Delca

Interview by Miguel Marado (MigMarado)

Edited by Modi Flanagan (nerdfury)

March 2022

Miguel Marado: Delca, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to do this interview.

Before anything else, congratulations on your very recent win! You just won the Tomb Raider 25th Anniversary edition of the Create a Classic competition with Fantôme, your third release. Many other levelsets were top-notch. How does it feel to have the best one?

Delca: Hello, and thank you for the invitation! I'm happy to do this interview - I'm quite a discreet person so I hope people will get to know me better.

Create a Classic was such a fun competition to be part of. I couldn't be more proud of what I have achieved with my entry Fantôme! A couple of famous builders were also involved in this competition. I was filled with happiness when I saw the results of the voting and that people gave me the 1st place. You know, I still consider myself as a "young" builder in the community - my début level was released not even a year ago, after all.

Miguel: It was indeed a very convincing win, given the impressive competition!

Now, please tell me and all who may not know you well: Who is Delca?

Delca: In real life, I am a boy from France! I was born in late 1998, and I turned 23 last November.

Who is Delca…? I'd define myself as an introvert - I have always been a calm person who prefers to spend time alone. Ironically, I now work as a teacher’s assistant and I'm surrounded by people and kids screaming all day.

I'd also define myself as creative. I like drawing, writing (in my native language), and I consider TRLE to be a great tool to express my creativity! I'm definitely a perfectionist, for the best and the worst - I'm often hard on myself and never fully satisfied with my work.

I've been using the nickname 'Delca' for almost three years and most of my friends know me as such. I guess I'm used to it now, and it would be hard for me to go by something else.

I've been playing video games since I was a young kid (Tomb Raider was one of the most memorable ones) and never stopped. With TRLE I am able to make my "own games" and that's amazing...

Miguel: What is the origin of your nickname, Delca?

Delca: That's interesting - I don't think I've ever told anyone its origin before. Well, I'm also into the Pokémon franchise, and in this game there's a cat called Delcatty. I started using it as my own nickname around 2019, and after a while I shortened it to just Delca. Now it's not a secret anymore, aha.

Miguel: It's funny how it relates to your "cat theme". I love cats! Where do you get this feline infatuation from?

Delca: Yes. Cats are my trademark, if I can say so. When playing a level made by me, one should always be prepared to see a picture of a cat popping out from nowhere!

I find cats really fun and I can relate to their calm and relaxed nature.

Miguel: That's nice!

You mentioned that you have been playing Tomb Raider for a long time, since you were little. How did you first "meet" Lara?

Delca: My older brother introduced me to Lara. I was about 3 or 4, a young and curious Delca. Despite my poor gaming skills at that time, I had my fun. I have fond memories of me playing Tomb Raider III… I think it was the very first one I played on PlayStation. It holds a special place in my heart for this reason. The exploration and the fun vehicles really made TR3 shine. It was for sure a challenging game. But thankfully, my brother told me about the "cheat codes" (skip levels; all weapons) - so I was able to go through the game without being stuck. India was my favorite location along with Lara's Home! A fascinating game.

Later, in 2006, Tomb Raider: Legend was released and that was another memorable game for me. I've played this game on loop, basically. A short game but a really exciting one. Various locations (on par with TR3 - jungle, snow, desert, modern city), and fun gameplay. Many years later, in 2013, I discovered the Level Editor and it's a whole new chapter...

Miguel: Let's talk about that chapter: How did you find that you could play unofficial levels or build your own adventures?

Delca: It's all blurry in my memory. I remember my brother experimented a bit with the Level Editor before me, although he didn't do much. I know he had a little story in mind – it was about Lara saving a lost girl in the jungle.

When I was a teenager and able to play games on PC, I bought Tomb Raider: Chronicles because I knew the Level Editor was bundled with it. I was very excited. Sadly, I didn't know how to install the Editor properly on my computer, so I gave up... Later on, I tried again and it finally worked.

Miguel: All of your levels were published last year (2021), so did you only get the Editor to work properly recently? Which software did you use?

Delca: It was around 2013 when I finally managed to set up the Editor on my PC, so I created my first rooms. They were the most basic rooms, using Egyptian assets from TR4, and simple geometry.

Back in the day, it was already clear in my mind: I wouldn't make anything available to the public before I'm sure it's something good and worth playing. For that reason my first attempts at building a level didn't see the light of day; I was too "embarrassed" and not proud of them somehow. I knew I could do better. Sadly, I lost all the files of my early works…

Due to my lack of English skills, I kept myself away from the forums for a long time. When I started posting screenshots on social media (much, much later), people were like "Who is Delca? How is what he's doing possible?" That was funny.

