:thumbsup:
So glad this came out! I like how you used repeat versions of the harder levels for the Picnic rating, and I also liked that you added a new rating to remove the "Bonus" rating.
Can't wait to play the other levels in this pack!
However, there are some glitches. In levels like Picnic 26 "Codrin, Iuliana & Stefan" and Hootenanny 1 "First Things First," not all the trapdoors spawn lemmings. Also:
In Picnic 32, if I enter the level after accessing it from the secret trigger in Picnic 24 "Minesweeper Lemmings," it gives me a "List Index Out of Bounds (2)" Error.
Edit: I checked again, and it doesn't seem to be doing the above-mentioned glitches anymore.
Picnic 32, then Picnic 26 and/or 27.
Picnic 32, then Hootenanny 1, 7 or 8.
There is some precision involved, but there is also room for error because I finish with 2 builders left over that can be used to, say, thicken the bridge that the miner has to aim through, turn the final miner into a builder if your final bomber is too low, turn around the second climber at some point if you want to be more precise with the blocker, or even if you reflect the miner way too soon, you can use one or both spare builders to help the crowd reach where the tunnel breaches the cliff.
What I'm referring to above is - the steel blocks prevent using a digger to get to a lower platform. This leaves a basher as the only way to get there. However, this platform also has a trap on it, which seems impossible to avoid if you get to the platform (but could be avoided if you got to it via a digger, if the steel wasn't there) while still leaving enough skills to solve the level. This makes me think the trap is just there to avoid backroutes; but unless the platform is involved in the solution, there's no reason why it couldn't simply be removed to get rid of the platform, without - most notably - the fix of using steel areas on regular terrain, which would've been nessecary at the time of creation due to the graphic set's lack of steel blocks.
No hints please; just a confirmation that it's been solved in NeoLemmix. :)
SOLVED IT!
Not sure how to describe this in hint format though, except to ignore the entire left of the level and the floating tower of balls and mesh, and ask yourself what the second builder is for.
EDIT: *sighs* Screwed up again with misreading and making errors in judgement (replay is fine).
I've beaten it now. The actual solution, in the end, didn't seem too tricky; but based on the difficulty I had finding it (and so did Crane, it seems), I'd still say it should probably be moved to a later rank...
Frenzy is definitely my favorite rank so far. Almost entirely good levels here, and even at worst they're "okay", not "bad". A lot of them are short, puzzle-type levels, which tend to be my favorite.
It'd also seem, based on the comment, that my solution is different to Crane's, because...
Mine did use the mesh/ball tower.
EDIT: Indeed, my solution is very different from Crane's, apart from the very end bit.
Just a random thing. I think namida backrouted "A Bid Farewell", a famous historical level by Matthias Witt, because I remember reading an interview somewhere where...
... he mentions the mechanic of joining three separate points with a single Builder.
As a result, I think this was his intended solution, although theoretically I don't have to cut my bridge short and thus can save a Basher - I should still have a couple of seconds to spare, although I do try to be as efficient as I can with the other tools to save time. What do you guys think?
Fixing namida's backroute, while not spoiling the aesthetic of the level, would be as simple as putting a bit of extra terrain to the right of the steel block, so any lemmings that walk back to the left will follow the last Basher's tunnel into oblivion. I can't see that opening up any other backroutes. NOTE: Bashing into the steel block to turn the Climber early on (so he doesn't climb the post and hit the underside of the first bridge) is incorrect because this removes enough terrain that he can't drop down on top of it later on to release the horde.
... is extremely annoying. It's somewhere that one might reasonably think is part of the solution; not out-of-the-way where it's unlikely to accidentally run into it, or at least not by simply assigning one skill that the terrain looks like you're meant to use there. I'd suggest putting it somewhere a bit less in the way, such as perhaps...
on the top of that dirt lump at the bottom-right
... you can't reach it with a Climber due to the nook in the rock, and the steel plates stop you from dropping onto it from above. I might instead suggest putting it on the edge of oblivion to the right of that rock, so you can reach it by bashing through that bottom right rock (and possibly from the top right too).
I do agree though that it isn't in a good place.
