The summer solstice has recently passed, and the sun shines down upon you L2 fans...for I can now reveal my level pack in progress -
Tribes of Steel!Apparently someone discovered a prophecy that foretells the death of all lemkind, so the 12 tribes were all told to assemble at their base camps (prefabs erected just in case something like this would happen) with their talisman piece and embark on a journey to the centre of the island in order to escape certain doom. 
Note: Current version info can be found at the bottom of this post, as that's where the download link will be.
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The Background
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A few months ago, I played
Quest from Kieran 2 and was enthralled by it - so much so, that I still had thoughts about it long after I'd finished...and recently they persuaded me to have a go at L2 editing myself. One concept level and a bit of learning time on the editors later, and I think it's Thunder-Lemmings are Go!
Based on the same concept as QFK2* with some concepts of my own too, this is a full 120-level replacement. While I'm no stranger to level design (I made concept-based Doom/Heretic/Hexen level packs for 10-15 years), I doubt I'll be able to hit the puzzling heights of QFK2. I will try though, and the new level+skill combos are already bearing fruit. Besides, I've got plenty of ideas up my sleeve to ensure it looks, feels and plays differently (and it's showing already in the levels I've done so far). I'm hoping it'll end up somewhere between QFK2 and the original game on the quality scale (preferably closer to QFK2 ofc), but as long as it plays differently I don't mind.
And just in case you are worried about the execution side and the engine's quirks...there's always
DOSBox with savestates. Not quite as sophisticated as NL, but it does the trick. (and given what happened when I played QFK3, there won't be any ridiculous manoeuvres requiring savestate abuse)
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as I'm no expert. If you manage to break a level, please let me know what you did (I'm bound to miss things, esp. given that you guys have played a lot more than me). I don't really know much about glitches either, so there's bound to be a few somewhere.
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The Concepts
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Each tribe has it's own fixed set of themed skills - like QFK2*, but with many changes. (nearly all tribes have at least 2 differing skills)
The first level of each tribe is exactly the same - but with different skills each time. (some are easy, some are hard)
The last level of each tribe has 10 (!) trapdoors - ensuring an epic finale. (having groups of 6 lemmings will open up a new set of solutions and a different approach to solving)
Each tribe requires the full 60 lemmings to reach the end. Classic requires 50, and level names will end in a number to show the death count.
* it partly feels like I'm ripping off the idea, so I apologise for that. But it is how I would've made the original L2 if it was me. Together with my own concepts and challenges, I'm confident it will play differently to QFK2.
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The Tribes
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It wouldn't be complete without a sneak preview, so here it is. Click on the spoiler for details.
The ancient clans used to bombard each other until the mighty Angus McLem brokered a peace treaty, and battles became sporting contests. Now they must put aside their differences and head south, using their regimental skills with their love of outdoor pursuits and ancestral song+dance habits to traverse the foreboding mountains.
Skills: Rock Climber, Parachuter, Hopper, Attractor, Thrower, Roper, Mortar, Twister
Extras:
Level 4: Lemfidditch DistilleryRoll up, roll up, it's the Greatest Show on Earth! (well, this little patch of it) Music, bright lights and balloons, spectacular jumps and cannonballs, all topped off with the amazing Superlem! But someone should tell them to stop clowning around and start travelling again. (preferably not using a car that falls to bits)
Skills: Ballooner, Superlem, Jumper, Attractor, Platformer, Club Basher, Twister, Laser Blaster
Extras: Cannon, Trampoline
Level 7: RGB NightclubWhat is there to say about these guys? While their methods have been tried, tested and proven effective all throughout history, they still subscribe to the old beliefs that lemmings like walking off cliffs and going pop in the night. Let's hope that at least half of them manage to make it with their gold talisman piece.
Skills: Climber, Floater, Exploder, Blocker, Builder, Basher, Miner, Digger
Extras:
Level 3: A Race of HalvesThe Kingdom of Lemmand has built many fine castles all over the land, along with weapons and siege engines to cope with centuries of war...now the knights (and outlaws) must march to glory. These skills are surely going to be put to the test in their noble quest to meet the rest.
Skills: Climber, Roller, Archer, Builder, Platformer, Stacker, Fencer, Miner
Extras: Catapult
Level 5: Acrobatic OutlawAncient Gods, and lots of them. Lots of tombs to explore, lots of pots to fill up, lots of work to do. If only their Magic Carpets could carry it all to the underworld, but they're too unstable - and in any case it's a logistical nightmare, moreso than building pyramids without modern technology.
Skills: Magic Carpet, Shimmier, Slider, Filler, Sand Pourer, Glue Pourer, Basher, Stomper
Extras:
Level 9: The Plunger's Tomb"I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok!" But this lot aren't, as they don't cut down trees. Instead they take to the skies, the land, the water and ofc the veggie patch. Armed to the teeth with shovels and old WW2 ordnance they dug up previously, it's a long hard trek across the wilderness.
