Ideas for Lemmings gameplay features

[mobius]

Here is a place to discuss game play features for any Lemmings Clone. Just features of the game in general. A place to talk about them, discuss and debate them in detail. You can also talk about features already in existence. What do you love? What do you hate?
I'm not trying to put pressure on anybody to do this or that. I'd just really like to see some discussion on this sort of thing. Up till now I haven't seen much.
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entrance hatch
This is how lemmings enter the level. T0068ey fall vertically from this hatch. Hatches don't always appear the same but they all resemble a box with an opening on the bottom.
Hovering the cursor over the hatch will display the release rate. This number indicates how quickly lemmings come out of the hatch. It's minimum is 1, with maximum of 99. right clicking on the hatch will raise the RR will left clicking will lower it. A hatch may restrict the change of its RR, to only lower it, only raise it, or not at all.
A different number of lemmings may come out of any entrance.

exit balloon
This is how lemmings exit the level. Exits don't always look the same but they all resemble a balloon which the lemming jump into. Each type of Lemming has a different color of balloon, and these accept only those types of Lemmings for which they are colored. With the exception of the red balloon (which has pictures of all four lemmings) this balloon will accept all Lemmings.
Some exits may have a limit on how many Lemmings can enter them, this number appears on the balloon. When this limit is reached the balloon will set sail and further Lemmings will not exit the level.


terrain
Terrain is just about everything in the level which Lemmings can dig through. Terrain usually makes up most of a level. Terrain comes in all shapes and sizes. There are some special kinds of terrain; they are covered below.

steel:
Steel cannot be dug or bombed through in any way or direction. The shredder also cannot penetrate steel.

blocks:
If a lemming falls onto a block, it will treat it like normal ground, however a lemming walking into a block will push it along at normal speed until it hits a wall or falls off an edge. If a block falls into water it will float and create a bridge for lemmings to cross. If a block falls into acid or lava it will be destroyed. blocks can cover up switches and gates. Weasels can also push blocks.
If a lemming is in between a block and a wall and the block is being pushed toward the wall; that lemming will die.
Blocks are like steel; they cannot be destroyed (except if they fall into acid and lava)

one-way-terrain:
this terrain which appears as arrows covering normal terrain can only be dub through in that direction.

one-way-door:
this type of wall can be passed through in one direction but lemmings encountering it from the opposite direction will treat it exactly like a steel wall. A builder can build right up through a fall-through platform ceiling (that's facing upwards). But once above it with will walk on and not get back down.

disappearing terrain:
this terrain vanishes after 1 lemming walks over it. 1 pixel of terrain will be erased for every step a lemming takes across it. All Lemmings behind him will fall.

Catapult/ Trampoline:
when a lemming encounters a catapult it will be flung a great distance. It will survive the fall ONLY if it lands on a cushion. The trampoline works similarly but only flings the lemming directly upwards.

conveyer belt
a platform that makes any lemmings fall on it walk in only one direction. Lemmings encountering it from another direction will turn around. It also prevents the use of most skills while walking on it. [partly to prevent easy work around of this object and because e.g. a builder's staircase would logically move with the conveyer belt and that is too much coding for the theoretical programmer of this theoretical game that does not exist http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />]

door:
a door is made of steel and acts as a regular wall when it is closed. When open the door is completely passable. Lemmings walking on a closed door will fall if the door opens. Lemmings walking through an open door will die if it closes.
A builder can build through open doors, but if the door closes the bridge will be destroyed.

