NeoLemmix (Player: V1.26n-C | Editor: V1.26n-B)

[namida]

I've implemented the fix on autosteel. Though I now need to make sure simple autosteel works correctly - not nessecerially saying it won't, but I haven't tested since fixing standard autosteel; and it might have broken it since I had to almost completely revamp how autosteel works in order to fix the no overwrite glitch. (The part that actually translates the map into steel areas is still the same, but the part that actually generates the steel area map has been completely redone.)

EDIT: Confirmed that simple autosteel has not been affected in any way by the fix. I'm actually quite surprised about that. However, it *has* completely broken DebugSteel - though this is arguably a minor issue as DebugSteel is a development/testing option, not a playing one.

(One example of a level where negative effects of the old autosteel method were noticable - though you had to go out of your way to get to the part of the level where they were - was Dodgy 1 of the *first* LPIII demo.)


Current todo list for V1.10n - if there's something I've said I'll do but forgotten to list here, please mention it. (If I've merely said I'll think about it or may do it at some point, feel free to remind me, though I'm not promising it for V1.10n). Of course, some of these are subject to me being able to work out (and be bothered) doing them.

>  Re-fix DebugSteel
>  Improve behavior after attempt to load incorrect replay
>  LemmixPlayerExtraNeo: Genesis graphic set patch Done
>  Support any number of difficulty rank signs instead of only 4 or 5 <--- This one might not come in *this* version though
>  Add an option to make the timer blink when low
>  Add an option to let the user pick the filename when saving a replay <--- I may also backport this one to CustLemmix

[Minim]

You could also add a few more gimmicks that I forgot to mention.

* A border at the bottom (rather than just the left and right edge) so that the lemmings won't die when reaching the bottom of the level. This could be used in conjunction with that new invincibility gimmick to guarantee survival.
* Inverting steel graphics (I think I saw this on NeoLemEdit) where the steel becomes destructible and the ground becomes steel. Or you could make a gimmick where steel doesn't work at all.
* Every lemming out performs the same action simultaneously as the lemming clicked. This setup is probably going to get complicated, and we might want to limit it to certain skills, but the results would be quite hilarious, especially if a hero tries to build and doesn't realise that the other lemmings are building too to escape the blockers.

[namida]

* A border at the bottom (rather than just the left and right edge) so that the lemmings won't die when reaching the bottom of the level. This could be used in conjunction with that new invincibility gimmick to guarantee survival.

I could consider that.

* Inverting steel graphics (I think I saw this on NeoLemEdit) where the steel becomes destructible and the ground becomes steel. Or you could make a gimmick where steel doesn't work at all.

This one can probably be done on autosteel levels, might be a bit messy on non-autosteel ones. There's no such option in NeoLemEdit - the four steel-related options (these may not be the exact names) are:
"Negative Steel" - this turns steel areas 16 to 31 into steel erasers rather than steel areas (they will erase both standard steel areas *and* autosteel)
"Enable AutoSteel" - this option must be set for autosteel to be applied (NeoLemEdit sets this on by default when creating a new level); note that the option will be ignored if the graphic set doesn't support autosteel (the vanilla versions of the official and LPII styles don't, but NeoCustLemmix's internal versions of them do; the Sega style I made does support it, and obviously the LPIII styles do)
"Ignore Level Steel" - this option will cause the level's steel areas to be ignored by NeoLemmix (it does not disable autosteel if you've enabled it)
"Simple Autosteel" - this option disables the checks for terrain overlapping steel blocks and just makes the area of the steel pieces into steel regardless, obviously it requires autosteel to be enabled

You can therefore acheive the latter effect of disabling steel simply by turning off autosteel and turning on ignore level steel.

* Every lemming out performs the same action simultaneously as the lemming clicked. This setup is probably going to get complicated, and we might want to limit it to certain skills, but the results would be quite hilarious, especially if a hero tries to build and doesn't realise that the other lemmings are building too to escape the blockers.

I've thought about this gimmick actually, though it would be a pain to implement. I probably won't implement any more major gimmicks at least until after LPIII is finished, as I have all four gimmicks for it. (Five if you include that it has two frenzy levels, but frenzy isn't new to LPIII.)

[Minim]

Since you added those 2P levels into the Original set as the last difficulty rating, I don't get the congratulatory message every time I complete Mayhem 30. It's only there in the last level of 2P. It is however only a minor problem, but the question is how can this sort of problem be fixed in the next update? Maybe there is some way to change the difficulties so that 2P appears as the first rating, but the default rating remains on Fun?

Considering that you also changed the Original Lemings version to Amiga, I'll have to recheck some of those levels for gimmick solutions. Especially on levels Taxing 22 and Mayhem 4, as those requirements have changed for the player to save 100%.

