Stellalune

Hey, kids. Sorry I've been absent so long. I've been playing some TR2 and following your comments as they arrive in my inbox, but I got a little sidetracked by Guardian of Light news and blog-related matters, including a contest I'm having. (Write a TR haiku, win a LCGOL download, in case you're interested.) Not sure whether I'll do a Guardian of Light walkthrough. I kind of want to try the game first to see if it eve needs one—and whether it's something I'd have fun doing. I wish the PC version was coming out next week and not just the Xbox. I still don't have a reliable setup for taking screenshots/video off the console. I've been taking my time and gradually tweaking the TR2 level walkthroughs, and I'm only up to Bartoli's Hideout with that. But I've played ahead into the Maria Doria levels. I agree completely with you, Helion. Those always make me claustrophobic. It makes for great pacing and level design though. When you finally step out into the snowy mountains of Tibet, it's like a huge weight has been lifted. Then it's back underground into the blacks, browns and reds of Xian. Those Core guys didn't have much to work with back in the day, but they sure worked what they had. Loving all of your screenshots, videos (lol Barracuda! I <3 Heart) and blow-by-blow adventure diaries. And thanks to everyone who offered suggestions for the walkthrough, tech help, etc. You guys are great and I'll catch up with you eventually. Not TR2-related but just by way of saying I understand and sympathize, here's a video link for Mute2Conversations. As for my own videos, I've been able to recover everything except for the 2 most PITA boss battles from Anniversary: the Centaurs and Natla. Can't quite face redoing those right now, but it'll happen eventually. Maybe I'll recruit little Katrina (from the video above) for help. Thanks for your sympathy, guys.

Hi, everybody. Wow! Some of you are finished already. Congratulations! I feel sooooo slow. Almost done with the Opera House, but I think I'll need to go back and replay to get all the new screenshots I want. Every time I hear the boulders start to roll, I think of you guys. Had a bit of a setback yesterday. I don't know if my account was hacked or if I just accidentally hit some super-secret self-destruct button, but my YouTube channel totally imploded yesterday, with the result being about half of my videos poof...deleted...gone forever. There aren't really enough emoticons to describe how I feel, but I think Lara here is on the right track: Fortunately I had almost everything backed up on DVDs, so I can re-upload. It's just going to take a while, and all the comments are gone. Ah well, I guess it's a good lesson. If you have important files, back them up early and often, kiddies.

Hi, Guy! It's great to see you here. I have the TR1 and 2 Gold levels on my site here and here. (Not the whole game, just the bonus levels, though. You'll need the TR1/2 CD to play.) The TR1 bonus levels are also included in Chris Ware's TR1 installer for Windows XP, Vista & 7. Everybody seems to be making such great progress. Loving all the screenshots! I'm still messing around with my level 1 and 2 walkthroughs. The sunken ship levels totally give me claustrophobia, so I'm not in any hurry to get there. I'll try and make some progress today, though, and report back later. Raid on!

Sure! I hope the PlayStation people won't mind, but I think that would be fun. Hopefully I can finish the main game in time to enjoy them before having to detour for LCGOL. Theoretically yes, but it doesn't always work as well as it should. Generally I'll try to give directions relative to the entrance to the room/area (if you've just come in) or relative to the last action you did (pulling a switch, etc.). Otherwise,I'll try and say "on Lara's left if her back is to the door" or something like that to give a clue. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't always do this as consistently I should. Sorry. That's one of the reasons I'm keen on revising these earlier waltkhroughs. @Helion: I don't know if it's just me, but when I try to look at your Photobucket pages, it asks me for a guest password. I created my own account and logged in, but it still won't let me see your pics. Any ideas? No more progress for me yet today, but I'm hoping to get in a little play time after dinner. See y'all soon.

