custom levels for Lemmings 2 thread

[ccexplore]

Also attached a quick-fix for 'Compression Convergence', didn't see any better way than the ugly steel block.

Unfortunately, that ugly steel block also provides a relatively easy, and even glitch-free, way to make my backroute work:

Now we simply have the climber climb up the steel block and then bomb to get past the left vine, instead of mortaring as before.  The mortar can then be used to free the crowd through the right vine without leading them to the frog trap (ie. mortar a little away from the vine, so the explosion happens high enough not to break through the ground).

And if you think it may be hard to select the right lemming in the correct position from the crowd for the mortaring, think again:  I wait until every lemming is out before assigning the climber.  By luck (or I can just try to track the position of the first lemming out), the lemming will climb out on the left.  When he bombs, the fling-back will naturally slightly compress the crowd into 2 groups (those that felt the fling-back and those that don't), and there's enough separation between the two groups (due to the former group going in opposite direction than latter group) that you can easily assign the mortar to the front lemming of one group at the desired position).

[geoo]

Ah yeah, didn't think of that. This should (hopefully) prevent that?

[ccexplore]

Ah yeah, didn't think of that. This should (hopefully) prevent that?

Sorry.  [edit: added more in spoilers]

Now I climb all the way up the left vine to where it curves before the flower, and bomb there to get through the vine.  Your new additions in v4 then enable me to climb out into the area I want to go.

It may be very difficult to ensure the mortar fires to the right by luck, so instead I use the diver glitch as follows:  make a lemming dive into the right vine, and then immediately when he gets up, and before he turns around and crawls, assign him the mortar.  This will shift the mortar explosion enough to the right to prevent floor breakage.

[ccexplore]

Now some good news, I've attached your intended solution here.

What clever and elegant idea! http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" /> I think "elegance" is definitely becoming the trademark for your best levels. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" class="smiley" />  (And also "good titles" I think. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" />)

[edit: actually, I do have one minor gripe about the level:

You know that leaf that's almost but not quite touching the vine (instead leaving a one-pixel-tall "tunnel"), on the left side of the level?  (The one that would sort of block the hero's path after his 1st platformer, if the leaf were actually touching the vine?)  I'm assuming it's there to prevent some sort of backroute?  Otherwise, it looks ambiguous enough whether the leaf is blocking or not blocking the path, which seems kinda unfair to the player--isn't the level about elegance and not pixel-level observations?
 

]

[weirdybeardy]

Bleh, I forgot how difficult it is to play-test with the L2 editing software. Plus everything's in a grid, so pixel-perfect puzzles are a no-no...

*grumble*  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" class="smiley" />

Building levels is easy, getting them to work properly is a pain in the arse.

[ccexplore]

Plus everything's in a grid, so pixel-perfect puzzles are a no-no...

Hmm, pixel-perfect......I thought you said you were going to create easy-peachy levels? http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" />

But yeah, I know exactly what you mean. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" />  I'm not a fan of the grid-based system either.

[geoo]

You can use L2Suite: http://www.lemmingsforums.com/index.php?topic=295.0
For me it makes playtesting a bit more convenient (even though you still have to wait past the L2 title and level preview screen).

Now some good news, I've attached your intended solution here.

What clever and elegant idea! http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" /> I think "elegance" is definitely becoming the trademark for your best levels. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/cool.gif" alt="8)" title="Cool" class="smiley" />  (And also "good titles" I think. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/wink.gif" alt=";)" title="Wink" class="smiley" />)

edit: actually, I do have one minor gripe about the level: [...]

Thanks. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

The initial title was 'Iterative Compression', but I the new title is not as blatant, and I also like it better overall.
As you might have guessed, I got the general idea for this when making 'Friendly Fire', observing the behaviour there. Though I got the final detail with the lemmings lying on their back only when trying to execute my idea.

Good work solving it that quickly!
The only difference about my way of execution is that I use the mortar at the other end of the bridge.

I didn't realize one could overlook the gap the leaf leaves; that curvy tile doesn't exist without the leaf, but I just put a blue flower there now, so that the stem can be straight.
Attached the new version, which should also fix the backroute (by finally abandoning that dumb red herring...).

