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[Won]

Valve has yet to produce an abomination like Steppes of War.

2fort.

 

[Pennybags]

I'm not sure what you're worried about. If it can be beaten, no matter how crazy a solution, it's fair game.

Crazy solutions are great and challenge is good, but occasionally user-created challenge maps (mind you, I have no experience with custom Portal) rely on mechanics/exploits/etc. that aren't native to the core game, making them nearly impossible to clear without the experience of actually building the content.

 

[gregor7777]

I doubt that, I think Valve would follow the route Epic did with UT3, and in the tools have the option to publish to the PS3 for the modder, it just seems like an easier solution for them and it worked very well with UT3.

But we'll have to wait and see, obviously.

Perhaps, but like someone pointed out earlier, a Deathmatch map is much different from a puzzle map.

I'm almost certain these will be playtested and handpicked.

 

[epmode]

Crazy solutions are great, but occasionally user-created challenge maps (mind you, I have no experience with custom Portal) rely on mechanics/exploits/etc. that aren't native to the core game, making them nearly impossible to clear without the experience of actually building the content.

This sort of thing happens in just about every game with an editor. Requiring the creator to actually finish the level is the best validation we're going to get. Anything more than that would only interfere with the creation process.

Hypothetical: If Quake 3's editor did crazy shit like calculate if a player would be able to reach out-of-the-way powerups, levels would possibly be rejected because the validation system couldn't account for the insane rocket jumping/bunnyhopping that became more common after launch.

 

[Shig]

Yet again, Valve amazes me.

Why isn't Valve everybody's favourite developer? Sure is mine!

I appreciate what they do on the content and support end, but there's just something very off about their games to me. Their player characters move like greased-up hovercrafts and there's not much sense of impact to any of their guns.

Portal's rad, though.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

 

[Davidion]

Bask in the glory of Valve, BASK YOU MOTHERFUCKERS.

2fort.

Hehehehehe

 

[Stallion Free]

Hopefully we get tons of kick ass custom levels like we did for Alien Swarm, L4D2, L4D1, and the original Portal...


Oh wait.

I miss the old days when good custom content actually came out. There are like two good campaigns for L4D1/2 and an overwhelming amount of shit. Same for Portal 1.

 

[enzo_gt]

Goldrush.

Fixed.

 

[bdouble]

Valve is mega.

 

[badcrumble]

Valve is doing SUCH a good job of adding personality to their games via animation. I love that basically every single Valve project is, on some level, R&D for every other Valve project, but in a fun way. Valve's sense of artistic design and animation has grown by leaps and bounds since HL2:Ep2, which was already a fucking fantastic game.

 

[Hylian7]

2fort.

And I thought I was one of the few who hated the TF2 version of that map.

I cannot wait for this game even more now.

 

[Emitan]

Valve has yet to produce an abomination like Steppes of War.

What's so bad about Steppes? Rush distances?

 

[Kade]

Fixed.

You fuckin' kiddin' me, brah?

 

[mescalineeyes]

What's so bad about Steppes? Rush distances?

Pretty much. I play Zerg... sorry about the derail...

dat valve, huh?

 

[subversus]

I'm almost certain these will be playtested and handpicked.

I don't thinks so, and why should they? It's user created content, download it at your own risk.

 

[Emitan]

Pretty much. I play Zerg... sorry about the derail...

dat valve, huh?

Yeah, dat Valve.

Spoiler

You should play Brotoss

Anyway, do you think the PS3 will be getting "handpicked" levels like the 360 is probably getting, or will it be automatic like PC since the PS3 has Steamworks? I'm assuming the latter.

 

[subversus]

Hopefully we get tons of kick ass custom levels like we did for Alien Swarm, L4D2, L4D1, and the original Portal...


Oh wait.

I miss the old days when good custom content actually came out. There are like two good campaigns for L4D1/2 and an overwhelming amount of shit. Same for Portal 1.

yes, but look, 2 (two) campaigns when we get 1 campaign from Valve per year isn't bad.

also there are some good Portal maps, they just don't lie on a surface.

Also UT3 had so many fantastic user-created maps, that I was tired of downloading them. Too bad nobody played the game though.

 

[gregor7777]

I don't thinks so, and why should they? It's user created content, download it at your own risk.

Yeah, that works on the PC. We're talking about console chaps here. No offence to them, but a certain...precedent...has been set there.

