Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - WillLem

Pages 1 ... 233 234 235 236 237 ... 278

#3511

Lemmini / Re: [BUGS] Several bugs in Lemmings behaviour within SuperLemmini

April 21, 2020, 03:12:22 PM

Thanks for reporting these Ron_Stard. My best guesses for each:

Quote from: Ron_Stard on April 21, 2020, 02:19:06 PM
Lemming trapped in "Scaling the heights" (Oh No! More Lemmings!)

This one's quite a common glitch that happens in a lot of early versions of Lemmings. Assigning a Climber to a stuck lemming can free them, as can using a destructive skill, of course.

I'm not sure this one's a bug - I'm guessing Tsyu has purposely left this in as a glitch as it's part of Amiga physics, and I'm fairly sure that SuperLemmini models Amiga physics quite closely. I could be wrong about this, though.

Quote from: Ron_Stard on April 21, 2020, 02:19:06 PM
Climber that crosses through bridge in "Have a nice day"

If the builder bridge is started on the very edge such that the pixels only just overlap, Climbers are able to climb through it. Again, this is something that happens in Amiga Lemmings as well. See this video of my playthrough of Postcard From Lemmingland - I cancelled the attempt due to this happening (link is at the correct point in the video).

Again, this is possibly something that has been left in purposefully (but maybe not).

Quote from: Ron_Stard on April 21, 2020, 02:19:06 PM
Blocker that doesn't block on (descending to the left) steep path in "Valley Of Fire"

This one's definitely not a bug. Blockers have two trigger areas (one for each hand), with a gap in between where the Blocker's body is:

The example you've given is quite normal, and happens particularly on steep slopes when one of the Blocker's trigger areas is past the edge of the sloping terrain: the lemmings can walk over and through the Blocker the same as when they fall through a Blocker from directly above:

Note that the Blocker's right-side trigger is past the edge of the terrain, and so will have no effect on the lemming walking down the slops. The left trigger, however, connects with the slope and so will stop lemmings walking up the slope.

Quote from: Ron_Stard on April 21, 2020, 02:19:06 PM
Builder that doesn't build at the very (left) edge on "Up, Down or Round and Round" (it's possible to build a bridge one step beyond when facing right, as seen on the replay)

After testing, I can confirm that this happens on the Amiga as well, and also in WinLemm: left-facing builders overlap an edge by at least 2px, whereas right-facing builders can overlap by just 1px.

It'll depend on whether or not Tsyu has purposefully left the first two in as faithful recreations of Amiga physics as to whether or not these things get fixed, and the third is, in fact, standard Lemmings physics.

Hope this helps.

#3512

NeoLemmix Tutorials / [NeoLemmix] Custom Low and Hi-Resolution Graphics: Lemmings

April 21, 2020, 03:37:11 AM

Lemmings

Creating your own Lemmings sprites can be a lot of fun.

However, it also involves a lot of painstaking work and fine pixel editing. Consider that, if you wish to create your own look for the lemmings, unlike terrain pieces and objects which can be single files, you must produce a full sprite animation for each skill/state. Furthermore, each frame of each sprite contains both a left and right-facing lemming which must be edited independently of each other for correct shading, etc.

For example, the Basher sprite contains a whopping 32 frames:

Because of this, it is only worth creating/editing your own lemmings sprites if you want them to be a different shape, or have patterned colourings.

If you simply wish to have the lemmings skin, clothes and/or hair be a different colour, there is a much quicker, easier way to do this:

Instructions for recolouring existing lemming sprites.