Pools
pools are made of steel and contain water or acid or and can be filled and emptied. Making them safe or dangerous for certain lemmings.

shredder
the shredder is a kill-all trap which resembles a small saw. It can move in just about any direction and at any speed. It can be turned on and off by a switch.

weasels:
weasels are a trap that moves about the level tantamount to lemmings. They have umbrellas so they can survive high falls, but die to about everything else. When a compressed group of lemmings encounters a weasel the weasel will only kill 1 of the lemmings.

teleporters (regular):
appear as circular discs with a spiral hypnotically winding in the center.
When a lemming enters a teleport will be deposited at another, anywhere else in the level.
At most two teleporters are connected at once. Each teleport has a light above it with a different color, which ever telporter has the same color is the one it will be linked to. No matter which side a Lemming enters the teleporter, it will exit the side/direction it was facing from the second. Lemmings will retain bomber status and gravity direction through teleportation. Fallers and any other type of lemming can teleport.
If a lemming explodes while teleporting, it will die but no crater will be left.


teleporters (diamond):
similar to regular teleporters however they are diagonally square shaped instead of circular. These teleporters work one-way. Lemmings can only enter from the plain ones and only exit from the one which has the design on top. There can be any number of enter-teleporters but only one exit. All lead to the one exit teleporter. If a Lemming walks up to the exit it will pass through it without doing anything. Gravity and direction is NOT retained on these teleporters. Lemming always exit from the exit teleporter in the same direction.

gravity pads:
turns a lemming upside down. Everything works the same for upside-down lemmings as rightside-up.
An upside-down lemming can mine through an upward one way wall.
An upside-down lemming can fall off the top of the map and die.

transmogrifier:
things passing through the transmogrifier are changed into other things. This change is not permanent; they may continue to change when they go back into the transmogrifier. If it is not specified (there is no picture on it) they change happens in a specific order depending on how many times the thing goes through it.

normal lemming > water lemming > acid lemming > dummy lemming > weasel > etc.

If there is a picture of (example; a weasel) on the transmogrifier then everything going into it will turn into a weasel, and weasels will be unaffected by it.

speed up pad:
lemmings entering this run at x2 speed for about 5 seconds. If a sped-up lemming enters another speed up pad it will continue to speed for another 5 seconds.

blow torch:
the blow torch works very similar to the fire blower from the fire set of original lemmings. When on, it constantly blows a stream of fire out in any of eight directions. It is lethal to all lemmings and weasels. Pressing a switch may turn it on or off and/or change its direction.

lasers/mirrors:
a laser is activated by a switch. When on; it is deadly to lemmings and weasels. They also destroy blocks. They can be deflected by mirrors. Mirrors can be moved and turned also with switches.

glue:
when a lemming walks onto glue it will get stuck and not move until another lemming walks into it. The next said lemming will then be stuck. Only a skill like batter could remove a lemming from glue.

Switches, laser gates, pressure pads:
a switch is activated once a lemming walks passed it in its "off" position. Passing it in the wrong direction does nothing. Each time a switch is activated it turns then must be activated from the other direction. Switches can be activated an infinite amount of times.  A laser gate can be activated from either direction but can only be activated once.
A pressure pad can be activated and infinite amount of times and can be triggered from any direction. Lemming entering its proximity will trigger it.

Switches, laser gates, and pressure pads can do  all kinds of things (singularly or more than one at the same time):
open/close a door
fill/drain a pool
reset a timer or counter
turn on/off most objects. (gravity pads, teleporters, speed up pads, blow torch...)
activate a moving shredder or change the direction of a shredder.

--------More info on switches and laser gates--------

A switch or laser gate may be have other gadgets on their connections to the object(s) they are affecting. These things can be combined. Wires may be attached from a switch to the objects they are connected to make it easier to see what's happening.

Timer
A timer displays a number. When activated (or from the start of the level) it will count down in seconds, when it reaches zero something will be triggered. Some timers reset by themselves, others do not.

counter:
A counter displays a number. Each time a lemming passes by or activates the object connected with the counter, it counts down once. When the count reaches zero the object is triggered.
timers could be attached to: switches, entrances, exits, etc.. Some counters reset by themselves, others do not.

fuse
when a trigger goes through a fuse it will blow it and no more triggers will be able to go through that line, in effect, making it no longer work.
This is most helpful when [for example] you want a switch to be triggered from only 1 direction but don't want it to be triggered ever again.

AND gate
This gate has multiple inputs. All switches within the circuit must be turned to one position in order for the connection to go through and be activated. This works over and over if the object wants to be activated again.

OR gate
This gate has multiple inputs. But only one of the switches within the circuit must be turned to one position in order for the connection to go through and be activated.