 

[Stallion Free]

A multiplayer map for UT3 is far less resource intensive to create than a Portal level or a L4D campaign.

Also, all signs point to UE3 being much more intuitive to use and create something pretty with over Source.

 

[gregor7777]

A multiplayer map for UT3 is far less resource intensive to create than a Portal level or a L4D campaign.

Also, all signs point to UE3 being much more intuitive to use and create something pretty with over Source.

No doubt. Time and skill being the two main resources in question. Still, with a wider audience I bet we'll see more people giving it a go.

I haven't tried source modding, but UDK is ridiculously easy to use. I'd feel pretty confident in saying it's the gold standard given what I've heard.

 

[Emitan]

I haven't tried source modding, but UDK is ridiculously easy to use. I'd feel pretty confident in saying it's the gold standard given what I've heard.

I have no experience in modding, so that this with a grain of salt, but Source's Hammer editor is probably the most confusing computer application I've ever tried to use in my life. I'm really hoping Episode 3 runs on a brand new engine with better tools because it's sort of stupid how Valve encourages modding, yet they have the worst tools in the industry.

 

[enzo_gt]

You fuckin' kiddin' me, brah?

Nah bro, Goldrush sucks ass.

 

[dallow_bg]

That's really, really awesome, and something I've always wanted for Portal, but one thing confuses/worries me:

How will they be able to guarantee that the levels are beatable?

IMO they should either (A) use their bot AI to figure out whether they're beatable or not (and if it can do this, that's fuckin' amazing) or (B) force the level creator to successfully complete the level before being able to upload it and make it public.

That's how it works in echochromes user levels on PSN.
You have to beat the level to upload it.

 

[gregor7777]

I have no experience in modding, so that this with a grain of salt, but Source's Hammer editor is probably the most confusing computer application I've ever tried to use in my life. I'm really hoping Episode 3 runs on a brand new engine with better tools because it's sort of stupid how Valve encourages modding, yet they have the worst tools in the industry.

Having no experience in modding how are you qualified to say they have the worst tools in the industry?

 

[Emitan]

Having no experience in modding how are you qualified to say they have the worst tools in the industry?

They're the most non user friendly of all the tools I've tried.

 

[Hylian7]

I have no experience in modding, so that this with a grain of salt, but Source's Hammer editor is probably the most confusing computer application I've ever tried to use in my life. I'm really hoping Episode 3 runs on a brand new engine with better tools because it's sort of stupid how Valve encourages modding, yet they have the worst tools in the industry.

Follow the tutorials on the Valve Developer Wiki to get started with it. It seems daunting at first but it becomes clear once you learn it.

 

[Tain]

Source engine tools definitely aren't that bad, yeah. They suck compared to UE3's tools, but almost everything sucks compared to UE3's tools.

I don't like the robot designs in this game, so far.

 

[JWong]

Searching "Paid" in this thread popped up nothing.

For 360, they didn't say if it was paid or not. Microsoft usually aren't for free DLC content, so I expect 360's version to be a paid level pack of user content. That will also be a boat load of issues unless Valve can put that money to the creators.

PS3 will most likely remain free since it's being connected to Steam, and PC is obviously free.

 

[derFeef]

Coop is going to be great, but I am actually more excited about the singleplayer (who could have guessed). Most anticipated game in 2011 for me and it arrives in 3 months already.

 

[Emitan]

Searching "Paid" in this thread popped up nothing.

For 360, they didn't say if it was paid or not. Microsoft usually aren't for free DLC content, so I expect 360's version to be a paid level pack of user content. That will also be a boat load of issues unless Valve can put that money to the creators.

PS3 will most likely remain free since it's being connected to Steam, and PC is obviously free.

PC is obviously free like you said and this really has no effect on MS's business decisions but the PS3 version has a 99.999% chance of being free, and that's the version MS is competing with. Gabe has already outright stated that the PS3 version is the superior console version so I think MS would be crazy to charge for content that's free on two other platforms.

 

[Yeef]

Searching "Paid" in this thread popped up nothing.

For 360, they didn't say if it was paid or not. Microsoft usually aren't for free DLC content, so I expect 360's version to be a paid level pack of user content. That will also be a boat load of issues unless Valve can put that money to the creators.

