LC teleporter rotor puzzle styling suggestions

[Blackwell]

I figured I’d revive JeanPaul’s late thread, it had sparked some rather interesting ideas/ drawings and I’d hate to see that all lost. Specifically it was in reguards to the rotating platforms and how to go about their design.

For those of you that missed it JeanPaul was referring to this section- (see attachment)

To get the ball rolling I’ll add my two cents, it always struck me odd how the random teleport sphere just hung in the air above some of the rotors. Perhaps having a bit of arcing between the central pillar to the tellys to show some sort of connection?

My first “official” post to the bm forms’ (waves) Ello’ all glad to be part of the discussion.

[Mangled]

Numerous people, me included, had suggested that the platforms be magnets used for controlling the reactor.

I’ll resubmit my concept then:

Each platform should be a powerful magnetic coil used for controlling/manipulating/containing sections of the reactor, each should have a maintenance platform on top for use when they are stationary.

In my concept the three platforms/magnets on each level are part of a disk that is set into the wall and rotates as a whole around the reactor chamber.

[Greyfox]

I had a few suggestions on this one too:

Instead of the Magnetic coil, use Xen crystals under the matinance platforms in order to create the resonance field.

Also you could have each level of rotors ‘spin up’ after you successfully complete the puzzle. Once you go through the portal successfully, the rotor level you were on could increase its speed to about 5 rev/sec and cool teleporter thingies could occur.

I also suggested that the core fill up each level with coolant after completing each level, but there wasn’t much agreement on that one.

[The_Assassin47]

See, the idea is a rationale for existing gameplay, not new gameplay elements.
That’s the problem with many of these ideas.

Its got to look, function, and play like the old one as much as possible.
Mangled’s/our ideas seem to fit the budget for what those things could be doing.

Concerning the crystals idea, there’s no evidence that crystals were used, and thus this would change the story.

[Mangled]

The original brief was to come up with a rational function and design for the platforms, not to reinvent the way that it plays.

With regard to the crystals there would really be no explicable reason for them being there, it was Gordons experiment that caused the resonance cascade, and the portals in the Lambda Core reactor were man made ones, as Lambda personel were experimenting into teleportation and none of them are linked with Xen.

As for the coolant rising or platforms changing as you progress up the chamber, really it changes the gameplay too much from the original, in the original you could fall all the way to the bottom. There is also the issue of how does the reactor intelligently know where Gordon is and why would it react to his presence?

[FireBird]

@Mangled*

The original brief was to come up with a rational function and design for the platforms, not to reinvent the way that it plays.
(…)

I agreed with you on that, I don’t think the game play should be changed much in this section, however explaining the situation better through the environment would help in understanding what exactly the puzzle is. The first time I played through the level, I was thinking to my self “WTF is a room with random killing teleports doing in here”.

[The_Assassin47]

@Mangled*

The original brief was to come up with a rational function and design for the platforms, not to reinvent the way that it plays.

With regard to the crystals there would really be no explicable reason for them being there, it was Gordons experiment that caused the resonance cascade, and the portals in the Lambda Core reactor were man made ones, as Lambda personel were experimenting into teleportation and none of them are linked with Xen.

As for the coolant rising or platforms changing as you progress up the chamber, really it changes the gameplay too much from the original, in the original you could fall all the way to the bottom. There is also the issue of how does the reactor intelligently know where Gordon is and why would it react to his presence?

Uh, slight detail. The resonance cascade was done by a Xen crystal. its reffered to as a unusual sample, which indicates it was found. Look at it. Its from Xen.

Actually now that I’m reading this I understand your post. So disregard what I just said.

[mattemuse]

Reposting my concept sketch. The original idea was to have the platforms be temperature control for the interior of the core, but I now believe it makes more sense as some sort of probe that can be oriented into the core ports and then extended to safely explore the teleportation portals as they open inside the core.

[Zoose]

Damn mattemuse, awesome concept sketch, I wish I could have drawing skills like that…

[Greyfox]

I’ll have to agree that there is no justification the Xen crystals facilitate the portal technologies, so i’ll just remove my idea from submission.

How about the interior of the ‘silo’ be tiled with cermaic/metallic alloy hexagons when machinery isn’t needed?
Kinda like this, but in a more inventive color and texture:

[faelnor]

{a lot of text}

[Collision]

@Mangled*

Numerous people, me included, had suggested that the platforms be magnets used for controlling the reactor.

I’ll resubmit my concept then:

Each platform should be a powerful magnetic coil used for controlling/manipulating/containing sections of the reactor, each should have a maintenance platform on top for use when they are stationary.

In my concept the three platforms/magnets on each level are part of a disk that is set into the wall and rotates as a whole around the reactor chamber.

Though I do like the sound of the idea.

But, just a couple of problems when looking at it in a RL situation, a magnet that big would instantly pull Gordon towards it and hold him there due to his suit.

Plus, any of the maintenance guys would have theirs tools flings from their hands to be stuck to the platform.

[St4va]

@mattemuse

Reposting my concept sketch. The original idea was to have the platforms be temperature control for the interior of the core, but I now believe it makes more sense as some sort of probe that can be oriented into the core ports and then extended to safely explore the teleportation portals as they open inside the core.

Wait, this is from “Black Mesa concept art box” ?

[Keresh]

What are you talking about? He made it.

[mattemuse]

@St4va

Wait, this is from “Black Mesa concept art box” ?

What? AFAIK no, but what the fuck are you talking about?

[Collision]

@Raminator

There are actually very few metals that are magnetic, and those that are are usually too soft to be useful for use in tools or armour. You’d actually be hard pressed finding a spanner or something that’d be attracted to a magnet, and I’d imagine most of Gordon’s suit would be Kevlar and other composites.

Good point.

It kinda reminds me of a theory I had a while ago, in that the back plate of the HEV suit is actually a powerful electro magnet, thus a feasible way for Gordon to actually be able to carry all the stuff he does.

[Lamsey]

@Collision

Good point.

It kinda reminds me of a theory I had a while ago, in that the back plate of the HEV suit is actually a powerful electro magnet, thus a feasible way for Gordon to actually be able to carry all the stuffy he does.

There is only one reasonable explanation for that.

[The_Minotaur]

How the fuck did you get my luggage!? Stupid airport saying it was lost… :ninja:

[Greyfox]

Is there any speculation as to if the lambda reactor was s retrofitted something or was it something that was built from the black mesa stone?

The Lambda reactor is a vertical tube essentially that is stacked atop of one another, it makes me think that it could of been a missile silo of somesort. (Someone posted a great picture of the Lambda Core diagram before the forum crashed…)

I’m thinking if it was build from an existing structure, then it would most likely be an old missile silo, and you could have some artistic tenancies or large features to match.

But why would a highly valuable reactor be tarnished with old equipment? (Thinking about the missle silo when you kill the tentacle)

Any thoughts?

[Nosehole]

I agree with the missile-silo idea, though I think it shouldn’t show.
They built a massive magic-reactor in it - you’d think they took the time to redecorate