Well, I finished Venice tonight. That was fun. A real blast from the past! Love: Speedboat, shooting out windows. Hate: Thugs with bats and guns (I used 2 whole health packs), not being able to sidestep by holding Walk + direction key (like in TR3 on). Puzzlements: Ginormous keys, switches miles away from the doors they open (Helion mentioned this too). I spent a lot of time taking screenshots and replaying sections to try and find safer ways to do things. Not exactly the most fun way to play, but I feel compelled. I can't remember if I mentioned it on the board or in a side conversation with Eldin, but this was the first walkthrough I ever wrote...way back in 1997. It's definitely starting to show its age and will be much improved by more screens and a little tweaking. You guys are also helping a lot with your suggestions, corrections, sharing strategy, etc. So thanks a lot! @Caity: Sorry about the video mix-up. I must've seen the quote and not the original post. Still, it's great. @Eldin: Nice screenshots! Tibetan Foothills and Barkhang Monastery are my two favorite levels in this game. Looking forward to them.... @JD_Zen: Welcome! I'd be interested to do the rest of the games at some point. I've played both TR1 and Angel of Darkness fairly recently, but if you guys decide you want to do those as well, I'll stop in even if I don't end up playing. I will need to take a break in the middle of August for Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, though. Maybe later in the Fall. But don't wait for me. If you want to do it, just go for it. Congrats on your upcoming Egypt vacation. That's awesome! I recently ran an interesting piece on my blog written by a raider friend who also visited Egypt. It really made me want to go traveling too. See "Following In Lara's Footsteps: An Egyptian Travelogue" if you're interested. Mods: I hope that link is OK. If not, please remove and accept my apologies. @Mute2conversations: Your forum posts are as funny and interesting as your emails. You crack me up! Thanks for the walkthrough notes too. Posting here or emailing is fine. I'll be sure and look more closely at those areas. My walks are all based on the PC games. I think the PC/PlayStation versions are just about identical, but there may be a few slight differences I'm not aware of. @Everybody else: I'm running out of steam for tonight, but I'm really happy to be playing with you all. Thanks for all the great action reports and screenshots.

Hi, guys and gals! Sorry no detailed post today. Got busy with work and other stuff and haven't had a chance to write much yet. Finished Venice but missed a few pick-ups, so I think I'll take another go later on. @Amber: LOL at your video. Talk about insult to injury. @Eldin: Whichever works best for you. I like to drive the snowmobiles (cheesy techno music and all), but Tibet on foot is a fun challenge if you're up for it. @Kaylee: I haven't tried to grapple/chimney jump yet, but I can't even count the number of times I've unconsciously hopped off an edge thinking Lara would auto-grab. And twice I finished a level and not saved, thinking the game would do it automatically.

Hey, BPanther. Great to see you! Sorry you won't be playing along with us, but maybe next time. Congrats to everybody on the weekend's progress. You all seem to be doing well and having fun, and I'm enjoying your posts. (What is up with the giant furniture!? Those chairs Eldin posted are humongous! And Lara's kitchen sink is practically a hot tub!) Not much in-game progress for me today. Mostly I've been working on tweaks and screenshots for the Croft Manor and Great Wall walkthroughs. Can you believe this was the first walkthrough I ever wrote? (If you read it, you probably can. ) It really needs a lot of work and a lot more visuals. I revised the training level hedge maze map in case anyone wants to take another go at the treasure room. There's also a link to the PC flight patch, in case you've had enough of banging into walls and just want to see the loot. Revised walkthrough is here: http://tombraiders.net/stella/walks/TR2walk/croftmanor.html. My main achievement of the day is this video. I hope to get through Venice tomorrow! Buona fortuna a tutti!

I've almost got the hang of things again, but I still keep accidentally stepping off ledges. Without auto-grab, that's a problem. Played around in Croft Manor for a while and finished the first level. Nothing too exciting to report, but one player's suggestion came in handy: When running the gauntlet of traps inside the Great Wall, once you make it to the last set of spiked walls, just beyond the Jade Dragon secret, if you stay near the right wall the spikes can't reach Lara. Then you can take a breather and save before moving through the final phase. Unfortunately you can't get back to the secret if you missed it, since the spikes above it are too close together. You guys probably already knew that, but somehow it escaped me. Indeed! I have to admit Underworld at least got that part right. Stepping on a spider--a normal sized one anyway--should be is enough. But yet Crystal Dynamics has regressed to checkpoints. Checkpoints! In the 21st century! Feh! And, yes, Mama T.'s roar kept on playing in my game too, long after she was dead. Weirdness. Do you have one of those CD cleaner/buffer things? If not, maybe your local game store or video store has one and will buff your disk for cheap or free. That'll at least get the surface scratches out, which might make a difference. I sure hope you can keep playing. @Shrensh: I love your screenshots! You made a bunch of great ones last time too, as I recall. @Rosinna: The diary format is great, but damn if I don't crave fried chicken now. @Eldin: Wow! You're just cranking along. Good job! I know you're trying not to use any health. So I have a tip for the Wreck of the Maria Doria when you get there. Maybe you already know this, but if not, here's a screenshot sent to me by another player about how to take minimal damage in that first long drop. @Caity & Mute2Conversations: Here's your Venice map. Unfortunately it's in Dutch (sent to me by another player) but hopefully it'll help. Most is pretty obvious but you can also use Google translate for the labels. @Caity & Kaylee: It is a little weird getting used to the retro-ness again. I don't mind Lara's “No!” so much, but the constipated toddler sound she makes when moving blocks and climbing ladders is a little disturbing. @Amber: No hurry. None of us will ever catch up with Eldin, and nobody will be as slow as me. So just jump in any time and you should be fine. Finally, is the problem with uploading images resolved? Photobucket/Picasa might be another option. I would also be happy to host images on tombraiders.net, but people would need to use FTP to upload them.