From 2013 to 2019, I was using the original Level Editor and NGLE. I consider them as outdated tools now. They aren't optimized for modern machines and they have tons of unfixed bugs and crashes. It often felt like I was "fighting" against the Editor, and the fun was missing. Starting in 2016, I had the urge to put my energy into a more solid and ambitious TRLE project: it was called Tokyo Nights, and it was inspired by Tomb Raider: Legend. On the screenshot here, you can see the area how it looked in 2016 (top screen), and how it looks in the "improved" version I made recently in 2020 (bottom screen). This project didn't go very far.

But the turning point in my career happened two years ago: Tomb Editor. A brand new editor dedicated to build levels for the Classic TR engines, with a modern and optimized interface. It's truly an amazing gift to the community, and I like to think of TE as a second life of TRLE. At least it was the case for me; I surely would have grown bored of building if it wasn't for TE. Building a level is a lot more pleasant now, and all my published games have been made with Tomb Editor. In late 2020, I started working on what would become my "official" debut level: Louvre Galleries...

Miguel: Your earlier public screenshots do make someone wonder how you could do that. Now we know: it was good old-fashioned hard work!

Do you think that Tomb Engine (TEN), which is coming out as a beta version very soon, will breathe even more of that life into TRLEs?

Delca: I hope so! New engine, infinite possibilities. I'm looking forward to it. For me, it’s super exciting that we will be able to use all objects from past TRs (enemies, traps, vehicles).

Miguel: You talked about your English language skill difficulties. Right now, your English skills seem great! How did you improve so much?

Delca: Thank you a lot! I must confess, I didn't take English lessons seriously back in high school... It improved when I joined forums. Nowadays I practice English all the time because that's the language I talk with my online friends. I'm still working on improving my skills!

Miguel: Hopefully your example will motivate more people to speak up, even when English doesn't come as easily.

Getting back to you as a gamer: Do you still enjoy playing Tomb Raider, the official games? Do you play a lot of TRLEs?

Delca: Yes, I still play the official games from time to time! TR3 and its expansion The Lost Artifact are games I will never get bored of playing. This is quite likely an unpopular opinion , but I have played the recent "reboot" trilogy and I thought it was great. I'm the kind of player who enjoys all Lara's iterations - classic and modern.

The most recent custom level I've played was Shattered Memories by Leoc1995 – it was a nice one. But more generally I rarely play other builders' games... I lack time between my real job and the building of my levels, aha.

Miguel: Of course, life is a balancing act! Do you think playing TRLEs is important for a builder?

Delca: Playing Titak's Mists of Avalon was a major influence on me back when I was a beginner - I was amazed by the author's care for details. It requires a lot of work and patience. That's something I'm trying to achieve, too, on my own levels. I'm very proud of Louvre Galleries in particular - in this level, Lara explores the Louvre museum with some notable differences compared to her first visit in The Angel of Darkness. The environment is very detailed. I loved remaking the unique architecture of this museum and adding paintings and sculptures. This level was my début level and - despite its shortness - I think it's a cool introduction to my "style" of building.

Miguel: Louvre Galleries, your début level,  was considered short like you said, and with little gameplay. However, it was praised for its amazing visuals and earned a very high rating (over 9 out of 10), because of those very details. Do you think it shows that you have a realistic approach to level building?

Delca: Before building my Louvre, I replayed a couple of levels from Angel of Darkness. The atmosphere in Parisian Ghetto really shines… I was fascinated. My Louvre has a realistic approach because I wanted to mimic that atmosphere. I didn't want my level to look "blocky", and so I worked hard on the geometry and I made tons of custom objects. My other TRLEs are quite different - they aren't that realistic. The second level from Fantôme has strong "surreal/horror" vibes! I like to explore various themes and styles: city, jungle, snow... you can honestly expect everything for my future releases. Realistic or abstract, HD or classic. I'm up for anything as long as I have fun building it. Delca is a versatile builder. :D

Miguel: That is a really good and confident answer!

I think it can be said that Louvre Galleries really marked your place as a builder in this community. It drew in many reviewers and even caused some discussion on ratings. I was particularly impressed when I found out that you took the time to accurately position the paintings – by referencing photos of the Louvre around the time of Angel of Darkness.

Maybe you are not always realistic, and maybe your style isn't always the same. However, it does seem that you have an impressive attention to detail. Do you invest a lot of time perfecting your levels?