Edit: And while I remember 2P, maybe change the screen's starting position of every 2P level to make them more centralised and realistic? (by -80 pixels roughly)

[namida]

It shouldn't actually be too hard to change it so that message shows up after Mayhem 30 even with the 2P levels where they are. I'll do that now. EDIT: Done.

[Minim]

So for the Amiga version of lemmings I did the Karoshi gimmick, and solved almost all of the levels (Although I haven't done 2P yet). Exceptions being Fun 4, Tricky 23 and Tricky 24. I thought with Fun 5 you could get the lemmings in the water, but due to the glitch fixes I was unable to do that. I tried to replicate the Three basher ramp trick like that of the Reverse Fun 5 solution, but despite being a non-glitch trick it appears that the raised lemming falls immediately after it jumps, rather than taking a step.

I did solve it a different way, by bashing the top of the grid to get the lemmings to splat near the exit.

As for the Unalterable terrain and No Gravity I didn't have much success on them, but Fun 30 and Fun 10 on each respective gimmick make interesting challenges!

[namida]

NeoLemmix V1.10n Released
------------------------------------------
*  Bashers now look slightly further ahead for terrain when deciding
   whether or not to continue bashing.
*  In players that don't display a leading zero on single-digit skill
   counts (currently only LPIII), the remaining digit will be centered.
*  Added a new gimmick, "One Skill". When this gimmick is enabled, each
   lemming will become unselectable after one skill has been assigned to
   it.
   (These first three were already present in the "V1.09.5n" player used for
    the second LPIII demo.)
*  Standard autosteel code has been almost completely rewritten, the
   difference in terms of effects being that steel pieces with No
   Overwrite set don't apply steel areas to the normal pieces that
   overlap them but have a lower Z order. (Simple autosteel has not
   changed in any way.)
*  Fixed a bug in Tricky 1 of Covox - I had adjusted the exit based
   on its graphic rather than its trigger area, which caused problems.
*  The Genesis levels in Extra now use the Genesis GROUNDxO.DAT files,
   just like in the non-NeoLemmix version.
*  The Exhaustion gimmick now also affects blockers.
*  Added another option alongside Challenge Mode called "Timer Mode",
   this has the same function but for the clock instead of the skills.
*  On players that have Challenge Mode, Timer Mode and Force Gimmick
   options, information about the status and results of these items are
   saved in the text replay.
*  Directional select is implemented; holding an arrow key while picking
   a lemming will result in only lemmings facing that direction being
   selectable.
*  The effect of holding the right mouse button has been changed; rather
   than simply inverting priority, it forces a walker to be selected.
*  DebugSteel has been improved; it now shows the steel areas as-is, but
   the remaining terrain is displayed as white while the background is
   changed to magenta.
*  The Original Lemmings player shows the congrats message after Mayhem 30.

V1.10nB
---------------------
*  Replays where directional select was used now work fine.
*  Information about the state of direction select is now saved in the text replay.

Downloads:
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/x1dnmnbn5q6sa/V1.10n



NOTE: It appears directional select does not currently work properly in replays (or rather, it has the same issue that WinLemm has - you have to actually hold the appropriate directional key while the replay is playing, or it won't work properly) - I'll make a "V1.10nB" tomorrow to fix this (no other changes). If you create a replay in this version that uses directional select, then try to play it in the fixed version when I release it, it is possible that it may work but also possible it may not - entirely depends how I end up implementing it, so I would reccomend don't rely on it. Fixed versions uploaded. Replays from older versions (including the unfixed V1.10n) are compatible as long as they don't use directional select - I haven't made the old replays worthless - but those that do use it are not (unless, of course, they're made in the fixed V1.10n themself).

[namida]

Known bug in V1.10n:

When you play a replay (this also includes jumping back to a save state, due to how that works from a technical point of view) that uses directional select, if the most recently assigned skill was assigned using directional select, that direction will be "stuck" until you select another one. I'll fix this in the next version (it's not critical enough to need an urgent update); to unstick it just press either directional key then let it go, and it'll be back to normal.


By the way, here's the stuff currently on my todo list that didnt' make it into V1.10n. Some are due to not being significant enough, others are due to being quite complex so I thought I'd save them for later while implementing less-major features now:
> Extra levels for Extra: Ohayo Lemming-san, PSP levels remakes, Classic levels from L2
> Split Genesis levels in Extra into their ranks
> A proper readme
> Support any number of difficulty rank signs instead of only 4 or 5
> Timer blink & lemming count blink
> Custom replay filenames
> Pickup skills + Reverse count gimmick?
> Improve behavior after attempt to load incorrect replay

[namida]

It appears some (not all) older replays don't work properly in V1.10n. Don't throw these replays away - I found the source of this and they will work again in V1.11n.

