NeoLemmix Pack Creation Tutorial

[namida]

So, I'm wanting to put together a detailed tutorial on how to create a pack - covering everything from how to make levels (not so much the "how to get ideas" part, but the "how to actually put the level together in NeoLemmix Editor" part), graphic sets, custom MAIN.DAT files, and putting together a Flexi player for the pack.

What I'd like to ask is - what would you like to see in this tutorial? Are there any parts you find particularly difficult and would like expanded information on?

[IchoTolot]

I would love to see such a tutorial  (especially, because I will start trying to make a few NeoLemmix levels on my own in ~ 2 month)

Creating the levels with the editor, I wouldn't consider the main problem. I myself would be very interested to know how to cram all the levels into one pack for NeoLemmix (that would be the MAIN.DAT part I assume) and how to set up an extra Player for the pack (with ratings, title, music etc) 

[namida]

MAIN.DAT is just the system graphics - lemming sprites, main menu graphics, in-game fonts, etc. The layout is a combination of level pack DAT files (one DAT per rank) and SYSTEM.DAT (which contains a lot of general configuration info about the pack).

The two reasons I mentioned discussing how to make levels are;
1) For new users who may have no previous experience making levels
2) For those who haven't quite got the hang of how to use new NeoLemmix features - I'm not sure if you've worked with SuperLemmini, which has a few new features, but NeoLemmix has even more (even if it doesn't have all of the ones SuperLemmini has xD)

[Wafflem]

2) For those who haven't quite got the hang of how to use new NeoLemmix features - I'm not sure if you've worked with SuperLemmini, which has a few new features, but NeoLemmix has even more (even if it doesn't have all of the ones SuperLemmini has xD)

Yes, this definitely needs to be in the tutorial. Some people have made NeoLemmix levels, but I'm the only one so far who actually uses the NeoLemmix features (gimmicks, objects, skills, secret levels, etc.). This is probably because the people aren't too familiar with the new features and the new mechanics (which was probably why it took me a while to solve Dodgy 18 "The United States Method")

Some suggestions:
-A list of mechanics changes from traditional mechanics.
-A chart of gimmicks; one column has the name of the gimmick, one column that explains the gimmick, and one column that has at least one small image demonstrating the gimmick.
-The same applies to chart of NeoLemmix objects and NeoLemmix skills.
-How to create adjustable VGASPEC levels.
-If you made a level with the traditional editor, but now want to adjust the size to remove the unnecessary space after NeoLemmixising it, a tutorial on how to shift the level and adjust the level size.
-If you ever implement it, how to add achievements.
-How to set up Test Mode (a couple of people have trouble with this one), and how to change the configuration to when you start the level, the Pre-postview screen, go straight to the level, etc.)
-The tutorial for the Playtime 10 Gimmick.

[Nepster]

One more suggestion: Explain all the options in (Neo)CustLemmix.
Reading DynaLem's last posts I realized that there is an option called TestMode, but I have actually no clue what one can change there .

[namida]

I'll be sure to include that detail. However, to answer your question now, it offers 4 different options for how NeoCustLemmix acts when used in test mode with the editor (IIRC, traditional CustLemmix has these options too, except maybe the last one?):

* Display normal preview / postview screens
* Skip preview screen, show postview screen
* Skip both screens; exit test mode when level terminates
* Skip both screens; exit test mode and save a replay when level terminates

[namida]

I've started working on this. Feel free to keep the suggestions / etc coming.

(I swear, if I put as much effort into profitable things as I did into NeoLemmix, I'd be rich by now... or at least richer than I am. xD)

[mobius]

Idk if this was your plan, but since you've started making videos-- I think a video tutorial would be a great idea. I've learned how to do things in the past pretty well that way.

Be sure to go over how replays work. Somehow I messed up and now my replays are saving only as "TESTMODE1.rpl" when I press U. I thought before I when I was play testing I was pressing U and saving them as their level names.

On the topic of questions; can I add custom sound effects to my Neolemmix game? For example a different sound for clicking the buttons and the hatch opening etc..

[namida]

The saving as "testmode1" (or "step1_1" when not in test mode) is a glitch in the current version; it'll be fixed in the next update.

Doing video tutorials is indeed a great idea, and probably a lot less tiresome than a written/image tutorial. I'll definitely consider that idea. I'm actually holding off on this for the moment, in case there's any major changes - any tutorials I do do at the moment will probably be relating only to basics and/or level editing (including how to use new features).