I'm sorry, I forgot that you don't have 3 builders on this level. :P
Some of the ones that really stood out to me - enough so that I can recognize and remember them as good levels looking back at them later (although some I had seen before, which might also contribute to them standing out more) - were:
Hootenanny 11 "Access Denied" (Ben Bryant)
Hootenanny 14 "Brick City" (Gronkling)
Hootenanny 27 "Crossing Paths" (Shvegait)
Hootenanny 30 "The Final Countdown" (Crane)
Devious 3 "Two Minute Warning" (Martin Zurlinden)
Devious 17 "Lempire State Building" (hubbart)
Devious 19 "Use the grey matter for this one" (Minim)
Devious 27 "Lemming Cathodes" (Crane)
Frenzy 3 "The Climbing Frame" (JHIsan)
Frenzy 4 "Faithful Friends" (Crane)
Frenzy 7 "Nemesis" (Crane)
Frenzy 10 "Dilemma" (Fernito)
Frenzy 16 "Sharing a Climber" (Crane)
Frenzy 17 "A Cut To The Quick" (Twig)
Frenzy 25 "Lemming Sold Seperately" (grentiie20)
Frenzy 29 "The Daedalus" (Ellischant)
Pain 1 "Hello, Goodbye" (Clam)
Pain 2 "A Giant Leap For Lemmingkind" (Martin Zurlinden)
Pain 10 "Balancing Act" (Gronkling)
Pain 11 "Leave No Lemming Behind" (Ben Bryant)
Pain 15 "Clockwork Pink" (Ellischant)
Pain 29 "Utopia" (pieuw)
Carnage 2 "Lemming Recycling Plant" (Clam)
Carnage 4 "Wish you had them?" (Gronkling)
Carnage 6 "Behind Bars" (Proxima)
Carnage 9 "Training Zone Omega" (Clam)
Carnage 11 "A Sea of Purest Green" (pooty)
Carnage 14 "Fall and DIE" (Clam)
Carnage 26 "This is a Gate Level" (Insane Steve)
Carnage 27 "Finding a place to stay" (geoo)
Carnage 28 "Vegetation Reign" (dodochacalo)
EDIT: In regards to Armageddon 1, I feel there's very little setting this level apart from its earlier version, despite the earlier version being in the first rank. The only changes are the time limit is halved (and it's still plenty, the time isn't tight at all), and the save requirement increased (which does make it harder, but not nearly enough to justify putting them at opposite ends of the pack). In both cases, both variants feel like they should be closer to the middle of the pack.
EDIT: In regards to Armageddon 1, I feel there's very little setting this level apart from its earlier version, despite the earlier version being in the first rank. The only changes are the time limit is halved (and it's still plenty, the time isn't tight at all), and the save requirement increased (which does make it harder, but not nearly enough to justify putting them at opposite ends of the pack). In both cases, both variants feel like they should be closer to the middle of the pack.
This is because the easy version in the first rating has a MUCH simpler solution that the one you found.
If you'd look over the whole level you'll find a second exit on the right. This was intended to be like "No Problemming!"
It's actually on the far left - on the Armageddon version, it's replaced with a trap.
You actually backrouted Prize Catch - you're not supposed to use the Miner like that, but I'll give you that victory, since you used all the tools! Well done!
The left exit is a troll exit - there is a solution that uses it, but you run out of time!
The Lemmings on the left don't go to their deaths - that wall next to the shredder is too high. What you're meant to do is Climb and Dig to get rid of that thin wall (where you used the Miner), and then "catch" the Climber with another Lemming, using a Builder akin to "Sharing a Climber?", when he tries to climb that tall column below the left trapdoor.
After watching your solution of "Spiralling Snowstorm", I'm starting to think that I backrouted that one. Here's my replay, which results in a Basher and most of the Climbers left over.
Confirmed solvable in NeoLemmix/RotL.
Note about the time limit:
Solution leaves about 15 seconds on the clock.
This level is quite unique and difficult. It requires a good understanding of the game, but nothing glitchy.
HINTS:
All blockers are used, two will be killed but two must be freed
Do not make any of the blockers bombers. The bombers are used elsewhere
All skills are used AND 'something' else is needed. Something you probably don't use too often, at least to solve a level.
-If you figure out what this thing is; study how it works carefully beforee proceeding with this level.
The order of tasks assigned is very important here. Specifically; which lemmings you choose to do which jobs.
You'll use a technique you used in another secret level in the fifth rank
big spoilers:
You need to use the NUKE to solve this level.
It's important to understand how the nuke works, that's the key to this level:
-When nuke is initiated; not all Lemming's countdown are set and they don't all explode at the same time.
-The first Lemming to enter the level starts its timer first; the last lem to enter starts last. You can observe this if you've ever nuked when lemgs came out of the hatch walking in a straight line; the nuke ripples along in the line like a wave.
SOLUTION:
-make first lem out of each hatch climber.
-left one block in the middle of the screen in between fire areas. Let the right one alone for now.
-Wait for all lems to enter the level. Once they do, bomb the left side to let them free.
-At the same time, make a lem from the right climb, this will by default be the last lemming to enter; this is how the game works, "newer lemmings" are always selected over "old" ones.
-on the right, the newest lemming [the last one you just made climber], make him bash left out of the start area and block him directly over the first blocker. Once they are sufficiantly ahead (just enough do they won't get tangled up with the group; bomb the right group free.
-On the left, once the left group is head right into the little pit area where they get trapped; make a climber. Once again, by default the last lemming entered will be the climber. Make him blocker directly below the ones above. You can bash the rest of the left group free; they'll walk to the exit.
-On the right, the lemming walking in front should be the very first lemming you made climber on the right [the first out of the right entrance hatch], make him block directly beneath the rest of the blockers.
-Once all the remaining lemmings are getting close to the exit; press the nuke button.
-If you did everything correctly; you should notice something unusual about the blockers; the lower ones should receive their countdown immediatly; while the ones on top are delayed by several seconds. This will allow the bottom to explode before the top; the top are freed and fall into the exit before their countdown actually ends; thus saving enough.
Let me know if this is not sufficient, if you don't understand anything. When I made this pack this was before I started making replays of everything [and keeping them organized].