Author Topic: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]  (Read 15538 times)

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Offline WillLem

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[NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« on: February 22, 2022, 10:22:04 PM »


Check out the Records Table

The Lemminas are back for their second adventure! And this time, they have 5 different worlds to navigate!

Help them escape the gelato-splodged landscape of Purple Kingdom and enter the lush new lands that await them...

This pack includes several new styles as well as 5 brand new musical tracks created by yours truly :lemcat: As always, there are a mix of original tunes and some themes borrowed from classical music and nursery rhymes, in keeping with the Lemmings tradition.

Feast your eyes on these screenshots to whet your appetite:

Screenshots (click to show/hide)

It's taken more than a year to fully develop this pack. From its inception as an intended expansion pack for the first Lemminas, it has now grown into completely its own project. The likelihood is that this pack itself will get some bonus levels in the future, so watch this space! 8-) ;)

Acknowledgements (click to show/hide)

Music Credits (click to show/hide)

Setting up Lemminas II:

I've put everything into one zip folder called Lemminas II which can be extracted directly to the root folder of your copy of NeoLemmix (the extractor will place everything where it should be). However, if you prefer to do these things manually, ensure that you do the following:

Place the contents of the "levels" folder into NeoLemmix>levels
Place the contents of the "music" folder into NeoLemmix>music
Place the contents of the "Replay" folder into NeoLemmix>Replay
Place the contents of the "sound" folder into NeoLemmix>sound
Place the contents of the "styles" folder into NeoLemmix>styles (all styles will soon be available via the NeoLemmix Manager, but here they are just in case!)

Recommended settings: NeoLemmix 12.12+ / High Resolution / No Smooth Resampling / Normal Quality Minimap

Please feel free to use any of the content (i.e. music, sounds, styles) for your own packs; just remember to credit me if you do.

Enjoy Lemminas II!
« Last Edit: November 15, 2022, 06:38:23 AM by WillLem »

Offline WillLem

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2022, 11:08:30 PM »
For those confused by the initially empty OP, I wanted to make sure I got the topic in at 22:22 on 22/02/2022 ;P

The pack is now ready for download! :lemcat:

Offline Silken Healer

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2022, 11:23:09 PM »
Ohhh that's why there was an empty thing. Also I'm really excited for this I'll probably play it after I've finished eating :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Offline kaywhyn

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2022, 12:53:44 AM »
Congratulations on the release of Lemminas 2 WillLem! :thumbsup: On "Twosday" as well :D I will definitely give this a look sometime, although I still have both your Deja Vu and Xmas packs to go through as well. So many level packs I need to play, so little time :( In any case, I just wanted to drop off my congratulations on your Lemminas sequel pack's release :) Glad to hear you're doing well, buddy.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMqwuqZ206rBWJrUC6wkrA - My YouTube channel and you can also find my playlists of Lemmings level packs that I have LPed
kaywhyn's blog: https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=5363.0

Offline Swerdis

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2022, 03:09:33 PM »
I solved the first two ranks. The pack clearly lives from its visuals so far, I really like the differently-themed ranks. I also dig the music, even though there are only 5 tunes. My favourite is tune 4. I hope the difficulty-curve will gather a little pace soon :-) My solutions can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOahFY7zAWCoGpKOQdUf7mw

Offline WillLem

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2022, 07:58:35 PM »
I'm really excited for this I'll probably play it after I've finished eating :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Glad to hear it! Enjoy!!! :lemcat:

Congratulations on the release of Lemminas 2 WillLem! :thumbsup: On "Twosday" as well

Thanks kaywhyn! I was working on it right up until the deadline. I'm glad you've added it to your to-play list! I'd probably suggest to prioritise it above DejaLems and the Xmas pack, but of course it's up to you ;P

The pack clearly lives from its visuals so far, I really like the differently-themed ranks ... I hope the difficulty-curve will gather a little pace soon

I do make aesthetics a priority, so thanks for your comment on this.

I'd say that this time around the focus has been on making the levels as accessible as possible to a range of ability levels, hence the abundance of talismans; in a lot of cases, the base level is usually medium difficulty at most, offering a range of possible solutions. If you want an extra challenge on those earlier levels, go for the talismans ;P

I also dig the music, even though there are only 5 tunes. My favourite is tune 4

Thanks, the music has been an absolute joy to put together (and a lot of hard work as well!). I figured that since there are 10 levels in each rank, 5 tunes is sufficient to have each one appear twice per rank. If I end up releasing an expansion pack for this, I might do an extra couple of tunes as well.