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LEMMING TYPES:

dummy lemmings
these lemmings appear a little darker than ordinary lemmings. They can still exit and be counted, but not assigned skills to; they will not be highlighted under the cursor.

rogue lemmings:
[essentially opposite of dummy lemmings]
Lemmings that can be assigned skills but not counted in the exit. They will walk by all exits unaffected.

numbered lemmings:
these lemmings have a number written on their shirt [what is easier to see is;] their entrance also has this number on it. These lemmings can only be assigned that number of skills. After they have been assigned these skills (no matter what they are) they can no longer be assigned skills.

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ITEMS:
some things in a level can be picked up by a lemming. If a Lemming picks up an item a small indicator will flash over that lemming as long as it has the item.

pick-up skills/skill removals:. If a lemming passes by a pick-up skill it will gain the ability to use that skill or it may add skills to the skill menu. Some however, only work on the said lemming. For example a lemming may encounter an umbrella which instantly makes it a floater.

thief:
the thief takes any items a lemming has including climber/floater status.
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Another type of item can actually take skills away from the menu bar OR for example may make a climber no longer a climber.

Time Bonus, Time Penalty, and Time Toggle
The time bonus adds 20 seconds to the game clock when it is stepped on. The time penalty subtracts 20 seconds. The time toggle starts and stops the clock.

locked doors/keys:
A locked door acts like a steel wall to a regular lemming. If a lemming passes a key it will automatically pick it up and if that lemming encounters a locked door it will open it and walk through. The door will then be permanently destroyed.

hammer:
the hammer allows a lemming to destroy a block; when he walks into it will smash.

coin/coin slot
a coin slot works like a switch or laser gate however, only a lemming with a coin can activate it. Once that lemming passes the coin slot it will insert the coin and then lose that coin. The slot can only be activated again with another coin.

snorkel:
allows a normal and acid lemmings to survive under water

hover boots:
when a lemming with hover boots comes to an edge it will keep walking for a brief period 5-10 seconds in thin air then fall.

magic builder bag:
this allows a lemming, once begun building, to build indefinitely until he hits something regardless of the number of builders.

bomb:
when a lemming picks up a bomb it carries it around and nothing happens until you select the lemming then he will drop it. At which point, 5 seconds later, once the lemming is at a safe distance it will go off and leave a similar crater to a bomber lemming.

[ccexplore]

It's pretty obvious from past discussions that people generally prefer to keep the gameplay simple, so I won't expect much discussions here like this.

I do have to say though, the conveyor belt idea seem to be something that hasn't been brought up before and not really seen in any IRS games yet.

[Proxima]

Yes, I'm definitely in the "keep it simple" camp -- the original skills alone are already enough to create extremely difficult puzzles, but at least with simple rules you can usually look at a level and start working out what needs to be done in logical progression. I'm not completely against new features, but I think each one would have to prove it adds as much to the gameplay as each of the original skills and features -- I think the extra skills in Lix do meet this criterion.

Really, my ideal Lemmings game would be Lix-minus-trampolines  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

I don't even miss one-way walls any more, though I wouldn't mind adding them back. Downward OWWs should certainly be possible to mine. Upward ones have no obvious meaning, but one niche they could fill is allowing them to be bashed either way, but not dug or mined.

[mobius]

aw, come on people, doesn't anybody have any more cool ideas?

Yes, a simple game is good. But after a while the L1/L2 generation gameplay is going to get old. The ideas for new puzzles are going to be used up. I've already played a number of levels that use tricks I've already seen (that are sort of like re-peats). And a large number of user created levels just utilize glitches of their particular game engine.
I've had a few level ideas in the past that are just impossible. But with some new features they just might.

In the beginning, when you found out you could get up a steep hill  by having 1 lemming climb up then mine down that was amazing. Now that's easy, it's not a challenge anymore.
Even things like making a 'basher-staircase' are rather easy to spot for experienced players now.
We need something new.

My preference is level features over more skills. But that's my opinion. For some reason dealing with some new level aspect is just easier for me than new skills.
But I included skills because I thought a lot of people like new skills.