Skills: Ballooner, Parachuter, Kayaker, Planter, Platformer, Roper, Scooper, Bomber
Extras: Flicker
Level 6: Not Mushroom Out ThereThe sun's out and it's party time - if only we'd booked a DJ, man! Just as well really, as the tide's coming in like really fast and we need to scramble, dude! Grab what you can...I'm sure those gliders, surfboards and parasols will be useful somewhere along the way. And don't forget the bucket and spade!
Skills: Hang Glider, Floater, Diver, Surfer, Sand Pourer, Platformer, Flamethrower, Scooper
Extras:
Level 3: Fall & Rise of Reg LemmyThe Modern Lemathlon is a regional obsession. Comprised of running, fencing, archery, pole vault and obstacle racing, it's a tough all-round challenge that demands a lot of training and dedication. Surely then, Team GL will be the most adept at dashing to the centre of the island with their piece of the World Trophy? Not if that notorious green landscape has anything to do with it...
Skills: Rock Climber, Shimmier, Runner, Pole Vaulter, Archer, Platformer, Fencer, Miner
Extras: Steam Jet, Trampoline
Level 8: SwitcherooNinjas. Now you see them, now you don't. Swords and shuriken are out, as they replaced the old ways with modern methods. If they're not monkeying around the city, they're setting off explosions from up close and afar. Which does kinda defeat the point of sneaking around. Let's hope they can navigate the streets and reach the centre hideout before the time runs out and the baddie wins. (this message will now self-destruct in 5 seconds)
Skills: Rock Climber, Shimmier, Slider, Filler, Builder, Roper, Bazooka, Bomber
Extras:
Level 2: Urban GymnasticsThousands of years ago, lemmings first appeared on the island and somehow survived all the evolution since then. But after passing out of all knowledge for so long, their talisman piece has been found and they now must take it deep into the central mountain and cast it into the fire (or so they think). And to make things worse, they can't use the Icarus to fly all the way there because it would fill a plot hole or something.
Skills: Icarus Wings, Jumper, Swimmer, Spearer, Builder, Stacker, Club Basher, Stomper
Extras: Dinosaur
Level 5: Lem of the DumpThese pioneers of technology have managed to establish a moon base right here on this very island. They could teleport straight to the ark, except that they lost their talisman piece during a wormhole experiment some time ago. So they must go boldly where no lemming has gone before, and retrieve it using their futuristic tools (including their new invention of space glue!) accompanied by the sound of retro synth music.
Skills: Jetpack, Magno Boots, Attractor, Builder, Glue Pourer, Bazooka, Mortar, Laser Blaster
Extras: Teleporter
Level 7: Laser QuestBrrr, it's cold up north! But the Lem's Watch are well used to it, and have become quite adept at reaching high places. They're also good tunnellers, by virtue of having to constantly clear snow away. With all this and their traditional winter pastimes, can they cross the frozen North while avoiding zombies (they carry fire, just in case) and escape the prophecy?
Skills: Climber, Skier, Skater, Roper, Stacker, Flamethrower, Scooper, Digger
Extras:
Level 5: Eskimo Beat
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How to Install
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Back up your current /LEVELS/ folder within Lemmings 2, then extract the contents of the zip into there, overwriting the existing files.
How to run Lemmings 2 in DOSBoxIf you wish to play with the Amiga music instead, grab them from this thread and play externally. (with the PC music turned off)
https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=1803.msg44855#msg44855
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How to Play
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You have to manually save the game from the main menu, in between levels.
Keyboard shortcuts:
ESC: Quick Restart
F1 - F8: Skills 1-8 (sadly not as usable as L1, particularly on levels not using all 8 skills)
SPACE: Fan (required for several skills)
P: Pause (you can also unpause by pressing Space, if you want the fan ready when you do)
ENTER: Fast Forward (you can also cancel this by pressing Space, if you want the fan ready when you do)
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Savestates========
These are highly recommended, as a primitive but still effective player aid. While I've tried to avoid high-precision puzzles (similar to QFK2), the levels are somewhat bigger with more skills (especially the epic finale of each tribe), therefore it will be helpful to use them. There are two options:
If using
DOSBox with savestates, you have these controls:
ALT+F5: Save state
ALT+F9: Load state
ALT+F6: Previous slot
ALT+F7: Next slot
(10 save slots in total, with wraparound when selecting)
If using
DOSBox-X, you have these controls:
F11+S: Save state
F11+L: Load state
F11+(comma): Previous slot
F11+(dot): Next slot
(100 save slots in total, more than enough!)
I still recommend saving your game manually too.
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Current Version - 13.12 (download link at the bottom of the post)
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All 12 tribes complete. The final release will come after testing/tweaking, along with a video playthrough.
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Credits (so far)
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geoo - for creating both L2Suite (excellent editor/organiser) and PCL2Ed. (which is required occasionally)
GuyPerfect - for creating lgl2. (the main level editor)
kieranmillar - for creating QFK2. (the amazing level pack that inspired me to follow in it's footsteps)
Feedback credits will be added later.
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Footnote
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This is a new journey for me (and an unexpected one too), but the ideas are coming thick and fast. I hope to complete it by the time the winter solstice has recently passed, but will probably end up in next year. Either way, only the 3rd full Lemmings 2 game in 30 years will be something to look forward to!
