Level Design Contest #20

[IchoTolot]

Welcome to another contest of the Lemmingsforums! This time the three rules have been picked by Flopsy and myself for winning contest #19.

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! ATTENTION ENTY RULE CHANGE: There are three choices of rules given, you may enter one level for EACH one of the rules.
You may either use new format NeoLemmix, or Lix.
If you have more than one entry, 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

(By Flopsy)
Make a level which is symmetrical both horizontally and vertically terrain wise. There is no symmetry rules for the objects in the level.

To be clear: It must be horizontally and vertically symmetrical in clear physics mode only, including steel though! As long as that's given you can use different colored blocks for example.

Rule 2

(By IchoTolot)
Make a level that uses a complete 10 skill palette. Each skill has at most 5 on the counter. All skills need to be used at least once in the intended solution.

To treat the engines equally, I would say 10 is enough for lix as well. You can use more if you want though!

Rule 3

(By Flopsy and IchoTolot collaboratively)
Make a "fake" disjoint union level. Each union needs a hatch. All unions need to be connected in some way to help out each other hence the use of "fake" in inverted commas.

An example for a "real" disjoint union would be Havoc 14 "Synchronised Lemming". As there is no interaction in between the unions.


Submission phase ends May 17th 2020 at 00:00 UTC.

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: 22

- Armani (3)
- Crane (2)
- IchoTolot (3)
- DireKrow (3)
- Dullstar (1)
- NieSch (3)
- Flopsy (3)
- Mantha16 (3)
- Nessy (1)
- JRT (2)
- WillLem (1)

[Proxima]

How does Rule 2 work for Lix levels (where the limit is 14 skills)? Should a level use exactly 10, or at least 10, or exactly 14?

[WillLem]

Please can you elaborate the term "disjoint union"? And, Icho - you said that was one of your level turn-offs! Curious to know why you're implementing it as a rule...

[Crane]

If I can hazard a guess, a fake union level would be "Betcha can't save just one?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVLU2KhHbJE

[Dullstar]

Personally, I'd appreciate some visual aids on disjoint union levels (fake or otherwise). It sounds like an interesting rule, but I'm not sure I understand.

[Proxima]

Actual disjoint union: Havoc 14 "Synchronised Lemming"



The four sub-levels cannot interact with each other. The puzzle is to find the correct allocation of skills between the four sub-levels to allow all four to be solved simultaneously.

Fake disjoint union: Wicked 4 "Oh No! It's the 4th Dimension!"



The level looks like four disjoint mini-puzzles, but the top-right lemmings cannot save themselves, so one of the other groups must help them.

Borderline: Havoc 7 "Creature Discomforts"



The two sub-levels are not completely sealed off, so they could interact, but in nearly all solutions they don't.

[Dullstar]

That's a very helpful clarifcation; thanks!

[IchoTolot]

Please can you elaborate the term "disjoint union"? And, Icho - you said that was one of your level turn-offs! Curious to know why you're implementing it as a rule...

Read carefully! That's why the rule says create a "fake" disjoint union.


"Betcha can't save just one?" would be a prime example for a fake one that would be eligible for the rule.

Ones I would mark a "real" disjoint union and not accept: Havoc 14 "Synchronised Lemming", Havoc 7 "Creature Discomforts"

How does Rule 2 work for Lix levels (where the limit is 14 skills)? Should a level use exactly 10, or at least 10, or exactly 14?

To treat the engines equally, I would say 10 is enough. You can use more if you want though.

[Dullstar]

I assume this is probably fine, but I want to check:

For Rule 2, is it okay for some of the skills to be available only as pick-ups, or do 10 skills need to be available from the start? The pick-up, is, of course, required for the intended solution.

EDIT: I found a way to enforce my intended solution that doesn't require pick-up skills, but I'm leaving the question here because it might be useful for someone else.

[IchoTolot]

I assume this is probably fine, but I want to check:

For Rule 2, is it okay for some of the skills to be available only as pick-ups, or do 10 skills need to be available from the start? The pick-up, is, of course, required for the intended solution.

EDIT: I found a way to enforce my intended solution that doesn't require pick-up skills, but I'm leaving the question here because it might be useful for someone else.

Skills only available as pick-ups are allowed as long as they are essential.

[NieSch]

(When) are we allowed to use the jumper?

Only if there is a stable release in time perhaps? Or not at all?

[IchoTolot]

(When) are we allowed to use the jumper?

Only if there is a stable release in time perhaps? Or not at all?

For the contest only the stable version of NeoLemmix is allowed.

As the jumper is still experimental it is not yet allowed. So this contest for sure will still be jumper free.

[NieSch]

Thanks!

[IchoTolot]

Got the first version of my 3 entries ready. Be sure to work on yours as well.

[NieSch]

I really enjoyed joining the contest last time so I'll be joining again. I've got one entry ready so far. I try to make them not too hard this time, but still challenging of course.