Create a new style folder called yourname_examplelems. (Obviously subsitute yourname for your Lemmings Forum name and examplelems for whatever you wish to call your lemmings recolourings.
Within your newly created style folder, create a .nxtm file titled "theme" (you can achieve this by simply copying and pasting an existing theme.nxtm file from an existing style)
Open the theme.nxtm file in a text editor and copy & paste the following into it:

LEMMINGS default

$COLORS
MASK xF0F060
MINIMAP xF0F060
BACKGROUND x000000
ONE_WAYS x4040E0
PICKUP_BORDER x4040E0
PICKUP_INSIDE xF0F060

LEMMING_SKIN xFFFFFF
LEMMING_HAIR xFFFFFF
LEMMING_CLOTHES xFFFFFF
LEMMING_BUILDER_SACK xFFFFFF
LEMMING_UMBRELLA xFFFFFF
LEMMING_ZOMBIE_SKIN xFFFFFF
LEMMING_ZOMBIE_HAIR xFFFFFF
LEMMING_ZOMBIE_CLOTHES xFFFFFF
LEMMING_ATHLETE_SKIN xFFFFFF
LEMMING_ATHLETE_HAIR xFFFFFF
LEMMING_ATHLETE_CLOTHES xFFFFFF
LEMMING_SELECTED_CLOTHES xFFFFFF
$END

Note that the above values for MASK ---> PICKUP_INSIDE are set to the default values in the orig_pillar set. These can be changed to whatever you like, but if you're only concerned about the lemming colours, then LEMMING_SKIN ---> LEMMING_SELECTED_CLOTHES are the values that you need to change. In the above example, they're all set to xFFFFFF, which is white.

You can change each value to whichever colour you choose - just be sure to obtain the correct hex value for the corresponding colour (I recommend this website as a good way to find hex values for colours, but most decent PNG editors can also provide hex values for a chosen colour as well).

You can then apply this style as the "theme" to any level you choose using the NeoLemmix Editor, and you will see that the lemmings will take on your chosen colours when that level is played.

You may wish to be a bit more adventurous and change the shape of the lemmings, maybe give them different hairstyles or accessories, or patterned clothing. If this is what you're interested in, read on!

Lemming sprites can be any shape as long as empty space within the PNG file is set to Alpha 0 (transparent). The NeoLemmix player will interpret any non-transparent pixels within the file as being part of the lemming sprite for any given skill or state, e.g. Basher / Exiter.

Lemmings sprites are part of a style, along with objects, terrain, and backgrounds. They can be found by navigating to:

NeoLemmix/styles/(name_of_style)/lemmings (contains the low-res lemmings sprites)
NeoLemmix/styles/(name of style)/lemmings-hr (contains the hi-res lemmings sprites)

The default sprites are in styles/default. It is not recommended that you modify these without first backing up the styles/default folder in its entirety.

Instructions for creating your own lemmings sprite set.

Just to re-iterate: if you wish to simply re-colour the default sprites, it is recommended that you follow the instructions given above.

It is also recommended that, whatever the desired result, you use the default sprite sets as a template for your work. If nothing else, these will show you where each frame of the animation needs to be placed.

You may wish to apply your chosen colours manually, or create patterned lemmings, or even customise the shape of the lemmings to include hats, different hair styles, accessories, or maybe even create a totally new shape altogether. If this is the case, be prepared to draw these things again and again and again and again and again and again. And again!

Be prepared for it to take several days or even weeks to complete this work, depending on the complexity of your re-shaping.

I recommend that you start with the Ascender sprite, as it only contains a single left & right-facing frame:

Use this to experiment with the new shape/colour of your lemmings to get the desired result.

Once you're happy, I then recommend moving on to the Walker sprite, which is only 8 frames. That way, you can get a feel for animating your Walking lemming and you can then test it in-game to see what it looks like:

From here, it really is just a case of carrying on until all of the sprites are done! Put your favourite music on, remember to take regular breaks and enjoy the process as much as you can!

Note that a set of custom Lemmings sprites must include a scheme.nxmi file detailing recolouring for athletes, selected lemmings and zombies, plus details of the animation for each sprite. This should ONLY be placed in (name_of_style)/lemmings - i.e. it does not need to be also placed in the hi-res folder. You can use the scheme.nxmi from styles/default/lemmings as a template and work from there; I would recommend taking the time to read the recolourings section through and gain an understanding of how it works, because this is crucial to managing your spriteset:

The $SPRITESET_RECOLORING section is essentially a reference list of the various colours used in your style: this can be as long as necessary depending on how many colours you've used (you can add as many values as you like and name them as you wish). The $STATE_RECOLORING section is where the recoloring actually takes place. My advice is to have a look closely at the default scheme.nxmi and figure out for yourself what's going on - this really is the best way to get to grips with this file! Ask for help if you need to, of course.

