Insane Steve's LemEdit Set #4 Hints, Solutions, Errata, etc. This is the fourth level set I have made for the LemEdit program. The first thing you should know is that the height for the interactive objects is kind of messed up on certain sets, so if the Lemmings climb a step and then pass by the exits, it is my program's fault. Email me at stembalo@msn.com if you have this problem, and I will recreate the set with a different height. Also email me if you don't think the level solutions I have presented are correct (Although I tested them all), or if you found an easier, possibly cooler alternate solution. Also tell me if the help file is erroneous in any way (For example, the levels are mixed up, or one of the titles is very wrong, or if there is a major typo, etc.) These comments will help me revise these and future levels. Below are the hints/solutions. I have put some space there so you can read the first few paragraphs without seeing the answers. Good luck! The difficulty is out of 10. 0-2.5 = Fun, 3-4.5 = Tricky 5-6.5 = Taxing, 7-8.5 = Mayhem, 9+ = SunSoft. Level cl fl bo bl bu ba mi di #L %S Time RR Difficulty Graphic Set 1 50 50 50 50 05 50 50 50 60 80 5:00 20 6.5 3 2 03 02 3 100 3:00 01 6.0 5 3 50 50 50 50 01 50 50 50 50 100 1:00 99 6.5 4 4 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 50 60 5:00 40 7.5 2 5 05 02 02 02 32 20 80 70 7:00 01 7.5 2 6 02 02 10 02 40 95 5:00 60 8.0 5 7 05 05 20 20 75 30 80 60 9:00 05 7.5 1 8 10 10 10 50 50 50 50 80 97 8:00 20 7.0 8 9 01 01 02 02 80 05 05 2 100 10:00 01 9.0 3 10 05 01 05 05 05 05 05 05 8 100 7:00 01 9.5 5 REVISIONS: Level 5: Thickened the dividing wall to remove back-route. Level 6: Added steel to remove a back-route. HINTS ********************************************* Level 1 (The Shaft (Part 2)): You get plenty more skills this time, but still only the 5 builders to bridge the 6 gaps. The most important bit of information in this level is the number of lemmings released, and the percent you need to save. In other words, you need 48 lemmings. How might this tie into the increase in skills you recieve? PS: If you try the solution from the original level "The Shaft" (Set 3, level 9), you'll get a rude slap to the face... So don't bother (Or do bother. Your choice how you want to play.) Level 2 (The Placement is the Key): It is obvious what to do with the climbers, and there are 2 builders left. This level HAS to be easy, right? Nope, there's a little problem called the maximum safe fall height and it will plague you a lot in this level. The important thing to remember is that if a lemming climbs a wall, it cannot fall safely to the places where the non-climbing lemmings are held. You must prevent this, and you have 2 builders to do your task. You COULD build into the walls to prevent them from climbing up into the holding areas, but that requires 3 builders. How can you do this with only 2? Level 3 (The Nifty Fifty): The Lemmings are coming out quickly, and you need 100%. There is only the small gap to clear, but with only one builder, you'll need some other way to buy time for the front lemming to build over the gap. You can only take 4 stairs to clear the gap. The "process of elimination" method is the best way to solve this one -- in fact, you can very easily rule out most of the skills as useless. Level 4 (The Joke's on You!): Heh... I love this level. The left exit can't be reached because of the hidden traps... the right exit is actually a solid non-destroyable wall, and the upside down one is inaccessable. It may occur to you that there is a hidden exit? Nope -- believe it or not, one of the 3 exits you see CAN be entered. You must figure out which one and how. Level 5 (Mass Pandemonium): Look at the 3 exits. The left one you can't do anything with, and the right one has no ground under it. Start in the middle. How can you get to the right exit quickly? There are arrows -- the wall doesn't look like a viable option. There's a small tunnel -- but it is blocked and arrowed. There IS a way through it. Start there and work your way across the level. The important things to remember are that your only downwards floor removal skills are the 2 bombers, and the right exit releases twice as many lemmings as the other 2 -- you need to get there faster than you think... Level 6 (Herzeleid): The biggest problems here are figuring out how to hold the lemmings with your limited skills, and also how to actually GET to the exit. The thin one-way wall on the right wouldn't be of help to remove at the start -- there's no way to safely get there. The path through the level requires one tactic you learned from one of my earlier sets and also requires you to go through almost the entire level's area (and then some!) and use almost all the tasks relegated to you. Good luck! Level 7 (Go Yaffa!): No, you aren't seeing things -- I made a level around Yaffa (You know, those stackable furniture things with the REALLY annoying spokeswoman?). Anyways, you need to figure out a way to get under the lower entrance, and unless you have ungodly reflexes, bombers are not the answer. Remember that the red letters are terrain too... The rest of the level is fairly straightforward, although you need to remember that there are single-pixel gaps between the vertical poles in this level. Level 8 (Vertically Challenged Lemmings): Ah yes, it is another one of those "Fall a big distance without floaters" levels. How are you going to get down? I'd presume the best advice I can give you here is to "Take the scenic route". Level 