Cosmic
I'll be truthful here, and that is I wasn't too much of a fan of this rank due to the no gravity gimmick. It was just way too confusing, and I especially think of lemmings going under the stacker was quite surprising and unexpected. Here, I expected lemmings to simply turn around when the stack is done, but nope, they will always slip under a stack in midair and continue walking in the same direction before encountering the stack. Now that I think about it, though, in the same way that lemmings cannot ascend 7 pixels or more, so is the case with the no gravity gimmick, where instead of ascending 6 or less pixels, they instead "descend 6 or less pixels." Even then, I found this more annoying than anything when I expected the lemmings to simply turn around on a stack.
Another unexpected thing that turned out to be very annoying: climbers encountering a miner tunnel when descending from the top of it. If lemmings aren't climbers, they will descend the top of the miner tunnel just fine. However, if a lemming is a climber, instead of descending, the lemming will climb for a single pixel and turn around when hitting the ceiling. This was especially annoying in Cosmic 8 NASA training lab, which is by far the most difficult level of the rank. Saving the non-climbers is easy, but saving the lone climber proved to be a challenge. Near the end with the mining, the climber will go up the miner tunnel as expected, but once up he cannot come back down the miner tunnel he himself made. Granted, I ended up using all skills and so maybe it's supposed to be a hard level.
Even with the confusing gimmick, I still think the levels in this rank were great puzzles. Perhaps this rank is the most difficult to come up with really good puzzles, but you pulled it off just fine. In particular, I had several favorites in this rank, which were Cosmic 5 Buried in rubble, Cosmic 6 Wurmhole required, and Cosmic 10 Back to Earth. The rank finisher just looked really awesome seeing the lemmings "coming back down to earth" descending the builder wall from the other side.
Finally, I have a lot of skills leftover in Cosmic 7 Teaching Ikarus a lesson, so maybe this is a backroute?
Suicidal
Just to let you know, this was a great rank, although I'm not much of a fan of killing lemmings. I rather save them.
1 - Kill Lem all Great level to start off the rank
5 - Killing competition This was a great level that featured all the different types of lemmings: zombies, ghosts, and regular. This was also a decent challenge. I was stuck for a time, especially when the ghost would always leave a tiny hole in the platform when mining. To get around that, I stacked with the ghost before mining but then that didn't solve the level since some of the lemmings will still get zombified. Finally, I realized I could stop the zombies from ever encountering the ghost pit by stacking in a way that leaves an overhang so that they cannot climb the wall. Also, I find it amusing that in the ghost pit zombies don't repeatedly turn around due to the "scare" gimmick of ghosts.
6 - Lemocicde Pretty easy. Trap the lemmings with two stacks to the right of the radiation and then simply make the lemmings climb to the left at your own leisure. As a result, I had some skills leftover.
7 - Make Lem Suffer Way too easy especially with the walkers provided. I had some lemmings build due to being too close to the lemming in front so that they wouldn't get past the trap.
8 - To each his own By far my favorite level of the rank, even if we're supposed to kill them all which I prefer not to. Nevertheless, this was pretty easy.
10 - Lem to the slaughter Easy any way you want rank finisher. I liked the idea of leading the two groups to their own deaths, the left entrance can only die by drowning, and the right entrance can only die by traps. Thus, you must make sure there is at least one trap that hasn't been disarmed. Of course, there's also bombing, but you're limited to only 5.
Bedlam
As I said before, the real puzzles were all here in this rank. Many challenging, difficult levels here which as I mentioned in another post that I would definitely place at ONML difficulty, some even being worthy of the Havoc difficulty! Well done! :thumbsup: A lot of these levels I really liked. I definitely feel a lot of these levels were well-done and well thought out. This rank must had taken you a long time to make levels, especially since this rank has twice as many Basic levels and 4 times more levels than the ranks that have a gimmick enabled.
1 - Eternal endless infinity Great level to start off the rank!
2 - We Don't Fall Down This was an easy level. I'm still not sure how lemmings can still mine and dig even with no terrain if both the eternal and no gravity gimmicks are active, though. I think it's because lemmings can already bash even with no terrain in front when hardworking gimmick is active, and when no gravity is also active, the no gravity extends it to no terrain needed for miners and diggers, because they will stop otherwise if only hardworkers was active.
3 - Lem Jong Un Whoa, that huge explosion is really cool. Too bad I severely backrouted the level by simply digging so that the zombies fall into the water and didn't even need to resort to the nuclear option. Those zombies got spared from the nuclear radiation. Actually, my several initial attempts had me using the radiation, but I couldn't get it to work since the other lemmings that teleport in wouldn't be able to land on anything. As a result, I struggled and was stuck on this level until I backrouted the level in the way I described above.
5 - For the greater good Did I backroute this level too? I'm guessing the intention was to dig down the OWW, which I didn't have to do at all.
6 - Temple Run Nice level! I do have a builder left over, though.
7 - Concordant crossroads Another excellent level!
