Flopsy's Lix Multiplayer Levels

[Flopsy]

Along the Fabrics of Your Clothing (6 player version) - 3-8 players


Block Chaos (8 player version) - 4-8 players


Block Chaos (shorter) (6 player version) - 4-8 players


Corkscrewed (8 player version) - 4, 6 and 8 players only

[geoo]

Just a few comments from eyeing it, and some general remarks. Of course, can't tell for sure how it plays until you've played it:

• way more builders and platformers: with 50 lix at SI 32, this map isn't that short, so with all the terrain removers you will pretty soon run out of construction skills as other players will meddle with your route. Terrain removal is generally much stronger and faster that terrain creation
• cut the blockers so it doesn't become a grindfest. I kinda expect you to ignore my advice, but there are more interesting things (e.g. strategy) than repeatedly placing and batting blockers. And yes, even "only" 5 blockers will mean some will appear in front of your exit when you're trying to steal someone else's lixes. If you cut blockers, then you can also cut the batters. Otherwise, consider giving more batters as it's not a 1v1 map and multiple people can block one player. Blockers are not so bad in maps with very little interaction, but this one seems like it'll see a lot of interaction.
• walkers and jumpers tend to run out fast, so unless you want to make it hard to meddle with other players, I'd increase their amount
• Diggers are quite powerful as digger holes trap lixes very easily (takes much less effort than with miners). For that reason, I often give less diggers than miners/bashers, or sometimes cut them entirely.
• In general, you can cut specific skills if you want the gameplay to be different from other lots-of-everything maps. E.g. you can cut miners and diggers if you want going down to be more of a challenge, or encourage going up. Similarly, you can cut builders for the opposite effect, or bashers. You can cut jumpers if you want attacking to be harder. You can cut walkers if you want to annoy everyone. You can set the amount of climbers equal to the amount of lix (for levels with not so many lix) if you want to allow climbing everyone home. These kind of changes can make a level more interesting, but they can also make a level suck. So think if the gameplay you desire to achieve with the cuts goes well with the level layout, though it's not always possible to predict that without playing the level.

[Simon]

I'd increase builders, too, to 30 or even 50.

Digging under hatches looks like a strong attack here. You can mitigate that by lowering hatches, putting steel under the hatches, or giving many more builders. Alternatively, you can declare hatch digging a feature of the map.

I'm hoping we can play this in the multiplayer session this weekend

Definitely -- I've always given priority to new maps in multiplayer sessions. Playtesting and good feedback are super important.

Next multiplayer session is Sat Nov 18 at 18:00 UTC.

You needn't send the map to everybody in advance. The game server relays the map to everybody. Post the maps once you'd like them included in the standard Lix download.

-- Simon

[Flopsy]

Ok I've taken suggestions on board and I'd already added steel under the exits before you suggested it Simon



I'll keep the levels back for now and then get feedback on them this session on Saturday before submitting them to be included in the game

I feel the bashers and miners need more now because they are going to be spammed now, it may even be too little for the 5 or 7 player version.

There is a version each for 3-8 players now. The odd numbered ones take the same layout as the 4P map in my first post so realistically speaking it means the 7 player level is the hardest version because you'll be passing 6 other exits and it could be easier to go up perhaps.

Diggers do oversimplify this level so I've completely removed them, the miners will encourage more conflict between players.

[Flopsy]

Updated versions of Along the Fabrics of your Clothing

Posted to the forums since I cannot select levels in the multiplayer

EDIT - attachment removed, please download in first post

[Flopsy]

Block Chaos

This level was played a few times in the Lix session just gone and I hope everyone enjoyed it.

The skillset is displayed and I'm interested in everyone's thoughts on this level while it is fresh in your mind

For those who haven't played the map, blocks of similar colours are the locations of the entrances and exits for one player.

This level is available in 4-8 player versions.

[Simon]

Block Chaos: I'd appreciate more walkers. I habitually cancel miners with walkers. I could try to cancel with platformers.

Builder count is good; if you gave to many, the bottom hatch could force itself upwards. The point of the map is to free the bottom hatch.

-- Simon

[Colorful Arty]

That was a really good level. My only minor complaint was the second time we played it IchoTolot was easily able to kill large amounts of my lix with only 1 of his lix. I'm not sure what one could do to prevent this however.

[Flopsy]

Made some long awaited revisions to my existing Lix Multiplayer levels
- fixed the 6 player version of "Along the Fabrics of your Clothing" where there was a 2 pixel gap at the top of the yellow pillar which gave a disadvantage to one (or more) of the players.
- made an alternate version of "Block Chaos" for 4-8 players called "Block Chaos (shorter)" (6P version pictured at bottom of post) - this version just removes 64 pixels of vertical terrain in the level in the lower half making it easier to rescue the bottom hatches, made this an alternate rather than editing the original, to make up for this size reduction the overtime is down from 2 mins to 1 min, no changes to the skillset.
- made an entirely new level for 4, 6 and 8 players called "Corkscrewed" (8P version pictured below) - the 4 and 6 player versions are 2 and 3 rows respectively but the trapdoor distribution is different in each version so the different player versions may play differently although the skills sets are the same.



Corkscrewed (8 player version) - also available for 4 and 6 players.
Lixes: 100 each.
Overtime: 1 min
I'm interested in overall feedback on the skillset given that the trapdoors and exits are as follows for each player with vertical wrap.
ExitA-G-------G-C------C-ExitE
ExitB-H-------H-D------D-ExitF
ExitC-E-------E-A------A-ExitG
ExitD-F-------F-B------B-ExitH



Block Chaos (Shorter) (6 player version) - also available in 4,5,7 and 8 players.
Lixes: 100
Overtime: 1 min (down from 2 mins!)
Based on feedback from players, I have removed a large block of vertical height from the lower half of the level which will make saving the bottom crowd much easier to do. Overtime is reduced in this version to compensate however.

[Simon]

Earmarked for the next release. Thanks!

-- Simon

[Nessy]

We had a little discussion in IRC about the maps. I'll make a quick post about it here for others to see and even jump in if they wish:


<Nessy> I do like the idea of having a lot of walkers and jumpers though because it's easy to make mistakes and they kind of don't punish you for it.
...
<Flopsy> jumpers are a key part of that level, it could allow you to jump onto builder bridges above you possibly
<Nessy> I like multiplayer maps with a lot of constructive skills as well.
<Nessy> Yeah.
<Nessy> I think no blockers is good for that level because I think that's one of the main ideas of it.
<Flopsy> climbers are not very useful so they won't be missed
<Flopsy> there's hardly anything to climb except cubes
<namida_42> on the flipside though, climbers + cubers can lead to some interesting stuff
<Nessy> You have cubers though which might be useful for offensive and defensive.
<Flopsy> cubers with no bashers though
<Flopsy> means cubers are slightly more effective
<Nessy> Exactly, so they can be used defensive.
<Nessy> defensively
<Flopsy> there are still miners and fling bombers though
<Nessy> But they aren't overpowered because you do have some destructive skills.
<Flopsy> fling bombers are possibly the strongest skill in that level
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<Nessy> Basically you won't have the cube and then immediately a bash, cube, bash, cube, bash loop
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<Flopsy> i hate those loops, I think bashers are TOO strong in Lix