All rightie, I've recorded my playthrough of all the contest levels. Here are the links:
Rule 1:
https://youtu.be/60X_dAgTi4IRule 2:
https://youtu.be/kQuhjw1cXNcRule 3:
https://youtu.be/ZRCa12izYwEMy contest levels:
https://youtu.be/iSN3ANILHss
I've also attached my entire replay collection, as well as replays of the intended solutions for my levels. There are two replays for WillLem's R3, one is for the gold/bronze talisman, while the other is for the silver talisman.
As a whole, I thought this collection pack had really tough levels in contrast to last few contests. In particular, the R3's took the longest to solve. Also, if even top solvers like Icho and Armani thought my levels were hard, perhaps I should consider dropping the notion that my own levels are easy, relatively speaking, to all the other ones.
It seems that I badly underestimate the difficulties of my levels. This being said, DO NOT expect me to go easy on the difficulty if I ever decide to make a level pack in the future!
I think it's becoming more and more likely that I will consider making one, having been inspired and encouraged by some forum members here
R1 FeedbackNice level here involving releasing one lemming at a time to forge different parts of the level. It's clear that either the floater or the slider need to be the first ones to start. However, I think it's clear enough to see that only the slider can get to the exit, which therefore leaves the floater as the only possibility to start. The hardest part to see I thought was the platforming and then stacking to get the climber up the top of the level on the right side. I originally tried other things where the trap is, but that would always get me into trouble with saving the climber to get him into the teleporter back to the starting area. Even after I had the level pretty much all figured out, I ran into being a skill short at the end, which was due to not doing the platformer/stacker part right.
Surprisingly difficult level, where it's not obvious at all how to distribute the lemmings on the top and bottom halves. In particular, I kept thinking to use the climber to platform up the water gap at the top where the button is on the far right side, but that seems to be a complete red herring. I also kept thinking to use a platformer at the top to save a shimmier. Also thought to use a basher on the pillar at the bottom left, but then you can't get a disarmer to the trap before everyone else on the bottom right, as well as get to the button on the far bottom right except for getting the spacing between the disarmer and climber just right to get the latter past the very fast triggering teleporter. Overall, nice level and puzzle!
Probably not as hard as Armani's or Icho's Cloud levels, but still tricky and challenging. The first half wasn't too bad, but the second half was where I struggled on various parts. In particular, I kept trying to do some very tricky timing so as to try and get to the OWW before the climber and glider go over the top, but it seems that one of them will always get into trouble before that happens. It took me a while to see that the timing isn't needed at all, and in the end my solution is almost the same as Icho's, the only difference is where I used the platformer and miner at the top, both on the left side of the OWW, as well as used a basher to stop the climber/glider from going over the top on the right side.
I think this is the start of difficult levels from you
I made the bottom harder than I needed to, where there was only one builder position to stop the climber from going into the water pit at the bottom left. It depends on how the swimmer bashes to leave the raised area to do so. I originally kept thinking to release the blocker from the right side, but that turns out to not be the best way to go about the level. The hardest part to see was just before the ice steam blower trap on the left side to bash and then build to the left. The jumper section at the end is a bit repetitive for my liking, but that's just me, where I'm not generally a fan of levels where the same skill has to be assigned in a short amount of time
Surprisingly tricky level despite being a somewhat small and short level. I like how you used the neutral Lemminas here! I also like how the title is an homage to "It's All A Matter Of Timing" from ONML, although the skillset has no connection to it, as it's not a builders only level
I like how the updraft is used to get everyone down safely, as well as to slow the descent of the floater to give the digger enough time to get through the floor. I have a jumper leftover, but that's because I had the worker Lemmina jump over the gap before platforming. Otherwise, doing it from the other side I would need to interrupt her with the jumper so she doesn't turn around.
R2 FeedbackI spotted that extending a basher with platfomers needs to be done almost right away, but how to do so was very hard. I tried many things before I was successful, such as trying to go over the top. I even tried to see if I could bash underneath the level to release everyone, but the basher would always stop before I want him to, and combine that with laserering so that he could continue down the slope. I was able to save multiple skills in contrast to Icho, who just had a platformer leftover. Apparently it's possible to solve without using either the walker or blocker too! Perhaps this can be a talisman
This is very similar to a Cloud level you posted in the random level sharing topic, so this was a quick solve for me. However, I did try building up to the platform at the start and mining in such a way to break away the staircase and free the blocker, but this would always result in the crowd arriving where the worker is too soon. Instead, it's a red herring completely.
Nice level. The hardest part here was to see how to place the blocker to trap the crowd and to release him with a digger later. I like how the digger is assigned the climber to get himself back out later. I thought to maybe extend a basher through both OWWs, but this doesn't work as you won't have enough skills to solve the level.
