Level Design Contest #34

[IchoTolot]

Welcome to another contest of the Lemmingsforums! This time the three rules have been picked by kaywhyn.

A few words to new participants and forum members: If you haven't entered before, I strongly encourage you to try - even if you don't win, it's fun to participate; and we have had cases where first-time entrants have won before! There are three choices of rules given, you may enter one level for EACH one of the rules.
You may either use NeoLemmix, or Lix.

RC/experimental NL builds aren't allowed, only the stable version of NL!

If you have more than one entry, they may (but do not have to) be for the same engine. Please make sure you tested your level for basic solvability before submitting and be sure to also submit any custom tileset you are using, so others have no problem playing your level.

Pre contest testing: You can choose 1-2 persons who do a bit of pre-testing for you, so that the biggest backroutes and screw-ups of your levels can be detected before the playing phase. I cannot control this so it's only a guideline, but still I would prefer not everyone knows every level before the playing phase starts.

Here are the rules on how the submission deadlines work:
- Initial submission phase deadline will extend such that it's 72 hours from the time of the last submission, up to the 5th submission (inclusive). After this it no longer changes no matter what.
- Update phase deadline will not extend over the initial dead line!
- Even if you missed the cutoff date for the initial submission phase, late entries are accepted until the update phase ends. There is no penalty for a late entry, beyond that people are less likely to spend as much time on the level before voting begins.

And here is the new ruleset:

Rule 1 (kaywhyn) - Object minimalism:

*  Make a level with the only objects allowed are the entrance and exit. No limit on either and the rest is anything goes.

Rule 2 (kaywhyn) - Happy 35th Birthday, Lemmings!:

* Make a level depicting a birthday cake and 35 Lemmings (as a way to represent the candles, putting in the candles themselves is optional).
* Pre-placed Lemmings and cloners are allowed and count in the total, as long as the total is 35 exactly.
* Save requirement is anything goes.
* The solution needs to involve the cake in some meaningful way.

Rule 3 (kaywhyn) - Multiple rulesets fulfilled!:

* Pick one of the previous contests with 3 rules and make a level that satisfies all 3 of them. There are contest for which this is impossible.
  * If picking LDC #24, for satisfying 24R3, only contests prior to LDC #24 just like before and as the rule for it says are allowed. No contests after #24 allowed for this!
* No mixing between different contests, so stick to the same contest for the ruleset.
* If a rule states "use a new object/skill" simply take an object/skill that was new in the context of that specific contest.
* You can use Proxima's topic for previuos contest's design rules as an rough overview - it goes up to contest #30 right now. For the exact rule details, please look into that contest's topic though.

To make it clear from which contest you took the ruleset, please name your level the following (with XX being the contest number): "User1_Levelname_LDCXX_R3V1".


Submission phase ends November 14th 2026 at 00:00 UTC.

Ruleset in detail again: http://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=2246.0

Send me a personal message with your level/s and if needed tileset/s to participate. It would also be nice to also tell me the rule which each level satisfies.

Please use the following naming format:  User1_Levelname_R3V1.nxlv ---> Level "Levelname" by User1  for Rule 3  Version 1 of the level

Prize selection:

- Pick next contest's rules (the author of each level in the top 3 gets to select a rule)

Entries so far: 1

- JRT (1)

Rule distribution:

Rule 1 - 1
Rule 2 - 0
Rule 3 - 0

[LemFan]

It's been a while since you've done one of these! Glad to see another one being planned

[Flopsy]

You can use Proxima's topic for previuos contest's design rules as an rough overview - it goes up to contest #30 right now. For the exact rule details, please look into that contest's topic though.

I've added Contests 31-33's Rules in a separate reply at the bottom of this linked topic now.

[Flopsy]

After further analysis of R3's possibilities, I've determined that the following contest sets are comfortably possible.

9 - Only new NL skills (R1), Only 1 Lemming (R2), Exactly 2 types of skills (R3)
10 - No permanent skills (R1), Fun/Tame style - 6 skills at least with at least 10 uses (R2), Contains at least 2 different NL objects (R3).
11 - 2 Lemmings, at least 1 perm skill, no more than 1 use of each perm skill (R1), All skills have 1 use only, no pickups/preassigned (R2), No Constructive skills (R3)
12 - 1 minute time limit at most (R1), No Bashers/Fencers/Miners/Diggers (R2), VGAspec level (R3)
13 - Must reasonably tileset mix (R1), 2 intended solutions (like They Just Keep On Coming from Orig) (R2), NON Official tilesets only (R3). (Thanks Armani! )
17 - Must use a tileset you never used before (R1), 1 perm skill/1 const skill/1 cont dest skill/ 1 sacrificial skill/1 instant skill (R2), Level must be made with only one piece of terrain used over and over (R3)
20 - Symmetrical horizontal and vertical (R1), 10 diff skill types/5 of each at most/all must be used (R2), Fake Disjoint union - looks like disjoint but there is interaction between them via gaps in steel etc. (R3)
21 - At least 3 jumpers (R1), 1 hatch + at least 2 exits. Lemmings must equally use all exits eg. 30 lemmings - 15 in each of the 2 exits. (R2), Terrain resembles landmarks, famous characters, pop culture etc. (R3)
26 - Level contains only steel, objects are fine (R1), Infinite jumpers in skillset (R2), L2 tileset and L2 skills - must use steel terrain only to satisfy R1 (R3)

The following sets are considered possible somewhat but would have a very big restriction on what you can do and would be considered not comfortable.