Note that NeoLemmix requires that the althlete, selected and zombie states contain at least one significant recoloring each from the "normal" state. If you're unsure of what to do here, try just picking one value from the normal state (for example, the colour of the lemmings' hair) and recoloring only that. Then test it out to make sure it has worked, and go ahead and make any further recolorings as you wish.

To include your customised lemmings sprites as part of your level pack, you need to include the style folder alongside the pack. This can be done by sending the style to namida and/or Nessy for inclusion in the style downloads manager, or by including it as a download alongside your level pack.

NOTE: low-res images are upscaled by default in NeoLemmix's hi-res mode, so although it is not always necessary to include a hi-res version of your graphic, it is always necessary to include a low-res version.

#3513

NeoLemmix Tutorials / [NeoLemmix] Custom Low and Hi-Resolution Graphics: Terrain

April 21, 2020, 03:36:40 AM

Terrain

Terrain pieces are elements of a style which lemmings can modify. They include anything solid that the lemming is able to walk upon, dig into, or bump into. Terrain also includes steel.

(Left to right): Bricks from the ohno_brick style set, steps from the orig_marble style set, spike from the orig_fire style set, steel block from the ohno_rock style set.

Terrain pieces are single image files, and can be any shape as long as empty space within the file is set to Alpha 0 (transparent). Lemmings will interact with any part of the terrain that is not transparent.

For steel, you must include an .nxmt file alongside the low-res version of the graphic, with the same name as the steel piece. Open the .nxmt file in a text editor and simply type the word STEEL, and the terrain piece will be recognised by NeoLemmix as steel.

N.B. .nxmt files do not need to be included with other regular terrain pieces.

N.B. Be sure to place the .nxmt files in the low-res terrain folder - there is no need to also include it in the hi-res folder as NeoLemmix will only look for these files in the low-res folder.

Terrain pieces are part of a style, along with objects, lemming sprites (if applicable), and backgrounds. They can be found by navigating to:

NeoLemmix/styles/(name_of_style)/terrain (contains the low-res terrain graphics)
NeoLemmix/styles/(name_of_style)/terrain-hr (contains the hi-res terrain graphics)

Most existing styles are in low-res only. The following instructions apply if you wish to create a hi-res version of an existing terrain piece:

Instructions for creating a hi-res version of an existing low-res terrain piece.

Firstly, create a terrain-hr folder within NeoLemmix>styles/(name_of_style).
Once you've done this, you're ready to create your hi-res terrain graphic(s) using one of the methods below.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to place the hi-res version of your terrain piece in (name_of_style)/terrain-hr and the low res version in (name_of_style)/terrain. Also, ensure that both files have exactly the same name.

Method 1: Enlarge the Low-res version.

It's possible to create a hi-res version of a low-res graphic by manually resizing it by 200%. You can then edit the resulting graphic as you wish to enhance the details.

Method 2: Create the hi-res graphic from scratch.

Maybe you want to the hi-res version to look different from the low-res one, in which case you may wish to create something from scratch.

For terrain, it is necessary to ensure that your hi-res version is exactly double the dimensions of the low-res counterpart. So, if the low-res version is 10 x 8, the hi-res version should be 20 x 16.

Alternatively, you may wish to create an entirely new terrain piece that doesn't exist yet, or maybe you're creating your own style pack.

Instructions for creating a completely new terrain piece.

You have a choice of four options. Whichever option you choose, be sure to place the hi-res version of your terrain piece in (name_of_style)/terrain-hr and the low res version in (name_of_style)/terrain. Also, ensure that both files have exactly the same name.

