Stellalune

Hi, DinkyDogg. Glad you found us. I just finished Sanctuary of the Scion. I think I finally found the optimal path to complete it with the least backtracking (only one climb up the rock wall and one climb to the top of the sphinx). It only took me 10 years to figure it out. LOL I incorporated BPanther's secret strategy into my walkthrough as an alternate method, but (no offense) I still prefer to go for it from the opposite side. That's just one of the many great things about this game: there are all kinds of "right" ways to do things. Edit: I also added a crapload of screenshots--none as funny as Shrensh's though. And the FMV after the level, where Lara jumps the Norton into the ocean...love it. Hope it's an interactive cut scene in Anniversary.

Yay, Mary! Good to see you here. That's too bad about the keyboard. It probably won't be an issue in the early levels, but there are some tricky jumping sequences later on, where fine control will matter more. Are you not able to use the laptop's normal keyboard because the keys are too small/close together? I'm playing on a laptop as well, but the keyboard is pretty large. It doesn't have a numeric pad on the side, but I don't really need any of those controls. I just reassigned Look to the Tab key and sidestep to Z and X. Now all is well. I totally agree with you about the clever design despite the primitive graphics. I remember being blown away in early '97 when I first saw the game. At that point it was leagues ahead of Doom and Quake, and there wasn't much else happening that even came close. About "brood" vs. "group"...I thought she said "brood" also, but I'll try and listen more closely this time. I haven't made much progress today. Partway into Sanctuary of the Scion and trying out different people's methods for getting the secret. BPanther: Thanks again for the screenshots. I'll definitely add your way of getting back to the sphinx to my walk. Excellent.

Shrensh, your screenshots are priceless! Congrats to those of you who've finished! I'm still plodding along in Egypt but having lots of fun. Just finished the 2 Khamoon levels. Again, I love the way the designers have stacked and intertwined all the rooms and hallways so cleverly. It gives me even more respect for both pro and amateur level designers. What a challenge. No major discoveries to report, but I did make a few changes to my walkthrough, including a cool new shortcut to the second secret in the Obelisk level, which was pointed out to me by another player. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't gotten there yet, but you're welcome to check my page for the details. It's simple enough, but for some reason I just never thought of it. And, in the City of Khamoon level, I finally used Paul Walton's position editor to get Lara up on that green ledge at one side of the cat temple area. There's nothing much going on there, but I always wanted to see for myself. Here's the spot: and a savegame if anyone wants it. On to the Sanctuary of the Scion....!

I always liked the "meat Lara" too. Kind of a cross between E.T. and an uncooked steak. Rapierman & Ms.Croft, WOW! You guys are cranking along! I finished Midas last night. I think I found everything there is to find, but it took me over an hour (actually more like 2 hours with all the reloading and replaying). I even got the large medipak in the switch room by using the corner bug (pic below). And, believe it or not, I aced the fire pillars on my second try. Woot! What a great level that is. It seems so huge when you're running around looking for the lead bars, but so much of it is cleverly stacked and interwoven. Excellent level design! Ms.Croft, I'll freely admit I didn't find all the secrets myself the first time through. If it weren't for the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, I'd probably have missed about a third of them. But that's why we have forums like that (and this). It's great to have experts on tap 24/7. BTW, I'm not posting all my stats. Just when I want to show off. I don't think I've missed any kills or pick-ups so far, though. I've used about 2 small medipaks, since I generally play pretty cautiously. (That doesn't include my experimental run through the Lost Valley with no kills. I think I used up every health pack in my inventory.) And my times for each level are generally about twice or three times longer than everyone else's. On to the Cistern...!

