Level Design Contest #28 - Playing Phase (Discussion Topic)

[IchoTolot]

All zips only need to be unzipped inside the main folder of your NeoLemmix or Lix Player!

Lix Level Pack: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/l2y767quzplrj9fvy1r7s/Contest_28_Lix.zip?rlkey=7nngiyl7qwt7850ds91vhusne&dl=1

The Lix levels will then be in the single/Contests/Contest_28 folder!

NeoLemmix Level Pack: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ati9whxrgwnwindv8ziam/Contest_28_NL.zip?rlkey=ig41vg4818zndhd8i6os1aih4&dl=1

Music (NeoLemmix): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/znm464d9nyj10avhlm8sv/Contest_28_Music.zip?rlkey=7ly82f964wu0c0y3x3svnp6im&dl=1


Rule 1 Levels

geoo's "Fast Food Forest" (V1)
Simon's "ξ" (V1)
Armani's "Das Elfenlied" (V1)
IchoTolot's "The God Of Fear & Hunger" (V2)
kaywhyn's "Sports-tacular No Athlete Rescue Mission" (V4)
Kingshadow3's "Lost Temple from the 4th Dimension" (V2)
NieSch's "The L-Team (Part II)" (V10)


Rule 2 Levels

geoo's "Frog Clog" (V2)
Apjjm's "In Circles" (V1)
Armani's "The Weasel Island" (V1)
IchoTolot's "I Am The Night!" (V1)
kaywhyn's "Chalkboard Math with Mr. Starfish" (V4)
Kingshadow3's "Mobius Dickins" (V7)
NieSch's "Snakes & Lemmings" (V1)


Rule 3 Levels

geoo's "Underground Club" (V1)
Simon's "Gentle Slope" (V1)
Armani's "P!=NP" (V1)
IchoTolot's "Wishful Work Within Woodwork World" (V1)
kaywhyn's "Quick Emergency Patch Work" (V5)
Kingshadow3's "More builders, Less level!" (V1)
NieSch's "Feeding Time" (V1)


You can check the rules details again here: https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=6291.0

Playing Phase will be closed on 31th of August!
Updates will close on 28th of August!

Note: This topic is for posting your comments, replays, etc for the levels. If you wish to post an update to your level, or enter a late submission, please do so in the Updates Topic instead.

Link to update topic

[kaywhyn]

Something that I meant to post after the previous LDC ended, but just a reminder of global rule 1c which I copy/paste here from namida's topic:

Section 1 - Rules concerning entering levels

c. A level is not eligible if it has had a prior public release, even if that was on a different engine. Small-scale private releases (such as asking one or two people to test your level) will be tolerated. It is allowed to include the level in a public release after the contest's playing phase has started.

I bring this up because of a recent case of this in the previous LDC which wasn't noticed until the voting phase. At the time, I was playing through the level pack, so I didn't realize it was a case of a level from a level pack that was already released being submitted for an LDC. I guess the biggest hint would had been in the level title in parenthesis where it says (Contest version), but other than that addition in the title and an added timer, the level is the exact same in terms of layout and skillset. This isn't allowed. However, the other way is, where after an LDC you can put the level of yours in a level pack.

There was another case several LDCs ago, from LDC #24, but that was noticed during the playing phase and was allowed to stay but wouldn't be included in the voting, though in this case the user (different one, not the same one from the previous LDC) requested the level be withdrawn.

Because of these cases, both about 1.5 years apart from each other, I don't want LDCs to get to the point where Icho has to comb through level packs and see that a level from them was submitted as an entry. I be more than happy to help him out with this, but I wouldn't want to do this either. There's just way too many level packs! Niesch's R1 is fine though, as it's a completely separate and different level from the one in his LLL pack.


I'm currently on my hiatus from the game of Lemmings, so if there are any backroutes to my levels it will likely take me a while to fix them up. As such, I don't wish to be disturbed while on my hiatus. It's fine to send replays/solutions to my levels, just don't expect a response from me right away. I definitely need this time away, as I've been stressing out more than usual in the last few weeks, to the point that it's becoming a bit unhealthy for me. It's really time off for myself and just looking out for myself. Let me add that the break is really helping, especially as I've recently been getting back into other stuff that I haven't done or played in a really long time


As usual, I pre-tested all of Icho's entries, as well as Apjjm's. All pretty good ones!

Anyway, some background info on my entries. Several LDCs ago, I made "Sports-tacular Athletic Rescue Mission" and it seemed quite well-liked. Now, for this LDC, for my R1, you get the non-athlete version! No constructive skills on top of that too! Really, this level came about because while I was watching my solution to the former said level, I realized that it could almost work for R1, except here I had exits in the corners instead of entrances. So, the design came somewhat easily as a result.

For my R2, the title is a bit of a reference to the first Freddi Fish game, a game released by Humongous Entertainment from back in the 1990s. There is a character called Mr. Starfish who helps you learn math, so the starfish in the level is supposed to be him in a way, except I'm missing the monocle and teacher pointer stick Not to mention that my artistic skills are extremely limited, and this was the easiest animal for me to do As such, the music is also from the game. I also found a backroute that is an easy fix, but well, I wonder if anyone can find it

Finally, for my R3, it's only something I realized after the fact and after the playing phase started, but this one I guess you can consider a bit of a counterpart to my R1. My R1 is a no constructives skills level, but my R3 is a no destuctives skills and therefore the constructives skills level

Thank you for your understanding and keep up the great work! I've taken a quick skim of all the entries and they look great! I look forward to properly playing through them at a later time in the future, once I have had time to recollect myself and have returned from my hiatus

[NieSch]

Here's my solutions to the NeoLemmix R3 mini-levels (except my own level). Some may be backroutes.