Upward ones have no obvious meaning, but one niche they could fill is allowing them to be bashed either way, but not dug or mined.

that's a good point. But They also serve a very good purpose if anti-gravity pads are in the game.

[Clam]

Whoops, I forgot this topic existed until just now http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />. I have a whole list of feature ideas/requests, mostly for multiplayer. Some of these have been discussed on IRC but didn't get any further. Apologies if I'm repeating myself, or someone else - I don't recall what ideas I've already aired, and where. (Note: I use the word "lemmings" but in most cases I mean Lix http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />)

General
No-splat mode: lemmings can survive any fall, perhaps with stunning if they fall beyond a certain height.
Automatically give one or more permanent skills to all lemmings. You could do this separately per hatch.
Hero lemming: in the spirit of this challenge topic, only one lemming may be assigned skills. He wears a costume to distinguish him from the others. If he dies, he respawns from the hatch.
Equivalent of the above for the one-skill-per-lemming challenge. This one would be difficult to work in multiplayer though.

Multiplayer
Handicap mode: give a time head-start to weaker players, choose by how much in the game room. Other handicaps are possible, eg. extra points, but this type seems the most generally applicable.
Race to be first to save x number of Lemmings (IIRC this is already planned for Lix).
Last Man Standing mode - play on a map with no exits, your objective is to kill the other players' lemmings.
Gain points for saving your own lemmings only, OR for other players' lemmings only.
Gain points for flinging opponent's lemmings to their death.
Gain points for having skills left over.
Antimatter: When two lemmings from different teams touch, they both explode.
Nuke types (geoo's idea IIRC, don't think it got to the forum yet): instead of exploder or fling-exploder, give lemmings a different skill when nuked, or ban nuke altogether. The idea is to prevent terrain destruction from the nuke, which could help or hinder some players. Key features of nuke are: (1) you lose control of your lemmings (with the exploder nuke, you have no lems left to control!) and (2) overtime starts, if applicable. You could use any skill in theory, but sensible alternatives would be cuber (turn into terrain) or burner (die with no effect on the terrain). The nuke type would be inherent in the level, i.e. you choose it in the level editor, rather than in the game room. This could be applied to singleplayer too - Surprise Package!

[ccexplore]

Nuke types (geoo's idea IIRC, don't think it got to the forum yet): instead of exploder or fling-exploder, give lemmings a different skill when nuked, or ban nuke altogether.

Along that line, one additional option is for the nuke to simply be a "give up" where you lose control of your lemmings, but other players can still attempt to direct your lemmings to the exit.

I still wonder if it makes sense to at least allow the nuke type to be changed in the game room.  I'm not too convinced alternative nuke types would be all that useful in singleplayer, but feel free to prove me wrong with an example.

[Mikex62]

I always had cool ideas!

Skills

Leapfrogger
Automatically jumps clifts, the leapfrogger also acts like a normal Lemming ( You can assign skills!)
It can get a bit annoying at times. It jumps then stops for a brief time just like the Frog Suit from Super Mario Bros 3.

Leaper
It can leap great heights without dying, the Lemming also says "Geronimo!" when he leaps.
When he reaches the ground, he gets stunned.

Batter
The Lemming retrieves a bat and swings it. It will smack any Lemmings in the way,
if a Lemming goes far enough, the Home Run theme will play. Also, any Lemmings that hit water, will skim.
HOME RUN!!!!Faner
A Lemming can place a fan in any direction ( 8 Directions.)
The fans can be used in MANY situitaions such as preventing fall damage, to blocking Lemmings
( It blows them away.) To give Lemmings extra speed or act as something that blows them up to higher places.
And the best part? They can be blown up like blockers! And if you really want too...
You can dig them out and they break!

Hadouken
The Hadouken is back baby! And better then EVER!!!
Now the Hadouken can eliminate traps, steel and land! And yes, the Lemming still says "Hadouken!"

Turner
The Turner returns from who knows how much years since 3D Lemmings was released.
It now acts like a One Way Blocker. Interesting is it?