9 (Athena's Revenge): Look at your 2 entrances. Obviously, there is no way that the left lemming can pass the one way wall, so the right lemming has to go all the way across the level to bash through this wall (although it'd have to go all the way across the level regardless). Although this looks like a mere "durge through the level with no strategy" stage, there is a delicate balance between your bashing and digging skills (Which are very stringent), and the timer (10 minutes isn't as long as you think...) -- and the maze of planks will make or break you. If you are wasteful of your skills, you may find there is no way to save the left lemming. If you take too long to clear the maze because you are saving your bashers and diggers, you will run out of time before you can save the left lemming. You need to find the middle ground; a fast solution that only uses 5 bashers and 5 diggers. It is more thought-provoking than you think. Level 10 (I Challenge You to a Dual!): This looks a lot like one of those "High Road, Low Road" levels. Unfortunately, it appears that the bottom path requires at least 4 builders, and the top path requires at least 2. And you only have 5 builders to clear 6 builders worth of gaps. (Sound familiar?) I'm sure you also thought about possibly bringing one of the lemming sets up to the other's level. Problems here though: There's no way you can lower the top lemmings to the bottom and still have enough builders to clear the level, and the "Climber Bomb" trick won't work, partially because the left wall is steel and partially because you need 100%. Just when it all looks hopeless, remember that this is level 10 of the set for a reason: and that reason, as it has been in my least 3 sets, is because there is a trick you need to use to beat the level. In fact, another level in this pack MIGHT give the answer to this one away if you observe the solution to it carefully enough... Although this one is hard, no doubt about it. SOLUTIONS ************************************************** Level 1: Set a blocker on the right side. Have a lemming climb the left pillar, and then bomb it. Time your bomber so that it explodes in a place where a ramp will build to the side of the horizontal pillar. Then, send another lemming up the wall. Build to the pillar when it turns around in the bomb hole, and bash through the horizontal ceiling pillar until the lemming gets to a point between the right ledge and the exit, and dig or mine down through the pillar. You have to make this lemming a floater, also. You have 48 climbers left; go to the mob of lemmings and make 48 of them climbers! Before they drop to the exit ledge, you also need to make all 48 climbers floaters as well. If you did it right, you'll have 81%, more than enough to pass. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 2: Make the single lemming on the left a climber first. Then, when it is about a lemming's width from the right edge of the top of the left wall, use a builder. You'll see why later. Use the second builder to bridge the gap on the middle ledge (The lemming won't hit the wall; that is what you NEED to do). Make the other 2 lemmings on the right climber as they face to the left. These two will land safely on the right bridge (If you bridge off the right tower, the fall will be too great). Then, they will climb the right edge of the left wall -- until they hit that first builder you made off the edge! They SHOULD NOT climb the ledge; instead, they should hit their heads on the stairs and turn around. Watch them walk to the exit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 3: Make the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. lemmings floaters right as they fall out the exit. This will buy some time for the front lemming. You'll need to make about 10 lemmings floaters or else 2 or 3 of them won't make it across the gap. Next, click on the Basher icon and immediately begin clicking on the front of the line behind the first lemming. You need to click quickly, and don't stop until you've used all your bashers. You SHOULD have enough space between the first lemming and the rest of the line to make it across the gap. Again, it takes 4 steps. You'll need to begin your build on the VERY edge of the platform to make it in only 4 steps. If a couple lemmings fall through the gap, you either didn't make enough floaters, or you make the floaters too low in their fall from the entrance. (Or you didn't build from the edge.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 4: The exit that you can access is the "solid" one (On the right platform). Make a climber, then bash through the pillars, build to the exit, and dig or mine UNDER the exit, and bash when your lemming is about a lemming's height down into the platform. Bash until the lemming is DIRECTLY under the exit, and then block and bomb it. The "invisible" solid wall blocking the door part of the exit will be destroyed in the blast. Send another climber to build up to the exit's door until it hops in, and then build to the exit to allow the others to go to the exit. Tricky? Yes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 5: Start in the middle. Make the first lemming out a bomber when it is walking left and about a centimeter from the left wall. Then, make it climb as it walks right. If you timed it correctly, the lemming will blow the part of the pillar blocking the single-pixel high path. Go to the left side, and block a lemming on the left edge so they don't go off the edge. Back to center -- make another climber. When it reaches the top of the pillar blocking the lemmings in the center exit, build until it is over the shorter pillar (About 6 stairs) and bash so it lands on it. Build right to the pillar, build left to the gap (Don't cover it though!), and right to the divider between the two exits. The lemming will climb through the single pixel gap. Make it float before it drops down the ledge. Build into the pillar, and turn it around. Build over the one pixel gap in a way that doesn't block it. Then, build into the far right pillar, and build all the way to the wall (The right exit is now safe to land on). Bash into the wall, and use a lemming from the right side to build over the bashing gap in the wall to the right of the right entrance. Build twice to the wall, and once to the ceiling of the central area (You won't reach it -- you should need one more builder to do so). The climber should be climbing the gap wall again. Bash through the pillar this time, then block and bomb the athlete. Make another athlete from the mass in the center. When it eventually reaches the bomb hole the previous athlete made, bash in the direction of the arrows to the left exit. Yes, you will remove the ground under the exit. Build from the left mass to the basher tunnel. Then, have a lemming build up to the ledge with the pole you bashed through on it, and have another build up to the exit. When the lemming reaches the ledge, build to the steel wall (This will allow the non-floaters to safely drop). Build that last bridge on the right, and then build from the center to the basher hole in the one way divider wall. You may wish to send a climber to do this, and then build to the short pillar after you reach this hole. There are two things you need to watch here -- the timer may be an issue, and 32 builders is a bit tight. This was kind of long and complex, but that's why the level is called "Mass Pandemonium". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 6: There are 2 solutions to this one that I know of, and they differ solely in the places you use the bombers. The other steps are common to both solutions. Solution 1 (The preferred solution): Make the second lemming a bomber when it is about a lemming width from the thin wall facing left. It will create a nice trap for the other lemmings. KEEP THE RELEASE RATE AT 60!! You'll see why later. The first lemming will be your worker. When it is RIGHT next to the thin wall on the left, build into to it. You SHOULD make a bridge between the thin wall and the thicker wall, if not, restart. The lemming will be stuck now, make it a climber and wait for it to reach the bottom stair on the staircase. Build to the silver pillar. It will climb the pillar. When it reaches the top of the ceiling and turns around, build over the gap. As it walks left, it will fall into the thin gap between the thin wall and the thicker wall on the left (That is, the gap you were SUPPOSED to have bridged earlier). Bash IMMEDIATELY after landing. Your lemming will now be left of the main holding area. Build across the gap, build into the wall, and build the other way across the gap near the edge. Let the lemming climb the wall and turn around, and then bridge the gap walking to the LEFT (You'll see why you need to do this later). Bash through the wall. Your climber will be a single pixel above the arch gaps, and should go all the way through to the edge near the exit. Build 3 times to reach the exit (They can be 3 consecutive times if you let the lemming walk a bit after each build to expand the distance slightly). Now, you should see 2 groups of lemmings walking back and forth in the hole (THIS is why you kept the release rate at 60 -- if you didn't, it is hard to place the bomber correctly). When one group is halfway between a wall and the center of the arch and walking towards the middle of the arch, light a fuse on it. It will blow through the last gap. Now, if either group goes left, you'll see why you needed to bridge the gap on both sides! Solution 2 (The alternate solution): Proceed as in Solution 1, except DON'T bomb the second lemming. The bombers are placed as follows; all other steps are as they are in Solution #1. Bomber 1 will bomb the bridge you made from the lowest step to the pillar so a lemming can climb it. It may be hard to select the right lemming to bomb; that is why I like the other solution. Bomber 2 is placed after the climber is done building to the exit and has been saved. Make a lemming a climber as it walks left, then time the bomber so it explode as it begins to climb the right thin wall. It will blow up the wall and allow the others to walk through. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 7: The thing you need to know how to do is save the lower entrance. A good way to do so is to bomb a hole in the floor, then bash the left wall from the second tier of the "stack". Build to the "A" in "YAFFA!", turn around, and bash and build your way to the dot on the "!". This requires good reflexes and a finger on the F11 key. Build from there, bash through the dual wall (careful that the lemming doesn't fall in the gap between them) and build under the lower entrance (If you don't go from the dot of the "!", you may build above the entrance). Trap the lower entrance with ramps, and then worry about the upper parts. The rest should be self explanitory, but here's a few hints. 1: The "U" shaped object in the middle doesn't have a thick floor. If you place a blocker on it, build over it -- DON'T BOMB IT! 2: The wall before the floating exits has 3 gaps in it. Proceed with caution. 