Level Review – DoveLems

[Clam]

Coward 4 - Use Something to Turn!



Lemmings: 50
Save: 35 (70%)
Release rate: 1
Time: 2 minutes
Skills: 12 builders, 3 miners

Good: Simple but clever turnaround concept. Pretty design with great decorative touches.

Bad: In the Lemmini mechanics the miners always leave a ramp, making this significantly harder than it should be. Time limit and high lemming count mean you have to remember to change the release rate halfway through, which adds nothing to the puzzle.

[Akseli]

Coward 4: It took a long time for me to notice that those grass layers gets thinner in every floor (making the turnaround trick progressively harder), a really nice detail. This level would of course be a lot easier if miners can't make ramps, you're supposed to mine walls that are constructed with 3 or 4 builders.


Coward 5 - Avoid the FlameThrower



Lemmings: 20
Save: 19 (95%)
Release rate: 70
Time: 5 minutes
Skills: 10 bombers, 5 builders, 2 bashers, 1 digger

Good: Now we're starting to encounter more and more of the particularly golden levels of this level set. "Avoid the FlameThrower" is a rather mind-blowing puzzle whose solution is not easy to spot, and the main trick is characteristic to DoveLems levels mostly: it's clever, pure, convenient to perform when you know it, and it comes close to lateral thinking. Bomber timing is pleasantly assisted with a landmark. Flamethrower theme works nicely, and the design is enchantingly graceful for a Fire level like this.

Bad: This was the first real roadblock for me in this pack and I still think that this level is misplaced in terms of difficulty, could be in Devilish or even in Maso rating to my mind. I also noticed now that the middle left flamethrower is only halfly attached to the wall, but that's only a petite nitpick.

[Proxima]

Well, I've started playing this set in Lix, so it's time for a good old-fashioned bump    Of course, my experience of playing some levels will be different from intended, but I will try not to let that colour the reviews too much. (One small thing is Lix has a spawn interval rather than release rate -- I can convert it back into a Lemmings release rate, but some information is lost, e.g. spawn interval 4 could be either RR 98 or 99.)

Coward 6 - Under the Floor



Lemmings: 40
Save: 37 (92%)
Release rate: 20
Time: 3 minutes
Skills: 10 blockers, 15 builders, 1 miner

Good: Introduces some useful concepts with a relatively simple level. Multitasking the builders is quite fun. There's a little subtlety in that you don't have enough builders to go all the way to the left pillar (and still complete the solution).

Bad: The steel and traps direct you straight towards the solution. It's annoying to redo if you splat the top group on your first attempt. The layout is sparse and ugly, in contrast to many in this pack.

[Akseli]

A great review there, Proxima. Definitely feel free to participate as much as you want.

Coward 7 - City Machines Lemmings



Lemmings: 40
Save: 39 (97%)
Release Rate: 1
Time: 4 minutes
Skills: 2 climbers, 1 blocker, 2 builders, 2 bashers, 1 miner

This is a repeat level for The Plant Lemmings.

Good: A cunning solution, that needs a bit different kind of thinking, and there's much other to do that will only lead astray. It's a really easy level if you know what to do, but it can be surprisingly hard to find out what's going on here. I'm really pleased with the looks of this level, and like möbius already said about the original Plain level, it utilizes the Brick graphics set cleanly. This is one of my favourite Coward levels.

Bad: An extremely subtle thing that came to my mind is that the grey wall to the left from the entrance is so high that one could wonder at first if a climber lemming couldn't survive the fall.

[mobius]

Coward 8 - Break the Wall



Lemmings: 40
Save: 39 (97%)
Release Rate: 1
Time: 5 minutes
Skills: 1 climbers, 1 bomber, 1 builders, 1 miner, 1 digger

notes: this is a repeat of:
face the wall
idk how to make a "specific post link"

Good:
Another cunning solution, that is tough but not too tough. A little outside the box for beginners. A nice repeat on a level which is suitable for repeats; it has a few avenues of possibility.
The bomber timing is minimal and on a short level it is always welcome to me. The solution reminds me a little of "Quote that's a good level"

Bad:
the gap to the exit comes close to the maximum width, which I never like especially in Lemmini where building is more precise. [ok I'm really stretching that one its not actually that bad but i couldn't think of anything]

[Akseli]

Coward 9 - Where a Lemming Has Never Gone



Lemmings: 40
Save: 39 (97%)
Time: 5 minutes
Release Rate: 1
Skills: 10 floaters, 2 blockers, 8 builders, 1 basher, 2 miners

This is a repeat level of The World Stem.

