This is the follow-up design to the successfully implemented [✓][SUG][PL] Insert Mode: Same-Lemming-Overwrite.

Quote from: Simon on June 14, 2026, 07:19:29 PMSeveral times, I wanted to cut during insert mode by air click. Neither option allows cutting by air click. I had to exit insert mode and cut.

I conjecture that ultimate truth will be found in merging regular replay mode with insert mode.

Quote from: WillLem on June 14, 2026, 10:47:26 PMYou're probably right, but let's start a new topic for this.

Quote from: Simon on June 21, 2026, 10:26:38 PMIn my stream today [June 19th, 2026, about the Level of the Year 2025 nominations], again I wanted to be in insert mode by default. I imagine the following development progress.

• I implement always-insert in Lix.
• I playtest that on livestream with Nepsterlix, Clamlix, or Rubix's pack.
• I'll summarize results. Maybe I'll have confused myself with always-insert.
• I'll make a new topic about NL-CE.

Of course, other forumers are free to make a case for always-insert in CE before I finish my investigation in Lix. If you think that I'm on the right track, spearhead the discussion, I'll be happy. And if you think that I'm insane, make your case against it.

Quote from: WillLem on July 14, 2026, 09:25:16 PMWe can also consider simplifying Red and Blue replay modes to a single replay mode which behaves how most players would expect it to; if we do this, though, I'd want to make 'click air to cut replay' optional.

-- Simon

NeoLemmix CE currently presents 2 different Replay 'Modes', detailed as follows.

Normal (Red 'R') Mode

• Clicking with the left mouse button anywhere whilst this replay mode is active will cancel the replay
• When the replay is cancelled, all future actions for all lemmings and all release rate changes are erased
• This mode is activated either by restarting the level, or rewinding to some point before the most recent action
• This is the standard mode

Replay Insert (Blue 'R') Mode

• This mode allows actions to be 'inserted' into the replay on any frame that doesn't already contain an action
• Clicking in air does not cancel the replay
• Clicking a lemming does not cancel the replay, but an action can be assigned to that lemming if one is selected in the panel (and the lemming is action-eligible)
• This mode can only be cancelled by explicitly cancelling out of replay mode, either by using the user-configured hotkey (C by default), or by clicking the blue 'R' icon in the skill panel (NeoLemmix CE only)
• As per Normal Mode, when the replay is cancelled, all future actions for all lemmings and all release rate changes are erased
• This mode is activated via a user-configured hotkey only (O by default). That same hotkey will return the player to Normal Mode if Replay Insert Mode is active

The main purpose of Replay Insert Mode is to allow actions to be added to a replay without losing future replay data. It can also prevent data loss by accidental clicking, so is useful when navigating through a replay in general.

It is arguably the only worthwhile replay mode, then. As long as we provide the player with easy ways to cancel out of it (making the 'R' clickable is enough, but we could perhaps do even more), it renders the 'Normal' mode obsolete.

I suggest the following:

1) Get rid of Normal (Red 'R') Mode and replace it entirely with Replay Insert Mode. We then just have 'Replay Mode', and we can decide on a set of behaviours.

2a) Add a 'click air to cancel replay' option so that users can choose whether they want to click air to cancel, or use the panel 'R' and/or a cancelling hotkey

or

2b) Use RMB to cancel when air is clicked rather than LMB. We may not need the option if we do this.

3) Tighten up the specifics of Replay Mode based on a single-mode model rather than maintaining 2 separate modes.

Thoughts?

Quote from: Simon on July 09, 2026, 09:31:35 PMIdeas: We can have a shorter first session on Monday night, July 13, after work, e.g., 18:00 UTC = 19:00 BST = 20:00 CEST. Or Wednesday, July 15, also 18:00 UTC.

Apologies for the delayed reply. As it happens, I wouldn't have been available for either of these dates/times anyway, but thank you for offering them.

We can come back to this whenever is most convenient for you; I appreciate that you want to help

Quote from: Simon on July 13, 2026, 07:35:00 PMThe "Cut 2 tasks" text has been surprisingly helpful ... I immediately knew which lemming's future to cut.

Glad to know it's working as intended.

When you first suggested showing something to the player so they know they're about to cut future actions from the replay, it occurred to me that this is in fact necessary to close the gap between wanting to have more control over the replay on-the-fly, and wanting to preserve it wherever possible.

The UI feedback has in fact been the catalyst for this feature going ahead. I'm happy enough with it that I'll port it over to SuperLemmix in due course.

We can also consider simplifying Red and Blue replay modes to a single replay mode which behaves how most players would expect it to; if we do this, though, I'd want to make 'click air to cut replay' optional. See this topic for discussion on this particular item.

Quote from: Guigui on July 09, 2026, 07:34:13 AMIs no time limit better than infinite time ?

I don't think so. I would much prefer to print 'Infinite Time' if the level has no time limit. However, this doesn't seem to be a popular opinion, and also...

Quote from: Guigui on July 09, 2026, 07:34:13 AMThe color for spawn inter is a bit too flashy, it makes this info stand out too much.
...
The flashy color can actually be used for the time limit when there is one, because this info should stand out.

