Was discussed on discord in November but after testing the EXP version and hearing those again I decided to make it a topic.

I suddenly noticed that the "lets go" and hatch opening sounded quite off as it were mono or low quality. Noticed there was a sound folder change in the last update - got an older version of the sound folder to go back and it was normal again.

V12.12.5 seems to have introduced a default style change that includes those sounds.

namida's answer was:

There was an update to them as part of the default style, as they had weird frequencies which may have been causing an issue someone reported. If the quality has taken a hit as a result I'll take a look at that at some point

4KB was the sound file size before now it's 33KB. So there were some changes.

I am using the 12.12.3 sounds now. Compared the new 12.12.5 sounds sound extremely off.

I am strongly suggesting reverting back to the older files! The new ones sound much worse in my ears!

Please see the main LOTY2022 topic for more details on LOTY2022. This topic is merely a list of nominations.

IchoTolot

- "Decent Default Design" (Contest #25 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "May The Guides Bless My Journey!" (Level Design Contest #WasteMyTime Winner, NeoLemmix)
- "Caught and Released" (NeoLemmix Introduction Pack - Advanced Training 16)
- "The Living Inifinite" (Contest #26 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "Overruled"  (NeoLemmix Introduction Pack - Basic Training 2 30, NeoLemmix)
- "Oil Processing Plant" (NL Introduction Pack - Basic Training 1 30)
- "Rescue Rally" (NL Introduction Pack - Basic Training 2 26)
- "Starlight Pinball Zone" (Contest #25 Entry, Neolemmix)

Armani

- "Insert Coin, Choose Lemming" (Contest #25 Winner, NeoLemmix)
- "There's a Sniper in the Forest" (Contest #26 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "Underwater Hijackers" (Contest #25 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "Faith is Common, Logic is Rare" (Single Level)
- "Yuna's Room" (Contest #26 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "Cloud Kingdom" (Random Level Sharing Topic - Single Level)

NieSch

- "Blocker from Hell" (Contest #26 Winner, NeoLemmix)
- "Wee Walk in Winter Wonderland" (Contest #26 Winner, NeoLemmix)

WillLem

- "Clickbait" (Level Design Contest #WasteMyTime Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "Too Good To Be True" (God Save The Queen 7)
- "Deja Lemminas" (Lemminas 2 - Classic Dimension 4)
- "God Save the Queen" (God Save the Queen - God Save the Queen 4)

mystify

- "Time Waster 500" (Level Design Contest #WasteMyTime Winner, NeoLemmix)

Apjjm

- "A Digital Switchover" (Contest #25 Entry, NeoLemmix)

kaywhyn

- "Steeling the Inevitable Victory" (Contest #26 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "Sports-tacular Athletic Rescue Mission" (Contest #25 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "The Lemming Calculator" (Contest #25 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "The 10 Piece Puzzle Rush" (Contest #25 Entry, NeoLemmix)
- "Don't Stop Shimmying Til You Get Enough" (Contest #26 Entry, Neolemmix)

92Dexter11

- "Cause and Infect" (Single Level)

Turrican

- "Underwater Caverns" (Single Level)

MASTER88

- "The Devil Is In The Details" (MASTER-88 NEW Custom V3 Pack - Millenium Mayhem 28)

Crane

- "Perilous Parkour" (Contest #26 Entry, NeoLemmix)

SQron188

- "I hate sand" (Contest #26 Entry, NeoLemmix)

Dire Krow

- "Ancient Lemmarine" (Contest #25 Entry, NeoLemmix)

The McPootisGal (Beck)

- "The Ice Castle in the Sky" (XMAS Lemmings Retribution Demo - XMAS 2022 3)

Welcome to another contest of the Lemmingsforums! This time the three rules have been picked by NieSch for winning contest #26.

A few words to new participants and forum members: If you haven't entered before, I strongly encourage you to try - even if you don't win, it's fun to participate; and we have had cases where first-time entrants have won before! There are three choices of rules given, you may enter one level for EACH one of the rules.
You may either use new format NeoLemmix, or Lix.
If you have more than one entry, they may (but do not have to) be for the same engine. Please make sure you tested your level for basic solvability before submitting and be sure to also submit any custom tileset you are using, so others have no problem playing your level.

