpetual Testing Initiative. Except Peter Jenkins, which brings me to the point of this memo: Pete, you're fired.
Alright, that should wrap it up. Everybody except Pete get back to work when this sentence finishes... now.
How to Create Test Chambers in Five Steps
The gaming press have chimed in on our new free Puzzle Maker, available May 8th, and the verdict is unanimous: It is NOT complicated to make your very own Portal test chambers. "Easy to use," says IGN's Charles Onyette. "Satisfying and easy," adds 1UP's Chris Pereira. "Possibly the easiest level editor known to man," claims NOW Gamer's Adam Barnes.
Wow! Is our Puzzle Maker really this easy to use, or are these guys just bald-faced liars? Let's find out, and try to make a playable map in only FIVE STEPS.
Here's the basic map template you start with. Note: This is not step one. On the left, you can select from any of the puzzle elements from Portal 2.
Okay, now we're at Step One. If you have a friend helping you count, tell them to start now. Let's choose a big red button and place it somewhere on the map.
Step Two: Connect the button to the door.
Oh, man, we're already up to two steps. We better get moving. Seriously, we might have over-promised on this.
Step Three: Surprise! We're throwing this step away. That's how confident we are.
Step Four: Now we're looking at this picture of Gabe someone made in the Puzzle Maker.
Step Five: Now we're going to rebuild our map to see it in action.
Seconds later, it works! We did it. The gaming press are not liars.*
Here we are solving the puzzle:
So we built a test chamber: Now what? It's time to publish it to the Steam Workshop. You can share your puzzle with everyone, or just share it with friends, or even keep it private until you think it's ready.
This is obviously a very, very, very, simple map. But don't worry: the Puzzle Maker is as powerful as it is easy to use. You'll be designing complex brain-busters in no time, trust us.
In fact, you don't even have to trust us.
The Perpetual Testing Initiative's still in beta, and people have already been hard at work making great science.
* About this specifically.
The Perpetual Testing Initiative
Now we're introducing the Perpetual Testing Initiative (PeTI), which combines a powerful, easy-to-use Puzzle Maker with full Steam Workshop integration, and will be available free for the PC and Mac on May 8th.
The Steam Workshop
There are already hundreds of incredible Portal 2 puzzles in the wild, but chances are you haven't played them. They're hard to find, hard to install, and hard to manage. We're changing that. Now that we're adding the Steam Workshop to Portal 2, you'll be able to browse a virtually endless stream of community-crafted puzzles, then install and play them with just one click from any web browser. Play the most popular maps in the world, or just what your friend created last night.
The Puzzle Maker
With the Puzzle Maker, you can create test chambers of all shapes and sizes. It's incredibly easy to use — jump right in and start making cool stuff. When you're happy with your work, publish it to the Workshop for your friends. or even the whole world, to play. Get feedback, gain followers, and build collections of puzzles to break people's brains. You're the designer now; let's see what you can dream up.
Make sure to check back next week for more information on the Perpetual Testing Initiative!
More Sales, More Awards!
Speaking of not winning, guess who didn't win Destructoid's Game of the Year. If you guessed Portal 2, we hope you didn't actually call your local sports book and put any money on that guess, because we won! WE'RE #1! Unless you're reading E-Online, in which case, WE'RE BACK TO #2!
Look, we understand that awards season is a turbulent emotional hell ride. But you know what would probably make you feel better? Buying things. It just feels good. With that in mind, we've put a bunch of Portal 2 merchandise on sale. For example, this incredible 1970s-style Portal 2 movie poster is 50% off! And if you're planning to go out to eat for the holidays, you should know that many restaurants now require shirts, something this 50% off "Wheatley Laboratories" tee is 100% guaranteed to be. Frankly, there's figuratively literally too much Portal 2 stuff on sale to list in one blog post, but you can check it all out here. If you order forty bucks worth of stuff, we'll throw in a FREE Aperture Lanyard. Just add it to your cart and then enter the code "COMBUSTIBLELANYARD" at the checkout.
And just so you don't think all we're trying to do is sell you stuff, here's a sentence where we don't try to sell you anything. Now that that's over, J!nx has some excellent Portal gear, including the world's only Portal-themed baby onesies. Between now and December 22nd, you can get ten bucks off a thirty-five dollar order by entering the code "MILKANDCOOKIES" when you checkout.
If you have enough shirts and/or no babies, ThinkGeek has some crazy Portal 2 inspired non-clothing products like an actual, working PotatOS science kit, a Wheatley LED flashlight, and an honest-to-God talking Cave Johnson Portrait. Until December 22nd, you can get five bucks off a thirty dollar order or ten bucks off a fifty dollar order by entering the code "YOUSAVED SCIENCE" at the checkout.
Finally, do you like Portal 2? If the answer to that question is "no", then, man, did you make a wrong turn somewhere on the Internet. For everyone else, how would you like to celebrate those warm feelings every time you move your mouse? Because now that's possible with SteelSeries' new Portal 2 mousepad. It won't be available to order until tomorrow. But from then until December 26th, you'll be able to buy it for 15% off by using the code "SSP215".