Tungsten Pack - Discussion

[jblewis]

This is the official discussion thread for CCLP1 voting's Tungsten Pack. Feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, and comments on the levels here!

[jbdude55]

I notice a few comments about the Tungsten Pack floating around other threads, but there's nothing here in the dedicated topic, so either no-one has any strong feelings about the rest of the Tungsten pack or it's been turned into some kind of Chip's Challenge DMZ in my absence. Whatever the case, I'll weigh in with my thoughts and hopefully others will follow.

#5 (Mixing) - Not a bad level, but I would imagine the hint would confound most new players. I guessed there was a teeth controller out of sight based purely on past experiences of levels like Totally Unfair and Teeth from CCLP2. New players would not have this advantage, but I'll vote as if this hint were made a bit more clear. Also, the FF side-stepping to avoid the fire was quite difficult due to the ice, even for me. The second set of fire could be moved down onto row 23 to make this a bit more beginner-friendly, perhaps?

#8 (Bonus? Rooms) - A great blue-wall maze level that's well laid out and not just a mindless "run-at-wall-and-see-what-happens" approach. The level also teaches key and chip counting really well, and clearly shows you exactly what you need at the beginning, so the chances of getting to the end and finding you've cooked the level are minimal. Brilliant stuff.

#15 ((Ir)reversible) - A wonderful symmetry exist between the two paths in each section, such that the challenge requires not only detecting the very subtle differences, but exploiting them to your advantage. I cooked this level many times while playing, each time due to a lack of attention or just plain stupidity and not poor level design. Whatever the reason, this level teaches sound, logical decision making and consequences for lack thereof in an intuitive and fun way, which not many levels manage.

#16 (Elevators) - This level was something of a rollercoaster. Initially, I thougth there was some shenanigan-esque guesswork going on, but when I worked out the pattern and determined how to solve the level, I loved it... Then I spent half an hour cooking the level in the exact same way, right before the exit. I kid you not. Despite frustrating the life out of me, this level gets top marks, and the arbitrary force floor paths look great.

#26 (Double Puzzle) - Wow. This is a seriously hard level. I've done my utmost to complete every level in all the packs so far but this one is above me. I've tackled it in no less than four half-hour sessions now, and I'm still no nearer to solving it past the obvious premise of "blocks from one puzzle cannot be transferred into the other". Maybe it's just me - I know ajmiam has shared his experience of this level in the main CCLP1 voting pack discussion thread, but I'd be curious to get a few others' opinions on this level.

#29 (The Sewers) - A mildly challenging combination of monster dodging, manipulation and sokoban make this a well-varied level with many of the elements used in multiple ways. The blocks alone are used to build bridges, clear obstacles and block off completed paths, and with a little forethought, there aren't too many strict constraints on the block-pushing to make for easy cooking which would frustrate players of all ability.

#31 (Judgement) - Plenty of variety and action, but some of the puzzles are deceptively hard in my opinion. I cooked this level an endless number of times before finally solving it, and I imagine a new player would not be too taken with it either. I would vote this highly for a future CCLP4 if such a set comes to pass, but I believe the calibre of this level is too high for a set aimed at beginners, such as CCLP1 is.

#39 (Just Amazing Ice) - I can see this level being downvoted by some for possibly being to trivial or repetitive, but I loved it. It's an ice-maze / scavenger hunt crossover, but it's designed very intuitively so there's not too much back-tracking as in some such levels. Because of this, it doesn't feel monotonous at all. Personally, I think it's a complete blast to play and I could play and replay this all day long.

#46 (36 Cell) - A well-executed COLONY spin-off with FFs dictating your options when moving between cells. Thankfully, the level can't be cooked (to my knowledge), so there's no penalty for not choosing the correct path every time. The teleport and two keys/doors expand the level nicely as play progresses and provide the player with plenty of options. The beginner accessibility and uncompromising exploration make this a perfect CCLP1 candidate.

[pillowpc2001]

I think I found a bust in level 29 (The Sewers):

[Click to Show Content]

[jblewis]

I unknowingly pasted an old version of this level into the pack and didn't know about this until weeks after it was released. The new version has this issue already corrected and would be used if the level made it into CCLP1.

[chrisba]

Does 25 have a bust, or is the "catch" alluded to in the hint simply that you don't need any of the chips ?

[chrisba]

Can I just say what an entertaining level San Diego Zoo is ( sorry, can't remember the number ) . Just the right level of difficulty and a nice concept. I hope the real zoo is more secure though.