27-Jul-2016, 9:16 PM
I've finished with not only evaluating the levels in this pack, but also with a huge project for work. Hopefully I'll have a bit more time for CCLP4 voting here in the days ahead. 
For now, some thoughts on a handful of levels in this pack:
#1 (Still): There's a conversation earlier in this thread about what constitutes "CCLP material." I love rating individual levels in voting cycles like this, but a potential downside is that it's easy to view each level as an individual achievement instead of a part of a collective whole. Perhaps in some respects, this could be why there's been some degree of homogeneity in the upper tiers of voting results, with difficult levels (CCLP3) and agreeable levels (CCLP1) edging out other types of levels. My personal philosophy is to evaluate each level on its own merits. I think CCLPs deserve different kinds of levels, and a "quick race for the exit"-style challenge is no exception. This level stands out for me because of its design aesthetic and tight but manageable time limit, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it late in the set as a short breather after some tough challenges.
#3 (Mini Challenges (No-Luck)): What helped Mini Challenges from CCLP3 stand out was its flow. There was a near-perfect balance struck between cruising along and having to stop and make sure you were making a wise choice before pressing onward. This level didn't quite accomplish this in my book: some of the segments were a bit tedious (block cloning), tight (ball dodging), or just involved too much careful stepping that the momentum felt killed. It's well-designed, but I'm ambivalent about seeing it in CCLP4 compared to its predecessor.
#5 (Road to Victory): I was tempted to avoid replaying levels I rated for CCLP1, but I decided to do so anyway and see if any new insights came about. This level is a good example of that working out pretty well: I loved this concept back when I first played it, mainly because no one else had designed a level that executed it in quite this way. But it just didn't click this time. Part of what makes it somewhat frustrating is that the "roads" overlap to such a degree that you wonder what has to be used where, sometimes to the point where you end up using a key on the wrong door or recessed walls that you're not supposed to pass through. It's a neat idea, and I commend the designer for constructing it fairly well, but it's a bit too vague in some places.
#11 (Oceanic Citrus): This level slipped under my radar before voting, mainly because it was originally featured in a rejects set. Personally, I think that's a shame, because it's absolutely my favorite level from the designer who built it. Compared to Limitation from the previous pack, I enjoy this one much more as a "which block is used where?" puzzle, primarily because it's non-linear, and you can explore the entire map from the start. Overall, a fascinating, elegant challenge that I'd love to see in the final set.
#13 (Key Insight): Getting back to the topic of "flow" mentioned earlier: I enjoy when a level recognizes that you've just conquered something a bit brain-bending and gives you a few easier challenges afterward. This level does just that - and since it was designed to test the parameters of the tile palette-themed Create Competition in which it was featured, I can't help but wonder if it was intentional from a gameplay perspective, or if the rooms on the west side were placed there simply to use up the tiles in the palette. Either way, it's really fun as a mediumweight key use puzzle without a lot of heavy thinking or long gameplay.
#14 (Lounge Act): I'm thinking back to a blog post I wrote here on CCZone a while back about how difficulty can be frustrating if a level features too many types of difficulty (red herrings, rigidly linear structure, ultra-long length, tough puzzles, etc.) smashed together. This is at least one reason why I think many players found the end of CCLP3 unbearable, especially with so many of these types of levels in a row. For me, at least, this particular level comes dangerously close. I love the theme. I love many of the puzzles. But it certainly checks off many of those difficulty boxes mentioned above all at once - and what makes it frustrating is that with room to maneuver all the blocks to different places and back when necessary, there are so many different ways to get lost about what to do and what gets used where. I finally had to look up a solution to get past the first half of this level, and that was after my entire understanding of it was shattered and rebuilt at least twice. Like I mentioned in my comments for Space Station, "gotcha" moments can be fun in levels when used well. This level revels in them to the point where the solution gets muddled by its own cleverness. I ended up appreciating Gimmick Isle a lot more after playing this, primarily because it had a more discernible structure, which made the puzzle-solving more manageable and less obtuse. I wouldn't be upset if this level made it into CCLP4 in the ultra-difficult challenge slot, but it's not my favorite candidate for that position. If it does appear in CCLP4, I hope it's untimed.
#20 (Five by Five): Last night, there was a fascinating short discussion in the CC Skype chat about the merits of this kind of "pen-and-paper" navigation puzzle where the player has to map out a solution. Personally, I like the idea, but the way this level is built was less fun for me than a SHORT CIRCUIT or even a modulo fourteen. It came across like a Knight's Tour challenge in which all of the moves had to be discovered first before any sort of solution could be mapped, with only a thin amount of consistency woven throughout as far as what was connected where. It was one layer of puzzle too many for me compared to other navigation challenges.
#34 (Corresponding): I really enjoyed this as a logic / process-of-elimination puzzle. I'm always naturally gravitated toward levels where you can explore and see what you can do before you actually do anything, and this is a great example that doesn't get terribly complex and burdensome.
#45 (Anaconda): A navigation conundrum that doesn't overstay its welcome and manages to get some dodging in as well would be fun to see in a CCLP. One of my favorites in voting for sure.
#48 (Zephyr Heights): I'm kind of naturally biased toward this level because I spent hours of fun optimizing it in an airport while waiting for a delayed flight. But outside the world of optimization, it stands on its own as a fun force floor slide maze and chip collecting jaunt with some monster dodging thrown in for good measure. I love the aesthetic with the blocks and the little alcoves where you can collect items as well. It all adds up to a neat, enjoyable level that could help players develop their timing skills early on in CCLP4.
