Heya! Sorry to be late! :winktounge:
I have myself some video game programming knowledges and I dreamed to make, yet, "another" Lemmings clone with some improvements. So, say, if you need some help, just let me know!
The way I saw my Lemmings game was mostly similar to the first original Lemmings game but with the improvements of the other games in the saga with some "extra". I'll talk about that later. I wanna say my opinion about what you said :
No unlimited blockers :
The Blocker should be considered as a skill with the "possibility" to have some.
More skills :
I'd like to see more skills, but not a lot, and especially not those that performs similar tasks like blockers and attractors, diggers and stompers, bashers and fencers... Will talk much about that later.
Saving lemmings for future levels :
Connecting edges :
I'd like much to have the game like Cheapo Copycat. A nice classical 2D pixelised game where you can scroll around, thus having huge levels.
Blockers having the possibility to stop blocking :
It was already possible in the first Lemmings to dig beneath a blocker to free him, but I guess that having a "Walker" skill or a "Remove skills" tool may be interesting so that, it won't only apply to blockers, but for any skilled Lemmings so that you could stop them to perform their tasks. Example : stopping a Basher, a Builder... Also, you could have this "tool" disabled for some levels.
Less "Hero Lemming" Levels :
Sure! But also, it could be nice just to let "a few" of those sometimes for the "easy" levels. Having different Lemmings working together would be nice, but I just hope it won't become "too hard" to masterize.
Different musics :
I liked the way in L2 to have a music related with the "style" of the level. In case, two similar "style" levels would appear in a row, I guess it could be nice to have around 2 different musics for each "style".
Fan :
I wasn't attracted that much with that so, no thanks.
No blood :
Having the traps to be similar to those of L2 would be nice. There wasn't that much blood in the game.
Pickups :
I think it may be a nice idea to have "pickups" but not only to the specific Lemming that takes it. Say, if you have a "+10 Floaters" box and a Lemming takes it, then you have +10 Floaters in your skill bar so that you could give them to ANY Lemmings on the level. That would be so cool!
Adjustable Release Rate :
That's for sure! Nothing much to say!
Fast Forward and Replay features :
That's for sure! Nothing much to say!
Mixing up themes :
Having different styles and colors is a must have! I disliked to have tribes in L2.
Eliminate "blocks" system :
That's for sure! Nothing much to say!
Unlocking levels :
I guess this could be nice!
Bulletproof steel :
I liked the way it was in L2 and Cheapo Copycat so, yeah, it's a must have in the game.
Using different directions for building/digging skills :
Well... nah, I didn't like that. I'm preferring to have different skills for each different directions. Digger to dig down, Basher to dig horizontally, and so on... and not having a single Dig skill and select the direction you want. However, I'd like to have a Miner that can digs diagonally upward.
Having Arrows and Landmarks for skills : I'm so-so with that...
I liked the Cheapo Copycat way for having an arrow above the selected Lemming to help selecting. I also liked the right-click on a Lemming to force that lemming to perform a task if he's in the melee. I also liked the right-arrow and left-arrow keys to force the direction the Lemming had to do the task.
I didn't play L3 much, but I remembered about the green and red arrows to specify if yes or no, you could do the skill in the direction you want. But, as I said before, I don't like the L3 way of giving skills. As for a cross or an arrow at the place the Lemming will blow after the countdown, it's hard to say... Everything can change while the countdown is running and the Lemming walking. If, say, a Lemming dig a hole or build some steps in front of the Exploder, the emplacement of the arrow will constantly change. It also have to check for objects and different factors. It "can" be possible, but it will then be quite hard to code as there's so much factors that can influence that.
Now, for skills, I like those that can be useful in combinations with other skills. Some are useful on their own and, well, I don't like that much.
First of all, no fan-skill. It's already done so, it's okay!
Second, no "select and aim" skills. I'm sorry, but I'm much into "you click and it's done". Thus, we also remove : Archer, Roper and SuperLem. Sorry, but the Roper is way too powerful. It can acts like a wall, a platform or a diagonal bridge just for one. I'd like to use them separately with the proper skills.
Third, some skills are kinda similar and well, I don't see the point to have tons of similar way to dig or build. Some others are also kinda exaggerated. Let me talk about that :
- Attractor : it works like Blockers. Personally, it's no.
- Bazooka : I'm so-so with that one. In an Army style maybe, but that's all.
- Bomber : if this skill is available, then maybe it's better removing the Exploder skill then... Bomber doesn't kill the Lemming and you can also select the place, but not with the Exploder. What do you think about that? Which one should be used?
- Filler : hmmm, I don't really like to have "liquids" as skills. Platformer does that work better. Personally, I'd remove that one.
- Grenadier : I didn't play L3 much so, what's that?
- Laser Blaster : It's a nice skill! It's like the digger, but upwards. Personally, I'd keep it.
- Magno Booter : I don't know... it's really hard to say. I'm much with Clam Spammer with that one.
- Mortar : same as the Bazooka.
- Paintballer : err... no.
- Skater : having ice wasn't fun, so no.
Personally, the must-have skills should be :
Basher
Blocker
Bomber*
Builder
Climber
Digger
Exploder*
Floater
Jumper
Laser Blaster - This one can be nice for Climbers or removing Blockers
Miner (also upward)
Platformer - This one can be nice for Bashers (to bash through them) and Shimmers.
Runner
Shimmer
Slider
Stacker - This one can be nice for Diggers (to dig through them) and Climbers. Created walls can also act as Blockers.
Swimmer
WalkerAll these skills placed together can give a nice gameplay and nice strategies in levels. The others I stated above : Bazooka, Magno Booter, Mortar, and maybe the other few ones I didn't talk much about, could be used as "Special" skills or alternate skills in some levels.
Now, some interesting features I'd like to see :
- Gravity : I guess it could be nice to have different Gravity levels so that it can increases or decreases the safe-fall distance (imagine a level with strong gravity so that Lemmings die by falling 10-only pixels). We could also make the Lemmings fall upward like in Cheapo Copycat so that, if a Lemming falls in the "ceiling", he will die.
- Teleporters : Same like L2 Space Tribe or Cheapo Copycat.
- Different exits : Does someone here played Ducks? I guess it can be nice to save a certain amount of Lemmings in an exit and save some other amount in another one on the same level.
- Switches : How about triggering a switch to create a platform or disabling a trap? It would work like "pickups" but instead, it could trigger something on the level. We could also make them "toggle".
- Water flooding level : Just imagine a level where the water level never stops to increase so that you must hurry to save your friends before they die.
- And so on... there's too many possibilities!
I guess that's all for now, I already wrote a lot! :winktounge: