There’s two really big problems with Portal 2 right now – one, the SDK is… well, it’s Hammer. That speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Hammer is still Hammer, even if the Portal 2 authoring tools are still in the beta stage. And number two? Custom maps can be hard to find at times, especially for newer players. They don’t know they should go to “That Site” to download all the hottest new custom maps. They haven’t found out that “This Other Site” is only used by a few, and only has low-quality maps. In fact, they might not even know about any of these sites at all.
But Valve has come to the rescue! Could they have the solutions to these problems? Read on…
Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike)
And Gunman Chronicles, guys! Okay, maybe not that one. But still – Ricochet!
and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the second game add-on for the year’s highest rated multiplatform game, Portal 2, is in development and targeted for release early next year.
Oh! Oh, wow. Singleplayer content, please, dear god, let it be singleplaye-
This major update will feature an easy-to-use in-game map editor that will let users design, build and share their own single-player and co-op test chambers with the community, who will be able to view, play and vote on them with a simple click.
On one hand, there’s no single-player content. On the other hand - finally! A map editor that isn’t Hammer! That’s it, I’m getting some fireworks! 21st October, 2011. Not the end of the world, as Harold Camping yet again failed to predict. But the end of Hammer. Yep, that’s what the Bible must have meant. It was talking about Hammer, all along. “Book of Revelation”, you say? How about some “Book of Better Map Editor-ation?” Praise the lord.
In any case, I think I’m pretty excited about this. A more accessible map editor, plus an easy-to-use interface which you can use to upload, download and rate custom maps? And maybe, just as with Peer Review, somewhere later on down the line, Valve will announce a more substantial piece of content (we originally did not know the new co-op test track, Art Therapy, was even going to be in the DLC) for this DLC #2. And they even shared two new images of the map editor with us:
First one’s not new per se, but it’s of a far higher resolution than the original one we saw in Final Hours. Second one, however, is completely new. And it’s looking great!
So, I suppose now we begin… waiting. If any of you have fancy cryogenic sleep units, you can start those up now. But wait! If you go into hyper-sleep now, then you might miss out on a series of fine give-aways being organized by Valve’s Portal 2 merchandise partners, namely Dark Horse, J!NX and Steel Series. I think the Steel Series one is over, but I assume the other two are still going on.
12 Responses to “Portal 2 DLC #2 To Feature Simplified Infographic Map Editor And Custom Map Distribution Interface, To Be Released In Early 2012”
Still waiting…
I’m a bit scared because of that Bonus Round interview on Sunday, not only because of the implied lack of HL, but beccause they also implied there’s no new co-op or single-player story in the DLC.
They never did say there would be any new co-op/single-play content in DLC #2. Do not fret – perhaps DLC #3 might bring us the goods.
What Bonus Round interview are you referring to? I haven heard of it, and I would like to see it. Thanks in advance!
We’ll have an article about it in just a bit.
You guys, seriously? This was what it looked like to begin with, I bet there will be a whole lot more good tools that make the map’s better than crappy. Look on the bright side, not the side that hates anything new.
Early 2012 means : with good luck X-MAS 2013 … we know VALVe-Time
I can’t imagine this new editor doing the complicate things Hammer does.
Will the fans who find Hammer a difficult tool use this? Or.. Valve will ditch Hammer and it’ll get vanished from this world?
Oh man…
I just hope that there won’t be any incredibly fail-retarded maps.
This sounds as disastrous like TF2 will go F2P, so every troll will play just because it is free. Oh wait. That DID happen.
Can I have a source on this info please?
Could be useful when you want to test your chamber before you make the real map.
Prepare for thousands of retarded “maps”.
I love the sound of the new editor but the custom map distribution scares the hell out of me.
Could make my site and other map review sites obsolete. Well, maybe not obsolete but at the very least less visited.
Why have the hassle of going to a site, when you can do everything through the game.
Ideally, I would want some access to a system that allows me, the player, the chance to “add” sites to the list, so I can see the average rating from that site and then click the button it is added to either a site or the general view.
Yes, I know that sounds really complicated and each site would have to use a Valve approved system that integrated with their system, but it would allow users choice and sites a better chance to share their content.