Option 1: Create only a low-res version, and let NeoLemmix's upscaler create the hi-res version for you.

This is recommended if you're happy to create a terrain graphic which looks good enough in low res, and you're happy to allow NeoLemmix to upscale the graphic if someone plays using your style in hi-res mode. This is a perfectly viable option, and can save you a lot of time.

However, you may not be entirely happy with the results of the upscaler, in which case one of the following options may be best for you.

Option 2: Create the hi-res version first, then resize it by 50% to get the low-res version.

This is recommended as the best option if your graphic is intended to be used in hi-resolution.

Create your terrain piece in hi-resolution, make it as detailed as you like, and once it's finished, simply use your graphics editor to resize it by 50% - be sure to save it as a different file with exactly the same name. You may wish to make further edits to the low-res version to tidy it up depending on which scaling algorithm you used (Nearest Neighbour is generally recommended for this purpose).

Option 3: Create the low-res version first, then resize it by 200% to get the hi-res version.

There are a number of reasons you may wish to choose this option.

Firstly, it can be a good way to get the terrain piece designed quickly, then allowing you to add further detail to its hi-res counterpart after you've resized it.

Also, you may want the hi-res version to look identical to the low-res version, without any upscaling or additional detail. If this is the case, simply scale the object 200% using the Nearest Neighbour algorithm and then leave it unedited. It will look identical, but be the correct size for hi-res mode.

Either way, be sure to save both versions of the graphic with exactly the same name.

Option 4: Create the low-res and hi-res versions separately.

This option is best if you want the hi-res version of your terrain piece to look completely different from the low-res version.

Simply create the two as separate files, but ensure that they are the correct relative size (i.e. the hi-res version should be exactly double the size of the low-res version, and that they have the same name.

To include your customised terrain graphics as part of your level pack, you need to include the style folder alongside the pack. This can be done by sending the style to namida and/or Nessy for inclusion in the style downloads manager, or by including it as a download alongside your level pack.

If you have created hi-resolution versions of existing terrain graphics, you can either send these to the author of the style pack and they can choose whether or not they wish to include it in the official version (for orig/ohno styles, contact namida or Nessy), or you can include it in a new style titled yourname_special.

NOTE: low-res images are upscaled by default in NeoLemmix's hi-res mode, so although it is not always necessary to include a hi-res version of your graphic, it is always necessary to include a low-res version.

#3514

NeoLemmix Tutorials / [NeoLemmix] Custom Low and Hi-Resolution Graphics: Objects

April 21, 2020, 03:35:57 AM

Objects

Objects are elements of a style which affect a lemming's state. They include entrance and exit hatches, traps, water, firepits, flame-throwers, teleporters & receivers, buttons and pickup skills. They are usually animated (although not always), and so contain several frames, like this:

The water graphic from the ohno_bubble style set.

Each object has a corresponding .nxmo file which details what type of object it is, the size of its trigger area, its animation, etc.

N.B. .nxmo files must be included in the low-res graphics folder alongside their relevant graphics file. However, there is no need to also include them in the hi-res graphics folder as NeoLemmix will only look for these files in the low-res graphics folder.

Objects are part of a style, along with terrain, lemming sprites (if applicable), and backgrounds. They can be found by navigating to:

NeoLemmix/styles/(name_of_style)/objects (contains the low-res object graphics)
NeoLemmix/styles/(name_of_style)/objects-hr (contains the hi-res object graphics)

Most existing styles are in low-res only. The following instructions apply if you wish to create a hi-res version of an existing object:

Instructions for creating a hi-res version of an existing low-res object.

Firstly, create an object-hr folder within NeoLemmix>styles/(name_of_style).
Once you've done this, you're ready to create your hi-res object graphic(s) using one of the methods below.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to place the hi-res version of your object in (name_of_style)/objects-hr and the low res version in (name_of_style)/objects. Also, ensure that both files have exactly the same name.

Method 1: Enlarge the Low-res version.

It's possible to create a hi-res version of a low-res graphic by manually resizing it by 200%. You can then edit the resulting graphic as you wish to enhance the details.

