[NeoLemmix] Lemmings Uncharted [Difficulty: Medium-Extreme]

[Armani]

V3.2 is out!

Level fixes:
-3 18 Meanwhile in a Parallel Universe - added a bit of terrain near the exit
-4 20 Another Hero Time - added a steel block, added a fire
-5 01 Game of the Century - added some water
-5 02 Overpopulation - added a fire
-5 03 Jumping Bees - added some steel blocks, added a trap, removed some water

[Armani]

V3.3 is out!

Level fixes:

-5 01 Game of the Century - modified terrain near the exit, -1jumper, +1shimmier

[Armani]

V3.4 is out!

Level fixes:

-3 18 Meanwhile in a Parallel Universe - added a bit of terrain
-4 20 Another Hero Time - builders are now pick-ups

seems like the troublesome level has finally been patched out properly

[kaywhyn]

Libra rank finally completed. Replays attached, as well as more feedback. Also, as I forgot to download v3.4 of the pack before I started recording part 44 of the LP, I decided to quickly resolve Libra 20, so the replay in the collection is for v3.4. The solution you see in the video is for v3.1, so quite a ways from the most recent version It seems to still be a backroute, though

Libra Rank Feedback

Now the levels really get to the point where the high difficulty starts showing. Not that it wasn't present in the earlier ranks, but in this rank it's now at the point where the LP slowed considerably where I could pretty much only get one level solved per video, as it was pretty much stumpers back-to-back. This therefore indicates that the pack's quite hard, so it seems the difficulty classification in the OP is quite accurate here. The only time when I was able to solve multiple levels were simply where there were contest levels, as I've already played and solved them. The only ones I haven't played of yours is from LDC #19, although they're probably not in the pack. I have a feeling that the final contest levels of the pack are in this rank.

Already right out of the gate I was stumped with Libra 1, even though you mention in the pre-text that it's a "breather." It's totally not btw, but now that I've read your description of the intended solution via the YT comment it goes to show you that even levels with no fancy tricks needed can still be very difficult. Yes, I agree that the solution itself isn't difficult, but being able to find it is a different matter, which of course varies from player to player. Be assured that you're far from being the only one who underestimates the difficulty of your own levels. This goes for any designer, as it's very hard for one to judge the difficulty of one's own pack, which is why feedback is helpful for the content creator.

Of course, the other saving grace of the levels really showing their brutal difficulty is how there seems to be a lot of levels that can still be solved via backroutes

Spoiler

Libra 1 - Flattening Process As mentioned before, I thought this one was hard. For the start of the penultimate rank, definitely not pulling any punches anymore. As you have seen, I used a lot of pixel precision in my solution, especially with bashing to contain the crowd but climbers can still get over it despite some terrain being overhead. I can't believe I never saw the way to do it the intended way, though. However, it does require very good timing with getting a lemming to turn around at the very end of the basher tunnel, so it's still a difficult thing to pull off, although perhaps what would help make it easier in that regard is delaying the basher assignment.

Libra 2 - Medieval Romance Wow, hard one but this one's great! Definitely one of my favorites. I especially love the trick of using a blocker to turn a shimmier, as well as using a stoner to connect with the terrain both above and below to extend a digger. My only gripe here is that it's quite difficult to get the digger in such a way so that one lemming falls out to the right and another falls out to the left of the stoner. Even after achieving that, you have to hope that everyone makes it into the digger pit in time before anyone starts splatting. The only thing I can think of that would ease the frustration there is simply reducing the number of lemmings and adjusting the save requirement accordingly, but as it's your level you get the final say in whether you want to make that change or not. Otherwise, the intended solution is just too awesome here!

Libra 3 - Unstoppable Another one of my favorites! I would probably say just as difficult as the previous two levels. Once again, another level that features using a blocker to turn a shimmier the other way, although here it also uses the trick of blocking on top of the stack and then using a climber to release it with a digger later. There's also the trick of extending a basher with a platformer, although the timing between the athletes can be tight, but I really love how the solution comes together. Finally, using a platformer to stop climbers from going out to the left later.

Libra 4 - Life of a High Roller Yet another favorite. There were some attempts where I would be close but if you don't do the intended solution you'll always be a skill short or be under the save requirement. This one doesn't seem as difficult, but it's still challenging. Once again, I love the tricks needed here: Containing the crowd between two blockers in such a way that you can bomb a lemming between them to release both, but here both blockers need to be going in different directions, and stoning at such a time so that everyone who's behind one another turns around inside the stoner terrain. That's where the floater is needed in order to achieve this. I also like how you need to time the bomber in such a way so that the platformer that turns around at the top that it nearly syncs up with the left blocker. Finally, blocking a basher midstroke and releasing him with a nearby lemming so that the staircase is left intact for everyone to be able to step up into the exit platform. Nice job here, Armani!

Libra 5 - Deep Inside the Beehive Not as difficult as some of the previous levels, but it's still challenging. You've already mentioned my solution is a backroute, in particular mining to get underneath the bee trap isn't intended. Multitasking is definitely needed here, or you'll run out of time. Seems like the middle area needs to be refined in order to get the level resolved.