Pre contest testing: You can choose 1-2 persons who do a bit of pre-testing for you, so that the biggest backroutes and screw-ups of your levels can be detected before the playing phase. I cannot control this so it's only a guideline, but still I would prefer not everyone knows every level before the playing phase starts.

Here are the rules on how the submission deadlines work:
- Initial submission phase deadline will extend such that it's 72 hours from the time of the last submission, up to the 5th submission (inclusive). After this it no longer changes no matter what.
- Update phase deadline will not extend over the initial dead line!
- Even if you missed the cutoff date for the initial submission phase, late entries are accepted until the update phase ends. There is no penalty for a late entry, beyond that people are less likely to spend as much time on the level before voting begins.


And here is the new ruleset:

Rule 1: Let's Build and Blow

- Use builders, stackers and/or platformers. (Choose at least 1 of these skills, 2 or all 3 is also fine). | For Lix: You can also use Cubers, as you have no stackers available there.
- Use bombers | For Lix: Use imploders
- Don't use any other skill

Rule 2: Only Swimmers/Runners Can Survive This

- Make every lemming a pre-assigned swimmer
- At least one lemming has to actually use the swimmer in a meaningful way. (So we don't have waterless levels with nonsensical swimmers )

For Lix:

- Lixes need to use the runner skill in a meaningful way.

Rule 3: Route 99

- Lock the spawn rate at 99 / Spawn interval 4 for Lix
- The number of lemmings must be a minimum of 10
- Use only 1 entrance hatch
- No pre-placed lemmings allowed

Submission phase ends January 31th 2023 at 00:00 UTC.

Ruleset in detail again: http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2246.0

Send me a personal message with your level/s and if needed tileset/s to participate. It would also be nice to also tell me the rule which each level satisfies.

Please use the following naming format:  User1_Levelname_R3V1.nxlv ---> Level "Levelname" by User1   for Rule 3   Version 1 of the level

Prize selection:
- US $5.00
- One month's advertising on the forums news ticker
- Pick next contest's rules

Entries so far: 21

- tan x dx (1)
- NieSch (3)
- Armani (3)
- IchoTolot (3)
- Crane (1)
- Simon (3)
- geoo (3)
- WillLem (1)
- The Tomato Watcher (3)

In each voting round, you're allowed to vote for up to a certain number of levels. Vote for the levels that you want to stay in the contest, not for levels you want eliminated. You may vote for fewer levels than the permitted maximum. You may vote for your own levels.

It's not allowed to discuss the levels publicly on the forums during the voting phase, even if the level is not in the current round, or even between rounds.

You may discuss any level in private messages. You may discuss publicly off-site, e.g., you may post Youtube videos of your playthroughs, or discuss in IRC chat. Eliminated levels may be discussed anywhere, even publicly on the forums.

There'll be voteoffs within each design rule, to get down to one/two/three remaining levels per design rule.

If after the rule voteoff the number of remaining levels is >9, I will create 2 mixed groups semi-randomly out of the remaining levels to bring down the number even further. For all of this no tiebreakers are planned. After this, all qualifying levels will go into a final mixed voteoff.

Generally, the number of levels that qualify for the next round will be the same as each user's permitted vote maximum. I've decided to keep the percentages of "surviving" levels of the rule-voteoffs somewhat similar to give every rule a fair chance. Example: A rule with a 66% survival-rate and one with a 33% survival-rate for the mixed rounds doesn't seem that fair to me.

There's only a prize for the 1st place winner - of course, getting close to that still means you made a great level.

So... let the voting begin! Each round will be open for voting for 3 days, except the final which will be 4 days.

All levels are still avialable in the discussion topic: https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=6058.0

I've decided to go through all previous level design contests and LOTY contests and list the winners and 2nd placements.

3rd placements were often not documented or if they were are often a result of ties between two winners. LOTY often did document those though.

In a few cases persons also occupied also multiple placements - like levels from person A took 2nd and 3rd place.

I plan to update the list after future contests. Enjoy!

