New unofficial online Lemmings game...

[DragonsLover]

I've improved the release rate algorithm to match that of the Windows version

The problem is that Windows version of Lemmings is crappy. You should better use the code of the Dos or Amiga version or a similar clone : Lemmix.

5. I tried to get the release rate matched to that of the real game - is there a specific level where you noticed this?

Any of them. While you increase/decrease the release rate, it may happens the release rate goes wrong when Lemmings are entering the level through the trapdoor(s) until you stop increasing or decreasing it.

6. The 'last 3 blocks' sound effect seems to be exactly on cue on my computer - what browser are you using?

Firefox 4.0. Make sure the sound plays when the brick hits the ground and not when the builder takes it in its backpack.

10. What level did you manage to do this on, so I can try and replicate it?

I don't remember, but it happened when I nuked all the lemmings. One of them splatted on the ground at the same time the counter turned to 0 which caused the splatting lemming to make his "oh no" animation and blow.

Oh, and I just noticed three more bugs on "A ladder would be handy" level:
- I clicked on a Lemming to give him a Blocker, but nothing happened, wasting my skill. I think the Lemming was in-mid air while I did so.
- Major problem with the Climber on the right side of the cliff : the Lemming climbs "inside" the wall when he reaches the tiny step at the middle of it. Screenshot below.
- Once the Climber reaches the top and I make him to turn around and falls back down, he splats on the floor instead of falling safely on the tiny steps on the wall. Yes: he falls 2 pixels away.

Other bugs:
- Falling lemmings do their "Oh no" animation when they blow.
- "P" key doesn't work to pause the game.

[bombsite]

DragonsLover - I've made some changes which make 'A Ladder Would Be Handy' work correctly.  Let me know if you think it's OK now.  The 'p' key pauses the game for me in Firefox and Chrome.  Earlier I did find that the left/right arrows didn't work though, but later they did, so maybe there's an intermittent problem with key detection?  I'll try and replicate it and fix if necessary.

Out of interest, what devices other than a PC has anyone got this working on?  I've played it on the Wii and it runs quite well (although with no sound).  Would be good to know if it works on iPad/iPhone or similar devices.

[DragonsLover]

Works better now, but there are still some serious bugs.

I'm now on "The Prison" and I just got seriously annoyed by all the bugs that makes the level almost impossible to solve.

- Lemmings can't dig through builders' stairs that are leading to the left.
- Traps work very weirdly and their animations freeze. I also got a Lemming to walk on the metallic tip of a flame thrower trap.
- Calling nuke when a Lemming is about to drown causes the game to freeze entirely.
- This one pisses me off and it's also a major bug in the Windows version: when a builder lays a brick that touches a wall, he stops and turns around. AARRGGHH!! This should NOT happen. " title="Angry" class="smiley" /> He must lay an additional brick or two before turning back as in the Dos and Amiga versions.
- Lemmings can't fall through tiny gaps depending on the direction they're walking. I also got Lemmings to cross over a 2 pixels gap.
- At the top of "Lend a helping hand..." level, on the right side of the pillar situated at the right of the exit, it's impossible for a lemming to mine to the left.
- Still on "Lend a helping hand...", when a builder reaches a spike trap, he may stop and turn around.
- I even got builders to stop building when they almost reached a wall, leaving a tiny gap.
- On "Watch out, there's traps about", I got a miner to mine through steel. The weirdest thing is when he stopped mining : he left an invisible wall.
- Lemmings can hop weirdly as they climb one or 2 pixels height platform.

[bombsite]

Thanks for the DragonsLover, that'll keep me busy!

The traps are animated GIFs at the moment.  I'm thinking of changing all animated items to a different format as this method is not ideal (although it is the easiest to program!)

My Lemmings used to be able to build slightly into walls, but they sometimes got trapped in the wall so I changed it.  I'll look into changing it back.

Re the 'invisible wall', that's a graphical bug which I need to fix - the hole doesn't actually exist in the level code, it's just visual!

[bombsite]

A few changes have been made based on DragonsLover's bug reports.  Building through stairs now works correctly.  You can now build slightly into walls (without getting stuck!).  Climbing/walking over rough terrain now works better (selecting Lemmings on rough terrain was previously temperamental).

I tried out Lemmix - does this work in the same way as the Amiga version?  As pointed out, it seems to have some differences to the 'Lemmings for Windows' version I've got.

