I also honestly don't think GlaDOS actually deleted Caroline, she's quite the scheming... woman? So it makes sense that she would keep up the act just to save face. Think about it really, really hard. If GlaDOS had really lost her 'conscience' Chell would have been jackhammered into the elevator wall by those first four turrets.
So I've been thinking about this game literally all day at work and I'm not sure if anyone's picked up on this since I've been gone. So let's talk about Paint!
In case you haven't noticed, the entire area of the game in Chapter 6 & 7 work to explain two things:
The ending
and why everything in Aperture is always so fucking white.
Yep, the tiles are white because they're still painted with the seemingly unlimited supply of white paint that they had as far back as the 60's. Because everything in that underground section that's portable is not naturally occuring. Think of that first area where you have to walk across the steel girders while Cave's talking about Asbestos. Those sections were clearly painted white on purpose.
This makes sense when you see the first poster with the 3P (Proton Portal Pack) on it, showing that they had developed this idea WAY before we thought they had.
I know you're asking "But WeX, what does that have to do with the Borealis?" Well, I'm glad you asked.
Let's say you're Cave Johnson. You've got this amazing new technology that can put any other company on the planet to shame. Yet, you still constantly get beat out by Black Mesa. And since you're CJ, you're incredibly vain and narcissistic. You need to beat Mesa, but the government doesn't seem to be totally committed to the 3P. You've got this giant underground facility that no one even KNOWS about. Hell, you could probably survive Armageddon and no one would even know! (More on that later)
You need to think on a grander scale! Go Big Or Go Home!
This is why that place is so damn huge. Whenever some new technology comes along, it's either made more efficient, or to produce bigger results. Common sense and history have shown that you go efficient first, but Aperture doesn't pay attention to either one of those.
So I feel safe in calling that the thing that's on the borealis, the thing everyone is freaking out over letting the combine even fucking know about, is the beginning of a project designed to launch earth's first interstellar space fleet. Because based solely on how our Portal Gun works, it's theoretically possible to throw your first portal, wait for it to rotate into a clear orbital path, and then throw your second portal down a runway. Gravity(or lack thereof really) will do the rest.
I'm at the point in Chapter 8 where the repulsion tube crashes through the walkway and drops gel on the walkway itself and the wall but wither I'm either timing it wrong or doing something wrong cause I'm not making the jump to the opposite catwalk. what the hell am i missing?
Can you screenshot this, I can't recall the puzzle specifically.
Not so much a puzzle but yeah gimme a sec.
ok pics should be on my steam id
also do not look if you don't want to be spoiled
So I mean this in the nicest way possible
Just jump while you're running across the blue patch and it'll fling you across
So I've been thinking about this game literally all day at work and I'm not sure if anyone's picked up on this since I've been gone. So let's talk about Paint!
In case you haven't noticed, the entire area of the game in Chapter 6 & 7 work to explain two things:
The ending
and why everything in Aperture is always so fucking white.
Yep, the tiles are white because they're still painted with the seemingly unlimited supply of white paint that they had as far back as the 60's. Because everything in that underground section that's portable is not naturally occuring. Think of that first area where you have to walk across the steel girders while Cave's talking about Asbestos. Those sections were clearly painted white on purpose.
This makes sense when you see the first poster with the 3P (Proton Portal Pack) on it, showing that they had developed this idea WAY before we thought they had.
I know you're asking "But WeX, what does that have to do with the Borealis?" Well, I'm glad you asked.
Let's say you're Cave Johnson. You've got this amazing new technology that can put any other company on the planet to shame. Yet, you still constantly get beat out by Black Mesa. And since you're CJ, you're incredibly vain and narcissistic. You need to beat Mesa, but the government doesn't seem to be totally committed to the 3P. You've got this giant underground facility that no one even KNOWS about. Hell, you could probably survive Armageddon and no one would even know! (More on that later)
You need to think on a grander scale! Go Big Or Go Home!
This is why that place is so damn huge. Whenever some new technology comes along, it's either made more efficient, or to produce bigger results. Common sense and history have shown that you go efficient first, but Aperture doesn't pay attention to either one of those.
So I feel safe in calling that the thing that's on the borealis, the thing everyone is freaking out over letting the combine even fucking know about, is the beginning of a project designed to launch earth's first interstellar space fleet. Because based solely on how our Portal Gun works, it's theoretically possible to throw your first portal, wait for it to rotate into a clear orbital path, and then throw your second portal down a runway. Gravity(or lack thereof really) will do the rest.
Nah
The Borealis probably has nothing to do with portals because they perfected the portal technology. They wouldn't have vitrified a portal experiment in the old aperture labs since that is the tech they continued developing.
I would say the Borealis has something way more dangerous seeing how it blew that concreted door right off it's hinges from the inside out.
