Utility Pack - Discussion

[Flareon350]

This is the official discussion thread for CCLP4 voting's Utility Pack. Feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, and comments on the levels here!

[quiznos00]

Utillity Pack has just been updated. A Counting Puzzle (#11) was unsolvable and has now been made solvable.

[jblewis]

#2 (Association for Cryptology Masters): I was legitimately confused when I first solved this level: the title, hint, and general layout (as well as its placement in the set it originally came from) suggested that this was supposed to be a monster challenge to crack, and then it turned out to be hilariously simple to solve, which turned out to be completely intentional. I enjoy this type of level for a CCLP when done well, if only to serve as a fun diversion for later in the set when a certain level of expectations has been built up.

#5 (Outwit): We've seen teeth melee levels and teeth manipulation levels, but never an effective marriage between the two. This level accomplishes that in a way that I can't honestly say any other official levels have done so far. The entire thing feels so tight yet open-ended enough that you can escape out of tricky spots in ways that perhaps you didn't originally envision. I also appreciate the division of the level into quadrants, as well as the teleports available between rooms. Overall, I'm really hoping this makes the cut.

#9 (Daydreamer's Maze): I love this idea but didn't feel like the scaling of the "checkerboard" worked well. There are mazes that get you lost, and this certainly accomplishes that well, but it does so in a way that I found frustrating: by making each square big enough that you can't really see over to the next unless you brute-force each possibility, sometimes on repeat visits. Also, was the space-filling path to the exit necessary?

#11 (A Counting Level): I was the one who discovered this was unsolvable (and even after four people voted on it at that!). Interesting idea, but once you figure out the gimmick at the beginning, the rest becomes a generic itemswapper that doesn't bring anything particularly different to the table.

#20 (Alcknalkcxa): This feels like a spiritual successor to Bummbua Banubauabgv from CCLP1. As such, it managed to subvert my expectations: I thought there was going to be a bunch of fancy block setup to get the water spaces next to the exit filled, but it was deceptively simple. I still like its predecessor much more, but this was fairly decent.

#26 (Oasis): There are some levels you play prior to voting but take some time to grow on you. This is one of the ones that just improves with each subsequent play. I love the aesthetic: everything feels ripe for exploration, and each room just oozes theme. I especially like how you find the giant spring of water in the exit area! I wouldn't mind seeing this as an introductory CCLP4 level at all. It's head and shoulders above the similarly themed level from CC2.

#30 (Frozen Waffle): Pretty much everything I said about the previous level applies here too. I feel like there's a tendency to use either a DOUBLEMAZE-esque layout or a set of curved, criss-crossing paths to make an ice level more complicated, but this one totally eschews both and opts for an evolving simple set of squares that holds the player's attention throughout.

#35 (Colour Control): Speaking of eschewing popular design tropes, this level! It's only 12 by 10, and usually, the first thing that comes to mind whenever I think of tiny levels is a stuffed room filled with a bunch of seemingly random elements that have to be navigated in order to win. This level thankfully does not run with the rest of the tiny level pack in this regard but instead has a theme, a clearly laid out puzzle, and a devilishly tricky solution to deduce. It actually took me quite some time to crack this one, but it was very satisfying. Highly recommended.

#38 (Lara's Hedge Maze): Sorry - not particularly a fan of levels that require this level of precision.

#40 (Life, the Universe, and Everything): I love how this level and The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything got randomly selected to be in the same pack. This one is by far the one I prefer between the two.

#50 (Exercising Bug): An interesting concept, but it's one of those levels that ventured a bit too far into lateral thinking territory for my tastes. It eventually got to the point where I just started building bridges and didn't realize how impractical my setups were until late into my attempts, which was frustrating even the actual solution's length.

Favorite level: Oasis

Least favorite level: Colour Rush

[Flareon350]

#9 (Daydreamer's Maze): I love this idea but didn't feel like the scaling of the "checkerboard" worked well. There are mazes that get you lost, and this certainly accomplishes that well, but it does so in a way that I found frustrating: by making each square big enough that you can't really see over to the next unless you brute-force each possibility, sometimes on repeat visits. Also, was the space-filling path to the exit necessary?

You might not be able to see the paths across the ice sections but at least none of it leads to death, which I think is more frustrating than just being lost. I think mazes that get you lost to that degree make for great levels. And no, the path to the exit wasn't necessary

[chipster1059]

I'm way too slow with these packs. Anyway...

1: Most boring and inaccurate level title in a long time. However, it is a nice concept.

2: I know I've said negative things about this level in the past. In the end, it's not that bad, it's just ordinary.

3: Surprisingly fun.

4: Great nightmare level.

5: It's really not that good, I think.

6: This was in Po100T and was one of the worst levels of the set.

7: I already played this in JoshL6 and JCCLP2, and it's fun.

8: Overly long.

