Level design contest #1!

[geoo]

Welcome to the Lemmings Forum level design contest!

First off, you don't have to design a level in order to participate.

The contest consists of two phases, a level design phase and the level solving phase. Each phase will probably last about 3 weeks.
The post with the level submissions is here: http://www.lemmingsforums.com/index.php?topic=726.msg15908#msg15908

In the level design phase, players can design a single 1-of-each-skill level and submit it. At the beginning of the solving phase, all levels will be posted. Players try to solve the levels, and submit their solutions at the end, the aim being to solve as many levels as possible. Furthermore players can vote in two categories for best looking and most fun level.

If you don't design a level (i.e. skip phase 1), you can still submit solutions and/or vote on levels. You can also design a level but not submit solutions/vote.


Level design phase.

Deadline
The deadline for level submissions is Tuesday, Feb 19th, at noon UTC. (May be extended upon popular demand or if it turns out that I'm away that week, which is a possibility.)

Submission
You may submit only one level. There are two ways of submitting a level:
1. You can post them in this thread. Then players can attempt your level already before the deadline. If you update your level, please post a notification and make clear which version of your level is the one to be used in the contest. I will post my level this way.
2. You can send your level via PM to me if you don't want other players to see your level before the deadline. If you don't trust me, you can send me the level in an encrypted archive, and send me the password within one day of the deadline.

Theme
The topic of the contest is: Design a 1-of-each-skill level.

Platform
The game the levels have to be designed for is Lemmix, specifically 'Custom Lemmings' viewer style.
If you have trouble setting up Lemmix, feel free to ask here.

Glitches
Levels must be solvable without glitches. To determine what is a glitch and what isn't, use these lists for reference: non-glitches and glitches. If some behaviour is not listed in the glitches list, you should be safe (unless it's something really obscure; try to use common sense here.) Note however that other players may use glitches to solve your levels, so you should try to protect your level against glitchy solutions.


Level solving phase.

Levels
I will try to post all level within one day of the level submission deadline.

Deadline
The level solving phase will probably last about 3 weeks as well, but may be longer if many levels are submitted. The exact deadline for phase 2 will be announced once the levels are posted.

Submission
I will post my solutions (and votes) one day before the deadline in an encrypted archive, and I will not change them. I will announce the password for the archive once the deadline has passed.
Submit your solutions to me via PM (as attachment). If you want to submit your solutions before I posted my encrypted archive, and if you don't trust me, you can send me the solutions in an encrypted archive, and send me the password within one day of the deadline. Solutions have to be in Lemmix .lrb format.

Scoring
3 categories:

• Most levels solved
• Best looking level
• Most fun level

For 1., you score a point for each level you solve, including your own.
Category 2. and 3. will be decided by voting: each player has 6 votes per category (you can opt not to use all of them), which can be distributed over different levels, and a level can receive up to 3 votes per category. You may not vote for your own level. If you designed a level, but cast less than 4 votes in a category, your own level will receive one negative vote in the respective category.
So e.g. you could give one level 3 votes, another 2 votes, and a third one 1 vote; or you could e.g. give 1 vote each to 5 different levels (and don't use the last vote); or you could opt not to vote and receive -1 vote for your own level. The level with most votes wins the category.
You can cast votes for any level, even if you haven't solved them. (I realize that it might be hard to judge how fun a level is if you haven't solved it, but it's all just for fun.)

Voting
Submit your votes in a PM (it can be the same PM as the one with the solutions). You can put them in a text file and encrypt them as well if you want.


That's it. Have fun!

I encourage everyone to post levels here, and discuss things (don't give away solutions though), to make this contest more lively.

[Simon]

A great rules writeup. I'd be even sharper on punishing too few votes (if someone gives less than 6 in one of the categories), and plainly score -1 vote for the own level per uncast vote per category.

A rules clarification (probably unnecessary): Players cast up to 6 votes per category, i.e., 12 votes altogether. The 3-vote limit is per player, per category, and per level.

Now let's see what rolls in!

-- Simon

[geoo]

I clarified 6 votes per category in the rules now.

The reason I allowed 4 or 5 votes without punishment is more flexibility: sometimes, you have a distribution of votes that feels right while adding another vote to any level it feels wrong (e.g. one level gets 3 votes, 2 others get 1 vote, but you don't feel any of the 1-vote levels is better than the other, and the remaining levels are not quite as good as the ones that recieved 1 vote). Just deducting one vote for not voting is because you can get a similar effect by casting 1 vote each to 6 different levels. And if someone prefers not to vote at all, I don't want to punish them with -6.
I hope people restrain from tactical voting anyway and just have fun and cast as many votes as possible.

[chaos_defrost]

Alright, got the route for my level set up. Now we just have to backroute-proof it and make the level not look terrible.

I don't know which is going to be harder honestly 

[Pooty]

Yeah, I'm on the same stage. I'm pretty sure I've killed all obvious backroutes, and I'm in the process of eliminating glitchy ones.

[geoo]

Good to know there are some people who don't just start a few days before the deadline. I've been busy until now, I only have a rough idea, but I hope to get started soon.

Akseli just pointed out to me, it seems right now that it's impossible to attach files to private messages. So if you want to send them directly to me and not post them here, you can either upload the file somewhere and put a link in the PM, or send it to me via e-mail. My address is: geoo89 ad g mail dod com (you should be able to decipher this, if not, send me a PM )

...two weeks to go!

[Simon]

Elasticity of the deadline is to be detemined this year via experiment by renowned and bearded russian scientist team,

-- Simon

[Crane]

Well, after a long hiatus from Lemmings, I managed to design a level and will submit it.  I'm just polishing it up, making it more aesthetically pleasing and checking for backroutes.  Unfortunately the level may have a mean-spirited air about it and its intended solution.  No glitch exploits though, I hope.

[geoo]

Just a friendly reminder that you only have 5 more days to complete designing your level.

I'm in the backroute testing phase right now, and there's a lot of backroutes to weed out... " title="Angry" class="smiley" />
I picked the rock tiles set, so there's a lot of decorating to be done.

[chaos_defrost]

Yea, think I got most of the non-glitchy backroutes out, not sure about glitchy ones but honestly if you can only find glitchroutes then I've hidden the intended route well enough. 

I also decided to be avant-garde and designed in Rockbutnah obviously picked Brick

[Crane]

Ironed out all of the backroutes that I could find... I just hope by failsafes aren't too tacky!  Still, sending now.

I was very traditional and chose the Marble tileset.

[geoo]

You guys got three more days to get your level finished!

Meanwhile, I've finished designing my level, and you can start backroute hunting (or finding the intended solution) now. 

[Crane]

Is it time for phase two?

I'm still trying to work out your "retirement" level, geoo!

[geoo]

Not yet, people can still submit levels until Tuesday noon UTC (so about 1.5 days left).
Then I'll try to compile the levels as quickly as possible, and post them, and that's when phase 2 starts.

ccexplore just made me aware that my level has a backroute. I took another look at the level, and noticed a big oversight on my part (I suppose that's what ccexplore found too). Wish I could update it (mostly so I know people try their hardest to find the intended route, to see how hard the level really is), but I'm not sure whether that's fair, as I got a pointer that there's a backroute. I suppose anyone posting their level publicly has the chance of getting a hint like that, but still...

[Crane]

It's extremely difficult to post a level that is free from backroutes, especially with how creative some players are.  Gotta see if I can find it now.  I should have probably posted my own level publicly - next time I will, especially as I'm getting up to speed with everything again.