Official Level Design Contest #6 (Playing Phase - Discussion Topic)

[namida]

This topic is for discussion of the levels, feedback, posting replays, etc. For creators wishing to post updates, or if you're looking for the latest updates, please check this topic instead.

So, entries have closed, it's time to play!

The submissions are (as usual, alphabetical by author name):

<V4> "Safe Descent" by bsmith (NeoLemmix)
<V4> "Mind the gap!" by Crane (NeoLemmix)
<V1> "Cogopolis" by DynaLem (NeoLemmix)
<V2> "Parking Garage" by Geoffster (NeoLemmix)
<V3> "Las Ranas Hermanas" by geoo (Lix)
<V1> "The Adventures Of Lemdiana Jones" by IchoTolot (NeoLemmix)
<V1> "House on a Hill" by mobius (NeoLemmix)
<V1> "Altruism" by Nepster (Lix)

NOTES:
IchoTolot's level has a custom music file to accompany it. This should be placed in the same folder as CustLemmixNeo.exe.
Nepster has recommended that his level may be more difficult on the 2015-08-09 release due to physics changes, and an older release should be used if possible. Geoo recommends the opposite for his level.

The levels are in an attached ZIP. To play the levels:

NeoLemmix: Run NeoCustLemmix, press F6 on the title screen, and select the LVL file. Alternatively, open them in the editor, then press F2 for playtest mode (requires a copy of NeoCustLemmix in the same folder as the editor).

Lix: Copy the level into the /levels/single/ subfolder, then select them from the "Single Player" menu.


Update phase will end at whatever comes last - 22/08/15, or when 72 hours have passed since the last time an update was posted (currently 22/08/15 15:50). The voting phase will begin about 5 days after the update phase ends.



As a reminder, the prizes available for this contest are:

The prizes available for this contest are:
- US $12.50
- One and a half month's advertising in the forum's news ticker for a project you are involved in, whether lemmings-related or not, and whether free or not
- Early access to the Ghosts gimmick in NeoLemmix <May be chosen by both winners>
- Your choice for the next contest's rules (within reason)

Note that in the case of someone who already has a one-month advertisement on hold, if they win the one-and-a-half-month one here, it is entirely up to them to choose which order they use them in.

Attachment updated 20/08/15 02:57

[Crane]

My solution to "Safe Descent".

Note that "Cogopolis" requires the Clockwork tile-set, so if you don't have it installed, the game will crash.

[geoo]

Las Ranas Hermanas is solvable with any version 2015-01-25 or later. There will be a new version of lix out soon that will incidentally eliminate some potential backroutes.

Some notes: My level has a tight time limit, in the aim of eliminating at least some backroutes. Sorry to everyone for that.
So you should use a version of Lix that does not nuke the lixes when the time runs out, but closes the exit instead. This is to ensure the time limit is the same for everyone. If you use 2015-01-25 or newer you should be fine. But even if you find routes that exceed the time limit but otherwise would solve the level, I'd be interested in seeing them. This is because once the new Lix version is released, it will eliminate some backroutes. I might consider removing the time limit once that version is out.

Nepster: I just wanted to note. 2015-08-09 and later have physics changes like the new basher and digger. All versions between 2015-01-25 and 2015-07-07 however have the same single player physics. Replays recorded with any of these versions can be viewed with 2015-07-07. However replays recorded with 2015-07-07 will not be viewable with version 2015-06-08 or earlier, so I suggest players to use some version between 2015-01-25 and 2015-06-08 rather than 2015-07-07.

[namida]

Note that "Cogopolis" requires the Clockwork tile-set, so if you don't have it installed, the game will crash.

Recent versions of both the editor and NeoCustLemmix come with the Clockwork set (and the other three LPIV sets, for that matter) included.