Method 2: Create the hi-res graphic from scratch.

Maybe you want to the hi-res version to look different from the low-res one, in which case you may wish to create something from scratch.

It's a generally good idea to ensure that your hi-res version is exactly double the dimensions of the low-res counterpart. So, if the low-res version is 10 x 8, the hi-res version should be 20 x 16.

Alternatively, you may wish to create an entirely new object that doesn't exist yet, or maybe you're creating your own style pack.

Instructions for creating a completely new object.

You have a choice of four options. Whichever option you choose, be sure to place the hi-res version of your object in (name_of_style)/objects-hr and the low res version in (name_of_style)/objects. Also, ensure that both files have exactly the same name.

Option 1: Create only a low-res version, and let NeoLemmix's upscaler create the hi-res version for you.

This is recommended if you're happy to create a graphic which looks good enough in low res, and you're happy to allow NeoLemmix to upscale the graphic if someone plays using your style in hi-res mode. This is a perfectly viable option, and can save you a lot of time.

However, you may not be entirely happy with the results of the upscaler, in which case one of the following options may be best for you.

Option 2: Create the hi-res version first, then resize it by 50% to get the low-res version.

This is recommended as the best option if your graphic is intended to be used in hi-resolution.

Create your object in hi-resolution, make it as detailed as you like, and once it's finished, simply use your graphics editor to resize the object by 50% - be sure to save it as a different file with exactly the same name. You may wish to make further edits to the low-res version to tidy it up depending on which scaling algorithm you used (Nearest Neighbour is generally recommended for this purpose).

Option 3: Create the low-res version first, then resize it by 200% to get the hi-res version.

There are a number of reasons you may wish to choose this option.

Firstly, it can be a good way to get the object designed quickly, then allowing you to add further detail to its hi-res counterpart after you've resized it.

Also, you may want the hi-res version to look identical to the low-res version, without any upscaling or additional detail. If this is the case, simply scale the object 200% using the Nearest Neighbour algorithm and then leave it unedited. It will look identical, but be the correct size for hi-res mode.

Either way, be sure to save both versions of the graphic with exactly the same name.

Option 4: Create the low-res and hi-res versions separately.

This option is best if you want the hi-res version of your object to look completely different from the low-res version.

Simply create the two as separate files, but ensure that they are the correct relative size (i.e. the hi-res version should be exactly double the size of the low-res version, and that they have the same name.

To include your customised object graphics as part of your level pack, you need to include the style folder alongside the pack. This can be done by sending the style to namida and/or Nessy for inclusion in the style downloads manager, or by including it as a download alongside your level pack.

If you have created hi-resolution versions of existing objects, you can either send these to the author of the style pack and they can choose whether or not they wish to include it in the official version (for orig/ohno styles, contact namida or Nessy), or you can include it in a new style titled yourname_special.

NOTE: low-res images are upscaled by default in NeoLemmix's hi-res mode, so although it is not always necessary to include a hi-res version of your graphic, it is always necessary to include a low-res version.

#3515

NeoLemmix Tutorials / [NeoLemmix] Custom Low and Hi-Resolution Graphics: Panel

April 21, 2020, 03:35:27 AM

Panel

The panel graphics (including skill panels, buttons and icons) can be modified in both hi-res and low-res. Simply navigate to:

NeoLemmix/gfx/panel (contains the low-res panel graphics)
NeoLemmix/gfx/panel-hr (contains the hi-res panel graphics)

If you wish to change the colour or appearance of your panel graphics, simply open the file(s) in a PNG editor and customise them as you wish. Be sure to back up the originals just in case.

To include your customised panel graphics as part of your level pack:

Include at least the low-res and, if applicable, also the hi-res versions in the level pack's root folder as loose files (not in a sub-folder)
Ensure that the hi-resolution versions are renamed to (name_of_file)-hr - i.e. with a -hr suffix at the end of each filename.