Quote from: Simon on July 13, 2026, 10:26:35 PMTime Limit: Yeah, consider to hide the entire line if it's infinite. That's the normal case. If you use color ... then limited time should be the yellow line because the in-game time limit is also yellow.

Agreed, time limit should be yellow so it stands out better when present. Let's not use 'Infinite Time', then, as this shouldn't stand out.

Quote from: Simon on July 13, 2026, 10:26:35 PMshorten the word "Author:" to "by" and even omit the colon?

Agreed.

Quote from: Simon on July 13, 2026, 10:26:35 PMTitle, author, and position/pack/... fit well with each other. I think of levels as "Level X by Y from pack Z". Some seem to think of levels as "Position N in pack Z by Y"

Agreed. 'Level by Author in Pack' makes more sense because we have several compilations available on the Forums, and many packs by singular authors feature the occasional collaboration level. Furthermore, the Author is written/read on a per-level basis anyway, so the UI should reflect this.

Quote from: Simon on July 13, 2026, 10:26:35 PMIf author is anonymous, you can hide the author line entirely

I'm about 50/50 on this. Printing 'Anonymous' is redundant, but it may indeed prompt an author to include their name.

Incidentally, the latest NL Editor automatically populates the 'Author' field with the username from NeoLemmix/CE's settings. EDIT: This was in fact changed to be stored in, and set from, the Editor's settings However, it's likely that not everybody will have the latest Editor.

Quote from: Simon on July 13, 2026, 10:26:35 PMRelease rate/spawn interval feels irrelevant. I'd ditch that entirely. I believe it's a leftover from Lemmings 1 because Lemmix replicated that screen and nobody had the guts yet to cut it.

Strongly disagree. It is in fact the exact opposite: it was removed from NeoLemmix and I had the guts to put it back in!

Release Rate is a relevant level statistic and there's no reason not to print it on the Preview screen, not just for nostalgia, but also because it gives the player an idea of what to expect from the gameplay itself. We should also indicate if the Release Rate is locked (CE currently does this), and the preview screen is as good a place as any to display this information.

Quote from: Simon on July 13, 2026, 10:26:35 PMMaybe replace "N to be saved" by "Save N", but I feel I will be shred to pieces for such heretic chopping.

Agreed. 'N to be saved' is clumsy. It should be 'Save N of N Lemmings', with an extra line (if necessary) detailing how many Normals/Neutrals/Zombies there are. So, instead of:

4 Lemmings, 10 Neutrals, 53 Zombies
14 to be saved

It would be:

Save 14 of 67 Lemmings
4 Normal, 10 Neutral, 53 Zombie

EDIT: There may be an even less clumsy way to present this information, but I think we're on the right track.

Quote from: Simon on July 13, 2026, 10:26:35 PMI wrote {"Save N",} instead of the rules-abiding {"Save N,"}

In this context, putting the comma outside of the quotes makes much more sense, since the quote is a capsule within the sentence, and the comma is a separator. If I was an English professor, I'd award you 100% for your sentence!

---

Current proposal for Preview screen text:

[Image]
Title

by Author
Position
Save N of N Lemmings
(N Normal, N Neutral, N Zombie)
Release Rate/Spawn Interval N (Locked)
(Time Limit N:NN)

Lines/words in brackets are ommitted where relevant.

---

I've added a poll.

Let's pencil in 13th/14th August as the meetup dates. This is subject to change only if someone who wants to come along is unable to make these dates. We will try to accommodate everybody where possible.

If you choose option 3 ('Somewhere else') please post a reply with a suggested location, otherwise the vote will be counted as 'No preference'.

Looking forward to seeing everybody again!

Vote is up!

Let's try to determine the top 3! 

Group 1

Round 1

kaywhyn's "It's Crazy Sports Day!"
92Dexter11's "Daybreak"
92Dexter11's "Epilogue"
IchoTolot's "Industrial Incident"

Finals

We've reached the final phase and got 4 levels as candidates for LOTY 2025!

We will vote them down from 4 to the top 3 in the first round (ensured by tiebreakers if nessesary).

After that I plan only a single round with 1 vote like in the normal contest to determine the final placement.


If you want to see the full list of nominated levels in non-randomized order, check the nominations list topic.
If you want to play these levels without having to dig up all the various level packs, check the playing phase topic which has a pack available for download that contains all the nominated levels.

Please remember that discussing the nominated levels is not allowed in the LOTY2025 topics now that voting has begun. This does not apply to levels that have already been eliminated at the time. Discussing them elsewhere in the site is okay, as long as it's not in the context of LOTY2025.

Quote from: crispweed on July 14, 2026, 05:45:03 AMThe exit for Astral Steps is inside the glowy diggable area up above where you start.

Aha!

I looked at your game recording, and see that you chose the purple/pink slot for this map, and then there *is* no exit for this slot.

So this is a bug. (Thanks for testing and finding this.)

In the meantime, if you choose with the green slot, you *do* get an exit. (Just tried and confirmed this.)