The Enriched Update

(A.K.A Yes, this project is still alive)

Hello! Yes, this is not a pre-recorded Enrichment Center message, but an actual devlog from a 5 year-old project.  Feels bad, doesn't it?

Back in 2020, I released a content update to an already aging project to create a Portal-inspired tribute game using Gamemaker's 2D engine. With plans for new levels and areas, and heavily reworked mechanics and assets, I then got to work on further development and ... prompt found myself distracted.

Since then, a number of events including burnout, university, and global pandemic you might have heard of, lead more or less to the abandonment of this project. That was, until I came across the old project files on my computer a few weeks ago, and decided that it was finally time to fix them up into a working state, and release them to Itch.io! A slow grind, I know, but hopefully worth it.

The Updated Content

To summarise this update quickly, here's an overview of everything that's been added or changed in v1.11:

• Window sizes!

  
  

  • No longer is your game restricted to Gamemaker's absurd tiny default window size! The game now launches at a default resolution of 1920 x 1080 like a 2018 game should! In addition, you can also set the window size to a number of presets in the new Display menu, or manually resize the window to any aspect ration you like. You can even play in full-screen.
  • The change in window size does mean that you're likely to come across a few UI bugs and visual glitches with using unusual window sizes. These should be fixable by reverting the window to the default 1920 x 1080 size and entering-and-exiting the Display menu.

• New Menus
  • In addition to the Display Menu, the game now has a dedicated Controls screen available in both the main menu and the pause menu.
  • You can also find a new Credits screen where all the updated and new attributions can be found!

• Asset Reworks
  • A lot of tile and object sprites have received some small facelifts to make them 'cleaner' and more visually appealing. A number of parallax backgrounds have also been added. My pixel art skill has definitely improved over time. These asset changes are most notable in the overgrown levels.

• Editor Fixes
  • Some small internal fixes have been applied to the way the level editor handles objects. This was to prevent a bug which corrupted save files when certain test elements were used in the editor, and involved a small reformatting of custom level files.
  • As a result of the fix, exported levels made in the editor are not compatible with earlier versions of the game. Likewise, custom levels made in previous version won't be compatible with the new update.

• New Levels!
• The game has now been properly divided into Chapters to help split up the narrative. These chapter divisions are slightly different to previous versions of the game, however you'll still find that each chapter corresponds to a different 'area' of the facility.
• The Enriched Update implements Chapter 4, a series of new levels which takes place down in the confined testing spheres of Old Aperture. How many levels you ask? 15 new test chambers for you to solve! And inside those chamber you'll find new testing elements such as:
  • Funnels - Funnels are now used in the game's levels, and fully interact with players, cubes, and turrets. Yay!
  • Pellets - Hard Light Energy Pellets bounce around all kinds of surfaces down in Old Aperture.
  • Mesh Blocks - These see-through walls block solid objects such as pellets and cubes, but allow lasers and gels to pass through.
  • Rotors - These mechanical panels will rotate when activated, bringing any attached objects along with them!
  • Panel Elevators - These panels extend vertically when activated, and are now implemented into the new levels.
  • Cracked Pipes - These pipes burst open to release gel when struck by lasers.
  • Valves - Much like a regular button, except that they require the player to turn them for a long time to activate.
  • Conveyor Belts - Moves cubes, turrets, and players in a direction, Can even by painted by gels.
  • CCTV Terminals - Allows you to review old security footage from the facility. Odd. I wonder what they recorded?...
  • Lots of new tiles and sprites!
• And if that wasn't enough content for you, you'll also be joined by a new personality sphere while you're down there; Ol' Glitch Core!

Where to from here?

With such an old project resurrected so suddenly, the next obvious question is, what are you planning to do next?

The truth is that much of what I originally had planned for the game's final chapter, Chapter 5, is actually already implemented in the game! All that remains to reach what I originally envisioned for the game's 'completed state' is largely dialogue and boss scripting, and some smaller lever and sound-design work. How long it will take to achieve this is another question.

However, if this project does ever reach a 'completed release' update in the near future, it will come at the cost of a very definite change to my original intentions; The abandonment of the Level Editor. 

When I first began this project, I wanted to make it fully possible for players to make their own custom levels using all test elements and mechanics exhibited in the story campaign. Therefore, each new addition of test elements and levels to the game would be complemented by the addition of these objects and mechanics inside of the editor. Unfortunately, the limitations of Gamemaker 1.4 and the time and motivation I had left to work on this project meant that the editor has always lagged behind the story campaign. Now, 5 years since starting, I'm not sure that there's any way to implements a clean, accessible, flexible, and efficient level editor without completely remaking this project from top to bottom.

As a result, I've made the choice that if Portal 64 is ever to be finished, it's 'completed state' will now only concern a finished story campaign. As of now, the editor's current state is considered it's final state. I know it's isn't particularly usable right now, nor does it contain some of the newer test elements, but I fear it's reached the limits of what I'm willing, and capable, of making in this engine.