My suggestion would be to try installing it and see how it goes. I've never had Vista, but for Windows XP and 7, I've been able to install the game as usual, then download and run the Tomb Raider Multi-Patch (Vista version is here). After patching, the game runs perfectly for me. So maybe try that. Then if you have trouble, post here with any error messages or other details. No sense anticipating problems that may not happen. .... BTW, I haven't made any progress in the game yet. Still going through the ton of email suggestions and making notes on what to check in each level. I'll be sure and post anything promising.

I know there's a file size limit. Is your photo too big? I'm just an honorary moderator here, so I'm not sure how everything works. Maybe one of the real mods could help.

Thanks, Eldin. I have a file of about 150 emails with suggestions other players have sent in over the past couple of years. Some are duplicates. Some are just bugs/glitches experienced by only one person. So I probably won't end up incorporating all of them in the walkthrough, but I'll post anything really interesting here and you guys can help me test things if you want to.

I got an error when trying to run the game without the patch. I forgot what it said exactly, but the game wouldn't even start. I'm not sure why that would be true for me but not you, but I guess I'd suggest to other people to try the basic installation. Then if it won't run, try the patch. That's so cool! I've never heard of CrossOver games, but not owning a Mac, I just haven't had a need for it. Keep us posted. It'll be great to offer Mac raiders another option. Excellent! Again no health packs! So what did you think? Did you find anything new or interesting? For me it's been so long since I last played the game, I'm sure I'll have forgotten a lot and have to look at the walkthrough.

Oh, yeah. I forgot about the secret room in the manor! Well, not forgot really, more like overlooked in my eagerness to climb the Great Wall. Lara's treasure room (the reward for the timed run through the hedge maze) is fun but not spectactular. Just something do do so you can say you did it. I think I need to redo the maze map and parts of the manor walkthrough. No offense to the player who made the original one, but I think it could use a little more detail. Maybe a project for tomorrow, though. I'm beat!

Yay! So many old and new friends! This is great! I just got my TR2 game running. I recently got a new laptop with Windows 7 (64-bit) and wasn't sure how the install would go, but it was pretty quick. I installed from the CD then used the TR multi-patch from tombraiderchronicles.com. (There are XP and Vista versions as well.) After applying the patch, the game ran perfectly. I have a wide screen now, so it looks a little weird with the game all squashed in the middle of a black screen, but that looks better than stretching the picture out or playing in windowed mode. Being able to see all the icons on the desktop is too distracting. Also, no numeric pad on the laptop, so I had to reassign the look button from Num Pad 0 to something else. Now I just need to get used to the old controls. I've been playing the Crystal Dynamics games with an Xbox-style controller, so I'll have to retrain my brain. Got the silver dragon on the high ledge in the starting area and then immediately stepped off like an idiot.

I take it you're in Australia...? I'm not sure exactly, since I'm in the U.S. How about eBay (ebay.com.au)? Or anywhere else they sell bargain/used games. If you have a PS3 or PSP, you may also be able to download the PlayStation version from the PlayStation Network. I know it's available in the US/UK, but possibly Australia as well. I would gladly ship a copy of the PC game to you from the U.S. (the North American and Australian PlayStation versions are not compatible) but it would probably take a while. Does anyone else have other ideas?

