Plans for V12.10.0

[namida]

So, for the first time in a while, there's no specific feature that stands out as being "the one" to go for in V12.10.0. Such a situation nearly arose with V12.8.0, but then the idea of high-res mode came up and that became 12.8's major feature.

So instead, I'm going to use V12.10 as a catch-up for various (non-physics) requests or bugfixes that have fallen through the cracks so far. Kind of a "lots of small stuff, no single big feature" release, I guess. I'll work on listing some target features later, but for now, feel free to link any existing suggestions that you think are worthy of coming back to. To be clear: This isn't me saying "all of them will happen". Even if in the past I've indicated they might happen, I may decide now that they won't - or that they won't yet. But this will be essentially a time to give them a second look, at least.

Over time, it seems that V12.10.X considerations have naturally gravitated towards many menu-related concerns. So the main focus for V12.10.X is going to be any overhauling / touching up of the menu system. By "menu" here, I basically mean everything that isn't in-game - the title screen, level select menu, config menu, preview / postview screens, etc.

A few other features have been put on the list as a carryover from the older "catchup time" goal. Most of these will likely still happen, although I may reconsider (in the sense of "delay them", not "reject them") some of the more complex ones.

To do
- Revision and mouse-friendliness of menu screens
--- Per-screen backgrounds
--- Record-keeping and -displaying
--- Dedicated "Pack version" field for level packs
- Allow a level (or music.nxmi) to specify a priority order rather than just a single track for music
- Options to specify random music
- Turning off skill shadows
- Differentiation of locked vs normal exits in CPM

To discuss / consider
- Cloner replay bug - probably more likely for a V12.11 fix
- In-game display of talisman requirements - going to put this one off until a later version as this is already taking long enough
- Custom post-level jingles - likewise

[Strato Incendus]

Since I understand this as "you're actively searching for features to implement / bring back", could we get back the option of having custom success and failure jingles per pack?

I like my real-instruments jingles for my music-themed packs (Lemmings World Tour & Co.), but I don't want it to "overwrite" any custom jingles that other level designers used when I'm playing their packs. This is what would happen if I made my own custom jingles the default ones in the sound folder.

If there already is a way of accomplishing this by now and it just escaped me, then never mind. But to my knowledge, this is one of the few Old-Formats perks that hasn't returned yet.

[namida]

To be honest, I'd more wonder if those are worth keeping support for at all (even a default one). They're unpopular enough that there was sufficient demand to change the default setting to off; I wonder how many people even turn them on at all?

[DireKrow]

To be honest, I'd more wonder if those are worth keeping support for at all (even a default one). They're unpopular enough that there was sufficient demand to change the default setting to off; I wonder how many people even turn them on at all?

I turned them on as soon as I got the game and haven't felt compelled to turn them off.

[Strato Incendus]

I would only be tempted to turn them off if I were forever stuck with the default one - much like a lot of peolpe grow tired of the default amiga music tracks. Remakes of those classic tracks, however, are always welcome, and so would custom success and failure jingles, I believe!

[WillLem]

A compilation list of ideas/possible considerations:

The new official levelpack conversions - it seems like there's enough interest in keeping these a part of NeoLemmix, for various reasons. I am, of course, still very happy to continue with the process of converting and maintaining these. It's best if Proxima's challenge-approved packs serve this purpose.

An option to hotkey Skill Shadows - whilst the implementation or not of a Skill Shadow option has still yet to be decided upon (and, of course, how it's implemented), I'd probably suggest from the content of the discussion that Permanently-Enabled or Hotkey-Controlled are the two options that would provide the most all-round satisfaction. It seems that nobody is up for the idea of an option to disable them altogether.

An improved/updated menu screen - seems fairly popular. Subject to consensus/discussion of possible ideas, this one might be a good one to include in 12.10 since it's cosmetic.

An option to have different backgrounds for menu/level preview screens - this one also seems like a popular enough idea and would tie in well with the above.

Full statistics records/talisman info/etc included in F2 level select menu - This would be a great way to keep track of individual records, and could even form the basis for sharing/updating general records in the future as well. Note that this post also contains ideas of how this could be implemented, particularly for talisman info (which would then remove the need for an F4 talisman screen/menu item).

Level-pack downloader - I imagine this would be implemented in a similar way to the styles downloader, and would make it remarkably easy to download/update packs, for both player and creator. It could also be useful for ensuring that players always get everything they need for a pack with one click. It's just a seed of an idea at the moment, but could be developed into something workable.