NOTE: low-res images are upscaled by default in NeoLemmix's hi-res mode, so although it is not always necessary to include a hi-res version of your graphic, it is always necessary to include a low-res version.

#3516

NeoLemmix Tutorials / [NeoLemmix] Custom Low and Hi-Resolution Graphics: Helpers

April 21, 2020, 03:34:39 AM

Helpers

The helper graphics (including fall distance ruler, pre-assigned hatch icons, and indicator text for clear physics mode) can be modified in both hi-res and low-res. Simply navigate to:

NeoLemmix/gfx/helpers (contains the low-res helper graphics)
NeoLemmix/gfx/helpers-hr (contains the hi-res helper graphics)

If you wish to change the colour or appearance of your helper graphics, simply open the file(s) in a PNG editor and customise them as you wish. Be sure to back up the originals just in case.

It is not currently possible to include customised helper graphics in your level packs.

#3517

NeoLemmix Tutorials / [NeoLemmix] Custom Low and Hi-Resolution Graphics: Cursor

April 21, 2020, 03:33:56 AM

Cursor

The cursor can be modified in both hi-res and low-res. Simply navigate to:

NeoLemmix/gfx/cursor (contains the low-res cursor graphics)
NeoLemmix/gfx/cursor-hr (contains the hi-res cursor graphics)

If you wish to change the colour or appearance of your cursor, simply open the file(s) in a PNG editor and customise them as you wish. Be sure to back up the originals just in case.

It is not currently possible to include customised cursors in your level packs.

#3518

NeoLemmix Tutorials / [NeoLemmix] Creating Custom Low & Hi-Resolution Graphics

April 21, 2020, 03:33:17 AM

Working With Custom Low and Hi-resolution Graphics in NeoLemmix
A guide by WillLem

The current stable version of NeoLemmix allows you to incorporate custom hi-resolution graphics into your levels and, in fact, most of your experience of the NeoLemmix Player.

To all intents and purposes, "hi-resolution" in this context essentially means that the images are exactly twice the size. So, a low-resolution 48 x 16 block will have a 96 x 32 equivalent in hi-resolution:

Of course, these would both appear the same relative size in-game.

What this means is that higher resolution images allow a greater amount of detail and complexity within the image. For instance, here is a low-res and hi-res image of a walking lemming. Note that these have been resized for the purposes of comparison. As you can see, the hi-res image (on the right) has much greater depth and detail, allowing for different shades of colour as well as a more defined shape:

You may wish to explore the possibilities of NeoLemmix's hi-resolution mode, but be unsure of where to start. That's what this post is for!

Here is a list of the elements within NeoLemmix which support both resolutions. Each one links to the relevant post below which shows you how you can customise these elements, both within your copy of the NeoLemmix Player, and for inclusion in your level packs:

Cursor
Helpers
Panel
Objects
Terrain
Lemmings
Backgrounds

#3519

NeoLemmix Styles / Re: Ideas for new sprites / "tribes" (either just recoloured OR completely reshaped)

April 21, 2020, 02:58:25 AM

Quote from: Strato Incendus on April 20, 2020, 10:04:56 PM
Would still be good to know whether sprites can be recoloured using a scheme file without having to provide hand-recoloured .pngs for every single file. Or whether it is possible to recolour an athlete's skin using a theme file as well.

I've tested this is well: to recolour sprites from within .scheme, I'm pretty sure the source colours have to match the PNGs for any recolourings to work, which means manual recolouring if you want the lemmings' normal colourings to be different from the default.

The .theme, it seems, is able to recolour athlete's hair and clothes, but not skin. I'd agree that, if there were a way to make this possible, using .theme to create complex spriteset recolourings would certainly be easier and quicker than doing it manually.

However, there is something to be said for getting exactly the results you want by spending fifteen minutes with a decent PNG editor. For example, if I wanted Peter Parker lems with, say, brown hair, pink skin and blue clothes, I'd do this part manually (using a global flood-fill) and then use .scheme to recolour the athlete hair, skin and clothes to red, blue and red respectively for the Spider-Man costume. Since you can also specify shade recolourings from within .scheme, this is a much more versatile and targeted way to get the desired results.

