This is an incomplete alpha version of the Lix Community pack. We're getting close! Thanks everyone for contributing so far, and keep it up so we will finish soon!
The last 4 ratings (Cunning, Daunting, Vicious, Hopeless) are ordered. Please comment on any level that you think is in a place it doesn't belong. I adapted my ratings to take Nepster's comments into account, and then determined a positon based on my and Proxima's ratings. I also went for diversity, i.e. don't put similar levels too close together. The last few levels of a rating might be harder than the first few of the next rating.
I gave NaOH the task to come up with an ordering for the first 40 levels, possibly with adjustments to some levels to smoothen the difficulty curve.
Once that is done (maybe after some discussion), I'll compile a version where all levels are sorted into their ratings (probably still with excess levels).
Please also comment on any other issue there might be. There might be inconsistencies in capitalization of the level titles or author names, please point them out and suggest a fix.
A few levels need the new terrain updates:
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/index.php?topic=1002.msg20541#newLatest version of the level bundle (.zip):
https://github.com/geoo89/lixlfpack/zipball/gh-pagesLevel list (html):
http://geoo89.github.com/lixlfpack/Level list (xls spreadsheet):
https://github.com/geoo89/lixlfpack/blob/gh-pages/lixlfpack.xls?raw=trueDate of last update for each level:
https://github.com/geoo89/lixlfpackIf you want all the levels viewable in lix in alphabetical order, just copy all the levels from the rating folders into the main folder.
This is a bit rushed, but I won't be home for the next three weeks and won't have much time to work on this. Please don't feel discourage from posting in the thread by my likely low activity for the next three weeks in this thread.
Right now there are 17 excess levels, meaning we have more than 40 per rating.
Below I compiled a list of levels that I consider in potential danger of being scrapped.
You're encouraged to compile your own list of levels you wouldn't mind seeing gone.
Some levels are not final. You can still update your levels, in fact some levels still need work. See below.
There's definitely no shortage of levels, so in order to add a level after this alpha has been released, please put with your levels a suggestion or a few suggestions (preferrably not in the top 12 of my list) of which level your new level should replace (not in the same position, they can end up in different ratings, it's just that one level goes and another level comes in).
You're encouraged to add hints to your levels that a player can iteratively view when stuck in a level! Most levels don't have hints yet, I only have a list of hints from Proxima so far. While not a must, please consider adding hints to your levels! Send them to me, preferred format: Take this spread sheet from
https://github.com/geoo89/lixlfpack/blob/gh-pages/lixlfpack.xls?raw=true and in the 4 tiny columns at the end there's space for 4 hints (if you need more, just continue in the next columns). At the end I will write a script to add the hints into the levels.
Please refer to levels with their name, not their rating as the latter might still change.
Some special ordering ponderings:Switch Chasm (Vicious 40) and MERDEMERDE...(Early Hopeless)? - Chasm looks completely impossible, and it extremely hard to execute, that's why I thought it might fit Vicious 40, the most vicious of all levels. MERDE... is definitely easier, maybe a good breather in Hopeless. Another alternative for Vicious 40 might be Metal City Mayhem.
Which level last: The News Struck at Ten (formerly Stroke at Retirement Age), You Only Get One Bash at It, Brickout - It seems the Brickout will be a simplified version, and YOGOBAI has my easier alternative solution, so I went with TNSAT for now.
First level of Cunning: LIX, The Razor's Edge, Merge Sort - which one?
Hints: LIX: Add 1 minute challenge (already added in spreadsheet, please say if objecting)
Too Far to walk: 0:55 left on the clock challenge (already added in spreadsheet, please say if objecting)
You only get one bash at it: Have to add hints (Don't want to read them)
Put your lix on ice: Hints says to turn a lix in a miner tunnel (I guess), but you can just turn on steel.
Labyrinth of despair: Add hint re. 100% challenge
Levels that need a design overhaul in order to stay:All over the place
Heavenly skies
Escape the Pit
Levels that could do with improved design: The Giant Mushroom
Three Days of the Condor
Roundabout
The Lix Who Japed
Well OK Then
Bulldozer
Nepster's complaints:Babylon Fading
It's a long way up
Digging the Air (layout is good, but it doesn't fill one screen)
To Destroy is to Construct
Division of Labor.
Levels that are still WIP:wontgetfooledagain.txt
thenewsstruck.txt
brickout.txt
Levels with known backroutes (backroutes attached):lixcannon.txt
buridan.txt
3111.txt
nomoreheroes.txt
betchacantsave.txt (can save 2, though I wonder if the level is open-ended so there are no real backroutes?)
Suggested changes:Lixology: replace with Breackout (attached), maybe with prettier water at the bottom once available
Dances with Lixes: Enforce trickier sol? (alternative version attached). Rationale: There are two quite different solution approaches. One of them is already used in 100% Built by Lixes and Ascending and Descending, while the other one is, I believe, novel. I attached a version with buzzsaws enforcing the second approach, I wonder whether I should include this version instead, as the ideas from the first approach are already featured in two other levels. (Spoiler: Approach one is building a bridge from the left, but not completely to the steel at the right, and have another lix build a bridge from the top of the steel to the left, thus falling onto the lower bridge. Approach 2 instead builds a bridge from left to right all the way to the steel, and then uses a bomber to simultaneously bomb through the bridge and make a dent in the block at the left that makes climbers turn around.)