Hi, rosinna. Sorry I didn't include more detail earlier. I was trying to get a quick post up before I ran off to work. I've added some more info to my introduction, above. No rules, just a few ideas and suggestions. To answer your questions, we're starting with TR2 now. (Hopefully later we'll do TR3.) Play as much or as little as you like. Then post your ideas/impressions here in this thread. It was Gia's suggestion to bring the topic here, but I think it was a great idea. Here we can easily add screenshots or links to our posts. It's easier to respond to other people and follow the topic, and it allows players who don't use Facebook to join in. Thanks for joining us. I'm looking forward to a great time with you all and Lara.

Shrensh! Awesome! I'm so glad you're still here. Sorry I've been away so long. And it's great to see everybody else too. Gia, sorry you won't be joining us for this one. I'm going to be taking my time though. So if things loosen up for you, stop in. We can be slow pokes together. I'll be editing my welcome post to add more info about what we're doing, but basically there's no right or wrong way to play. Just go at your own pace and have fun. Post things that interest/frustrate you and generally just join the conversation. The only goal is to share our enjoyment of a great, classic game. Yay!

Hi, all. Long time no type! Is anyone up for a little Tomb Raider group play? We did this a while back on this very forum, and it was a blast. Basically we pick a game to play together over a period of a few weeks then post regularly about the experience--with or without screenshots, videos, etc. Since there's no actual co-op mode (yet!) it's more like parallel play, but it can still be a lot of fun, especially if it's a game some of us haven't played yet or haven't played in a while. I first brought this up on my Facebook page and blog. Then Gia suggested we do it here instead so anybody could join in. I think that's a wonderful idea. My plan was to play one of the classics, both for the fun factor and for a chance to revise one of my old walkthroughs. TR2 and 3 got the most votes in our informal poll. Personally I like both, so how about we do TR2 now and TR3 later in the summer, after the Guardian of Light? Who's in? I'll be sending new people over here from the other sites. I'll tell them to be on their best behavior and to honor the Forum guidelines. So please give them a warm welcome. UPDATE: So, how do we do this group play thing? I was deliberately vague in my earlier posts on Facebook and Blogspot, mostly because I don't want to tell anyone how to play or what to talk about. First, go as slow or or as fast as you like. I probably won't start playing until the weekend, but don't feel you have to wait for me. I'll probably play more slowly than most of you, since I'm also going to be using this as an opportunity to revise my TR2 walkthrough. (Feel free to correct/contribute!) Play as much or as little at a time as you like. Then just post your ideas and impressions and read/comment on what other players have to say. Mention things that were fun, frustrating, glitchy, weird or otherwise remarkable for you. If you want to, set a challenge for yourself. Then share your proud achievements—all kills, no health packs used, fast completion time, slowest ever completion time (that's me!), something you managed to do this time through the game that you've never done before, etc. I like to play one level at a time and then post any observations I have before starting the next level, but that's just my preference. Share as much or as little as you like. If this is anyone's first time through TR2, please let the rest of us know. We'll try and keep a lid on any spoilers, and we'll gladly offer help if you need it. Likewise, if anyone needs help finding a copy of TR2 or installing it on a newer PC, just ask. The only firm guidelines I have are to play nice (follow forum rules, be courteous) and HAVE FUN! I'm assuming it's OK to post screenshots and links to videos. But if there are guidelines on image sizes, links to sites like YouTube, etc., I hope our esteemed moderators will let us know.

Hi, all. Sorry I haven't been too active in the community lately. I've been taking care of an injured relative and haven't had too much time for gaming or internet fun. But enough about that. Hopefully I'll be back on the job soon. Now I'd like to ask a favor of some helpful Xbox and PSP players. I always include a complete list of game controls with my walkthroughs, but since I don't have any of the consoles (except the Wii...totally looking forward to Anniversawii!), I need to rely on you. If anyone could send me a list of the Xbox 360 or PSP controls, including the ones for each of the interactive cut scenes ("super actions" whatever you want to call them), that would be wonderful. To get an idea of what I'm looking for, please see http://tombraiders.net/stella/walks/contro...RAcontrols.html, which already covers the PC and PS2 games. If you don't have time to cover all of them, even a little help would be very much appreciated. Maybe just the interactive cut scenes or just the basic controls. Please post here or email me at stellalune[at]tombraiders.net. As always, contributors will have my eternal gratitude and credit will be given on the page where the info appears. Thank you!

