[✓][SUG] Shimmier --> Climber Transition

[Strato Incendus]

To clarify: Not L3 (Lemmings 3: An All New World of Lemmings), but Lemmings 3D.
The Turner was just the 3D-version of the Blocker, turning lemmings around left or right corners — rather than upward, which is what the transitioning state we're currently talking about would be doing.

This distinction however has just made me think of what the Shimmier would look like if it were implemented in Lemmings 3D / Loap...

[WillLem]

Turner sounds confusing, because it's the name of a skill in Lemmings 3D

I realise that, can we think of a better name for the state?

Since it's the only (proposed) lem state that actually does turn around mid-action (that is, if we go ahead with it in its current implementation), Turner seems to be ideal - the lem actually does turn before they begin Climbing.

I'm currently very much in 2 minds about this - I think it would be better to have them either turn straight away (so that Frame 0 of the animation has them facing back the way they came in-physics, regardless of what we see in the sprite) or not have them turn in-physics until they've actually begun climbing.

Turning mid-action feels like one of those "if you don't know about it, you won't be able to solve this level that's built around it" kind of mechanics which aren't much fun as a player. Having said that though, as long as it's clear from the sprite that the lemming has turned around (maybe it could be made longer, which would make the action clearer whilst providing a bigger assignment window either side of the "turn"), it could prove to be an interesting element to this behaviour.

One thing to bear in mind is that, because the lemming turns in-physics, the sprite itself has to be drawn facing in one direction first, then the other direction once the turn has happened (because turning in-physics swaps to the opposite-facing sprite); easy enough for me to manage, but others making custom sprites in the future may find this somewhat confusing.

[Strato Incendus]

I realise that, can we think of a better name for the state?

Flipper? Swinger? Inverter? Rotater? Spinner?

[jkapp76]

Reverser

[WillLem]

Let's go ahead with "Turner."

The lemming literally does turn around mid-action, and due to the fact that SLX isn't a 3D game and there will never be a "Turner" skill (and, this proposed action isn't a skill action anyway), we should be able to avoid any possible confusion there.

Meanwhile, I think mid-animation in-physics turning will also be OK; it's quite clear from the sprite what's happening, and as long as we're careful with what to allow assignment-wise, it shouldn't create too many in-game problems or bugs (but, we can never be too sure about that, so let's just try it out and see how it goes).

Next up, sprite creation...!