Delca: Every little detail matters to me. If I have to spend hours polishing a single room - I will do it, it's for the best. Louvre Galleries was by far my most time-consuming project, where every room was a ton of work... Kitten Adventure and Fantôme were different. The building process of these two "classic" levels was more relaxed, and I mostly used Core Design's assets as a base (unlike Louvre Galleries where almost all assets were made by me, from scratch). Making a custom level requires a huge investment in time. And I cannot tell myself "ok, let's take a break" in the middle of the building process - I will lose motivation if I do so.

Now I'm going to talk about something personal. As you know, I am so far the author of three TRLEs. I built each of them with love and care... maybe too much love. Publishing a level is truly a roller coaster of emotions. That particular moment when you "free" your work – somehow it feels like I'm losing control over my art. Once it's released to the public, it's not 'mine' anymore... players play and judge it. I always have this fear that someone may dislike my work or find a bug.

Miguel: That was one of the aspects I noticed about you while doing my research. You seem to become anxious about your work. Do you think you may overcome this because of getting so much praise and because of the CaC21 win?

Delca: I really wish I could overcome my insecurities... Thankfully, I have made good friends in the TRLE community who help me. I can confess to them when I'm losing motivation or when I'm feeling low after a release. They are supportive.

I always read the reviews people write about my levels and I'm learning from them. For example, someone wrote in a review that my level was lacking music. Someone else told me I should be more generous with health packs. I will definitely be more careful with that in my future releases. I don't want to make such mistakes again. So, in the end, I think reading the reviews has helped me to grow as a builder. Maybe one day I will be able to publish something and be fully confident with it. Maybe.

Miguel: I am very much sure you will. :-)

What do you think of reviewers, ratings and players' comments in general? Are they useful to you, or would you rather do without them?

Delca: Feedback is always welcome and needed. Builders can take notes from it and produce better levels. It's all about finding the right balance: a review should never be an attack against the builder. The reviewer should be supportive and tell the builder how they could improve rather than making a soulless list of things they disliked.

We have to remember builders create levels during their free time, it's not a paid job and they don't ask for money. It's a hobby. I tend to think some reviewers are a bit unfair/harsh in their comments. It can hurt and make the creator lose motivation for level building. "You can do better", "This level has its flaws but I see potential" – we need more of that kind of energy.

Miguel: I agree, even though I accept that the world in which everyone is like that probably doesn’t exist, if you know what I mean.

You talked about support, and I think that in such unpaid functions where you share a bit of your soul in a very public manner, you need a lot of that help from the community. Do you agree with that? Has the community helped you grow into such a good builder through its support?

Delca: The TRLE community in general is very open and sharing. I have always received the help I needed when I asked for it. In return, I try to help when I’m able to.

TRNG scripting was something very vague and obscure to me. One year ago I only knew the basics. After my début level, I've tried to create more complex gameplay and puzzles - which wouldn't have been possible without scripting. I often asked other builders about how things work, how I could make this, etc. The many tutorials available on the net were also very helpful to me.

Miguel: I think scripting is a major deterrent to builders, so it's good to hear how you can progressively learn it if you stick to it!

Your second level, Kitten Adventure, showed a lot of new elements: two game modes, a different building approach, and improved gameplay. The level's rating also increased when compared to your début. Was it a break from convention for you at that point, or had you been experimenting with some of those different elements all along?

Delca: The rating of my levels increased as my levels became longer and showed more signs of creativity... That's very encouraging, and makes me think "I'm on the right track".

Just after the release of Louvre Galleries, I needed something fresh, a different building approach as you say. Unlike my AOD-inspired level, building a Classic level can be quite fast! Kitten Adventure was my first attempt at making a Classic level - it was exciting and new to me. I built most of the level in less than one month. Some of my gameplay ideas required scripting so I took time to learn more about it and I managed to implement what I had in mind. These days I'm still experimenting and discovering new possibilities that I look forward to showcase in future releases.

Miguel: It’s really great that you’re still developing your skills very purposefully. What motivates you to build? Or even to keep building, after achieving such success in such an apparently short period?

Delca: I enjoy what I'm doing, that's the simplest answer I can give. So, unless I run out of ideas or can't find fun anymore, I will keep being motivated. And while I'm grateful for the love players gave to my published levels, I'm convinced I can do better, and create greater things in the future. Am I competitive with myself? Definitely.

It also seems to me that the TRLE community has exciting days to come, thanks to Tomb Editor and TEN.

Miguel: That's exactly the theme I was going to explore with you now: which software programs do you use to work on your levels, and where do you think you will invest your developing skills next? Is it mostly through scripting, as you've underlined, or are there other innovations on your mind?

