[SLX] SuperLemmix Welcome Pack (45 Levels | Easy - Hard)

[WillLem]

This topic is for discussion and replay sharing of the SuperLemmix Welcome Pack, which is now available when downloading the latest version of SuperLemmix.

The Welcome Pack is currently a single rank of 40 levels of varying difficulty, mostly easy with optional Talismans for a greater challenge. The idea of the pack is to showcase the features of SuperLemmix that are exclusive to the engine, such as the new skills (Ballooner, Ladderer, Freezer, Grenader, Spearer and Timebomber), new objects (Collectibles, different water types, etc), new mechanics (Direct Drop, extended Laserer range, extended Climber-to-Shimmier assignability, L2 Shimmier-Climber ability, forcefield level sides, etc) and various other features which are best experienced by simply playing the game and seeing for yourself how it works!

Feedback is very welcome! I hope to update this pack as we go along with SuperLemmix, making any improvements and fixes as necessary. These will be applied when updating SuperLemmix itself, rather than maintaining a separate copy.

Meanwhile, if you have any ideas for levels which showcase a particular aspect of a feature not shown in the current set of levels, please suggest them here and they can be considered for the next update.

[Flopsy]

Posted here because this is related to the welcome pack, the version I played had 45 levels though.

I've finished 44/45 levels in the Welcome Pack, the Re-introducing SuperLemming level I just can't get because it requires you to assign with no frame stepping and increased speed.

Overall, some great levels although some were intensely difficult. There isn't any preview text to any of the levels to give you any idea what to do. It would have been nice to have some preview text where SuperLemmix unique skills got introduced, I can see what you were going for here though at the same time. Some of the levels were very open ended and the new skills were not always required. I think this pack should teach players how to use the new skills, I did work a lot out on my own but it was a little frustrating at times not having any info to hand.

