Level Design Contest #24 - Playing Phase (Discussion Topic)

[Apjjm]

Took a bit more time looking at the rule 1 levels and now have a/another solution for all of them.

Lemmings in a rave - armani

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Wow - this is a brilliant puzzle. I really like the way the blocker is used in this!

Starstruck - Ichotolot

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This is a great puzzle with a lot of the difficulty near the beginning - when I realised how to contain the crowd It was largely a case of working how exactly to execute the bridge building. I did find reversing the builder to be very precise though (if the rule allowed a cloner it would have been nice here!). I tried quite a few things here like stacking lems ontop of each other to dig out the blocker but couldn't quite make it work (or was a skill short for releasing the crowd).

OttoLicho's Sprudel Squires - Kingshadow3

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I did a zig-zag miner this time, though I might have overcomplicated releasing one of the blockers. Using the reflected tunnel to free the blocker that leads to it is a nice element of the puzzle.

[IchoTolot]

@Apjjm

This is an acceptable alternative solution, well done!

The only difference is:

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My solution uses another basher at the start positioned slightly lower than the first to delay a slider a bit more + lower the depth of the holding pit as a result ---> The digger alone is enough to free the crowd.

I am also not dependent on the slightly messy canceled basher slider delay as a result, but nice little alternative trivk there!

You can see it in action in part 6 of my playthrough on YouTube as well.

[∫tan x dx]

@IchoTolot Great solution! Nicely done!

[Armani]

@Ichotolot @Apjjm

Intended

[Apjjm]

A couple more replays for solves

So near yeat so far - The Tomato Watcher

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This was a fun puzzle to do with two seperate paths to manage, especially given that it only has two distinct skills in the skillset

Violent Changes - Ichotolot

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This is a very impressive level - I'm really quite happy that I managed to solve this one without a hint - though it took quite a while. When I realised how the lasers were supposed to be used though the level clicked into place and was a very satisfying solve. What I really liked about this one is although every skill is required figuring out one part of the level helps answer another part.

[IchoTolot]

@Apjjm

That is 100% intended! Well Done again!

[Apjjm]

Some more solves and thoughts from the last day or two...

Trial by fire - Armani

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I think it is really clever that this level works with two non-trivial solutions despite a lot of the terrain being steel and the two skillsets being very different .

Green route: Not solved yet, I did find something I think works but I was 1 pixel away from executing it when trying to join the fencer to the top area - I imagine if I adjust placements a bit I might be able to find a way to join things up.
Red route: Replay attached - I initially planned to send one worker lemming to do all the work but then realised later I could use a lemming from the crowd to hit the most difficult button and send two lemmings off the bridge.

Out of interest, did you design this level with one route in mind initially and then adjust it to add the other, or did you plan both together?

Alluring Shimmer - IchoTolot

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I misread this as alluring shimmier at first !

This is a really pretty level (I definately want to try this tileset at some point), and not too difficult and was open ended but still does require some planning ahead!

Revenge of the king - Kingshadow3 (not solved yet)

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So far I think I need to extend a basher through multiple letters using the platformer, but I haven't quite worked out how to save enough skills to either get high enough from A to D or to bash through all the way.

I think this is a tough rule to design around so it's impressive that this level has a tricky puzzle to it too.

Emergency Evacuation - tan x dx

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The teleporter laserer interaction is really fun on this one . I initially tried this as a "I wonder if this works..." and saw it did but thought the solution might be laserer + miner as I couldn't initially see how it would fit in. Very nice level!

What goes up - The Tomato Watcher

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This is a nice elegant short puzzle! The ruleset you picked to design around is certainly tough, and I think the level you created is nice even without considering the challenge it was for.

Not the annoying gap in the floor again - Kaywhyn

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A very nice builderless level - I know you have said in some of your videos that you are a fan of this level type!

I imagine there are probably a few different ways to solve this one, but despite this you do have to be careful still not to leave lemmings stranded and to keep enough skills at the end to get to the exit.

Aerial Antics - NieSch

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I eventually worked out where to save my skill assignments for this one!

I think this is a really nice level overall and makes good use of all the terrain on it. The only downside this level had for me was the length of the feedback loop between skill assignments on the area near the start and being short a jumper / basher / shimmier at the very end - for me the stand out part of this puzzle was more in working out the path needed, rather than optimising the edges of the map.

Having said all that, this was still a very enjoyable puzzle

Guide to Clone Survival in the jungle - Kaywhyn (not solved yet - replay with 1 lemming short)

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I'm actually a bit stuck on this one

I have a solution that has one lemming short but I can't see how to avoid using what must be an extra bomber or blocker with my route (despite some heroic efforts at the end). The best Idea I have had so far is to try and block under the last button instead and maybe that unlocks something earlier on, but I am struggling to see it!

I do like the trick with the cloners and the builder which i'm thinking must be intended - it made me smile when I realised why there were 3 cloners there.

[Armani]

@Apjjm
Your solution is intended well done

Out of interest, did you design this level with one route in mind initially and then adjust it to add the other, or did you plan both together?

Neither. When I was creating the level map, I didn't have any specific solution in mind. After I designed the terrain, I developed the solutions based on that. Of course I added some traps, OWW, fire etc.. to enforce the solution afterward.

[kaywhyn]

@Apjjm

R2: You have most parts correct, but your overall solution is quite far from the intended one. There are some incorrect skill assignments which has caused you to run into a predicament with the save requirement. Armani has told me that this is clearly my hardest level in this contest collection, though I initially thought the solution would be way more obvious because of the pickups. Nope, he told me that it's not, so it seems that it's still very hard despite them. I know you can get my R2 solved eventually, though. I've been very impressed by how very well you been doing with these contest entries in the last few days

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You are correct that the builder wall by cloning the builder three times is one of the main tricks needed, great job there! You almost have another one down, and there's two more tricks required that I didn't see in your best replay attempt solution, hence why you still have a long way to go here.

R3: Acceptable solution. It's an open-ended level, as I mentioned before, and so I will accept almost any solution

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as long as you mine down the right side to get the bottom entrance up the level then everything else doesn't matter to me how you solve the level.

It's also acceptable for me because of how you used almost all skills. There were some unnecessary skill usages in your solution and hence you could had saved way more skills, but well, if it works, it works! Nice job, though

[NieSch]

Some more solves and thoughts from the last day or two...

Aerial Antics - NieSch

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I eventually worked out where to save my skill assignments for this one!

I think this is a really nice level overall and makes good use of all the terrain on it. The only downside this level had for me was the length of the feedback loop between skill assignments on the area near the start and being short a jumper / basher / shimmier at the very end - for me the stand out part of this puzzle was more in working out the path needed, rather than optimising the edges of the map.

Having said all that, this was still a very enjoyable puzzle

Well done! Your solution is 100% intended.

I understand your criticism so I made a few changes in V9.

[IchoTolot]

Here are my resolves.

[∫tan x dx]

@Apjjm You got it! Nice solve!

[Kingshadow3]

I've updated my rule 3 again.

[NieSch]

Here are my resolves.

[IchoTolot]

I attached the resolve of Kingshadow3's R3 level.