Delca: Tomb Editor is the main program that connects everything. I also use TIDE (for scripting), WadTool (to create the .wad2 that contains all objects in a level), Metasequoia v3.16 (3D modeling software to create custom objects), Strpix (to apply textures to objects), Audacity (to edit audio tracks), and SoundTool (to add sound effects to the objects in my level). All of these are well-known programs in the community. Apart from scripting, I'm lacking skills to make my own custom animations so I could work on that. Fantôme had a couple of cutscenes but nothing outstanding, some of the animations were taken straight from TR2, aha.

Miguel: Speaking of Fantôme, your award-winning level (!!), there were some small criticisms like overuse of symmetry, missing cameras, excessive linearity, or some limited wallpapering. However, just like your previous levels, it was praised for its beauty. More than that, it was full of balanced and rich gameplay. You built all three levels really quickly, and felt nervous when you entered the CaC21 competition. Tell us about the creative process that generated this winning idea.

Delca: Back in July, when the CaC competition was announced, I was busy with something else, and I couldn't find time to build my entry. I was also unsure about what theme to choose. I originally joined with the theme of Xian/Floating Islands.

At that time, I was often playing TR2 with my partner; it was such a fun time. In late August, the idea of making a Maria Doria level popped into my head, so I started building my CaC. I also had in mind to include 'horror' elements: Lara exploring a spooky wreck and having to fight against ghosts! That idea was exciting to me.

When it comes to the building itself, nothing was really planned. It took me around three months, quite intensive due to the deadline. I started the beta-testing process (with the help of three friends) not even a week before the deadline. Even crazier, the bonus level (Lara's Home) was made a couple of days before the release! But in the end, I'm proud of what I have achieved. The Alpha/Omega puzzle, the boss fight against the chicken, and the 'floating islands' section are some of my favorite moments. :D

Now, if you allow me, I want to say a word regarding the linearity in my levels. I am well aware of the fact that my levels are linear and quite straight-forward: yes, that's a choice. I like this style of gameplay where you cannot get lost and when the objectives are clear. It's a shame when one has to open a walkthrough because of confusing level design. My future releases will most likely follow that formula as well.

Miguel: I think that is a very valid option, and you can never please everyone. So you should totally follow what makes you happy!

Have you always had a beta-testing team among your community friends? Have you shared with them any of your unreleased levels?

Delca: My beta-testers are different people from one project to another; it really depends on availability. I ask my close friends first, then if I feel like I need more testers I make a public post asking for help on Discord.

I do think having proper beta-testing really helps to diminish my anxiety. The more people get to play my level, the more we can spot issues and fix them prior to the release. Of course, considering how old the engine is, a bug-free level doesn't exist. Even the most famous custom levels have issues - but it's fine as long as they are not easily noticeable and don't affect the player experience.

I share frequent updates and screenshots to my friends, including screenshots from unreleased levels. It's only when my level is fully built and playable that I start the beta-testing process. :D

Miguel: That sounds like a very thorough and thoughtful process that helps you deliver great results consistently. Well done! New builders should probably follow this example.

Besides TRLE community friends, do you have any "real life" people with whom you share your levels and this interest in building? Even if they're not beta-testing, just hearing about it, or watching a playthrough of your levels?

Delca: My older brother played my early levels, but isn't aware that I'm still an active builder nowadays nor that I have published levels available on the internet. Maybe one day I will share my work with him? Apart from him, I've never told anyone about my hobby. My friends at university and my colleagues at work aren't into the world of video gaming at all.

Miguel: Very few people know I'm a part of the community in my real life, so I get that.

You talked about earlier levels, and you'd said before how you had lost some of them. There are also a lot of projects you introduced on Twitter or on tombraiderforums that you dropped later. Tell us about those projects and their history and importance for you, even if they are (and possibly will remain) unreleased.

Delca: My pre-2015 levels were deleted when I moved to a different computer. I didn't bother to save the files. They were typical beginner levels with common mistakes: stretched textures, cracks everywhere. But they helped me to develop my building skills, so it was not a waste of time.

Many years later, my début Louvre Galleries was released as a demo for a bigger project, ending with a black screen: 'To be continued...?'. After working on it for around 8 months, I lost motivation and moved to more exciting projects. That said, there's not much content left to be seen: almost everything has already been showcased in videos and screenshots on my YouTube channel. While it's unlikely I will ever come back to these old projects, maybe TEN will make me change my mind…

Miguel: It is true that TEN may bring us into uncharted territory, and then it's anyone's guess to what will happen...