Specific levels feedback

1. Lucky 14 - A nice opening level, I chose to go right but the left route could have also been ok had I gone that way.
2. The Helium Party - An intro level for Ballooners, I did figure them out eventually but they were hard to figure out initially. Like I didn't know they would pop if the Lemming's feet touched ground which was vital to saving the left crowd. The right crowd was a little less trivial because I guessed the ceiling would pop them.
3. A Ladderer Would Be Handy - This level was a lot easier, ladderers didn't have much to them really once you try them once. The left crowd was a little trickier to save but you could just balloon 10 across and save enough.
4. Cookie Chuckers - And this is why I called them Cookie Chuckers instead of Grenadiers when I mentioned it to you in person because of this level title! I did struggle with this level but only because I thought the 10 cloners were required for this level's save requirement, it's more a problem with SuperLemmix itself because once the level has started, you don't know how much to save until the number turns green but until then, it's not obvious.
5. Spearmint Superhighway - An intro level to Spearers, I like the skill because it's easy to string them together by assigning them in unison to each other, I worked that out very fast because it was after the Grenadier level and it's similar in concept where it has a flexing state where you can assign again if you wish, it was a good design choice to add this flex state.
6. Uppers and Downers - This one again I felt needed a little explanation in introduction text because working out popping the ballooners with the laserers if that was intended was not at all obvious and took a lot of working out. The ballooner was the skill that I had a lot of difficulty with in general in this welcome pack, I tried to avoid them where I could.
7. Cool Runnings - An intro level for the freezer, I did not know the freezer could be freed from the ice block afterwards and I felt that could be made clearer. It was also not obvious that a bomber could be assigned to the frozen freezer also.
8. Time Bomber returns - and there is no timed bomber mask either....fun! I'm not going to get into a debate about this being timed again. Was a nice puzzle to re-introduce the concept nonetheless.
9. One Lem to free them all - is this a level intended to decide the debate on timed bombers!  I'm happy to say I challenged myself and assigned the timed one.
10. Choices Choices - A nice twist on Pillars of Hercules, I was happy to say I found a good use for the ballooner in this one and it saved a lot of time!
11. Trust the Sides - This one I feel could benefit from some intro text, I did not know that the sides were solid in SuperLemmix, let alone a one way field!
12. It's Lonely at the Top - This was the first HARD level I felt, I didn't think the time limit helped here either. I once failed due to the time limit and it forced me to work on all parts of the level at the same time. I felt the hardest lemming to save was the neutral ballooner.
13. R-Rated Release - A truly unique level where it's all about the release rate and also an indirect nod to direct drop.
14. The Juicy Dangler - A nice intro to the slider and also how shimmiers interact but it would probably need explanation.
15. Sleeping on the Job - A nice level with a great talisman!
16. Take Your Time, Mr Climber - This one took some thinking because I didn't know shimmiers could become climbers after
17. Kill All Zombies - A lot of different ways to do this one. I didn't know laserers could kill zombies though.
18. Mary Poppins Land - Just Mary Poppins land with more skills.
19. Zombie Apocalypse - Just a race to get to the exit.
20. Re-introducing SuperLemming - yeah I couldn't beat this one and I gave up trying. I knew the solution but just couldn't execute it.
21. The Direct Approach - Another direct drop level but you have to line it up this time using timed bombers, nothing wrong with this one.
22. The Completionist - I liked the concept of collecting the collectables in this level and it's optional whether you do so or just clone and exit. I also like how the Lemming which collects the last collectable becomes an invincible Lemming. I figured it out on my own eventually but some preview text would be nice and would probably entice players to go for the collectables.
23. The Nudge - A nice lesson that disarmers have to be walking to be able to disarm. Also optional to save the required freezer.
24. Pooling the Resources - showcasing the trick of pushing down swimmers with freezers and grenadiers go through water too. Could be worth hunting at this in the potential intro text.
25. Welcome Leminara Croft - quite a gargantuan task with this level but again I didn't realise the save requirement was only 20/60 when I attempted this. I didn't save 60/60 but I did get somewhere inbetween. The button in the middle was the hardest to get to but it was the same as previous level to be able to press it so it should be trivial to a newer player due to this.
26. Blasticine modelling - I love the name Blasticine...such a unique name. I went to the left exit and it was rather a simple level. I did get close to the top Blasticine but not quite.
27. Vine Tuning - this reminds me a typical L2 level which used the Laser Blaster skill (now called the Laserer of course!), quite a nice use of the Laserer
28. Running Jump - This one was the last one in the pack I solved, I hated having to chase the doomed neutrals to the right and even though I thought I was quick, I was only 5 away from not having enough saved, maybe 170 would be a better save requirement and not 180. I liked the concept but the choice of skills in this level made this harder than it needed to be.
29. Lemmy's Psychedelic Bath - Another difficult one here although it was just a long level I think, it's a great level which could have a few solutions and is great for showing all the different types of liquids in SuperLemmix!
30. The Converyor Belts - Like the use of the conveyors from my Casino Night tileset  Solution was a little fiddly as there is just enough builders it seems.
31. Diamond Dynamo - I loved this instant invincible Lemming from the get go, lovely level idea. Might be an idea to remind players that the invincible Lemming will ignore Blasticine and treat it as water because I didn't expect it to do that.
32. Death or Glory - Given that you had to save 80/80, it was hard to justify going to the left on this level and taking the invincible Lemming. I like the idea that you're expected to save the freezer which you are forced to use.
33. Carbonated Lemming Soda - Another nice use of the invincible Lemming, making him into Splosion Man! Also like how there is timed and untimed bombers there so as not to be favouritism towards one.
34. Let's Think About This Carefully - A nice re-introduction to Radiation and Slow Freeze from early NeoLemmix. Great use of the newer skills too.
35. Think Fast! - Like SuperLemming but A LOT EASIER, this level should be used over the SuperLemming one.
36. Snow Place Like Home - A much harder Radiation/Slow Freeze level, I was confused about the inclusion of the time limit though since both Lemmings will be gone long before the time limit expires.
37. Up the Downstair - A nice twist on Mary Poppins Land but the time limit was very strict on this, it's not a bad thing if the time limit is part of the "Tasty Remix" you were going for. Level itself was great!
38. Heaven is a Halfpipe - This was a tricky puzzle for solve but it didn't take me too long to spot it. A nice puzzle using a Freezer and Laserer to free it.
39. A Dead Good Level - Simon helped me with this one and he helped me back route it and I think you know about this one.
40. Fireworks - Another one which took me ages to solve and I felt the time limit was not needed, it was tricky enough without it. Great level concept though and is worthy of being one of the last levels in this pack.
41. Left to Right, Right to Left - First of the Rivals levels. A nice introduction to the mode.
42. Click Happy - Judging by the level title, you were going for a level which was full of clicking tasks all over the place! Not my favourite type of level but I guess they have to exist...
43. Crossover Tactics - Nice use of an existing 2P Amiga level, the time limit is a bit tight but I guess you added that for the talisman.
44. Building Bridges - Another great 2P Amiga reskin, this one was the most chilled and relaxed of the Rivals levels I think.
45. Degrees of Separation - This one was a close second for most chilled and relaxed, the time limit was not an issue here. Great level idea.

[WillLem]

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback and replays, FLopsy. This is very helpful! I'll certainly take your comments into account and make the levels a bit easier and more accessible where possible. There are also a couple of backroutes as well, those will of course be addressed.

I've replied to your comments about levels needing preview screen text in a separate reply for readability's sake. In the meantime, here are some replies to a few of your other comments:

Posted here because this is related to the welcome pack, the version I played had 45 levels though.

Yes, this is the correct topic for Welcome Pack feedback/discussion. I've corrected the OP title now, thanks for catching that!

some were intensely difficult

Right, I'll definitely address this. The pack is supposed to mostly feel mostly easy, in order to introduce the SuperLemmix-specific skills and mechanics in such a way that the player can figure out what's supposed to happen quite quickly, much like with the early Fun levels (although even those levels weren't perfect!).

it's more a problem with SuperLemmix itself because once the level has started, you don't know how much to save until the number turns green but until then, it's not obvious.

I've created a topic here to discuss this.

The ballooner was the skill that I had a lot of difficulty with in general in this welcome pack, I tried to avoid them where I could.