Nepster: I just wanted to note. All versions between 2015-01-25 and 2015-07-07 have the same single player physics, while 2015-08-09 and later have physics changes like the new basher and digger. Replays recorded with any of these versions can be viewed with 2015-07-07. However replays recorded with 2015-07-07 will not be viewable with version 2015-06-08 or earlier, so I suggest players to use some version between 2015-01-25 and 2015-06-08 rather than 2015-07-07.

I think it's better not to be encouraging players to have lots of different versions set up, isn't it...? But Nepster did mention the physics changes in the *latest* version could be problematic; and since the level was designed before it was released, the note mentions the latest version at the time the level was designed.

[geoo]

Well all I'm saying is that it doesn't matter if you use 2015-01-25 or 2015-06-08, because they are mutually compatible in singleplayer. 2015-07-07 wasn't an official release so I discourage from using it for recording replays (for viewing replays it's not an issue).

Nepster discouraged using 2015-08-09 for his level, thus I suggest players to use 2015-01-25 or 2015-06-08.

For my level, it works perfectly fine and if you want consistency, players can use 2015-01-25 or 2015-06-08.
The release that will make a notable (positive) difference to the level isn't even out yet, so there's no point using the newer versions for my level at this point.

[IchoTolot]

Ok solved the NeoLemmix part and tried out the lix levels, but I need a break for today now.
Attached the solutions for the NeoLemmix levels and my best try (saving 33 Lix instead of the 34 required) for geoo's level. (Gotta get that last pesky Lix hopefully tomorrow)

Comments:

Safe Descent (bsmith):

Spoiler

The level looks nice, but I hope I just horribly backrouted this level, because it would be too easy if this was the intended way.

Mind the Gap (Crane):

Spoiler

Looks good and has a non fiddly clean solution. Overall good level.

Cognopolis (DynaLem):

Spoiler

First you think ohh my this is going to be annoying, but false. The solution falls together in a clean non-fiddly way and it looks very nice. A very fun to play level.

Parking Garage (Geoffster):

Spoiler

Nice theme and the mechanics in this one are really creative. Also even if you think the solution is trivial.....nope needed a a bit of rethinking to get everything right. Great job!

House on a Hill (möbius):

Spoiler

I has a little Deja vu at first because of the rock-lvel in MobiLems    The solution came rather quickly, as I used this trick tons of times in other packs in the recent past. It also looks quite nice.

Las Ranas Hermanas (geoo)  so far:

Spoiler

I really had to get into the Lix mechanics and given tools to be able to try out my plan for this one and after an hour I finally got used to them. I had to rethink a lot and finally came up with a plan that NEARLY works. I lost one Lix too much and I bet there is a method in which the frogs get one less Lix, because I don't see another way for the middle obsticle (if the right miner can survive some way? but I don't think so)

[IchoTolot]

IchoTolot's level has a custom music file to accompany it. This should be placed in the same folder as CustLemmixNeo.exe.

I think it just must be in the same folder as the level itself, cause I can hear it with my CustNeoLemmix player and the music is only in the folder with the level.

[namida]

My thoughts:

bsmith's "Safe Descent"

Pretty sure I've found a major backroute on this one.

Crane's "Mind the Gap"

Might also be a backroute. The hardest part is working out how to get out of the starting area; once that's done the rest is fairly simple.

Geoffster's "Parking Garage"

I tried this one for a while, but couldn't solve it yet. My best attempt solution would've worked, except for lemmings not being able to step up from underneath the staircases.

I haven't yet looked at any of the others beyond a quick glance.

[Nepster]

Just to clarify the confusion with the Lix versions: There are two very different solutions that I know of.
- One requires the old basher/miner/digger-mechanics and will certainly not work in 2015-08-09. However it should be robust enough to work in any of the other versions (though I only checked it with 2015-06-08).
- The other solution is independent of the precise basher/miner/digger-mechanics and should does work as well in 2015-08-09. I haven't had time to confirm this yet, but will do so this evening.

EDIT: Solvability of Altruism with 2015-08-09 confirmed.

