[NeoLemmix] Snack Pack

[SQron188]

Hello, you!

I don't like to come to a party empty-handed, so here's one I prepared earlier!



Snack Pack




(a sample level)


* * *
This pack is mostly inspired by Oh-No! More Lemmings, with my history with it going back quite a few years now. There was scarcely anything close to a tool like NeoLemmix or a way to share my creations like this forum, available to me at that time. A few months ago (at the time of writing) I started watching some of Flopsy's Let's Plays and heard him mention NeoLemmix and the Lemmings Forums.
You can imagine i felt like a kid in a candy store when I came across those!
- - -

The pack consists of 20 levels in a single rank, without any particular order. Each of the levels enforces a time limit.
Players are expected to possess knowledge of the official games (Lemmings, ONML, Tribes, etc.) but experience with custom packs available on this site is suggested as well. Perceived difficulty usually depends on personal experience of the player. Fare well, and save all those Lemmings!

- - -
The pack is compatible with NeoLemmix Player V10.13.

The .NXP file is attached below.

Complementary soundtracks are attached below, separately (they need to be put in the "Music" folder - it should be created if it doesn't exist yet in the NeoLemmix main directory).
* * *

*****
Special thanks go to:
+ DMA for the original game
+ EricLang & ccexplore for Lemmix
+ namida & Nepster for NeoLemmix
+ Flopsy's works for introducing me to the topic and inspiration
+ Alex A. Denisov for Graphics32
+ Eric turner for ZLibEx
+ Un4seen Development for Bass.dll
+ Volker Oth and Mindless for sharing the source code and information
+ IchoTolot, Nessy, Proxima, SimonN, Nepster, the rest of the Lemmings forums Community and everyone else who helped me with this effort!
*****


NeoLemmix Player (V10.13 required)

Pack itself (.NXP)

Complementary music

The custom soundtracks are:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Level 7: Lemmings 2: The Tribes (SEGA) - Shadow Tribe
Level 16: Lemmings 2: The Tribes (SEGA) - Egyptian Tribe
Level 20: Anarchy - In The Kitchen (Amiga Demo) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edA-BVDrprI )

+++
Flopsy's Let's Play of this level pack (spoilers!)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh8Coh55aAs&list=PLXsuXbpwwJzHt_RomM12nV9jw4GIo6bGZ

IchoTolot's playthrough of the pack (spoilers!):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5bJ9fL8-cs&list=PLKR1N9oJTTlIjaFTbxB8RS1-lqRYphbTd

[Flopsy]

Awesome, I've just had my first crack at this.

1 hour in recording time and I've reached Level 12 and can't solve it so I've given up for now.

I'll get my first video up by tomorrow night and post the link in here

My initial thoughts are there are some very well designed and inspirational levels in the levels I've played! I especially enjoyed the Shadow tileset level!

[SQron188]

Thanks for responding so quickly and in fact playing this pack of mine - a newcomer - straight away! I really appreciate this!

Level 12 is rather unforgiving, so don't worry. You are always welcome to ask for help with a level.

I can't wait for your video(s)!

Funny should you mention that since the pack's levels themselves were inspired by Lemmings, ONML and other people's works.
And the Shadow level was an absolute joy to create, I'm happy you like it, too!

[Nepster]

A lot of very nice levels, though the difficulty order is not perfect yet Replays are attached.

Detailed comments (click to show/hide)

1) The level looks like one lemmings should exit on the right, but that's not enforced.
2) Easiest level and the least interesting one.
3) Looks very nice and the first half of the level is interesting. However the long bridge at the end could be shortened a little bit...
4) Amazing wood design. The basher-staircase at the end is already done to death in existing levels, so I would have preferred the level without it.
5) Interesting design with these upside-down icicles. But again I am not a fan of the long bridge at the end.
6) Nice idea, but slightly on the builder-heavy side again.
7) Amazing level! At first I thought this level would be completely impossible. One of the harder levels of the pack.
8) Nice terrain layout, but again on the builder-heavy side.
9) Very good level!
10) One of the easiest levels of the pack. A good level to start the pack, in my opinion.
11) Very interesting terrain layout, though I would have wished for a slightly more complex solution. But maybe I just backrouted the level...
12) By far the hardest level in the pack! Ensuring that the basher continues requires both very precise placements of the builder on the right and the starting position of the basher. Perhaps consider adding another builder?
13) Amazing design and excellent solution!
14) I am not a fan of this level, because it is very precise on the maximal fall height for the lemmings.
15) Nice solution, but I wonder about the traps on the left: They are close to the path of the lemmings, but never get triggered. Is this intended?
16) I might have backrouted that level, because it seemed relatively easy and I didn't really use the stair to the top.
17) A weird level. Not really hard and an unusual terrain layout.
18) Interesting idea.
19) Very nice level. But I really wonder whether so many lemmings together with the harsh time limit is necessary?
20) First of all: The traps at the beginning don't do anything, which I expect to be a mistake. Furthermore I am not a fan of the part directly after the big steel pillar: Building a stair to catch the other lemmings reaches only barely high enough. This makes the level far more precise than necessary for no gain at all (that I can see). Otherwise a nice, beautiful level, but perhaps not as hard as one would expect a final level to be.

