Subject Omega – Inventing Gameplay
Something that I always knew to be a challenge from the outset of Subject Omega, would be introducing new gameplay ideas. I didn’t want to simply recycle what had already been done in Portal, since all the major ways to use portals has been pretty much already covered. I needed some new techniques that the player would need to use in order to solve the puzzles, there would be no point in making a mod where I simply repeat the existing gameplay of Portal.
I always loved the early stages of Portal, where you only had control of one portal and the other one was in a fixed position. I realised that these puzzles could be made very challenging if the concept of a single fixed portal was used more extensively. That’s why the entire first part and some of the second part revolves entirely around puzzles with a single fixed portal. It also became apparent to me that depending on the orientation of the fixed portal dictated what that portal could be used for. For example, a fling can’t be used with a portal on a wall as momentum can’t be conserved. Combining these two concept together led to the following idea:
Have a way that the player can control whether the fixed portal was on the floor or on a wall. Then have the need to change the orientation of this to complete the puzzle. I won’t go into to much detail or it will spoil the puzzle too much.
Other ideas for gameplay is the idea of the portal ledge. Have you ever stepped through a portal, just by a little bit so you are on the exit portal, but are hovering in mid-air? This invisible ledge, means you can actually grab items and even fire portals, this concept is introduced in the very first map, just to try and accustom the player to having to use this technique as it has been used in less obvious context later in the game.
Also, just to wrap this article up, Subject Omega may be accessed as a regular game or mod. Meaning I have a lot more options open to me as I can now edit code previously unavailable to me. This allows me to pretty much do anything I want, only restricted by the engine and my lack of programming knowledge.
Portal Pondering’s
When in th concept stage of ‘Subject Omega,’ I continually wondered about the Portal and HL2 universe, considering how the enrichment centre, Aperture science, Borealis etc. fits into the bigger picture. Oh, I forgot to mention, this post is heavily relying on the fact you have played through Portal and the Half-Life series. So I came up with a list of points, theories, ideas whatever you would like to call them that should answer as many questions as they ask. I’m a complete nerd, yeah I know, get over it.
Portals break the idea of energy conservation!
A real physics puzzle here to begin with, if you have not yet noticed that in Portal you can cause an object to fall ad infinitum by placing one portal directly above another, thus the object keeps gaining energy, thanks to gravity and friction with the air. In my eyes this can be explained by the portals themselves take the additional energy that has been created the instant that the object passes through them and instantaneously destroys said energy, so there is no net gain or loss of energy in the entire universe. It can do this is a way that only GLaDOS could explain to you.
How does Portal and HL2 fit together?
Quite simple really, apart from several instances in the games that can link the two together, such as the referencing to Black Mesa in Portal (both Black Mesa and Aperture Science Enrichment Centre are apparently doing research into Portal technology), the Borealis ship as seem in HL2:Ep2 and how the energy balls look the same in both games gives a few indications to links between the games. So really this doesn’t mean we will find out how the two link together until Ep3 and Portal 2. I for one can’t wait until I see the two games converge.
What happened to GLaDOS?
Well, at the end of the game, GLaDOS was seemingly destroyed, but the still alive song played over the credits have given some the idea that it is not gone (because if GLaDOS was destroyed, how will we have Portal 2?). Chances are, what we saw in the game was only a smaller part of a much larger device or GLaDOS downloaded herself into the brain of Chell (the games protagonist). Whilst both seem highly unlikely, we may need to come to terms that the hilarious bantering from GLaDOS may be gone forever.
‘Subject Omega’ needs to fit in somehow?
Well, a good mod needs a good story line, so a major question that I needed to answer early on was how ‘Subject Omega’ would fit into the greater world. Well, I did this by… Wait… I think I’ll hang on to that one, don’t want to give it all away now do we?
Will I ever get to see my precious WCC (Weighted Companion Cube <3) ever again?
I… I, I don’t know… *sniff*
If anyone else has any questions or thoughts on Portal, feel free to post away.
Subject Omega – Workflow
Well, seeing as nothing more interesting happened today, I thought I’d show off my work flow when I have spare moments to map for ‘Subject Omega.’ I am more than confident that this is probably the best method for making maps in the Source engine, especially when it comes down to Portal maps. I suggest that only if you are truly interested in making maps for Portal, do you bother to read on.
Subject Omega – Media Update
Here are some screenshots I managed to get hold of for ‘Subject Omega,’ that show off the first few areas of the mod, still in a heavy alpha stage, but at least the lighting and detail should give an overall feel of what I am aiming for here.
Subject Omega – First Looks
Now, I present to you ‘Subject Omega’ a modification for the game Portal, if you have yet to play it, then I strongly suggest that you buy it and play it. You can get it by buying the ‘Orange Box’ and is practically worth it just for Portal. I’ll be posting more about the game soon and why I actually decided to make a mod for it later. Wikipedia will give you a brief overview of the game.
Subject Omega follows the test subject being tested upon through a series of highly advanced test chambers, involving complex puzzles and skill with the Portal gun. Not an original idea at that, but really is simply a premise to create these complex, twisted chambers that I plan to involve, there is going to be some story along with them though. The mod is going to be split up into 3 sections, each released when they are completed, how long this may take is anyone’s guess.
I keep using the word ‘mod,’ when actually this should be considered really as an expansion pack, it isn’t a full game, or mod that is being supplied here, just some additional puzzles accessible through the main options screen of Portal when it is started up.
The objectives I hope to follow for this mod are as followed:
- Create some of the most challenging Portal based puzzles, for those looking for a challenge
- To create a good looking environment, keeping in theme with that already set down by the original Portal
- Create additional music and sounds to suit the new mod
- Apply a relevant story to the mod
These objectives are rather simple and straight forward, but enough of me talking, how about some screenshots then to finish off?
Note that these are far from the final screenshots and I am in-fact missing a lot of map files currently since I forgot to transfer them to my laptop before heading to university. But, I suppose something is better than nothing.