[mobius]

I only solved one level so far, but all look very nice, and very tough.

Safe Decent:

Spoiler

Feels like a major backroute for this level. If it is; the otherwise intended solution I don't have a clue for yet.

[Nepster]

[spoiler="Safe Descent" by bsmith]Given the other comments, this should be pretty similar to other solutions.[/spoiler]

[spoiler="Mind the gap!" by Crane]Only played V1. The first half is very good. The (now likely fixed) second half less so.[/spoiler]

[spoiler="Cogopolis" by DynaLem]Solid level. I am wondering whether 100% is possible with a little precise timing at the very beginning? Otherwise a fun and not overly hard level.[/spoiler]

[spoiler="Parking Garage" by Geoffster]Excellent level with a wonderful solution! Apart from geoo's level the hardest one.[/spoiler]

[spoiler="Las Ranas Hermanas" by geoo]Not yet solved. 1 miner and about 10 seconds short (no replay).[/spoiler]

[spoiler="The Adventures Of Lemdiana Jones" by IchoTolot]Nice looking and huge level (both typically IchoTolot). Especially the first half of the solution was very good.[/spoiler]

 "House on a Hill" by möbius]Solid level, which has a 100% solution.[/spoiler]

[spoiler= Spoiler for both "Parking Garage" and "The Adventures Of Lemdiana Jones"

Interesting that both levels feature the same trick, one with a basher and one with a miner.

Remark: All replays are recorded with NeoLemmix V1.35-C.

[namida]

Solved one more.

DynaLem's "Cogopolis"

A very nice level; not challenging but fun to play and does require some planning ahead.

Solid level. I am wondering whether 100% is possible with a little precise timing at the very beginning? Otherwise a fun and not overly hard level.

It is possible. The only reason my solution doesn't save 100% is because I placed the blocker on the steel, instead of slightly to the left of it; by the time I realised this could lead to a 100% solution, I didn't want to completely restart the level from the beginning. There might be some optimization I missed, but it'd seem 100% requires all the skills except for one climber and the bomber.

By the way, I notice that so far, Rondo Alla Turca is a very common music choice in this contest. :O


EDIT: And one more!

Geoffster's "Parking Garage"

A very clever puzzle here! At first I thought it must rely on very good timing and interaction between multiple bashers, but the eventual solution was very tidy and clever! I did have one basher left over, though...

EDIT: Reuploaded replay to work with V2. The method is still the same.

Very impressive levels so far. I think it's safe to say this was a very good choice for this contest's rules!

[Nepster]

Solutions for updated levels (except for "Parking Garage", where my first solution should still work).

[spoiler="Safe Descent" by bsmith]Only minor modifications needed.[/spoiler]

[spoiler="Mind the gap!" by Crane]Second half fells much more natural now, but the first half is still the most impressive part of this level.[/spoiler]

[namida]

I had a look again at the three that have been updated; I'll get around to the ones I haven't yet looked at later today.

Updated my replay to Parking Garage in the above post; since the overall approach I used still works.

bsmith's "Safe Descent"

Very little change needed here.

Crane's "Mind the Gap!"

Only a small change needed to the first part; substituting a miner with a basher because I needed the miner later (edit: although now that I think about it, I could've used one less miner elsewhere anyway, at the cost of a fair bit of extra time taken). Some more significant changes needed in the second part. Good level.

[namida]

And for the last two NeoLemmix ones...

IchoTolot's "The Adventures of Lemdiana Jones"

I'm not sure how well I thought the music fits the level; but the level itself is excellent! I did expect this level to be a lot harder considering who the author was; but while the difficulty wasn't as high as expected, the quality definitely was. Great level!

mobius's "House on a Hill"

This level wasn't overly great IMO. It was mostly a matter of working out the exact precisely-needed points in a solution that wasn't too unobvious overall.

I'll get around to the Lix ones soon.