Evacuate the Sinking Ship - spent ages on this one. With how the solution

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only just

fits I'm fairly sure its the conventional method.

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I was trying far more complicated approaches to the level. Once I simplified the approach it was very quick to solve.

Back after a while not playing, though I expect progress to be much much slower now I'm on the hardest levels.

I do have one more solved level - Stuff in the Way. I don't know if my solution is the only/intended one, certainly requires a bit of T+I in the timing.

Ascending and Descending - Great in scale and I must admit having only 1 basher really stumped me for a bit, but

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having been stuck on Gr8 Escape and 100% Built for so long I saw that the trick is similar for this level relatively quickly. Then it was just a matter of optimising bridge placement as much as I could, was pleased to still have 1 left over

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Quote from: Simon on September 23, 2020, 05:37:01 AM
Thanks. Especially helpful to see what doesn't solve in the fixed 15-20 mins.

Derailed Level: Wibble had similar trouble with Derailed Level; it sits next to Railroad Plot merely because of theme, not of difficulty. Derailed by itself candidate for ranking harder.

Crimson Room: Also eligible for ranking harder; even though not-solving after 5 minutes is only weak evidence for ranking higher.

-- Simon

Derailed Level did take a while, though most of it was me trying to force a route that just didn't work. I think Daunting is the right difficulty level for it though (maybe later in daunting if it is derailed [see what I did there] from Railroad plot).

Crimson room just has a lot of options so is fine to solve, yet tough to solve quickly.

Don't Catch Me If You Can - This is an "easy if you can see it, impossible if you can't" type of level, a nice stalling trick in the end. Nice to see the shadow tribe getting a go at the game too.

Yuki, Muon, Madobe, Nite - I assume this translates as

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Home run?

. Assuming my solution is the intended method I like that trick at the start.

Thanks all, that hint of

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basically apply that approach to something else

was all I needed - well, on top of all the others! To be fair, I think I'd have still been there waiting if I hadn't had the hint to

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look at that lovely level, aka Dolly Dimple 2

Had one of those moments where I was counting skills used for 1 method for a different method

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I'd ruled out going above because I thought I'd still need to turn around to save a basher, forgetting the point of the above route is to save a basher...

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After all that I still had a bridge to spare too!

So, with all of Vicious done I feel that it's fairly obvious which levels I consider the hardest in there!

For Hopeless, I have solved a few.

Recycling Plant - very original,

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not sure what the function of the first bouncepad was?

. I had the idea to

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make the path as long as possible

but took a lot of different attempts, varying use of the remaining skills to get to a solution. Looks good in fast forward mind!

Empty Space Is Hardly A Waste - solved this before

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Burridan's Lix

, so I really should have saw the solution to the latter earlier, especially as this level didn't take long at all. Love the simple aesthetic of this one.

Close to the Edge - Got the idea fairly quickly for this one too, but was slowed slightly

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as I was trying to use a turner instead of imploder for the top blocker

. Once I changed that approach it was solved pretty quickly.

The Hotel In Hell - As with Close to the Edge, I was pretty close to the solution pretty quickly, a slight tweak changed me from almost there to there, namely 

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using the turner at the top for 2 lix instead of twice on 1 lix was the key for me

. Liked the aesthetic of this one again.

Division of Labour - Solved in 2 attempts, honestly didn't think my method would work and just tried it in case it did! Only just mind - in 2 places the timing is very tight.

I've got a feeling I have picked the low hanging fruit so far mind, the other levels I have looked at in Hopeless are nowhere near a solution as yet.

Still stuck on Escape, have started more seriously looking at Hopeless now.

Will post about others later, but thought I'd comment on Bipolar Maniac. Surely this is a backroute, otherwise this should be in Lovely!

I suspected the first of those hints, and got 100% built solved off the 2nd hint - at last. That's a trick I don't think I'd have ever spotted otherwise. Ironically, the level referred to was the level in Lovely that I found the most difficult by a considerable margin!

Chasm - I had the right idea after the hints told me to approach it

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using a lix from right to left

. Took many rewinds and attempts to

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align the exploding running jumper correctly

though - a worthy final level for this difficulty I think!

