Insane Steve's LemEdit Set #6 Hints, Solutions, Errata, etc. This is the sixth 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 05 05 20 20 20 20 20 60 95 1:00 01 5.0 2 2 20 20 20 20 50 10 20 80 60 6:00 01 5.5 1 3 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 50 90 1:00 01 7.5 1 4 03 03 03 03 08 03 03 03 80 95 5:00 75 7.0 E2* 5 20 01 01 04 03 40 45 7:00 90 7.0 5 # 6 20 01 01 04 03 40 50 7:00 90 7.0 5 # 7 40 02 02 07 03 40 90 7:00 90 7.0 5 # 8 01 01 03 05 07 03 3 100 2:00 01 7.5 2 9 01 01 01 04 20 01 01 01 80 80 5:00 99 8.5 3 10 01 20 01 1 100 8:00 01 8.5 4 If you haven't noticed, I am very fond of sets 2 and 5, and will rarely, if ever use 0, 6, or 7. IMPORTANT!! READ NOW!: Level 10, for some reason, causes the program to crash. I cannot figure out the source of this crash. If ANYONE can open this level and tell me why it crashes the game, I will be GREATLY appreciative. I've checked the interactive object off the screen glitch, and that isn't a problem. The level check turns up nothing. I can't figure it out. For now, do not play level 10. *Level 4 uses the exact template from "A BeastII of a Level", level Mayhem 22 of Lemmings. The graphics set here is not a traditional Lemmings graphic set. You may wish to copy the file "Vgaspec2.dat" from the original Lemmings into the CustLemm folder. If you lack this file, you will not be able to play level 4. #These 3 levels use almost the same level template. REVISIONS: Levels 5-7: Same terrain change made to all three to remove back-route. Level 8: Back-route removed. HINTS ************************************** Level 1 (It's Hammer Time!): You have three hammer traps, and yet you can only lose three total lemmings. Not to mention that you have no builders. You need to find some way through or around the hammers. The compression method won't work -- you'll only save 91% that way. It isn't too hard if you think about how you can avoid a trap... Level 2 (Hanukkah Lemmings): Ok, so if the menorah isn't made correctly, I apologize to all people of the Jewish faith here. Anyways, There are two exits floating, and you have no bashers to get through the poles. Miners work just as well if you are high enough. Also be careful not to let any lemmings fall into the flames as you build to the exit. It is a tight fit! The only real reason I made this level is because there are some 40 levels with a Christmas theme to them, and not one level I've seen made for any other holiday of this time. Level 3 (Time is of the Essence): Speed is the challenge here. You'll need a blazingly fast method for climbing the stairs. Builders are definately NOT blazingly fast. You don't need 100%, and you have 5 of EVERY skill. Also notice that there are FIVE steps, and you can lose FIVE lemmings. Coincidence? Even when you figure out the fastest way up the stairs, you STILL will be very hard-pressed for time. Level 4 (A BeastIII of a level): This level is just like Mayhem 22, except you now have 7 fewer of every skill. Your assigning of tasks simply must be tighter -- you cannot waste any skills you have. Think about where you'll use your bashers, miners, and diggers -- these are the 3 skills you must watch. And make sure you do not run out of builders either... Level 5 (Out of Luck): Trust me, this isn't the last time you'll see this level. 45% may not seem like much, but your skills are limited, and there's no way you can save both groups of lemmings with your limited skills. You need less than half, so it is theoretically possible to focus on only one side and still get the required 45%. In fact, that is what you need to do -- you can only focus on one side, and the other side is out of luck. What side can be saved? Look at them. The left would be easy, if only you could turn the lemmings around! The right also looks simple, but that fall is just a bit too high for safe landings. Which side is possible? Also note that the solution requires EVERY skill assigned to you, and you can only save 45%. Level 6 (Out of Luck Again): Look familiar? The level design and the skills are EXACTLY the same, but I've made a couple minor tweaks to the level that RADICALLY change the solution. On the left, a single pixel is missing off the right side of the ledge. The lemmings on the left will no longer fall safely into that holding area now! On the right, I moved the small brick - that looks as if it will hurt you, making that fall height just that much greater. What now? Surely you can't use the same solution you did before. You'll need to think of something else. Which revision looks like it may actually HELP your cause? Oh yes, you now need 2 more lemmings. Yes, you will only be able to save 50%, and you need all your skills again. Level 7 (Out of Luck Yet Again): Yep, this one again. You get double most your skills, but you now need double the lemmings. You also only get 7 builders, and it appears that I've "forgotten" to double the miners. Ah well, you won't need them. The template is the same as level 5, except for that block on the right that is in level 6. You don't have enough skills to combine the two solutions from the last 2 levels into one. Look a bit at your level design. You can incorporate PARTS of the 2 solutions, but you also need to do something you didn't do in each of the first 2 parts! Unlike levels 5 and 6, you won't need all skills, and you can save over 90%. Level 8 (3 Separate Paths): As the title suggests, each lemming has to take a different path through the level. The main difficulty in solving this one is stalling the first two lemmings enough to allow the third lemming to build over the last pit. It requires very good timing. Level 9 (Leave your sanity at the door!): Lest you lose it trying to beat this one! There's four entrances and a 99 release rate to deal with. It looks easy at parts. The left most entrance, for