Level Design Contest #19

[IchoTolot]

Welcome to another contest of the Lemmingsforums! This time the three rules have been picked by Namida for winning contest #18.

A few words to new participants and forum members: If you haven't entered before, I strongly encourage you to try - even if you don't win, it's fun to participate; and we have had cases where first-time entrants have won before!; there are three choices of rules given, you may enter one level each for up to two of the rules.
You may either use new format NeoLemmix, or Lix.
If you have two entries, they may (but do not have to) be for the same engine. Please make sure you tested your level for basic solvability before submitting and be sure to also submit any custom tileset you are using, so others have no problem playing your level.

Pre contest testing: You can choose 1 person who does a bit of pre-testing for you, so that the biggest backroutes and screw-ups of your levels can be detected before the playing phase. I cannot control this so it's only a guideline, but still I would prefer not everyone knows every level before the playing phase starts.

Here are the rules on how the submission deadlines work:
- Initial submission phase deadline will extend such that it's 72 hours from the time of the last submission, up to the 5th submission (inclusive). After this it no longer changes no matter what.
- Update phase deadline will not extend over the initial dead line!
- Even if you missed the cutoff date for the initial submission phase, late entries are accepted until the update phase ends. There is no penalty for a late entry, beyond that people are less likely to spend as much time on the level before voting begins.

And here is the new ruleset:

Rule 1

Create a level where the total number of non-permanent skills provided is at most 3. There is no cap on permanent skills. Pickup skills count towards this limit, but pre-assigned Shimmiers / Blockers do not. (For the purpose of this rule, permanent skills are (Both) Climber, Floater, (NL) Swimmer, Glider, Disarmer, (Lix) Runner.)

So possibilities for non-permanent skills would be:

(a) 1x Skill A, 1x Skill B, 1x Skill C
(b) 2x Skill A, 1x Skill B
(c) 3x Skill A

Rule 2

Create a level where the terrain spells out your username (or an abbreviation thereof).

For the avoidance of doubt, the name should be most or all of the layout; not just "the name is one small part, or even a purely-decorative part, of an otherwise-normal level", but it is acceptable to have a little bit of "standard" level or filler built around it.

- It's acceptable to have the name spelled out multiple times.

- It's also acceptable to have the terrain be the clear/free part of the level so it's carved into the terrain.

- Don't add/remove terrain to the letters to specifically connect them. So no extra terrain/caves to connect letters.

  It's allowed to place little terrain pieces like little flowers/mushrooms etc on/in letters when they are not actively used to connect them. For example if you make snow letters with the L2 polar
  set you can place a polar bear or a tree on them, or in them if they are carved out.

  Still, the letters should stand/be carved out on their own. Placing objects in/on them is totally fine, but adding/removing extra terrain to specifically connect them is not.
  Extra terrain/caves can always be placed disconnected from the letters though.

  Cursive style is the only exception to this.

  - I will be leniant to any corner cases not listed there, that don't go totally against the spirit of the rule. So I won't disqualify a level over smaller details. If you want further clearance to a detail
    regardless, I will make a clear call and add it here.


Rule 3

Create a level with exactly one regular lemming (no limit on neutrals or zombies) and a save requirement of at least 2. You may use either neutrals or Cloners (or a mixture of both) to achieve this.

Submission phase ends December 29th 2019 at 00:00 UTC. The deadline is after Christmas, as I imagine most of you won't be playing during it and maybe during the holidays you also get a last minute idea. Deadline for the playing / update phase will be announced when it begins.

Ruleset in detail again: http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2246.0

Send me a personal message with your level/s and if needed tileset/s to participate. It would also be nice to also tell me the rule which each level satisfies.

Please use the following naming format:  User1_Levelname_R3V1.lvl ---> Level "Levelname" by User1   for Rule 3   Version 1 of the level 

Prize selection:
- US $5.00
- One month's advertising on the forums news ticker
- Pick next contest's rules

Entries so far: 15

- Crane (2)
- Armani (2)
- Flopsy (2)
- Willem (2)
- IchoTolot (2)
- Niesch (2)
- namida (1)
- SQron (1)
- Dullstar (1)

[namida]

Some clarifications around rule #2:
- It doesn't have to be plain boring block letters. You can get creative, as long as it's fairly recognizable as the letters that make up your name.
- There's no rule in there about what size your name is.
- And for that matter, it doesn't say the name can only be there once. (I had this in mind when stating the rule, for those who have short usernames but want bigger levels - inverse situation of why the abbreviation allowance is there - but seems I forgot to explicitly spell it out.)

EDIT: Basically - this won't be pedantic. Unless you write an entirely different name, or create mostly a normal level with a tiny "[your name]" in the corner, etc, it's fine.

[Flopsy]

I need further clarification for Rule 2, it is incredibly vague.

