Non-100% levels: How many more skills needed for 100%?

[Clam]

Here's a quick challenge to get us back into it. In each level where 100% is impossible (as far as we know) with the original skillset, your goal is to open up a 100% solution by adding as few skills as possible. All skills count equally. I'm aware that a lot of levels are trivial for this challenge (hence why it should be quick http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" />) but hopefully there are some good ones in here too.

Example: Fun 6. You can't save everyone using blockers and bombers, so you need to add at least two skills to get 100%. Thus the score for this level is 2.

Scoring:
Blanks indicate levels where 100% is possible anyway (i.e. score is zero).
*Crazy 11 is not known to be possible, even with unlimited skills.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|Rating | 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Fun    |       5        2                                   1                                     |
|Tricky |                                           1  1  2  1              1                      |
|Taxing |                   1                                   2                       3 10       |
|Mayhem |             1              2                          1                    2        4    |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Tame   |                                                            |-----------------------------|
|Crazy  |       4                    1  *        4                   |-----------------------------|
|Wild   |             2                       3     1        1       |-----------------------------|
|Wicked | 1        1        6  3     1     1        1  1             |-----------------------------|
|Havoc  |                            1                             3 |-----------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Xmas 91|      |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Xmas 92|            |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Flurry |                                              1 |-----------------------------------------|
|Blitz  |                                  1        5  2 |-----------------------------------------|
|Frost  |                1                       2       |-----------------------------------------|
|Hail   |    1           1                               |-----------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|Rating | 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 |
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ccexplore]

I guess I can at least get some really easy ones out of the way.

From Fun 6 we apply same result (2) to the repeat, Tricky 17.

I've confirmed that Taxing 19 (and hence Fun 18) suffices with 2.  It's not hard to guess what to do and execute it, although you do need to be slightly mindful of the time limit for Taxing 19.  [edit: actually, come to think of it, Fun 18 might have an improvable result...]

Tricky 15 is obviously 1 as it's a repeat of Fun 1.

Tricky 18 just needs 1 more skill to replace the bomber.

Tricky 23 just needs 1 more skill to stop the miner from mining through in the lose-1 solution.

[ccexplore]

First challenge-worthy result:  Fun 18 make 100% with adding just 1 digger.  Replay attached (remember to add the digger to the level before playback).

[LemSteven]

I still won't have access to my Lemmings games for a while, but I can still chip in with a few obvious results:

• Tricky 16 needs just one more basher in place of the four bombers.
• Taxing 7 just needs one miner to remove the blocker.
• Mayhem 5 needs just two more builders to be able to build directly from the floor to the exit, If I remember correctly.
• Mayhem 19 just requires one basher.
  

[Minim]

Crazy 3 is pretty tough. With the high release rate, I only managed to get 8 more skills to save 100%. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" class="smiley" />

Anyway, Crazy 10 is just 1 skill, I used an extra climber to let him build a stair.
But how about Crazy 11? Even with infinite per skill you can't get up to the exit because of the time limit. We may need to put time as a separate factor for now.
Crazy 14: 4 skills, using the dig and build pit technique.
Wild 5: 4 skills, using 2 bashers and a digger to navigate the pipes, and another basher to free the others.
Wild 13: 3 skills, although while expanding the time limit, I came short of the original time by 4 seconds.
Wild 15: 8 skills, a bit chaotic this one. Improved to just 4. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" class="smiley" />
Wild 18: Confirmed 2, although I'm sure it works with 1, as I was left with 6 builders. The remaining 6 builders could be used as a terrain stair to block the other lemmings. Otherwise, I needed pixel-precision to land on the fourth pipe so I could build to the exit. Edit: I did it with 1! here's a replay (Sorry, it's a Lemmini one, but the method should work with Lemmix too)

[Clam]

Actually I was just looking at Crazy 11. I did wonder about that one even before I posted this challenge, but now I'm 99% sure it's impossible no matter how many skills you add. Here's a quick rundown with some conservative estimates:


The level gives you 1020 frames (60 seconds x 17 frames per second).

17 frames (probably more) before the first lemming enters (with pause trick)
+ 46 frames falling (by my count) = 63
+ 927 frames building (103 bricks needed, a builder takes 9 frames to place the first brick) = 990
+ 7 more frames for the last builder before he steps onto his brick (can't bash before this without breaking the bridge) = 997
+ 5 frames to stop the last builder with a basher (I doubt there's a quicker way to stop him) = 1002
+ 21 frames walk to exit = 1023
+ 8 frames exiting = 1031

So you might be able to save some lemmings on the left side, but not 100%.