Official level design contests

              1st                          2nd                                 3rd

#1         Crane                       IchoTolot (Lemmini)
#2         Nepster                    WaffLem
#3         WaffLem/IchoTolot   IchoTolot/Möbius
#4         IchoTolot                  Nepster (Lix)
#5         Crane                       IchoTolot      
#6         Geoffster                  Crane
#7         GigaLem                   IchoTolot
#8         DRAW/CANCELED (IchoTolot/Nepster) - As no one really voted!
#9         Flopsy                       Apjjm
#10       BulletRide                 Apjjm
#11       zanzindorf                Crane
#12       Colorful Arty             Namida
#13       Nessy                       IchoTolot
#14       Nessy                       Raymanni
#15       Colorful Arty             SQron188
#16       Nessy                       Crane
#17       Crane                       Nessy
#18       Namida                    Crane
#19       Flopsy+IchoTolot (Tie)  -                                   Armani
#20       DireKrow                 Armani
#21       IchoTolot                 Armani
#22       Armani                     Nessy
#23       Kingshadow3          Armani
#24       IchoTolot+tan x dx (Tie) -                                 Kingshadow3
#25       Armani                    IchoTolot
#26       NieSch                    Armani 
#27       Simon (Lix)              -                                        NieSch

Overall count of 1st placements: 

5: IchoTolot
3: Crane, Nessy
2: Armani, Colorful Arty, Flopsy
1: BulletRide, DireKrow, Geoffster, GigaLem, Kingshadow3, Namida, Nepster, NieSch,Simon, tan x dx, WaffLem, zanzindorf

Overall count of 2nd placements:

6: IchoTolot
4: Armani, Crane
2: Apjjm, Nessy
1: Namida, Nepster, Möbius, Raymanni, SQron188, WaffLem

Overall count of 3rd placements (in case of tied 1st place, or 2 levels of the same author reaching 1st and 2nd place):

1: Armani, Kingshadow3,NieSch

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Official level of the year contests

               1st                          2nd                                  3rd

2015       IchoTolot                GigaLem                           Geoffster
2016       Nepster                  Gronkling   
2017       Flopsy
2018       tan x dx                  Namida                            kieranmillar
2019       IchoTolot+Namida (Tie)  -                               Crane
2020       DireKrow                Armani                              IchoTolot
2021       Nessy                    IchoTolot
2022       Armani+IchoTolot (Tie)  -                                IchoTolot

Overall count of 1st placements: 

3: IchoTolot
1: Armani, DireKrow, Flopsy, Namida, Nepster, Nessy, tan x dx

Overall count of 2nd placements (if present):

1: Armani, GigaLem, Gronkling, IchoTolot, Namida

Overall count of 3rd placements (if present):

2: IchoTolot
1: Crane, Geoffster, kieranmillar

All zips only need to be unzipped inside the main folder of your NeoLemmix Player!

NeoLemmix Level Pack: https://www.dropbox.com/s/v7t83f71h34nfet/Contest_26.zip?dl=1

Music: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3zqfah0w1az117l/Contest_26_Music.zip?dl=1

Rule 1 Levels

Armani's "The Irony of Fate" (V1)
IchoTolot's "Empire Of Bones" (V2)
kaywhyn's "Steeling the Inevitable Victory" (V17)
NieSch's "Blocker from Hell" (V2)
Silken Healer's "Jumping Near The Water" (V2)


Rule 2 Levels

Armani's "There's a Sniper in the Forest" (V1)
Crane's "Perilous Parkour" (V7)
IchoTolot's "The Living Infinite" (V4)
kaywhyn's "Don't Stop Shimmying 'Til You Had Enough" (V22)
NieSch's "Let's Go for Gold" (V2)
Silken Healer's "Blow Up The Wall!" (V1)


Rule 3 Levels

IchoTolot's "Upwards To The Lower Floor" (V1)
kaywhyn's "Outdoor Lemming Rangers to the Rescue" (V6)
NieSch's "Wee Walk in Winter Wonderland" (V4)
SQron188's "I hate sand" (V1)
Armani's "Yuna's Room" (V2)
Silken Healer's "Race To Reach The Bottom" (V3)


You can check the rules details again here: https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=6033.0

Playing Phase will be closed on 31th of October!
Updates will close on 28th of October!

