Hey guys. It has come to my attention that rep levels are now ranked as the names of members in the community. Although creative, I'm not sure I understand the inside humor that this system is based on, and I think it is unfair that members appear to be ranked on a hierarchy in the subjective order that some of us would rank others along. (This is just my speculation). To be straight-forward, I don't see the motive to put Michael at the "zero" level, even though he is an experienced chipster in our community, and I think this is quite unfair and/or trollish to him unless he volunteered to have his name used for this purpose. (Edit: He did say he doesn't really care, so it's probably OK, but I wouldn't have him there regardless).

I am also concerned that the names of certain people outside of our community are used as rep levels, especially those of which are names on Facebook friends lists of some of our members. I am concerned that someone may be Internet-savvy enough to Google themself and come across the forum, and find that their name has been stalked and posted publicly. Although I am aware that in the case of Zane, he does not have a problem with a specific member's first name being posted, I would like to request that the first or last names of any people on my (Trevor's) Facebook friends list (outside the community) not be posted publicly on the forums or on any other website. I do not currently know that anybody has posted anything that would concern me in this respect, but it's just so people know now. Also, if people try to troll me on this I will have to make my full friends list invisible, so don't say I didn't warn you.

As such, my feedback would be to implement a nameless version of this system that uses personal qualities *not* linked to any specific person in the community (for example, Troll, New Recruit, Engineer, Professional, etc. or maybe something more CC-specific), or simply have the greatest chipsters such as J.B. or Pieguy at the top and have non-specific ranks below.

I am curious what would happen if you put in IDs for blocks that didn't exist (like walls, chips, monsters, etc) in levels. Of course, excluding the main unused blocks that are more-or-less technical-based...

I'm sorry if that grammar was odd. I'm just curious.

It's finally March! I've been waiting for this competition for over a year!



Two years ago in March we had a create competition where the task was to create a compact level under the theme "9x9". Last year in March I contemplated requiring a 6x12 level, but settled on a level where the restriction was on the time limit, so the level was to be quicker than a minute. This time I want to continue restricting your designs into a smaller level and go back to that abandoned idea of a rectangular shape. However, instead of just saying "make a level that fits into a 6x12 area" I want to continue the theme from this year's previous create tasks of using a template of some sort as the starting point. I also wanted to add some items at the start that could be used differently on different levels. Here's what the template looks like:






You can download a copy of it in the February 2014 Create Levels Packaged, as I included it already there as level #13. The basic idea is that this is all the area that Chip can reach, though you may build some sort of mechanism outside the visible area in an other room.



Basic instructions:


-download the template and use it as a starting off point to create your level.


-do not move Chip, the trap button, the skates, the yellow key, or the pop.up wall.


-you may use the other two tiles in the starting corridor as you wish.


-do not add teleports that would allow Chip to exit this 7x12 area.


-you may move or rotate or mirror the rooms, as long as the other room stays unseen by Chip at all times.


-do not add any more normal walls.



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 March 2014 where you live!


-The level must be solvable, but does not need to work in both MS and Lynx.


-Please give the level a new name, a new hint, a reasonable time limit, and set a new password.


-You may submit more than one entry, but please keep the levels distinct from each other.


-No late entries will be accepted this time around, as the release of CCLP1 is immenent.


-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.



I have not decided exactly how to judge this competition just yet, so I will post an update about that later on. In the meanwhile, you can put your thinking caps on and try to see if you can come up with something fun! Enjoy!


-Miika

File category: TWS Files

I recently played the oldest custom levelset still available for download, MewtwoDX1, using the MS ruleset. This is the resulting TWS file. The four skipped levels were marked as impossible by Brian Raiter. I will upload a LP of this set over the next few months on Youtube.

• 1.0: Original upload on 6 March 2014.

Attached Files

  MewtwoDX1.tws (Size: 37.55 KB / Downloads: 191)

File category: Competitions

This set collects all the levels used for Time Trials. It was initially compiled by Tom Patten, but now kept up to date by Miika Toukola. New levels will be added in here for your convenience. This set is also included in the Goodie Bag, though that version might not always be quite as recent as this one. You can also get a ccx file for this set in that release.

So far the set contains 94 levels that have been used for competitions, some more than once. The designers of the levels included have been

Tom P

SugarHue123

Andrew R

Dave V

J.B. L

Josh L

Rock G

Lessinath

Ben H

random 8

Ihavenoname248

Miika T

BlazingApollo

Lookatthis

James A


Thanks to all of the above, as well as anyone who participated in the competitions. Without you, this set would be pretty meaningless

• Added new competition levels through September 2019.
  