15 - 2 levels, one is the inversion of the other (R1), Miniature size 240x120px 5 skills total (R2), No classic skills allowed (R3)
16 - Height must be 3x the level width (R1), 2 min time limit - lemmings must travel 640 horizontal pixels (R2), 3 hatches must save 2/3 of total lemmings (R3)
18 - You need to pick an official level which has only 1 hatch and 1 exit, no steel and no OWA. And it must only have 2 different skills on the skill panel (Thanks Proxima for proving it can be done)

List of levels which fit in Orig Lemmings only (thanks Proxima)

This list only includes Orig Lemmings, levels in Oh No and Holiday Lemmings could also be eligible but not listed here.
(Levels in parentheses have purely decorative steel; you'd have to ask the contest organiser whether this is okay)
<Levels in angle brackets have a purely decorative interactive object; same applies>
Fun 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, (6), 7, 8, (12), 13, 14, 16, 19, <20>, 22, 25, <26>, <(30)>
Tricky 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, (8), (11), 12, 14, 15, 16, (17), 18, 19, 21, 22, (23), 24, <(25)>, 30
Taxing 3, 10, 11, <(12)>, 14, 15, 20, (23), (24), 25, <(27)>, 29, 30
Mayhem 4, <7>, 11, <13>, 17, (19), 20, 21, 22, <(24)>

19 - Only 3 total non perm skills allowed, no limit on perm skills (R1), Level must spell out your name (R2), 1 regular Lemming, save req of 2, neutral/cloner use needed (R3)
23 - X of Y skills level - X>10, Y<5 or equal to (R1), Miniature level 240x120px 10 lems max, 1 min time limit (R2), 2 tilesets must be used and be clearly confined to one side of level and other on opp side. (R3)
30 - New tileset you haven't used before (R1), Only Bashers, Diggers, Miners can be used (R2), L2 Classic tileset level, 60 lems, locked RR, classic skills only (R3) You can technically only select this one if you have never made an L2 Classic level publicly before.
32 - 2 levels exactly the same with different solutions and skillsets (R1), LPVII tilesets only (R2), 10 total skills, at least 5 must be perm skills (R3).

It should be noted that Contest 24 is an interesting case because it allows substitution of a rule which is prior to Contest 24 with some exceptions.

24 - 1 new skill alongside the classic skills (at least 2 classic skills) (R1), 200,000sq pxls - reasonable amount of level must be used (R2), A previous rule can be used except C1, C3, C8, C12:3, C13:1, C13:3, C15:1, C17:1 (R3)

If picking contest #24, for 24R3, 15R3 isn't allowed due to it clashing with 24R1, whether or not you have entered a level for 15R3 before.

These sets are considered impossible pretty much.

14 - R1 states 3 hatches, R2 must have 2 hatches.
22 - R1 requires official tileset, R2 requires custom tilesets.
25 - R2 requires you to only use 10 terrain pieces total in the entire level but R3 wants a recreation of a physical object using terrain. Again may be possible but it's probably not going to look pretty.
27 - R1 restricts to constructive skills and bombers only, R2 requires you to use swimmers.
28 - R3 requires the level to be a miniature 160x100px yet you have to make the level depict an animal AND have 4 hatches with an exit in the centre. You're welcome to try this if you want but the level is going to be way too small for any of this to make a good level.
29 - R1 states no teleporters, R3 requires teleporters. This set is still possible in Lix though.
31 - R1 says you need to use new objects ---> you need non-original tilesets. you you are forced into "only classic skills&objects + custom tilesets" for R3 which is not possible (Thanks Icho!)
33 - R1 requires use of climber and floater, R2 says no permanent skills.

This list might be open to dispute but I've done the preliminary ground work for you to weed out the rules which might make good entries 

[Proxima]

These sets are considered impossible pretty much.

18 - R1 requires 1 hatch, 1 exit, no steel or OWA and no interactable objects but R2 requires you to remake an official level with a new solution but there is probably none if any which satisfy R1. Probably be proved wrong here but I'm willing to bet this is not going to be a fun set regardless.

Original levels with one trapdoor, one exit, no steel, no one-way wall and no other objects (except for water on the bottom, which is allowed in contest 18's rules):

(Levels in parentheses have purely decorative steel; you'd have to ask the contest organiser whether this is okay)
<Levels in angle brackets have a purely decorative interactive object; same applies>

Fun 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, (6), 7, 8, (12), 13, 14, 16, 19, <20>, 22, 25, <26>, <(30)>
Tricky 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, (8), (11), 12, 14, 15, 16, (17), 18, 19, 21, 22, (23), 24, <(25)>, 30
Taxing 3, 10, 11, <(12)>, 14, 15, 20, (23), (24), 25, <(27)>, 29, 30
Mayhem 4, <7>, 11, <13>, 17, (19), 20, 21, 22, <(24)>

I may have missed some or marked some wrongly, but the point stands, there are a lot of eligible levels, and that's just from L1 (contest 18 states that ONML, Genesis, Holiday and other official levels are also eligible). Probably doesn't matter since this is still a hard set to do and it's unlikely anyone will pick it, but I just wanted to make things clear so that people know the possibility is there 

[namida]

RC/experimental NL builds aren't allowed, only the stable version of NL!