1. Can I have letters where the letters themselves are not actually solid but where the letter isn't is terrain. So the blank space is the letter?
2. As long as I have the letters clearly showing largely and prominently, can I have additional terrain around the letters to fill the gaps?

[IchoTolot]

I need further clarification for Rule 2, it is incredibly vague.

1. Can I have letters where the letters themselves are not actually solid but where the letter isn't is terrain. So the blank space is the letter?
2. As long as I have the letters clearly showing largely and prominently, can I have additional terrain around the letters to fill the gaps?

Clarified the ruleset a bit.

1.) Yes

2.)

If you mean adding/removing terrain to the letters to connect them, I would say no. So no extra terrain/caves to connect letters.

I would allow placing little terrain pieces like little flowers/mushrooms etc on/in letters though when they are not actively used to connect them. For example if you make snow letters with the L2 polar set you can place a polar bear or a tree on them, or in them if they are carved out.

Still, the letters should stand/be carved out on their own. Placing objects in/on them is totally fine, but adding/removing extra terrain to specifically connect them is not.
Extra terrain/caves can always be placed disconnected from the letters though.


For example the picture you sent to namida of the "O" I would say is totally ok.

[namida]

I'm going to have a discussion with Icho about specific details for this rule, or even possibly replacing it with a different one, as it does seem that there's a lot of edge cases where we aren't quite on the same page here. (I haven't myself made a level yet, for any of the rules, so this isn't about "what does my level need", but in general I am starting to think that yes, this rule was too vague and unspecific...)

Please take this into account at this stage if you're planning on doing a level for Rule 2.

[Armani]

Wow all the three rules seem really creative and a little bit tricky to fit in.

I have some basic and silly questions.

1) Am I free to use custom tilesets made by other people? For example, can I use the tiltset "Desert(Namida)" without permission of the author?

2)

Initial submission phase deadline will extend such that it's 72 hours from the time of the last submission, up to the 5th submission

Does it imply that submission phase could end earlier than December 29th ?

3) Is it okay to use custom music on my levels?

4) Do I have to send replays.nxrp of intended solutions together with the levels.nxlv?

[namida]

1) Am I free to use custom tilesets made by other people? For example, can I use the tiltset "Desert(Namida)" without permission of the author?

Absolutely. If the tileset isn't included with NL's download though (almost all are), make sure to send a copy with your submission.

Does it imply that submission phase could end earlier than December 29th ?

No; only that it could end later.

3) Is it okay to use custom music on my levels?

Yes, and it's very common (though not universal - probably about 50/50 overall) for contest entrants to do this.

4) Do I have to send replays.nxrp of intended solutions together with the levels.nxlv?

It's recommended, but not required.

[IchoTolot]

Adding to:

3) Is it okay to use custom music on my levels?

Maybe still not use strictly copyrighted stuff.


For the Rule 2 case:

- The details listed above should still be followed.

- I will be leniant to any corner cases not listed there, that don't go totally against the spirit of the rule. So I won't disqualify a level over smaller details.

  So for now: The name and letters have to be clearly recognisable and you should not connect them (Cursive is the exception).

- If you want further clearance to a detail regardless, I will make a clear call.

[Armani]

Thank you for your quick replies. :D

[WillLem]

Does the cloner count as a permanent skill; in that it has a permanent effect and cannot be undone?

[IchoTolot]

Does the cloner count as a permanent skill; in that it has a permanent effect and cannot be undone?

No, the cloner does not count as a permanent skill. Permanent skills are only those which assign permanent ability changing attributes to a lemming (climber,floater,glider,swimmer,disarmer, runner(lix)). Or simplyfied: Those skills which give the lemming blue hair

[WillLem]

Does the cloner count as a permanent skill; in that it has a permanent effect and cannot be undone?

No, the cloner does not count as a permanent skill. Permanent skills are only those which assign permanent ability changing attributes to a lemming (climber,floater,glider,swimmer,disarmer, runner(lix)). Or simplyfied: Those skills which give the lemming blue hair

Back to the drawing board, then...

[namida]

The rule specifically states which skills count as permanent - the Climber and Floater in both engines; the Swimmer, Glider and Disarmer in NeoLemmix; and the Runner in Lix.

[WillLem]

The rule specifically states which skills count as permanent - the Climber and Floater in both engines; the Swimmer, Glider and Disarmer in NeoLemmix; and the Runner in Lix.

I was just stating the case for the Cloner being counted as permanent in addition to the above is all. Not to worry, I have taken on the challenge and hopefully come up with a decent solution!

Cheers

[ccexplore]

I was just stating the case for the Cloner being counted as permanent in addition to the above is all.

A useful criteria to think about "permanent skill" is, there is no reason to ever assign the same permanent skill to the same lemming more than once.  That's not the case for the Cloner.

And wouldn't you call killing the clone (ie. leading it to death) a way to "undo" the effects of a cloner?