Level design contest #3!

[Gronkling]

Akseli backroute.

Lake Guardian:

Akseli: Backroute V1 , Backroute V4
Geoo: Backroute V2 , Backroute V3

[mobius]

It would be best to see the intended solutions before voting on originality so could you publicly release them after the solving deadline finishes? (Also did you get that folder with all of my solutions)

oh yeah. You're right. I will release the the intended solutions then when I have time.

[mobius]

---Uploaded here all all the current levels and replays that were submitted to me

voting will now commence

[mobius]

Results are in! Five levels were entered.

First: the solving phase:

Gronkling wins with a total of 21 solves! (18 backroutes and 3 intended solutions, the most backroutes AND intended solutions)

Congragulations Gronkling! You receive the statue of a golden lemming holding a pick-axe in his right hand and a bomb in his left, with the inscription: "Let's go!"

fun fact: Gronkling had a lead of 10 solves over everyone else. Akseli was closest behind with 11 yet he still had a lead of 7 over the next person.

The Most backrouted level was Thanatos Gambit with a total of ~24 backroutes. (this is approximate on the account of some people may have found similar solutions. The numbers are far enough apart we don't need to be exact. Crane can clarify if anyone wants to know exactly).
Congruations Crane! You earn the brickout award

The level with fewest backroutes was Tree House; with 0 backroutes.
Congragulations jammer64!


PHASE TWO:

4 people voted and here are the results:
(votes are based on the average of all votes)

jammer64 - Tree House
originality: 5.75
fun: 6.75
appearance: 7.75
difficulty: 3.5
total: 20.25

Crane - Thanatos Gambit
originality: 5.33
fun: 8
appearance: 6.667
difficulty: 7.33
total: 20

Gronkling - Lake Guardian
originality: 7.667
fun: 6.667
appearance: 7.333
difficulty: 9
total: 21.667

geoo - Gate to Hades
originality: 7.5
fun: 7.25
appearance: 6.75
difficulty: 7
total: 21.5

Akseli - Ethereality
originality: 7
fun: 7.3333
appearance: 6.666
difficulty: 6
total: 21


It was a very close contest! but Gronkling came out in the lead so his level; Lake Guardin wins. Congragulations Gronkling! You receive the title of best level designer for the weekend and a Lemming plush doll personally handcrafted by Problem.
 http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/party.gif" alt=":party:" title="Party Time!" class="smiley" />

I'll try to leave my personal comments on all the levels later, when I feel better
===================================

thanks to everyone who joined! And please consider joining in on the fun in the next contest......

 http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/lem4ever.gif" alt=":lem4ever:" title="Lemmings 4 Ever!" class="smiley" />

[Crane]

I had the most fun level - I can live with that!

[Pieuw]

Shame on me for not being active at all, this time. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/scared.gif" alt=":scared:" title="Scared" class="smiley" />

Bravo to Gronkling, it doesn't really surprises me! You use to make unique-looking and tough levels. But of course, everyone here is talented and the two levels I played (Tree House and Thanatos Gambit) were really fun. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />
I'll play the others someday, of course!

[jammer64]

OMG, how come I've missed voting phase? http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" class="smiley" /> Hail to the victor!

[Akseli]

Congratulations Gronkling! http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" /> You definitely were completely overwhelming in level solving part of the contest, and your level did best also in voting. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" /> And what a close run between all the contest levels!
I really would have liked to see more voters, 4 is in the end quite few to decide the results. Jammer, if you want, you could probably show how you would have voted, geoo did the same after the end of the earlier level jam.

Ethereality - I didn't vote for my own level.

At first I decided the tileset that I absolutely wanted to make a level with, I even were a bit worried if someone else invented to do with the same tileset, but fortunately I was the only one then. It fitted perfectly to the time of the year and it was the only tileset I hadn't designed a level with yet. I had a vague idea for an easy level and I wanted to realize it to encourage all kinds of people to submit their all kinds of levels to the (upcoming) contests, but during designing my level I had some more ideas that I really wanted to implement, thus the level is what is it now.

jammer64 - Tree House - My votes: 6 for originality, 7 for fun, 7 for appearance, 4 for difficulty

It's surprisingly fun to work out a solution, because the amount of bashers limits the choices pretty efficiently. 99 builders complete this interesting skillset. The most intriguing thing was that four lemmings all had to make somewhat different tasks in their own areas to approach the same spot of the level. A bit bland title, a pleasant appearance, the exit blends to its background admirably apart from its bottom. Jammer, this is clearly your best level so far what I've seen, even much better than "Moss And Iron", well done! : )

Crane - Thanatos Gambit - 8 for originality, 8 for fun, 9 for appearance, 9 for difficulty

I didn't find the intended solution yet, but a bunch of other solutions, that all were more or less fun to play. This level had the best aesthetics to my eye, and I love to see lots of pieces that all seem to be placed in an elaborated way (like arches, geometric shapes, even colour placements), well done Crane! I'm also a fan of massive, ambitious levels, as with Lemmix features big walking distances aren't a problem. Though I would have liked to see a non-Marble level by you this time. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/tongue.gif" alt=":P" title="Tongue" class="smiley" /> This level was my favourite of the contest gaining 25 points from me.

Gronkling - Lake Guardian - 8 for originality, 8 for fun, 5 for appearance, 9 for difficulty

Same with Thanatos Gambit, even though I backrouted the level few times, due to not solving the latest version I decided to give high difficulty and originality points (and I probably wanted to see another tileset this time, so that the level wouldn't resemble the earlier contest level that much). Again, really hard to say about the solution, but here it was right from the first version always pretty impossible-feeling to find any solution. Then I found some Gronkling-ish tricks using solutions, but they appeared to be backroutes after all. The monster looking thing and that rough piece mess are the most remarkable details in the layout, but I would have liked to see a bit more effort in decorating the dirt parts of the level.

geoo - Gate To Hades - 8 for originality, 9 for fun, 6 for appearance, 7 for difficulty

A simplistic, small level, characteristic to geoo. A neat way to bring again inverted entrance method to service the purpose of the level. Another neat direct drop prevention there. (Btw, just came to my mind, that kind of invisible terrain piece preventing direct drop deceives the player in exactly the same way than a trap hidden in terrain, for example. I personally am fine with these type of issues, when you first time encounter it, then you know it's there. It's ok especially if the deception isn't behind a big effort, like going through a huge level just to find out that something invisible prevents your solution there at the end.) The solution for Gate To Hades has few more or less familiar techniques, but the combination of those created a smile on my face, nice nice nice! This level won my fun category.


Thanks for everyone for participating! I'm overall a bit disappointed that there definitely could have been more levels, more solvers and more voters, I know that many people who didn't end to participate expressed their interest in this after all.

[Crane]

I'll have to dig up the results I gave for the maps.

One slight question... how is "originality" scored? Is it an original appearance or solution? It just seems a little vague (plus one person only gave me a 2 for originality, so I'm wondering what I did wrong!)

[mobius]

I'll have to dig up the results I gave for the maps.

One slight question... how is "originality" scored? Is it an original appearance or solution? It just seems a little vague (plus one person only gave me a 2 for originality, so I'm wondering what I did wrong!)

tha's a good question  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" /> I just sort of took the rules from the first contest which geoo started. I thought about making 2 separate categories for originality of solution and design but decided against it to make it simpler.
Personally as to your level, I liked the design a lot, while I didn't find it the *most* original design I sitll thought it was unique and well designed. The solution that I found was also fun, but I haven't found the intended yet so that judgement is a little limited. I don't remember
Your level reminds me of one by Ellischant called "There's Thrill in the Method"