Libra 6 - Mr. Lem's Secret Wine Cellar Major roadblock of the rank. In the end, it seems like I found nearly the same backroute as josh by going underneath the OWW Thank you for not spoiling the blocker trick, as it should be left to the player to "discover" it. Also, as you know I'm one of those people who prefers to solve levels without hints. Hopefully it'll come to me sometime before I encounter the 5th rank level that requires it, but so far I'm not coming up with anything other than a very timing heavy and fiddly thing interaction with a basher. Still, the fact that the skillset is very limited hopefully means it'll eventually be stumbled upon.

Libra 7 - Return of the Troublesome Trio Very nice level here. Nowhere near as hard as some of the previous levels. As you mentioned, the tight timing I used is not needed. I look forward to seeing the Omega and Omega 2 versions of the level that you were inspired by with this one, as I have only played the LPA version.

Libra 8 - A Dance of Fire and Ice Major backroute as you said. I didn't think it was supposed to be that easy It was literally just 2-3 minutes and solved

Libra 9 - The Strategist Another favorite of mine! Tricks needed: containing the crowd with two blockers such that you can bomb a lemming trapped between them to release both, timing it in such a way so that a lemming slips by the builder to get below and can start shimmying, as well as bomb a lemming in the crowd so that the platformer that finishes turns back to the left and can survive the fall below, putting the platformers in place to allow a shimmier to keep going, using a stacker to allow a climber to get up to the first platformer bridge to start shimmying, and finally builder/miner combo. I really love how the solution all comes together perfectly! The crowd nearly arrives before the miner finishes breaking, but if you do the solution correctly it will always work out.

Libra 10 - Bloodthirster Another roadblock. It seems that I had some mistaken assumptions, such as for a long time having the digger locked in place at the very far right of the level. Once I challenged that assumption and used it elsewhere, then I started seeing some things that could help me get the level solved. However, the eventual solution I came up with is quite precise. In particular, the first basher and the builder are, as the other climber needs to turn around, and no one except for the climber can get over the steel. I also used a basher to hit the steel to make the climber turn around so that he doesn't go into the flamethrower. As a result, I have a glider leftover. Needless to say, my solution is a backroute

Libra 11 - Dungeon of Despair Hard one, although my solution is a backroute. I did see the new version with the OWW, so that appears to make the solution way more obvious. Also seems that a bomber must be used to get up the final wall to get to the exit. Even then, I have a feeling that the level's still not easy.

Libra 12 - Sweet Mirages Another stumper, as there's so many things that will leave you a skill short. After some time, it should be logical to deduce that every pickup is a red herring save for one or two. I see that the updated version swapped the two pickups at the bottom right, so it might be nearly the same thing, except one would need to have a miner available to destroy the stoner that's assigned to the preassigned blocker. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing it's almost the same as the solution I found. In any case, this is a very deceptively difficult level.

Libra 13 - Dead Lems Society Another hard but excellent level here! This level uses the trick of stoning and then giving a nearby lemming a shimmier so that he can use the short jump to get on top of the stoner. However, that's done near the end, and the blocker needs to be placed in such a way so that the climber from below can get past it. I thought compression was needed with the entire crowd to get past the bear trap, but it seems that you'll always lose more than one lemming to it that way. I couldn't find a way to use the leftover miner and basher to only lose 1 anyway. It was still very hard to see to use the ceiling to bash and mine to get the crowd up.

Libra 14 - Medium Well-Done Not as difficult as some of the previous levels, and I thought it would be a complete breather, but nope! It's still challenging. My solution is a backroute here as well.

Libra 15 - Help Yourself Wow, very hard one but another favorite of mine! Looks like remaking the solution was for the best. Although both tricks are quite timing heavy, the ones needed here are quite nice: Stack at such a time and place so that a lemming gets on top of the stack to mine for the others to get up and then quickly assigning the laserer to make a dent in the ceiling to stop the basher and for everyone to drop past the grapes and worm trap, and stacking and then building on top of the stack with the glider so that he turns around and then he can climb up the left wall to glide and then start bashing through the ceiling. So, I agree that this level is a roadblock. This level does a great job of showing that limitation of the laserer on the range, and that the only way to make a dent in the ceiling is to get on top of a stack so that a laserer reaches that far.

Libra 16 - Gloomy Silence Another very hard but great level! There's lot of things that can trip you up here. The start can be quite difficult, although losing one due to slipping by the stack will always happen no matter what. One of the platformers is very precise, and also when to assign the shimmier, as there's only one possible position so that the shimmier can go to the very far right. That's a very nice trick of getting a climber into the bottom teleporter in order to get at the top and bomb to stop the shimmier. Also with platforming and then cloning so that you can get a lemming underneath to platform the gap at the bottom, as well as using the climber to airdrop bomb the wall to release the crowd trapped at the start. Finally, stacking near the wall in such a way that only one non-climber gets over the wall to shimmy to the far right. Here, it seems that I made the timing tighter and harder on myself than I needed to. I got the exit to unlock just in time before anyone could slip past it and fall to the bottomless pit.

Libra 17 - Lend a Helping Hand Very hard one but yet another favorite of mine! Tricks needed: platforming to extend a basher, backwards bashing in order to make a climber friendly wall to send a climber out to the left, blocking on a raised slope so that lemmings from the left can go underneath the blocker and be contained on the other side, builder/miner combo, and finally digging and bombing it to blow through the green emerald on both sides to release the left entrance. The timing for the platformer and bashing is tight, but it's a nice one so that it also serves as a splatform for the left entrance. The climbers also need to be timed in a such a way that both the builder and miner meet at the exact same time so that the builder doesn't turn around. This seems to have been inspired by a Genocide level in United

Libra 18 - Moonlight Sculptor Here I should had waited for you to release an update, but it turns out it wouldn't had mattered, as my solution still works for the current version In any case, I thought this would be a breather as well, but this is also deceivingly difficult. Once again, my solution is very tight on timing and precision. Something tells me that the builder/miner combo is intended, though.

