NeoLemmix (Player: V1.26n-C | Editor: V1.26n-B)

[namida]

There is an issue with the objects when I use the Traditional CustLemmix test mode in the NeoLemmix Editor; it is that the objects end up moving a bit to the left when I play them in test mode. It might be a similar issue to an error I reported regarding objects moving left when playing a VGASPEC mode.

Okay, I looked into this and there's no issue here. This is just an inconsistency between DOS and traditional Lemmix; DOS restricted object X positions to multiples of 8. Traditional Lemmix doesn't currently handle this properly (it allows any arbitrary X position for the graphic); the editor does not enforce it while editing (the same is true for many DOS format limitations) but *does* enforce it when saving the level. This is why this is happening; it's not a bug in the editor because having them at the exact positions would be outside what traditional Lemmix should be able to do.

Since it looks like traditional Lemmix editing is going to be kept, I'll make sure this is enforced while editing in a future update (though not the next one).

[namida]

An update for the NeoLemmix Editor! Most (but not all) of the updates are related to SuperLemmini levels.

NeoLemmix Editor V1.25n-B
--------------------------------------
* Can edit Author field in SuperLemmini levels.
* Can edit Music field in SuperLemmini levels.
* Supports marking terrain as One-Way Wall friendly or not in SuperLemmini levels. Please
  note that the "One Way Inversion" option is not actually supported by SuperLemmini, so
  its effect is applied by the editor when saving or loading a level.
* (Super)Lemmini styles no longer have a "GraphicSetPath" parameter; it's instead determined
  from the graphic set's internal name (as these should always match anyway for the style
  to work in (Super)Lemmini).
* The editor no longer refuses to load levels with release rates over 99.
* Style-by-name now works properly for VGASPEC when loading levels.
* The size of some dialog boxes has been slightly increased to avoid scrollbars.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8rjdky5g15g5jx/NeoLemmixEditor_V1.25n-B.zip

Please note, you may need to recompile your (Super)Lemmini styles even if you don't replace the NeoLemmixStyles.INI file.


EDIT: I've noticed also that the NeoLemmix players create a file "test.wav" (which is one of the sounds from the game) every time they run; this was a line of testing code while implementing the new sound system that I forgot to take out. You can safely delete this file; I'll make sure I fix it in the next update.

[Wafflem]

Small suggestion, and this is based on one of Mariachi Skeletron Prime's threads: an INI option to make every skill currently in the skillset infinite. (though this could also be achieved with the Overflow gimmick, but visually it looks nicer if the skills are displayed as infinite as opposed to counting down).

Another thing if I set the sounds on FX. When I play a level and before it says "Let's go!", I press 'M' to turn on the level's music. However, after the trapdoor opens and a lemming comes out, the music resets to the beginning. The same thing occurs with levels with pre-placed lemmings only after they say "Let's go!" This should be improved so that the music continues to play even after a lemming comes out of the trapdoor.

Also, great job with the sound changes.

[namida]

Small suggestion, and this is based on one of Mariachi Skeletron Prime's threads: an INI option to make every skill currently in the skillset infinite. (though this could also be achieved with the Overflow gimmick, but visually it looks nicer if the skills are displayed as infinite as opposed to counting down).

Is there any reason that Challenge Mode doesn't cover what you're after? It gives infinite use of all skills, basically it starts them at 0 and combines Overflow and Count Upwards gimmicks, meaning you have unlimited use but can also keep track of how many you've used. It also saves the used skill count to the text version of a replay, if you save one.

Obviously due to the two-digit limitation on the skill panel, if you exceed 99 uses of a skill only the last two digits will be displayed (eg: if you use 125 builders, the skill panel will show 25 for the builders); however the value saved in the text replay is accurate (so in this case, the text replay would say 125).

[namida]

I had another look at a feature that was requested quite some time ago, namely the option to encrypt level packs. This might be more doable than I previously thought; I'll look at including it in the next version.