Yay! I'm so glad more people are joining in. I told a couple of other friends and hopefully they'll sign on too. The more the merrier, right? @Shrensh: I'm hoping that lift cable ride sequence will be an interactive cut scene in TRA--that is, if they're going to be including those the way they did in Legend. That and the motorcycle jump where Lara chases after the speedboat, though that could probably also be in-game. No doubt people who didn't play the original will think they copied it from Legend. @Ms.Croft: I'm with you on the atmosphere/sound. It's so subtle compared to the stuff they do today, but it really makes you use your imagination. And imagining things can be a lot more powerful than having them laid out in front of you. I'm only in St. Francis' Folly now (where I literally get sweaty palms from the heights), but I still remember the creepy heartbeat soundtrack from Atlantis. That was reused in one of the sunken ship levels in TR2 as well, but it completely creeped me out both times.

Another fun thread, Purple. Thanks!

Too bad, MsC. Finished Tomb of Qualopec. Got the extra kill ( ) and extra pick up ( ). Also, may I say that Lara's lift cable ride has got to be the BEST TR FMV EVER:

Congrats on finishing, BP. I don't know if the gold levels will be in Anniversary either. I guess we'll see.... Great to see you, Dark_Nephilim! Wow, you're speeding along. I'm just starting Qualopec this morning. I'll report back later.

@Blade: Congrats! Great job! @Mike: Don't worry. I'll take forever so we can always finish together. Last night I did it at last...Lost Valley all secrets, no kills. It took a lot longer than 22 minutes, considering the zillion times Lara died. The hardest part was getting back up here: I must've gotten cornered down there and chomped about 30 times. I'm such a klutz. Now I need to replay it the normal way and get all the screenshots of the secret areas. Then it's on to Qualopec. @Sudi: You might want to try Fraps (fraps.com) for screenshots. I'm using it and it works great even with DOS games like TR1.

I'm using the audio fixes from Glidos (there's a link in one of my earlier posts ^^^) and it's working well. The only problem is there's a slight delay on all the sounds. So, for example, Lara fires her guns and a second later you hear the bang. A wolf dies and a second later you hear that last yelp. Maybe it's just my sound card. It's a little weird but I'm learning to live with it. @Falcon: Welcome! Let us know if you need any help setting up the game. I'm moving slowly and Mike doesn't even have the game yet, so I'm sure you'll have time to catch up. I finished Vilcabamba last night. I got all the secrets, but I'm following my own walkthrough (lol) and editing it as I go. It's taking me forever because I keep having to stop to make notes and take screenshots, but it's still fun. I'll never be a speedrunner. @Shrensh: Awesome Lost Valley screen! I have off from work tomorrow and I'm going to give it a shot.

Great screenshots, Shrensh (as usual). I haven't even started Vilcabamba yet, but I'm hoping to get into it tonight or tomorrow. I was thinking about doing the Lost Valley without killing anything. I've heard of this, and someone just brought it up again on the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup yesterday. Talk about timely. I'll let you know how that goes when I get there. Has anybody else done it?

I did the first level last night. That was fun! I even remembered the locations of all three secrets. I know it's not going to be that easy in the later levels. I was hoping to play on my desktop computer with somewhat better graphics, but I forgot that my first CD drive is busted, and Tomb Raider won't run in the second drive. So I'm playing on my laptop. It's not bad, but I was hoping to get some better screenshots. I'm not using any of the new texture packs because I want people to be able to recognize everything in the screenshots I'll be adding to my walkthrough. But I am playing with restored sound from Glidos and I noticed a few odd music triggers. (Minor spoilers ahead.) Odd but interesting. I guess that's what PlayStation people always had. Other than that, I'm loving the music. Nathan McCree's score is so sparse and yet completely perfect. And I find the subtle background soundtrack along with Lara's solitary footsteps so much more atmospheric than the overpowering full-orchestra scores in the later games. A couple of touristy screenshots: Lara and the mummy. Love the cone boobs and 2-D mummy sprite that seems to follow you whichever way you turn. Artsy-fartsy greenery shot. So what did you all think?

Great! Congratulations! Sorry I missed the TR3 festivities, but maybe some of you guys would like to replay TR1 together. I definitely want a refresher before Anniversary comes out, and it'll be much more fun to share that blast from the past. If you're interested, please join us here.

