Ok, I uploaded a new version with a bunch of backroute fixes, see change log in the first post. I repositioned some levels too. Note the list of changes still to be done in the first post too. If something hasn't been done yet and is not on the list either but you think it should, feel free to point it out to me so I won't forget.
For the Simple ordering I implemented most things we discussed. The only two things I disagree with in NaOH's list are LMP1, Climb to Freedom and Minimalism 2 (formerly Min 1) which I think come too late there. I kinda want to keep The Borderland at position 20 as it stands out visually. I don't think e.g. Alternative Methods Recommended is harder than it.
Comments on Akseli's Cunning/Dauting reviews:
Merge Sort: I think I've written it before, but for some people it's very easy, for some very hard.
Elixir: That's quite an impressive stunt, but you definitely don't need it. I'm contemplating whether to eliminate that, the intended solution uses quite an elegant trick.
Have Another Try: Thanks, so I'm wondering what makes this level so special to you. When I made it I felt it was just another puzzle level, at least I touched it up a little to make it look prettier, at the beginning it was really just a wall of bricks.
Dances With Lixes: You don't need that trick to solve the level, either way I moved it up to Daunting.
The Lix Who Japed: Moved to the end of Daunting. I wrote an additional hint for this one pointing out something useful to get the player started. Hints will be added to all levels once Steve and I write some more.
Little Miner Puzzle (Part3): Yeah, your solution is definitely not intended. It's for most part the same as mine, but you don't have to use the mutual miner cancelling, it works without it. I don't think I can fix that though.
The Italian Job: Moved to earlier rating.
I'm Gonna Make You Mine: It's quite spammy, though iirc you can at least avoid the precise builder placement with a different trick. I don't think it's underrated difficulty-wise though.
It takes time to build: I quite like your solution, it's very clean. I went ahead and enforced mobius' intended solution though, and accordingly move the level a bit later too.
Alien Invasion: That's another bad backroute, hopefully fixed in the new version.
Derailed Level: That's quite an interesting twist on the intended main idea you have here, I love it!
The Bottomless Closet: That's quite an interesting solution, uses all the skills too. A bit more technical than mine though, I wonder whether I should try to eliminate it, e.g. moving the hatch a little further to the right.
The Ring of Fnargl: I don't like how you used the excess skills I gave to ease execution to set up your pathway to the exit, while still using the timed climber bomb that these extra skills were supposed to make unnecessary. But either way the solutions to that level aren't that exciting.
Triangle Inequality: Attached my solution so you can see the little difference. Wondering whether to modify the level to enforce your solution idea, it feels a bit prettier with the miner and builder aligned.
More general comments:
Dividing Three By Two: I set the requirement to 100% now. If that's still too easy, an option would be requiring one miner or digger at the very right so it's not available for the main part anymore. I find the 100% that saves a digger (or miner) pretty elegant, have a look and try to find it!
Bulldozer: You know, there's a smart way to do this level. It can be done comfortably without even pausing that way (see attached). It's a pity that I can't enforce that way of executing the solution it, so most people will probably just brute-force their way through it with pausing and savestates and find it annoying.
Halfway Down the Stairs: Attached is an archive with 7 different solutions. Maybe that will help you decide which skills to cut.
For Round Trip and potentially Slipping, if I move those down to Daunting, which levels do you think would be most fit to replace them in Vicious?
And to everyone, what do you think of changing Slipping Again to tseug's original version of Slipping that mobius posted above? In hindsight I don't find it that exciting a level and a bit technical, so alternatively I'm thinking of replacing it with Top Gear or Lixes in Motion (see outtakes folder) too.
Btw, I had a glance at the time limit list, and there are a few levels where I don't quite see the purpose of the time limits (I haven't thought deeply about it though, e.g. I might be missing how they eliminate backroutes), care to enlighten me? Otherwise I'd be inclined to remove the time limits from these levels: allover (240), brutefours (300), cryforme (180), deathorglory (120), divisionoflabor (210), finale (180), imgonnamakeyoumine (180), leapoffaith (180), metalcitymayhem (240), pathofwickedness (180), roundtrip (240), segmentationfault (150), thelastlaugh (120), tinkertailorsoldier (190), toccata (180).