Level set
A level set, sometimes called a level pack or written as one word, as in levelset or simply set, is a group of levels for Chip's Challenge or Chip's Challenge 2.
Official and custom sets
There are two types of level sets: an official set and a custom set.
Official set
An official set can include the original level sets created for Chip's Challenge 1 or Chip's Challenge 2, or any of the community-produced Chip's Challenge Level Packs, or CCLPs for short:
| Set | Release date | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCLP2 | February 9, 2002 | ***** | |
| CCLXP2 | June 6, 2015 | ***** | Lynx-compatible counterpart to CCLP2 |
| CCLP3 | December 24, 2010 | ***** | |
| CCLP1 | March 28, 2014 | ***** | Designed as a beginner-friendly set |
| CCLP4 | July 14, 2017 | ***** | |
| CC2LP1 | October 9, 2020 | ***** | |
| CCLP5 | March 1, 2024 | ***** |
All CCLPs are composed entirely of custom levels which have been subjected to a voting process to determine which levels are included and in what general order they will be placed in. On occasion, levels are modified from their original form, sometimes simply in title or time limit, but often in the content of the level itself at the consent and/or request of the level designer.
Custom set
A custom set is the general term for a level set outside of CC1, CC2, and the Chip's Challenge Level Packs, which was created with a level editor. Who made the first custom level set has not been determined, but it is variably believed to be Tyrethali Ansrath, Eric Schmidt, Dave Borgman, Scott Feeney, Joshua Bone or even Anne Olsen. There are over 700 custom level sets available on the internet. Many of the expert and master-level Chipsters, including Jimmy Vermeer, Andrew Bennett, Dale Bryan, Anders Kaseorg, Evan Dummit, Mike Lask, J.B. Lewis, and David Stolp have all made well-known custom level sets. Many of the most recent custom sets can be found on CC Zone under the Downloads section. Additionally, many custom level sets can be found on the Yahoo! group, and at David Stolp's website, which also runs automated scoreboards for any level sets that are uploaded, though the site does not host any custom CC2 sets and the scoreboards are usually only for the MS ruleset.
CC1 sets
Level set data for CC1 is stored in a DAT file. Some level editors give the option to save files as CCL since the DAT extension has a more general purpose on Windows machines. Tile World, a Chip's Challenge emulator, also uses DAC files to store some extra pieces of information, like which ruleset to use and whether to enforce passwords. On rare occasions, sometimes a level set will also be distributed with a CCX file for Tile World 2, which can provide optional information about who designed a level and text that can be displayed between levels. CCLP1 and CCLP3 use CCX files to add a storyline to go along with the levels in the pack.
CC2 sets
Level set data for CC2 is split between C2M and C2G files. A C2M file contains level map data for a single level, and a C2G file tells the game the set's level order and the text to display (if any) between levels. C2G files created using the built-in editor for CC2 cannot display text between levels, and C2G files that contain this information simply cannot be opened. CCCreator and CC2Edit, however, can open and edit any C2G file, regardless of what type of information is present in the file.
External links
- A list of all custom CC1 sets and a list of all custom CC2 sets available online
- CC1 Levelsets and CC2 Levelsets sections on CC Zone
- Chip's Challenge Yahoo! group archive
- David Stolp's CC website