[namida]

V1.11n update will be out fairly soon. There aren't that many new features in the engine, but I'll also be upgrading the official styles (including the Xmas, Sega and LPII styles, but not the Genesis ones) to include pre-placed lemmings and pickup skills (and secret area triggers although they're not of much use in CustLemmix; but that's more future-proofing for when the customizable player is ready).

EDIT: It works! If possible I didn't really want to have to completely decompile the styles and rebuild them with new objects added, so I looked for a way to just slip them in. And, it works. See attachment. Now... will this be quicker to do each style manually, or to write an app (that'll only ever need to be used once) to do it automatically... probably the latter...

[namida]

I've finished updating all the styles - I wrote a tool to quickly do all of them, except for the Sega style which I did simply by adding them to the source files and recompiling it; because the tool doesn't support 32-color styles (or rather, the tool itself has no reason why it wouldn't, but I only made generic insertable data for 16-color ones).

There's a link to download the updated styles in the first post, so that you can use them in your editor of choice (which unless it's NeoLemEdit, won't be able to adjust *which* skill they are (it defaults to climbers) or which way the pre-placed lemmings face - but they should be able to display it, so you can make the level in LemEdit / Lemmix then tweak it in NeoLemEdit when you're done; I don't know if they'll preserve the extra data or not (I think - but haven't tested - LemEdit does but Lemmix doesn't; no idea about jLevelBuilder or the Lix editor)).

When V1.11n is released, NeoCustLemmix will contain these updated versions internally, but until then you'll have to pop the style files into the folder with it. They're numbered the same way that NeoCustLemmix has them internally.

It includes pretty much all styles, apart from the LPIII ones. Specifically - it has:
* All Orig styles
* All OhNo styles
* The Xmas/Holiday style
* All LPII styles (these already had secret triggers, so it's only the pre-placed lemmings and pickup skills added to those)
* The Sega style


Given these additions, I've decided to add secret level support to NeoCustLemmix in the next update. When creating a level pack file for it, to add secret levels, just place them at the end of the file. EG: The 11th level in the pack will be the secret level for the first rank. It's one-per-rank in this case; if you don't want one for a specific rank, just put a filler level in that place.


Also, as I've been promising I'd do for the last who knows how many versions, V1.11n will finally have NeoLemmix-adjusted levels for Prima. I've already done the modifications, just got to test them; which will be the final thing before release.

[namida]

NeoLemmix V1.11n Released
--------------------------
*  Fixed the bug with directional select getting temporarily stuck after
   a replay that uses it.
*  Fixed a small sound-related bug in the surviving bombers gimmick.
*  Levels without trapdoors (generally due to solely using pre-placed
   lemmings) no longer play a trapdoor opening sound.
*  Fixed a bug that occurs when trying to play some replays from V1.09n
   or earlier.
*  Prima NeoLemmix version is no longer considered beta.
*  NeoCustLemmix now supports secret levels; see its readme for more info.
*  NeoCustLemmix now includes upgraded versions of the official (and LPII)
   styles which include pre-placed lemmings, pickup skills and secret level
   triggers.
*  NeoCustLemmix now includes all four LPIII styles.

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/u9edx9yp08cfp/V1.11n

[namida]

It's been brought to my attention that there's a problem with the upgraded Dirt style. Fixed versions have now been uploaded.

This affects only the upgraded style files themself, and NeoCustLemmix; it does not affect Orig, Extra or LPDOS. Both the download of NeoCustLemmix on its own, and the all-players-in-one-ZIP file, have been fixed. But yeah; only NeoCustLemmix (and the style files themself if you're using those) need to be redownloaded.

If for any reason you've renamed / renumbered the style files, it's only the dirt file that's affected - and specifically, only the VGAGR file (the GROUND file was fine).

[Minim]

I thought of a few more interesting gimmicks that have missed the cut for LPIII (maybe for the next update of NeoLemmix instead)

*Lemmings cannot jump over 3-6 pixel walls. They have to climb instead. They can walk over builder's steps however. You could expand on this jump gimmick by making them jump over vertical walls of any height (Remember the old sliding trick?) or even make the lemmings unable to walk over 1-pixel walls.

*A minor one, but lemmings can walk on water, possibly by converting the trigger areas of water into terrain, provided that it doesn't convert any other trigger areas, such as exits, otherwise none of the levels will be possible.

* Extend the hardworkers gimmick to include bombers; that is, the bomber keeps bombing in a downwards direction, removing quite a large chunk of terrain in the process. If it lands on a steel block, it will keep trying to blow it up. (Actually that's going to make a horrible drony sound. We better make sure it kills itself instead)

[namida]

I like both of the ideas in the first point. One other thing I want to do in a future update though is rehaul the gimmick system, so that you can individually choose what gimmicks apply to a level, instead of being stuck with fixed combinations.

However, my next goal is the customizable player; other updates (except for fixing two new glitches I've discovered, both of which I believe are unique to NeoLemmix) will most likely have to wait in the meantime.