Good: Isn't as easy as it looks, there's a bit more to it. One blocker saved solution and one builder saved solution are possible via normal route. A quite nice title, I think it's a Star Trek reference.

Okay: Might even be a bit tricky for the ninth level of Coward. Has a somewhat hacky backroute that allows to save 100% and floaters + three more skills.

Bad: Okay, for most level designers this would be a great level, but thinking more about it this is one of the most mediocre levels both by solution-wise and design-wise for being created by Dodochacalo. (But that's of course because other levels around it are so high quality.) I don't like the rough looks too much and the beginning of the level is quite obvious. The tricky part is how to get everyone safely down at the end and also save the hero lemming, but the main trick is "only" nice, not too special.

[Akseli]

Coward 10 - Bashers are Back !



Lemmings: 50
Save: 50 (100%)
Time: 2 minutes
Release Rate: 30
Skills: 7 bashers

This is a repeat level of Crazy Marble.

Good: The layout is conveniently structured to suit for both diggers-only and bashers-only levels. The problematic part is the beginning, it has to be done in a certain manner or you won't beat the level due to 100% requirement. Teaches you to stack bashers.

Bad: One of the most overtiered levels in the entire pack, should be placed even in early Plain difficulty-wisely. Navigating the correct path is pretty much obvious, I maybe would have liked to see a bit more effort put in complicating the path, without breaking the first level of course. This level veritably defines the term "breather level".

[Pieuw]

Coward 11 - Every Lem for Himself!



Lemmings: 50
Save: 49 (98%)
Time: 2 minutes
Release Rate: 70
Skills: 1 bomber, 1 blocker, 2 builders, 1 basher, 1 miner, 1 digger

This is a repeat level of Don't Let Them Leave the Way.

Good: Nice and easy puzzle with a few skills and a creative use of the bomber.

Bad: Nothing in my opinion.

[Akseli]

I love "Every Lem for Himself!", it's a glaring puzzle level. Did anyone notice the similarity of the title compared to Taxing 7: "Every Lemming for himself!!!"?

Coward 12 - To Infinity and BEYOND ! ! !



Lemmings: 50
Save: 35 (70%)
Time: 4 minutes
Release Rate: 1
Skills: 10 bombers, 20 blockers, 20 builders

This is a repeat level of Lemming's Brains.

Good: "Call in the bomb squad" of DoveLems. "To Infinity and BEYOND ! ! !" though has more interesting layout and more possibilities for approaches. The toughest guys will take the left route. This is these levels that need fine-tuning when trying to find maximum saved/least skills used solutions and so on. I like that the title (which is a Buzz Lightyear reference if I'm not wrong) fits nicely to the futuristic looks of the level. This level also is a refreshing occurrence between two puzzling Marble levels.

Bad: The level works pretty much flawlessly as it should, there seems to be nothing to complain, if the main idea isn't too used already.

[mobius]

Coward 13 - SeeSaw



Lemmings: 50
Save: 49 (98%)
Time: 5 minutes
Release Rate: 1
Skills: 1 climber, 1 blocker, 4 builders, 10 bashers, 10 diggers


Good:
The puzzle is simple and a great way to introduce the step/digger basher technique. I really love the design of the level a lot and I myself have used similar layouts with the marble set after playing this level. The layered, messy triangle pieces I think look really nice.

Bad:Worst thing is just the precision required to build left to the large block. But even that is not a big deal.

-------
I don't really get why the level is called SeeSaw, can anyone explain that? [edit] oh wait, I guess the middle steel bar sort of looks like a seesaw...

