watters@sphere.cis.ohio-state.edu (david r watters) (12/29/90)
If you look through AdWorld (AmigaWorld) you will see a full page ad for a game called Lemmings. Odds are you blew by this while flipping through this rag, but take note... Finally, a game that lives up to the playability of many incredible games that were available for the 8-bit machines during the 80's. I was able to get a Demo version of Lemmings from a European disk/magazine and this game is not only playable, but it is also dangerously adictive!!! The character animation and gameplay match such greats as loadrunner, jumpman (jr.), and many more. A Lemming is a little character that gets dropped into a hostile cave environment. At first he is a "walker." All he does is walk along until running into an obstacle that either turns him around or kills him in many gruesome, yet hysterical ways. Somewhere in this cave-like world there is an exit, and between the Lemming and the exit are numerous obstacles such as mountains, pools, fire, cliffs, and traps (many different kinds). But don't fret too much because you can change the Lemming from a "walker" into something that helps him get passed the obstacle, such as a "digger", or a "climber", or a "builder", ect. It sounds easy, but it's not. You have a fixed number of times you can turn a Lemming into a "builder", or "climber", ect. and it varies from level to level. This is not the worst of it though, you see the Lemming is not alone. A new Lemming gets dropped into this world at a certain rate, one after the other. Over 100 Lemmings can be running around, and the goal of each level is to save a certain percentage of these Lemmings by getting them to the exit, alive. The demo version had three levels. The first was easy, but the second was very hard and the third is impossible... so far. Besides the single player game I have described, there is an even better two player game in which a green Lemming is dropped and then a blue Lemming, ect, ect. There is a green exit on one side and a blue on the other. Whom ever gets the most Lemmings out his exit wins the round. There are three main tactics in the two player game; worry about your own, save your own and try and kill you enemies' Lemmings, or save you own and try to kill your enemies' Lemmings. Unreal! The game was written by DMA design a company I have heard of, but I don't think this is who does the usual Psygnosis stuff. I can't wait until this game come out, and I strongly suggest you take a look for yourself. Enjoy! -=- "All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer by the stars. All of us do time in the gutter, dreamers turn to look at the cars!" - RUSH David watters@cis.ohio-state.edu "It's 12:35... and Michigan STILL sucks." _-_-_-__---_---_---__-_-_-____ TurboExpress : The Neo*Geo of portables _____
hill@evax.arl.utexas.edu (Adam Hill) (12/30/90)
A nit:
The demo has *5* levels. The 4th is the Bomboozal level. You have to explode
Lemmings in PRECISELY the right time and place, get them from the top of a
maze to the bottom. Oh yeah, there are Fire Pits From Hell (TM), to get in the
way. The 5th level. "If At First You Don't Succeed..." 3 column but only 2
forward "diggers". A BIG Chasm. And you have to save 99 Lemmings out of 100.
David Jones have made this game only SLIGHTY more playable. At least the
levels get PROGRESSIVELY harder. Following are the codes for Levels 3-5
for the less dexterous of us.
Level 3 - LPVMXDGJIO
4 - PVMXDOLKIX
5 - VMXDGHTLIQ
Happy Wildlife Preservation... :-)
--
adam hill
hill@evax.arl.utexas.edu Make Up Your Own Mind.. AMIGA!
Amiga... Multimedia NOW
Most Common Phrase at DevCon '90 - "Shhhhhhh.." aliu@aludra.usc.edu (Alex C. Liu) (01/02/91)
In article <1990Dec30.071806.7730@evax.arl.utexas.edu> hill@evax.arl.utexas.edu (Adam Hill) writes: >way. The 5th level. "If At First You Don't Succeed..." 3 column but only 2 >forward "diggers". A BIG Chasm. And you have to save 99 Lemmings out of 100. Yes how do you pass this level? I am able only to save about 30% of the Lemmings before I run out of time. What is the idea? (BTW, I agree, this is a GREAT game... A neato concept and the special effects are cool too!)