Libra 19 - Slip 'N Slide By far the hardest level for me in the entire rank, as I was stuck on this level for a very long time. This might even tie with Libra 6 for hardest of the rank, although I can't quite tell since I have yet to find the obscure blocker trick needed for it. Not sure if all the precision skill assignments I did in the solution is needed, as well as the very tight timing to get the blocker released in time before any of the climbers turned around and won't be able to exit later because the miner chipped off the staircase and would result in them falling into the water or ice steam blower trap. Really the only thing I needed to tweak was when to assign the slider, as I kept doing it with the lemming in the front instead of the very tail end. This level can definitely trip one up with so many obstacles that you'll run into when solving. In particular, I kept trying to formulate a solution where I can get the climbers to be contained by the blocker, but either the blocker would be too close to prevent that from happening, or it's only possible to do so by blocking a lemming going to the left, but then this would mean you lose both the blocker and the slider, which you can't afford, since you can only lose 1. A lot of my attempts kept having me be 1 under the requirement. Even then, the fact that I was constantly that close kept me coming back and determined to get it solved Until then, the LP was on hold for a few days due to being stuck.

So, I have a blocker leftover, but maybe that's still acceptable?

Libra 20 - Another Hero Time Nowhere near as hard as the previous level, but the solution in my LP video is an old version, as I forgot to download the new pack version before I recorded part 44 So, I decided to resolve v3.4 of the level before I posted my replays I think this is still a backroute, as I have a glider leftover It's really not that much different from the LP solution, other than how a stacker needs to be used near the start to get shimmiers to go over the top to forge the path. Also I still had spare shimmiers to interrupt a stacker and miner.   

Well, it was a very long and hard struggle through the penultimate rank, but I finally made it through. This was even on top of me being tired from work every day for the past few weeks and hence my time to LP the pack is far more limited. Except for the weekends, where I'm able to upload more videos than I can on the weekdays. Even with the very short work day I had last Friday and the day off I had this week, I didn't make too much progress at all with the LP, so that advantage was nullified.

In any case, I'm finally on the 5th and final rank of the pack. Already solved Aquarius 1, and again I forgot to download the new version of the pack before recording, and so it's a backroute. Even then, I think I'm all caught up on the most recent versions of every level, so I should be good to go. The rank already starts off quite difficult, so it's bringing back nightmares of being stuck hard on Genocide 1 of United Likely a sample of things to come, so it'll likely take a really long time to get through the remaining 19 levels of the pack. However, as I'm quite far into the pack now, I'm quite determined to keep going until the very end!

Wish me luck, and I know you'll get yourself all caught up on my LP videos in no time! Thanks again for all the feedback/compliments and support through the entire playthrough.

[Armani]

Thanks for all the replays, feedbacks and LPvideos!
And congratulation for reaching the final rank


I've finally catched up some of your LPvidoes.
I won't procastinate watching vids from now on.(hopefully )

Overall you've found intended solutions for most of the levels until 3rd rank and 4th rank.... is gonna be a backroute-fest.
Granted, the more a certain level is complicated, the more backroute-prone it is.
But you also found some very interesting solutions that I'm willing to take them as alternative solutions or challenge solutions.

The only time when I was able to solve multiple levels were simply where there were contest levels, as I've already played and solved them. The only ones I haven't played of yours is from LDC #19, although they're probably not in the pack. I have a feeling that the final contest levels of the pack are in this rank.

I'm not 100 sure but only about half of my contest levels are in this pack. The main reason why some levels are rejected is that I wasn't too happy with the quality of them. And my two levels from LDC#19(I can't even remember their titles ) are obvious examples. If you LP previous contest levels in the future, you will see them eventually.(One of them is very very vulnerable to backroutes and I gave up fixing them. And I can't even remember what another level looks like!)

Already right out of the gate I was stumped with Libra 1, even though you mention in the pre-text that it's a "breather." It's totally not btw, but now that I've read your description of the intended solution via the YT comment it goes to show you that even levels with no fancy tricks needed can still be very difficult. Yes, I agree that the solution itself isn't difficult, but being able to find it is a different matter, which of course varies from player to player. Be assured that you're far from being the only one who underestimates the difficulty of your own levels. This goes for any designer, as it's very hard for one to judge the difficulty of one's own pack, which is why feedback is helpful for the content creator.

Yeah. (old)Aries10 is an obvious example. The difficulty still jumps around here and their but it's my first pack and I can't expect too much at my first attempt. Hopefully my next project will have more smooth difficulty curve.

I found it funny that my list of favorite levels and your list have a lot of levels in common though!(Libra3, 9, 13, 15...) I'm really happy that I'm not the only one who enjoy these levels.