3: The higher exit is easier to access than the lower one. 4: To rescue to lemmings from the lower exit, a good idea is to bomb a hole in the floor of the second tier, and build up through the holes in the floors of the top and second tiers. Remember to build over the bashed wall so no lemmings walk out of the "stack". Ok, no more Yaffa levels. I promise. I do NOT promise to revoke any other themes, though. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 8: Have the first lemming out build. The next 2 lemmings will block the ends. Make the first lemming dig after building a few steps, build again, dig, etc., so it won't hit the ceiling (See Set 3, level 3). Have it do this until it reaches the "extraneous" background part to the right. Navigate this, and then build left from the lowest point on this structure to the exit platforms (you may need to dig to lower your height somewhat here also. Build ramps so the other lemmings can fall safely, and dig to the exit. Simple as that. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 9: There are many ways through the level, but there are only a handful that can clear the level in under 10 minutes. Start on the left. Make this lemming build into the plank extending from the ceiling to trap it. This lemming will now walk mindlessly back and forth for about 8 minutes. Pause, go to the right side. Build over the 2 small gaps -- but on the second gap, build about 3 steps and dig. When the lemming is under the steel, bash through the wall. Then, build to the pillar, bash through it, build to the second pillar, and make the lemming climb to the top of it (If you bash, beware; you might not make it to the exit in time). Dig when the lemming hits the left edge of the pillar, but not to the immediate edge. When this lemming is level with the next platform, build a long, long staircase. If you let the lemming build naturally at even intervals, you should reach a point where the lemming is about 3 stairs from the pillar; let it fall at this point onto the right edge of the pillar underneath it (But don't forget to make it float down...). Build over the gap, and then build up to the horizontal pillar underneath the water trap. Bash under the water trap, all the way through, and then build over the gap. You should now be at the plank maze. The best way is to build up to the plank leading up to the top of the maze, and then build up to the highest horizontal plank. Dig once the lemming has climbed over the "knob" in the plank. Build up to the ledge over the exit, and when the lemming walks over the exit and reaches the pillar to the left of the exit, bash through it (If you used a basher to go through that one pillar I told you to dig through near the beginning, then you won't be able to do this, and surely you can't build to the exit in time...). Bridge the gap, and bash through the one way pillar. The left lemming should now dig through the bridge it made to trap it, and the right lemming should use the last digger at the very edge of the pillar to waste time. The left lemming should bridge to the basher tunnel, and the right lemming, at a point, should build to the left lemming's bridge. Keep going and you should make it in time. PS: If you didn't understand the way through the plank maze, or any other part of the level, Email me and I'll describe it better (with a picture, more than likely). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 10: Release rate about 60 right from the start. When the second lemming on top is about a lemming's width from the wall, bash through it (If you are too close, it won't go all the way through the wall). Watch the first lemming on top. At an EXACT point (a bit to the right of the second rivet on the leftmost steel block) on the ledge, the first lemming on the top should build towards the wall. The purpose of this build is NOT to make it to the wall, but to come EXACTLY 1 pixel short of it (No further). Make this lemming a floater, and while it falls, make it a climber, too. What happens is interesting -- it'll climb all the way to the top, through the gap, but when it falls from the top of the level, it will LAND ON THE BRIDGE. If it doesn't, the bridge isn't close enough to the wall. This lemming will be the workhorse for the top part of the level. Merely clear all the obstacles leading to the top exit, but keep in mind that you only have 5 bashers and 5 builders total for the level. After all that is done, have the 4 lemmings on the bottom climb up the left wall, and they'll take a similar path that the first lemming took up the wall and to the top tier of the level (There's a reason I chose 8 as the number of lemmings...). Have the 3 non-climbers go around the obstacle (If you bash it, again do so when the lemming is about a lemming's width from the end) towards the exit, and you're done. This level was partially inspired by a trick I learned from Martin Zurlinden's level "It's a Magical World". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPECIAL THANKS: Martin Zurlinden: For finding the back-routes in levels 5 and 6. Thank you for playing this set of levels. They are designed with your enjoyment (And frustration, which invariably leads to MY enjoyment) in mind. Additional feedback helps me to make my levels better and better -- if you have anything to say, Email me. ~Insane Steve Questions? Comments? Invectives? All are welcomed and encouraged. Email me at stembalo@msn.com