Boxer
The Lemming receives a pair of red boxing gloves, it acts like a better basher, but it's faster
and has a bigger collision box.

Sponge
The Lemming gently tosses the sponge that absorbs any water that it touchs.

Gameplay Mechanics

Wrapping Around
The Lemmings can go around the level horizonaly, vertically or both.
It is marked on the level by a arrow on a blue square.

Super Lemming
The level goes faster. It is marked by a Super Lem preparing to fly on a red square.

Planet Mode
The Lemmings go around any land in orbit. It just like Lemmings with Magno Boots
except they can be assigned skills at any time and they have it constantly. It is marked by Saturn on a blue sqaure.

Special Level
It's marked by the space worm from the game AWESOME on a green square.

Huge Lems
The Lemmings are bigger. It is marked by a Lemming head on a red square.

Lemmings 2 The Tribes Physics
It applys the physics from Lemmings 2 The Tribes. It is marked by a green square with the Lemmings 2 The Tribes logo.

The Lemmings Chronicles / All New World Of Lemmings Physics
It applys the physics from The Lemmings Chronicles / All New World Of Lemmings.
It is marked by a green square with the The Lemmings Chronicles / All New World Of Lemmings logo.

Made in Level Editor
It is marked by a Lemming carrying a wrench with a orange square.

Options

Modern Look
Can give the game a classic or modern look ( Default is Classic.)

Modern Sound
Can give the game a classic or modern sound ( Default is Classic.)

Mouse or Joystick
Was present in the DOS version of Lemmings. Can change what type of controls you want in play ( Default is Mouse.)

[mobius]

hey, thank you for posting with ideas http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

I like the turner idea in a 2D game (1-way blocker). Hadn't thought of that.

Some of the ideas for skills you mentioned have already been done in other games, like Lix for one. (wrapping around) and skills like batter.
Personally I dislike having more than 8 skills at a time, but I still like hearing ideas.

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I forgot to read your post, Clam. I like the idea of having challenge specific related options.
For the single lemming challenge, this could be easily applied by having only 1 lemming come from the entrance and having all the rest be "pre-placed Lemmings; uncontrollable lemmings".
1-skill per lemming could be done with having lemmings of a different color or numbers on them. With this you could even have lemmings that can be only assigned a certain number of skills. They have a counter above them, and when that runs out they can no longer be assigned skills. Or lemmings that can only be assigned skills facing a certain direction.

I think we should have a separate thread for discussion of multiplayer; (that is if any good amount of discussion ever results here)

[Mikex62]

The batter. See. I wanted to base it off Worms Armageddon. And when you hit a worm far enough..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnyb5O9haOE" class="bbc_link" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnyb5O9haOE

[Clam]

Faner
A Lemming can place a fan in any direction ( 8 Directions.)
The fans can be used in MANY situitaions such as preventing fall damage, to blocking Lemmings
( It blows them away.) To give Lemmings extra speed or act as something that blows them up to higher places.
And the best part? They can be blown up like blockers! And if you really want too...
You can dig them out and they break!

Lix and Lemmings 2 have steam jets which do this. Only 4 directions, but in Lix you can stack them to go in other directions. They can't be destroyed, but in L2 you can toggle them with switches (though I personally don't like switches). Digging them out could make sense, especially in the L2 Sports tribe where steam appears to come out of pipes.

I forgot to read your post, Clam. I like the idea of having challenge specific related options.
For the single lemming challenge, this could be easily applied by having only 1 lemming come from the entrance and having all the rest be "pre-placed Lemmings; uncontrollable lemmings".
1-skill per lemming could be done with having lemmings of a different color or numbers on them. With this you could even have lemmings that can be only assigned a certain number of skills. They have a counter above them, and when that runs out they can no longer be assigned skills. Or lemmings that can only be assigned skills facing a certain direction.

Re-using the uncontrollable lemmings feature (once it actually exists of course http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" /> - it's currently planned for multiplayer) for the hero lemming challenge is a great idea. You could have a set number of regular-coloured "heroes" enter the level first, and the rest after that would be grey "neutrals". For an x-skills-per-lemming challenge, lemmings could turn into neutrals after they've used their allotment of skills.