Some comments on individual levels

Libra 1 - Flattening Process: This level, as the preview text says, is my first dirt level ever made. And it's also the first level I showcase on discord. Back then, Namida backrouted this level so I had to add the steel block. And you managed to backroute this level by abusing that steel block
Libra 2 - Medieval Romance: Originally the stoner was given from the beginning. I made the stoner a pick-up to block a backroute. I was afraid the stoner pick-up make the solution way too obvious, but fortunately it seems the level is still challenging enough.
Libra 3 - Unstoppable: I recently realized that I've used a lot of extending destructive skills with some constructive skills tricks in my level by watching your LP. I didn't know that I was a big fan of that trick!
Libra 4 - Life of a High Roller: Yeah. I deliberately made the level to have many "one skill short- solutions" I was smiling when you said "it was somewhat easy level" and then few seconds later "never mind"
Libra 15 - Help Yourself: Wow, this solution is amazing. The most difficult part of this level is probably figuring out that you need to take the ceiling route. It's hard too see that because you don't have any downward digging tools like bombers , diggers or miners so you don't have any obvious way to "escape" from the ceiling basher tunnel. So you have to find out that you can stack on top of the lemon terrain and use the laserer to make a tiny hole to the ceiling and that's the Aha! moment. Your solution is less efficient than mine at the beginning: If you max out the RR after spawning 2 lemmings, you don't need to make a stacker+basher staircase for the crowd. But your solution is more efficient than mine at the very left part: while a climber lemming bash to the left at the cheese terrain, another climber lemming turn around at the basher tunnel and build+stack to make the wall climbable. But you achieve the same thing without using the basher. So if you combine your solution and my solution, you can actually save a basher and with that, you can save one more lemming who stuck inside the cheese wall. I made it a talisman and decided to tribute you with the name of the talisman(check the update log below )
Libra 16 - Gloomy Silence: And this!! Your solution is not at all intended, but I will take it. The intended solution is all about teleporting the shimmier lemming and that's how you can send a non-climber lemming to where the buttons are. Your solution is as hard as the intended one and I really like the trick you used, so I will happily take it as an alternative solution.
Libra 19 - Slip 'N Slide: It's so sad that this level was backrouted I'm quite sure if you figure out the intended solution, this level will be included to your favorite levels list!

Good luck with your LP on final rank It won't be easy but I believe you will complete it eventually if you don't give up.

[Armani]

V3.5 is out!

Level fixes:

-4 01 Flattening Process - moved the steel block slightly to the left
-4 14 Medium Well-done - added a OWW
-4 15 Help Yourself - new talisman "Don't Try This at Home if You are Not kaywhyn": save 35/40(1more than required) using no more than 2 climbers
-4 18 Moolight Sculptor - added a fire
-4 19 Slip 'N Slide - added a steel block
-4 20 Another Hero Time - added some steel blocks
-5 03 Jumping Bees - added a steel block
-5 09 IRON JUGGERNAUT 2 - jumpers are now pick-ups

[NieSch]

-4 15 Help Yourself - new talisman "Don't Try This at Home if You are Not kaywhyn": save 35/40(1more than required) using no more than 2 climbers

[Armani]

BIG update

V3.6 is out!

Level fixes:
-5 04 Rhythmical - added some water, locked the RR
-5 05 Abandoned Library - added some fire, added a button
-5 06 RefleXion - added a bit of terrain, added a time limit of 2:10
-5 07 Double-Edged Sword - added a bit of terrain, added a steel block, increased the save requirement by 1
-5 08 Purity and Industry - added a steel block
-5 09 IRON JUGGERNAUT 2 - modified a bit of terrain, moved the position of a jumper pick-up
-5 10 Triple Lutz - added some fire, added a steel block, a blocker is now a pick-up
-5 11 Lost in an Ice Cave - added some steel blocks
-5 12 Butterfly Effect - removed a bit of terrain, added some traps, added a steel block
-5 13 System Malfunction - added a steel block
-5 15 Simulation FARO - swapped the positions of a basher pick-up and a platformer pick-up
-5 16 Facade of Indifference - modified terrain a bit in the left side of the level

[kaywhyn]

Oh dang, I found so many backroutes! Practically every level in the final rank has been one except for the first three levels. Woot woot, go me! Bet you're thankful for this, especially since the last two ranks have mostly been untested. Well, as you may have seen, down to the final 5 levels of the pack now, and I have every intention to finish it/the LP up

[kaywhyn]

And, the Aquarius rank has fallen and hence I have solved the entire pack! If I'm not mistaken, I'm probably the first person to do so My entire replay collection is attached. Also, I decided to resolve Aquarius 1, since the one in the LP is for an unpatched version. Everything else in the LP for the Aquarius rank should be up-to-date.

Aquarius Rank Feedback

The hardest levels of the entire pack are found in this rank, and hence it was a very long struggle, even more so than the Libra rank. Pretty much the entire rank was very hard, and it definitely shows in my LP, as most of the time I could only solve one level per video. There were only a few videos where I was able to solve two levels in one, and there was even one where I could had been able to take down 3 in one, but alas that wasn't the case. It also happens to be the longest video in the entire LP, over 1.5 hours Sorry about that, I guess I was very determined to get Aquarius 14 solved, but I gave up in the end and my brain was just hurting

However, the saving grace in this rank is how I managed to backroute pretty much every level! Last I checked the update patched up through 5 16, so pretty much the only levels that weren't were 5 2, 5 3, and 5 14. Sorry to disappoint you, but I think I might have found a backroute in each of the final 4 levels of the rank as well So, that pretty much makes every solution a backroute except for the three levels mentioned, but let's wait for your feedback on 5 17 - 5 20.