9: This is a good maze, but I've seen better ones, and the time limit is too strict.

10: One of the better Jeffrey levels.

11: This is an interesting concept, but putting the pink ball room so late in the level is really stupid.

12: A good dodging level that does not waste any space.

13: I think this was in NeverStopGaming. While that set's name is really nasty, this is a fun level.

14: There is no challenge in this.

15: I know this is a rush level, but the time limit is short even for a rush level.

16: The title and hint made me realize how pointless everything is. That's the best part of the level.

17: The whole blue key thing is not required, is this a bust or intentional?

18: I made this one. I'm surprised to see it made it into voting, considering how short it is, but all right...

19: This is a really weird level. Pushing blocks is not even required, except at the start!

20: This is a Rock level, I think, and I find it to be a boring puzzle.

21: Interesting concept, although it gets repetitive.

22: At least there are patterns and it's not total guesswork.

23: But THIS one is total guesswork.

24: Most accurate level title so far.

25: UNEQUAL: The blob and green key room. Either way, it's absolutely ordinary.

26: Short but fun.

27: That's a really nasty level, for reasons already described in my latest JCCLP2 review.

28: Creative shape.

29: I've seen MUCH better blue wall mazes than this.

30: It's a good level.

31: Interesting concept, but slightly frustrating.

32: The starting slide is really nasty. The maze feels pointless.

33: Amazing concept. Much better than I expected at first.

34: I really like this level.

35: random 8 busted this. Also this is just terrible.

36: It has some interesting concepts, but it failed to make a strong impression on me.

37: Reasonable race level.

38: An unusual type of strict time level, but it works very well.

39: Another level where the player must not only dodge monsters but avoid buttons. What a pain.

40: This is the second level with this theme in this voting pack, and the other one is better. Either way, I find it ordinary.

41: Ordinary.

42: The first room is good. The rest...not so much.

43: The title has nothing to do with the level, but it is still fun.

44: I played this in JCCLP, I think, and I find it ordinary.

45: This is much easier than expected.

46: Interesting concept.

47: Annoying maze.

48: That's a really silly puzzle.

49: I found this much easier than it is probably supposed to be.

50: I think this was made for a Create Competition, and I understand why it did so poorly.

[quiznos00]

13: I think this was in NeverStopGaming. While that set's name is really nasty, this is a fun level.

What the heck is wrong with NeverStopGaming as a level set title?

[Flareon350]

9: This is a good maze, but I've seen better ones, and the time limit is too strict.

25: UNEQUAL: The blob and green key room. Either way, it's absolutely ordinary.

27: That's a really nasty level, for reasons already described in my latest JCCLP2 review.

29: I've seen MUCH better blue wall mazes than this.

35: random 8 busted this. Also this is just terrible.

9: You say that about a lot of mazes, chipster curious to know what actually is a better maze to you.

25: That's not unequal at all. The blob isn't that hard to avoid in MS. and I really don't see what's ordinary about it.

27: The dodging in this level is near the start and isn't that hard to start with. You can easily memorize the monster cycles. As for the key room, that part of the level is pretty trivial as well.

29: Again, you said the same thing with Blue Tooth from an earlier pack also curious to know what is a "better" blue wall maze to you.

35: How is this terrible exactly?

[chipster1059]

What the heck is wrong with NeverStopGaming as a level set title?

I just don't agree with it. It might be a good idea to stop gaming at some point to focus on more fulfilling and positive life accomplishments.

9: You say that about a lot of mazes, chipster curious to know what actually is a better maze to you.

25: That's not unequal at all. The blob isn't that hard to avoid in MS. and I really don't see what's ordinary about it.

27: The dodging in this level is near the start and isn't that hard to start with. You can easily memorize the monster cycles. As for the key room, that part of the level is pretty trivial as well.

29: Again, you said the same thing with Blue Tooth from an earlier pack also curious to know what is a "better" blue wall maze to you.

35: How is this terrible exactly?

This is what I prefer in blue wall mazes:

*Mostly blue walls, but hidden walls and invisible walls can also be all right.

*No teleports, toggle walls or other such complexities.

*Decent time limit.

*If other tiles are to be included, such as ice or force floors, there should be a pattern.

25: Yeah, the blob is really not that much of a problem. And I have played better levels in JCCLP2.

27: Perhaps the dodging is all right, but it took me many attempts to finally get all the keys (and I had to use the editor).

35: Extremely precise timing is required; in Lynx, a delay of even a single tick can kill Chip. Or am I doing things wrong?

[Flareon350]

27: Perhaps the dodging is all right, but it took me many attempts to finally get all the keys (and I had to use the editor).

That room isn't rigid and a hint states there's nothing under any blocks unless you push them yourself so I have to say that's an unfair use of an editor in my opinion.

[quiznos00]

[quote]


Here's my solution, no ultra precise timing required