(Split from NeoLemmix 2-player mode suggestion topic by namida)

Split further into:
Spawn Interval fixed per level, 2020
Progress to next level without getting back to menu

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WillLem: What sucks in Lix?

Please be frank, I enjoy rants. I don't mind trashing existing work in light of long-term better solutions. Giga's Lix editor rant was among the most helpful posts in the last 3 years.

-- Simon

Undo in the Lix editor will happen.

This is long overdue. It's hard to implement on top of an editor that doesn't already support it, but it doesn't matter, it must happen. It's fine if it takes several weeks, as long as I focus on it whenever I develop.

Reason: Yesterday, I trashed 20 minutes of unsaved work and raged.

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There are more severe usability issues in the editor. Giga's rant is still 80 % accurate after two years, mainly about how disorienting the editor is, and how bad/long the feedback loops are.

It's glaring when one hasn't build levels with the Lix editor for a year, and then comes back to it.

-- Simon

Hi,

https://github.com/SimonN/lemforum-replays

...offers at least one solving replay ("proof") for every singleplayer level in the main Lix download.

Installation:

• Follow above link -> Click the green button "Code" -> Download as Zip
• In your Lix main directory, create the directory replays if it doesn't exist yet.
• Extract the downloaded archive into replays.
  

Usage: You can choose:

• Run Lix, open the Replay browser, and watch individual replays.
• Or, to check solvability without spoiling:
  In the Replay browser, navigate to the extracted directory (or to a pack or rank inside), then click "Verify Dir".
• Or, to check solvability from the command line:
  lix --coverage replays/<theExtractedDirectory>
  

A solving replay is called a proof of solvability for its level. A level with at least one proof is called covered. Ideally, the proof shows the intended solution. When somebody else than the level author covers the level, it's usually close to the intended solution, but it might be a backroute.

If you're a singleplayer level designer, it's good style to cover your levels. If you would like your levels included in the main Lix download, please send me both the levels and their proofs, so I can include your proofs in the proof collection.

-- Simon

Split off from Simon should report these 3 NL bugs properly:

How to repro:

1. Assign something, B, for physics update ("phyu") n, to lemming L.
2. Framestep back to between physics updates n-1 and n.
3. Assign something, A, for phyu n to lemming L.

What happens: B is replayed and your new assignment A is eaten without effect. B's effect is visible on the screen.

Expected instead: B is erased from the replay and A becomes part of the replay, and A's effect is visible on the screen.

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1. If you framestep back to between physics updates ("phyus") n-1 and n, and then assign A for phyu n to lemming L, but the replay already contains an assignment B at phyu n (forgot whether it has to be to L or not), then B is replayed and your assignment A is eaten. Expected instead: B is erased from the replay and A gets through.

namida wrote: This has been a known issue for so long - since Lemmix even, I think - that it doesn't even register to me anymore - it's just "I have to step back two frames to cancel that assignment". But you're right, this absolutely should be fixed.

-- Simon

If you have a .nxp level pack file, how to play it with NeoLemmix? This was asked in #neolemmix twice within few weeks.

Answer: Get version 10.13.18 from the NeoLemmix download archives. This version is outdated, the NL authors don't support it anymore, and level authors should not make packs for it. But many authors still have packs only for this version.

Somebody more knowledgeable than me should explain in detail how to run these outdated versions. namida explains in the next post how to play the .nxp pack with that version.

Should this thread be pinned? Should this be moved to the board with outdated packs? This question appears often enough that the NL authors should think about a solution. Maybe even let NL v12 detect .nxp files and tell the user what to do?

-- Simon

Split off Level solving contest #2:

I thought the F3 button was a "save replay" button. That icon that looks like a save button has deceived me.

I apologize for the lousy UI and how it caused you to lose the solution.

Harvester runs replay to end: There's a nasty related question: What is a solution? In our culture on the forum, it's a replay that will save enough lixes. Autosave promises to save all solutions, but it will only save those solutions that have run to a solved state during gameplay. It's possible to beef up the "replay harvester" (the internal part of the game that sits between the exited attempt and the level browser, and decides whether the replay is autosaved or offered for manual saving) to always run the replay to completion, to never miss solutions even when they haven't been run to completion during play. It's expensive and feels weird, maybe it's worth it, I don't know.

-- Simon

NL 12.04

On first start, player offers two key mappings, functional and traditional. In functional, RMB (right mouse button) selects walker.

RMB should be hold-to-scroll instead.

Ideally, RMB is also select-walker, but that is far less interesting. With the questionable design where function-to-key bindings must be injective, anything else can be select-walker, I don't care much, I've bound Left Control for select walker but never use it.

-- Simon

Realizations about Zendo

I will write several posts about the tabletop game Zendo. Background knowledge:
Rules of Zendo, a game of inductive logic.

Part 1: Different piece sets (this post)
Part 2: Downsides of letter strings
Part 3: Geometrical games feel nicer than sequence games
Part 4: Link dump
Part 5: Bongard problems
Part 6: Zendo 1.0 or Zendo 2.0

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Part 1: Different piece sets

In Zendo, you build structures of pieces. Any source of pieces is eligible, but ideally you have many copies of each piece and can compose pieces in many different ways. The structures should be easy to grasp by looking.

Example piece sets



The 2017 Zendo release ("Zendo 2.0") has 3 shapes in 3 colors each. Everything is the same size, there are no pips on any piece.



Icehouse pieces. Everything is a pyramid. The 2001 Zendo boxed set has 4 colors of pyramids in 3 sizes each. Large pyramids had 3 pips, medium pyramids had 2 pips, small pyramids had 1 pip.



Digits, and structures are then natural numbers.



Letters from the alphabet. We played Zendo on Lemmings Forums where structures were finite-length strings over A-Z.

Good piece sets

Above, I've already sorted the piece sets according to how good the resulting game feels. The Zendo 2.0 pieces are probably the best -- objectively. I have a deep soft spot for the Icehouse pieces, and prefer them slightly over the 2.0 pieces. But what's much more important: Either of these are geometric shapes, and either makes for a great sets. Geometric shapes and colors fit the game much better than letters or numbers. Visual pattern recognition is a deep part of Zendo.

Reason of my soft spot for the Icehouse pieces over the 2.0 pieces: The Icehouse pyramids come in green, the table looks more colorful with red/yellow/green/blue pieces, and still the number of colors is small enough. Icehouse pyramids have a single clearly-defined tip, this can be used for rules.

I've always thought our Lemmings Forums A-Z game produced insidious problems with harder rules. That will warrant an extra post these days. Until then!

-- Simon