Obviously, it won't be an overly strong encryption (though far more so than the "protect graphic set" feature on LemSet, which adds no protection other than setting a flag which, if LemSet finds, it will refuse to decompile the graphic set), but it should be more than enough for the simple purpose of preventing the average end user from opening your pack and discovering where the secret levels are. As an extra layer of protection for that end, I probably won't include decryption functionality in the editor at all (only the player will be able to open the encrypted files).

If I do implement it, I'll allow for its use with LVL files loaded via LookForLVLFiles too, allowing people to release LVL files as updates to single levels without having to update the entire pack. Do note - there WON'T be any option (even in Flexi) to "load encrypted LVLs only", meaning if you do allow this, there's still nothing stopping someone from popping in a custom-made level file. It's more useful for, for example, test versions of packs (similar to the ones I sent to testers for LPIII and HLP).

[Wafflem]

Forgot about Challenge Mode. Yeah, that's a great way to have infinite skills.

This came into my mind while reading Lemmings Plus C Project. I have a thought for something similar to the Congratulation screen that you see after beating the very last level of the last rank. I'm thinking of an Intro screen, where you can write your own introduction to the fangame. Something that is very similar to this:



This isn't just limited to before first level of a rank. It can also be used to introduce other ranks (e.g. "Welcome to the Tricky rank. The puzzles will get harder now"). You could even do this screen in-between two levels.

Also (spoiler to those who haven't played the Party levels in LPIII Bonus):

You could also modify it so that if people see the Rickrolls in Party 3, then press Esc, they will see a screen that says "Gotcha again! : P" (without the level map and stats) in the middle.

[namida]

I'll consider that idea, no guarantees though.

Something I have done though... check the saved image.
Although not apparent from this pic, nothing in the original graphic set has been removed; I expanded it to allow more than 64 pieces (up to 128 terrains and 32 objects). The somewhat weird placement is because I haven't added support for it to the editor yet, so I had to hex edit these into a level. (EDIT: It's supported in the editor now.)

RGB-based colors is also supported (not shown in pic). They still need a defined 16- or 32-color palette, for the purpose of brick color, and certain colors in lemming animations, but the terrain pieces and objects aren't limited to using the palette.

It's possible I might backport this to Traditional Lemmix. It's not overly difficult to implement.

For anyone wanting to implement support for these extensions into other engines/programs:
- For extra terrain/objects, at the end of the GROUNDxO.DAT file, the same format is repeated (it even includes a second set of palette entry bytes, though these obviously are unused).
- For RGB values, 0x40 is added to the usual flags byte, and all images are read as 19-bit, the 19th bit being an alpha bit. (The mask location is not to be used in this case, and should not be assumed to be accurate.) As usual, each pixel is an 18-bit color, not a 24-bit one.

In NeoLemmix LVL format, the higher ID numbers can be used directly. For traditional Lemmix format, the terrain ID number can't be; still need to come up with a workaround for this.

[namida]

I may as well mention now - I'm intending for all three of the poll options to be present in the next version. The extended graphic sets is already implemented (including in the editor now) and a steel-containing version of the Bubble style has been made, and the config screen is being worked on at the moment. The saved game feature will be last (and might not make it until a later version) as I intend to save the config options in here too; so it'll be easier to tell if the config menu is working while still using INIs to save the configuration.

[namida]

Config menu is coming along very nicely. At the moment, almost everything that can be configured in the INI file can now be configured via the built-in config menu. The exceptions are:

Activating/Deactivating Cheat Mode
This can be done in-game via entering the cheat code. I don't intend to add it to the config menu.

Turning Sound/Music On/Off
At the moment, this option exists on the title screen so there's no need to add it to the config menu; if I remove it from there (possibly to add the icon for the config screen) I'll add it in here.
EDIT: It's been added to the menu now.

NeoCustLemmix Level Pack Name
I'll probably add this later, though I might leave it as INI-based.

NeoCustLemmix Data File Prefix
Same for this one.

Background Color
I'm not quite sure *how* I'd even implement this one, unless it's just selecting from a list of a few presets.