Not sure that this note is needed anymore.

[IchoTolot]

RC/experimental NL builds aren't allowed, only the stable version of NL!

Not sure that this note is needed anymore.

Well, WillLem sometimes has experimental versions of the Community edition.
This should not change physics, but in the case something is unintentionally broken there, this note still covers that edge case. 
But in the vast majority of cases it should not matter anymore.

[Armani]

@Flopsy

I think R3 for Contest #13 should be changed from "Official tilesets only" to "Without using any official tilesets."
I'll leave the link to the Contest #13 topic here: https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=3359

[Flopsy]

@Flopsy

I think R3 for Contest #13 should be changed from "Official tilesets only" to "Without using any official tilesets."
I'll leave the link to the Contest #13 topic here: https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=3359

  

[GigaLem]

For the Contest 24 Rules, does R3 include using rules from the contests after Contest 24 as it using rules from before contest 34?
Edit: Read below

15 - 2 levels, one is the inversion of the other (R1), Miniature size 240x120px 5 skills total (R2), No classic skills allowed (R3)

It should be noted that Contest 24 is an interesting case because it allows substitution of a rule which is prior to Contest 24 with some exceptions.

24 - 1 new skill alongside the classic skills (at least 2 classic skills) (R1), 200,000sq pxls - reasonable amount of level must be used (R2), A previous rule can be used except C1, C3, C8, C12:3, C13:1, C13:3, C15:1, C17:1 (R3)

Shouldn't it be 15:3 instead of 15:1 as 15:3 is no old skills, but 24:1 requires old skills + 1 new skill?

[kaywhyn]

RC/experimental NL builds aren't allowed, only the stable version of NL!

Not sure that this note is needed anymore.

I can answer this, as thanks to me, that particular line has its origins starting with LDC #31:

https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=6881.0

which I went into further detail in another post in the LDC #31 topic:

https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=6881.msg103902#msg103902

I added a sidenote to the OP that it probably wasn't necessary for me spell out that RC/experimental NL builds aren't allowed for contests, but it so happens that for the very first time in a really long time, for LDC #31, an RC NL build was released during the submission phase, in this case, 12.14RC. So really, just to be safe, I simply put a reminder for all that only stable NL builds are allowed!  

For the Contest 24 Rules, does R3 include using rules from the contests after Contest 24 as it using rules from before contest 34?

Read the ruleset for 24R3 again. I bolded the first line from the topic which makes it very clear that only rules prior to LDC #24 are allowed and any rules after LDC #24 aren't allowed.

Rule 3: Variety from the past

Make a level with a previous contest rule you never entered for.

This one should be simple to understand. You must make a level that follows a rule from one of the previous contests but you must not have entered for that rule during that contest. From Contests #10 through #19, You were only permitted to enter for two of the rules. This gives you a chance to enter for the one rule you were unable to when that contest ran. If someone didn't participate in a particular contest, they can pick from any of those rules from that contest. In the author field, you will need to enter the past rule you are going with in parentheses after your name.
Example: If you were going with Contest 19 Rule 2 - "Make a level whose terrain spells your username". You would enter in your author field: "[Username] (C19R2)".
For the file name format, instead of putting in User1_Levelname_RXV1.lvl, you would put in User1_Levelname_R3V1(CXXRX).lvl

However any skills, tilesets and features (Such as having 10 skill types in the skill panel) available in the current build can be used for the rule you choose. You are not restricted only to skills and features that existed when that contest ran, so you can still use Jumpers for rules from contests #20 and before or Laserers and Sliders for any of the contest rules despite those skills not existing in a stable build during those times.

24 - 1 new skill alongside the classic skills (at least 2 classic skills) (R1), 200,000sq pxls - reasonable amount of level must be used (R2), A previous rule can be used except C1, C3, C8, C12:3, C13:1, C13:3, C15:1, C17:1 (R3)

Shouldn't it be 15:3 instead of 15:1 as 15:3 is no old skills, but 24:1 requires old skills + 1 new skill?

There's an important distinction to be made here. 24R3 requires that you make a level for a rule you previously didn't enter one for. On the other hand, 34R3 requires you to pick any contest that has 3 rules and make a level satisfying all 3 of the rules for the contest you picked. The rules that are bolded are just simply a copy/paste for what Kingshadow decided isn't allowed for 24R3, and I will say that Flopsy is right in that they should still be excluded, just like how only contests prior to LDC #24 are allowed for 24R3. However, you're right in that for 34R3, if you pick contest 24 for it, 15R3 now isn't allowed either because it will clash with 24R1, whether or not you entered a level for 15R3 before. I've clarified this in Flopsy's post.

Thank you all for the help in what is or isn't possible for 34R3!