[ALL PLATFORMS] Pause-free Challenge [PF]

[WillLem]

This challenge involves playing any level on any Lemmings engine you like. For example, I've chosen to do this on the Amiga because I feel that the original game's focus on execution difficulty and the lack of player-assist tools on the Amiga version are more aligned with the nature of this challenge. However, any challenger is free to choose whichever engine/platform they wish in order to take part in this challenge.

The rules are simple:

Don't press pause! - this rule is mandatory, obviously

Some optional rules for added challenge:

Save 100% (or, the maximum possible)
Use the mouse for everything wherever possible (i.e. no keyboard control of the skill panel)

Get involved in the challenge yourself, make suggestions as to what levels you'd like to see myself or other challengers take on, all comments/suggestions are welcome.



WillLem's Pause-free Challenge YouTube Playlist

Proxima's Pause-free Challenge YouTube Playlist

MASTER-88's Pause-free Challenge (SNES) YouTube Playlist

MASTER-88's Pause-free Challenge (NES) YouTube Playlist



Regarding "attempts":

For record-making purposes, an "attempt" is defined by reasonably settling into the level past a certain point. False starts and mis-clicks within the first few seconds of starting the level do not count as "attempts", and neither does any playthrough in which the challenger begins the level with the intention of using the pause button in order to help formulate a challenge solution: this is permitted.

However, use of the pause button during an attempt that has already begun does not de-classify it as an attempt, and in fact counts as a failed attempt: it is expected that the challenger will be honest and forthcoming about whether or not they are making an attempt at solving the level pause-free, and will record the attempt honestly in the event of failure.

With that cleared up, enjoy taking part or simply watching others' challenge videos!

[ccexplore]

The Fast Food Kitchen is an obvious one to see.  I guess it's not completely unreasonable since you can still rely on the minimap to quickly jump back and forth between the 2 sides and even roughly see what's happening on the side otherwise currently offscreen.  But clearly will be an interesting challenge when you can't pause.  Bonus if you can't use the keyboard either and have to actually click on the skills icons to pick the skill you want to assign.  If you do decide to do that level, I'd ask to see the whole take and not just the final successful attempt.

[edit: extra bonus if you manage a 100% solution without pause for that level]

The Crossroads would be a fun quick one to see, probably not too difficult with some practice.  The level is always already all about execution, but normally you can still pause to adjust your bearings and pacing as needed.

[Minim]

Most of the levels that I came up with on an old post here should hopefully provide a decent enough challenge for multi-tasking with different skills. This selection contains a group of levels where the player shouldn't have too much time to waste before changing skills. So try any one of these if you like. Further details on my reasoning can be seen here.

Otherwise I agree that ccexplore's idea of "The Fast Food Kitchen" should be worth watching, despite the fact it didn't end up on this list. Looking forward to seeing more of this.

[Ron_Stard]

"Creature Discomforts" and "It's all a matter of timing" may be hard to do without pause. They both belong to ONML Havoc (7 and 12, respectively).

[kaywhyn]

don't press pause!

This is an interesting challenge, although this used to be a gimmick that existed in earlier versions of Neolemmix. This gimmick was called Frenzy, where pause is disabled completely for the level and attempting to pause would cause an "Oh no" sound to play. I recently encountered two levels that featured the gimmick when I was playing a levelpack featuring ghosts and another in version 1.43 of the Neolemmix tutorial pack. If I'm not mistaken, I believe you're currently playing through Strato's Lemmicks, so you might had already encountered and are already familiar with this gimmick. Now, because the gimmick got culled, the difference is that pause is always available as a feature that one can use, but obviously here the idea is to resist ever using it.

Back to this topic, though. Although some levels will obviously be harder without pause, theoretically I'm thinking all the official games can be completed without ever using pause. Here, I'm thinking the most difficult will be the final level of ONML, especially with timed bombers. AFAIK, there is only one level that featured the Frenzy gimmick, and that is a level in Lemmings Revolution. I don't remember the name of the level, but what I do remember is that in the level pause is disabled and when the level starts there is an evil laughing sound that really creeped me out. Even worse, it's a splat height entrance level where all hatches were at deadly heights and has a 100% save requirement, which means miss one floater and you had to start over. Needless to say, the level really tests your reflexes.

[WillLem]

this used to be a gimmick that existed in earlier versions of Neolemmix. This gimmick was called Frenzy, where pause is disabled completely for the level... Now, because the gimmick got culled, the difference is that pause is always available as a feature that one can use, but obviously here the idea is to resist ever using it.

Yep, that's pretty much it! Although, I'm playing this challenge strictly on the Amiga so I won't accidentally framestep (I have my mouse buttons assigned to +1 and -1 framestepping in NL). Yes, I could turn it off for the purposes of this challenge, but I'd rather just stick to playing the levels on the Amiga as I feel this challenge is more aligned to the original gameplay style.

Here, I'm thinking the most difficult will be the final level of ONML, especially with timed bombers.

Challenge accepted, I'll add it to the list.

[WillLem]

OK, so here are the first four from the OP list!