I consider this your hardest level in this contest. There were plenty of things I've tried that didn't work. In particular, sometimes gliders would go over obstacles and get into danger or the crowd arrives too soon and splats or gets into danger. It was a bit annoying at the end to think to have the level solved but then the gliders shoot past the exit because of the builder staircase, hence it's necessary to stop him early with a skill. I use a miner to cancel out a digger at the bottom. The level reminds me very much of "Abysmal Descent" from your DireKrow files.
The main challenge here was to get past the updrafts. I do have a platformer leftover thanks to taking advantage of the digger mechanics
Very nice level and solution!
In its current form, this was surprisingly hard. I backrouted an earlier version similar to Icho. It took me a very long time to see the stacker and laserer trick in order to step onto the stack at its maximum height. Eventually, I saw that the skill shadow of the stacker reaches a pixel above the OWW, and that's when I realized that you can platform over to the barrels from it. As a result, this reminds me very much of the level Non Sequitar from LemRunner, except a basher is used to be able to platform. I probably made the time limit tighter than it needs to be though. I kept thinking to send everyone to the right exit, or to destroy terrain before assigning a glider to get to the bottom left exit, but these would just leave you a skill short or get everyone into danger before the path is ready.
Very nice design and visuals! Didn't take too long to figure out, although I think I could had avoided the blocker if I had platformed lower. I also tried other things, such as bashing the floating platforms at the bottom to release the crowd, but this would take too much builders.
Nice level, although I haven't seen the splat pad in this style before. Doesn't take too long to figure out. I saved 1 over the requirement
R3 FeedbackI really love the design here, especially the computer half of the level!
I found this level to be hard but it's a really good one. The part that took me a while was the platformer pickup on the right outside of the computer. I sacrificed a climber there. Took me a while to figure out how to contain either group. I probably made my solution far harder than it needed to be. Good puzzle involving the switching of the groups to the other side/exit.
Another great design and hard level. I consider this one your hardest level out of your other contest entries in this collection pack. Sure, I thought R1 was hard too, but it wasn't that bad. I figured out the left side very quickly with bombing and then digging, but what took a very long time was how to get inside the submarine in the most efficient manner. Yes, I tried going in from the far bottom right where it's possible with just one bomber, but then you can't release the neutrals. I really like how the cloners are used here: For a laserer, and for the basher twice, once on the original and another time on the clone. Also using a laserer tunnel to keep a basher going. Seems like it should work, if it works for a fencer tunnel. Some of my earlier attempts had me fiddling around with the right side at the top, but it should had been clear that it's pointless, as you cannot get low enough to do the rest of the level if you do due to the water blocking access everywhere.
Surprisingly difficult level where you will not get the level solved if you don't take the intended route. I kept trying to extend a basher along the bottom with builder staircases, but then I would run into problems with reaching the far rightmost button. It's not possible to jump to climb to get to it without using two builders near the exit. The hardest part to see was bashing to the left in the starting area and then release them with a basher to the right at the bottom. Also building at the top and then bashing to the right to go over the top. Otherwise, I kept trying things around the middle like bashing twice and/or building/jumping to get the rightmost button, but this would result in too many skills being used. It's interesting how you and Armani had the same idea of making a submarine as your object for R3
Very hard level that took me a long time before I got it solved. Nice visuals, but unfortunately I wasn't too much of a fan of this level due to the many nuisances in the level. In particular, stopping climbers from going out to the left and hence using too many jumpers, as well as the lasers not being friendly for builders to make further forward progress. Then again, I did make my solution very complicated with a lot of heavy timing and pixel precision
Surprisingly difficult level despite being short. I originally tried to send 3 climbers through the needles trap, but as it turns out even if you have lemmings stack on top of each other it will always kill 2 lemmings. So, I guess that's the major difference with the lizard trap from the Rock tileset, where it will be possible to just have one lemming die to it when stacked behind each other, but not so for the needles trap. Even if this did work, you would lose 1 too many. Nice level which uses the interesting mechanic and interaction of a slider and stoner. I already know this trick from playing Uncharted, I just didn't think or see to use it for a long time in order to resolve the problem of turning back to the left with the normal lemmings.
Nice "Toy Story" reference here, and it's one of my favorite Pixar films!
Somewhat hard, although the hardest part to see here was to use two jumpers at the start to get the basher pickups. I have a basher leftover, but that's because I used timing to get the climber past the teleporter
Even then, this doesn't look like a backroute, so I would think it's fine here
When I first saw this level, I was thinking in my mind, he did not just go there
Nice boobies, although I can't imagine the pain a woman would have with melons that huge. Although I don't care for talismans in general, the level's short enough that I decided to go for them. As a result, I attached two replays, one for both the gold/bronze and another for the silver.