example. Block them and walk them up that back and forth ramp and free. Easy, right? Oops, didn't see that trap there. You'll have to come up with some way around that one. What about the right exit? A bit low, I'd presume. And with only one basher... It is VERY hard to coordinate all this. Good luck! Level 10 (The Razor's Edge (Part 2)): If you haven't played the original Razor's Edge, go and download ISTEVE02.DAT and play level 3. The concept there is used again here, but this time, there is a lot more to this level. One digger, and if you try the trick on the first tier of the platform, the lemming can't possibly build to the exit, and if you somehow find a way to the bottom, your lemming surely cannot survive that fall. You need to fix both problems. Take special note of the holes in the terrain -- those are there for a definate reason. SOLUTIONS ***************************************** Level 1: Release rate 80 or so from the start. Second and third lemmings block the mass. First lemming, right before the first trap, digs THREE pixels, then bashes. Bash as many times as is necessary to clear the hammer trap. Repeat twice more. Send the mass through by bombing blocker. See? Not that hard at all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 2: Best advice I can give you here is to start from the middle, and then build up a bit to each pole, and mine through them. Do this on both sides at the same time to get to both exits. You'll want to mine through the central pillar to join the 2 groups, then build up to the exit, blocking off the left side each time (So the lemmings don't fall into the fire). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 3: Release rate 80+ right at the start. Make the first 5 lemmings climbers, then set a bomb on the 5th lemming. This lemming is to explode at the edge of the first step. (Block it if it reaches this point too quickly.) Do the same thing with each of the other 4 climbers on each of the other 4 steps. If you did it fast enough, the lemmings will reach the exit with almost no time to spare. If you keep running out of time, an idea is to make a lemmings on the bottom a digger, let it dig 8 or so pixels, then build, creating a wall that turns lemmings around faster. It might be the difference between 90% and 86%, although it isn't necessary to clear the level. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 4: Start by blocking with the 2nd and 3rd lemmings. The 1st lemming builds over the gap (2 builders are needed) to the hanging thing, and then digs to land in the gap in the hanging thing on the left. Bash right (You only use one basher), then build to the second hanging thing (One builder). Bash again, then use two builders to build to the stump-looking thing. When on this stump, mine once when the lemming reaches the indentation, then mine immediately again. The third and final miner is used to mine through the wall on the right of the oval hole in the stump. The last 3 builders are used to bridge the gap to the bridge, and then dig for 6 pixels (Exactly 6 is the best course, you'll see why later) and bash to the exit. With 6 pixels, this lemming will stop bashing right before the exit. Bomb the right blocker. Done. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 5: Switch to the left entrance. Make the first lemming a miner when it is over the arrows on the right of the ledge; this will turn this lemming. Make it an athlete, also. When this lemming is about to reach the exit, build over the exit with one flight of stairs, then use the other 3 builders to build to the left wall. This lemming reaches the exit. Note that the right lemmings are ignored. Now, send a climber up the right wall, and time a bomber so it bombs a hole in the wall between the ledge on top and the ceiling. Next, send a climber (one for now) up the right wall, and a period of time later (Long enough for a miner to mine before the next lemming is blocked by the wall), make the other 18 lemmings climbers, too. Also space the 2nd and 3rd climbers a bit, too, but not as much as the first and second. Now, the first lemming is to mine when it reaches the top of that wall on the left (The one with the builder ramps extending to it) and when the second lemming reaches the miner and turns (As it should), mine to the right. If you time it right, all the other 16 lemmings and the rightwards miner will reach the exit before the leftwards miner mines all the way through the wall (This is inevitable), making 45% total. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 6: Stay on the right side this time. Have the first lemming build as close to the edge of the gap as possible (No lemmings should fall in. If any do, restart). Next, start a bomb on the second lemming as soon as it reaches the bridge (After it lands on those poles). It will explode and convieniently trap the other 19 lemmings, something that couldn't be done in level 5! Wait: You only have 19 lemmings on the right now; that's only 47%... you need 50%. You didn't think the left side would be completely ignored, did you? Have a lemming mine into the arrows on the right edge of the platform to turn it around, and then mine down into the pit on the left in a way that doesn't splat your lemming. Make this lemming climb up the wall to the exit. Yes, this step IS necessary for 50%. Back to the right. Make ONE lemming climb up the right side, then build a bridge over the gap until your lemming is over that projection of blocks that is next to the exit. You should let the lemming walk after each flight to extend this bridge as much as possible. When the lemming is directly over the edge of this projection, mine to stop its bridge, then make this lemming a floater (It won't survive the fall otherwise). Now, the other 18 lemmings on the right are to be made climbers when