It Takes Time to Build...: Cut down to 3 bashers/diggers?
Snowball Battle: Remove walker and increase spawn interval?
Just Stop the Bleeding: Still needs Steve's 'hole in the head gang' treatment
Below is a list of levels that are in danger of being scrapped, in order of magnitude of the threat that is exerted by me.
Other players are welcome to compile similar lists. Right now I think it's a good idea (once we have a first rating arranged) to compile an alpha with all 257 levels sorted, and have Akseli give this version with too many levels a playthrough and wait for comments, if Akseli is ok with that.
We need to scrap 17 in total:
Systematic Separation (Hopeless) - could go into RubiX' Epic Adventure
Low Profile (Vicious) - could go into RubiX' Epic Adventure
Tick Toxic (Daunting) - could go into RubiX' Epic Adventure
lixesinarms (Vicious) - part of MaZuLems
Bibbidi (Cunning) - Part of PimoLems
Diggin the Air - Part of PimoLems. Mobius wants it scrapped, Proxima likes it.
Confusing Fractals - Can't turn it into a decent tutorial level
Leap of the Locust - Yeah, very repetitive, and already uses the basher staircase trick. Proxima rating C. Nepster says it's not too repetitive, and actually you don't need the basher staircase trick.
Paragliding to the Pyramid - the level is tricky enough that it's well possible to stumble over significant portions of the solution of Endeavor in this version already.
The Giant Mushroom - nothing strictly bad with it, nothing outstanding though
Walk them golden stairs - Solution is kinda spammy and annoying having to go through the mesh with the given terrain removers. Once You Pop (sequel) is similar except that now you have bombers to work with instead of the other terrain removers, and the lack of other skills except for builders makes it a lot more interesting.
Wrong way - Proxima rating C. I don't think it's that similar to Minimalism (Part 1), still nothing really new here. Nepster says it's better than Minimalism (Part 1). I don't.
Three days of the condor (Cunning) - The only thing really is turning the miner with a blocker here, and it's a huge and ugly level for just showing this trick. Proxima rating A, so I don't know though.
Tower of Babel (Cunning) - Proxima rating C+. Again, pretty unique so I personally find it to be a good one to throw in the mix. The main idea is obvious, but there are a few details to work out. Execution isn't bad actually, especially considering the kind of level this is.
A fearful symmetry (Cunning) - A lot of unrelated stuff for a level that just revolves about one main trick.
Over the Hump (Daunting) - I feel there are a lot of levels with tons of climbers that are similar now
When the Levee breaks (Cunning) - kinda straightforward, mostly about not getting any details wrong.
Laser Deathroom 3 (Vicious) - main idea same as Part 1, just harder setup
Soaring (Cunning) - Proxima rating C+. It's quite unique, but not much of a puzzle and similar to Clam's 'Stall Tactics' there's the weird issue that sometimes they don't go straight up.
The Ring of Fnargl (Vicious) - Unique, but extremely technical, revolves around a precisely timed bomber
Heavenly Skies (Daunting) - This one is pretty tricky, though I personally don't like exercises in estimating how far your builders go. The route I found uses a move that's pretty hard to execute. Needs design overhaul.
Comfort Levels (Daunting) - rename for one.
Cornerstone (Daunting) - With Nepster's route I realize the level is a bit open ended, and there are probably better open-ended levels around (And even the intended route is a little tricky to execute).
Babylon Fading (Cunning) - solid but nothing outstanding about the solution
Play Ball (Daunting) - It's a good level, but the main part is realizing that you have to do synchronization compression. Then it's not so hard, but there are already a few levels that use this, so I wonder if this level is a bit redundant.
Well Ok Then (Cunning) - Proxima rating C+. I don't know something different yet simple, and I quite like it for that. Design could maybe be improved though. Also a bit of a precursor to Chasm.
Snowball Battle: Decent puzzle, not super special but decent. Makes use of the same bland design of the prequel.
A lix on the edge (Cunning) - I don't know what to think about it, it's tricky and interesting, so I guess it's a good thing. Again, I don't see much of a point in the time limit.
A completely ridiculous level - Like Ramen Masterchef, I think it's nice to have a level or two like this, even if it's kinda weird.
Blocked by a snowball - It's a decent easy level and you have to take care about a few things without risking killing lix. Depends on what else we'll have at the beginning.
Escape the pit - perfectly good if it gets a design overhaul.
Other people would be ok with scrapping:Proxima: Leap of the Locust, Confusing Fractals, Wrong way, Escape the Pit -- and Diggin' the Air
mobius: when the levee breaks, a lix on the edge!, play ball!, watch ye step (IS's but I remade it and he never made any comments about it), the last laugh, Division of Labor, bibblidi-bobblidi-boo (pieuw), Leap of the Locust
Mod Edit: Restored attachments.