Possibly the best levelset ever

[jm28121977]

Hi all

I just wanted to make you aware of an incredible levelset called simply 'Gav' that everyone needs to try instantly. The first 56 levels are the same as a levelset in Contributions from a guy called Gavin Davidson, but the Gav levelset has another 100 levels, and the ones not in Contributions are awesome. There's some intricate and imaginative level design, lots of CE usage, great graphics, and some excellent puzzles that'll really make you think. I was the only entry on every high score table so this seems to be one of R'n'D's best-kept secrets.

Best wishes
Jamie x

[Holger]

Hi Jamie,

I really love to hear about such recommendations, as there are so many level sets available for R'n'D, and I haven't tested or even tried each and every of them (especially not every single level, and apparently those levels you are talking about are the 100 new ones, which are, as it seems, hidden behind those 56 already available ones, which may make it easy to miss them).

In fact, this level set is currently not available on the high score server (which is the reason why you can only see your own, locally stored score entries).

I will add that level set to the server, so you can see if (or how many) other people have played that level set. And especially I will add a download link to that level set here in this thread!

Thanks a lot for your recommendation! I will also definitely have a look at those new, "hidden" levels!

[filbo]

@jm28121977 -- it would help to include a link to what you found! (I see Holger's going off to find it, but that shouldn't be necessary...)

The first 56 are on my system as:

/usr/share/games/rocksndiamonds/levels/Contributions/Contributions_2003/rnd_gavin_davidson

-- i.e. part of Holger's 'contributions' bundle https://www.artsoft.org/RELEASES/rocksn ... s-1.2.0.7z

I also had previously downloaded an 80-level sets from https://www.bd-fans.com/Files/RnD/Level ... n_2006.zip

Looking at the level titles, the 2006 version is a straight extension of the 2003. I didn't compare level contents (they're in newer RnD level file formats, so simple byte compares are helpless...)

So it's a decent bet that what you've found is Gavin's ongoing work up to a total of 156, i.e. 76 newly rediscovered levels above what's on bd-fans.

[jm28121977]

Hi Filbo

I'm not exactly sure where I got it from as it's just in the list of levelsets. I just assumed it's a levelset you get when you download the Emerald Mine Club level collection. Is there an easy way for me to find out where I got it from?

Best wishes
Jamie

[Holger]

No, it's not part of the Emerald Mine Club collection, and there's usually no easy way to find out from where it came.

But it's really simple here -- just search for "Gav" in this forum, and you will find it!

OK, it's here.

BTW: Filbo, according to that thread, you should also have downloaded that level set.

P.S.: Just uploaded a new, much smaller (*) level package (including all tapes and with fixed "levels" config entry) here:
https://www.artsoft.org/RELEASES/rocksn ... ls/Gav.zip
(*) It's only ~400 KB instead of the ~140 MB of the original package, but lacks all those ultra-large, high quality WAV file versions of the classic music from historic game versions that I removed because of potential copyright problems a long time ago.

[jm28121977]

Thank you, Holger.

[Holger]

I was the only entry on every high score table so this seems to be one of R'n'D's best-kept secrets.

I have added Gavin's level set "Gav" to the high score server now, and reprocessed all corresponding tape files, so now you are not alone anymore.

[filbo]

> BTW: Filbo, according to that thread, you should also have downloaded that level set.

Heh. Yeah, I just hadn't found it in my quick search... and I don't think I've ever properly unpacked it into my system-wide levelset hierarchy. I try to do good cleanup / triage on stuff before that happens, and I only do that sort of stuff in occasional sporadic spazzes, so things can sit quietly for years...

I actually have:

- Gavin_Davidson_2006.zip, from bd-fans.com, with levels 1..80
- GavinD.zip, from zomis.net (via wayback machine, I think), with levels 1..99
- Gav_levels.zip, probably from this thread, with levels 1..150

@jm28121977 said there were 'another 100 levels' after the first 56, which might mean he's found yet another copy of it somewhere else. More likely he was just speaking loosely and he's actually playing the 150-level version from here...

@Gavin it sure is confusing how different versions of your levelset are all over the place in different states of construction & disrepair :)

[jm28121977]

Holger - cheers mate. I'm gonna go and look through the Halls of Fame to see how I fared.

Filbo - yes, I really should have written 'another 94 levels' as there are 150 levels in the levelset I played, not 156. Apologies for any confusion caused. I promise to work on the accuracy of my communication in future posts.

Anyway... I hope everyone else enjoys the levels as much as I did!

Best wishes
Jamie