More than 4 trapdoors

[Ste Woz Ere]

We've got levels with more than 100 lemmings (the standard max), but what about levels with more than 4 trapdoors? (the standard max)

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I experimented with the idea myself, as the last level in each tribe of my Lemmings 2 pack has 10 trapdoors...the idea being about rescuing many small pockets of lemmings instead of a big crowd going from A to B.

Pros include: a different approach to solving, many clever ways to rescue each group (made easier with the extra skills of L2, but I'm pleased with how the Classic one turned out too) and the logistical challenge and the flow of the level can be quite fascinating.

Cons include: much longer levels with more complexity, more skills required, more moving parts (to go wrong), and player aids are pretty much required.

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Has anyone else tried something like this? How did it turn out?

[WillLem]

Multi-hatchers are one of my favourite types of level! Most of the ones I've played/designed tend to fit into one of two styles; "each for themselves" levels where the goal is to guide each lemming/group separately (either towards the same exit or perhaps a few different ones), and "herding cats" levels where the crowds need to be gathered together. Either type of level can feature path crossovers or one group doing something to help another group, or can keep each path entirely separate (or a mix of the two).

One of my earliest levels You have to be kidding me features 20 hatches, but each only spawns a single lemming (this was before I knew about pre-placed lemmings).

The idea of the level is similar to what you've outlined here...

the last level in each tribe of my Lemmings 2 pack has 10 trapdoors...the idea being about rescuing many small pockets of lemmings instead of a big crowd going from A to B

...and, I discovered pretty much the same pros and cons as the ones you've listed. In particular, I now greatly dislike the fact that this level can't be solved without using player assists or (at least) constantly pausing and moving backwards and forwards across the map - lesson learned! A later contest level Lemmy Watch The Stars employs 4 hatches and is less obnoxious in its requirement of multi-tasking and map-jumping, but is still virtually impossible to play without using player assists (and, the skillset is way too restrictive to suit the level's "herding cats" style).

With the Lemminas II pack, I feel like I finally got the balance right with multi-taskers. Oh No! It's The 5TH DIMENSION!!! can be completed in real-time, whilst presenting a challenge in which at least two of the lems must perform tasks to help the others along their route. Meanwhile, CPU Test #8 is essentially a much more playable version of You have to be kidding me. It turns out that the key with "each for themselves" levels is in the timing; ideally, it should be possible to assign the skills in real-time, either one after the other or with some gap in between each assignment. That way the focus is more on the puzzle of working out which skill to assign to which lemming, and the assignments can be made without over-reliance on player assists. Bonus points for keeping the map to a single screen's width!

Lemminas im Kraftwerk is more of a "herding cats" type of level. It's probably too difficult to attempt without player assists (although it is technically possible), but provides plenty of skills and allows a lot of room for error and player interpretation. The lesson I learned here is that when it comes to the "cat-herders", it's way too frustrating when the skillset is also demandingly limited; what's needed here is to give the player a chance to get creative. Even And then there were four... from L1 has a very generous skillset, because the challenge is in herding the four separate crowds to the exit rather than solving a limited-skillet puzzle; the player has to delegate the skills between the crowds themselves, and that's what makes this kind of level more enjoyable to solve.

Good luck with it! Where can I play your L2 levels?

[Ste Woz Ere]

Multi-hatchers are one of my favourite types of level! Most of the ones I've played/designed tend to fit into one of two styles; "each for themselves" levels where the goal is to guide each lemming/group separately (either towards the same exit or perhaps a few different ones), and "herding cats" levels where the crowds need to be gathered together. Either type of level can feature path crossovers or one group doing something to help another group, or can keep each path entirely separate (or a mix of the two).

Yeah, with 12 of these levels to make I did use a variety of styles and level sizes - the long/flat ones are a journey from end-to-end, the tall/thin ones have a circular flow (at least in parts) and the other ones tended to be a series of branches that congregate in the middle or to one side.

The link to the level pack is in my sig 

[WillLem]

The link to the level pack is in my sig