  

Attached Files

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  CCZoneTT.dat (Size: 93.48 KB / Downloads: 478)

File category: Archived


<span style="font-family:helvetica">Here are the levels created for the February 2013 Create Competition!


There were eleven submissions by eight participants. The levels are listed in their ranking order. See the thread for details.


The levels included are:

Condo Management
by Flareon350

Blast from the Past
by mobius

Screws and Nails
by Ihavenoname248

Cellblocked?
by jblewis

Seven Layer Salad
by lookatthis

Watermirror
by chipster1059

Zehn Fleuer
by Flareon350

Monsterflow
by pillowpc2001

Lucid Dream
by BlazingApollo

Caesar Salad
by Ihavenoname248

Shambles
by jblewis

Thanks to all the participants! I'm sure they would also love to hear any more feedback from anyone who plays the levels

Attached Files

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  CCZoneFebruary2014CreateLevelsPackaged.ccl (Size: 12.56 KB / Downloads: 376)

Has anyone attempted to solve a level they have previously completed and knew what they were supposed to do and the rough order they were supposed to do it in but completely forgotten the HOW part? This gets confusing because you already know the level and until the aha moment kicks in and you remember everything you feel completely lost!

A new Time Trial is upon us! Well, almost, as I'm having trouble uploading the file to play I'll announce it anyway and type out the rules, and then add in the link later.

Your task, should you accept it, is to solve up to three levels from the soon to be updated CCZoneTT.dat. The levels are #62, #63, and #64. They are called

14.2 A - Block Me to the Moon (time limit of 150; built by Miika)
14.2 B - Braintime (time limit of 200; built by Miika)
14.2 C - Shambles (time limit of 400; built by J.B.)


EDIT:
the file is now
available
!


It's always a bit tricky to build the right level for a time trial. A good level is not too easy to optimize and it is not overly complicated either. It's fun to figure out what the best approach to a level is without it being too obvious, and on the other hand it is important to have some sense of security that one is on the right track. Random levels are annoying, because it takes the focus of the task away from figuring out the path to take, to one of executing a route with the most luck the quickest. Chaotic levels with tons of creature collisions are not fun either, as it feels like one needs the help of a computer to actually find what should be done. Boosting levels can divide opinions, so not every time trial level should be heavy on boosting, though it is a theme that can be visited. Levels where the solution is mapped out for the player feel like there is nothing to actually compete about. Sometimes a designer can come up with a nifty trick to save time on a level and build it into the level, but if this trick is too obvious and saves too much time, even that can feel like it is too easy. There are so many lines that should ideally be avoided when making a time trial level, that it's a wonder that any levels end up working well. Luckily, a time trial level can also take some paths that some levels can't, as the audience is not so wide. For example, a maze with chip collecting might be dull to play otherwise, but with the right topology it can become one of the most exciting time trial levels.

All of that is a preface for me to say that I have usually avoided block pushing in the time trial levels I have made. It is not simple to make an engaging block pushing area that actually has many approaches that might work well. On the other hand, if you just create a complex sokoban, there are programs that can do all the work for the player and the level fails to create any meaningful competition. This month though, I thought I'd take a crack at a couple simple block pushing levels. I made a couple simple ones but was a bit worried if the challenge would be too basic. Luckily, J.B. submitted a level for the February Create Competition that I felt would partner up well with my levels and provide a nice final challenge. A prefect time trial is one where several skilled participants can challenge each other without too much effort and still not end up in a tie, while at the same time more casual participants can still enjoy the levels. Let's see how this month turns out!