[ccexplore]

+ 21 frames walk to exit = 1023

What about stretching the bridge far enough to effectively eliminate most of the walking from the edge of the exit platform (it gets absorbed in the bridge-forming portion of the time instead).  I admit there might be some complications that might possibly add extra time back (clearly you need to bash or mine+bash to clear the bits of exit platform that would get in your way towards the end of such a stretched bridge).

There's also the slow fade-out in high performance mode adding yet more extra time.

Still, the estimate is hairy enough to tell me to take the lazy route and just doubt that it's possible. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />  (And Fact is, even if we manage to come up with a conservative estimate that works under the time limit, it may well still run into issues involving the impossibility of doing multiple skill assignments within 1 frame, for example.)

[ccexplore]

Mayhem 5 needs just two more builders to be able to build directly from the floor to the exit, If I remember correctly.

I can confirm that as far as builders is concerned, you do need 7 builders to build directly from floor to exit platform, but you can make do with just 6 builders (so 1 extra builder) with a slight modification:

You can reach with 5 builders the next lower platform before the exit plaform.  Then from the top right corner of it, you will be barely able to use your 6th builder to reach the exit platform before you stop building and turn around.

I'm too lazy to verify the rest of that level but I'm not seeing any problems with it.

[Minim]

The level gives you 1020 frames (60 seconds x 17 frames per second).

17 frames (probably more) before the first lemming enters (with pause trick)
+ 46 frames falling (by my count) = 63
+ 927 frames building (103 bricks needed, a builder takes 9 frames to place the first brick) = 990
+ 7 more frames for the last builder before he steps onto his brick (can't bash before this without breaking the bridge) = 997
+ 5 frames to stop the last builder with a basher (I doubt there's a quicker way to stop him) = 1002
+ 21 frames walk to exit = 1023
+ 8 frames exiting = 1031

That's a lot of maths you've done! I'm impressed. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

Anyway, done Wicked 1 with four extra builders. Needs to be verified though...
Also did Havoc 20 with 5 skills. On the right side I tried to get one digger to plow all the way down to the exit platform, but had to end up using another skill. I'm still not counting out the fact that it can be done with 4 though.
Wicked 4 is really difficult to get 100% on, especially on the lower left entrance. I'm trying to free a blocker with a 3-pixel depth platform. What else should I do? As there are only 13 lemmings in the lower left entrance, should I turn them into climbers?
Same goes with Wicked 7 too (Even though I solved it). Here's a hint:

The hard part of getting 100% is the placement of the right entrance. You'll have to build those lemmings into the wall on the right to turn them round. Also, try laying out the diggers so that the terrain is dug in a V shape:

 E       E
--o-----o--
---o---o---
----o-o----
-----o-----
   |   |
   | x |
    ---

E: entrance
x: exit
o: where to dig
-: floor
|: wall

Wicked 8 and 9 work with 4 skills. On 9 I was a bit disappointed that I had to use two miners to free the blocker. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" class="smiley" />
I'm sure the steel canceling glitch works on Wicked 10, like it does with Wild 19.

[Clam]

Crazy 3 is pretty tough. With the high release rate, I only managed to get 8 more skills to save 100%. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" class="smiley" />

Anyway, Crazy 10 is just 1 skill, I used an extra climber to let him build a stair.
But how about Crazy 11? Even with infinite per skill you can't get up to the exit because of the time limit. We may need to put time as a separate factor for now.
Crazy 14: 4 skills, using the dig and build pit technique.
Wild 5: 4 skills, using 2 bashers and a digger to navigate the pipes, and another basher to free the others.
Wild 13: 3 skills, although while expanding the time limit, I came short of the original time by 4 seconds.
Wild 15: 8 skills, a bit chaotic this one. Improved to just 4. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" class="smiley" />
Wild 18: Confirmed 2, although I'm sure it works with 1, as I was left with 6 builders. The remaining 6 builders could be used as a terrain stair to block the other lemmings. Otherwise, I needed pixel-precision to land on the fourth pipe so I could build to the exit. Edit: I did it with 1! here's a replay (Sorry, it's a Lemmini one, but the method should work with Lemmix too)

Crazy 3 is possible with 4 (and nearly with 3, but that seems to be out of reach), by using the two default builders to delay lemmings, and then using miners on the ends of the platforms and floaters when needed.

Wild 5 can be done with 2, by bashing from the lower left, blocking the crowd in (the original level gives you blockers http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" />) and then mining to free the blocker.

I managed Wild 13 with 3 (as you suggested), 2 diggers and a floater. You can save a lot of time by using RR99, and bashing the first thin wall starting further back (so the first stroke doesn't go all the way through) to make the second climber turn around.

