May 2015 Mini Challenge - funfair0 puzzles

[M11k4]

Hi guys, it's time for a different type of competition!

During the past few years I have made some levels that have not yet been released in any form. I envisioned compiling a set with 50 of them eventually. I now have 25 that can be released and figured I might as well put them together for an early taste of the set. I am now announcing a countdown for this release: it will be uploaded on Saturday May 9th at 4:00 a.m. GMT, so that's just short of three full days from when I post this message!

To maximize the possible experience for you guys, I realized I could craft a competition around some of the levels. We haven't had a pure 'solve this level and win something'-type of competition that didn't care about how you solved the level, and as I have a few tough puzzles in the set, I thought I'd grasp the opportunity to do just that. I want to keep this a 'mini challenge' (which generally gives out a maximum of 5 Chip Cup points, and usually the participants are scored individually instead of being compared to each other), so that I don't give away too many Chip Cup points for something that can be seen as simply promoting one's own set (which is way down the list in my own goals with this effort). I will state the rules in more detail once the levels are available, but the basic idea is that you will be awarded 1 Chip Cup point for solving a tough level.

For this Mini Challenge you must solve these levels in the set funfair0.ccl:

#12 - Dodecaphobia


#15 - A Slapstick Tragedy


#21 - Seven Queens


#25 - Five by Five


#27 - Class is in Session


I'm excited to soon release this thing and see if there is anyone out there who likes any of my creations Will you be up to the challenge?

-Miika

[M11k4]

The levels have been posted!

So I promised some more detailed rules:

1) Solve the levels #12, #15, #21, #25, #27 in the set funfair0.
2) You will receive 1 Chip Cup point for each of these levels you solve.
3) Alternately, solve three of any of the other levels up to #24 in place of the five levels. (Maximum points still 5.)
4) Post your progress below. You may email me solutions if you wish, but not all solutions are required like this.
5) Be prepared to give some sort of proof if I ask for it. This might be in the form of a question or sending the solution to me.
6) The set might need updates, but for our purposes here we will just use the first version.

7) This challenge is open for three weeks, so the deadline is Saturday, May 30th where you live.

8) I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on any of the levels. Which of the five is your favorite or least favorite? How about the whole set?
9) Enjoy. Ask for details that I didn't think about if needed.

A few comments about these five levels. I like each of them for a bit of a different reason, but find all of them to be a bit too difficult to really be the best levels ever, as not all the concepts I come up with work well as CC levels. I think the best levels in the set are not included in this challenge, but it would be great to hear if you disagree.

#12 - Dodecaphobia

You will notice that I like pop-up walls and the puzzles they can create. This one was supposed to be a pop-up wall maze with a little bit of action included. I guess it still is, but the combination is pretty deadly
#15 - A Slapstick Tragedy


This one came about because of a discussion on the annexcafe newsgroup. I wasn't sure if I could make it work in both MS and Lynx, so do tell me if it isn't solvable in one of them, because I might have uploaded the version that is missing a block or something.

#21 - Seven Queens


My first version was 'Six Queens' but then I found a way to save some room. I really wanted to make 'Eight Queens' but there was no way that would fit. I have no clue if this is a very easy puzzle or mind numbingly difficult. Let's at least hope the mechanism isn't broken and the level busted as a result.

#25 - Five by Five


This is the second level in the set which you could get a taste of in my previous set, kidsfair, this one just doesn't allow you to go back. You really need a map for this and it still shouldn't be easy. Somehow I like it but don't think this is for everyone.

#27 - Class is in Session

This is the first level I ever released and I am using it in this competition because I do not know if anyone ever solved it. I am happy with how I combined the theme and the puzzles, but I know that the end result is way too difficult and even annoying. I had hoped to make a mechanism with the fireball that would be interesting to optimize because you could control the lengths of the 'classes', but I think getting stuck in the 'corridors' for long periods of time was not ideal. Also, going to the 'lockers' to change items became a much too difficult item swapper. The level is much easier if you replace the locks at the end with the four elements, which I have done in my rejects set.

I very much appreciate any and all feedback and reactions to the set and levels. Already I have heard some while typing this, so thank you. If I die today, this set is one of my biggest achievements in life (well, ok, at least in the CC World). I am very slow at making levels, and getting to 25 felt really awesome to me. I included a bunch of levels I made for CC Zone as bonus levels just so you can get a grasp of the other work I have done too. Maybe some day I will finish the set and make it a full 50 levels.


-Miika

[Ihavenoname248]

I've solved all of the levels up through #27, aside from:
Ordinary Measure?, Seven Nine Thirteen, Labyrinth of Minos, The Hatfield Recalibration, My Blue Friend and Monster Swap.
Obtuse blocksliding after confusing itemswapping, guess and wait about a minute, long maze I wasn't in the mood for when I got to it, cooked the level 4 minutes in and wanted to move on to more puzzles, not my type of level (I don't like erratic tank patterns at all and this is quite long for dealing with them), lengthier version of level 2 which I found tedious in CC.