Plus Episode 3 won't use portals in it because they have flat out said they want to keep portals to portal.
Just as a general tip, you can get achievements in commentary mode. It's an easy way to jump from chapter to chapter (and most chapters are pretty short).
Okay. So apparently I'm a dumb. I could use some help here (not a puzzle help)
Spoiler ahead:
Where's the Borealis? I managed to completely miss it.
When you pick up GlaDOS as a potato in the old Aperture office building, there's a smaller building on top. Go up there and in the back, behind a shelf, is a door that'll open for you. There's 3 or 4 vitrified doors and an open one leading to the drydock. You need to play the messages at the vitrified doors for one of the achievements.
Also, I really wish I could choose test rooms to replay instead of guessing at the chapter they're in.
I'm cheevo hunting and this pisses me off so much.
It's legit hidden, it in fact has nothing to do whatsoever with the plot of the game and is in the back of a room that you already get an achievement for finding in the first damn place.
as soon as you get the 70's waiting area, in that control room where you flip the switch for the beta chamber is a little hidden door behind a bookcase looking thing. Press play on the three doors, and then walk into the one with the blown off door.
Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. Portal 2 should just tell you up front, "Yeah, the singleplayer is really just for the story, the real puzzle-meat is in the co-op mode, so I hope you have a friend." These puzzles are fucking brilliant.
It helps that the friend who I'm playing with is a perfect teammate for me. It seems like we're both solving exactly half of the puzzles, without even trying to divvy up the work. Our brains just click faster on different concepts.
I'm at the point in Chapter 8 where the repulsion tube crashes through the walkway and drops gel on the walkway itself and the wall but wither I'm either timing it wrong or doing something wrong cause I'm not making the jump to the opposite catwalk. what the hell am i missing?
Can you screenshot this, I can't recall the puzzle specifically.
Not so much a puzzle but yeah gimme a sec.
ok pics should be on my steam id
also do not look if you don't want to be spoiled
So I mean this in the nicest way possible
Just jump while you're running across the blue patch and it'll fling you across
Yeah i figured it out. Apparently drinking and Portal aren't mixing tonight.
They also said that when the ship vanished it took half the dry dock with it. Here's a pic of the room. Does that look like anything is really missing?
And yes, they want to keep Portals in portal, and I agree with that. But that doesn't mean you can't have that be the catalyst. a Ship-sized portal wouldn't really work for gameplay, but it's certainly do-able as a plot device.
So my general point is that I think it HAS to have some sort of cross-technology, because why even bother having that ship pop up like that. Just say it's from some other company or whatever.
WeX Majors on
0
Zxerolfor the smaller pieces, my shovel wouldn't doso i took off my boot and used my shoeRegistered Userregular
The whole final part of the testing with sick Cave Johnson was so damn depressing. Even if he does probably have the blood of many hobos on his hands.
Yeah that part was pretty unnerving to me.
The game has been filled to brim with sardonic, black humor, and you're laughing your butt off listening to insane hilarity this guy has been spouting off the past few test chambers. And then all off a sudden, he's coughing and choking and you're thinking, "So, where's the joke? This isn't funny at all. This isn't funny!" The mood whiplash hurts like a motherfucker.
And then he starts going off his nut about lemons, and all was good again. Mostly. Until Glados had to say, "Goodbye, sir."
If Moon Rocks are capable of being ported onto, and are so potent for this job that they can be crushed, grounded and then mixed with other ingredients to form a paint that is ALSO a portable surface
What is in the moon, that isn't just in earth proper? Because when you get underground, the top of the cave isn't portable. Nor is any other bit of nature in the entire game.
If Moon Rocks are capable of being ported onto, and are so potent for this job that they can be crushed, grounded and then mixed with other ingredients to form a paint that is ALSO a portable surface
What is in the moon, that isn't just in earth proper? Because when you get underground, the top of the cave isn't portable. Nor is any other bit of nature in the entire game.
God damn spoilers. Hurry up internet and finish!
cheese
edit: wrt to zoom, yeah i know its always been there
but native mapping to middle mouse so i actually use it without rebinding it
Most of the time I'd rather switch weapons with the mouse wheel.
Lord Yod on
0
Triple BBastard of the NorthMARegistered Userregular
edited April 2011
I beat this today.
Honestly I'm never quick to hand out perfect scores, but...seriously you guys I'm almost ready to call this a 10. I can't find a good reason not to, other than the old "nothing's perfect" thing, but...
