February 2016 Create Competition - Walls of CCLP3

[M11k4]

Results.

I know many of you like it when the levels are released as quickly as possible, even if it means you have to wait a bit for the results. And also some of you would prefer to just see the results without waiting for me to type out some of my reasoning for them immediately. We'll do those things sometimes, but this week I felt like waiting to do it all together like I prefer.

We had six participants this month with a total of 13 submitted levels. I enjoyed just about every level, but had a hard time picking a favorite. I settled on a method I usually don't use, so let me explain it briefly. Often I pick my favorite level from each participant and then rank those levels against each other. Now that I had trouble doing that, I looked the submissions from each designer as a whole instead. I don't think this favored anyone or gave a large disadvantage to anyone either, but it did allow me to avoid some ties. Let's take a peek at what we ended up with:

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6. M11k4 (6
pts):
"Ice Block Corner
" (based on Avalanche
, #147)
I made a level based on my favorite level and a concept I've been looking for a place to use. I filled the 'last room' of Avalanche
with ice blocks and chips under them to create a flicking puzzle. The two existing walls in the room provide enough hindrence to not make it trivial. I decided against doing the same in the other rooms; though it would have felt more like an avalanche-type puzzle, the level would have been way too long. I added dirt for visual effect and "hid" the Exit. I think it's not a bad level, but this last spot in the competition is clearly the right place for it.

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5. RB3ProKeys (7
pts):
"Tesseract
" (based on Pigeonholed
, #8)
"Sonic Resonance
" (based on Recess
, #25)
Both these levels are nice and short like I like them. The second one in particular shows a good way in which a level doesn't always need to be solvable on the first attempt without being annoying. (Though I guess it's not impossible for someone to solve it on the first attempt.) I like the addition of the Teeth in this one and enjoyed solving it in both rule sets. For the first one I was a bit dissappointed how you used the center of the level, as it would have been an interesting place to visit. The way it is now, I don't see why the traps are a fun mechanism and they are also the only thing making this not playable in Lynx.

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4. KeyboardWielder (8
pts):
"Coda Liabli
" (based on Diabolical
, #148)
"Cornerstone
" (based on Jaywalker
, #121)
I really like how you looked at more than just the walls to inspire your own submissions. The first one is a nice dual or swap of the original. There's no big puzzle here, just some exploring and a race at the end. I like the second one more, though it was much more difficult. Playing without a map it took a few tries to figure out where to go, but this was the fun part. And when I did know what to try, filling in the right places still wasn't trivial. The Gliders also kept me on edge, but eventually I found a method where they didn't come over to bother me. Collecting the chips was fun, even the extra one. I liked this level, but it might not be for everyone. It's amazing to me how all this game play arose from the exact same arrangement of tiles with just switching tiles.

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3. Flareon350 (10
pts):
"Mental Marvel Monastery
" (based on Producing
, #64)
"Tropical Hibiscus
" (based on Twisted Chambers
, #120)
"Fire is My Enemy
" (based on Jumble
, #27)
Your levels manage to hide the fact that they are based on some other wall arrangement. You design so naturally into the rooms that I totally forget that you didn't erect the walls yourself. My favorite of the three submissions is MMM. It has great variety, length, puzzles, revisiting areas and general structure. I like it more than the original level! A few small details in each level kept me from ranking you higher this month:

• MMM, I was annoyed by the Gliders being so close together in the NW (maybe have one extra tile between them since I have to turn pretty soon after the teleport, or have one of the Gliders missing entirely for those players who want to wait for the larger gap).
  
• FiME, the fire at (25,21) could go (when I come into the area I don't know what I need to do, and even when I did I do not like the precision required here). Great puzzle in the previous room though!
  
• TroHib, it's too bad that one section prohibits Lynx solvability, and otherwise, having seen a similar structure before, filling the whole level with these ffs was not my favorite idea compared to the others.
  

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2. Ihavenoname248 (12
pts):
"The Salt Mines
" (based on Caves
, #105)
"Solitary Refinement
" (based on Everybody Get Dangerous
, #129)
"Mathematical Mastermind
" (based on Mice are Good for Something
, #117)
I enjoyed all these levels in some way, but really appreciated the work you did to Mice. Let's talk about the other two first though.

• I guess the lesson of Solitary Refinement
  is that if you take a long puzzly level and duplicate it, you get a long and puzzly level. There are moments of insight here though: the first room is not trivial, the ruby road is inspired, some rooms retained some elements, and the four block sokoban is good (though I was afraid there might be a thin wall under a block). (Why is the chip count 63? There are 4 x 4 rooms of 5 x 5, so 64 wouldn't be a bad number.)
  
• I like the puzzles in The Salt Mines
  . It must not have been easy to find interesting stuff to do in the space. Did you solve it in Lynx? The Bug room works a bit differently because it comes back sooner, though it does work. Maybe the last room is still the weakest as it requires moving all the blocks to the bombs, which was a boring final act. But then again, at least this made use of the last few tiles before the exit as well. It's a nice design overall.
  
• The biggest issue I have with your third level, the one I like the most, is the use of invisible walls. This is not the type of puzzle where they really shine. Even appearing walls would have been better. The symmetry is nice though. The two things I like the most, is the difficulty and feel of the puzzles, plus the tributes/nods to several pieguy levels (Mice
  , Color Wheel
  , Investment
  , Avalanche
  , minus two, and even Road Block
  in the middle?). The puzzles work (in the sense that they function and that they were enjoyable to solve), but there is one thing that I am not sure if you intended, which is that only one of the sides of the level need to be solved as one block in the middle plus dirt are enough to create the necessary nails. Did you intend for both blocks to be retrieved? I think the level is better if they are required. If I get to recommend just one level from this competition to my past self (who hasn't seen any of the levels), it might be this one.
  
  

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1. chipster1059 (15
pts):
"Gnome
" (based on Same Game
, #143)
"The Trouble with Mirrors
" (based on Air Pocket
, #59)
Well chipster, here we are. You have just won a Create Competition. Congratulations! It was a close call, but in the end I liked the simplicity of your captivating designs!

• The Trouble with Mirrors
  creates a small asymmetric teleport puzzle in an otherwise symmetric level very nicely. The key collecting is fun and the level is pretty. The choice of two ways to Exits fits well. I wouldn't have minded if you had rotated the map ninety degrees to get the picture upright.
  
  
• Gnome
  takes the five rooms of the same shape and repeats a simple concept using different tiles in a nice way. I love how this uses the corridor on the right, and there is a small urgency to get to the next room after each bomb is blown. I also appreciate how the original signatures outside play into the level at the end. This might be my favorite level of the submissions!
  

There you have it. For a summary of the Chip Cup points
, check the Chip Cup 2016 thread. The levels are also available in the downloads. Be sure to add your own comments on everyone's levels and how you totally disagree with me. Thanks for all the participants!

-Miika