The usual rules apply in this form:
1) The person with the highest combined remaining time on these three levels wins! You may enter in either Lynx or MS, with the latter being the primary rules (meaning that any Lynx solution times that exceed the best MS solution time will be considered equal to that MS time, but otherwise all the times will be compared together in one category). Ties in overall score won't be broken.
2) Please send your solutions (either the tws file or avis) to me at valeosote at hotmail dot com. Do not post your solutions or solution times or share them with others. All times will be published at the same time, and the quickest solutions will eventually be released. I will strive to respond to your message by a confirmation that your score has been recorded.
3) The levels shouldn't be too hard to solve. Don't be afraid to send in your solutions even if you sense they aren't perfect, and simple casual solutions are also appreciated. You may enter even if you do not solve all the levels.
4) This is part of the current 2014 season of the Chip Cup. Winner will be awarded 15 points, second place 12, third 10 points, and so on. If you win a competition here for the first time, you receive the "You're Winner!" award. All participants who haven't participated in a time trial earlier receive the "Run, Chip, Run" award. If your name is Tom, I will mention you in a comic I will draw.
5) Submission deadline is midnight on<span style="color:rgb(255,0,0);"> Monday, March 31st where you live. I will be a little bit stricter than usual with this deadline as I want to release the results before the release of CCLP1. You can send in improvements while the competitions is running, so there is no downside to sending in something you know might not be your best effort if you had forever to work on it.
6) I reserve the right to update the levels within the first week of release. If you find any odd things about the levels, please give me a nudge. I will only apply changes that make the competition better, which means I might fix a ridiculous bust or some other aspect that is obviously meant to work in some other fashion. If any updates are made, I will alert you in this thread. However, no updates will be made after March 12th in any case.

Report any problems or ask any questions here!
I would really love to see as many submissions as possible this time around. Most importantly, please enjoy!

-Miika

http://cczone.invisionzone.com/index.php?/files/file/360-%7B?%7D/

Where was I? My friend came over to install Jezzball for me, and while he was at it, he also installed Chip's challenge. Then he opened it to teach us how to play, which probably was a good idea because I doubt I would have bothered to try it if I had never seen it played. (Oh, all the great computer games I might have missed because they look boring at first sight and I haven't bothered to try them! Just as well perhaps.)

I'm sure all of my siblings where there to watch this new game. You're a guy named Chips and you collect chips. Yes, we thought his name was Chips. So what are chips? Who knows, they are something to do with computers and you need them to get passed that grey gate that guard the exit square. I remember that the game seemed quite dull. I mean, how much fun is Lesson 1 really? Still, I was a little bit proud after finishing it. I know that most of you guys beat a great deal of CC1 at the age of five or so, and here was I, 13 years old. But please bear in mind that my experience of computer or video games was (and still is) very limited. This was mainly due to two facts, general disinterest from my side, and lack of equipment in my home. We got a TV when I was four, VHS player when I was 12, and computer when I was 13. And my brother eventually saved enough money to buy an xbox360 long after I left home.

Before CC, my computer game experience was limited to Free Cell, Solitaire, some other card games, Mine Sweeper, Pipe Dream, Jezzball and Snake. Plus some Super Mario on Nintendo 8 bit at a friend's place. Later on, I played quite a bit of Sim City 2000, and my boyfriend (now husband) taught me StarCraft (so that I would let him play with his brothers and cousins). Still today CC is virtually the only computer game I play.

Anyway, my siblings and me fell in love big time with Chip's Challenge. I remember thinking that it was so perfect. It had everything it needed, neither more nor less. Four elements, four boots. Two elements that kill you if you don't have boots, two that don't. Water can be overcome with the help of blocks. Fire cannot. FFs can be forced through, ice cannot. One monster can walk in fire, one can swim. One monster turns left, one turns right, one turns randomly and one just bounces back. One follows the left wall, one follows the right wall and one follows you. And one is simply random. Another one is controlled by buttons. I could go on about everything that is perfect in this game, but you all already know it. I do think however that the ice block would have completed the tile set in a nice way, but back then I knew nothing about it. I did miss a key stealing thief, and in the beginning we thought he took both boots and keys.

My one sister is just a year younger than me, the other & my brother came about ten years later so they were very young at that time. They would come and ask me or my sister to play "Chips" so they could watch. But we had to turn the sound off, because my youngest sister would start crying at the "bummer"-sound when Chip dies. We tried to teach her to play, but she wouldn't get longer than Lesson 1 as she refused to play any level with a monster in it.

We also loved the music. Well, the happy one more than the scary one. My sister has it as her ringtone today, and "bummer" is her text message sound. Guess that means she's overcome her fear.

File category: Archived


This small set contains the levels submitted to the Valentine's Day 2014 Mini Create Challenge, where the task was to redesign two small levels from CCLP2 for Lynx play. These were levels #87, The Walker Machine by Hank Lin, and #120, Frost Rings by Tyrethali Ansrath.

Three people submitted ideas, Reynaldi, Markus, and chipster1059. I also threw in a few basic ideas of my own that had been previously released as well. Enjoy!

-Miika

Attached Files

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  CCZoneValentines2014MiniChallenge.ccl (Size: 4.71 KB / Downloads: 342)