I’m glad that you’ve decided to make the old mechanics options which can be turned on and off. It’s a good method actually, Making it easy for one to test out something like challenges on the old mechanics but play newly created levels without the hassle of those broken mechanics.
When creating levels for Lemmix [that is DOS like mechanics (closer to Amiga than Lemmini currently is)] I find it annoying that you need to align the steel and all objects up to a non-helpful grid and only the Lemmings feet entering object triggers work, and other bothersome attributes.
And I do like the idea of including the original levels and using versions of those levels from Amiga which are better imo, with the proper stats and little graphical details like liquid across the bottom of many levels.
Btw, the current Lemmini original game levels are mostly of the Windows Lemmings version aren’t they; for example; the liquid across the bottom of many levels from Amiga is missing.
I must agree with something rtw said once; I prefer the black background of DOS over the blue of the Amiga. Excluding anything in regards to custom backgrounds, I think that’s a cool idea, but I’d prefer the default to be black.
One interesting wrinkle though would be, some of the Genesis unique levels might still call for some post-conversion modifications in Lemmini, due to the use of hi-res graphics. Specifically, there are a couple of levels that make extensive use of eraser terrain pieces to "carve" some unique shapes out of the terrain, and who knows how they'd look unmodified using the hi-res graphics (though I imagine in worst case, they'd probably just look a little jagged at the edges but otherwise retain the basic shapes).
I’m not sure I get what you mean but I’ve played a large number of the Genesis levels in Lemmini (using both lvl and ini) and the levels look fine.
There is a problem however, and I’m not sure if you addressed this or not: Some Genesis levels are impossible like “Everyone turn left” if miners don’t turn when they hit one way walls (facing the wrong direction). (as is the current Lemmini behavior)
- Trigger areas for interactive objects are too sensitive. As a result it's practically impossible to build over the Brick's stomper trap on level ground (observed in my "Iron Curtain" level). Mind you, the Brick tileset has some weird trigger areas set up.
Fixed. I used the data from the DOS version to make the new object masks. (I don't think any object trigger areas differ between the Amiga and DOS versions. If they do, let me know.)
This is good. However, it's also true that the object triggers in regards to the exits are vastly
improved in Lemmini since they are larger and make it easier to place in the level (you don't have to align it the grid or put a stupid piece of terrain there to make it work. So I'd say fix the traps but keep the exits the same.
Some other features I didn’t see mentioned that would be nice: (these are present in DOS/Lemmix.)
-When creating a game pack, somehow be able to see the codes to all your levels. Currently there is no way to “skip” a level in a game pack other than leaving the “game” and loading the level individually which is generally a pain since usually the levels aren’t titled but only have a number.
-Pieuw just alerted me to a possible strange glitch in Lemmini; the level codes not working as they should. I suspect not much investigation has ever been done in this area (since not many people even use the codes anymore?). But I don’t know the details yet.
-blockers turn around ALL lemmings; that includes lemmings falling, climbing, building bashing, mining, digging, floating etc…
-when a digger is on nothing but air, he can still be assigned tasks like builder, this makes it easy to have a lemming move horizontally across the level by digging and building.
There are more things like this but it’s getting pretty technical and I don’t entirely like all of them anyway, and can do without them.
I recommend looking at this topic:
http://www.lemmingsforums.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=5b763a88f47991c45a8b9c996386cffa&topic=693.0Keep in mind, many of these glitches are still under investigation.
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btw, here is how to save replays in the current Lemmini: (maybe this should be put in the sticky help topic?)
How to save a replay (of a non-game level) file in Lemmini:
after playing a level successfully; select “replay” on the completion menu screen and watch the replay to its end. Go to your root Lemmini folder and find a file called “replay.rpl” this is the file. Copy/paste it somewhere else and rename it whatever you want.
