Level Design Contest #27

[IchoTolot]

Welcome to another contest of the Lemmingsforums! This time the three rules have been picked by NieSch for winning contest #26.

A few words to new participants and forum members: If you haven't entered before, I strongly encourage you to try - even if you don't win, it's fun to participate; and we have had cases where first-time entrants have won before! There are three choices of rules given, you may enter one level for EACH one of the rules.
You may either use new format NeoLemmix, or Lix.
If you have more than one entry, they may (but do not have to) be for the same engine. Please make sure you tested your level for basic solvability before submitting and be sure to also submit any custom tileset you are using, so others have no problem playing your level.

Pre contest testing: You can choose 1-2 persons who do a bit of pre-testing for you, so that the biggest backroutes and screw-ups of your levels can be detected before the playing phase. I cannot control this so it's only a guideline, but still I would prefer not everyone knows every level before the playing phase starts.

Here are the rules on how the submission deadlines work:
- Initial submission phase deadline will extend such that it's 72 hours from the time of the last submission, up to the 5th submission (inclusive). After this it no longer changes no matter what.
- Update phase deadline will not extend over the initial dead line!
- Even if you missed the cutoff date for the initial submission phase, late entries are accepted until the update phase ends. There is no penalty for a late entry, beyond that people are less likely to spend as much time on the level before voting begins.


And here is the new ruleset:

Rule 1: Let's Build and Blow

- Use builders, stackers and/or platformers. (Choose at least 1 of these skills, 2 or all 3 is also fine). | For Lix: You can also use Cubers, as you have no stackers available there.
- Use bombers | For Lix: Use imploders
- Don't use any other skill

Rule 2: Only Swimmers/Runners Can Survive This

- Make every lemming a pre-assigned swimmer
- At least one lemming has to actually use the swimmer in a meaningful way. (So we don't have waterless levels with nonsensical swimmers )

For Lix:

- Lixes need to use the runner skill in a meaningful way.

Rule 3: Route 99

- Lock the spawn rate at 99 / Spawn interval 4 for Lix
- The number of lemmings must be a minimum of 10
- Use only 1 entrance hatch
- No pre-placed lemmings allowed

Submission phase ends January 31th 2023 at 00:00 UTC.

Ruleset in detail again: http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2246.0

Send me a personal message with your level/s and if needed tileset/s to participate. It would also be nice to also tell me the rule which each level satisfies.

Please use the following naming format:  User1_Levelname_R3V1.nxlv ---> Level "Levelname" by User1   for Rule 3   Version 1 of the level

Prize selection:
- US $5.00
- One month's advertising on the forums news ticker
- Pick next contest's rules

Entries so far: 21

- tan x dx (1)
- NieSch (3)
- Armani (3)
- IchoTolot (3)
- Crane (1)
- Simon (3)
- geoo (3)
- WillLem (1)
- The Tomato Watcher (3)

[Simon]

Let's Build and Blow: I'll assume that the Lix cuber is disallowed. Is cuber allowed? It's halfway between stoner and stacker. I'll assume that the bombers must be imploders (that don't fling). Or is fling-exploder allowed, too?

Only Swimmers: Impossible in Lix, that's okay.

Route 99: Works as-is for Lix. Select spawn interval 4 in the editor, that's the equivalent of a locked spawn rate 99 in NeoLemmix.

-- Simon

[Flopsy]

Let's Build and Blow: I'll assume that the Lix cuber is disallowed.

Since the stoner is disallowed, I'm guessing not allowed cuber either. On the other hand, I feel a stacker and a cuber are quite comparable in characteristics.

Only Swimmers: Impossible in Lix, that's okay.

Is it possible when making rules in the future that we have an equivalent Lix rule where a Lix level is impossible in said rule because it's not very fair that one rule just outright excludes Lix.

It just means that there will be less Lix entries before the contest has even begun.

[NieSch]

I know nothing about Lix. I'll contact IchoTolot to see if we can tweak some rules so that Lix entries are fine too.

[Pieuw]

I'll try to take part in this contest as I've been making levels lately. It'll be the occasion to fiddle with swimmers, I've only encountered them in a few levels and never tried to build something involving this skill.

The other two rules are very fine too

[IchoTolot]

I have just sent my suggestions to NieSch to clarify and tweak the rules for Lix.

If I get NieSch's OK all 3 rules will be possible for Lix with similar creative possibilities.

[IchoTolot]

Ok, updated the ruleset to make it more Lix inclusive.

I am still open for adjustments to Lix Rule 2 though. For now I suggested to use runners as a Lix exclusive skill in contrast to the NL exclusive swimmer.

As there are no hatches with pre-assigned skills available though, I for now suggested that each Lix has to use the runner in a meaningful way, but there might be better alternatives with the details here.

[Simon]

All right, cool, thanks for the quick update with the clarifications!

-- Simon

[Proxima]

With the usual choice-of-three-rules format, I'm okay with Lix users being restricted to two out of three. Not complaining if you want to make adjustments, but I worry this might set a bad precedent. With NL having so many features that are not shared with Lix, having to make all rules Lix-compatible would exclude a large and interesting possibility space.

[namida]

FWIW, back when it was "pick two of three rules", I always tried to make sure at most one rule was not Lix-friendly. This would allow everyone to enter two levels regardless of engine choice. The "allowed to do all three" change made this approach less effective. (Of course, it's also fine for someone to enter two Lix levels and use NL for the Lix-unfriendly rule, too. Similarly, one could also provide balance by sometimes having rules that only suit Lix and not NL.)

[IchoTolot]

Just a little bump so that you maybe put "make a contest level" in your new year plans.

[NieSch]

Great, 10 entries already! Keep 'm coming!

[NieSch]

Just a few days left.

[IchoTolot]

I will probably get around making the pack and starting the playing phase the coming weekend.

[NieSch]