Author Level List Game

[namida]

Here's a slight variation on the level list game - instead of choosing a pack, only an author is chosen, and the person reviews their favourite level from that author. If that level's already been done, just state what it is, and review your 2nd favourite. If that one's done, do the same and go to the 3rd, and so on. Then after about 5 or 6 reviews, a new author is chosen, and so on.

I'm going to randomly choose to start with Insane Steve, however I don't have time to review my fav level at the moment. I'll do it tomorrow, if no one else picks the same level first.

[geoo]

Well, there's a level I've always wanted to review.
It took me ages to solve; when I first saw it, I dunno, it had somewhat mystic to me. I knew: I must solve it, at whatever cost. Everytime I played it, I looked at the Mon0lith, thought, thought, thought, and got desperated...
Now that I solved it, it's still a legend for me:
I.S. 4: Hopeless - Level 20: The Mon0lith
Save 28 of 40
Release rate: 95
Time: 2:15 minutes
Skills: 4 climbers, 2 floaters, 2 blockers, 4 builders, 10 bashers, 3 miners, 1 digger
Good: Already starting up with an accosting introduction text, when seeing the Mon0lith itself, it has a memorable and though astonishingly clear design. It is very nicely formed, nicely steep, not too straight and not too bumpy, and the writing on it has style, it gives the Mon0lith a twist but isn't high-pitched; also the clear design around it matches the whole style. For the solution, having given seemingly enough miners and builders the level doesn't seem that bad at first, but later this fact only causes the desparation, as the well chosen music also does. Once you have worked out the main idea, you also need to work out the timing of everything to get everything right in place giving it a second challenge. The main idea uses a nice trick which is neither glitchy nor unlogical, and this fact makes you wonder why it took you so long, but there must be a reason I don't know. When all the timing is worked out, there's no frame or pixel precision required. The time limit is very tight giving it more thrill when you're trying to solve it, but for the right solution you'll always get them in at 0:00 without much problems for whatever reason, however the time peroid the lemmings walk towards the exit is full of excitement. The amount of lemmings to save is the minimum for the method, thus avoiding annoying re-tries until you get it. And it's very pleasing to solve it...
Bad: Nothing. Really. Although...it lost a little bit of its mystic after solving it.


Well, that's what I just wanted to say. I just wonder whether this thread will keep active since the are already two custom level review threads, for both Cheapo and CustLemm.

[Ice_Eagle91]

Insane Steve's MS Paint Adventure (I like those types of levels, they're WAY better.   )
Level 9: The Land of Lines

Save 170/200
RR 10
Time: 7:56
Skills: 3 climbers, floaters, bombers, 40 builders, 1 basher and miner, 10 diggers

Good:
1. This level is not that hard; its difficulty is just right
2. I'm glad that Insane Steve used a different song for this level
3. Tricks can be used.
4. I learned a trick from this level by accident  
5. It's fun to find the solution

Bad:
The only bad thing is when you implement the solution because it can be sometimes frustrating

[namida]

IS Notebook 2.13 - "The Lobby"
------------------------------------
Lemmings: 90
Save: 88
Time: 6:16
RR: 99
Skills: 1 of each

Good: This level is very fun. It's challenging, but unlike most of IS's levels, it's neither cheap nor over-the-top for difficulty. The solution is not obvious at first look, but it doesn't take years to figure out either.

Bad: It wouldn't exactly have been THAT hard to require the floater and builder as well.

[chaos_defrost]

I don't think my levels are over-the-top in difficulty -- geoo has essentially passed all but the one admittedly taxing and annoying to re-attempt level in my packs. And only a few of the levels are terrificly cheap, in my mind.

I'll tell you my favorite of my levels once you all have your input. You may be surprised. Heh.

[namida]

IS: Check your PM. I want to know if I actually got the correct solution to that level.

[Proxima]

I don't think my levels are over-the-top in difficulty -- geoo has essentially passed all but the one admittedly taxing and annoying to re-attempt level in my packs.

Which is like saying "My maths puzzles aren't over-the-top in difficulty -- I showed them to one of the world's top mathematicians and he solved nearly all of them".  :-/

Anyway......