I think that's it! It's been very useful compiling this list as I tend to come back to these ideas quite a lot, one way or another!

---

Regarding the jingles - I personally don't use them, but if a player has the post-level jingle enabled anyway, it makes sense that pack creators have the option to override the default jingle with their own, in the same way as any other sound.

[namida]

The new official levelpack conversions - it seems like there's enough interest in keeping these a part of NeoLemmix, for various reasons. I am, of course, still very happy to continue with the process of converting and maintaining these.

This can be done independently of NL updates. I'm just not likely to want to pay much attention to those when an update is nearly ready to release (as the update is the priority).

Full statistics records/talisman info/etc included in F2 level select menu - This would be a great way to keep track of individual records, and could even form the basis for sharing/updating general records in the future as well. Note that this post also contains ideas of how this could be implemented, particularly for talisman info (which would then remove the need for an F4 talisman screen/menu item).

Putting this one on the todo list right now. A lot of the rest will likely make it too when I think about it more, but this one is a definite "yes, yes, yes, let's get this done".

[Proxima]

I think the most important thing to look at is letting the player know about talisman requirements, in some other way than taking up a chunk of the preview screen. (The F2 menu could include talisman information, as suggested above; but it can't be the only place to view it.) Once this is done, we can look at improving the look of the preview screen and main menu.

[JamesTCat]

If it's possible could there be a way to make entire tribes made by the user to appear together in the same level? (You know, like in Sad Puppy's Lemmings.)

[namida]

If it's possible could there be a way to make entire tribes made by the user to appear together in the same level? (You know, like in Sad Puppy's Lemmings.)

Style creators can already customize the lemming appearances in their styles, either with outright custom sprites (like the Lemminas or various Freedom Planet styles do) or just recoloring (like the L2 styles do). This has been possible for a very long time now.

If you mean as a user-side setting, nothing is stopping you from making your own similar modifications to your copy of NL, though this is not something I have any interest in explicitly supporting (but at the same time, I don't have any interest in actively preventing it either).

[Dullstar]

It might be prohibitively difficult to fix, but I may as well bring this cloner + replay insert mode bug up again, since it didn't get any acknowledgement:

https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=4761.0

Admittedly, I haven't retested on 12.9, but I see nothing in the changelog to indicate any changes.

[JamesTCat]

Can there be additional voice clips when a lemming does something like opening a parasol ("WEEE!" "Here I Go") activating blocker skill ("Hold it!" "STOP!" "WAIT!") getting to the exit ("YIPPIE!" "YEAH!" "OUTTA HERE!") Or the various dying noises?

Heck I'd even add in the option of music in the many menus. A main theme like Lemmings PSP.

[namida]

I've added one of these ideas to "to do", and a few of them to "to consider".

Regarding the remainder:

- Official level conversions: Enough has been said on this subject elsewhere.
- Level pack downloader: This would first need a website where level packs can be uploaded, which would require me (or someone else) to make such a website - and this is no trivial task, unless it functions as a completely blind file-upload-and-download site which has plenty of its own risks. This is something I'd like to do eventually, but it's a prerequisite to any downloader feature in NL, which means such a feature is not 12.10 material.
- Letting the player know about talisman requirements in another location: I'm not sure what you mean. Is there an existing topic this is referencing - if so, link? I'll most likely be happy to add to the list once I understand what's being asked.
- Extra sounds: Not likely to have enough support, and at any rate this is a new suggestion. I'm hoping to get some of the backlog cleared out here. Feel free to open a new suggestion topic so people can discuss it though; I'm certianly not saying "this cannot happen, ever".

If something is neither listed here nor added to the OP I've likely overlooked it by accident.

[Proxima]

- Letting the player know about talisman requirements in another location: I'm not sure what you mean. Is there an existing topic this is referencing - if so, link? I'll most likely be happy to add to the list once I understand what's being asked.

My topic and WillLem's topic. We both list three problems with the current system (two problems shared between our lists, and we each have one unique one ) and we both have some ideas for possible solutions.

[namida]

- Letting the player know about talisman requirements in another location: I'm not sure what you mean. Is there an existing topic this is referencing - if so, link? I'll most likely be happy to add to the list once I understand what's being asked.

My topic and WillLem's topic. We both list three problems with the current system (two problems shared between our lists, and we each have one unique one ) and we both have some ideas for possible solutions.

Okay so - I've added in-game talisman requirement display as a todo. As for in the menus, I think that falls under the general menu redesign, so let's consider it while discussing that.