Lemmings Plus series Challenges

[namida]

Sneaky 5: Intended solution uses 2 climbers, 13 floaters, 1 blocker, 4 builders, 1 basher, 1 miner, 1 digger.
I found a solution using only 1 climber and only 3 floaters, but it only saves 96% (requirement is 98%). Still uses all of the other skills. If climbers were a single-use thing, this solution would acheive the requirement...
Uploaded the replay in case anyone gets any ideas from it.

That being said, a very simple change to the intended solution (based on one of the ideas in this failed attempt) did manage to knock it down to 1 climber and no blocker.

EDIT: Another variation on the intended solution gets rid of the digger and brings the floaters down to 10, as well as acheiving a glitch-free 100%. (I can't actually remember if Akseli's 100% was glitch-free or not, I don't seem to have a copy of it anymore, it may in all likelihood have been for a demo (Sneaky 5 was featured in one of them) or an older version.)

[namida]

I got a few results for LPII Bonus Pack - mostly only those that are obvious or quite simple to work out.

Trial 1 - There is quite obviously no way to solve this without using every skill, so that answers both challenges.

Challenge 7 - Fairly sure the 4 blocker approach is the only way, which answers both challenges.

Reverse 1 - A two-skill solution is possible with a builder and a miner (doesn't appear to be any one-skill solution). It can also be solved with a blocker, a builder and a digger. The normal solution only uses a miner and a digger. Therefore, the answer for can't live without is none.

Reverse 2 - Bomber/Blocker/Basher is one combo that works. A slight variant of this swaps the basher for a builder. Another variant can instead swap the bomber for a builder. A different approach can complete the level with two bashers and a bomber (thus eliminating the blocker). So this one is also none.

Flight 1 - I don't have a final result for minimum skills, but for can't live without, see attached replay for solution with no builders. Once you've got that, eliminating bashers is fairly simple, and anything else is completely trivial. EDIT: I cannot find any way to do it with less than 7 skills. My solution to acheive this is a fairly obvious combination of builders and bashers.

Rush 1 - Fewest diggers I can seem to solve it with is 8. RR 97 before the first lemming, then 99 before the next one, and then it's just a matter of leaving every digger as late as possible.

Rush 2 - Good luck solving this with anything short of the full 60 builders. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

Rush 3 - Quite obviously 80 floaters, also meaning 80 skills minimum.

Rush 5 - By similar logic, this one is 64 each of climbers and floaters.

Rush 6 - And by similar logic again, 66 bombers here.



EDIT: Also improved a few of the minimum skills for Mild levels in LPDOS:

Mild 5: Reduced to 2 skills (was 3). Replay attached, it's not exactly unobvious but does require careful timing.
Mild 8: Reduced to 1 skill (was 2). It's a glitch solution, but a fairly obvious one, so I didn't upload a replay. Use the nuke glitch.
Mild 15: Reduced to 2 skills (was 3). Replay attached. Like Mild 5, this one is a matter of timing - in fact, the 2-skill solution here is very similar to the one there!
Mild 23: Reduced to 3 skills (was 5). Replay attached. Like Mild 8, this one uses the nuke glitch; though it also features very tight timing. Attempts to reduce to 2 skills using a similar method have failed; the most I can save with 2 skills is 55% (requirement is 60%).

[namida]

Did a start on LPIII for the can't live without ones. LPIII is somewhat unique for challenges, due to generally lacking glitches, thus making it truly a matter of simply finding optimal solutions.*

Timid 1 - By going down on the right side, going under, and using the block-mid-basherstroke-then-bomb-next-to-it trick used in the solutions to a few of the later levels, you can complete the level with only one builder (the one used to build to the exit). Anything else is easily eliminated.
Timid 2 - Eliminating anything other than builders is simple. 1 builder replay attached.
Timid 3 - Here, the tricky one to get rid of is miners. However, a combination of building towards the top and using other skills can get rid of even those, so nothing is required on this one.
Timid 4 - The obvious solution requires (at minimum) 17 climbers, 17 floaters, a blocker and a basher. A less obvious solution can be done with merely 16 climbers and 16 combined bashers and diggers (if you can guess the approach used here, you'll notice very quickly why the destructive skills are needed). However, there is no obvious way to further reduce the climbers - I do have one idea of how it might be possible to get it down to 5 (possibly even 4), but since it's far from guaranteed that this is actually workable, I'm not going to put that as the result without actually trying it.
Timid 5 - Minimum builders is clearly 2. You can avoid miners by using bombers and diggers to get through the middle rick.
Timid 6 - 2 builders cannot be avoided - one to get the floaters (there is a way down without them too, but it still needs a builder to cross a gap), one to build a safe landing. Slight variations on the normal solution can get rid of all the other skills; the blocker is the hardest one to avoid but carefully timing the interaction between lemmings can acheive it.
Timid 7 - Replay without builders attached; eliminating anythign else is fairly simple. This, as you may expect, makes very heavy use of stopping bashers mid-stroke using a blocker then freeing said blocker, either by bomber or by digger.

Dodgy 6 is also obvious, so I filled that one in.


* After actually playing some, it appears that a LOT of challengey solutions end up relying on stopping bashers mid-stroke, generally with a blocker that is subsequently freed or at least bypassed somehow. This trick was already used in the intended solutions of a few Rough and Fierce levels, but seems to be particularly prevailant under challenge conditions.


EDIT: I forgot to include the replay for the no-floater solution to Timid 6. Not that it's overly hard, but still; it DOES make use of decorative terrain so it might not be immediately obvious.