Offline Silken Healer

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2022, 05:13:47 PM »
already finding level 1 difficult :XD: lol

Offline WillLem

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2022, 10:57:56 PM »
already finding level 1 difficult :XD: lol

:forehead:

Keep going, it's easier than it looks :lemcat:

Offline WillLem

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2022, 11:41:14 PM »
My solutions can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOahFY7zAWCoGpKOQdUf7mw

I like your solution to CPU Test #8! (NOTE: Link leads to video with solution) I might make it a "use 8 skills max" talisman in a future update :)

Offline Swerdis

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2022, 01:17:10 PM »
Thanks! Yeah, Level 1 in the first rank is not the typical cakewalk-start. But here's some good news: It won't get much harder in the first rank :-) Being in the third rank right now, I feel some real progress in terms of difficulty, even without talismans.

Offline WillLem

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2022, 01:08:11 AM »
Being in the third rank right now, I feel some real progress in terms of difficulty, even without talismans.

I'm glad about that. I'm enjoying watching your LP and you seem to be enjoying it and making it your own, which is great to see :lemcat:

Are you happy to share your replays? I'll be doing a records table soon and it's much easier to collate them with the Mass Replay Check feature.

Offline Swerdis

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Re: [NeoLemmix] Lemminas II (50 Levels) [Difficulty: Medium]
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2022, 07:13:30 AM »
Yeah, definitely. No problem with that at all.

Offline WillLem

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Version 1.01 Update

Changelog:

:lemming: Level 1-8 CPU Test #8 Gold talisman updated (credit to Swerdis for solution!) - updated level and replay are both included
:lemming: antisplat_glow and splat_glow in willlem_special have been updated, affecting 2 levels in World 4 - updated levels and style are both included
:lemming: info.nxmi updated with version number 1.01

Please head to the OP to get the latest version. Thanks!
« Last Edit: March 13, 2022, 11:45:25 PM by WillLem »

Offline Swerdis

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Hello WillLem,

I solved the last six levels of the final rank today which means I completed Lemminas II. It was a much quicker solve than your first Lemminas pack as far as I remember. So either this pack is easier or I am a better Lemmings player nowadays. Maybe it's because the difficulty comes from the talismans here - and I don't go for them intentionally. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this pack very much. As I already mentioned, I like the theming of the individual ranks and I like the tunes. I don't wanna hide the information that I got one copyright infringement complaint when I uploaded Level 3 of the final rank.

Teal: I'd say the first level here sets the standard of difficulty in this rank. It's a challenging one for a first level, but it doesn't get much harder later. The trickiest level for me here was probably Teal 5 because I ran out of builders/platformers several times. Teal 7 was also no cakewalk, but that's mainly since I miscalculated the distances due to the special circumstances in this level. Teal 10 was a bit annoying (lots of buttons to press), but not really difficult. Favourite one: Probably Teal 8.

Honey: This was my favourite rank. I like honey, I like yellow which is my favourite colour. But the levels have been pretty good, too though I think I backrouted some. My hardest one was Honey 6, but only because I wanted to solve it over the left side only. And it wasn't easy to climb up these honeycombs. The last one here is the one I like least since I think it plays a bit by itself, like if "on rails". It's always immediately clear what to do next.

Slush: That's probably the rank I had the most problems with. Slush 5 was a hard level and a real time-cruncher. The following one was difficult too, especially since there were no downward terrain-removing skills. This made it hard to reach some of the buttons. Slush 8 was another demanding one. 

Crystal: A surprisingly easy rank. There was no level here I really struggled with. If any, Crystal 8, is a candidate for it's not easy to trap the crowd here. And it introduced a new concept for me. I never played a level like this before. 

Classic: Though a familiar environment, this was my least favourite rank. There were hardly any puzzles here, the difficulty came from the execution in most cases. The hardest level was Classic 5, it was a real challenge to solve it within the time-limit. The by far easiest one was Classic 7. Maybe because I saw this concept elsewhere, but I think it's a bit like Honey 10. It plays almost automatically, there are no real decisions which must be made. My favourite level in the final rank and probably in the entire pack was Classic 4. A very good puzzle which uses up all the available skills (at least in my solution).