I'm not in any hurry. I just want to get through it before Anniversary comes out. If anyone in the TR3 group isn't done yet and wants to finish that first, it's OK with me. Purple and Blade might have to wait for the rest of us to catch up. I'd actually love it if people would use my walkthrough and pick it apart. I'll be revising it on this run-through, adding screenshots for all the secret areas, including suggestions people have sent me, and fixing things that seem unclear. So, yeah, any comments and corrections would be more than welcome. If anyone is having trouble installing the game on a newer PC, my page http://tombraiders.net/stella/downloads/TR1install.html might be a good place to start. Then if you get hung up, you can post questions here. Also, if anybody wants to try the new Tomb Raider Xtra high-res texture packs for the PC, now might be a good time. You can find info about those, as well as a few options for restoring music and sound effects to the PC game, on that same page. And if anyone wants to play but doesn't have the game (Mike?), Amazon.com has the PC, PlayStation and Macintosh versions currently. Yay! I'm psyched!

OK. I admit I started out with all good intentions as far as replaying TR3 with the group goes. But I dropped the ball. I am ashamed…and sad to have missed out on the fun. So now I'm here to beg your collective pardon and ask if anyone would like to play through TR1 with me. I don't know if you all read Games Radar's Tomb Raider Week feature, but in it they did some side-by-side comparisons of the classic TR and Anniversary, and it got me thinking. I definitely want to replay the original before Anniversary comes out. Sometimes, to understand the present, you have to go back to the past…pointy boobs and all. So who's with me? P.S. If anyone needs help finding the original game or setting it up on their computer, I'll be glad to help.

Great thread, Purple. Thanks for posting and then resurrecting it. #1) I play TR on a powerful and powerfully ugly, home-built, completely jury-rigged PC. Also Game Boy Advance, mobile phone (emulator…shhh don't tell) and now my cute pink DS Lite. #2) Tell us about how you came across TR for the first time. Around January or February of 1997, a friend of my husband's lent him a copy of TR1. My hubby was into the likes of Doom, Quake and Descent at that time, but he figured he'd give it a try. He got stuck at the fire pillars in the Palace Midas and literally threw the game in the garbage. I pulled it out of the trash and the rest, as they say, is history. #3) TR 1 was the first TR game I played. #4) TR 1 was the first TR game I passed. #5) Name your top 3 favorite TR games. TR1, TR3 and Anniversary (I hope). #6) Which TR game was your least favorite? Why? Angel of Darkness and Legend are tied for least favorite. Angel of Darkness because it was released unfinished, had problematic controls and way too many bugs. Legend because, although it's beautiful, was way too short, way too linear and didn't include nearly enough exploration and loot. #7) TR Chronicles was the easiest for me because by the time it came out, I had played through all the others. So the controls were familiar, as well as the style of game design. After a while, you get a feel for what the designers are trying to do, where they were likely to hide things, etc. #8) TR Legend was a challenge for me because of the new controls, which aren't exactly keyboard-friendly and take a bit of getting used to if one is used to the old-style controls. #9) How often did you have to use a walkthrough/strategy guide? Almost never. I did consult a guide to find out how the Legend controls worked and what the various rewards unlocked. I also am not ashamed to admit I will call on other players for help if I get stuck or can't find a secret/reward. The printed guidebooks tend to be fairly useless for the price they charge, so I generally ask questions online rather than resort to a book. #10) Were you always on the hunt and look out for the TR secrets? Always. That's the most fun part of the games, IMO. #11) Pierre or Larson? Pierre…you litterbug. #12) TR 2 and Angel of Darkness were the creepiest and often made me jump. The spider cave area in TR2 gave me nightmares same with the Sanitarium in AOD. But I have to admit, I also get sweaty palms even with virtual heights—such as TR1 St. Francis' Folly, etc. #13) Which TR game was the one that you enjoyed playing the most? Why? Probably TR1, just because it was the first and is kind of "magical" for that reason. The others were great, but you always remember your first love. #14) The hardest level in TR1 was The Cistern (at least the first time) because it took me forever to find all those keys and figure out what to do with them. Then crazy Pierre kept appearing out of nowhere and shooting at me. Yikes! #15) The hardest level in TR2 was The Ice Palace because of those #*^&%@! springboards. Boiiiiing...crunch. #16) The hardest level in TR3 was Meteorite Cavern because of Willard. But compared to a couple of the Legend bosses, he's a creampuff. #17) The hardest level in TR4 The Last Revelation was __________ because _________. (Can't think of one in particular. Sorry. I actually enjoyed all the backtracking and little side areas.) #18) The hardest level in TR5 Chronicles was Red Alert because of the many bugs (at least in the PC version). #19) The hardest level in TR6 The Angel of Darkness was Boaz Returns because Kurtis Trent is too sexy to run in a straight line. #20) The hardest level in TR7 Legend was __________ because _________. I didn't find any one level harder than the others, though there were a few spots where I got hung up—the rolling boulder in Ghana (at least until a helpful player sent me a tip; now it's easy), the serpent in England, trying to nail that alleged "shortcut" at the beginning of Ghana, and a few others. Now the hardest part about it is when I to switch back and forth between Legend and the classics. I'm constantly spazzing and pressing the wrong keys. I'd also add a few other questions like favorite outfit (tie: classic bodysuit/shorts and blue sport from Legend), favorite vehicle (TR2 snowmobile), favorite artifact (tie: Scion or Excalibur), favorite villain (Natla), young Lara yea or nay (yay!)…but it's not my thread. So, Purple, you'll have to add them if you so desire.

