Just in time for Halloween, the scariest tribe arrives (at least in vanilla it is). I really enjoyed playing with this skill set, there's a lot can be done with it (except for the pole vault ofc, which can do precisely 2 things). Throw in some steam*, trampolines and one of my best level ideas and you have this:

* We all have nightmares of that silly opening level from vanilla, but nothing like that here. Instead, they are puzzles, obstacles or a means to gain height.

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Version 9.0 has been released
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Sports - tribe is now complete.

Highland 3 (McLem's Drunken Dream) - moved the diamond down so it can be roped into. (it should've been moved earlier)
Medieval 3 (Acrobatic Outlaw) - slightly lengthened the start area, +2 miners, -1 platformer, -1 stacker.
Beach 3 (Everybody Do the Flop!) - removed a test trapdoor that was preventing the level from being completed. (doh)

In addition, I've gone through all of the tribes and altered the release rates...as most levels were left at the default value.

I wonder if this one is related, but here's a fun fact that I've just discovered:

Q. What is the one thing that regular climbers can get over but rock climbers cannot?

And so we reach the halfway point...and not for the first time I have my doubts about the way it's progressing. I know my levels are somewhat bigger than QFK2's with more to do in each one, and that's kinda how I like them...but I also get the impression that sort of design isn't popular. My design philosophy is also different, favouring strong (often unusual) themes (along with the odd gimmick) and designing around those (unless I have a strong puzzle idea).

What do people think - should they be smaller? Fewer skills? Terrain favouring execution rather than theme? Or is it better to be a stark contrast to QFK2 but with more bits that could go wrong?

(sorry for rambling on, it's what goes on in a level designer's head sometimes. Doesn't help that the twister was in the first 2 tribes though...leading to a bad first impression on the execution side)

Anyway, onto the release...this tribe took a bit longer than the others (partly due to RL) but it had some cool bits and another really good aerial combo. The accidental discovery of a new feature late on didn't help matters (cue the rush to incorporate it into a few levels), but it's finally done:

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Version 7.0 has been released
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Outdoor - tribe is now complete.

Medieval 3 (Acrobatic Outlaw) - added 1 stacker. (I realised there wasn't enough redundancy built in)

Tomato Watcher's suggestion to use the AdLib option from INSTALL.EXE is correct based on what it sounds like you actually want to do (it doesn't sound like you actually want to use custom sounds).

Partly correct - I'm interested in pitching down various sounds (oh no, argh, metal etc.) to match the original Amiga versions. (which I was able to do in NL/SL by just copying into the sound folder)

My copy of it has the Amiga sounds (it came that way), but I have seen a video using the original DOS sounds...so I was wondering if that version was edited somehow? I can't see anything obvious in the files/folders (aside from a .voc file that won't play in anything), so I was wondering if there was a way to edit the sounds?

Normally I'd reply sooner, but I've been busy...


...getting the next tribe done. I had fun with this one, particularly with the skill combos and trying to work catapults into puzzles (fairly easy after doing Circus though). I did want to move the roller to another tribe (namely Sports or Circus) but there was no room in either, plus it combo'd beautifully with some of the other skills...so I rolled with it. (heh)

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Version 5.0 has been released
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Medieval - tribe is now complete.

Highland 2 (Pillars of Hebrides) - replaced the swinging chain with a pair of giant arrows, to indicate whether the wedge staircases go up or down. Also filled in the space I didn't use with a bit of scenery.
Highland 3 (McLem's Drunken Dream) - replaced the diamond in the top right corner with the aforementioned swinging chain scenery. (he's drunk)
Highland 5 (Lembank Docks) - reworked the bottom section to have less gaps and removed 2 ropers. (that should kill the top route)
Highland 8 (Loch Lemond Storage Tank) - reworked the top section slightly (to add more room on the way back down), added 1 hopper and 1 thrower.
Highland 10 (Ten Brown Barrels) - made the trapdoor directly above the exit safe, added 1 roper and removed 1 attractor. (I decided that only 1-2 trapdoors should be unsafe at the start of these epic 10-trapdoor levels)
Circus 9 (RGB Nightclub) - added 1 laser blaster, in case lemmings get stuck in the wagon wheels.

Very nice so far, things will get trickier though. (I was convinced I'd never be able to create puzzles as hard as yours, but 3 tribes in I'm not so sure now)


A quick update, after noticing a couple of errors (one of them major).

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Version 4.1 has been released
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Highland 2 (Pillars of Hebrides) - added a wall in front of the exit, removed 1 mortar and the base of each pillar. (to fix a somewhat clever backroute)
Highland 10 (Ten Brown Barrels) - removed a graphical error and slightly extended the ledge over the blue house. (for easier roping)
Classic 3 (A Race of Halves) - removed an erroneous pillar that would cause a backroute. (a failed attempt to add scenery above the exit)

Really liking these videos, it's interesting to see all the different ways to solve each level.


At this point it's worth noting that the intended route for each level will never include incredibly precise moves (notably with twisters) that are very hard to pull off - if it seems a bit OTT it's probably the wrong method. I will ofc be impressed with successful alternative routes of this nature, but there will be an easier way.

Hopefully I'll have the next tribe ready over the weekend, but here's a new version in the meantime:

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Version 3.3 has been released
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Highland 3 (McLem's Drunken Dream) - removed another cloud and 1 roper, rearranged things at the start a little.
Highland 5 (Lembank Docks) - replaced the chain swingers (masquerading as platforms) with actual platforms.
Highland 10 (Ten Brown Barrels) - added some metal blocks to the shaft, preventing possible twister backroutes. (as well as helping with the puzzle)
Circus 6 (Across the Abyss) - retextured it to look nicer, removed 2 attractors (they weren't really needed), replaced the chain swingers (masquerading as platforms) with actual platforms.
Circus 7 (Breakout) - lowered the blue & yellow trapdoors (to less than ow distance), increased twisters to 10. (matching the other heavy twister levels)
Circus 8 (Roadblock) - reworked the final puzzle a bit, removed 1 platformer, added 1 club basher.
Circus 10 (Deca-Dance) - made the bottom Superlem manoeuvre more forgiving, simplified the carriage trapdoor puzzle, removed 3 platformers, added 5 jumpers.