All in all, a very good and quite relaxing experience. Thank you for this pack and I am waiting for new material :-)

Offline WillLem

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Congratulations on completing the pack @Swerdis! Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed feedback. Some replies to your comments:

Quote from: Swerdis
It was a much quicker solve than your first Lemminas pack as far as I remember. So either this pack is easier or I am a better Lemmings player nowadays. Maybe it's because the difficulty comes from the talismans here - and I don't go for them intentionally

The pack is shorter than Lemminas by 14 levels (although I do intend to release an expansion pack at some point!). It's also intentionally easier at base level - the talismans are indeed the bulk of the challenge in this pack. Players have the choice to ignore them, or go for collecting them all (there are 88, just like in the first pack)! Given your solving skill and the fact that you prefer more of a puzzle than an open-ended level though, I'd say you're missing out by choosing not to go for the talismans. They are basically like repeat levels, after all. But, of course, it's up to you how you enjoy the pack, and I'm ultimately glad that you enjoyed it.

Quote from: Swerdis
Teal: I'd say the first level here sets the standard of difficulty in this rank. It's a challenging one for a first level, but it doesn't get much harder later.

You're not the only person to say this! I'm surprised that this level seems difficult, since it offers so many skills and is very open-ended. Maybe the map is a bit too complex for an opening level, perhaps; it had to be a somewhat decorative and extensive level since it's a "fond farewell" to the previous installment of Lemminas.

Quote from: Swerdis
The trickiest level for me here was probably Teal 5 because I ran out of builders/platformers several times.

The level is possible to solve without either! ;P (although not in the same solution!)

Quote from: Swerdis
Favourite one: Probably Teal 8.

Your solution provided the current Gold Talisman! I wondered whether it could be solved with 8 skills, but I couldn't find a way to do it myself, so thank you! :lemcat:

Quote from: Swerdis
Crystal 8 ... introduced a new concept for me. I never played a level like this before.

This is my kinda compliment! I'm really grateful for this :lemcat:

Quote from: Swerdis
I don't wanna hide the information that I got one copyright infringement complaint when I uploaded Level 3 of the final rank.

Hmm. I wonder why only this level caused a copyright infringement. Each tune appears twice in each rank, after all. Maybe it's not to do with the music; the level is heavily inspired by Nepster's The Game Of 1000 Balls (MOON 1 from NepsterLems) - but, I wouldn't have thought that this constitutes outright plagiarism, and I'd be amazed if YouTube were able to pick up on that anyway!

Quote from: Swerdis
Classic: Though a familiar environment, this was my least favourite rank. There were hardly any puzzles here, the difficulty came from the execution in most cases.

The idea with the final rank was for it to seem easy and open-ended at first, but for the maps themselves to create the difficulty. It was far worse in its original draft, I ended up replacing 3 of the levels from this rank which I felt went too overboard with map complexity - 2 of the replacement levels happen to be the more puzzle-based levels in this rank!

Quote from: Swerdis
The by far easiest one was Classic 7. Maybe because I saw this concept elsewhere ... It plays almost automatically, there are no real decisions which must be made.

It's a re-creation of a very similar level from FestiveLems, but with a few more elements added. I agree though, it is an almost automatic level - again, more of an exploration of a concept than a puzzle. Guilty, I guess! :lemcat:

Quote from: Swerdis
My favourite level in the final rank and probably in the entire pack was Classic 4. A very good puzzle which uses up all the available skills (at least in my solution).

I love your solution!
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Quote from: Swerdis
All in all, a very good and quite relaxing experience. Thank you for this pack and I am waiting for new material :-)

So glad you enjoyed it. As for new material, I do intend to release an expansion pack for Lemminas II at some point. At the moment, I imagine that such an expansion will bring each rank up to 15 levels. But, I wonder whether it would be better to simply add another rank, maybe a 6th world (although that would mean creating a new style, which I'm less inclined to do at this point). Not sure at this point, and I'd like the pack to get a few more plays before anything like this happens.

If you'd be happy to share your replays btw, this would be great! If you have set any records, I'll be sure to include them when I get around to building the records table for this pack.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2022, 09:50:46 PM by WillLem »