That's a shame. I'd be interested to know what would help make them more accessible. Preview text is an absolute last resort (more on this later); if you can think of level ideas which might make Ballooners a more welcoming prospect, I'd be very interested to hear your suggestions.

I did not know the freezer could be freed from the ice block afterwards and I felt that could be made clearer. It was also not obvious that a bomber could be assigned to the frozen freezer also.

OK, good shout. I'll break these two concepts out into their own levels before presenting a level which requires this as part of the solution.

and there is no timed bomber mask either....fun! ... Was a nice puzzle to re-introduce the concept nonetheless.

Glad to know the level works!

There are so many reasons why a Timebomber skill shadow wouldn't work, even if it was decided that they should have one. Example: assign the Timebomber, then assign a Builder to the same lemming 2 seconds later. The shadow no longer applies. There are others, but let's not get into that here!

9. One Lem to free them all - is this a level intended to decide the debate on timed bombers? I'm happy to say I challenged myself and assigned the timed one.

Yes, very much so - the idea here is to show that a level can contain both types, giving the player the choice as to which they prefer. IMHO, that's the ONLY way to settle the debate once and for all!!!

The Welcome Pack also needs a level that provides both in such a way that the player should decide which to use for which assignment based on other factors (such as placement, timing, etc) rather than only preference.

Anyways, glad to hear you went for the challenge!

10. Choices Choices - A nice twist on Pillars of Hercules, I was happy to say I found a good use for the ballooner in this one and it saved a lot of time!

Oh, good! That makes me happy after the earlier comment that you tended to avoid them. Still, I think it's important to address the general accessibility of this skill, particularly in the Welcome Pack.

19. Zombie Apocalypse - Just a race to get to the exit.

Did you manage to solve this without killing any zombies?

35. Think Fast! - Like SuperLemming but A LOT EASIER, this level should be used over the SuperLemming one.

Wow, really, you found this one easier?? It's meant to be harder so that surprises me. What did you find particularly difficult about the first superlemming level vs. this one (i.e. specifically, which assignments)?

[WillLem]

Regarding levels requiring more information/preview text

There isn't any preview text ... I did work a lot out on my own but it was a little frustrating at times not having any info to hand.

I'm not a fan of preview text tbh. It requires committing a lot of written information to memory before playing the level, and there is also the language barrier to consider. I'd also much rather players learn by simply playing through the levels, experimenting a bit with the skills, and seeing what happens. My goal is to aim for the paradigm of "Show, don't tell!"

For instance:

I also like how the Lemming which collects the last collectable becomes an invincible Lemming. I figured it out on my own eventually but some preview text would be nice and would probably entice players to go for the collectables.

The fact you figured it out on your own is exactly what I'm going for here. The joy of discovery! To help this along, most of the levels have been designed with the aim of not being solvable without the player discovering the relevant mechanic/feature, and for this process to be as easy as possible. For example:

I didn't know they [i.e. Ballooners] would pop if the Lemming's feet touched ground which was vital to saving the left crowd

All the player can do is assign the Ballooners, so the necessary information is presented by means of no other solution being possible, and the player is more or less unable to make any mistakes. The level provides way more Ballooner skills than are necessary to solve it, all the player needs to do is start assigning and see what happens, much like the Fun tutorial levels; consider, the player doesn't know that the Builder will only lay 12 bricks, or even that it will build diagonally, before assigning that very first Builder. Those things are learned by simply playing the level in the only way that's possible.

The same is true for many of the other levels you outlined as needing more information: in most cases, the player can only discover what needs to be discovered. The fact you figured it out eventually in the vast majority of cases proves that this is a valid method of feature introduction, and that - for the most part - it's employed appropriately in the Welcome Pack.

With all of that said, it's certainly possible that the levels try to teach too much information per-level and/or unintentionally obscure what needed to be discovered to the point of it being too elusive, frustrating or confusing. Wherever that's the case, this of course needs to be addressed.

For instance, it's possible to introduce the new skills more clearly, perhaps with some absolute paint-by-numbers levels (like Just Dig and Builders Will Help You Here) to make certain mechanics very clear before presenting them as part of a more complex level solution, or even a sandbox-style "do what you want" level which might see the player reaching for the more familiar skills wherever possible. The Freezer mechanics, for example, could certainly do with being broken out into more levels which showcase the many things a Freezer can be used for, and of course the fact they can be rescued. So, more levels with less to accomplish per-level is one way to address the concern of needing more information in general.

Another is making the levels much easier to solve; this will definitely happen. And, so will restructuring the pack to give it a clearer sense of progression through the various features being presented; this was always going to happen at some point, but your comments have made me realise that needs to be sooner rather than later.

Finally, another idea came to mind whilst writing this which may address the need for more on-screen information without relying on preview text. How about in-level picture hints? I could design some simple decoration objects (perhaps even animated ones) that simply show what should happen. These could then be applied to all of the tutorial-style levels that absolutely require them; I'd probably assess on a case-by-case basis whether I'd prefer the player to discover something through experimentation, or whether it would be best to simply show what should happen in an on-screen graphic.

Thoughts?