Author Topic: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic  (Read 4468 times)

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Offline namida

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Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« on: March 31, 2019, 09:00:33 AM »
This pack has now been released - see the release topic.



So... I decided lately to make a new pack. My original intention was that I was going to make Lemmings Plus VII, but I just wasn't feeling it with creating graphic sets, so I decided to do something different.

Thus - I'm now working on Lemmings Plus Alpha. A relatively small pack - only 45 levels, across 3 ranks (Mutilation, Decimation, Obliteration) - that revisits the Original and OhNo graphic sets, the only ones used in the Lemmings Plus series that haven't been paired up with use of NeoLemmix features. It also makes use of the previously-unused Sega set. This pack resolves that, as it does make use of NL skills, etc. Not all of the levels are going to be brand new - I've repurposed some of my spare levels (including some that were originally Community Pack submissions but were later withdrawn while that seemed dead) to use in this pack. Probably about 10 or so levels are not new, though many of these have had backroute fixes since the last seen versions.

Difficulty? If all goes to plan, this should end up being my hardest pack yet. At any rate, expect it to be hard.

You can download a six-level demo here: https://www.neolemmix.com/download.php?id=284
This demo features two levels from each rank.
As with LPI, this pack (including the demo) was designed with the Master System version musics in mind. :)

(For the record: Only three levels for LPVII got made before I changed my mind on it. Two have been remade in Orig/OhNo styles for Alpha; the third one really wasn't all that great.)



Current progress: All levels have been created. Testing and ordering are ongoing. No level currently has known backroutes.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2019, 02:49:40 AM by namida »
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2019, 03:24:17 AM »
Alright, so most of you who are interested, by now, would've clicked the download link, and many of you would've realised something dodgy was going on. Some might've realised that just from the way the post is written.

The truth? Lemmings Plus Alpha is a real pack. The prank wasn't that the pack is fake, but rather that the demo download link (sort of) was, while the pack itself was a real pack being played off as a prank.

The download link actually had three possible results, with equal probabilities. The first result - an actual 3-level demo. The second result - a fake demo also consisting of three levels, but two of them were silly levels and the third was impossible (EDIT: Or at least, it was intended to be - one person has actually managed to solve it). The third result - a good ol' rickroll.

I've now made the opening post more serious, and the link now points only to the actual demo. Additionally, it's now a four-level demo - I added the real level that the joke demo's impossible level was a modification of.

If you didn't get the fake demo and want to see it - you can download it here: https://www.neolemmix.com/download.php?id=280

« Last Edit: April 01, 2019, 07:11:56 PM by namida »
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2019, 03:02:38 PM »
How intricate :P I got the real demo and played through it during break this morning. I'll post feedback and replays in case you want them, but let me know if I shouldn't post them publicly yet and I can remove them.

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Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2019, 07:00:58 PM »
In general - any level I've posted publicly, it's acceptable to publicly post replays and/or feedback for (even if I haven't posted my own replays yet). Of course, don't assume any other author applies the same standards - that's just my standards.

Will post feedback shortly. :)

EDIT: All three solutions are intended, though it's possible to complete the second one much faster.
Re: Level 2 (click to show/hide)

Based on feedback from you and from a tester, I think I may have to reconsider the position of the 2nd demo level; I think I've underestimated its difficulty.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2019, 07:17:00 PM by namida »
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2019, 12:01:37 AM »
I've uploaded an updated version of the real demo, with a backroute fix to the third level "Mission: Difficult". The other three levels are unchanged.

I won't be making further updates to the demo, though this doesn't rule out further backroute fixes to the demo levels in the eventual release version.
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2019, 10:45:21 PM »
Only 7 levels to go now. Also, the 2nd rank is now full - although I expect there'll be a lot of reordering happening, as I haven't paid too much attention to ordering so far.