The fact that I've even managed to solve levels in this rank is just beyond belief for me here, particularly since the difficulty is described by you as "extreme~" Which I think is appropriate, as practically every level in the rank was a very big struggle for me.

Spoiler

Aquarius 1 - Game of the Century Wow, this is quite a hard level to start off the rank. I've played plenty of levels where the word "Lemmings" is spelled out in the terrain, and they have pretty much have all been challenging for the most part, but even they're nowhere near as hard as this! As mentioned before, I decided to resolve v3.3 of the level, as the one in the LP is an outdated version due to how I forgot to redownload the pack before I recorded myself solving the level. Therefore, I think it's only fair that I do so. Even then, the LP should make it obvious how much I struggled with the level. v3.3's is even harder, I feel. Unfortunately, I think it's still a backroute, as I still don't use the climber pickup However, let me say that it took me a really long time to make the solution work out. Timing the climbers so that they all make it through before they got blocked by the builder staircase, for example. In this way, it would save me a cancelling skill with a shimmier/jumper so that lemmings can still escape later, such as the miner at the very end. This was very frustrating to get to work, but again likely not intended, as the intended one is probably far easier and less fiddly than mine.

Aquarius 2 - Overpopulation Another very hard one but quite a good one. I learned a new trick here, which is the interaction of a stoner and slider. This is the easiest way to contain a slider, as they're stuck in an infinite loop due to the small holes on either side. In other words, it's almost the same as containing sliders with a stacker, except for the stacker you need to spend at least one skill to achieve the same thing. I believe the easiest would be mining and cloning it. For this level, I especially love the shimmier/bomber trick at the very end to blow through both floors so that the sliders can fall through without sliding and going out in the wrong direction. I think the funny thing was that I tried stretching out the platformer but unfortunately the sliders all wouldn't be close enough to fall through the bomber hole at the very end. Hence, that's why I needed to use the shimmier to get the builder to sync up with the rest. Otherwise, the solution is very hard to see. In particular, finding the correct RR to make everyone stack behind one another took a really long time. I apparently don't understand the RR mechanics too well

Aquarius 3 - Jumping Bees Not as hard as the previous two but I still struggled a lot. That was a very nice trick of platforming and blocking at the end of it in the starting area to allow a lemming to go over the top to prepare the right side. Here, I have a jumper leftover, but that's because I timed it in such a way so that only one lemming slips by the platformer while he's in progress and he closes off the gap in time before anyone else can slip by. Therefore, it's really to make the timing much easier by simply having one from the crowd jump over the blocker. Also, that's a very nice trick with bombing a faller in order to get the swimmer to jump into the pool, as well as bombing the top to get him out. Finally, jumping and bombing to make a hole that everyone can get into after the platformer is done in order to make a safe drop down close to the exit. Overall, quite a nice level here! I honestly don't know why I struggled so much with this level after solving it and seeing that it's not very hard In particular, I kept thinking that the platformer bridge needed to be bombed or destroyed with a skill to isolate the swimmer when it was really simply getting one to slip by. As you already mentioned, my solution isn't intended, but it is acceptable. From what I remember, you said that the intention was to send a worker out to the left.

Aquarius 4 - Rhythmical Another hard one but unfortunately my solution was a backroute. I really love what you did with the design there by putting in a lot of musical symbols: two eighth notes joined I think it's called a stem, an eighth note with a flag, a treble clef and a bass clef. I've been interested in music for a very long time, as even before I took choir in school as an elective I've been singing a lot and hence I know a lot of music theory

Aquarius 5 - Abandoned Library This is a level where the solution is obvious, so the challenge is getting it to work. Even then, it's still a challenging level. It was extremely annoying that the solution I tried for the left entrance always failed by a pixel or two, as well as being a builder short This is the builder I would have had had it not been for the fact that I needed a builder to keep a miner going where the lemming is trapped in the middle In the end, I found a hackish way to release the right crowd with, which there are now fire traps to prevent. However, with the addition of a button, I think it's clear that you intended a falling bomber to release the blocker.

Aquarius 6 - RefleXion Very hard level, and one that you guess is a roadblock. Indeed, I agree with you here, as I really struggled here. In the end, I found a solution that simply involved holding the crowd back, which you decided to block off by putting in a time limit and adding some terrain so that the blocker can't be released as easily with a laserer So, it seems that the intention is to keep the crowd moving, although I honestly have no idea how to solve the level now This isn't the only one, though. There's plenty of others that I don't really have a clue anymore.

Aquarius 7 - Double-Edged Sword Somewhat an easy one for the rank, although it's pretty much the only level that I considered quite close to a breather for rank 5. I have two bashers leftover, because apparently turning a lemming around with a walker as soon as he touches the ground after breaking through is enough of a lead for him to build over the gap at the bottom. Again, my level was considered a backroute, so apparently you're not taking this solution for an answer

Aquarius 8 - Purity and Industry Another very deceivingly hard level. In the end, I found a solution that involves a lot of precision, especially with the platformers both going at the same time so that no one gets interrupted and turns around. It also uses the extending the very first basher at the very first start with the builder staircase going in the same direction as the basher, but it's a very precise skill assignment, as you need to do it at a time so that the basher doesn't stop but at the same time the builder doesn't overtake him and hence gets contained by the tunnel. With the backroute fix, seems that the trick isn't the intention. My guess is that the intended solution somehow has the glider go through both the middle and bottom of the level, but so far all my attempts is always running a skill short. This level definitely reminds me of "The Gaema Plateau" due to how if you take the obvious you'll always be a skill short. Seems to be working here very well!

