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Messages - LemSteven

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16
Challenges / Re: Fewest different skills levels can be beaten with
« on: January 16, 2021, 02:41:27 AM »
Other matters arising from the NL equivalent of the challenge:
* Crazy 8 (KEEP ON TRUCKING) was solved with just builders+bashers in NL, but hasn't been confirmed in DOS yet.
* Taxing 2 (Watch out, there's traps about) has several more 2-type solutions in NL, in addition to the blockers+builders already noted. Bombers+builders won't work in DOS because timed bombers can't explode early enough, but the others should work.

I'm not sure whether or not Crazy 8 builders+bashers will work in DOS.  The solution that namida found will not work in DOS due to time constraints (there are 80 lemmings in DOS).  Whether the same level of crowd control can be done with a faster release rate remains to be seen.

With that said, Bombers+Builders for Taxing 2 does work in DOS, and is now confirmed.  Spoilers below.

Taxing 2 Bombers+Builders (click to show/hide)

17
General Discussion / Re: kaywhyn's Blog
« on: January 09, 2021, 10:46:20 PM »
Thanks for sharing your love of one of the greatest quiz shows of all time.  I know several forum members here live across the pond and aren't quite as familiar with American television, but Alex Trebek was a game show icon for more than 40 years.  Even though I knew he was suffering from stage 4 pancreatic cancer, I was still shocked to hear of his passing.  He said he would continue to host the show as long as he was physically able, and that's exactly what he did -- he taped his last week of shows less than two weeks before his death.  That's what I call dedication!

Jeopardy will be featuring a series of interim hosts for the next few weeks until they can find a permanent replacement.  The first interim host will be the GOAT himself, Ken Jennings.

18
Challenges / Re: Fewest repeats of the same skill to beat levels.
« on: January 01, 2021, 07:51:46 PM »
No replay, but I was able to rework the solution and include a few screenshots.

Taxing 15 - 3 of each (click to show/hide)

19
Help & Guides / Re: Is This The Right Place for This
« on: November 05, 2020, 02:14:52 AM »
^ It is possible, with perfect bomber timing, to save the athlete on the left side, although it's certainly not easy.

I have one other suggestion in the spoiler below.  It's a little tricky to pull off, but if successful, it makes things a lot easier on the right side:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

20
Forum Games / Re: Corrupt-a-Wish
« on: October 07, 2020, 12:56:17 AM »
Granted!  Unfortunately, your new pet ostrich kicks you in the shin and breaks your leg.

I wish we'd have no more hurricanes this year.

21
Challenges / Re: Minimum skills with maximum % Challenge
« on: October 03, 2020, 04:08:55 AM »
Wicked 4 is now reduced to 20 skills.  The improvement I found on the right side of the level for the What Skills Do You Need For Max % thread applies here, as well.  This solution does the left side completely differently, using an extra builder and floater, but saving three climbers.

22
Here's a 15 builder solution for Wicked 4.  It's really just a simple refinement of the 16-builder solution I confirmed back in 2012, which saves a builder on the right side.

The 1 climber, 1 bomber, & 1 basher remain unchanged from before.

23
LemSteven typically uses DOS/DOSBox for these Challenges.

Yep, that's correct.  Prior to 2013, I was in fact using an old 1990's PC with real DOS and the original game disk.  I've since moved most of the games I had on that computer over to a more modern PC, using DOSBOX.

As for this particular result, I scanned through the results earlier this week looking for interesting ones to try out, and I was somewhat surprised to see that this level wasn't on the list.  I thought about the level Monday night as I was getting ready for bed, and that's when the general idea came to me.  When I tested it out on Tuesday, I confirmed that the solution looked doable, but the pixel-precision and the timer would be tight, so I had to make several tweaks with skill placement on the left side of the level.  It wasn't until Wednesday that I finally managed to get it to work, and that was after more than a dozen failed attempts (one of the disadvantages of using DOSBox is the lack of replay functionality).

24
You can add Havoc 18 to the master list (non-100%).  The screenshot below shows the general concept, but it is much more difficult to execute than the screenshot suggests.  In particular, the approach to the exit needs to be done with exact pixel-precision.  If the last bridge is placed any farther left, the worker jumps into the exit as soon as he finishes the bridge, preventing him from going back to free the crowd.  In order to get the correct setup, the basher through the pole needs to be placed perfectly -- any farther right and he won't break through on his first swipe; any farther left and he'll remove the terrain that you need to start building from.