8 - Aliens playing Stoertebeker Yet another great level. It's probably just me, but I feel like the space to contain the lemmings to get them down with the builder wall is too small. Then again, I think I could had made it a little easier for myself if I had dug away all of the wall instead of left a bit of it in the air. If you don't mind me asking, what's Stoertebeker? I'm guessing it's German for something?
9 - They might need a job... This one was pretty easy.
10 - Anti World Ok, this one was just really bizzare and took me by surprise at first. In particular, not being able to use skills when the number displayed was 99 really threw me off. At the same time, I guess it could be looked at this way: 99 is essentially the same thing as 0 for a skill when the reverse skill count gimmick is enabled, and the number of each skill you have left is simply 99 minus the current number displayed. This was also the hardest level up to this point, when the previous levels of the rank have been quite easy until this level. In particular, I struggled with releasing the crowd in the digger pit and was quite annoyed at the lemmings not being able to survive drops by falling more than 3 (I think it's 3, I'm not sure) frames from their ground level. In any case, I do have a platformer leftover, so I'm not sure if this is a backroute.
11 - ADHD I already said this was an easy level despite the frenzy and superlemming gimmicks, along with the lazy lemming gimmick.
12 - Minus times minus Equals a positive. I couldn't resist saying this, especially since I was a math major for both my undergrad and grad school. Anyway, this was an excellent 1 of everything level! I did struggle with this level, but only because the platformer wouldn't build when I expected him to when at the extreme edge. I guess it just doesn't work on even ground when turn on assign is active, even though that's what you would expect because of how lemmings are able to platform just fine when facing forward.
14 - Have your cake and eat it Excellent and great looking level! The unalterable terrain gimmick did take me by surprise, especially with how builders don't leave any of the bricks behind.
15 - Mirror, mirror Another excellent level that I struggled with for a time.
16 - Vengeful rebirth I'm guessing the intention was to lead the lemmings to the vine swamp. If so, this is a backroute!
18 - Hive mind Wow, I really like this level! It's a really good puzzle with a really good solution. I did struggle with getting around the assign all gimmick, especially with being able to get the lemmings up at the beginning, but once I saw how to do it it was an easy level.
19 - Lem Norris I have killed the lemming god. I liked this puzzle too! I do have some bombers leftover, though.
21 - Thousand shadows Yet another great 1 of everything puzzle! :thumbsup:
22 - Split Seconds Ok, I admit that initially I raged at this level and thought it was unfair. I did try platforming and stacking across the lava several times, but due to the lazy lemmings and superlemming gimmicks, along with frenzy, it made it impossible to tell if I had stretched the platformers as far as possible. Not to mention I had to keep on rewinding due to missing on clicking the lemming. Even then, I should had been able to tell that it won't work no matter how hard you try. I even played the level by having the frenzy and superlemming gimmicks disabled, where it was much easier to stretch out the platformers, and sure enough it is indeed impossible. After confirming that and still haven't yet solved the level, I then played with the gimmicks that are active for this level again. After a few more minutes of thinking and looking at the lemmings from each entrance, I happened to mouse over some of the lemmings from the left entrance by chance and noticed that right above the skill panel it said swimmer. Once I realized the entire left entrance were swimmers to begin with, the solution came to me very easily. So, even with the frenzy and superlemming gimmicks, nothing unfair about this level at all and is a very easy level once it hits you that all the lemmings from the left hatch are pre-assigned swimmers, which is very easy to miss here since I thought it was simply a pickup that gets collected almost right away at the start.
See, I had a similar thing happen on a level in one of Giga's packs, where there is a huge water gap and with the amount of builders/platformers given that it's impossible to save the left entrance with a lemming from the right entrance. I then realized that it must be the case that all the lemmings on the left entrance must be a pre-assigned swimmer entrance. Indeed, I tested it by having a lemming from that entrance drop into the water, and sure enough they were indeed all pre-assigned swimmers. I think the entrance was also labeled with a swimmer pick-up.
Here, you're absolutely correct in the post-level text that it's crucial to label the hatches carefully, as otherwise you would think the level is impossible. I'm certain this level will definitely throw many people off like it did with me here for a good 20 or so minutes.
24 - Changing Tides Great puzzle that I had to think for a time. In the first few tries where I finally got the solution, I time skipped when I bashed the castle, only to find to my surprise that I didn't pass. Indeed, they unfortunately failed due to the rising water gimmick where it drowned two of my lemmings just as they were so close to exiting. I think all I needed to do was to adjust the positioning of the stack. Here, there was no reason for me to assign a disarmer because I didn't even disarm the trap. So, I do have a disarmer leftover, and even if you intended for it to be used, I think the level will be failed no matter what due to the rising water. I'm not sure, though.
26 - Claustrophobia Yet another easy and great level! I even killed one more than the kill requirement.
27 - Immortal Valor Yet another great and easy level!
28 - Prison break I have a feeling this is not intended. I have a miner and stacker leftover.
29 - The dead shall serve Ah yes, I take you must be a Warcraft 3 fan? Anyway, I think this might be a backroute as well. Nice puzzle, though!
