The Level Edges Topic

[WillLem]

This topic is to catalog how the level edges (left, right, top, bottom) behave on each of the various ports/clones of Lemmings (1991) - (this topic may also be updated to feature the same information for ports of Lemmings 2: The Tribes at some point).


How do the level edges behave on each of the ports/clones of Lemmings (1991)

Port	Left	Right	Top	Bottom
Amiga	Solid	Unconfirmed	Solid	Deadly
Apple Mac	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
Atari ST	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
DOS	Solid	Open	Solid	Deadly
PC-98	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
SEGA MegaDrive/Genesis	Solid	Unconfirmed	Solid	Deadly
SEGA Master System	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
SNES	Solid	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Deadly
Sony PlayStation (2/PSP)	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Open	Deadly
Windows '95	Game crashes	Unhandled force-field	Open	Deadly
ZX Spectrum	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed	Unconfirmed
Clone	Left	Right	Top	Bottom
Lix	Deadly	Deadly	Deadly	Deadly
NeoLemmix	Deadly	Deadly	Deadly	Deadly
SuperLemmix	Force-field	Force-field	Force-field	Deadly

Definitions:

Unconfirmed: Behaviour yet to be tested & confirmed

Open: Lemming is able to cross the edge and remain active (but not necessarily assignable)
Solid: Lemming reacts to edge as if it's unclimbable steel
Force-field: Lemming reacts to edge as if it's a Blocker or one-way field
Deadly: Lemming is removed after crossing edge

[kaywhyn]

For Dos, all edges are solid except for the bottom, which is deadly. So, Dos is essentially identical to Amiga. However, the right edge is unusual, as both Simon and Mindless have documented in this topic:

https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=6331.0

[WillLem]

Thanks for the link, kaywhyn.

According to Simon's findings when investigating DOS edges, the right edge is eventually solid, but lemmings can cross the boundary and not die, so the given level edge can be interpreted as open.

I need to check this again on Amiga for the same reason.

[namida]

According to Simon's findings when investigating DOS edges, the right edge is eventually solid, but lemmings can cross the boundary and not die, so the given level edge can be interpreted as open.

It depends what you define as the boundary of the level, really. If you define it as where scrolling cuts off, then yes. If you define it as where physics stops behaving normally (in particular with regard to whether terrain can be present at runtime without glitchiness), then no.

[Forestidia86]

Gif for the behavior for Winlemm 95 on the Right, looks like force-field, but the Lemming clips through. Current stairs were nearing the end, so maybe not fully definitive. As I tried on the Left the game crashed, Maybe I try again later.

[WillLem]

It depends what you define as the boundary of the level, really. If you define it as where scrolling cuts off, then yes

Wherever the lemming remains visible (not including minimap). So, at least in DOS, this would be the scroll cut-off.

Gif for the behavior for Winlemm 95 on the Right, looks like force-field, but the Lemming clips through. Current stairs were nearing the end, so maybe not fully definitive.

Thanks for testing this. I think I remember doing this a while ago and realising that the lems end up stacking bricks upwards due to the edge attempting to turn the lem but the Builder action being unhandled (i.e. not cancelled or moved out of the "turning" area as necessary). It's partly what inspired SLX's force-field edges, as I recall.

As I tried on the Left the game crashed, Maybe I try again later.

Confirmed, I get a crash as well. It seems the edges in Windows '95 aren't properly handled, and the devs either hoped nobody would bother to try making it to the edge, or it just never came up in development as a question.

[Forestidia86]

I would say that Top in Winlemm 95 is deadly. At the end of the gif the Lemmings count decreases from 80 to 79. Walker go over the stairs though as if open.