[weirdybeardy]

Thanks for the L2Suite link! I actually remember the thread from the first time around. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" /> I downloaded then but forgot to download the dll files too. This time I've downloaded the dlls and unzipped into the same directory as the suite... and it still doesn't work! http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" class="smiley" /> I says it can't find another dll file... one that isn't included in the zip. I'm stumped.

[ccexplore]

Attached the new version, which should also fix the backroute (by finally abandoning that dumb red herring...).

Wrong again:

After climbing up the steel block, I use the diver glitch twice to get through the vine, and then bomb to get down.  The bombing of course also helps compress the crowd to make the mortaring manageable, especially if you wait until everyone's out.

But good news on that front too:  I think I have a surefire way to kill the backroute once and for all.  It's so simple a change, yet it's sufficient to prevent the backroute even all the way back to your original version!

Just change the 3 divers to 3 runners

[geoo]

I knew the diver would one day come back to haunt me for calling it useless... http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/undecided.gif" alt=":-\" title="Undecided" class="smiley" />

The change you proposed is really elegant and simple, thanks!
So below is the final(?) version then.

Thanks for the L2Suite link! I actually remember the thread from the first time around. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" /> I downloaded then but forgot to download the dll files too. This time I've downloaded the dlls and unzipped into the same directory as the suite... and it still doesn't work! http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/sad.gif" alt=":(" title="Sad" class="smiley" /> I says it can't find another dll file... one that isn't included in the zip. I'm stumped.

What's the exact name of the file that's missing? Perhaps a search in the internet can turn it up, or if you can't find it there, I guess I must have it somewhere for me to work so I can likely send it to you.

[weirdybeardy]

It says it can't find "mingwm10.dll"...  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/huh.gif" alt="???" title="Huh?" class="smiley" />

[Simon]

http://www.dll-files.com/pop.php?dll=mingwm10" class="bbc_link" target="_blank">http://www.dll-files.com/pop.php?dll=mingwm10

Download and put into the directory where the exe sits. In general, missing DLLs are turned up nicely by a web search for the exact file name.

-- Simon

[weirdybeardy]

Thanks very much!  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />  I've now got the suite working perfectly. I should have a new level submitted soon. I had one ready to go already, but I accidentally overwrote it!  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/embarrassed.gif" alt=":-[" title="Embarrassed" class="smiley" /> But that's my fault and not the software's fault.  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/winktounge.gif" alt=";P" title="Wink-Tongue" class="smiley" />

Watch this space.


Okay, here it is: my easy-peasy Polar level!  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" /> Hopefully you'll find it worth your time, even if it isn't particularly challenging. Feedback appreciated.  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />

[Simon]

I like the level! It is of the short-and-sweet nature, and it took me quite a few tries to find the working approach. The steel is placement is a bit hairy, but still fair. From the different approaches I tried, I believe that the steel can't be moved that much anyway without opening other solutions http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/smiley.gif" alt=":)" title="Smiley" class="smiley" />

I remember that I made a Space level with the L2 suite sometime ago. It doesn't show up in your list, probably no one besides geoo has played it yet. I've attached it to this post.

-- Simon

[geoo]

Okay, here it is: my easy-peasy Polar level!  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" /> Hopefully you'll find it worth your time, even if it isn't particularly challenging. Feedback appreciated.  http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/thumbsup.gif" alt=":thumbsup:" title="Thumbs Up" class="smiley" />

Easy-peasy is quite an understatement, it took me quite a few tries to see a viable solution, and then I'm not even sure whether it's the intended one, as it requires some pixel precision. I'll send it to you via PM.
Nifty level, I like how despite the terrain's simplicity there's many possibilities to consider, yet none trivially works.

On a different note, I'll be away till the end of the week, so don't expect any updates or levels from me until then. Though in the meantime, Simon will entertain you with exclusive L2 late-night levels. http://www.lemmingsforums.com/Smileys/lemmings/laugh.gif" alt=":D" title="Laugh" class="smiley" />