I don't think that would be a problem if the maps are paid on 360. Honestly, I don't think they will be, but even if they are there's already a precedent at Valve for giving the creator's a share of sales. Every community item in TF2 sees a portion go to the creators of that content and there's also a place in the store where you can donate money to map creators.

 

[Kaako]

Nicely done yet again. Embrace it.

 

[morningbus]

Hopefully we get tons of kick ass custom levels like we did for Alien Swarm, L4D2, L4D1, and the original Portal...


Oh wait.

I miss the old days when good custom content actually came out. There are like two good campaigns for L4D1/2 and an overwhelming amount of shit. Same for Portal 1.

All Portal 2 has to do is use TileGen and we'll have millions of awesome community maps.

 

[Krauser Kat]

hammer is not that bad, but it really needs some work. Pretty sure you can throw XSI objects straight into it.

Also i love the look of the robots. 1/4 dog, 1/2 aperture science, 1/4 buddy cop movie

 

[Metalmurphy]

Hopefully we get tons of kick ass custom levels like we did for Alien Swarm, L4D2, L4D1, and the original Portal...


Oh wait.

I miss the old days when good custom content actually came out. There are like two good campaigns for L4D1/2 and an overwhelming amount of shit. Same for Portal 1.

Erm... we did get some kick ass custom levels for Portal.

 

[Visualante]

Source engine tools definitely aren't that bad, yeah. They suck compared to UE3's tools, but almost everything sucks compared to UE3's tools.

I don't like the robot designs in this game, so far.

They feel so outdated it makes me wonder if Valve are keeping up to date revisions to Hammer internal secrets for licensees only. It's workable, especially for Portal of all things.

 

[Sibylus]

They're the most non user friendly of all the tools I've tried.

Not dabbled long, I take it. The tools have come a long way in the past few years.

I remember using Halo PC's HEK a few years ago, and suffice to say, it'd probably send you into a mortal blood-rage. You had to whip out a command line to handle innumerable tasks (ranging from small to large), had to model every inch of the map in a crap-tastic freeware version of 3ds Max (gmax), had to compile the geometry for use in yet another program and battle a host of baffling errors and warnings along the way, etc. And even that's pretty tolerable compared to the tools that have come before.

So personally, I like the Source SDK a hell of a lot. I can actually build something without the tools getting in the way most of the time. There are things that could be better and corners polished up of course, but it's a solid kit and does its job well. It being user unfriendly is vastly overstated.

 

[JaseC]

Curse your bump! I came in thinking there'd be something new.

Valve has yet to produce an abomination like Steppes of War.

Valve doesn't shut down user mods.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

they'd have to have made some remarkably serious misjudgments for this not to end GOTY 2011.

 

[-tetsuo-]

they'd have to have made some remarkably serious misjudgments for this not to end GOTY 2011.

Releasing in the same year as Dark Souls is one.

 

[FLEABttn]

Releasing in the same year as Dark Souls is one.

Sounds like Dark Soul's mistake.

 

[jambo]

Releasing in the same year as Dark Souls is one.

Dark what?

 

[Forkball]

Over/Under: 10,000 penis levels the first day

 

[The Technomancer]

Oh.

Fuck.

Yes.

EDIT: This is old? How did I miss it, and how did it get so few posts?

 

[The Elite]

And the doctors told me I would never get another erection.

Thank you Valve.

 

[Sibylus]

Over/Under: 10,000 penis levels the first day

In all seriousness, you can expect about 500 Turret hazard courses in the first week.

 

[AniHawk]

Game of the Year

 

[exwallst]

Valve > Blizzard because Steam > WoW but it is close.
I hope I'm wrong but my guess is nothing user generated will be outstanding.

 

[subversus]

Not dabbled long, I take it. The tools have come a long way in the past few years.

I remember using Halo PC's HEK a few years ago, and suffice to say, it'd probably send you into a mortal blood-rage. You had to whip out a command line to handle innumerable tasks (ranging from small to large), had to model every inch of the map in a crap-tastic freeware version of 3ds Max (gmax), had to compile the geometry for use in yet another program and battle a host of baffling errors and warnings along the way, etc. And even that's pretty tolerable compared to the tools that have come before.

So personally, I like the Source SDK a hell of a lot. I can actually build something without the tools getting in the way most of the time. There are things that could be better and corners polished up of course, but it's a solid kit and does its job well. It being user unfriendly is vastly overstated.

Try Sandbox 2. Now that's user-friendly.