Escape - I think I have seen the trick you all were hinting at, but still a bridge short.

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I can have the trailblazer bash through for the top trapdoor or bridge the gap between the white spheres, but not both?

So, no further on Gr8 Escape or 100% built. For Chasm, this is now where I am at,

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not sure if I need to save an extra bomber to use 2 explosions to get the floater across the 2nd time? I can also use a cuber on the RHS to protude out a bit which may help.

Looks like I did then, let me try that again!

Also on Gr8 Escape

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when you say nonbuilder lix, is that use of the word lix meant to be singular or plural?

Gr8 Escape -

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The most pressing problem - depends if its about holding all lix in position or not, and whether I bridge up to a level where I can bash through in 1 to get to the outside, or use 2 bashers instead.

If it's about holding all lix in place, and bridging up first,  its a lack of bashers to release again plus no terrain to work with at all to turn the bridge. 

If it's about holding all lix in place and bashing twice lower down then I can see how to turn the bridger against the white circle, but releasing the held lix takes the 3rd basher leaving none to release the top part.   

Burridan's Lix RHS now solved. Weirdly I thought I'd tried that method earlier, clearly I hadn't!

Chasm -

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being told it is possible to go from right to left, I have now seen how to do this, it does however require an exploder as far as I can see, in order to avoid having to use the parachute too early. Now to think out how to do the rest.

The Gr8 Escape - To answer Proxima's question

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I can think of 3 things; ceiling, blocker, or bridge (going the opposite way). Obviously it can't be the blocker. My thoughts are its the underside of the white balls? But then I'd need bridges to shore up the gap for the rest of the lix, probably at least 3 more? Which I don't have. Can't see anywhere else it can apply though.

Chasm - to answer the question in the hints, see the replay.

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With no more climbers I can't even use boxes to help.

Thanks for all hints given, I have looked at 3 of the levels I was stuck on and solved 2.5 of them now.

Burridan's Lix (LHS) - OK, should have saw that way sooner than I did!

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Nice idea pre building the bridge from below!

For the RHS, have read Proxima's hints, I did suspect it would be something to do with the level mentioned there, still working on how though.

Wait Why Is There a Tree? - I had most of the idea already, just missed

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the fact that I don't need them to be able to climb up the crater if its made over there

Theresa Falls Up the Stairs - Got this one off the first hint. Liked this level a lot, any level that uses a variety of skills, particularly the non basic lemmings ones, is one that appeals. The trap adds a nice bit of scenery even if it is generally cosmetic in function.

So, with the remaining 6 Vicious levels I'm pretty much stuck. Some feel close to the solution, some not. 

Gr8 Escape - still not seeing how to apply any tricks with bridges to either stall several lix in 1 go (without needing an extra basher) or turn around without a wall.

Burridan's lix - 1 short on the solution for the left, not even close with the right.

100% Built - not seeing how to save a bridge on either side.

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On the RHS I can see that 6 bridges are needed for the height leaving 1 bridge to both stall the remaining lix and unstall them, doesn't seem possible? But on the LHS I'm not seeing how to use fewer bridges either, 1 splatform, 2 to get past the sanctuary either side, leaves 1 bridge to allow all lix to get to the sanctuary after the  first pass - also seems impossible? Obviously one of those things is possible though.

Wait Why Is there a Tree? -

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Thoughts are to try to use the diggers together with 1 implode to turn a climber round and bridge right to left, but I can't see how to do that and then be able to get across to the sanctuary? I have tried sending 3 climbers up, having 1 dig immediately, the second dig into an alcove to allow the 3rd to turn, then implode the second, but can't get the timings to work - for the second climber to dig far enough for the 3rd to turn around, the imploder then ends up too deep.

Theresa Falls Up the Stairs - 2 different unsuccessful methods attached.

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I can't optimise the digging any more for the platforms to reach with the second method, leading me to think the first is closer to the solution. If I can just get a lix to the sanctuary area from the start without using a batter, blocker, or both jumpers then I can solve it I think.

Chasm - Most of my attempts are variants of the attached.

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I have also tried using a climber from the right trapdoor to jump the chasm from that side, aiming to mine down to the LHS - with no success

Hints for any or all would be appreciated at this stage.