Fortunately, the timing of the final bomber to release the crowd ended up being a piece of cake.  The time to assign him is right as he starts climbing.

25
Forum Games / Re: Corrupt-a-Wish
« on: September 27, 2020, 05:07:12 AM »
Congratulations, you've just been banned from YouTube!

I wish there were no hidden icicle traps in ONML.

26
Lemmings Main / Re: How difficult could Lemmings get?
« on: September 10, 2020, 05:16:19 AM »
The answer depends somewhat on the type of difficulty you're going for.  Some solutions can be tough to find, but relatively easy to execute (e.g. Mayhem 3), while for others the route is obvious, but tough to execute (e.g. Tricky 26).  As far as execution goes, there is a finite limit of how many skill frame-precise skill assignments you can do in a given amount of time; you're only allowed one skill assignment per frame of animation.  A more practical limit may be how tough a solution can be to execute while still being fun to play.  I don't see much value in designing a level that requires 1,000 consecutive frame-precise skill assignments, because nobody would ever want to play it.

How hard a solution is to find is a lot more subjective, and tough to quantify.  Different people think differently, so what is tough for one person may be a piece of cake of another.  And of course, there's the "Why didn't I think of that earlier" moment that happens all too frequently.  Sometimes it all depends on the frame of mind you're in when you're trying to solve the level.

27
Reviews / Re: Level Review--Lemmings Revolution
« on: August 15, 2020, 02:22:31 AM »
11-4: Let's get those fingers moving

Lemmings: 15
Save: 12
Time: 5:00
Release Rate: 1
Skills: 15 Climbers, 1 Floater, 5 Builders, 2 Miners

Good: A near-repeat of "The Abyss" that highlights a completely different route.  The intended solution will use every skill and save every lemming.

Bad: It's way too easy for its position.  Also, although it really doesn't affect the solution much, there is a big chunk of steel that is actually mineable.

In terms of the difficulty curve, I would have switched this level with "How do we get up there".

28
Reviews / Re: Level Review--Lemmings Revolution
« on: August 08, 2020, 01:42:08 AM »
11-2: When Two Tribes Go to War

Lemmings: 20 (10 acid lemmings, 10 water lemmings)
Save: 18
Time: 10:00
Release Rate: 10 for the acid lemming hatch, 50 for the water lemming hatch
Skills: 1 Climber, 1 Floater, 20 of everything else

Good: A challenging puzzle involving managing two separate groups of lemmings, who must follow different paths to a common exit.  The precarious starting position of the acid lemmings means you have to be on your toes right away, and bringing them to safety is not a simple task.  Meanwhile, the water lemmings start off in relative safety, but they will ultimately need the acid lemmings to rescue them.  Overall, it's a very fun level despite the extremely generous skill set.

Bad: The title is a bit of a misnomer, as the two groups really don't get in each other's way at all.  In fact, it is possible to complete the level by only assigning skills to acid lemmings.  It would be more interesting if the water lemmings needed to do something to help the acid lemmings, such as building a splatform.

29
Reviews / Re: Level Review--Lemmings Revolution
« on: July 29, 2020, 04:22:07 AM »
10-12: Touch the ground turn around

Lemmings: 20
Save: 19
Time: 1:35
Release Rate: 69
Skills: 1 Bomber, 1 Blocker, 4 Builders

Good: The level forces you to be as efficient as possible.  The release rate must be increased to 99 immediately, and the second-last lemming needs to be made a blocker very quickly after he lands, otherwise the bridge won't be finished before the crowd catches up.  If everything is done perfectly, the crowd catches up to the builder just as he finishes.

Bad: The level is a one-trick pony that has all the intrigue of "Diet Lemmingaid" or "All or Nothing" from the original game.

30
Reviews / Re: Level Review--Lemmings Revolution
« on: July 18, 2020, 04:24:29 AM »
10-7: Rocket Science
Lemmings: 50
Save: 30
Time: 5:30
Release Rate: 99
Skills: 2 Climbers, 5 Bombers, 2 Blockers, 16 Builders, 4 Bashers, 2 Miners

Good: The level appears intimidating at first, as the lemmings quickly get trapped underneath a timed door, which prevents you from simply building out of the starting area.  There are several ways to free the crowd, but none of them are trivial.

Bad: The switch on the left ends up being completely useless because the water pool is already drained at the start of the level.  The second half of the level is very straightforward and uninteresting.  The steel blocks in the large wall end up being more of an annoyance than a challenge.

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