Gerrit Pottmeyer

Overview

Sphere Gamma is a short Portal 2 level I created using the Valve Hammer game engine, for the Level Design II class in December of 2023. Set inside an old and condemned enrichment sphere, the test chamber utilizes both propulsion and repulsion gels, forcing payers to find creative solutions to vertical and horizontal obstacles.

A top-down (above) and side-view (below) map of Sphere Gamma’s layout.

When developing the test chamber for Sphere Gamma, I initially wanted to utilize piston elevators and rotating panels as added complexity to puzzles. Since these assets were not available in the Hammer editor’s library, I scoured the internet and various forums pages to figure out how to make my own. By repurposing the sliding door script, I was able to create a simple animation skeleton for a piston, and another for a rotating platform.

A screenshot of the level’s development in Hammer (above).

As development progressed, play-testers were confused when puzzle elements triggered, as there was no visual feedback to supplement the level’s audio. Normally, test chamber lights would be an easy solution, due to their already constructed prefab in the editor. Since I was making a level for the underground enrichment spheres however, I needed to construct my own. By resizing and stringing individual light images together, I was able to re-create the indicator lights used in Portal 2’s underground campaign.

Postmortem

Enrichment Sphere Gamma was my first ever map for Portal 2, and my first time utilizing the Valve Hammer editor. Over the course of three short months of development, I grew to love working with the tools provided with the Hammer editor. Working on everything from small environmental detailing, to innovating my own custom puzzle elements, has inspired me to continue honing my skills in developing other side-projects using Hammer. While the map is currently not published, I plan on uploading it to the steam workshop soon after college graduation.