[Mikex62]

Re-using the uncontrollable lemmings feature (once it actually exists of course http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" /> - it's currently planned for multiplayer) for the hero lemming challenge is a great idea. You could have a set number of regular-coloured "heroes" enter the level first, and the rest after that would be grey "neutrals". For an x-skills-per-lemming challenge, lemmings could turn into neutrals after they've used their allotment of skills.

Multiplayer? What Multiplayer? You mean Lix or... a new game???  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/huh.gif" alt="???" title="Huh?" class="smiley" />

[Clam]

Rubix and I had a productive morning's chat on alternative styles of multiplayer play. We came up with the idea of distributing skills unequally between players on the same team. The aim is to (1) reduce the influence of one skilled player on a team, (2) formalise the usual attacking and building roles in team games, and (3) try to balance team games with uneven player counts.

• For 2v2 games, designate one player per team as the "builder" and one as the "attacker". This may or may not be done randomly. (Apologies for mixing terminology with builders, I can't think of a better word for it now.)
• Designate the lemmings themselves as builder or attacker lemmings, split half and half. This way you can't mix roles.
• In the editor, you specify two different skillsets for the level - one for builders, one for attackers.
• Build skills are the ones you need to reach the exit - mostly builders, digging skills, blockers and maybe a few climbers and floaters.
• Attack skills are ones that let you invade and disrupt the opponent - climbers, runners, jumpers, walkers, batters, diggers.
• The skillsets can overlap. Walkers and diggers for example are liekly to be useful for both roles.
• For larger teams: each player gets to either Build or Attack, with at least one of each. Players with the same role share that stockpile of skills (the same way that teams usually share).
• For teams of one: you get both skillsets added together, and no build/attack designations. This means you can do things that a larger team can't!

This idea actually came about in discussion of cooperative puzzles. In that setting, you could do some even crazier things with splitting, eg. 8 players each with one skill type available. You could do other splits in competitive MP too, but I doubt they'd be very playable

We also chewed over elimination (last man standing) maps, which I mentioned in one of the above posts. In the end though we couldn't find a good way to make it work under the current rules, so we can either wait til it's implemented properly or learn C++ and code it ourselves . Of course, you can informally declare a winner, like we do in the race maps where first save wins.

[LJLPM]

Hi,
I started to code a Lemmings clone, so I'm interested in new ideas I could add to the gameplay. I will read this topic.

Here's my topic about the development of my Lemmings clone:
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/index.php?topic=794.0

[mobius]

based on discussion in another thread; After some thought I realized it might make sense for bashers to be able to bash through downward one way walls (and upward for that matter) if gravity is a thing and downward one way walls prevent upside-down lemmings from digging and mining. However if there is no such thing as gravity mechanics then it would make much more sense for downward one way walls to prevent bashing.
Upward one way walls would allow only upside-down digging and mining and possibly bashing from any direction.
-----------
now is as a good time as any to elaborate on some of my earlier ideas. First of all I seem to recall somebody saying Clones had gravity not only upside-down but sideways as well. In regards to directional walls I'd guess sideways bashing then would be prevented by ordinary right and left directional walls. This sideways gravity is getting quite complicated and I don't think I'm real excited about it as a feature at least for the time being.

I think Clam asked me to give a good example of a gravity level from Revolution way back and I never did, so one is "Feeling Gravity's Pull". Another perhaps is Topsy-Turvy. This level has an upward gravity pad but no downward, so basically any lemmings that use it must be sacrificed. And also you can turn it off with a switch to have other lemmings walk through it to get to the exit.
Just a random thought I had; You know how when a miner breaks through a horizontal ceiling; and if lemmings try to build up into the tunnel it's a little hard (because of the natural way the miner's tunnel ends when he falls and finishes mining; it creates sort of a narrow gap). An upside-down lemming could mine up and make a very nice normal wide opening for right-side-up lemmings to build up into the tunnel. Of course then when the upside down lemming finishes mining he would make the same narrow gap on the top.. so this thought may not have much value

There is also a matter of having more specific types of directional or terrain for example that allows only mining and nothing else. But again, I don't think I'm real excited about this as a feature at least for the time being.