[finlay]

It's supposed to emulate precisely the DOS version, actually. cc is the one to ask about the differences; all i know is that they're not as major as the differences between DOS and Windows, some of which really affect gameplay.

(I remember playing the PS1 version, which I think is basically a straight port of the Windows version with a nicer interface, and getting really annoyed at some of the differences, particularly the bug with the builder turning back too soon and not giving you a chance to bash through a wall. But then I've also found this in the DOS version too when the builder is facing left, for some reason...)

[DragonsLover]

New bugs that weren't there previously:

- Climbers cannot climb walls when facing left.
- I got a Builder to build through a builder's stair

A few changes have been made based on DragonsLover's bug reports.  Building through stairs now works correctly.  You can now build slightly into walls (without getting stuck!).

It's still not the perfection. I once again got a builder to stop building and turn around even though he didn't reach the wall, leaving a tiny 1 pixel gap where Lemmings could still walk over.

Also:

- Builders and Miners go through Blockers when they should turn around and keep working without returning back to a Walker.

I'd be curious to check the code, if it's possible.

[Clam]

I found another potentially serious bug: building over the exit makes it inaccessible to lemmings, even if it doesn't touch the part where the lemmings should go in. It remains inaccessible if you destroy the bridge.

Also, double-clicking nuke to quit (like you mentioned above) isn't working. Anyway, I'd prefer a button or hotkey to instantly restart.

[bombsite]

Climbers can now climb left (this bug appeared after fixing a different bug!).

Immediate game over can now be achieved by pressing CTRL and Q. 

Splatting/drowning Lemmings which were also exploders shouldn't now explode after splatting/drowning.

In one of my previous posts I said building through stairs now works correctly - I actually meant digging through stairs.

DragonsLover - I'm not sure what you mean when you say you got a builder to build through a builder's stair - were the two sets of stairs facing opposite directions?

[Ron_Stard]

I have found problems to assign blockers on certain areas of the peaks in the Level 20 (There's A Lot Of Them About). Also, the build-over-the-exit problem persists there.

[bombsite]

I have found problems to assign blockers on certain areas of the peaks in the Level 20 (There's A Lot Of Them About). Also, the build-over-the-exit problem persists there.

I've made a change which seems to have fixed the first problem you mentioned - I've had a go and seem to be able to assign a blocker anywhere along those sections of peaks.

I'm trying to replicate the build-over-the-exit problem now.  Do you also find that steps are invisible in front of the exit?

[DragonsLover]

DragonsLover - I'm not sure what you mean when you say you got a builder to build through a builder's stair - were the two sets of stairs facing opposite directions?

Yes, it occured on "A ladder would be handy". I made a Lemming to builder over the pit on the bridge and when he turned back, I made him build again so that the top of the stair he was building would reach the top of the stair already built, but the Lemming stopped and turned around for no reason. When I made him to build again to cover the gap, he kept building through the stair.

Screenshots below.

Also, I got another bug with the climber on the same level : when he climbs on the wall at the right, he keeps climbing even when he reaches the middle step, making him to climb "in the air" until he reaches the top of the cliff. Screenshot below.

[Ron_Stard]

I've made a change which seems to have fixed the first problem you mentioned - I've had a go and seem to be able to assign a blocker anywhere along those sections of peaks.

I'm trying to replicate the build-over-the-exit problem now.  Do you also find that steps are invisible in front of the exit?

Yes, there were invisible bricks once a lemming pass the mouth of the devil. Despite you excavate the bridge, the lemmings are unable to enter in the shelter.

Ah, by the way, another bug I discover: if you force a lemming to build a bridge once he has turned back from a blocker, well, he builts it, but when he returns to the blocker & turns back again, there seems to be an invisible "fence" or wall on his way, which the lemming jumps without problems. It's another bug, but it's funny 

Thank you a lot for your efforts!  It's nice to enjoy again all these ancient levels for a good cause! 

[bombsite]

Thanks Ron!  I was watching a video about the making of the original Lemmings game and apparently that was released with a few bugs in it - they said whilst a Lemming is shrugging after building steps, you can click on him to become a climber and he'll just remain in the shrugging position!  I'm not sure which versions this got into though.

[Clam]

That's a bug in the DOS version of Lemmings. And yes, there are plenty of bugs in the original games - the permanent shrugger is merely a graphical bug though, there are many more serious bugs than that . I don't know if the developers have ever heard of the "sliding" glitch - they'd probably flip if they found out!

And this is another reminder that I need to restart the glitch thread. Hopefully I'll have some free time for that by the end of the week.