Note: This topic is for posting your comments, replays, etc for the levels. If you wish to post an update to your level, or enter a late submission, please do so in the Updates Topic instead.

Link to update topic

Welcome to another contest of the Lemmingsforums! This time the three rules have been picked by Armani for winning contest #25.

A few words to new participants and forum members: If you haven't entered before, I strongly encourage you to try - even if you don't win, it's fun to participate; and we have had cases where first-time entrants have won before! There are three choices of rules given, you may enter one level for EACH one of the rules.
You may either use new format NeoLemmix, or Lix.
If you have more than one entry, they may (but do not have to) be for the same engine. Please make sure you tested your level for basic solvability before submitting and be sure to also submit any custom tileset you are using, so others have no problem playing your level.

Pre contest testing: You can choose 1-2 persons who do a bit of pre-testing for you, so that the biggest backroutes and screw-ups of your levels can be detected before the playing phase. I cannot control this so it's only a guideline, but still I would prefer not everyone knows every level before the playing phase starts.

Here are the rules on how the submission deadlines work:
- Initial submission phase deadline will extend such that it's 72 hours from the time of the last submission, up to the 5th submission (inclusive). After this it no longer changes no matter what.
- Update phase deadline will not extend over the initial dead line!
- Even if you missed the cutoff date for the initial submission phase, late entries are accepted until the update phase ends. There is no penalty for a late entry, beyond that people are less likely to spend as much time on the level before voting begins.


And here is the new ruleset:

Rule 1: Iron Juggernaut

Make a level without any destructible terrain.

 - This means the level shoud be entirely steel.
 - You can use destructible terrain pieces as erasers but the only visible pieces can be steel.
 - You are not limited in which or how many objects you can place.


Rule 2: Jumping is so much fun!

Make a level that uses infinitely many jumpers.

 - You can provide infinite number of certain skill by setting the number of that skill to 100 in the editor.
 - The amount of each skill besides the jumper may be any number including infinite.


Rule 3: Lemmings 2 The Tribes

Make an L2-like level. ( =Make a level with only L2 tilesets and L2 skills)

 - You can only use terrain pieces and objects from L2 tilesets
   (L2 tilesets: Beach, Cave, Circus, Classic, Egypt, Highland, Medieval, Outdoor, Polar, Shadow, Space, Sports)
 - Tileset mixing is okay as long as all the tilesets you use are in the list above.
 - You must NOT use objects that don't appear in L2 such as OWAs, pick-up skill, updraft, zombie etc.
 - The only exception is the eraser. You can use non-L2 terrain pieces as long as they are used as erasers.

 - You can only provide skills that are shared beween Neolemmix and Lemmings 2 The Tribes:
   Classic 8 skills + Fencer, Jumper, Shimmier, Slider, Swimmer, Platformer, Stacker, Glider(Hang Glider in L2), Laserer(Laser Blaster in L2)
   
 - Everything else such as time limit, save requirement, background is up to you!

Submission phase ends September 7th 2022 at 00:00 UTC.

Ruleset in detail again: http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2246.0

Send me a personal message with your level/s and if needed tileset/s to participate. It would also be nice to also tell me the rule which each level satisfies.

Please use the following naming format:  User1_Levelname_R3V1.lvl ---> Level "Levelname" by User1   for Rule 3   Version 1 of the level

Prize selection:
- US $5.00
- One month's advertising on the forums news ticker
- Pick next contest's rules

Entries so far: 14

- IchoTolot (3)
- Armani (3)
- NieSch (3)
- SQron188 (1)
- Crane (1)
- kaywhyn (3)

Ladies and gentleman, we've got our final results

The winning level is:

Armani's "Insert Coin, Choose Lemming"

Congratulations to Armani for winning the contest!

Congratulations to a random guy named IchoTolot for reaching the 2nd place with:

IchoTolot's "Decent Default Design"


Choice for the prize for the first place is either:

- a month's advertising on the forum's news ticker
- picking the next contest's rules
- US $5.00 (PayPal would be the easiest here I think).