Thanks for posting this announcement, BP. I was going to do it but then I got a little sidetracked. I'm really excited about this contest. Along with some great prizes, there's a chance for everyone to submit their ideas and reminiscences about Lara's amazing backpack. So far people have sent in many intriguing theories about how Lara's pack manages to hold all the stuff she crams into it—along with great lists of things Lara has carried in the past and should carry in the future, plus people's own ideas about what they're going to keep in the backpacks they win. I'll be posting some of these on my site soon. Even if you don't have an imaginative bone in your body, I still hope you'll stop by and fill in an entry. Winners will be chosen at random, so you don't have to be brilliant to take home a backpack full of games. P.S. to Shrensh: You're very welcome. The comic contest was fun too. Sorry it took so long to get the prizes to you. I didn't count on the Compendium's publication date being pushed back. Hopefully Anniversary will come out on time.

Can anybody help me out? I need PSP saves (preferably North American version but European would be great as well) for TR Legend with all the cheats and extras unlocked. These will be posted on my site with full glory to you, of course. I will gladly reward the contributor. Contact me and we can work out the details. Thanks in advance.

Thank you ever so much!

THANKS! If you have the PSP controls as well, that would be great. I forgot all about those, though I think they're similar if not identical to the PS2 controls. Also, in England there are actually 2 cut scenes: the one where you jump off the falling forklift and the one where you evade the serpent. Do you happen to know the controls for the second one as well?

Can anyone lend a hand with this? I have all the PC and PS2 controls for the various interactive cut scenes in Legend, but I don't have the Xbox or Xbox 360 controls. People still seem to be having trouble with some of these sequences, and I'd like to add a complete list to my walkthrough. If anyone can help, you will be rewarded for your contribution and credited in the walkthrough. Thanks in advance.

Woot! Thanks for the free advertising, BPanther. I'm glad you guys like the new look. I thought I'd do something different, so I had the title banners done in comic book style by a great artist, Ramiel, whose work I first saw in the Tales of Lara Croft fanzine. To celebrate, I'm planning on giving away a bunch of TR comics, including issues of TLC and the big Top Cow compendium, which I hope will actually come out by the time the contest finishes. <fingers crossed> If you haven't entered the contest already, I encourage you to do it. Gotta be in it to win it, right? I'm also thinking about joining the TR3 group play, but is it too late to start? It's been a while since I did that one and it's definitely one of my favorites.