Level Design Contest #30 - Playing Phase (Discussion Topic)

[Crane]

@Crane Intended

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I can switch out a Basher for a Shimmier and have a couple of Bashers fulfil more than one role apiece

That's the main trick I wanted to enforce. Release the crowd, send two worker lemmings to make a turnaround point for the climber with one basher.
I think blocking a Shimmier is relatively common in custom level scene. I have seen quite a lot of levels requiring it and I myself also have two or three levels in my first pack.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The more I learn - i need to play more custom levels!

Both of the solutions to Tomb Raiders are backroutes.  I'll have to think about it a bit.

[kaywhyn]

@Armani

R2 - Both solutions are backroutes. I think V5 will do it here, especially as there aren't that many options for the start now. All fencers have been made pickups, 4 of the bashers are now pickups, +1 laser, and added some fire traps.

edit: Reattached V5 as I decided to move the basher pickups to a different location, as I believe the level can still be cheesed with them in the old location

Armani already has the intended solution for my R3, but I've uploaded a V5 not to fix backroutes, but instead where I just add a wooden staircase as originally I wanted a particular element to the level that players need to be careful of. If this causes any cheesing of the level, then I'll simply upload another update to revert the change.

Didn't occur to me, but by uploading a new version of my R3 (not necessary at all), all of my levels are at V5!

[Armani]

resolved updated levels

[kaywhyn]

@Armani

R2 - Finally, that's 100% intended! Great job! Your solution is exactly identical to mine except for a skill you used close to the lattice area, but yea, this is intended

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

As mentioned on Discord, you can actually do the level without needing to change the RR at the start. I simply provided an extra laser skill so that in case the timing doesn't work out and a Lemming slips out of the digger pit and therefore will walk into the masher traps near the entrance, you can delay that Lemming with the laser.

The remaining bashers/fencers are all extra and therefore distractions/red herrings. Here, I was going for a possible reaction in players where they think, these leftover bashers/fencers aren't going to help get to the exit, is this a mistake? Then they might aimlessly try and see if they can avoid using the bomber and digger in those two pre-determined areas, but try as they might, they will not succeed. Therefore, it is up to the player to realize that this is a level with a nuke solution.

This is my very first nuke level, and I did kind of claim in a way that I think pretty much all notable level designers eventually make one such level. I guess it was finally time for me Also a no constructive skills level on top of that!

You already have the intended solution, but I decided to upload a V6 which reverts the lattice area back to V3's and also to put the basher pickups where I had them before before I modified V5 by moving them to the location you resolved. So, just a couple of tweaks needed in your replay is all that's needed to get a working one again, but yea, thanks for all the resolves and for helping me fix the level so that it seems only the intended route is possible now

[Crane]

resolved updated levels

Hmmm... it's a backroute, but part of it is the intended solution but done more efficiently!  Got to think about how to adjust things now!

[kaywhyn]

All rightie, I have updated the contest collection pack to include V4 of Crane's R3. I'm happy to report that simply replacing the Contest30_NL zip as Icho explained to me works great and therefore the download link is still the same as it was when the playing phase first started on the 8th of June. I want to thank Icho for taking care of updating the contest pack for me all of last week. It's now a brand new week, so now it's my turn to be updating the pack while Icho takes his break from that

[darkshoxx]

So there I was, playing around with all these levels that are wayyyyyyyy too hard for me but are nevertheless very joyful .
Then I come across "Don't bash it before you dig it" and after about 1 hour, I beat it. Full of joy I seek to compare my solution to the others posted here. With terror in my eyes I notice that

1. JRTs level is currently withdrawn
2. Everyone elses solution is mere seconds, and mine is 2 minutes long
3. Everyone seems to agree that the surroundings of the level are red herrings.

Well shooks. I'm here feasting on my red herrings. I'm still proud of my solution

[Armani]

resolved Tomb Raiders
Second solution looks intended

[Crane]

Second one is absolutely intended - well done!

[Crane]

So there I was, playing around with all these levels that are wayyyyyyyy too hard for me but are nevertheless very joyful .
Then I come across "Don't bash it before you dig it" and after about 1 hour, I beat it. Full of joy I seek to compare my solution to the others posted here. With terror in my eyes I notice that

1. JRTs level is currently withdrawn
2. Everyone elses solution is mere seconds, and mine is 2 minutes long
3. Everyone seems to agree that the surroundings of the level are red herrings.

Well shooks. I'm here feasting on my red herrings. I'm still proud of my solution

That is actually impressive!

I hope JRT adjusts his level to abide by the rules, but keeps that option available as a talisman solution somehow!

[IchoTolot]

JRT's update is now included and the level is eligible!

[darkshoxx]

[darkshoxx]

Yeah no way this is intended

[JRT]

This has been the struggle with this level, the bomber introduces more stuff you can do to the terrain, after fixing the oversight in the original by raising the platforms I feel a slew of backroutes are going to be found and closing them all off will be tough.

Sending through a V3

[kaywhyn]

Thanks @JRT for updating your R2 so that it satisfies my ruleset and to @Icho for being prompt on updating the contest pack to include it.

Note to @JRT:

I've now updated the contest pack to include V3 of your R2, but I've made an edit to your post in the update topic where the general practice is to remove any existing post of yours from that topic and to make a new post attaching any new version of your level. I know it's been a while since you last submitted levels for an LDC, and so it's understandable that you might had forgotten how updates for contest levels work during the playing phase. I also did so on your post in the update topic, but I'll repeat it here and bold the part as a reminder for you to observe in the future. You observed #1 correctly, but will also need to observe #2:

Please follow these rules for updates:
1. When posting a new updated version of a level, remove any old updated versions of that level --> Have all your recent updates stored in 1 post! I will delete such old posts eventually if the author doesn't; so don't store any important information in them.
2. Make a new post for a new update; do not edit your most recent post. You may, however, post updates to multiple entries (if you have more than one) in the same post.

This is just to lead to less confusion so that neither Icho nor I miss any level updates, in case several others post an update for their level and then yours ends up getting lost in the mix and chaos and therefore we by chance miss your update.