Level design contest #1!

[lyygak]

Getting there in geoo's A REAL BUMMER FOR A level... currently have managed to save 71 out of 76 needed... aargh.
Though apparently my solution is not the intended one...

[Proxima]

Not bad. I've managed 75 so far 

[ccexplore]

ccexplore backrouted it so now i'm at v7, tied for first in the number of versions. 

Crane hasn't responded yet to my solution to his v7, which given that it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the level title, is probably a backroute.  Or maybe he's given up on backroute-fixing at this point.

Besides, in some cases of other levels, a lower backroute count is simply because the level author is not as specific about the intended solution as others.

[geoo]

Alright, two more days to get your backroute fixes in so they can be included in the pack with the final versions!
You can still post backroute fixes later, but they won't be relevant to the "how many levels from the final version pack can you solve" category, only for the backroute finder and Brickout Memorial Trophy.

I'm pretty positive I found a backroute to Crane v7 too, but I haven't heard back from him yet either.

Now that I know the intended solutions to almost all of the levels, I can only repeat how impressed I am with the levels that have been produced here, the routes are ingenious.

Not bad. I've managed 75 so far 

Version 1 or version 2? In the latter case I'm getting a bit scared.

Getting there in geoo's A REAL BUMMER FOR A level... currently have managed to save 71 out of 76 needed... aargh.
Though apparently my solution is not the intended one...

Wow, that's pretty impressive. I assume you're still refining the route you described to me? I didn't think it'd be possible to push that route even remotely as far. Perhaps I should come up with a preventive backroute fix right now, just in case it is actually possible to pull this off.

[chaos_defrost]

Went on a spree of level solving on the v1s, just have Gronkling, geoo, and Akseli's levels left for those points. I am especially pleased with how horribly I cheesed Clam's level 

Seriously, Akseli wins the award for "haha, this won't be so hard at all! ... wait, nothing I try is working WHY?!" impressions. This is, for me a very good thing 

2 days left for fixes, eh? So I can send a v6 with no chance of getting the Brickout Memorial Trophy for doing so? Well, we have a dilemma here. The angel lemming on one shoulder is telling me that Akseli's solution to my level is excellent enough to deserve to be included as an acceptable vFinal solution. The demon lemming on the other is all "but there's a realllllly easy way to squash Akseli's route go on v6 DO IT  ."

The tiebreaker is that, per my agreement with the backroute goddesses I'd need to add more junk terrain to a v6 if I made it and I don't really feel like it, so it seems laziness may tame the level design demons for now. Unless someone wants to find me a route to force my hand here, I'd not be at all adverse to that... 

[ccexplore]

To potentially complicate your decisions, I will now send you my solution to v5, which is most probably a backroute since it's very tight on time.  (Then again, that probably means easy to fix, so maybe not that complicating after all......)

[chaos_defrost]

To potentially complicate your decisions, I will now send you my solution to v5, which is most probably a backroute since it's very tight on time.  (Then again, that probably means easy to fix, so maybe not that complicating after all......)

That's actually the intended solution, nice job 

Gronkling also sent the same route Akseli did, so there's a good chance those might be the only two ways left to do it. Actually Gronkling's replay is pretty heavily convincing me to leave the level as is for now, since the subtle diffference between his and Akseli's replays make me think that if I actually wanted to remove that route, it'd be harder than at first thought. And, again, it's a really good route so I'm fine with there being two solutions to the level.

[geoo]

The tiebreaker is that, per my agreement with the backroute goddesses I'd need to add more junk terrain to a v6 if I made it and I don't really feel like it, so it seems laziness may tame the level design demons for now. Unless someone wants to find me a route to force my hand here, I'd not be at all adverse to that... 

If you add more junk terrain, I might be tempted to give you a point for nice looking level.

You can still post more backroute fixes after Tuesday, but the latest version as of Tuesday noon UTC (well, plus a few more hours, whenever I get up and compile the set of 'final' versions) will become the 'final' version in the pack with the separate 'final' version scoring.

[Proxima]

Here's my edit of "Brute Fours" with decorative terrain. (Not very much, as I wanted the outer parts to remain in keeping with the relatively simplistic style of the main part.) Gameplay is unchanged from version 2.

[Luis]

I feel like making a PSP version of that level, just to see how it will look like. I did beat it first.