30 - We all fall down as one 3rd unintended backroute in a row? I have so many skills leftover. However, great puzzle as well!
31 - Lem of Steel Hmm, first level to have 5 gimmicks active at once I believe: frenzy, superlemming, invincibility, hardworker, and instant pick-up, although like you said the fact that the lemmings are immortal is useless, so I guess technically 4 gimmicks active at once.
33 - Do I have to tell you twice? Great introduction level to the disobedience gimmick with an excellent puzzle. Solution came to me after a few minutes. Now that I came back to this level, I just realized the hint is in the title itself.
34 - These stairs of mine I already gave you feedback on this level, so I'll just repeat what I said here. I like the concept used in the level. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to set up correctly. Out of all the levels in the pack, this level had me rage the most. It's a great level, as the solution is easy. The execution, though :evil: The builder and miner both need to be assigned at a position so that they meet at exactly the right time. A few seconds too early or too late and either the miner will fall into the water or the builder might stop due to hitting his head. I had to rewind so much to get the timing right. There were a few times I did succeed, but the builder would stop because I started the miner inside the tiny hole and so the builder would run into the terrain. Another time, I got the trick to work, but the miner wasn't able to get the crowd to ascend the wall, even with a stacker next to the wall. That right there made me rage at how very precise the miner and builder assignments have to be to get both the miner and builder to continue, as well as successfully mine the crowd out.
35 - So much to do, so little time Same as Bedlam 34, I'll just repeat the feedback I already gave for this level. This was actually really easy! Just like ADHD, it only took me 1-2 minutes to see the solution. However, I do have a lot of skills leftover, so it might be a backroute.
36 - Break a leg I have so many skills leftover, so I probably backrouted this level badly.
37 - Extreme circumstances This was an excellent puzzle! Another favorite of mine.
38 - Ultimate incompatibility I also liked this level! Thank goodness the fall heights weren't inverted either. I do have plenty of skills leftover, though, but the bashers for the most part are useless anyway. I'm not sure if the worker lemming is supposed to climb over the stack after building it. Then again, I don't think stacker lemmings are right up against the stack. I think they actually have to walk up to it in a frame. I might be wrong, though.
39 - Descent into insanity Wow, this was actually a difficult level. Definitely the analogue to Mayhem 29 Save Me where it's the second to last level of the main pack (not counting the Nostalgic rank here) in terms of difficulty. You have 20 of every skill, but it's not really a true X of everything level since all skill counts decrease by 1 except for the one just assigned. I kept struggling due to thinking I had to platform from the other side for the bottom hatch. However, this created all sorts of problems as I would keep running out of destructive skills to get the lemmings out later. I later realized that I could simply mine the bottom hatch uot and then build up to the top entrance. Same with the entrance above and to the right of the bottom one. All in all, this was still a great level. Oh, and thank you for not enabling frenzy here! The level's already hard and chaotic enough with all that's going on in the level with all the other gimmicks active and all.
40 - Cerebral Hemorrhage The ultimate level that puts together everything you learned in the previous ranks for one final test of your skills. Even with all the previous introduced gimmicks active, I didn't find this level hard. As a matter of fact, I thought this was a great puzzle and level for the rank finisher. I didn't have to collect the bomber pick-up, though. I think it's a red herring?
Nostalgic
1 - Culling frenzy I didn't use any floaters or gliders in my solution, but I'm guessing this is ok. It does look weird with a still half covered exit, but at least the lemmings can still exit from either side.
3 - Nuclear waste disposal This was a great level. However, the stacker assignment is very precise. I guess the bombers to prevent the lemmings from exiting is kind of precise too.
4 - Reach for the Stars This was a really good slowfreeze puzzle! Not too difficult.
6 - elbisreverrI At first, I thought the title was a foreign language word, but nope, it's just "irreversible" spelled backwards. By far the hardest level of the rank, especially since upon letting the level play out for a few seconds it's not at all clear where you'll supposed to lead the lemmings to since it's already confusing seeing lemmings come out of the exit. Bizarre level where lemmings come out of the exit and need to reach the entrance hatch. This used to be such a thing in Neolemmix? The trickiest part is building from the bottom of the level to the platform above and to the right below the other two platforms where the hatch is. It's not clear how many builders it's supposed to take while ensuring you'll still have enough to reach the hatch.
7 - Stop steeling my features! I'm not sure what the pre-text means here. Also, I don't think I ever figured out if there's any indication to tell where the hidden steel areas are, and so this was a complete trial-and-error level for me. Granted, it's not a difficult level, it's just made so due to not knowing where the steel areas are. There were times that I thought I had the level solved, only to be taken by surprised that what I was bashing or mining through got stopped due to terrain that actually has steel that you can't see.
8 - Don't feed the Lem Nothing too hard about this level. Why was this graphic set unconverted?
9 - Give up the ghost Nice ghost puzzle!
10 - That's all you're left with An easy 10 of everything level to finish up the level pack where it's just akin to a Basic level with no gimmicks active.