In case anyone is in need--or just wants to compare notes--I've posted the first several levels of my Anniversary walkthrough (link in sig). It's still a bit "under construction" but does include all the artifacts and relics, as well as most, if not all, pick-ups. I'm trying not to rush because I want to have fun playing too, but I hope these will be helpful to someone. As always, I welcome your corrections and suggestions.

I'm in. Starting the Return to Egypt today. BTW, if anyone has the orginal PC TR1 but not the second CD with Unfinished Business, those 4 levels can be downloaded from a number of TR sites. My site has them here (both software and 3dfx versions) and LCO has them here (software version only). You do need the first TR CD in your CD drive to play, though. As for the order of the Atlantis and Egypt levels, Phillip Campbell, who designed those levels, said he intended the Atlantis levels to come first. There's a note about that at the beginning of my Atlantean Stronghold walkthrough in case anyone's interested. The info that accompanied the original downloads also included a little bit of backstory: In "Shadow of the Cat" Lara returns to the city of Khamoon in search of an undiscovered tomb dedicated to the Egyptian cat-goddess, Bastet. In "Unfinished Business," having learned of the existence of a hive of surviving creatures guarding an alien hatchery, Lara returns to Atlantis to destroy the mutants before they invade again. Not much, but it's something.

In my house we actually use "three screamer" as a slang term for a really high place you wounldn't want to fall off of. For example, when driving across a suspension bridge or hiking on a cliffside, my son or husband will say something like, "Wow, that sure is a three screamer." BPanther, I'm sorry if my mention of the next group project stirred up anything unpleasant. I honestly hadn't even looked to see if anyone had already started a new thread. I was just talking...er...typing. I'm stariting TRUB today and hope to at least get through Return to Egypt. It's been a while since I played those levels. I remember being so thrilled when they first came out. It was like Christmas in...well, I think it was actually in December.

Shrensh, Shrensh, Shrensh...wow, that's hard to say out loud 3 times fast. Your latest round of screenshots almost made me spew iced tea out my nose I was laughing so hard. The things you put poor Lara through. I'm such a wuss in comparison. I'd make Lara climb trees to avoid danger if there were trees you could climb. I even hit F6 to quick load before she hits the ground after a long fall. Anyway, I finished the game a few days ago. Yay, me! Still haven't started Unfinished Biz yet, but maybe this weekend. Rapierman, you're either really fast or you've got a lot of time on your hands...or both. I assume you're halfway through TR2 or 4 or whatever we're playing next by now. Keep us posted. Start a new thread if you want and tell us where to go.

I think you meant rofl for that one. At least that's what Lara seems to be doing. It took me a couple of days but I got through Atlantis and just saved on the platform with the . these last two are my least favorite levels to play. How many gross, fleshy hallways with gross, scary mutants can you go through? But they do include some of my favorite movie sequences. I love the video where Natla is mouthing off at Qualopec and Tihocan even as they're about to put her in the deep freeze. "Mindless?! Look at you! Neither of you have one squirt of inventive juice in your heads. Wasters!" LOL Too bad the sound cut out for the cut scene just after that where she confronts Lara. Anybody know how to fix that? No new discoveries this time, though I did make a few minor additions and alterations in the walkthrough. One possibly Shrensh-worthy screenshot. I call it "LC BBQ or The Doppleganger's Revenge" One more level to go....or are we playing Unfinished Business as well? I'm up for it if anybody else wants to do it.

I know a lot of people like it, but I have to admit I'm not a fan of the headset either. If they include it in the Legend sequel, I hope they'll let you turn it off or ask for hints only when you want them. It was tolerable in the VCI HQ levels in Chronicles because it wasn't overused and it seemed to fit the setting. For me, wandering through ancient ruins and hearing some dudes chattering in your ear just spoils the mood. I'd rather they do a something non-intrusive, like a journal or diary--something like Von Croy's notebook in AOD only better organized. Edit: I do like knowing how many secrets there are before you reach the end of the level, though. Then, if you know you're missing some, you can look out more carefully, and if you know you have them all, you can relax a little. I finished Natla's Mines a couple of days ago but haven't had a chance to post. I love that level. Come to think of it, I like all the levels where Lara loses her weapons, or doesn't have any to start (i.e., Ireland in Chronicles). I always feel kind of guilty killing the skateboarder. He looks like he's only 12. But I guess if someone comes at you with Uzis, you've got a right to defend yourself. Atlantis really creeps me out, but here goes....