Endgame spoilers do not read if you haven't beaten the single-player:
I'M ON THE MOON HOLY SHIT
Also, I have to admit, I did not expect GlaDOS to let me go. At all. Then I was going up the elevator and OH GOD SO MANY TURRETS THEY'RE GOING TO FUCKING SHOOT M--they're singing. They're singing. The turrets are fucking singing and now there's a whole orchestra of them what the FUCK this is so deliciously insane
i think the largest feature this added to the source engine is middle wheel zoom
or maybe i never noticed before
This game officially has the best dynamic shadows I've ever seen. I can't remember if HL2 had them but they could not have been anywhere near as good as this.
Also, this is the first source game I can think of that has rain effects. I was waiting years for them to finally get that into a game after the tech demo they had showing it off on a dual core processor or something.
The whole final part of the testing with sick Cave Johnson was so damn depressing. Even if he does probably have the blood of many hobos on his hands.
Yeah that part was pretty unnerving to me.
The game has been filled to brim with sardonic, black humor, and you're laughing your butt off listening to insane hilarity this guy has been spouting off the past few test chambers. And then all off a sudden, he's coughing and choking and you're thinking, "So, where's the joke? This isn't funny at all. This isn't funny!" The mood whiplash hurts like a motherfucker.
And then he starts going off his nut about lemons, and all was good again. Mostly. Until Glados had to say, "Goodbye, sir."
What makes it the most unsettling is that it seems like that phase of the company was just buried like he was. So, there was a whole company just decaying under another one.
Krathoon on
0
chiasaur11Never doubt a raccoon.Do you think it's trademarked?Registered Userregular
i think the largest feature this added to the source engine is middle wheel zoom
or maybe i never noticed before
This game officially has the best dynamic shadows I've ever seen. I can't remember if HL2 had them but they could not have been anywhere near as good as this.
Also, this is the first source game I can think of that has rain effects. I was waiting years for them to finally get that into a game after the tech demo they had showing it off on a dual core processor or something.
You know what? There are test subjects in Africa who don't even have monitors in their test chambers. Why don't you think about that before you break any more of them?
If Moon Rocks are capable of being ported onto, and are so potent for this job that they can be crushed, grounded and then mixed with other ingredients to form a paint that is ALSO a portable surface
What is in the moon, that isn't just in earth proper? Because when you get underground, the top of the cave isn't portable. Nor is any other bit of nature in the entire game.
God damn spoilers. Hurry up internet and finish!
Nothing.
There is nothing special
About the moon at all. Or the moon rocks. The portal gun just needs a smooth flat surface like concrete or fine mud/dust. The surface of the moon is covered in a fine powder of moon dust so a portal can attach itself fine on the surface.
The real point is the portal gun has no limited range. Like the part where you climb back up the elevator shaft at the end of the old aperture lab. You can skip 90% of that shaft by zooming and aiming for the top section.
randombattle on
I never asked for this!
0
CheesecakeRecipe"Should not be allowed to post in the Steam Thread" - IsornSqualor Victoria, Squalor Victoria!Registered Userregular
i think the largest feature this added to the source engine is middle wheel zoom
or maybe i never noticed before
This game officially has the best dynamic shadows I've ever seen. I can't remember if HL2 had them but they could not have been anywhere near as good as this.
Also, this is the first source game I can think of that has rain effects. I was waiting years for them to finally get that into a game after the tech demo they had showing it off on a dual core processor or something.
If Moon Rocks are capable of being ported onto, and are so potent for this job that they can be crushed, grounded and then mixed with other ingredients to form a paint that is ALSO a portable surface
What is in the moon, that isn't just in earth proper? Because when you get underground, the top of the cave isn't portable. Nor is any other bit of nature in the entire game.
God damn spoilers. Hurry up internet and finish!
Nothing.
There is nothing special
About the moon at all. Or the moon rocks. The portal gun just needs a smooth flat surface like concrete or fine mud/dust. The surface of the moon is covered in a fine powder of moon dust so a portal can attach itself fine on the surface.
The real point is the portal gun has no limited range. Like the part where you climb back up the elevator shaft at the end of the old aperture lab. You can skip 90% of that shaft by zooming and aiming for the top section.
you do know that the white paint is made out of moon rock's ground up (cave johnson says so, and is why he is dieing because of the experiments), and thus why it conducts portals
the whole point of the shooting the portal on the moon was to cement that concept
Posts
Don't really even have to go this far.
The ending
and why everything in Aperture is always so fucking white.
Yep, the tiles are white because they're still painted with the seemingly unlimited supply of white paint that they had as far back as the 60's. Because everything in that underground section that's portable is not naturally occuring. Think of that first area where you have to walk across the steel girders while Cave's talking about Asbestos. Those sections were clearly painted white on purpose.
This makes sense when you see the first poster with the 3P (Proton Portal Pack) on it, showing that they had developed this idea WAY before we thought they had.
I know you're asking "But WeX, what does that have to do with the Borealis?" Well, I'm glad you asked.