#50 (Blobhunt): This was really painful to solve.
Favorite level: Oceanic Citrus
Least favorite level: Blobhunt
For now, some thoughts on a handful of levels in this pack:#1 (Still): There's a conversation earlier in this thread about what constitutes "CCLP material." I love rating individual levels in voting cycles like this, but a potential downside is that it's easy to view each level as an individual achievement instead of a part of a collective whole. Perhaps in some respects, this could be why there's been some degree of homogeneity in the upper tiers of voting results, with difficult levels (CCLP3) and agreeable levels (CCLP1) edging out other types of levels. My personal philosophy is to evaluate each level on its own merits. I think CCLPs deserve different kinds of levels, and a "quick race for the exit"-style challenge is no exception. This level stands out for me because of its design aesthetic and tight but manageable time limit, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it late in the set as a short breather after some tough challenges.
#3 (Mini Challenges (No-Luck)): What helped Mini Challenges from CCLP3 stand out was its flow. There was a near-perfect balance struck between cruising along and having to stop and make sure you were making a wise choice before pressing onward. This level didn't quite accomplish this in my book: some of the segments were a bit tedious (block cloning), tight (ball dodging), or just involved too much careful stepping that the momentum felt killed. It's well-designed, but I'm ambivalent about seeing it in CCLP4 compared to its predecessor.
#5 (Road to Victory): I was tempted to avoid replaying levels I rated for CCLP1, but I decided to do so anyway and see if any new insights came about. This level is a good example of that working out pretty well: I loved this concept back when I first played it, mainly because no one else had designed a level that executed it in quite this way. But it just didn't click this time. Part of what makes it somewhat frustrating is that the "roads" overlap to such a degree that you wonder what has to be used where, sometimes to the point where you end up using a key on the wrong door or recessed walls that you're not supposed to pass through. It's a neat idea, and I commend the designer for constructing it fairly well, but it's a bit too vague in some places.
#11 (Oceanic Citrus): This level slipped under my radar before voting, mainly because it was originally featured in a rejects set. Personally, I think that's a shame, because it's absolutely my favorite level from the designer who built it. Compared to Limitation from the previous pack, I enjoy this one much more as a "which block is used where?" puzzle, primarily because it's non-linear, and you can explore the entire map from the start. Overall, a fascinating, elegant challenge that I'd love to see in the final set.
#13 (Key Insight): Getting back to the topic of "flow" mentioned earlier: I enjoy when a level recognizes that you've just conquered something a bit brain-bending and gives you a few easier challenges afterward. This level does just that - and since it was designed to test the parameters of the tile palette-themed Create Competition in which it was featured, I can't help but wonder if it was intentional from a gameplay perspective, or if the rooms on the west side were placed there simply to use up the tiles in the palette. Either way, it's really fun as a mediumweight key use puzzle without a lot of heavy thinking or long gameplay.
#14 (Lounge Act): I'm thinking back to a blog post I wrote here on CCZone a while back about how difficulty can be frustrating if a level features too many types of difficulty (red herrings, rigidly linear structure, ultra-long length, tough puzzles, etc.) smashed together. This is at least one reason why I think many players found the end of CCLP3 unbearable, especially with so many of these types of levels in a row. For me, at least, this particular level comes dangerously close. I love the theme. I love many of the puzzles. But it certainly checks off many of those difficulty boxes mentioned above all at once - and what makes it frustrating is that with room to maneuver all the blocks to different places and back when necessary, there are so many different ways to get lost about what to do and what gets used where. I finally had to look up a solution to get past the first half of this level, and that was after my entire understanding of it was shattered and rebuilt at least twice. Like I mentioned in my comments for Space Station, "gotcha" moments can be fun in levels when used well. This level revels in them to the point where the solution gets muddled by its own cleverness. I ended up appreciating Gimmick Isle a lot more after playing this, primarily because it had a more discernible structure, which made the puzzle-solving more manageable and less obtuse. I wouldn't be upset if this level made it into CCLP4 in the ultra-difficult challenge slot, but it's not my favorite candidate for that position. If it does appear in CCLP4, I hope it's untimed.
#20 (Five by Five): Last night, there was a fascinating short discussion in the CC Skype chat about the merits of this kind of "pen-and-paper" navigation puzzle where the player has to map out a solution. Personally, I like the idea, but the way this level is built was less fun for me than a SHORT CIRCUIT or even a modulo fourteen. It came across like a Knight's Tour challenge in which all of the moves had to be discovered first before any sort of solution could be mapped, with only a thin amount of consistency woven throughout as far as what was connected where. It was one layer of puzzle too many for me compared to other navigation challenges.
#34 (Corresponding): I really enjoyed this as a logic / process-of-elimination puzzle. I'm always naturally gravitated toward levels where you can explore and see what you can do before you actually do anything, and this is a great example that doesn't get terribly complex and burdensome.
#45 (Anaconda): A navigation conundrum that doesn't overstay its welcome and manages to get some dodging in as well would be fun to see in a CCLP. One of my favorites in voting for sure.
#48 (Zephyr Heights): I'm kind of naturally biased toward this level because I spent hours of fun optimizing it in an airport while waiting for a delayed flight. But outside the world of optimization, it stands on its own as a fun force floor slide maze and chip collecting jaunt with some monster dodging thrown in for good measure. I love the aesthetic with the blocks and the little alcoves where you can collect items as well. It all adds up to a neat, enjoyable level that could help players develop their timing skills early on in CCLP4.
#50 (Blobhunt): This was really painful to solve.
Favorite level: Oceanic Citrus
Least favorite level: Blobhunt