[Akseli]

Yeah, I think I'll leave my level how is it now. geoo's one extra lemming saved solution and möbius' solution are the most backroutish but still enough good for me. For example, this 48/50 saved solution is in the spirit of the intended solution, and if I'll increase save requirement, this level may become too difficult, and I probably don't want that. I think that the intended solution even may be less interesting and fun than those which I've seen from different people. I'm very surprised also how I've received like 10 replays now and there are no two exactly same solutions!

Another thing, if I'll take out all the other solutions, the intended one will be almost obvious. I like my level the most in the way it is now. Steve said funnily:

Seriously, Akseli wins the award for "haha, this won't be so hard at all! ... wait, nothing I try is working WHY?!" impressions. This is, for me a very good thing 

That made me very glad, and I initially wanted that my level would be just like that.

I've been slightly busy at the moment, I'll try to solve newer versions of the levels soon.
geoo, I submitted my official solutions for the main category a couple of days ago, take a look at the spam folder possibly if you haven't noticed anything.

Btw, is this irritating for someone that I like my level with multiple solutions/does someone feel that my level neglects the backroute fixing jam? :O If someone really wants to find the intended solution, I might try to edit my level to force player use the intended solution (which will be very badly hidden then ) and send it to you, but I won't consider it as my contest level anymore so much, so I won't edit my level for this contest.

[mobius]

well the contest is almost over and it looks like I won't be getting any farther. I'm so irritatingly close to solving Proxima's and Steve's it's maddening. Technically speaking I believe the only level I solved correctly was Clam's [whose looked totally impossible to me for the long time]
and I haven't been able to make new solutions to any of the levels I've already solved.

When it's over could you post a list of all the replays or at least just intended solutions. I'd like to see the backroutes too if possible.

I personally always try find glitch-less solutions first or as much as possible until nothing works. And finding a glitchy solution is never very satisfying for me (unless it was intended).

Another thing, if I'll take out all the other solutions, the intended one will be almost obvious.

you're probably right, but personally I doubt it considering I backrouted the modified level intended to fix back-routes  The first version I really have no idea, I tried all kinds of things. I had two routes for the first pretty much down except I lost one extra lemming I needed. Then the second version; fixed that.
I'll take your challenge to find the intended solution after the contest tho.

[geoo]

geoo, I submitted my official solutions for the main category a couple of days ago, take a look at the spam folder possibly if you haven't noticed anything.

Yeah, I received them (they didn't end up in the spam folder this time), forgot to reply to you.

As for a level without a fixed intended solution, that's perfectly fine. It'd be nice though if you gave me a complete list of who backrouted which version, as it'd be hard for me to judge just from the replays in this case.

I intend to post all solutions that I receive (including those to intermediate versions) once the contest is over. In addition to the backroute reports that have been posted in this topic, I'll also try to judge solutions that I receive as backroute or not (unless the author already posted a verdict in this topic), to make sure no backroutes will be missing from the backroute scoring.


A final question, does anyone object if I upload the levelpack (latest versions) to the lemmings level database at the end of the contest? For this purpose you could also touch up the levels after the final versions have been posted (note to Proxima: I'll include your plain version 2 in the final level pack in order not to confuse people, but if there's a pack I upload to the level database, I'll upload the version with additional decoration).

Only a few hours left until I post the final versions, so get your backroute fixes in if you still have to fix anything!

btw, I don't think I'll add a preventive backroute fix to my level. If someone manages to get an alternative route to work within the next 7 days, I feel they deserve the point.

[Gronkling]

Well super quick backroute fix to put this up to v8 to fix a backroute Clam Spammer found.

[geoo]

Alright, the levelpack with the 'final' version of each level is out, refer to this post for details: http://www.lemmingsforums.com/index.php?topic=726.msg15908#msg15908
These are the levels that you have to solve for the unofficial level solving scoring.
(Yay, I solved all of the final versions already )

I also posted an archive with all versions of all levels so far. I won't update this archive, but if there are new backroute fixes, I'll put them in the level list instead. These are only relevant for the unofficial backrouting scoring, the more you backroute, the better.

One week left to solve everything and find backroutes!

Note: if you send a backroute to some version of a level that also works in previous versions of that levels, please also send replays for the previous versions -- it'd be too tedious for me to check whether routes also work in previous versions.
You don't need to send replays for backroutes that are already listed in the list of backroutes -- nevertheless, it'd be nice if you included them.