Aquarius 9 - IRON JUGGERNAUT 2 Wow, this is a really good level and one of my favorites! You really did justice with Icho's level from United here. This one still ended up being a difficult one for me, although it wasn't anywhere near as hard as the original, at least for me due to how there's no stackers here, and I tend to be very bad with them. I do like the solution concept, involving both a climber and a slider working their way through various parts of the level to have the path set up. The slider/shimmier goes through the bottom, while the climber that frees the slider so that he doesn't go out in the wrong direction goes back up to the middle of the level after the OWW is bashed through. However, you have deemed my solution to be a slight backroute due to how one of my miner and blocker placements are unintended, I believe.

Aquarius 10 - Triple Lutz This one doesn't seem as hard as some of the previous ones in the rank, but it's still challenging. Now that you blocked off my solution with a lot of fire traps, I'm not sure how to go about solving the patched up version either

Aquarius 11 - Lost in an Ice Cave Backroute here as well, as I'm certain the solution is supposed to be far harder than that. Whereas an easier version of "Polaris Rhapsody" was in the Aries rank, this is the level you stated is pretty much a far harder version of "Polaris Rhapsody." Therefore, that likely means the solution involves getting a blocker in place to bounce off a miner, as those two levels both involve such a thing. Not sure how to go about doing that with the fix

Aquarius 12 - Butterfly Effect Another level that you guessed would be a roadblock, which I also believe. Hence, my solution is a very bad backroute. With the patch, once again I don't have the slightest clue to go about it.

Aquarius 13 - System Malfunction Another very bad backroute and a level which you also guessed would be a roadblock. Not sure how to go about solving this patched up version either

Aquarius 14 - BlockChain Company Revisited A repeat of Aries 8 but far harder due to having 5 less of every skill. In other words, both are X-of-everything but with the challenge much higher with the repeat version due to the buttons. You already mentioned that my solution is more efficient than yours, where I had some skills leftover but you used all the digging destructive skills. Pretty much an anything goes level just like the original, hence we finally get to a level that doesn't need a fix after I have backrouted every single one of the previous 10 levels

Aquarius 15 - Simulation: FARO Yet another one that you listed as a roadblock, and I certainly believe that after a lot of struggling here despite finding a very hackish and super bad backroute Indeed, that solution has now been patched out by switching around the pickups. So, once again no clue how to go about solving the patched up version

Aquarius 16 - Facade of Indifference Another level you listed as a roadblock, and I can definitely see how, but honestly this one isn't so bad, now that I think about it. I was simply a dummy with the right side, where I never though about using compression to get past the masher trap in order to save a skill that is useful elsewhere This level is interesting, as this was patched up before I managed to solve it on camera. Thus, you'll see two different versions in the LP, an unpatched version and the current v3.6 one. The changes on the left side definitely made the solution more obvious Even then, this is quite a nice one, although admittedly it's annoying with how the shimmier has to be repeatedly assigned with the rough terrain in the middle with the slider. No fault of yours, though, as that's just how the skills work.

Aquarius 17 - Forgive Us Third level in a row that you guessed to be a roadblock, and yes I believe that. Once more, the problems usually lie in being a skill short. I'm not sure if being able to glide onto the mass of terrain is intended, but that's how it allowed me to have enough skills to solve the level. It even allowed me to have a shimmier and jumper leftover So, perhaps another backroute?

Aquarius 18 - One Lemming to Rule Them All The final level you guessed to be a roadblock, and indeed it was very so here, as I really struggled here. This was another level that needed off-camera time to solve. In the end, my solution is probably a backroute, as I have a blocker leftover. For some reason, it took me a really long time to see to use a jumper to interrupt the digger after he's gone low enough to stop any of the crowd from spilling out to the right. Also, as this is one of your favorites, you mentioned that they usually don't have anything fancy or advanced required, so I'll keep that in mind. Indeed, there wasn't really any of that, so it's likely I struggled due to really overthinking and overcomplicating the solution.

Aquarius 19 - Immoral Society I believe this is only the second level of the pack to have at least one neutral. He turns out to be very important in the solution, as he needs to disarm the traps and swim over to get the final button right where the exit is. This wasn't guessed to be a roadblock, but I thought this level was still hard. I'm not sure if getting those compressed lemmings past the traps is intended. I also used the odd shimmier can still go through a platformer bridge mechanic to save the lemming who platformed over the water to allow the right entrance to land down safely, as I wouldn't save enough otherwise. I also don't know if it's intended to punch a hole in the stack to allow everyone to be contained on the right side, as well as the super precise stacker placement to allow the neutral to turn around to get the top button. I also constantly kept forgetting the neutral is a preassigned climber, swimmer, and disarmer all in one As for the zombie, he simply seems to be a "keep away at all costs" and therefore there is absolutely no need to come anywhere near him.

Aquarius 20 - Lovebirds Duet To round off the pack, we have a wonderfully designed level by Armani's gf. I especially love all the hearts everywhere in the level, signifying their love for one another She did quite good with the design. In the end, this seems like a very bad backroute I still like some solution parts in my earlier attempts, particularly the builder/miner combo, so I honestly don't mind my solution being blocked here, as it deserves to be quite special due to your gf making it and you coming up with the solution via the skillset. It's just that there's still the problem of skill shortages again All in all, still a very hard level, although certainly nowhere near the hardest of the entire pack like with most level packs I've played and completely solved.   

