I finally got around to testing something that was brought up a while ago:
Using a hex editor or Lemmix, you can set release rates above 99, up to 250. RR100 releases one lemming per 131 frames (effectively RR-156), and 250 releases one every 56 frames (effectively RR-6). When starting with a 100+ rate, you can turn the release rate DOWN towards 99. The rate displays as 99, so it is difficult to tell exactly what the current rate is. RR99 behaves as normal. A release rate of 0 is also possible - this acts the same as RR1, and displays as blank.
I'm pretty sure it's actually 255 not 250. Also it's possible to make RR 0 (displayed in the game as blank I think, rather than 0), although that's equivalent to RR 1 and therefore not that interesting.
What I've found through testing in DOS (using nocdlem):
- The maximum release rate is indeed 255, and not 250. Lemmix won't open or save a level with RR over 250, but you can bypass this by inserting a hex-edited level file into a levelpack.
- RR255 is equivalent to -1, as expected (the values just "wrap around" into negatives)
- For rates over 100, it displays junk characters (in some cases blank) in place of the first two digits.
- The release rate can never be decreased from the initial value, despite what Lemmix suggests. (There goes that level idea
) It can be increased through the remaining "junk" values, then through 0 and into "normal" RRs, up to 99.
- RR0 displays as blank, as in Lemmix.
- If the initial RR is 255, the two RR values (initial RR and current RR) blink. Increasing the RR will stop the current value from blinking, but not the initial value.