I really like these levels. They're small, but not too easy for me. Simon did a good job setting up the rules for the contest.

[Armani]

@NieSch Intended well done!

Spoiler

The leftover jumper is there in case you don't use a walker inside the trigger area of the splitter. You can use it to turn the lemming around after he get out of the trigger area of it. It's optional

[IchoTolot]

@NieSch

Intended sokution to my R3! Great job!

In the terms of levels that were already released:

As kaywhyn mentioned, I can't know of every released level and even if "contest version" is in the title I expect that there were significant changes compared to the older version (like with NieSch's "L-Team").

So the plan here is to:
A) Depend on the collective mind to inform me about such instances.
B) Speak to the honor of every author to at least put some sort of effort into their entries and don't just copy/slightly change some already released stuff.
C) Investigate suspicious levels that give me some sort of Deja Vu in advance.

[kaywhyn]

@Niesch

That is a backroute for my R3. Luckily, it's a very easy fix, and I already have it in place for when I'm ready to upload V2 to the update topic.


The level in question from the previous LDC #27 is "Direct Drip," which is found in Lemminas 2 and had already been publicly released for about a year prior. Of course, way too late to do anything about it, but again, this was not noticed until the voting phase and because I was playing through WillLem's pack during that time and just happened to encounter the level during the R2 voteoff. Fortunately, it wouldn't had affected the voting at all, since it was eliminated in the rule voteoff for R2 and didn't get any votes. However, if it did get any, it definitely would had potentially severely affected the results.

Just to be clear, this isn't a warning at all, but instead just a reminder. I think we all want to make sure the contests go as smoothly as they can without problems. The best way to do so is to make sure all guidelines/rules regarding submission of entries are followed and that they indeed are eligible and not in violation of anything. That's why there are rules/guidelines in place!

Let me add that I think Icho has been doing a great job in the role of contest host ever since he took it up many years ago   However, he is just one person and obviously cannot catch all cases on his own. I have played plenty of level packs and am therefore more likely to notice cases of levels from publicly released level packs being submitted as a contest entry, but as the previous LDC has shown, even I can miss a case there, but only because I happened to play the pack during the voting phase and didn't notice anything fishy before that. Let's just say I'm returning Icho the favor for all the help/mentoring he has provided me in playing a pivotal role of helping me improve in my designs during the time I've been here, especially as I like to contribute in whatever helpful way I can to this community

[Kingshadow3]

Here's my solution for Armani's R1 "Das Elfenlied", Niesch's R1 "The L-Team (Part II)" and IchoTolot's R2 "I am the Night!".

@Niesch I'd like to note that your solution to my R3 is intended.

[Armani]

@Kingshadow3 That's intended Well done!


Here're my solutions to all lix entries
I smell one or two backroutes here.

[NieSch]

Here's my solution for (...) Niesch's R1 "The L-Team (Part II)" (...)

Well done! It's a backroute though. I updated the level, see the update topic.

[IchoTolot]

As I already mentioned in a discord pm: KingShadow's solution is intended!

[Simon]

Armani's solutions to both of my levels (ξ and Gentle Slope) are intended. Nice!

-- Simon

[NieSch]

I solved Apjjm's R2 level.

Spoiler

Nice puzzle! Funny that we both chose the snake as an animal.

[Armani]

Here're my solutions to all Neolemmix's R1 levels

The God Of Fear & Hunger

Nice and tricy 4-of everything level here My solution is not the cleanest one as I need quite precise timing to pull out miner canceling trick.

Sports-tacular No Athlete Rescue Mission

This one reminds me one of your older level which has many similarities to this level This is a pretty cool no-builder level!

The L-Team (Part II)

This level seems like I have a lot of possible things to do but most of them fail due to skill shortage! I finally found a valid solution, I don't think mine is 100% intended though as I have a leftover skill

[NieSch]

Here're my solutions to all Neolemmix's R1 levels

The L-Team (Part II)

This level seems like I have a lot of possible things to do but most of them fail due to skill shortage! I finally found a valid solution, I don't think mine is 100% intended though as I have a leftover skill

Well done!

Spoiler

You're right, it's not intended. The intended solution uses all of the skills. I updated the level.

[Armani]

And here're my solutions to rest of the levels

In Circles

You again managed to impressed me with your superb artistic skill
Also it was tricky to figure out how to push leftside button

I Am The Night!

That's a really cute little bat! Though it hurt me a little bit when I realized that I had broke its both legs to solve the level

Chalkboard Math with Mr. Starfish

I bring two solutions for you! Just making a bridge to the exit with 2 platformers doesn't seem right so I tried to find an alternative way!

Snakes & Lemmings

It's funny that we have two levels choose to make snake levels This level seems quite open ended with more than enough skills. Still I had fun time to find efficient way to solve the level