Lemmings Plus VI - Development Topic [100% - Preparing Release]

[namida]

We've hit 70 levels (and all remaining empty slots are in Sane; though it's possible to shuffle levels around if need be), so the first (near-)complete test version has now been sent to testers.

It's getting closer now!

[nin10doadict]

...I find it funny that the easy levels are the ones that you've ended up making last. I have a sneaking suspicion that good easy levels are harder for some people to make...

[namida]

...I find it funny that the easy levels are the ones that you've ended up making last. I have a sneaking suspicion that good easy levels are harder for some people to make...

That is part of it, but I also decided to deliberately keep some early slots open, so that if needed, I can use them to add tutorial levels for tricks used in some of the harder levels. There's also some degree of leniency here - several early-Loopy levels would work just as well in late-Sane, so I can always move things around a bit if I do end up making another harder level.



Anyway, I've got two sets of replays back from testers now - one covering all of Manic and Delirious, and one covering half of Manic + all of Delirious. I haven't watched the latter yet (a bit burnt out, will check them later today), but the former alone has unearthed 9 backroutes, two borderline cases, and three (non-backroute) new alternate solutions; plus a graphical oddity in one level. I likely won't get around to making any fixes until a bit later in the week, though - likely to have some busy days coming up, plus there's little point rushing since I'll need to wait until the current contest ends anyway.

[namida]

Now that I've actually watched those sets (and a third, which doesn't overlap the other two much - it has a few Manic replays and one from Delirious, but it's mostly Sane and Loopy), even more backroutes, yay - including that someone actually managed to backroute a Sane level! (Though I suppose it's to be expected this will happen occasionally with easier levels once they start being "easy puzzles" rather than "any way you like X-of-everything levels".)

Aside from that, a few very interesting (acceptable) alternate solutions have popped up too. As ya'll may have noticed (especially the testers), I'm being a lot more lenient with what's an acceptable solution or not in LPVI - whereas with LPV and LPO2 I often insisted "it must be the exact intended solution, or at most, a very slight variation of it", with LPVI my standard is generally "as long as the solution isn't significantly easier than the intended one, it's fine" on most levels - there are a few levels where I might expect a specific trick to be used, or even an entire specific solution, but most levels are a lot more open-ended than in previous recent packs from me.

[namida]

So, I've gotten through most of the replays that have been sent from the first test version now. Had a lot of backroutes, a few very interesting acceptable alternate solutions, and even a couple of potential talisman candidates, pop up. This coming week I should be able to get the second test version ready, during which I'll probably try to fill out some more of Sane. I have identified one level in particular that perhaps needs an easier level to showcase some of the tricks of.

[namida]

First new level in a while.

"Hold It!"
Loopy 2
Save 20 of 20
Spawn rate 90
1 blocker, 2 builders, 1 fencer, 1 miner

(Note: The lemmings start facing to the left in this level.)

Release version

[namida]

Second test version has just been sent out to testers. This new test version has backroute fixes on 12 levels (one of which was a talisman backroute only), two levels with miscellaneous changes, one new talisman on an existing level, two entirely new levels, and heaps of level reordering; compared to the previous test version.

So far, although several levels got hugely changed from their initial form, there's also only been a single level that's been cut entirely. The cut was more to do with quality (and necessity, given it was partially a tutorial level that ended up no longer being important due to changes to other levels) than difficulty, too.

[nin10doadict]

Is looking good so far.
I think I'm getting a rough idea of the difficulty from what you've posted, as I think I see how to do "Hold it!" just by looking at it. That is, assuming they start out going left...

[namida]

Is looking good so far.
I think I'm getting a rough idea of the difficulty from what you've posted, as I think I see how to do "Hold it!" just by looking at it. That is, assuming they start out going left...

They do. Edited the above post to clarify that (as well as add an accurate position, now that I've decided on it).

[namida]

The demo has been updated with the latest versions of all levels (off the top of my head, only Secret Garden has changed, but I could be wrong), as well as to reflect the order the demo levels (currently) are in in the full game.

[namida]

As I've withdrawn it from the contest, but of course it's public anyway by now, I've updated the demo to include Tight Schedule. No other changes in the new update.

[namida]

All currently-known backroutes have been fixed, including one that I skipped over fixing for the second test version because I couldn't think of a way to fix it without breaking the intended solution - in the end, I found a way that doesn't even break the intended solution replay, let alone the solution itself.

Current plan of action: I want test version 3 to have all 80 levels, so I need to make those last five Sane levels (or maybe Loopy levels and demote a few others, if need be). Currently, Lemmings Plus VI does not have a single case of two levels in a row with the same graphic set. If I want to keep this, assuming no reordering (which is a very strong assumption though, and very likely some reordering will happen), I cannot create any further Basement levels, as every remaining empty slot is next to at least one Basement level.

[namida]

Just made the 80th level, which means at this point, no more levels remain to be created.

The 3rd test version will be sent to testers later today (EDIT: it's been sent). The jump from the first to second test version already showed a huge reduction in number of backroutes found, so I suspect that - aside from the possibility of some arising in the new levels - there isn't much backrouting left to do. The difficulty curve likely still needs a bit of work, but it's much better now than it was at first.

[namida]

While I haven't got a huge amount of replays back so far; only two levels have had backroutes so far in the latest test version.

So, I'd say we're pretty close now. Chances are there's still a couple more backroutes to stamp out (there's a few levels in particular that are somewhat hard to believe would be backroute-proof just yet), but at this point, it's mostly a matter of finalizing the level ordering - I do think it still needs a few tweaks, and I also got a fair bit of feedback regarding that from the second test version, but didn't yet act on most of it (there is one level I moved).

[namida]

I've sent out a 4th test version earlier today. Most of the levels seem pretty solid now, so this will likely be the last test version, and a release can probably be expected sometime this week. (However, this could change of course if I get really busy, or if a lot of backroutes suddenly come up, or if a tester specifically asks for more time, etc. It's definitely not a concrete release date, just a current estimate. The actual release date will be announced in the form of the pack actually being released.)