What can I say that hasn't been said yet? This is quite a well-done pack despite all the numerous backroutes I've found in the later ranks I definitely enjoyed it a lot, and I'm still in disbelief that I managed to make it through to the very end with the LP. Before starting it, you will recall that I had fears that I was going to regret the decision to LP it due to signing up what sounds to be quite a difficult pack. However, since I managed to make it through to the very end after 66 videos, I don't have any regrets whatsoever What's even more amazing is how I managed to solve both United and Uncharted, something not many people will be able to say. Hence, I consider this quite a wonderful accomplishment to have done both

To the others, beware that Uncharted is a very hard pack, almost up there with United, but after having played through the entire thing, I definitely agree that it isn't as hard as United. However, it starts off harder than United IMO, and manages to stay more or less the same in difficulty, with the occasional odd level that's considerably harder than most of the other levels in the rank, up through the Leo rank. Then, once you get into the 4th rank, the difficulty really steps up. In my experiences, it was a very hard and long struggle, and even more so with the 5th and final rank. Even then, don't let the very high difficulty intimidate you. I certainly didn't when I played through United most of last year. However, it is a large time commitment, and you have to be willing to take on the levels and allow yourself to struggle and be stuck on them if you are to make any kind of progress. Admittedly, a lot of the patched up versions I don't have a clue as to how to go about solving them, but I'm one of those people who usually doesn't go back and resolve backroute fixed levels. I might do it for this pack, but I'm not sure. I'm almost certain that I won't, though.

Overall, wonderful job with your first level pack, Armani! I look forward to your next project that you're working on, as well as any future levels of yours. Good luck to anyone who's willing to take up playing and solving this pack!

[Armani]

Thanks again for feedback, replays and LP videos! I've tried to watch at least one video everyday so now I only have 3 or 4 videos to watch.

Unfortunately, most of the solutions to 5th ranks are backroutes. So not much things to mention for individual levels.. but here we go!

comments on several levels

5 01 Not quite intended. I decided to do some aggressive update, so now the intended solution is strongly enforced but it's easy to see now.
5 02 As I already commented on YT video, your solution is intended and I gave a spare shimmier so the player can make the timing part easy. But I recently found a backroute that abuse the spare shimmier.(it basically bypass the shimmier+bomber trick to destroy both platforms and let the sliders don't turn around at the end)
5 03 One of the very few intended solution well done!
5 04 This level also has a core trick I want to enforce so.. update time.
5 06 I would accept some alternative solutions unless it contains the crowd and plays with a single lemming
5 10~13 These levels also require some obscure tricks, and I really want to enforce them
5 14 Again really nice solution I'm planning to upload my intended solutions replays pack once every level is solved in intended or at least acceptable ways, and I think I'm gonna attach this solution as well as a challenge solution
5 15 I think this is a strong candidate for the hardest level of the pack(along with 5 17 and 5 18) if the intended solution is properly enforced. I have no clue why I missed the possiblity of ignoring the left part completely.

And, the Aquarius rank has fallen and hence I have solved the entire pack! If I'm not mistaken, I'm probably the first person to do so

Yeah I know what you mean but I want to keep the title "First person to complete Lemmings Uncharted" for someone who will solve every level of the pack with intended or at least acceptable solutions in the future.

To the others, beware that Uncharted is a very hard pack, almost up there with United, but after having played through the entire thing, I definitely agree that it isn't as hard as United. However, it starts off harder than United IMO, and manages to stay more or less the same in difficulty, with the occasional odd level that's considerably harder than most of the other levels in the rank, up through the Leo rank. Then, once you get into the 4th rank, the difficulty really steps up. In my experiences, it was a very hard and long struggle, and even more so with the 5th and final rank. Even then, don't let the very high difficulty intimidate you. I certainly didn't when I played through United most of last year. However, it is a large time commitment, and you have to be willing to take on the levels and allow yourself to struggle and be stuck on them if you are to make any kind of progress. Admittedly, a lot of the patched up versions I don't have a clue as to how to go about solving them, but I'm one of those people who usually doesn't go back and resolve backroute fixed levels. I might do it for this pack, but I'm not sure. I'm almost certain that I won't, though.

The intended solutions of the levels from the last two ranks are still hidden. And almost all the best and the hardest puzzles and new tricks of the pack are there. So I think it's hard to judge the difficulty of the pack at this point, especially since majority of the backroutes so far were major ones.

Overall, wonderful job with your first level pack, Armani! I look forward to your next project that you're working on, as well as any future levels of yours. Good luck to anyone who's willing to take up playing and solving this pack!

There were some mind-boggling solutions.(your solutions to "Magic box" and Help Yourself" come to my mind. Especially my mind got blown by your solution to "Help Yourself" so I thought I have to pay some kinds of tribute to you and added a talisman. XD)
Can't thank you enough for playing the pack and all the backroutes! You've been a GREAT help to improve the pack!





------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
V3.7 is out!