davemad@pnet01.cts.com (Dave Madsen) (01/03/91)
In article <3088@pnet.cts.com> aliu@aludra.usc.edu (Alex C. Liu) writes: >In article <1990Dec30.071806.7730@evax.arl.utexas.edu> hill@evax.arl.utexas.e >du (Adam Hill) writes: >>way. The 5th level. "If At First You Don't Succeed..." 3 column but only 2 >>forward "diggers". A BIG Chasm. And you have to save 99 Lemmings out of 100. > >Yes how do you pass this level? I am able only to save about 30% of >the Lemmings before I run out of time. What is the idea? > >(BTW, I agree, this is a GREAT game... A neato concept and the >special effects are cool too!) Well, I am sure that there are quite a few different ways to solve this, but this is what I did. To begin with, I had the first lemming to reach the first column become a basher (a forward digger). Since the lemmings essentially fall into a pit between a wall to the left and the columns to the right, there is no need to use a blocker to stop them from falling anywhere. Secondly, I had another lemming become a basher and dig forward through the second column. As this is going on, the lemmings should start to fill up this "pit". At this point I usually turn the release rate up to 99 so the lemmings will start to fill up the pit much faster. Next, I had one lemming become a climber and climb the third column. While this lemming is climbing the column, I had another lemming become a digger (the one that digs diagonally) at the top of the ladder of the third column. Make sure that when the climber lemming reaches the top of the column you turn him into a floater, otherwise he will fall down and die with a gruesome SPLAT (heheh). By this time, the digger should be through the column, allowing the lemmings to become trapped between the column and the stairs going down. While you continue on with the next part of the level, this small space will start to fill with all the lemmings, except for the one that climbed over the column. Now wait until the one free lemming reaches the chasm and start building. Try and start building as close to the edge of the chasm as you can. Just keep this lemming building until its bridge is long enough to allow him to safely fall off onto the other side of the chasm. It should only take four bridge "turns" (a good way to keep him building without falling off is to just keep clicking on him with the builder icon selected; it won't take off a "turn" until he becomes a walker again). After the chasm, just keep him moving until he goes up the ladder and have him build over the broken platform. When the lemming is almost finished with this bridge (it will take at least two "turns"), have one of the lemmings that are trapped become a bomber and destroy the section of the stairs that is holding them in. This is essentially a matter of timing, but I just pick one that is next to the ladder and he usually ends up self-destructing in the right place. If all the bridges are long enough, all of the lemmings should march right into the exit with plenty of time to spare. Since you must get 99% of them in, however, there isn't much of a margin for error. The only lemming that you can lose is the one bomber you use to get rid of the stairs. Not too hard, really. I can't wait until the actual game is released, it looks like it will be loads of fun. I like these kind of games where there are many ways to complete each level, only limited by your imagination. Oh well, hope this helps! Dave -----------------------------------------------------+------------------------+ UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd ucsd nosc}!crash!pnet01!davemad + Dave R. Madsen + ARPA: crash!pnet01!davemad@nosc.mil + Computer Science Major + INET: davemad@pnet01.cts.com + Iowa State University + -----------------------------------------------------+------------------------+
tracy@taishan.cinnet.com (Tracy S. Schuhwerk) (01/05/91)
In article <6681@crash.cts.com>, Dave Madsen writes: In article <3088@pnet.cts.com> aliu@aludra.usc.edu (Alex C. Liu) writes: >In article <1990Dec30.071806.7730@evax.arl.utexas.edu> hill@evax.arl.utexas.e >du (Adam Hill) writes: >way. The 5th level. "If At First You Don't Succeed..." 3 column but only 2 >forward "diggers". A BIG Chasm. And you have to save 99 Lemmings out of 100. > >Yes how do you pass this level? I am able only to save about 30% of >the Lemmings before I run out of time. What is the idea? > >(BTW, I agree, this is a GREAT game... A neato concept and the >special effects are cool too!) You can solve level 5 with 1 "forward" digger and 1 "angle" digger (which are actually the same guy... you can change digging direction). When the Lemmings start to drop, allow 2 to pass an then block with the 3rd so that the remaining Lemmings fall in a large mass between him and the left hand obstrucion. When the first Lemming you let pass makes it to right in front of the first pillar, make him an "angle" digger and get ready to change him into a "forward" digger (clicking on him again with a different dig "command" will change him). When he gets down just below the pillar (you almost scrape the bottom on the pillars) change him into the "forward" digger. You can then tunnel all the way across under the pillars. The second Lemming you let pass will wander back and forth between your back and the blocker. When the "forward" digger has cleared all of the pillars, stop him from digging, he'll turn around and walk back. Turn the second Lemming you let pass into a "builder" right before the end of the tunnel and let him build a nice little ramp up out of the tunnel (This is where the depth of the tunnel makes the difference!). Once he climbs out of the tunnel you can use him to build the other bridges you need to make the exit. In the mean time (timing is everything here!), you need to blow up the "holder" and let the flood of Lemmings (you should have all of the down by now... increase the rate if you need to) use the tunnel to make to the hopefully existing bridges (This takes some pretty hairy timing but it works!). You will only lose 1 Lemming this way (the holder you nuked) but it is about the most timing sensitive solution I have seen! Good Luck! +---------------------------------------+-------------------------------+ | Tracy S. Schuhwerk | __ Please Pardon The __ | +---------------------------------------+ _ /// Dust _ /// | | UUNET: uunet!taishan.cinnet.com!tracy | \XX/ Signature Under \XX/ | | tracy@taishan.cinnet.com | Construction | +---------------------------------------+-------------------------------+