I've also decided that in addition to the 5 Orig and 4 Ohno sets, I'll also be using the Sega set in this pack - this is the first time it's appeared in Lemmings Plus. ;)
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2019, 05:03:25 AM »
I think I've set a new record for most backroute-prone level I've created. T_T

This level - which hasn't even been seen by playtesters yet - has already been modified to fix backroutes six times. And the latest version still has one. It's almost to the point where I think I need to scrap most of the level and build a new level around the key trick...

EDIT: Ultimately, I'm not sure if the intended trick even can be enforced. I might try it again on another level, but ultimately, I've given this level an entirely new solution (with an entirely different right half).
« Last Edit: April 13, 2019, 01:26:57 AM by namida »
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2019, 01:21:27 AM »
Well, it's official, I've now created all 45 levels!

Of course, there's still some testing and ordering to do. I already have a couple of testers, but if anyone else is interested, feel free to drop me a PM.

Style usage - somewhat intentionally - is quite balanced, at least over the pack as a whole. There's five levels each in Fire, Marble, Pillar, Brick and Sega styles, and four levels each in Dirt, Crystal, Rock, Snow and Bubble styles.

While this may be open to change based on testing feedback, the pack currently begins with a Dirt level, and ends with a Pillar level. The third rank also begins with a Dirt level, but neither of the other ranks end with a Pillar level. It's hard to say for sure at this stage, but the level I'd guess is the hardest one is a Brick level. The one I'd guess is easiest is a Sega level. The last level in creation order is a Sega level. The first one in creation order, I'm not entirely sure due to re-use of some old levels, but I think it was a Fire level.

There's none of the super huge levels that a few of my other packs had; all levels are confirmed solvable in under 6 minutes game time (and all but three in under 5 minutes). Super-hard though... you bet. ;)
« Last Edit: April 14, 2019, 01:57:49 AM by namida »
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2019, 09:09:44 PM »
I decided to update the demo again. It now reflects a closer-to-final order, has (based on current ordering) two levels from each rank... which yes, means I've added two more levels to the demo. :D

https://www.neolemmix.com/download.php?id=284
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline joshescue18

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2019, 02:51:46 AM »
Finished the demo.

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2019, 03:34:10 AM »
Finished the demo.

All the solutions are intended or acceptable. :)
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2019, 09:28:40 PM »
Decimation 12, "A Lot Of Lemming Going On Here"

Save 28 of 30, SR 90, no time limit
1 Floater, 1 Bomber, 1 Platformer, 4 Builders, 2 Bashers, 1 Miner, 1 Digger

This one seems to be the worst offender backroute-wise so far. I've just sent out the 15th test version (yes, even more so than White Noise, which actually seems to be quite solid now!). This level first showed up in the 5th test version, and almost every update since has included a backroute fix to this level. T_T The two most recent updates have consisted solely of fixes to this level.
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)

Offline namida

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Re: Lemmings Plus Alpha - Development Topic
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2019, 07:47:07 PM »
Obliteration 10, "Dirty Joke"

Save 16 of 20, SR 75 (Locked), no time limit
1 bomber, 7 builders, 5 stackers, 3 diggers

This is one of the last remaining stragglers among backroute-prone levels - and to be fair, that might be because this level was added much more recently than any other. The original Obliteration 10 had a backroute that seemed unfixable, so I replaced it with this as a new level. (That removed level later got put back, with the backroute intact, at an earlier position, since the tester who found the backroute mentioned that it was still pretty challenging to even find that. In place, a different level - probably the worst one in the pack - got removed.)

This is also the second-widest and second-largest level in Lemmings Plus Alpha, at 1016 pixels wide (x 240 tall), beaten by a level of 1296x200 (259,200 pixels total, vs 243,840 total for Dirty Joke). Both these levels fall well short on tallest level though, as one level is 400 pixels tall (though only 160 pixels wide). Despite the size, Dirty Joke's intended solution replay solves in under 3:30 - and I'm almost certain this could be brought under 3 minutes, and maybe even under 2:30, with some optimization.
My Lemmings projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)