[Wafflem]

I've played most of the DoveLems levels. They're quite impressive and challenging, although I wasn't able to get past Devilish 4, which was last year.



Coward 14 - The Labyrinth of the Lemmynotaur
50 Lemmings, save 100%
Release Rate 1
3 Minutes
0 climbers, 0 floaters, 10 bombers, 10 builders, 10 bashers, 0 miners, 0 diggers

Good: The level may have a simple layout design, but the fact that you have to save 100% and that you only have builders and bashers makes it slightly tricker than it seems. You'll also need to use a trick to contain the other 49 lemmings.
Bad: This level is misplaced, and it is a lot easier than Coward 3.

By the way, Dodochacalo uploaded a new version on YouTube some months ago and changed some of the levels.

[mobius]

Coward 15 - Strato and Cumulus
40 Lemmings, save 97%
Release Rate 60
2 Minutes
1 climbers, 0 floaters, 1 bombers, 2 builders, 1 bashers, 2 miners, 0 diggers

Good: layout is interesting and fun. There is variety in the solutions and uses some simple techniques the player may or may not know of. I like the arranged multiple entrances.

Bad: Time is short and can be very tricky. Also not sure if multiple solutions are ok/intended. You don't strictly need the bomber for instance. Also the arrows on the upper right extend far enough into the void to become a little annoying.

[Wafflem]

Coward 16 - Trident of Fire
40 Lemmings, save 97%
Release Rate 1
4 minutes
10 climbers, 10 floaters, 1 bombers, 1 blocker, 6 builders, 5 bashers, 4 diggers

Good: It may be another one-lemming-does-all-the-hard-work level, but it has a couple of twists: the level layout is tricky with the one-way arrows, you have a limited skillset (especially builders), and the time limit also isn't as long as it seems.

Bad: The only thing I can think of is the overused method to hold back the other lemmings using a blocker and releasing them with a bomber. Otherwise, it's a great level.

[Akseli]

By the way, Dodochacalo uploaded a new version on YouTube some months ago and changed some of the levels.

Yeah, I'm aware of this, though there hasn't been updates for a year now, the date of the last version can be seen on his channel. The updates are really minor, the most and perhaps only notable one is Devilish25: The Way to Go Up, which has a completely new structure due to backroutes of the earlier version of that level.

Nicely spotted with the arrows in Strato and Cumulus, möbius. There really are some flaws with them preventing lemmings to dig in some places!
Trident of Fire is great indeed, in addition to that unique oneway-wall setup, getting down to the exit platform has its finesses suiting for a moderate difficulty level.


Coward 17 - Lost in the Canyon



Lemmings: 20
Save: 20 (100%)
Release rate: 50
Time: 4
Skills: 1 climber, 8 builders, 4 miners

Good: The solution is so simple yet effective and pure, so one could even ponder why this wasn't enforced in any level in official games. It isn't just getting to the top of the snowhill, there's one twist how to prevent the lemming herd jumping down from the cliff like in the real-life misconception. Makes a nice pair with its repeat level with similarish but yet cleverly different solutions.

Bad: Possibly a bit bland scenery around the canyon.

[mobius]

Trident of Fire is also a favorite of mine.
I also like the little flag aside of the hut in Lost in the Canyon, because it doesn't fit up top.

Coward 18 - The Broken Tower



Lemmings: 20
Save: 20 (100%)
Release rate: 50
Time: 2
Skills: 20 climber, 2 builders, 1 basher

Good:
nice design and the concept is pretty neat. I'm not sure how unique it is, I haven't seen many (if any levels) that use the idea at least exactly like this, in a way which makes it relatively easy to figure out. The solution is pretty satisfying when you figure it out for the first time.

Bad: There is some nasty precision involved, though surprisingly I got it on my second try so maybe not so nasty. 100% requirement means a glitch is necessary even though you don't need to know about it strictly speaking; but some people aren't a fan of that.
I would've preferred that ledge on the left not being there then the level would've been symmetrical in that you could go at it from either direction..