#3520

Site Discussion / Re: Split the Challenges board?

April 21, 2020, 01:39:32 AM

Quote from: Proxima on April 20, 2020, 10:41:57 PM
Here's an example of a post listing (almost) all challenges for a single pack. It's unwieldy and awkward to look through

I agree. And, to be fair, this isn't how I've suggested records should be compiled for a pack. I've suggested an easy-to-look-at general results table, with links to specific topics for the other challenges for that pack. See this post for how I think it should be done.

Quote from: Proxima on April 20, 2020, 10:41:57 PM
Fastest times for the original levels has a topic, but it's only three pages long, which shows that these "potential" people haven't shown up, and they've had years to do so. Your Lemminas topic displays time records prominently, and it hasn't attracted any contributors besides you. (Admittedly, your topic is very recent, so maybe it's below the belt for me to cite that as evidence. Still, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for things to change.)

I see your point about people not showing up for the time-based challenges, although looking at it, it seems to be for Lemmix (the replays are .lrb) which is no longer as widely used.

Having said that, I can see that time-based challenges don't attract a lot of players generally. However, that's not a reason not to inlude them in a general table of results: the occasional player might see a time record they think they can improve, and add to it accordingly.

With regards to the Lemminas time records, the reason they're mostly me is because I've made a particular effort to go for fastest times. If anyone improves on my score, which has happened several times in the various replays I've reviewed, I'll go back and improve it again. You've managed at least a couple of time improvements that I can't beat or even match, so well done there!

Quote from: namida on April 20, 2020, 10:56:31 PM
I'm not saying that it shouldn't be done at all, just that it's probably not going to become a "core" challenge in the same way the various skills-based ones do.

Sure, I understand that. However, I wouldn't see the main table in a post as being the "core" challenge table, more of a general records table.

With that in mind, can we agree that Best Time is a fairly universal video game standard for records keeping, and perhaps for this reason ought to be included in such a table?

I'd say that, any challenges which attract more attention (SYCLW and Minimum skills/maximum saves, for instance) probably warrant their own topic anyway, so this is even more reason not to include them in a general table of records for a pack.

#3521

NeoLemmix Levels / Re: [NeoLemmix] MiniLems (64 Levels) [Difficulty: Very Easy - Medium]

April 21, 2020, 01:10:03 AM

New versions of Fun 13 - Let's Be Careful Out There and Taxing 11 - Walk The Web Rope following Proxima's review of the pack.

Here they are, plus a bunch of possible solutions!

#3522

Site Discussion / Re: Split the Challenges board?

April 20, 2020, 10:24:34 PM

Quote from: namida on April 20, 2020, 10:17:04 PM
Why does every challenge need to be packed into a single table?

It doesn't: I've updated my post with an example of what I mean.

Quote from: namida on April 20, 2020, 10:17:04 PM
Also, FWIW, I suspect there will be very limited focus on best-time challenges

I disagree: some players enjoy this, and it would attract more players to the challenge page if they could get a record displayed on the OP table.

If the table only focuses on skill-based challenges, it may end up excluding a potentially large number of people that enjoy (and are better at) time-based challenges. Besides, it seems to me that best time, number saved and total skills used is a good, simple framework for a table to begin with that's easy for new players to relate to, with other more complex/inter-related challenges being added as links either above or below the table.

#3523

Site Discussion / Re: Split the Challenges board?

April 20, 2020, 10:10:37 PM

One thing that's always confused me about the challenges board is that it's not always clear what the nature of the challenge is from its title, and it's also very easy to duplicate challenges or create ones that are very similar to something already in existence.

One topic per challenge per pack might get way too out of hand, so in that sense I agree with Proxima that one topic per challenge is better than this option.

However, I also agree with Simon that it would be slightly better to have one topic per pack, and post results for all types of challenge into the OP of that topic. Much like I'm doing with my Lemminas Records post: it contains all current records for time, % saved, and skills usage. However, this table can only be so wide before it doesn't fit on the page...

