NeoLemmix Introduction Pack (Released)

[namida]

@DynaLem: Based on your comments, I've made Objects 10 easier by dropping the release rate to 75. Objects 13 will remain unchanged (apart from being moved to Level 14).


In regards to the gimmicks rank, which ones should be included? I'm thinking the following (ordering of this list is just based on the in-editor order); those with a ? I'm not sure about:

Frenzy
Karoshi
Unalterable Terrain ?
No Gravity
Hardworkers
Backwards Walkers
Lazy Lemmings
Exhaustion
Non-Fatal Bombers?
Non-Permanent Skills
Turnaround On Assign?
Horizontal / Vertical Wrap
Rising Water
Zombies
Clone On Assign?
Instant Pickup Skills?
Permanent Blockers?
(another gimmick which hasn't yet been revealed)


EDIT: New preview version uploaded, includes most of the Mechanics rank.

[Wafflem]

I'd say you should make levels with the gimmicks that have question marks on them, especially the Turnaround on Assign and the new gimmicks that you added in V-1.35n, I think. Especially since you are no longer doing an LPIV Bonus Pack. Unalterable should especially have one since only one level (not counting Lemming Collider and Bomber Frenzy) uses the gimmick to its fullest potential.

Will there also be levels using combinations of gimmicks (in a similar vein to Party, only easier)?

For Zombies, will you also do Zombies on Death and Classic Zombies?

Also, despite the graphical differences, I would say go ahead with making levels with the other three LPIV styles (and Horror), since you are not making a bonus pack anymore and you're already using Wasteland.

EDIT: I'm still getting the same version as before (i.e. no new Mechanics levels, only the placeholder level)

[namida]

Seems that my edit of the 1st post to update that didnt' go through at all (ie: wasn't just the attachment, but the modification I made to the note about the attachment wasn't there either). Oh well, it's done now.

[Wafflem]

Seems that Mechanics 9 "Experience Required" is also a hard level. I guess you do need experience to solve this level. Here's are two attempt replays. I have no idea what I am missing.

Also, no level with changes in one-way arrow mechanics (e.g. in overlapping terrain, some terrains have them while others don't, one-way arrows are like steel mechanics in that they don't get partially destroyed by a destructive skill in the opposite direction)? This one is very important, especially when if you build to an area that would have displayed one-way walls on the bridge would no longer be the case in NeoLemmix.

EDIT: Oops, wrong Solution A replay. Here's the real thing.

[namida]

Solution A, you uploaded the TXT file rather than the LRB... so I can't watch it.

Anyway, I think you're overthinking things a bit....

Hint (click to show/hide)

Don't try to combine the effects of the skills. Each one should be used completely seperately.

[Wafflem]

Got it. I have no idea how I've overlooked this solution.

[namida]

Also, no level with changes in one-way arrow mechanics (e.g. in overlapping terrain, some terrains have them while others don't, one-way arrows are like steel mechanics in that they don't get partially destroyed by a destructive skill in the opposite direction)? This one is very important, especially when if you build to an area that would have displayed one-way walls on the bridge would no longer be the case in NeoLemmix.

Good point. I originally thought "well, one-way walls mostly work the same as steel, except direction-specific" so there was no need - but you're right that the capability of rough edges should be pointed out. I'm not so sure about the bridge part; that's kind of a really obscure situation. Perhaps I should just mention it, but not try to illustrate it in a level as such.

I added one-ways to the list, though I think I'm going to work on gimmick levels first.

[Wafflem]

Saw the gimmick list.

No One Skill Per Lemming? That's a very important one, considering how the levels you've made with it so far are very challenging, and you've made a feature where holding down Shift makes you only assign one skill per lemming.

[namida]

Uploaded an update. This contains most of the gimmick levels; though I still need to do levels for Backwards Walkers, Non-Permanent Skills and Zombies.

I also cut a few gimmicks out of the list of ones to be covered; the idea being that this should more give the player a good idea of what gimmicks are about and experience with some of them, rather than comprehensively teaching them about every gimmick that isn't a matter of "it ruins the level if you know what the gimmick does". (I'm considering not doing one for Non-Permanent Skills too, to be honest; but I do feel that Backwards Walkers and Zombies need to be in there.)

