Game tech : Portals

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:10 am

The guys at Valve have created some bloody clever game tech based around the Half-Life 2 engine.

What starts out simple becomes incredibly mental - I want to play with it.

Please DL this video.

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/830/ ... ids_1.html

Pissin' Poonani · Post by **Pissin' Poonani** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:00 am

My brain hurts, and I'm slightly afraid.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:03 am

Is that not the most messed up **** u have ever seen in a game?

Pissin' Poonani · Post by **Pissin' Poonani** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:11 am

It does look very cool-if it's as difficult as it looked in some places though, I think I'd have an aneurysm.

As a concept, it's awesome-just hope the gameplay is there- the combination of the words 'Valve' and 'Half-Life' are always encouraging.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:14 am

Well I think what they showed there was just how flexible it was - to begin with I was like "yeah make a bridge" etc... but towards the end all that throwinx boxes through portals via physics etc just becomes mind bending, the permetations were crazy - like chasing ppl in MP ?

Imagine making portals under enemy feet only to drop them on a spike or somthing - or shoot a rocket at a far wall, open a portal on the far wal and one under your enemys feet to move them in to the rocket I just shot or somthing equally mental...

Pissin' Poonani · Post by **Pissin' Poonani** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:31 am

It's the puzzle aspect I like-I can see it being one of those incredibly frustrating games where you'll get stuck in one room for ages, but you eventually have one of those 'D'oh!' moments, and the satisfaction of working out the puzzle completely outweighs any frustration.

Plus, dropping an automatic sentry gun right in front of someone would be sweet.

This topic has reminded me-I've had HL2 for over 2 years now, and I still haven't played it because my computer can't handle it-are laptops nowadays up to running games like that? (sorry if that's stupid, I just seem to have it stuck in my head that years ago they couldn't-something to do with the screens not being able to keep up with the 'refresh rate' or something?).

Obfleur · Post by **Obfleur** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:36 am

Man, I'm gonna get so confused.

Predabot · Post by **Predabot** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:47 am

Crazy!

Oddly tho, 3Drealms has recently developed a simpler, more static version of these portals, wich they combine with manipulated gravity, in the game Prey.

I'm going to assume that what we just saw will be in Half-life2 Episode 2, eh Mark?

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:17 pm

The portals of Prey work like the portals of Unreal from 1997 - they are just doors - these new portals are created in real-time and aloow physics to travel through them.

Prey doesnt really change gravity either, it just rotates the room around the origin as u step through a portal - Gravity in HL2 can be directly manipulated without the need of a door/portal to activate a fake switch.

Doors are one thing but what they are doing in this portal demo is really pushing physics boundries by twisting them.

Post by **Best First** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:46 pm

can't download - what is the sketch?

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:59 pm

Well - Its using the Half-Life 2 engine - using a 'portal gun' the first shot creates an 'exit portal' and your 2nd shot creates an entry portal - u are free to fire this template portal on any surface in the enviroment.

U can then look through one portal in real time and see out of the other.
U can move between the portals in real time.

U can also for example put a portal on a wall above say an enemys head, and then stick another portal under a large crate, the Crate falls through your entry portal out of the exit portal on to the enemys head.

The vid gos on to show some truly whacky stuff that gets totaly mental with domino effect portals, chasing ppl through multiple portals and so on. it has to be seen for full effect.

Can u not view the vid because your at work?

Post by **Best First** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:43 pm

cos i am awork (crap PC) and i only have dial up at home (not for much longer thnak Christ)

sounds good.

portals on the ceiling allowing you to look down on other parts of the game area and - obvioulsy - shoot the crap out of people seems like a useful addition.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:51 am

For instance u can put an exit on the celing, and entry on the floor under another object and it will drop through on an infinite cycle... spooky

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:37 pm

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1&q=portal

Tired Tracks · Post by **Tired Tracks** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:53 pm

I'm not a fan of shooters but wow that concept is beautiful

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:12 pm

I think as a concept and as a piece of technolagy its impressive no matter how its used.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:47 pm

It is definitely a positive development in the evolution of cgi.