Unyielding Pyramid is my favorite of 21 levels I did solve.

Some further thoughts on the competition levels...
#12 - Dodecaphobia

The dodging in tight spaces mostly just encourages waiting and makes a navigation puzzle akin to Pentagram just take longer to test theories. Having already plotted a route out in the editor, I had no troubles with this.

#15 - A Slapstick Tragedy

Aside from the 50% chance of survival with the route I took, this was a fun level and a good puzzle.

#21 - Seven Queens

Very nice mechanisms. Easy level, though. Optimizing it would be similar to 49 Cell in how it's executed except easier to come up with a route...I think.

#25 - Five by Five

I would never want to attempt this without a map. I would never want to attempt this without having adjusted the map into a more parse-able format. Once I did that, I was able to draw a path, note the chips missed, and adjust my path to collect them. Executing took one try.

#27 - Class is in Session

This...this would be right at home in late CCLP3. I came up with a general route, but overlooked a boot loss which set me 1 key and 1 boot short. Every change I made went nowhere, until I found a way around losing the boots, but this still put me 1 key short of a solve. Finally, I noticed where I was being stupid and wasting a key, and solved the level on the next attempt. Still, working this out was quite the challenge, and executing wasn't easy either!

[M11k4]

Wow, thanks for the great feedback IHNN! Feels great to get these levels out there and hear reactions to them. I know not all the levels are great when played without a map, but hopefully people try them once before resorting to that. It's great to hear that some of the levels I didn't think were too special are liked by others, like Unyielding Pyramid
. Would love to watch some of your solutions, or do you plan on going back to the ones you skipped? And even for the ones you solved, you should find the non-busted route for Appliances
and try A Slapstick Tragedy
in Lynx (for which I originally designed it).

From the feedback I've gotten, I am planning on making these changes to the set, though I will not do that for at least a week.


#6 - Appliances


Fix backwards boosting bust.
#7 - Heads and Tails


Has no hint tile despite having an appropriate hint text.
#8 - Ordinary Measure?


Would be more fun without the block manipulation at the end. (I never knew what to do with this level as I don't personally like the item swapping part too much, but wanted to explore this particular gravel+ice arrangement.)
13 - Seven Nine Thirteen


Could use a hint on where to begin. As it is it's pretty pointless, but that's the way I built it, kind of a challenge for myself to find the mechanism I wanted to use.
#18 - The Hatfield Recalibration


Would be better not to get stuck behind toggle walls. Also will reconsider removing some of the extra blue locks which were mostly added for visual diversity. This is a level for which I didn't put enough thought after the last changes I made.

#23 - My Blue Friend


Is busted with the last two blue keys. Not a great level in its current form by any standard.

I've gotten some other initial responses to the level also on Skype, and they are all appreciated. I wasn't sure how these sort of levels would be received by all of you, because I've been trying to do things that interest me more than things that I thought people wanted, but so far I hope everyone has found at least one level they like. Of course it hasn't even been a day, so I feel very fortunate to have gotten any feedback at all I feel very lucky and am happy to have finally gotten this thing out there. Keep it coming!!

-Miika

[chipster1059]

So far, I solved levels 12, 15 and 21.

12 is overall a good level. The dodging is not too frustrating. The only problem with it is that it is very colourful, which gave me a headache after playing it for a certain amount of time.

15 is great in MS. This is a really nice use or the ram and the different movements of tanks. In Lynx, the block slapping is really fun, but I don't know if it is solvable, as I have trouble bypassing the random force floors to exit the room on the right.

21 is a really awesome level. I didn't find it particularely hard: I jsut took a solution to the eight queens puzzle and adapted it. I didn't find any busts. Congratulations on building such a complex working mechanism!

I will continue to work on the other levels.

[Ihavenoname248]

I was able to solve level 15 in Lynx. The tricky part is figuring out how to get the chip behind the RFFs on the right, but it's definitely doable.

[Syzygy]

I have solved a few of the levels. (1 through 5, 9, 14 and about half the rest) I find the majority difficult to solve, but have excellent mechanics which makes them appealing even if I can't finish.

[RB3ProKeys]

So far I've solved 1-5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, all corners in 14, 15, 16, 20, and both paths in 22. My favorite was either 14 or 22.

[M11k4]

A few more days left with this competition so I thought I'd summarize what everyone has said so far and how many Chip Cup points they have earned.

Ihavenoname248 - 5
pts - all 5 competition levels and a bunch of others too


chipster1059__ - 3
pts - first 3 competition levels


Syzygy________ - 2
pts - levels 1-5,9,14, others?


RB3ProKeys____ - 5
pts - 2 competition levels and a bunch of others


quiznos00_____ - 3
pts - first 3 competition levels


Cyberdog______ - 3
pts - 2 competition levels and 5 others


I would love to see some of these solutions, so even if your points don't depend on them, do send them! I am really happy you guys have had so many nice things to say about my levels.

-Miika

[quiznos00]

I solved #12, #15, and #21