One more general comment: All your levels have time limits. Currently the culture here favors giving infinite time for all levels where staying within the time limit isn't the main point of the level and the time limit isn't needed to enforce a specific solution.

PS: Very nice sandwich title picture.

[Strato Incendus]

Could solve all the levels except for three of the 99 release rate ones. Seems I lack some commonly used strategies to control crowds which are so tightly packed together...

Any general tricks one can do to hold back 99ers, without spoiling any particular level? Some tricks you just have to know, after all, like the "cunning plan" (builder wall) or the double miner-cancel trick.

[Flopsy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh8Coh55aAs

For those who haven't watched my first video of this pack yet.

[IchoTolot]

Attached are my replays to all levels.   Nice first pack.   The overall solving time was roughly 1hour for me if you want to measure the difficulty.

Feedback:

General: Nearly all timelimits are unnessesary. Timers are used to enforce certain solutions and prevent backroutes or enforce a certain degree of multitasking. Here they are mostly there to fail an attempt because the crowd came a few seconds too late. I would remove all of them.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Level 1: Nice and easy start, but again the timer is not needed.
Level 2: Bomb your way through.    Could use a bit more decorations + remove the timer
Level 3: This level looks gorgeous! Just the timer is unnessesary.
Level 4: This could be a backroute   Again timer   (Yes I will point it out every time!)
Level 5: The trap is a bit too hidden for my liking, otherwise it looks very nice      Timer
Level 6: If this is intended you got yourself a nice, tricky solution there      Also the timer can go as the bottom way should be blocked through the limited builders anyway 
Level 7: I would shorten the building height. The idea could be done with less bombing I think. Otherwise it looks amazing     Also the timer you know
Level 8: Here the clock is your only enemy and well isn't really needed too     Also this looks a bit bare.
Level 9: I smell a backroute    Also here the timer is just annoying as you need to RR 99 it really early to avoid running out of time
Level 10: Well that was easy    And why we need the 4min timer I don't really know hehe
Level 11: The hardest level for me which took 8mins. Looks nice and was tricky but the timer could go
Level 12: My old Lemmini sense was tingling, that's why after 2mins it was solved Just remove the timer and you got a nice level
Level 13: I smell a backroute
Level 14: A bit too heavy on the building side and 3:30 timer isn't nessesary
Level 15: Another nice level --- again timer, you know the drill
Level 16: Nice and easy   Apart from the timer
Level 17: This could be a bit more compact in the space department I think and without a timer. Otherwise good level.
Level 18: This felt like a backroute I think
Level 19: To be honest I hate these levels     I raged to GigaLem when he had 13 sections! I raged at Nepster when he had 20! I raged also at Flopsy! And you won't be spared!    Concentrating on all seperate sections is just plain annoying and they could all be in their own level for themselves!
Level 20: Nice looking and very easy   The traps at the start aren't working, don't know if that's intended

[SQron188]

Could solve all the levels except for three of the 99 release rate ones. Seems I lack some commonly used strategies to control crowds which are so tightly packed together...

Any general tricks one can do to hold back 99ers, without spoiling any particular level? Some tricks you just have to know, after all, like the "cunning plan" (builder wall) or the double miner-cancel trick.

Nothing in particular comes to my mind...
I'd say: finding a way of keeping the crowd away from the work being done? timing? some of level titles giving vague hints?
I'm not sure if I can say much more than that.

[Flopsy]

I've now finished the pack, Level 12 was the only major brick wall but there were some very inspirational and very well designed levels in this pack.

I've got 2 more videos to come on this pack on my channel bringing the total to four.

Great pack overall and very high quality for a first attempt at a level pack, I look forward to seeing more from you SQron188

[SQron188]

Thank you for your kind words and your work again! Indeed, I'm excited at the idea of working in this area some more!

[SQron188]

A lot of very nice levels, though the difficulty order is not perfect yet Replays are attached.