IS03: Chaotic
Level 19: Round Trip

Save 95% of 80
Release rate 70
4 minutes 22 seconds

4 climbers, 1 floater, 3 bombers, 1 blocker, 2 builders, 1 basher, 1 miner, 1 digger

Good: elegant puzzle, uses lots of skills but has an almost unique and well-concealed solution. Ideal difficulty level -- high enough to be satisfying to solve but not too frustrating. Precision element requires care but doesn't require interminable replays to get right.
Bad: since it so nearly fits onto one screenful, it would be preferable if it could fit exactly.

Slightly bad: not really a backroute, but by varying the move order it's possible to finish with skills left over -- as much as three climbers and the floater.

It was hard for me to choose one of Insane Steve's levels, to be honest, as he's done so many great ones; The Ob3lisk and Catch-22 in particular came close to being chosen. But this one really has a special place in my heart, as I remember the first time I looked through his sets, and the intro text of this one goaded me into having a go, to prove that I could solve an "actually pretty tricky" level. And I did.  

[Isu 2006]

Insane Steve has created many good levels, I think my all time favourite would be this:

IS04: Hopeless
Level 1: Inner Sanctum

Save 108 of 120
Release Rate 60
Time 3:08

5 climbers
5 bombers
10 blockers
25 builders
5 bashers

Good: The multitask element is implemented well, Because of the short time limit, both sides need to be done at the same time. There aren't too many entrances but enough to make it work okay. The exit area looks a bit "sanctumy", which fits in well with the title.
Bad: It's only a lot of building

[JM]

Do we get to review levels from Custlemm aswell?

I was thinking about doing some of Leviathan's levels before doing another author.

[Proxima]

Yeah, I think this game should include both CustLemm and Cheapo when reviewing an author who's done levels for both.

We can do Leviathan next -- but I'd like to round off Insane Steve first by having the author reveal his own favourite!

[JM]

I'm starting off by doing 5 or 6 of Leviathan's custlemm levels before doing another author.

Levipak2 - Level 7: Need more help from above ?
    
80 Lems  
100% to save  
RR: 1
Time: 1 minute
Skills: 1 of each
 
Good: Uses a glitch and if you don't know it then the level is rather difficult
 
Bad: If you've passed "Need any help from above?" then you will have no problem with this

[namida]

We'll let it slip this time, but for after this, I think that's a good idea. We should have the author being done do the last review, and let them pick the next author. If they no longer come online, that could be a problem though... I guess if that's the case, we can skip them doing the final review.

[chaos_defrost]

Heh, my favorite of my levels was already given by Ahribar -- Round Trip.

Things I like about it: The solution, for one, is tricky to find but not terribly hard to pull off. The L3 Classic style was a good choice for the level -- the reason I payed a bit more attention to terrain in it is because it was a submission to a level pack featuring the style that never got released. Although I didn't think there was a way to do it without all the tasks, the numbers of the tasks themselves actually form a sort of pattern: 4-1-3-1-2-1-1-1.
Thing I don't like about it: The level was made with the terrain first, and I found a neat way to pass the level -- I'd have prefered to have the idea for the level before I designed it. But then, I kind of don't think it would've looked as nice...

My next favorite, that hasn't been reviewed, is:

I.S. 2: Menacing
Level 21: Bridge Out

Save 10/10, RR 95, 40 seconds
1 builder, 3 bashers, 3 miners, 3 diggers

Things I like: The terrain looks kind of cool to me. You have to think of the best way to beat the clock to find the exit with your limited tasks, and there's a lot of hidden terrain traps you need to watch out for. The solution is clever, at least in my mind.
Thing I don't like: The solution is harder to pull off than I'd like thanks to Cheapo's handling at times.

I'll replay Levi's packs and pick a favorite later.

[namida]

I also quite like Bridge Out.

[Proxima]

I still haven't found the solution to Bridge Out  :-/

Here's how to pass Round Trip with the maximum skills left over, though:

First right lemming blocks. Second bashes the right pillar and explodes next to the left pillar. Third comes back and builds from the left to meet the right pillar above the bash hole. First left lemming climbs, digs the right edge of the structure above the top of the "staircase", builds to the exit platform, comes back and mines to meet the lower bridge, comes back and bombs through to the exit. Finally make one of the left lemmings bomb the rest of the left pillar.

I'm not sure if I've played any of Leviathan's levels. Has he made any for Cheapo?