I just thought of a new idea: Time doors, except not with a counter that counts lemmings but has a clock that counts actually time, separate from the level time limit. I'm more fond of the counter of lemmings however.

I mentioned this before but again; right now the ideas which I think have the most merit for getting new and interesting levels made are;

exits with a limit on how many lemmings can enter
pre-places lemmings
uncontrollable lemmings
conditions of the challenges forum like being able to only assign 1 skill per lemming or skills on to one lemming on a level. Trying out some of those challenges was the most fun!
moving traps (like saws and weasels from Revolution)
doors and switches
timed doors. (both kinds)
disappearing terrain

[mobius]

playing the game Enigma (which has tons of cool features and items) inspired for ideas for this.

some new ones: [And I'll add to the top post]

ITEMS:
some things in a level can be picked up by a lemming. If a Lemming picks up an item a small indicator will flash over that lemming as long as it has the item.

pick-up skills/skill removals:. If a lemming passes by a pick-up skill it will gain the ability to use that skill or it may add skills to the skill menu. Some however, only work on the said lemming. For example a lemming may encounter an umbrella which instantly makes it a floater.

thief:
the thief takes any items a lemming has including climber/floater/runner status.

Time Bonus, Time Penalty, and Time Toggle
The time bonus adds 20 seconds to the game clock when it is stepped on. The time penalty subtracts 20 seconds. The time toggle starts and stops the clock.

locked doors/keys:
A locked door acts like a steel wall to a regular lemming. If a lemming passes a key it will automatically pick it up and if that lemming encounters a locked door it will open it and walk through. The door will then be permanently destroyed.

hammer:
the hammer allows a lemming to destroy a block; when he walks into it will smash.

coin/coin slot
a coin slot works like a switch or laser gate however, only a lemming with a coin can activate it. Once that lemming passes the coin slot it will insert the coin and then lose that coin. The slot can only be activated again with another coin.

snorkel:
allows a normal and acid lemmings to survive under water

hover boots:
when a lemming with hover boots comes to an edge it will keep walking for a brief period 5-10 seconds in thin air then fall.

magic builder bag:
this allows a lemming, once begun building, to build indefinitely until he hits something regardless of the number of builders.

bomb:
when a lemming picks up a bomb it carries it around and nothing happens until you select the lemming then he will drop it. At which point, 5 seconds later, once the lemming is at a safe distance it will go off and leave a similar crater to a bomber lemming.

--------more on switches [this was inspired from Chips challenge 2 (which was never released)

Timer
A timer displays a number. When activated (or from the start of the level) it will count down in seconds, when it reaches zero something will be triggered. Some timers reset by themselves, others do not.

counter:
A counter displays a number. Each time a lemming passes by or activates the object connected with the counter, it counts down once. When the count reaches zero the object is triggered.
timers could be attached to: switches, entrances, exits, etc.. Some counters reset by themselves, others do not.

fuse
when a trigger goes through a fuse it will blow it and no more triggers will be able to go through that line, in effect, making it no longer work.
This is most helpful when [for example] you want a switch to be triggered from only 1 direction but don't want it to be triggered ever again. A laser gate couldn't have this function.

AND gate
This gate has multiple inputs. All switches within the circuit must be turned to one position in order for the connection to go through and be activated. This works over and over if the object wants to be activated again.

OR gate
This gate has multiple inputs. But only one of the switches within the circuit must be turned to one position in order for the connection to go through and be activated.
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other stuff:
lasers/mirrors:
a laser is activated by a switch. When on; it is deadly to lemmings and weasels. They also destroy blocks. They can be deflected by mirrors. Mirrors can be moved and turned also with switches.

glue:
when a lemming walks onto glue it will get stuck and not move until another lemming walks into it. The next said lemming will then be stuck. Only a skill like batter could remove a lemming from glue.