they are all facing RIGHT. For some reason, they will fall safely (While your builder won't... I don't know why). There's 50%. And that is why the step on the left is necessary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 7: After those last 2, this one should be easy! To start, deal with the right in a way similar to the solution to level 6. After bombing the lemming to trap the others, go to the left and let all 20 lemmings fall into the holding area. Let a lemming climb up the right wall and bomb it as you did in level 5. Let another lemming climb up the wall, but this time, let it mine through the column on the right! Do this to the other column, the build immediately to the wall that the right entrance lemmings land on. This lemming will likely turn, no way to save it. Now, have another lemming on the left climb up the right, over everything and over the wall into the right side's holding area! It will climb out; build to the projection and deal with the gap in the EXACT way you did in level 6. Make the other 19 lemmings in the right holding area climb when they are facing right, and make the other 17 lemmings on the left climb the right wall also. After all is said and done, you will have saved 92% if you are careful. An interesting trio of levels that look so similar, yet are solved so differently. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 8: First lemming is to bash into the poles close to the poles, but not IMMEDIATELY next to them. Second lemming turns, third lemming is to be made a climber. Second lemming is made a floater right before hitting the ground after climbing that big steel staircase. Watch the clinmber now; it will fail to climb all the poles, but SHOULD climb either the 3rd or 4th pole from the right. If not, you didn't set the basher correctly. Now for the fun part; make the basher bash again through the pillars right of the poles. Start as far back as possible. After bashing, the basher needs to build over the green liquid pit. Stall this build as much as possible. The second lemming (The climber) should reach the pit. Make it build. The first lemming is to bash through the other pillars. Again, start as far back as possible. The third lemming (Your floater) is to build over the pit. The second lemming should build as fast as possible. Same with the third lemming. If you did it right, the first lemming will barely make it over the second and third lemmings' bridges, and the second lemming crosses the third bridge to the exit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 9: Start with the high entrance in the middle. Set a blocker before the trap. Pause, go to far right entrance. Block the right edge. Next, go to the left most entrance. Block at the very edge of the ledge. Now, back to right most entrance. Make 10 lemmings floaters. Back to left entrance. Set a bomb on the first lemming in the line. Time it so it explodes in the middle of the zigzag ramp, but at a point where it isn't spiked. Set the 4th blocker on the left edge of the right platform. Now that everything is set, build to the next ramp of the zigzag ramp. Be careful you don't let the lemmings walk back into the spike trap here. If you do it right, the lemmings will zigzag all the way up the ramp. No more traps to worry about, though. When a lemming reaches the last ramp before the exit, build to turn it right. Mine down to the ledge where the lemmings on top are held, then bash when it reaches the point where the top of the basher takes out the top of the floor the lemmings on top walk on. Let the lemming bash all the way through the pillar. Last thing to do is to build up to the bash ramp you just made. Dig through the bridge to prevent the lemmings from walking off the edge of the ramp as it is being built and splatting. Once the ramp is done, build over the digger gap. If you did it all right, you can save up to 82%. Good luck with this, though -- it is easier to describe than to pull off! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Level 10: Make your lemming dig when it reaches the point directly above the block wall on the left of the thin layers. Dig at a point where the thin walls separating the holes in the blocks are dug through. Let the lemming dig all the way through this wall. When it reaches the thin wall on the right, build a stair as close as possible into the wall. 3 pixels should protrude through the right side of the wall. If not, restart. Make your lemming a climber now. When it climbs, it'll reach the hole and turn around. Build over the gap, then when the lemming reaches the wall, build into it in a way so that exactly two pixels protrude through the wall. If you get 1 or 3, restart. Build over the hole so the lemming can climb up the wall to the next highest hole. In a similar fashion, build over the gap, and when you reach the thin wall on the right, build into it so that (You guessed it) a single pixel protrudes through the wall. If any more do, restart. Build over the hole, then allow the lemming to climb over to the left. Build over the hole you made on top with the digger facing right. Now the annoying (yet cool) part: The lemming will walk off the right edge of the platform on top. It will land on each of the three ramps you set up beforehand. When it lands on the third (bottom) ramp, quickly begin building to the exit. It literally requires single pixel precision, and after all that preparatory work you did, messing up there makes all that work meaningless. Build all the way to the exit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPECIAL THANKS: Martin Zurlinden: For finding the back-routes I fixed in levels 5, 6, 7, and 8. Also for beta testing the pack so these routes were removed beforehand. And of course, to whoever can fix level 10. 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