EDIT: All that's left to do now is a few more puzzle levels, for the secret levels. They're unlocked by talismans, not by hard-to-find secret level triggers, so don't worry if you've found those annoying in the past.

[Wafflem]

It seems I found Gimmicks 10 "Push For The Top!" to be hard, even for experienced players; unless I'm overthinking things, I felt the builder-blocker trick wasn't obvious. I also haven't beaten Gimmicks 5 "Distance Override" and Gimmicks 11 "Not What I Meant By "Floater"" yet.

Some glitches:
1. All gimmick levels use the frenzy music.
2. The Karoshi beaten level text is messed up; it says "H does that make you feel?" (screenshot attached)

[namida]

1. Noticed it; will be fixed in the next update (which will be the release version). Somehow the gimmick music got overwritten with a copy of the frenzy music; it's either something I myself messed up, or a problem with the Flexi Toolkit (it isn't a player-related issue).
2. Thanks; fixed.

These levels do involve some clever tricks (apart from Gimmicks 11, which just requires good skill placement), but those who are familiar with Lemmings in general shouldn't have too much difficulty working them out. While I could have made them a bit easier, I felt that the way they're set up does a better job of emphasising some of the key points of the gimmicks. At any rate- this pack has the "Unlock All" option activated, so you can easily skip any levels that are too hard - and by the same token, mess around in them to at least get an idea of the feature in question, even if you can't solve the level itself.

At this point, I've made 3 of the 4 secret levels. Just one more to go... I'm tossing up whether to use a not-yet-used gimmick for the rank 4 secret level, or to make a level using many gimmicks in combination (similar to Gimmick Armageddon from LP3B, though not as hard).

[namida]

NeoLemmix Introduction Pack is now released. Enjoy!

Please let me know if you find anything that appears to be a backroute of the following types:
- Any that completely avert what the level tries to introduce. For example, if you can solve one of the new object levels without the new object having any impact on the solution and the solution is of similar (or lower) difficulty than the solution that does use the new skills. If it exists but is a lot harder, I'm not too worried (for example, Skills 2 *can* be solved without using walkers, but it's quite a tricky solution to execute so I'm not worried about it).
- In the case of puzzle levels, if the solution seems way too easy. Most of the puzzle levels are intended to be at most Taxing-level difficulty, perhaps Mayhem for some of those in the Special rank; nothing is intended to be extreme difficulty.

[Simon]

Feedback from playing about 2/3 of the pack. With the skills, I've liked the trivial, then not-trivial level in succession. They weren't solve-on-first-sight. They are already touching the sweet spot in level difficulty from the easier side.

There is one gimmick level with a secret level trigger. I sent a climber to the steel at the top, that didn't win. I built up to the bottom side of the steel block, that didn't win. I dug under the hatch, that didn't win. I gave up.

The blah-blah text before each level is enjoyable, but tedious to read. I'd cut it to 50 % of length while still saying everything. Terse is good.

I believe that this pack should display the pre-level text every time, not merely on first play of the level. Some of its info seems too vital. Showing it during play would be even nicer, but harder to make.

-- Simon

[Wafflem]

With some recent mechanics changes, we need a level that shows that direct drop is no longer possible (as regular Lemmix had direct drop).

Surprisingly, there still isn't a level that shows that lemmings can now come out of entrances facing left.

Also, should the gimmicks rank be removed, as well as the level with the secret level trigger?

[namida]

They should not be removed until those features are actually removed from NeoLemmix. Barring minor updates, V1.43n will probably be the main version for a while, while I work on some behind-the-scenes stuff, so while I've chosen to update my own level packs (ie: the Lemmings Plus series) in response to future plans, I feel it'd be inappropriate to make the same change to the tutorial pack at this stage.

I'm not sure if we need a level to illustrate the lack of direct drop. More people seem to have been surprised that it does work than that it doesn't. Left-facing entrance is perhaps a stronger candidate for showing.