Current Sub-versionsPlayer: V1.47n-D
Editor: V1.47n
Flexi: V1.47n-C
GSTool: V1.47n
(Note that the NL website's Flexi tutorial doesn't yet contain any info on the new Replay Manager. Aside from that, it's updated to reflect the new version.)
If you need help with upgrading existing content to V1.47n, please see
this topic, and if you have any questions, post 'em there.
Features, Changes, EtcAfter one of the longest time periods between stable versions in NeoLemmix history, we finally have a new update. As you'd expect from the time between V1.43n-F and this version (and the fact that a few numbers have been skipped; these numbers were used for development / experimental releases only), this is also one of the largest updates in a long time. It'd be simply impossible (and by "impossible", I mean "would take a huge amount of effort") to list everything that's changed, so I'll just list some of the more interesting points:
Less variation between packsPrevious versions were already heading strongly in the direction of "the same set of rules for every pack", but V1.47n goes even further. In every pack you play, all levels will be unlocked from the start. In every pack you play, you'll get warned about replays that may be for a different level. You only need to know the rules of NeoLemmix; not the rules of the individual pack.
Most elements outside of the core concept removedRemember those gimmick levels, the hunt for secret levels, and so on? They're mostly a thing of the past - Zombies have been made into a core feature rather than a gimmick (although it's still expected that the majority of levels won't use them - but they're there for those levels that do want to), but the rest of the gimmicks have been stripped out. Secret levels are also a thing of the past. Talismans are still there, but the only purpose they serve is to give extra challenges to the player; you no longer need to think "If I don't unlock this talisman, I might miss out on some of the content".
A level selection menuSince there's no secret levels, and all normal levels are unlocked from the beginning, there's no real need for level codes anymore, right? Indeed. And as such, the level code menu has been replaced with a level select menu that actually lists the levels and you can pick which one you want to play. On top of that, this menu will also show you which levels you have or haven't beaten, by putting a tick next to those you've completed.
Perfomance improvementsV1.43n-F's performance often suffered on levels that had a high number of objects. Changes in the rendering for V1.47n have greatly improved this - of course, if you have a weak machine you might still get sluggish framerates especially in fast forward, but it's a huge improvement over before. This isn't just limited to gameplay; as an example, the mass replay checker is a lot faster now too (although it's still a snail compared to Lix's...).
Support for custom backgroundsIn V1.43n-F, people often achieved custom backgrounds by making a huge object to be used as the background. While this worked, this tended to cause extreme performance issues - even if the background was as simple as a solid color other than the usual black. That's no longer an issue; as V1.47n has proper support for backgrounds - whether full-blown images, or just a color. This improves performance on such levels even beyond what's simply achieved with the new way object rendering is handled.
Skill shadowsYou know how it is - you're about to use a builder, but you aren't sure exactly where to place him to get where you need to go. In the past, you'd try repeatedly until you got it right. Of course if you were one pixel off, you'd know "I just need to go back, and assign him one frame later"; but this could still be frustrating. That's where the new shadows come in - select the builder skill, mouseover a lemming, and you'll see a shadow of where the builder bridge will go. Similar shadows also exist for other constructive skills, destructive skills, and gliders. While these are not nessecerially always perfect (eg. they don't take into account some of the less-common edge cases, such as bouncing off blockers), they're a huge help nonetheless!
Attention-grabbing lemming recoloringDon't you wish there was a way to identify athletes apart from regular lemmings at a glance? Now there is; lemmings with permanent skills will change color so that they stand out. And if you're mousing over a lemming, the moused-over lemming will also change to a different color again, so you know exactly which lemming you're selecting.
Object informationAre you wondering "which receiver does this teleporter link to"? Just hover your mouse over a teleporter or receiver, and a letter will display above it; find the teleporter / receiver with the matching letter, and you've found the connected pair! Similarly, if you want to know if an entrance spawns permanent skill lemmings, or which direction the lemmings come out of it, just mouseover it and popup icons will tell you what you want to know.
Text-based replay formatThe old binary blob LRB files are a thing of the past; this update uses the new NXRP replay format (one of the new formats to be introduced in the major format overhaul; this one was ready to go now, so it's being introduced early). For some people, this won't make any difference at all. For more advanced users, this could be a huge help - a text-based format means you can manually edit it to correct errors, you can easily analyze a replay or a replay collection for whatever data you might want to pull out of it, and so on. (Don't worry, you can still watch your old LRB replays on this new version!)
Mixing graphic setsYes, that's right! You no longer need to make custom merged sets or use an all-in-one set like Epic when you want to use multiple sets in one level; you can now simply mix-and-match pieces from different sets together at will!
Physics fixesIt'd probably be possible to write an entire book on this section alone, if I were so inclined. There's been too many improvements to physics to count, thanks to Nepster's work.
There's more too; so the best way is to simply try out the new version and see for yourself.
Compatibility of existing contentThe majority of existing content will work on NeoLemmix V1.47n, although there may be cases where physics changes render levels / talisman challenges impossible. Any content that hasn't been rebuilt with the new Flexi Toolkit version will display a compatibility warning, but if all else is fine, it will still allow you to play.
Note that in some cases, old content might not work properly. This would generally be because it uses either gimmicks, no-longer-supported object types (such as two-way teleporters), or oddtabling.
You can identify content that has been specifically updated to work with V1.47n (or at least, its author claims that it has been) by the lack of a compatibility warning when starting up the NXP. Note that some NXPs, for example Lemmings Plus V, are "dual-compatible" - that is, they've been marked as compatible with both V1.43n-F and V1.47n and (at least hopefully) properly tested against both. Others (for example, the updated NeoLemmix Introduction Pack) are
only compatible with V1.47n; these will give a compatibility warning when attempted to load on V1.43n-F.
I fully encourage content creators to, for the near future, identify when posting packs which NeoLemmix versions it's compatible with. To help with this, I've added these new "emoticons" which can be used to quickly identify in a way that's universal and stands out in a post. The codes to type for them are listed here; they also appear under the "More" link next to the quick-insert.
Write: :compat-143:
Indicates: This pack is only guaranteed compatible with V1.43n-F.
Write: :compat-147:
Indicates: This pack is only guaranteed compatible with V1.47n.
Write: :compat-dual:
Indicates: This pack is compatible with both V1.43n-F and V1.47n.
If you need a copy of V1.43n-F, check
its release topic.
Download LinksEditor, Flexi and GSTool removed due to V1.48 update.If you need a copy of the V1.47n-D player for content that hasn't yet been upgraded, you can download it here:
http://neolemmix.com/old/NeoLemmix147D.exePlease note: Player V1.47n CANNOT be used for playtest mode with an older editor version. You'll need the new editor version to playtest with V1.47n. The reverse is also true - V1.47n editor cannot use V1.43n-F player for playtest mode.
Upgrading from an older editor version?There's a bit more to it than just replacing the EXE. Follow these steps:
1. Delete everything in the "styles" folder,
except for the NeoLemmix subfolder. If you have any NeoLemmix graphic sets in other folders, move them into the "NeoLemmix" folder first.
2. Move everything from the "NeoLemmix" subfolder to the main "styles" folder.
3. Delete the "NeoLemmix" subfolder.
4. Extract the entire contents of the new version's ZIP, not just the EXE. You don't need to replace the settings INI file, but be sure to replace the copies of the default graphic sets; a few of the older versions have issues with the new editor version.