Absence of VSI: which levels to modify?

[Simon]

Don't look back: This got a time-limit gadget. Unrelated lix activates a discrete trap, so the main crowd can pass. This makes runner assignments harder: The runner arrives at the trap too early.

Runner solution (click to show/hide)

Above the 4th obstacle, assign blocker to the early runner. Mine through this 4th obstacle with a regular lix, thereby releasing the blocker again.

• Okay to keep this level with time-limit gadget?
• If keep, difficulty remains at Cunning?
• Or instead of the time limit, jag the main floor diagonally, to kill who turns? Must jag very often, to prevent blocker assignments next to a small obstacle.
• Or replace level entirely? The level is artificial without time limit support by Lix. I want to create at least one forest level anyway, to showcase the forest tileset within the community pack. Proxima has suggested Get Down From There in Simple.

ccx: Happy to see you around again, thanks for supporting your level. I hope the VSI-free game grows on you a little. It feels correct to me, play has become much more concise without VSI and time limits.

-- Simon

[Proxima]

There is a simpler way to do the revised Don't Look Back. I think it's okay and well-placed in terms of difficulty.

Solution (click to show/hide)

The runner mines through the fourth obstacle. When building over the third obstacle, start the builder further back to waste more time.

[Simon]

Don't Look Back without the time-limit gadget. The time limit's purpose was that nobody turns; let's aim for the purpose, not the means.

The exit sits in a box with only a small opening. The box turns uninterrupted builders. An uninterrupted builder was too slow in the old version, and turning fits the level's spirit.

Agree how Don't Look back is streamlined, without any hard trick, good for Cunning.

Proxima: Let's do another release, because you're already pointing people to your zip file. To cover 5 ranks with replays, please send me replays for:
Daunting/buyonegetonefree2.txt
Vicious/alieninvasion.txt
Vicious/chasm.txt
Vicious/halfwaydownthestairs.txt
Vicious/hellfire.txt
Vicious/lixesinarms.txt
Vicious/spingeometry.txt

-- Simon

[Proxima]

Zip contains the requested replays.

[Proxima]

I've updated the zip of the lemforum pack with a couple of lix count changes that I'd decided on but forgotten to do. Old replay of Lixes in Arms probably won't solve, so I've recorded a new one. Let me know if any other levels have problems.

[Simon]

Thanks! I've ran the verifier, we have covered all 200 levels in the first 5 ranks.

Both of your replays for Lixes in Arms solve the level from today's (2016-07-21) zip file of your entire level tree, I keep both replays in the proof collection.

All suggestions from above are included in 0.6.7. For new suggestions, please make a new post.

-- Simon

[Nepster]

Playing "No More Heroes" (Hopeless 21) I found an alternative solution that required couple of dozens of tries to get the correct timing to shave off the final two frames, that one lix was too late. This wasn't much fun, so I suggest to make the execution easier. Here are two possibilities:
1) Make my solution easier to execute: This is easily done by changing the SI to 5 or even 6. But Simon thinks that my solution misses one lovely detail.
2) Remove the batter to make my solution impossible: While the current level is solvable without the batter, this solution requires again very precise skill assignments. So I tried to modify the terrain a little bit to make execution easier - see attached level. Without the batter, many of the sawblades are no longer necessary, so I removed all sawblades and all steel that is no longer needed to prevent backroute. I hope, I didn't remove too much.

[Proxima]

Suggestions for lowering lix counts in Hopeless:

Labyrinth of Despair 39/40
Metal City Mayhem 32/32
Think Inside the Box 144/160
Tinker Tailor Soldier Lix 30/30
The Hotel in Hell 17/20
Yuki, Muon, Madobe Nite 12/24 (and also The Lion, Lix and the Wardrobe 12/24)

[geoo]

Here's a backroute to the latest version of No More Heroes. It's a side effect of replacing the bomber with a walker. I think in principle the level should still work if walker is replaced by a bomber again, with according terrain changes to keep execution easy, don't know if that causes any issues.

[Nepster]

Replacing the walker with an imploder would create backroutes, but here a version with a fling-bomber instead. Let's see whether the flinging creates new backroutes...

[Simon]

Design history of NMH-with-walker: We sped up the climber path, compared against NMH-C++.

I solved the exploder version. The exploder looks safe on first sight: If you explode close to crowd members, you turn crowd members and lose. Exploders are good, they're funnier than walkers.

Timing is delicate for the level designer, because the level feels nice whhen everything falls into place. I'm okay with erring in the lenient direction.

-- Simon

[mobius]

Suggestions for lowering lix counts in Hopeless:

Labyrinth of Despair 39/40
Metal City Mayhem 32/32
Think Inside the Box 144/160
Tinker Tailor Soldier Lix 30/30
The Hotel in Hell 17/20
Yuki, Muon, Madobe Nite 12/24 (and also The Lion, Lix and the Wardrobe 12/24)

Why do you think Tinker Tailor Soldier Lix needs a reduced count? I think this might make the timing more difficult, but I'm not sure. This level should work fine with a Fixed SI and no time limit. The backroute occurs if the This level went under so many changes  I can't remember the backroute that works with unlimited time (if there even was one) but I don't think it matters.

Looking at my own video this should be fine.

here's intended solution:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie581oadDTs

[Proxima]

The intended solution works fine in D Lix, but with the original 50/50, there were still lix spawning when the route was complete.