Which brings me neatly to my idea for solving this issue: have a main challenge topic for each pack with a table similar to the one found in my Lemminas Records post. Then, for anything beyond time records, % saved and total skills used, include links to the various separate challenge topic threads (things like SYCLW, which levels can be solved with only the NL skills, etc). There may even be few enough of these to warrant one topic for each pack.

So: players looking for challenges for a particular pack will then find everything they need in the pack's main challenge topic, which by extension could then be linked to from the pack's topic itself.

Along with Proxima's idea of compiling all replays into a zip in the OP and/or the second post, this would seem to solve all of the issues quite neatly.

To give an example of what I mean:

Example Pack Challenge Topic

Rank	#	Level	Fastest Time (Player)	Most Saved (Player)	Fewest Total Skills (Player)
Example	1	Example	1:00.00 (Player)	x/x (Player)	y/y (Player)

Additional Challenges for this pack:*

Skills You Can't Live Without
NeoLemmix-Skills-Only
Fewest Skills for Save Requirement
Levels Possible With Builders-Only
Pause-free
Etc...

*These could be done either as Spoilers or links to external topic pages, depending on the size/extent of the results data for each.

#3524

Archived Bugs & Suggestions / Re: [DISC][PLAYER] The final new skill

April 20, 2020, 09:44:59 PM

Quote from: Simon on April 20, 2020, 05:32:28 PM
By contrast, the poster of a fresh design must expect, at worst, complete rejection of an idea that they spent time on.
[/li][/list]

Yep: I experience this quite a lot!

It's the Continuing Conundrum of the Ideas Man: stay quiet, or risk rejection. It's always worth putting ideas forward if you have them though; just be sure to remember that other people will likely not see things the way you do, and also that the least popular types of idea are innovative ones, and silly ones.

Quote from: Simon on April 20, 2020, 05:32:28 PM
Only when a design, really the design alone, convinces the reader by its own strength, then one has an argument.

I agree with this. However, I'm not sure how this argument necessarily strengthens the case for terrain-mod skills alone and not movement skills; the Walker, Cloner and Shimmier are all examples of excellent design - simple, elegant, useful skills all, prone though they may be to unintended use.

Quote from: Simon on April 20, 2020, 08:31:58 PM
the jetboarder... it's at its heart the spear thrower with fixed angle, the simplemost angle really, and movement of the asignee along with the spear. Thus, the jetboarder's complexity is similar to most other recent inventions.

Agreed. It does seem to satisfy a lot of people's wishes for the new skill. It's between this and the Slider for me, unless an even better idea comes along in the meantime.

Quote from: Simon on April 20, 2020, 08:31:58 PM
If a skill is assignable to a lemming on even ground, and the resulting animation gives a good hint on what the skill might do, that's good... The least-discoverable skill in L1 is probably the basher, but even the basher is swinging at the air for a full stroke.

I'd have thought that the Climber and Floater would have been the least discoverable via their animations alone, since they do nothing at all upon assignment. NL recolours athletes, which gives some indication that their state has changed, but original versions of the game gave no indication at all that anything is different.

However, since it features the tutorial levels at the start of the game, this ensures discoverability of each skill in a safe, intuitive environment via experimentation: no instructions; just choose the skill, assign it to the lemming and see what happens. This is the best kind of discovery for a player.

That said, I agree that discoverability in the sense you describe is important: the more obvious a skill's function is, the more likely a player is to learn to use it and rely on it.

#3525

Challenges / Re: NeoLemmix: Maximum Saved Records

April 20, 2020, 09:02:37 PM

Quote from: Proxima on April 20, 2020, 07:27:41 PM
I've added MiniLems to the opening post. Only five non-100%able levels in the pack!

Thanks for doing that! Tailor Made For Blockers is 100%-able though:

Spoiler

It has 6 Walkers available to rescue the Blockers!

Pages 1 ... 233 234 235 236 237 ... 278