Let's say you're Cave Johnson. You've got this amazing new technology that can put any other company on the planet to shame. Yet, you still constantly get beat out by Black Mesa. And since you're CJ, you're incredibly vain and narcissistic. You need to beat Mesa, but the government doesn't seem to be totally committed to the 3P. You've got this giant underground facility that no one even KNOWS about. Hell, you could probably survive Armageddon and no one would even know! (More on that later)
You need to think on a grander scale! Go Big Or Go Home!
This is why that place is so damn huge. Whenever some new technology comes along, it's either made more efficient, or to produce bigger results. Common sense and history have shown that you go efficient first, but Aperture doesn't pay attention to either one of those.
So I feel safe in calling that the thing that's on the borealis, the thing everyone is freaking out over letting the combine even fucking know about, is the beginning of a project designed to launch earth's first interstellar space fleet. Because based solely on how our Portal Gun works, it's theoretically possible to throw your first portal, wait for it to rotate into a clear orbital path, and then throw your second portal down a runway. Gravity(or lack thereof really) will do the rest.
So I mean this in the nicest way possible
I would say the Borealis has something way more dangerous seeing how it blew that concreted door right off it's hinges from the inside out.
Plus Episode 3 won't use portals in it because they have flat out said they want to keep portals to portal.
I never asked for this!
Spoiler ahead:
Also, I really wish I could choose test rooms to replay instead of guessing at the chapter they're in.
I heard that Cave Johnson is basically an ambitious, charismatic Tesla. Which is fitting.
I'm cheevo hunting and this pisses me off so much.
Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod. Portal 2 should just tell you up front, "Yeah, the singleplayer is really just for the story, the real puzzle-meat is in the co-op mode, so I hope you have a friend." These puzzles are fucking brilliant.
It helps that the friend who I'm playing with is a perfect teammate for me. It seems like we're both solving exactly half of the puzzles, without even trying to divvy up the work. Our brains just click faster on different concepts.
Yeah i figured it out. Apparently drinking and Portal aren't mixing tonight.
I mean, robots and hobos are equally expendable and replaceable, so no mechanics changes would be needed.
And yes, they want to keep Portals in portal, and I agree with that. But that doesn't mean you can't have that be the catalyst. a Ship-sized portal wouldn't really work for gameplay, but it's certainly do-able as a plot device.
So my general point is that I think it HAS to have some sort of cross-technology, because why even bother having that ship pop up like that. Just say it's from some other company or whatever.
Yeah that part was pretty unnerving to me.
And then he starts going off his nut about lemons, and all was good again. Mostly. Until Glados had to say, "Goodbye, sir."
Where did you find the portrait and all the doors?
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
right after
i cannot move at all, or look around, or zoom. Is this normal or a bug or something?
SO I'm saving this link for the future:
Spoilers, but that should be obvious
or maybe i never noticed before
What is in the moon, that isn't just in earth proper? Because when you get underground, the top of the cave isn't portable. Nor is any other bit of nature in the entire game.
HL2 had zoom, that I'm assuming you could've bound to middle mouse wheel.
edit: wrt to zoom, yeah i know its always been there
but native mapping to middle mouse so i actually use it without rebinding it
thats the stuff
Honestly I'm never quick to hand out perfect scores, but...seriously you guys I'm almost ready to call this a 10. I can't find a good reason not to, other than the old "nothing's perfect" thing, but...
Endgame spoilers do not read if you haven't beaten the single-player:
Also, I have to admit, I did not expect GlaDOS to let me go. At all. Then I was going up the elevator and OH GOD SO MANY TURRETS THEY'RE GOING TO FUCKING SHOOT M--they're singing. They're singing. The turrets are fucking singing and now there's a whole orchestra of them what the FUCK this is so deliciously insane
This game officially has the best dynamic shadows I've ever seen. I can't remember if HL2 had them but they could not have been anywhere near as good as this.
Also, this is the first source game I can think of that has rain effects. I was waiting years for them to finally get that into a game after the tech demo they had showing it off on a dual core processor or something.
Here we go
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2LhfzbFo4g
It was just PRETTY GREAT, but then the ending...
Perfect. Seriously, glad I went unspoiled.
So great!
Why I fear the ocean.
Sounds like a scripting bug, just start a new game (that's the beginning of a chapter)
L4D2 has rain and other weather effects
Nothing.
There is nothing special
The real point is the portal gun has no limited range. Like the part where you climb back up the elevator shaft at the end of the old aperture lab. You can skip 90% of that shaft by zooming and aiming for the top section.
I never asked for this!
Left 4 Dead 2 had some amazing rain, though a bit different than what's shown in that tech demo.
the whole point of the shooting the portal on the moon was to cement that concept
I'm gonna need some fanart of this.