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[[File:Mel.jpg|thumb|90px|right|Model and texture of Mel found in ''Portal 2'' game files.]]
[[Image:Mel.png|150px|right|Mel's placeholder found in Portal 2's game files.]]


'''Mel''' is a playable character cut from ''[[Portal 2]]''.<ref name="Jq">[http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/21/preview-portal-2-co-op/ Preview: Portal 2 (co-op)] on Joystiq</ref> She was originally to be one of two [[co-op|cooperative campaign]] test subjects, the other being [[Chell]].
Originally, '''Mel''' was to be the protagonist<ref name="GI">[http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/03/07/portal-2-origins.aspx ''Portal 2'''s Wildly Different Origins] on GameInformer</ref> of ''[[Portal 2]]'', and was later refitted to be in the game's co-op campaign alongside [[Chell]], before ultimately being cut from the game altogether.


== Overview ==
== Overview ==
* Mel was completely scrapped from the game when the co-op characters were turned into [[Atlas]] and [[P-body]], two infinitely respawnable robots, whereas Chell is kept for the single-player campaign only. Replacing the two human test subjects with robots was decided when it was noted that play testers tended to die a lot, thus creating an in-universe reason for the constant respawning.<ref name="Jq" />
[[File:Human co-op.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Human test subject co-op gameplay by the ''[[Portal 2 - The Final Hours|The Final Hours of Portal 2]]''.]]


* Several [[GLaDOS]] lines written when the two test subjects were still to be human (notably GLaDOS taunting the two women about their weight) have been kept for the robots, adding to the comedy of the game.<ref name="Jq" />
The only valid instance of Mel's physical appearance comes from an early placeholder texture replacement of [[Chell]]'s model from ''[[Portal]]''. She appears as a blonde haired, blue eyed woman in a light blue jumpsuit with a fairer skin tone than that of Chell. In the later stages of ''Portal 2''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s development cycle, she along with Chell were scrapped from the co-op campaign in favor of the android test subjects; [[Atlas]] and [[P-body]].


* Her placeholder model was the Chell player model from the first game, with a light blue jumpsuit, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a much more fair skin tone. Her texture files for this placeholder can be seen in the game files of ''Portal 2''.
While Mel was still cast as the game's main character, play-testers "eventually became disappointed" when they found that [[GLaDOS]] didn't recognize the player.<ref name="GI">[http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/03/07/portal-2-origins.aspx ''Portal 2'''s Wildly Different Origins] on GameInformer</ref> In addition, after being changed to a [[Cooperative Testing Initiative|co-op]] character, play-testers were also reluctant to experiment within the co-op puzzles themselves, due to the consequence of dying without respawning; {{Spoiler|destruction of the co-op bots at the end of each chapter, and the reassembly system for the starting and conclusion of each test chamber, helped tackle this issue.}} In addition, this helped create an in-universe excuse for the constant respawning of co-op players.<ref name="Joystiq-Preview-Portal-2-Co-op">[http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/21/preview-portal-2-co-op/ Preview: Portal 2 (co-op)] on Joystiq</ref>
 
In ''[[Portal 2 - The Final Hours|The Final Hours of Portal 2]]'', a screenshot of an early human co-op campaign can be found. The screenshot depicts the player staring at their co-op partner, who is dressed in the same early jumpsuit design for ''Portal 2''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Chell. However, it appears to be lacking the ponytail hair Chell had and the face appears to be much younger than Chell's development stage at that time, suggesting that the woman in the screenshot is an early design of Mel.
 
== Gallery ==
{{Gallery
|lines = 3
|height = 108
|width = 192
|File:PortalMel.jpg|alt1=Mel as she appears in Portal Stories: Mel|Mel as she appears in ''[[Portal Stories: Mel]]''
|File:PortalMelConcept.jpg|alt2=Concept art for Portal Stories: Mel|Concept art for ''Portal Stories: Mel''
}}


== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==
 
* Although the human co-op concept was scrapped, several [[GLaDOS]] voice lines making reference to the women's weight were reused in the game's release for comedic effect, due to [[Atlas]] and [[P-body]] being robots.<ref name="Joystiq-Preview-Portal-2-Co-op" />
* Mel and Greg (whose role was replaced and expanded for [[Caroline]]) are the only two characters thus far known to have been cut from the ''Portal'' series. The [[Party Escort Bot]] would have been first if it had not been retconned back into the end of ''[[Portal]]''.
* Her placeholder texture is a skin group of [[Chell]]'s model from the first game, which is present and separate from the ''Portal 2'' Chell model in the game files, however the model lacks animations since they are used for ''Portal 2''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s model.
* The character of Mel is reused in the ''[[Portal 2]]'' mod ''[[Portal Stories: Mel]]'', in which she is the main character. This iteration of Mel has a unique design making her distinct from Chell, rather than a simple palette swap.


== References ==
== References ==
<references />
<references />
{{combine overwiki text|Mel}}


{{CharactersNav}}
{{CharactersNav}}


[[Category:Beta and unused content]]
[[Category:Beta and unused content]]

Latest revision as of 17:42, 11 March 2022

Mel's placeholder found in Portal 2's game files.

Originally, Mel was to be the protagonist[1] of Portal 2, and was later refitted to be in the game's co-op campaign alongside Chell, before ultimately being cut from the game altogether.

Overview

Human test subject co-op gameplay by the The Final Hours of Portal 2.

The only valid instance of Mel's physical appearance comes from an early placeholder texture replacement of Chell's model from Portal. She appears as a blonde haired, blue eyed woman in a light blue jumpsuit with a fairer skin tone than that of Chell. In the later stages of Portal 2's development cycle, she along with Chell were scrapped from the co-op campaign in favor of the android test subjects; Atlas and P-body.

While Mel was still cast as the game's main character, play-testers "eventually became disappointed" when they found that GLaDOS didn't recognize the player.[1] In addition, after being changed to a co-op character, play-testers were also reluctant to experiment within the co-op puzzles themselves, due to the consequence of dying without respawning; destruction of the co-op bots at the end of each chapter, and the reassembly system for the starting and conclusion of each test chamber, helped tackle this issue. In addition, this helped create an in-universe excuse for the constant respawning of co-op players.[2]

In The Final Hours of Portal 2, a screenshot of an early human co-op campaign can be found. The screenshot depicts the player staring at their co-op partner, who is dressed in the same early jumpsuit design for Portal 2's Chell. However, it appears to be lacking the ponytail hair Chell had and the face appears to be much younger than Chell's development stage at that time, suggesting that the woman in the screenshot is an early design of Mel.

Gallery

Trivia

  • Although the human co-op concept was scrapped, several GLaDOS voice lines making reference to the women's weight were reused in the game's release for comedic effect, due to Atlas and P-body being robots.[2]
  • Her placeholder texture is a skin group of Chell's model from the first game, which is present and separate from the Portal 2 Chell model in the game files, however the model lacks animations since they are used for Portal 2's model.
  • The character of Mel is reused in the Portal 2 mod Portal Stories: Mel, in which she is the main character. This iteration of Mel has a unique design making her distinct from Chell, rather than a simple palette swap.

References