[namida]

Timid 8 - Replay without builders attached. Eliminating anything else is fairly simple.
Timid 9 - Replay without builders attached, but I don't think there's any way to avoid using at least one basher.
Timid 10 - No builders is impossible, but 1 builder can be done! Since the level can be solved with just builders, that gives a simple final result from there.
Timid 11 - Less than 2 builders is obviously impossible. One version of my 98% solution doesn't use any blockers, so the end result is 2 builders.
Timid 12 - By now everyone should know the tricks to avoid builders in these kind of situations. Easiest way to avoid diggers is by bombing down one side, in a similar fashion to PSYCHO 10 from LPDOS. Thanks to the large number of skills, bashers aren't too hard to avert.
Timid 13 - Replay without bashers attached. Eliminating builders can also be somewhat tricky, I have the replay if anyone wants it but due to 4-attachment limit, I decided the basher one was more worth uploading. All other skills are fairly easy to eliminate. So end result, none.

[namida]

Timid 14 - Quite obviously the minimum possible builders is three (via a left-side solution). There is no way to create a splatform quickly eough without at least two floaters. Most other skills can be quite easily eliminated, but there's one that actually remains quite tricky but not impossible to get rid of; blockers. Blocker-free replay attached. So the final answer is 2 floaters, 3 builders.

Timid 15 - Haven't fully looked at this one. I can rule out climbers, floaters, bombers and blockers. Builders, I can't find a way to do it with less than three, though two might be possible as the third in this case is only used to turn a lemming around. I haven't really looked at the last three skills yet.

EDIT: Okay, finished this one off. All three destructive skills can be eliminated (though not at the same time; though Bashers and Miners can be done at the same time). The digger-free one is fairly obvious (though I have a replay saved just in case, but didn't upload due to 4-attachment limit); I attached a replay that eliminates both bashers and miners.

I also looked at the next two.

Timid 16 - Bash towards the right, then when you're above the exit, mine or dig down, for a builder-free solution (you can use either miners *or* diggers, so that eliminates both of those). Bashers can easily be substituted with any other destructive skill in the normal solution. This gimmick is actually quite helpful for this challenge, at least in this level (no doubt it'll be a MAJOR hindrance in the minimum skills though).

Timid 17 - Going via the teleporter, the level can be completed with just builders plus one destructive skill (any of the three should work, though I didn't try diggers; but even just two already eliminate each other). You just build up over the obstacle to the left, destroy the bridge allowing *two* lemmings to pass - one goes through the teleport and builds to the exit, the other builds across the gap to the left so no lemmings fall off there and die. Repair the bridge once the path is nearing completion. Time can get a bit tight on this solution, but it is possible. The only remaining question is minimizing builders. Attached is a replay that doesn't use any; once again, the gimmick comes in very handy here, as you'd normally need a complex interaction of skills or a bomber (which you can't use as this level requires 100%) to do something that can be acheived here with a single miner.



I also filled out a few where only one solution is known and it's very unlikely there'll be others, or other cases where it's obvious (or known) for any reason. One of these levels also can't be beaten without the nuke, so I mentioned that on the level in question.

[namida]

Timid 4 - The obvious solution requires (at minimum) 17 climbers, 17 floaters, a blocker and a basher. A less obvious solution can be done with merely 16 climbers and 16 combined bashers and diggers (if you can guess the approach used here, you'll notice very quickly why the destructive skills are needed). However, there is no obvious way to further reduce the climbers - I do have one idea of how it might be possible to get it down to 5 (possibly even 4), but since it's far from guaranteed that this is actually workable, I'm not going to put that as the result without actually trying it.

The new version fixes the glitch that made the destructive skills nessecary. At the same time though, it also renders that method completely ineffective, as lemmings directly falling from the teleporter will miss the exit by one pixel. However, a floater-free solution is still viable and not really that complicated; just make use of the decorative terrain on the right - you can get down to the exit with two miners, which the standard solution doesn't use.

This new solution does however go back to needing at least 17 climbers, and also needing a blocker, so I'll have to look into if there's any way to avoid those.

EDIT: Found a solution that avoids the blocker, and another one that only uses two climbers. The blockerless solution is very messy, but the 2-climber one is really fun, I suggest trying to find it yourself rather than watching the replay. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" /> I do wonder if it might be possible to reduce that to 1 or even no climbers, but that's something I might try another time.

If you're trying to work out the no-blocker one on your own, just be aware that it would not work under traditional mechanics, at least not on the DOS version (it would on some versions of the game).

[namida]

ALRIGHT, found a 2-builder solution to Timid 15!

EDIT: And a basher-free solution to Timid 9!

[namida]

Here's a start on Dodgy 1. I still need to minimize builders - current best that I'm aware of is 6 but I haven't really tried yet, I can probably get it down further if I do. I myself haven't even acheived 6; I've only seen it in other people's solutions.

My intended solution replay can be easily modified to not use blockers, and already doesn't use floaters (although one of these replays doesn't use floaters either).
Attached are two replays. The first one doesn't use climbers or bombers. The second doesn't use bashers or diggers - the one miner it uses can very easily be substituted with a well-placed digger. If you can't get the placement for that right, you can still substitute it even more easily with a digger and a basher.

So all it comes down to for this level is how few builders it can be completed with.
EDIT: Got a 5-builder solution. I don't think any less than this is possible, partly due to the very steep save requirement on this level.


EDIT: Another one to add, found a basher-free solution to Dodgy 11. This leaves only four skills required for that one - the climber, one builder, the miner and the digger.