Detailed comments (click to show/hide)

1) The level looks like one lemmings should exit on the right, but that's not enforced.
2) Easiest level and the least interesting one.
3) Looks very nice and the first half of the level is interesting. However the long bridge at the end could be shortened a little bit...
4) Amazing wood design. The basher-staircase at the end is already done to death in existing levels, so I would have preferred the level without it.
5) Interesting design with these upside-down icicles. But again I am not a fan of the long bridge at the end.
6) Nice idea, but slightly on the builder-heavy side again.
7) Amazing level! At first I thought this level would be completely impossible. One of the harder levels of the pack.
8) Nice terrain layout, but again on the builder-heavy side.
9) Very good level!
10) One of the easiest levels of the pack. A good level to start the pack, in my opinion.
11) Very interesting terrain layout, though I would have wished for a slightly more complex solution. But maybe I just backrouted the level...
12) By far the hardest level in the pack! Ensuring that the basher continues requires both very precise placements of the builder on the right and the starting position of the basher. Perhaps consider adding another builder?
13) Amazing design and excellent solution!
14) I am not a fan of this level, because it is very precise on the maximal fall height for the lemmings.
15) Nice solution, but I wonder about the traps on the left: They are close to the path of the lemmings, but never get triggered. Is this intended?
16) I might have backrouted that level, because it seemed relatively easy and I didn't really use the stair to the top.
17) A weird level. Not really hard and an unusual terrain layout.
18) Interesting idea.
19) Very nice level. But I really wonder whether so many lemmings together with the harsh time limit is necessary?
20) First of all: The traps at the beginning don't do anything, which I expect to be a mistake. Furthermore I am not a fan of the part directly after the big steel pillar: Building a stair to catch the other lemmings reaches only barely high enough. This makes the level far more precise than necessary for no gain at all (that I can see). Otherwise a nice, beautiful level, but perhaps not as hard as one would expect a final level to be.

One more general comment: All your levels have time limits. Currently the culture here favors giving infinite time for all levels where staying within the time limit isn't the main point of the level and the time limit isn't needed to enforce a specific solution.

PS: Very nice sandwich title picture.

Thanks for your effort again. I am really excited about this whole level-sharing experience!

Some miscellaneous comments about your comments:

(Solutions and spoilers abound!) (click to show/hide)

Oh boy, I think half of the replays are backroutes!
You’ve been very resourceful and I haven’t backroute-proofed the levels enough.
I’m not mad about it, of course.
These are my first steps in the level-making territory, after all.
As mentioned in the original post, the levels don't follow any particular order, even though I had a thought of arranging them in order of difficulty, but then came to the conclusion that I suck at that.

2) Was initially planned as part of some form introductory levels and then as a breather level, but both ideas got scrapped.
3) Long build near the end is just one of the possible solutions. The intentional one was to go the upper route.
4) Funny should you mention that, since it kind of started off the other way round – as a way of incorporating the basher staircase into my levels. I knew (from watched LPs, for example) that the trick is widely known if not old, but it’s part of what I had wanted to accomplish since my first encounters with the game. Ah, good memories...
5) ) Long build near the end – that may be my age and ONML influence showing. I took time limits for granted, like this: Lemmings = time limits, taking it for granted.
6) Another very old idea of mine.
11) No, it wasn’t meant to be too complicated, apart from the bit in the beginning.
12) I'll think about the skillset. I tried making it so that you can start building from the very edge of each platform (with all of the builders going to the left) and adding a couple more bridges above those to stall rushing Lems as well as make sure the basher continues. The basher should simply start as low as possible.
15) Intentional, hence the level title.
16) Nah, you’re not supposed to climb to the top of the staircase.
17) I was trying to balance the grey and the red colour in the layout for added aesthetic value.
19) I was trying to make it very harrowing.
20) Traps at the beginning not functioning – intentional, it’s just (intimidating) decoration, just like in level 15.
And sorry, again it’s just my “old” side, with the time limits.
I’ll perhaps try to fix some of the backroutes (due to my incompetence) in an update, so I guess I shouldn’t say what you’re supposed to do there yet.

...

I’m so happy about each positive bit of feedback on this!

[Flopsy]

Forgot to post my replay files for my LP playing this pack, you would probably find this useful for your backroute fixing.

[SQron188]

Forgot to post my replay files for my LP playing this pack, you would probably find this useful for your backroute fixing.

Thanks for the replays, although I think they're the same ones as your Let's Play solutions.
I've been very  keen while watching the LP and I remember them all!
They still might come in handy for pixel-measuring or such shenanigans. And for archive purposes, surely.

[joshescue18]

I have finished this pack.