The task for this month is simple: Create a new level that uses an ice block.

This means you will need to familiarize yourself with the ice block patch to either MSCC or TileWorld 1 if you already haven't done that. If you need help, please ask. It seems the wiki page for ice blocks could be updated to include some of this info so we really should update that too.


For extra credit, take a portion of an existing official level and apply ice blocks to it. For a simple example, you might take an existing sokoban and change all the blocks to ice blocks. Ideally this could highlight some curious feature or bring out something new in the existing design. I am very interested to see how you guys will find some new takes on familiar territory.


I will judge the competition at the start of November. The things I am looking for are:

1) Could the level be made without ice blocks?
If so, then this is not a good thing for your level. Basically, just use one of the properties of ice blocks that normal blocks don't have and you will do fine with regards to this point.

2) Is the level fun to play?
Block pushing levels can be a chore, but there are several ways to make them interesting. Even pure sokobans can be great, but they need a lot of work to design just right. If your level is very long, it will also need to be very good for me to like it more.

3) Would I build this level any differently?
This question is here basically as a general measure of how the level is designed and I just needed a short way of saying that. This includes things like aesthetics, originality, and some measure of planning put into the level.

4) Does the extra credit apply to the level?
The extra credit is not needed to win the competition if your level is otherwise brilliant, but it will decide between two similar levels in favor of the one that uses it. Partially the point of having this criteria is to encourage people to build something new instead of submitting something unreleased. It also gives participants some sort of jumping off point for design if nothing else comes to mind.

Other guidelines are as follows:
-Send in your submissions to either CCZoneNextLevel at gmail dot com or valeosote at hotmail dot com.
-Submissions are open as long as it is October 2014 where you live.
-The level must be solvable, and does not need to work in Lynx.
-Please give the level a reasonable name, hint, time limit, and set a password.
-You may submit more than one entry, but please keep the levels distinct from each other.
-You may write about 100 words describing your creation and the process of creating it.
-Entrants receive the normal prizes: the "You're Winner!"-award, Chip Cup points, and "Tool Box"-award for first time entrants.
-Please ask about other unclear situations.

Enjoy!


-Miika

Itching to get that Left 4 Chip award?? Now's your chance to enter this survival competition and make that happen!

Itching to get your name on the official score boards? Now's your chance to enter this survival competition and make that happen!

Wait, what? Yes, the winner of this competition will receive an avi to a record that has not been confirmed yet, and they will have a chance to do just that, provided they can perform the route. I can't reveal the exact level in case it needs to be changed along the way, but J.B. has promised to make one of his routes available for this. There is some boosting involved, but it should be doable for most chipsters. (If J.B. happens to win, I guess the rest of us owe it to him to try and come up with something too.)

Now that you know the stakes, download the level from http://cczone.invisionzone.com/index.php?/files/download/422-cczone-october-2014-survival-competition-level/ and have at it

Here is the objective: Survive for as long as you can on this level and still make it to the exit! The level is untimed and there is nothing stopping you from pausing during your attempt. Record your solution as an avi or send your tws file to either CCZoneNextLevel at gmail dot com or valeosote at hotmail dot com. The deadline for the competition is at the end of October where you live, and before I judge the competition as soon as I can in November. Please don't mess up your life because of this, so keep your attempts to a reasonable length. Other normal competition things apply as I see fit (like don't share your achievements with others). All comments and questions are welcome.

Enjoy!



-Miika

EDIT:

-For extremely long solutions (which I already discouraged above), I have set a limit (which I will not reveal yet, though I might give a hint later in the month) and any solutions above this time will be considered equal. In case of a tie, the avi prize will be given to only one of the winners by some method I deem appropriate.

-You may enter in either MS or Lynx. Note that the final time displayed on the timer is different for the rule sets, and this will be taken into account as best as I can to assure that the actual time spent on the solution is compared.

File category: Archived


This file contains a single level,
Perpetual Motion
, which is used for the October 2014 Survival competition.


Good luck surviving for as long as you can and still exiting the level!


Check out the accompanying thread for more details.

Attached Files

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  CCZoneSurvival-1410.ccl (Size: 1.18 KB / Downloads: 322)

File category: CC1 Levelsets

Ultimate Chip 3 is my third major set. It contains 149 levels tested in both MS and Lynx, of varying difficulty. Included in the zip file is the .dat set file, as well as a .dac file for each ruleset and a .ccx file with my thoughts on each level.

Difficulty ranges from early CCLP1 to mid CCLP3, so expect a challenge in the later levels with some relatively easy stuff early on. Hopefully, it's as fun for you guys to play as it was for me to design and test.

As usual, any and all feedback is appreciated, even if it's just "great level (Y)".

Thread: http://cczone.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/962-ihnns-levels-feedbackdiscussion-ultimate-chip-3-trailer-released/&do=findComment&comment=28282

The set is also being uploaded over at pieguy's site with the contents of the ccx file in the notes section, along with the obligatory scoreboard for the MS side of things. Happy chipping!

Confirmed solvable? Yes

• Fixed major bust in Aquamarine Isles (Thanks Lessinath!)

Attached Files

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  Ultimate Chip 3.zip (Size: 92.93 KB / Downloads: 487)
  Ultimate_Chip_3.dat (Size: 128.22 KB / Downloads: 519)

File category: TWS Files

This is a TWS file for CC1 in the Lynx ruleset. All levels have been solved, with the exception of Thanks to...,which is impossible due to invalid tiles. This means I qualify for the Old School award.

• 1.0: Original upload on 26 September 2014.

Attached Files

  CC1.dac.tws (Size: 69.23 KB / Downloads: 205)

See file at http://cczone.invisionzone.com/index.php?/files/file/418-cc1-lynx-tws-file/

Score: 5,920,440 -72500 for Thanks To... = 5,847,940.

Edit: This should be titled Old School. Sorry for the confusion.

File category: TWS Files


The dat file I played this on is called CCLP1_LYNX.ccl. It is CC1 with lynx ruleset.

Score 5,920,440 - 72,500 for Thanks To... = 5,847,940.

Attached Files

  CCLP1_LYNX.ccl.tws (Size: 58.87 KB / Downloads: 196)

So I was making a maze and wound up with three options for how the final level could look.

• Version A was just the frame of the maze and all you needed to do was find the exit. It's a large maze, so this is not a terrible choice.
  
• Version B had some chips in four of the key intersections. Without them, only three needed to be visited.
  
• Version C had more chips along the corridors. It makes the level pretty long, but without them some of the areas of the level feel redundant.
  

A preview of a level that may appear in TS2, or some super secret CCLP4 set. Don't know yet

Attached Files

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I absolutely can’t stand playing levels with lots of force floors, toggle walls or water in Lynx, because all of those tiles are very quickly animated. So I modified atiles.bmp by copying the first frame of each such tile into all the subsequent ones. The result is a nice mix of Tile World MS mode and Lynx: “Static” tiles are static, while monsters are animated.

You may download it here: http://cczone.invisionzone.com/index.php?/files/file/417-atilesbmp/. Enjoy!

Out of curiosity, is anyone else getting nauseous from Lynx mode?