Forced Gimmick/Skillset Selection
This is still on the to-do list, but for obvious reasons is more complicated to implement than the rest of the menu.
This one has now been implemented.


It's also coded so that irrelevant/disabled options won't show up. For example, the "Test Mode Setting" will only show up in NeoCustLemmix's config mode, and "Look For LVL Files" option won't show up in a Flexi-based pack where the author has disabled LookForLVLFiles in SYSTEM.DAT.

[namida]

Save system is semi-implemented. Specifically, it's there, but the "level select" menu isn't. However, any level that's been unlocked (which doesn't necesserially mean beating the level before it; for example secret levels are considered unlocked when you find them, and if you skip to a level using a code then it's considered unlocked afterwards; it does seperately keep track of which levels have actually been beaten though there is currently no way to see this) can be skipped to using the same codes as used with cheat mode (even if cheat mode isn't active). For example, if you've played up to Tricky 10, you could (without enabling cheat mode) enter "TRICKY6" as a code.

All configuration options except for the three that can't yet be configured via the menu (ie: background color, and level pack name / data file prefix for Cust) have also been removed from the INI file; they're now stored in the save file.

The save file also tracks (although there currently isn't any way to display) your best time and best lemmings count rescued for each level.


EDIT: I should also add, if you have cheats enabled and use the push-5-to-complete-level cheat, it *will* mark the following level as accessible, but it won't mark the current one as beaten. For example, if you're on Tricky 5 and use it, then from that point onwards both Tricky 5 and Tricky 6 will be marked as unlocked, but Tricky 5 will still be marked as unbeaten (and no records entered for it).

[Minim]

Another discovery (albeit minor) I found whilst retrying the Karoshi Gimmick challenge for Oh No: The Hammer trap at Wicked 1 doesn't work. Maybe because it's placed too high? I'll see if this involves any of the others...

Edit: Found a couple more major errors:
* In Wild 12 the Ice blaster is placed too high. I think it's supposed to prevent a backroute where the lemmings can just bash under the two walls without difficulty.
* Havoc 20 is impossible because of bad terrain placement. The lemmings on the left side splat upon entering.

I'm enjoying this task! Found some errors in the Extras too:

Genesis 5, 23 and Present 24 etc: Both zapper traps don't work. OK, I've proved the assumption that every floor zapper trap in the Genesis levels are placed too high.
Present 5, Genesis 17 and 32: Bad screen start positions. I could say the same for Genesis 1 too, despite the fact it's showing an entrance, IMO it should be showing both entrances and the exit.
Genesis 28: I noticed a missing row of pixels at the top row. The VGAspec must've been placed 1 pixel further down than its supposed position.
Genesis 40: The trap near the exit doesn't work. The trap on the right works okay.

Present 25 is interesting. There's a wall spike trap near the exit that's facing the wrong way. Not sure whether this is intentional or not, but I've never seen that before. A good idea to prevent backroutes I suppose...

[Tsyu]

Genesis 28: I noticed a missing row of pixels at the top row. The VGAspec must've been placed 1 pixel further down than its supposed position.

It's like that in the Genesis version too.

[namida]

Present 25 is interesting. There's a wall spike trap near the exit that's facing the wrong way. Not sure whether this is intentional or not, but I've never seen that before. A good idea to prevent backroutes I suppose...

I haven't modified the *type* of any objects, so if this is the case, it was either like that originally in Genesis, or was the result of the level being badly ripped. (Or possibly (though unlikely) caused by a glitch somewhere along the line.)

As for the rest of them, noted, and I'll get onto them at some point soon. I thought I had adjusted those zapper traps though... I was aware that some may not work in their old positioning. Perhaps the trigger area should be re-adjusted...

[Wafflem]

Your NeoLemmix New Skills Tutorial Pack's level sizes have not been adjusted yet.

[namida]

Your NeoLemmix New Skills Tutorial Pack's level sizes have not been adjusted yet.

I don't plan to adjust those ones.