Level design contest #1!

[Clam]

After a good run of solves in recent days, I'm left with just geoo's final version to do now. I wonder how many others are in the same position? http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" /> http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" />

I may or may not do a backroute run on older versions - the large number of them isn't greatly motivating though...

[ccexplore]

I was at that point just before geoo published the "final version" levelpak.   The exact order in which I solved the final-version levels are:

*Clam, *Akseli, Mobius, Crane, Steve, Pooty, Proxima, Gronkling

(* = non-backroute solution since v1)

With Gronkling's v8 solved pretty much on the same day the final version levelpak was posted (thanks to you Clam, his fix for v8 made the intended route a bit easier to see).  So yep, just left with geoo's.  Quite annoying that I'm not even at the point of the 71/80 or 75/80 that some people apparently managed. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/XD.gif" alt=":XD:" title="XD" class="smiley" />

I'm not currently planning to backroute-hunt on the intermediate versions of the levels, though I'm definitely interested in eventually seeing some of the backroutes others have apparently managed on some of the levels. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/shocked.gif" alt=":o" title="Shocked" class="smiley" /> http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" />

[lyygak]

Wow, that's pretty impressive. I assume you're still refining the route you described to me? I didn't think it'd be possible to push that route even remotely as far. Perhaps I should come up with a preventive backroute fix right now, just in case it is actually possible to pull this off. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

Yes, I tried to hone it to the extreme. Don't think more than 71 or 72 is possible with my approach.
Sometimes you just do a level the wrong way and waste your time!

Time 9 minutes must be a hint of something! http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

[Proxima]

I've now solved Gronkling's v.1, though it looks like I just found an already known backroute, as it doesn't work on the final version. So, I have just geoo's and Clam's remaining, but I'm going to leave those for now and try to solve the final versions of everyone else's....

[-H0ru5-]

Hi all, it's just a clarification that i still wish to be active here, yet unable to do so.

Thank you geoo for the kind invitation, it pleases me to be remembered at all. Indeed once i made levels identical to this concept, something i was unable to perfect in its own time. It is not like i haven't read the message the first day, but truth to be told: recently i'm under a pressure so disheartening that i gradually had to abandon every single freetime and social activity, while still unsure if i will pass. On the top of that a month ago i induced an emotional breakdown in myself. I fail to understand how having a job could be any worse than being delirious in university.

I just hope you who applied for the challenge are being productive and having fun with it. Maybe we meet again when circumstances are different.
Take care of yourselves.

[Gronkling]

I just have geoo's left now. I have something that feels like it could work, however it doesn't use the climber and I have only saved 85% so far.  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/XD.gif" alt=":XD:" title="XD" class="smiley" />

[geoo]

I'm probably not doing a backroute-hunt on older versions either. But those who want to are free to do so. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

-H0ru5-: That's sad to hear, I hope you'll manage to overcome your challenges, whatever it takes.

Time 9 minutes must be a hint of something! http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

Not really, the level can be completed within 2 minutes (I think).
I just want to make sure you don't run out of time. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" /> See how nice I am. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

[chaos_defrost]

I was about to say, pretty sure geoo doesn't believe in time limits as a challenge. I wasn't going to say anything on the mega-off chance that your intended solution was Benny Hill-esque, but yea. Nothing like my level where the time limit is intended to squash certain routes (not coincidentally, I think it is feasible to use the time limit as a challenge for levels in certain instances  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />)

[mobius]

try as you might geoo, I don't think you'll convince others to share your hatred of time limits  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />

speaking of time limits, I wish the contest was over! I'm anxious to see the results and solutions.

and why wasn't there a category to rate difficulty? Sometimes everybody might agree, but not always. (this contest is a bad example of course...)

I thought of a not-totally-serious contest idea that involves designing a level in your least favorite tileset. However this might only be a challenge to Insane Steve... http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

[geoo]

You only got 1 day left to submit your solutions and votes. Make sure to also submit the solution for your own level!
Make sure to include separate replays to both first and final versions, and try to sumbit solutions to all intermediate versions of levels that you solved.
Also don't forget to include your votes for most fun and prettiest level. Recall that for each category you can distibute up to 6 votes over the levels, with at most 3 per level. You will lose one point in each category for your own level if you don't vote or distribute less than 4 votes.
(You're also encouraged to rank all the levels by difficulty and submit that list as well.)
EDIT: Out of interest, I'd be curious to see your best attempts at my level v2 as well, even if you haven't solved it yet.

I attached my solutions and votes in an encrypted archive now, which means I cannot change my submissions anymore. I didn't go for a backroute hunt in the end. Even if you don't trust me, you can now just send me your solution unencrypted. Once the deadline is over, I will post the password.


As for time limits, I just wanted to save you unnecessary annoyance by running out of time. In a few instances time limits can make an interesting challenge, but it seems my level is hard enough without a strict time limit. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" />

Yeah, I suppose votes for the difficulty might have been interesting as well, even though the number of people who solved a level might give an indication.
Actually, note to everyone: you're encouraged to submit a ranking of the levels by difficulty in addition to your votes. If I get enough of them, I might make a little statistic for these too.

Making a level in my least favourite style? I don't recall ever having made a level in the dirt style. Though Gronkling showed that dirt levels can look pretty amazing! Perhaps short level design jams with specific themes that take very little time (no aim to make a super hard level with all backroutes eliminated) could be an interesting intermission.

[Clam]

try as you might geoo, I don't think you'll convince others to share your hatred of time limits  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />

Well, you got me too - mine's also 9 minutes, and doesn't have to be. It must be a Lix thing http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

For least favourite tileset, how about the least favourite of the community as a whole? On current evidence, that would mean a snow-themed contest. (Fewest votes between here and here. I know, not favourite != least favourite, but still)

[ccexplore]

The exact order in which I solved the final-version levels are:

*Clam, *Akseli, Mobius, Crane, Steve, Pooty, Proxima, Gronkling

And now I finally submitted solution to geoo v2, just before the contest closes.

Turns out a route I had over a week ago that seemed too far off, actually just needs a little tweaking to work. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/XD.gif" alt=":XD:" title="XD" class="smiley" />

[Proxima]

My internet connection has been dead for a few days, but it came back to life just in time for me to make my submissions  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" />

Oh, and I've received one more v2 solution, from Akseli, who has found the intended solution.

[ccexplore]

For least favourite tileset, how about the least favourite of the community as a whole? On current evidence, that would mean a snow-themed contest. (Fewest votes between here and here. I know, not favourite != least favourite, but still)

Maybe others feel differently, but I'd prefer not to have a contest round where everyone is forced to use the same tileset.  I like the "least favorite/least used" tileset idea in concept, but at the very least we should end up with a choice of at least 3 such tilesets I think.

Maybe just a restriction that you can't use any of the tilesets that were already used on round 1.  If I counted correctly this leaves 4 tilesets [edit: actually 5, if we also include the Xmas tileset], although granted, some of them aren't exactly "least used" in general.

[Pooty]

I've finished my participation in this contest. I solved everyone's level at least once, except for Proxima's and geoo's. I also didn't solve gronkling's and Steve's final versions of their levels. It was a good, challenging and enjoyable contest. Good job, everyone. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />