Portal 2 developer commentary: Difference between revisions

=== Airlocks ===

{{Quotation | Garret Rickey

| Airlocks were introduced mainly as a way to allow players to focus on individual puzzles.  In some of our early investigations, areas contained puzzles that were meant to be solved as a group, as well as others that were for individual solution.  But we found that if players could move freely between them, they logically assumed that the individual puzzles were part of one big puzzle.  This had bad results.  For clarity, we created these airlock-like spawn rooms that act as checkpoints between puzzles.  Once both players enter the airlock, we lock off access.

=== High-Five ===

{{Quotation | Matthew Scott

| We noticed that after playtesters had solved a difficult puzzle together, they'd sometimes pause before funneling through the exit door to repeatedly jump up and down in excitement. We realized that these meeting points would be the perfect time to allow players to high-five each other and celebrate their victory in style. Our first interface attempt had one player initiate a high five by holding their hand up and waiting, the other player could join in by selecting the same gesture. If they were standing in the correct positions relative to each other, they would pull off a high five. But learning the correct places to stand was too difficult. So we decided to automatically move the bots into the correct positions for the high five. Sometimes, however, the player who wanted to high five would be left hanging as the other player ran ahead without accepting. Increasing the time that the initiator waited with his hand up gave the other player time to return and accept, but being frozen in place for more than a few seconds was too frustrating. So finally, we made players auto-accept the team gestures. Now, when the mood strikes either player, the game always ensures a successful celebration.