Level fixes:
-5 01 Game of the Century - moved some fire, added a OWW
-5 02 Overpopulation - -1shimmier
-5 16 Facade of Indifference - modified terrain a bit
-5 17 Forgive Us - added some fire above the hatch
-5 18 One Lemming to Rule Them All - removed the background, a basher is now a pick-up
-5 19 Immoral Society - modified terrain a bit, added a trap
-5 20 Lovebirds Duet - corrected some grammar errors in the pretext, added a steel block

[kaywhyn]

Yeah I know what you mean but I want to keep the title "First person to complete Lemmings Uncharted" for someone who will solve every level of the pack with intended or at least acceptable solutions in the future.

Fair point, although keep in mind that not everyone is like you in resolving patched up levels What is considered a level pack "solved" seems to mean different things to different people. For example, despite a lot of backroutes still abound, Strato still considers me the first one to have completed all of Lemmicks and Old Formats LWT.

For me, it simply means solving every level of the pack at least once, and so most of the time I don't bother to go back and resolve backroute fixed levels. Once I've gotten through a level pack, I consider myself done with that particular level pack and generally move on to other ones and usually don't look back. For your pack, I may or may not do it, but I think I will, for the most part, won't. From my understanding, I'm not the only one who does this, although there's still some number of people who are like you as well in resolving patched up levels even after having solved the entire pack.

The intended solutions of the levels from the last two ranks are still hidden. And almost all the best and the hardest puzzles and new tricks of the pack are there. So I think it's hard to judge the difficulty of the pack at this point, especially since majority of the backroutes so far were major ones.

Your pack is less than half as long as United, as well as having about only half the number of levels per rank that United does. So, the difficulty of the levels of Uncharted increasing much faster than United is kind of justified. At the same time, your pack does make use of both of the two new NL skills that just got added to the stable release earlier this year, and because most of us seem to still be getting used to their mechanics, that's why the levels featuring them can feel quite hard, but if one is familiar with them then they won't seem or feel as hard. Similarly, I have an inkling that United could possibly be much harder had there been levels featuring both the shimmier and the jumper skills in the main ranks, but the only reason they don't is due to how the level pack was made before they were in the stable release. Even more, you only see levels featuring the shimmier skill in the Bonus rank of United, but no levels featuring the jumper.

For now, I still consider your level pack not as difficult as United, so I'm in a bit of agreement with your supposed prediction of the difficulty compared to it, although I think I can confidently say that the 5th rank's difficulty seems to exceed that of United's Genocide rank. At least it feels like it, just because of how it was a very long struggle throughout the entire rank. I even look back on some of the Aquarius levels and I still don't understand why I struggled on some of them, as I see now that some of the solutions aren't that hard at all. I still think it's something that goes on while one is LPing. Doing that and solving on camera doing both well is far harder than it seems! However, it's not all bad, as it at least allows a glance into how one approaches level solving in real time.

There were some mind-boggling solutions.(your solutions to "Magic box" and Help Yourself" come to my mind. Especially my mind got blown by your solution to "Help Yourself" so I thought I have to pay some kinds of tribute to you and added a talisman. XD)
Can't thank you enough for playing the pack and all the backroutes! You've been a GREAT help to improve the pack!

It was my pleasure to LP your pack and to help you along with finding horrible backroutes to many of these levels I think, by my approximation, I helped to find backroutes to about half the number of levels in the pack, which, all things considered, is quite a lot, although it definitely could had been worse I thought I would find way more than that, though honestly sometimes I think I'm not as good at backrouting levels as I think I am Rather, I seem to be really good at overcomplicating and finding quite messy and fiddly solutions.

Thanks again for the tribute for the talisman for Libra 15! However, while I was recording the outros in the final LP video, I noticed something very strange, and that is when I clicked to display the talisman for the level my name is completely cut off, i.e, you don't see it at all. It simply says "Don't try this at home if you are not" and then it stops there without displaying my username. That kind of ruined a special moment for me in the video, but I explained to the viewers what it's really supposed to say. I wonder if that is due to a character limit or a bug. I'll make sure to report this as a bug if it is one.

edit: Ok, I investigated further and it is not a bug but due to the character limit. When typing the name of the talisman, it simply stops at the word "not" and therefore doesn't allow you type my username. The only workaround I can think of at the moment is that it's simply called "Don't Try This If You Are Not Kaywhyn." This would allow you to get my username on there, though maybe there can be a suggestion to increase the character limit for talisman names.

[Armani]

Ah yes, it seems like there's the character limit for talisman names.
At first I wrote the talisman name in window default text program and copied&pasted it to the NL editor and it worked well.
But it seems like it doesn't display in NL player properly.

I personally prefer the original talisman name but for the time being, I made the talisman name "Don't Try This If You Are Not Kaywhyn" as you suggested.
If there'll be some kind of updates on increasing the character limit for talisman names, we can go back to original name.

[kaywhyn]

I personally prefer the original talisman name but for the time being, I made the talisman name "Don't Try This If You Are Not Kaywhyn" as you suggested.
If there'll be some kind of updates on increasing the character limit for talisman names, we can go back to original name.

Yes, I agree that what you named the talisman originally is the better one. My suggestion is simply a workaround in the meantime In that case, I'll likely report a suggestion for allowing more characters for talisman names then. Since it's for the NL editor, I think this should be fine, since there's no hard deadline for it to reach a "final" version.

[Armani]

V3.8 is out!

Level fixes:

-5 06 RefleXion - repositioned one of the trap, added some water, changed the skillset a bit
-5 13 System Malfunction - added a OWW