Wicked 4 Oh No! It's The 4TH DIMENSION!

Challenge Difficulty: Extremely Hard (Maximum Possible Saved)
Number of Attempts: 22

The video features the successful attempt.



Havoc 9 AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Challenge Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Number of attempts: 4 (plus 3 attempts at a higher release rate)

The video features the successful attempt, a performance of the level with the release rate set higher, plus a few blooper clips at the end for fun.




Mayhem 11 We All Fall Down

Challenge Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Number of attempts: 5

The video features the successful attempt, plus a few blooper clips at the end for fun.




Mayhem 15 The Fast Food Kitchen 100% Saved

Challenge Difficulty: Very Hard
Number of attempts: 11

The video features the successful attempt, plus a reel of all previous attempts as requested by ccexplore.

[Proxima]

Fun 1-30, recorded in one take with no pausing

[WillLem]

Fun 1-30, recorded in one take with no pausing

This was great to watch, I've commented on YouTube as well. Thanks for getting involved!

You're quite a wizard with the NeoLemmix controls, which is impressive to see! Although the challenge is ostensibly intended for the Amiga plaform, your contribution is more than valid given your skill with the controls and your ability to use them to their full potential.

Tools like direction select, highlighting a lemming and skill shadows obviously make certain things easier, particularly freeing blockers, placing skills precisely and recovering when you go wrong. However, it makes for a slightly different kind of challenge. For instance, I pretty much want to execute the chosen solution as perfectly as I can because recovering on the Amiga in realtime is fiddly and unsatisfying, so I tend to just start the level again if I go wrong. However, taking the approach of using the NeoLemmix tools allows you to play through everything in one sitting, recover if you go wrong, and treat it more as a case of dealing with exactly what happens in the moment.

Ultimately, it's an exciting and engaging display of control which I think is what this challenge is mostly about, so yes - keep it up, I look forward to seeing the next rank!

P.S. - One suggestion - if you're using OBS, select the option to show the cursor in the recording as well if possible.

[Proxima]

Tools like direction select, highlighting a lemming and skill shadows obviously make certain things easier, particularly freeing blockers, placing skills precisely and recovering when you go wrong. However, it makes for a slightly different kind of challenge. For instance, I pretty much want to execute the chosen solution as perfectly as I can because recovering on the Amiga in realtime is fiddly and unsatisfying, so I tend to just start the level again if I go wrong. However, taking the approach of using the NeoLemmix tools allows you to play through everything in one sitting, recover if you go wrong, and treat it more as a case of dealing with exactly what happens in the moment.

As I said at the beginning, because I'm playing on NeoLemmix, I'm making it a second rule for the challenge that I may not use NL tools to recover from mistakes. If something goes wrong, as it did (ironically) on "Take good care of my lemmings", then I recover by continuing forward, if the skillset and save requirement allow for it. If they don't then I would start the level over. I wonder which will be the first level where that happens

One suggestion - if you're using OBS, select the option to show the cursor in the recording as well if possible.

Yes, that was silly of me. I am so used to turning it off that I forgot Lemmings is an exception where it needs to be shown.

[WillLem]

As I said at the beginning, because I'm playing on NeoLemmix, I'm making it a second rule for the challenge that I may not use NL tools to recover from mistakes.

You said you can't use backwards framestepping to recover, sure, but really I guess I'm referring to your use of skills shadows, highlighted lemmings and direction select during the course of the level generally.

You're not breaking any rules by doing this, just to be clear about that. It just makes for a different sort of challenge difficulty than playing it on the Amiga, is all. For instance, if you have a look at my playthrough of The Fast Food Kitchen, you'll see that a massive part of the solution I used is selecting climbers and builders facing in the correct direction - my outtakes reel shows several attempts that went wrong for exactly that reason!

However, I'd still count the way you're playing it as being a valid contribution to the challenge because you are indeed playing in realtime (which is actually the only rule I've specified!), responding in the moment to what happens, and using the tools available in a skillful manner, which takes practice.

Incidentally, I find lemming highlighting quite impractical and unintuitive, and actually have trouble using it effectively. So, for me it's impressive to see you using it at all, let alone in realtime. I'm very much looking forward to your next vid!

[WillLem]

Mayhem 4 The Crossroads

Challenge Difficulty: Medium
Number of Attempts: 2

The video features the successful attempt.

[Proxima]

Tricky 1-30, including 100% saved on "Turn around, young lemmings"

[WillLem]

Tricky 1-30, including 100% saved on "Turn around, young lemmings"

Excellent video again, Proxima.

I've added Postcard to Lemmingland, Turn Around Young Lemmings 100%, Tightrope City, Cascade 100% and I Have a Cunning Plan to my list of levels to play for the challenge on the Amiga. I really wish I could do Going Their Separate Ways as well, that one looks ace for this challenge! Once I've worked through the list on the Amiga, I might do a few levels on NeoLemmix as a bonus video.

Taxing is my favourite rank in the original game, so I'm particularly looking forward to your next video!

[Proxima]

Taxing 1-20, including 100% saved on "Tribute to M. C. Escher"