[LemSteven]

This will have to be confirmed, but I think Wicked 1 can be done with just one digger in place of the bomber in the 98% solution.

Wicked 4 needs just one miner to avoid the bomber for the top-left entrance.  You have enough extra builders given to save everyone from the lower-left entrance without a blocker.

I've got a hunch that Wild 15 can be reduced to just one extra digger, but it would be quite hairy.  It's basically a minor tweak of my Lose 2 solution to that level, which in turn is a tweak of the "Guest Inspired Lose 3" solution from the Lemmingswelt forums.  Here's the idea I'm thinking of:

The first lemming from the left entrance digs and bashes.  The right crowd is hemmed in with two blockers.  The basher must build over the gap without anyone leaking through.  Then bash through the next wall, which will ultimately release the two blockers and go under the trap.

Past the trap, the floor drops down just enough that the lemmings can walk out of the basher's tunnel.  Make the second one block right before he falls down to the stairway below; this gives the first one time to build on the chain.  You need a digger right next to the steel on the far right; he should go down to the exit, but the later lemmings will fall to far.  So to prevent this, the last basher is used at the bottom of the brick slope just past the chain.  Nobody can turn around in his tunnel, so you have to make sure there is a sizeable gap behind him.

The key to getting everything done without leaking any lemmings is to use your ability to adjust the release rate to your advantage.  To create a gap in the crowd at a certain spot, you need to set the rate to 99 a bit before that part of the crowd reaches an entrance, let a few lemmings come out, and then drop it down to 5, so that nobody comes out to fill the gap you're trying to create.

My Lose 2 solution is the same as this, but it uses two bombers in place of the first digger.

[Clam]

Wicked 1 can definitely be done with 1 extra digger, by digging and bashing under the one-way wall.

Wild 15 is possible with just 1 extra digger, with one refinement to your idea:

After building over the chain, instead of bashing through the bottom of the slope, use the basher nearer the top of the slope, so that any lemmings that get in front of the basher walk past instead of turning back. These lemmings end up trapped on the right anyway. Then wait until the last group of lemmings is near enough to the exit before digging next to the steel. To make this work under the time limit, the first lemming on the left has to dig as far to the right as possible, to minimise the walking distance for the crowd.

Also, using the same trick with the release rate, plus the miner trick from Crazy 8 to block in the lemmings, I did Havoc 20 with 3 extra skills: 1 builder, 1 basher and 1 digger. I've attached replays for this and Wild 15.



I had a go at Fun 3 just now, and couldn't do any better than 5 skills. This one is difficult to do efficiently, since anything other than a blocker counts as "extra", and any blocker you place needs extra skills to free it.

[Simon]

I found a +5 skill solution to Fun 3, it's probably the same as Clam's because I don't see many alternatives. I consider +5 the best possible. A proof for the most part is here:

- It's not possible to dig down the rightmost column in 4 skills + blockers. The RR is too high, and blockers can't be freed efficiently.
- To reach the bottom without going through any pillar, you must mine/dig at least twice. I found no route (with or without 1 blocker) that uses less than 2 ground removers for waypaving. The remaining work is to show that we need at least 3 more nonblocker skills.
- You must turn the lems somewhere, as the hatch is further to the right than the exit.
- If you want to do it blockerless, you must use a wall with a height of at least 7 pixels.
- The bottom platform has a thickness of 7. You can't make a digger/miner turn-around pit without removing the ground. Even if it was possible to cancel the miner for free, you'd have to raise the ground behind the pit (= +2 skills), but then you'd have to save the builder that raised the ground (+1 or more skills).
- The remaining blockerless possibility is to build against the pillar on the right at the top, or over the bottom level gap and back. This costs at least 3 builders because of the given RR, in both positions.
- So we want to do it with a blocker. You can't efficiently block on the thin ledges, there is no way to free such a blocker for free -- and you have to turn it at the bottom again. It costs at least 3 more skills (builders) to get the blocker-releaser and the blocker home, provided anyone else had a path.
- Freeing a blocker on the bottom costs at least one ground remover plus two builders to turn the two lems.

Then again, proofs of non-doability were never sure-fire. :]

-- Simon

[Minim]

For Wicked 7, I managed to get 10 skills, using one blocker as well.
Still need to check out the steel canceling glitch for Level 10. Apparently if I do try to bash through the top of any level using Lemmini the game crashes altogether.

[Clam]

Hmm, strange. I tried to start up Lemmini and see this for myself, but apparently it wants me to extract the files again (even though I clearly have them all http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/angry.gif" alt=">" title="Angry" class="smiley" />).

Ceiling-bashing works just fine in Lemmix though http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" />

edit: confirmed Wicked 10 with one basher extra http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" />