Posts: 295
From:ISIA Camp 32B, Diomede Island
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 06-13-2002 02:12 PM               

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I would really appreciate it if you would make some suggestions about cave construction. I am working on my level, "The Caverns of Fate", and I am using the textures from peru in TR1. Does anyone like or dislike certain things that they have seen in cave type levels? Thanks!

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Tomb Raider: Temple of Chiholtopec

Lara is in search of the ancient Idol of Chiholtopec, the Aztec god of gold and fate. In this three level mini-game, Lara will first descend into the bowels of the caverns beneath a mound of earth in the Mexican foothills. The going gets tougher when she emerges in a hidden valley, dominated by a huge temple complex devoted to Chiholtopec. The final climax will be...

Coming Summer 2002
Demo of the first level is here!

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Posts: 311
From:The mining ship Red Dwarf
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 06-13-2002 02:56 PM               

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I like caves. They are easy to make with the random and smooth terrain features. I think that caves themselves are rather boring, but they are easily livened up with cool architecture, such as deep chasms, narrow slits in the rock, and caverns that loop back on themselves and get you throughly lost. Integrating human stuff in caves is cool too, such as mining equipment, shafts, and bracing. However, traces of previous human activity instills a feeling of security. Anyway, I guess the appeal of caves is that they were not made by human hands, and therefore what is inside is truly unknown. Or perhaps I am delving too deep in the human psyche. Oh, well. Hey - it's your level, make it the way you want.

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Posts: 55
From:Boylston, MA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 06-13-2002 03:14 PM               

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I just finished my Peru level, and I changed the tga a bit, so everythings a bit darker and bluer, this might be good for a cave, the other textures are bright, if you want the new set I'll send you it. Can you explain what the levels about and maybe I can help w/ suggestions. What does lara have to do, etc.

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Creator of awesome levels on the TRLE:
jokami63@yahoo.com ;)

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Posts: 295
From:ISIA Camp 32B, Diomede Island
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 06-13-2002 04:14 PM               

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Thanx, both of you.

Raider of Tombs Clone, your imagry of caves inspires me in building.

Chronicles4, About the tga. I actually already have my own special modified textures, made for me by King Spyder. But, I would love some more input from you, and you said you wanted to hear more about the ideas that i have had for the level. Here is a list of them so far:

Level: The Caverns of Fate
Location: Mexican Foothills
Goal: Exit to the Valley Temple

The level, so far, starts in a shadowy chamber of rock, with several snow drifts, hidden corners, a few goodies, bats, and lots of areas that could potentially become exits and entrences to other rooms.
I had started to build a bunch of other rooms, but they were so blocky and texture-redundant, that they looked as if the ancient Aztecs had called in an interior designer to have their caves wallpapered. Anyway...
I have lots of kinds of objects that can be used as traps, including boulders, spikes, flames, ropes, poles, darts... basically anything. I also have wolves, bats, and bears to use as enemies. I am also very interested in any puzzle ideas with the torch and with watery places. Now, with the information above, do you have anymore suggestions for me? Please, tell me anything that you think would be good or interesting for me to build !

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Posts: 55
From:Boylston, MA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 06-13-2002 07:18 PM               

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i will send the tga as soon as my email account starts working again, it has an error message with all this html and stuff, and im no expert on that, i can receive but not send, that should get fixed soon, but oh well. by the sounds of this level it seems like you may want to scare the player a bit... but how? i like the idea of torches, these work well with caves, but I don't know if the Incas hired interior decorators for their caves. i like the effect of cave paintings lit by torches, this looks good whenever i try it, but make sure its bright enough to see the pictures.
the tgas of kingdom and caves can help you here, and the cutscene b4 mudubu gorge with the tribesman has a cool wall decoration, for traps, the joby spikes object would be cool, its the best we can do for spike ceilings. I have in my peru level a part with dragon statues that breath fire, and a switch deactivates them for a brief amount of time so lara can reach an artifact. it looks cool too. caves are a good place for deep puzzles, and so is mexico, so have some real mind teasers in there, but make sure to include *just in case* walk thrus for those of us puzzle-challenged people, but i like a challenge now and then. for enemies the caverns of fate sounds pretty dangerous, so live up to its name. you could include some evil traps right after a particualrly nasty timed door, which reminds me of xian. you need some cool enemies, definitly bats, maybe bears, and scary music...!!! but dont make it too hard... hope this helps

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Creator of awesome levels on the TRLE:
jokami63@yahoo.com ;)

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Posts: 55
From:Boylston, MA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 06-14-2002 07:41 PM               

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still there, Cris-Kreg Michaels??

*bump*

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Creator of awesome levels on the TRLE:
jokami63@yahoo.com ;)

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Posts: 295
From:ISIA Camp 32B, Diomede Island
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 06-14-2002 08:45 PM               

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Yea, I'm here. Thanx, your suggestions are good !
Got the scary music! It is really freaky, and good because it has moaning whistling sounds, like air running through a cave.
I have a few rooms now, but it doesn't seem to be going much of anywhere trap wise. I am not very good at traps, and I don't know what people find scary. More ideas, anyone?

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Posts: 55
From:Boylston, MA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 06-14-2002 08:50 PM               

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youll want very scary music with something totally unexpected. A skeleton, pops out right in front of you with music, or a seemingly empty room comes alive with a ton of mummies and skeletons, or right after a timed door, you get view of a dark figure, illuminated by flames, go figure!

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Creator of awesome levels on the TRLE:
jokami63@yahoo.com ;)

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