We've talked about your Discord and YouTube. You're also on Twitter, and there's Twitch of course. However I think you don't have a TRLE.net forum account. Tell me about your relationship and views on these new platforms. Do you think forums are getting "replaced", or do they still fulfill important functions?

Delca: They have different purposes. I do think forums remain the ideal place to share updates or even to showcase a new TRLE project. They give builders important visibility.

Discord is a great platform to stay in touch with other builders, but it's quite a private platform (one needs an invitation to join a server) and I rarely get to interact with non-builders there.

So, no, I don't think forums are getting replaced, they still hold up well nowadays. I do not have a TRLE.net forum account, yet... but I visit the website and its forum everyday! :D Twitch is a fun platform, though I'm not interested in becoming a streamer.

Miguel: In a way, these platforms increase the reach of the community, I think.

Have you ever helped out some of your builder friends as a beta-tester? Is that something you like?

Delca: Yes. I beta-tested a couple of levels last year, and the most recent one was Venetian Night Adventure by Kubsy. We were both involved in the Create a Classic competition so we tested each other's levels. What I find interesting is to notice all the changes made between the beta and the final/polished version!

That said, beta-testing is a difficult exercise for me, especially when I have to "judge" the work of a friend. So I focus on the most important part: finding bugs, misplaced textures, missing sounds, etc. more than the 'review' (where I'm supposed to mention things I liked/disliked).

Miguel: That's funny to me, since I'm the opposite. I'm not technical enough so I become opinionated.

Who are your favorite builders right now? Do you reference any builders whose work you find inspirational?

Delca: I haven't played many custom levels in my life, probably less than 30. Some of the most memorable ones for me as a young builder were Mists of Avalon, Coyote Creek 2, Beyond the Scion (EssGee), Forgotten Remnants (Caesum), Cai'Xia Temple (GeckoKid), The Scion (Raider99). Back then, I was an inexperienced builder and I was impressed by all the possibilities and beautiful environments that can be achieved in such an old engine! But more generally, I don't think I have a favorite builder.

Miguel: Do you think you'll ever build a level in collaboration with another builder?

Delca: In fact, I already collaborated with Troye, a programmer who is well known for being the author of tomb5. Troye has incredible programming skills, and they brought life to the most complex ideas in Fantôme. The black and white level and the robot puzzle, among other things, were all made possible thanks to Troye. That was such a memorable collaboration to me!

Now if I have to collaborate again with someone, I only see myself doing it with a close friend or someone I really trust.

Miguel: I had no idea about that "collaboration". From what I understand, you mean that Troye helped with technical issues, right?

Delca: Yes. Troye made a plugin that includes important features. Making a monochrome level isn't an easy task, and I wouldn't have built it all if I couldn't make it fully black and white. For example, the binocular has a yellow light and I had no idea how to change that. It would look very ugly in the monochrome level. Thanks to the plugin, it is changed to white and it remains yellow in other levels! :D

Miguel: I loved all of that about that middle level of Fantôme! You have to show that plugin to StormChaser. He's looking for a way to have a fully black and white level.

Looking back at Fantôme, at those unique details and great storyline, I wonder what other influences you have as a builder. Do you get inspired by any books, shows, films, or other games that mark the way you build?

Delca: When building Fantôme, I was often watching horror movies. Psycho by Hitchcock remains one of my all-time favorites, despite the fact that it's very old and shot in black and white. Maybe it's personal, but the lack of color makes everything more terrifying to me! And that's the main inspiration behind my nightmarish floating islands level.

In the original TR2, Lara finds the Seraph in a storage room and I find this anticlimactic. I wanted to improve that in my revision of the story. In Fantôme, the Seraph is heavily protected and not only that, the Seraph itself holds a power. I really think adding horror was an interesting choice... and I hope it made the experience memorable.

Miguel: It certainly did for me!

What more does the future hold for Delca as a TRLE builder? Do you have any specific releases in mind?

Delca: I was waiting for this question! First of all, I'm trying to keep my motivation for level-building intact. What I can tell you, without revealing too much, is that I'm working on a project. It's a bit of a secret for now and I haven't announced it outside of close friends. It will be on par with my two previous releases (Classic style), with gameplay mechanics new to the TRLE world.

I'm sincerely happy to be part of this community, and I want to contribute to it with more releases in the future! 2022 will be great.

Miguel: That's an awesome attitude! I hope you stay motivated and you manage to have fun (and take some healthy breaks when you don't).

We're nearly at the end of the interview. I just have another couple of questions. First: We started by talking about your recent win. Do competitions motivate you? Do you see yourself running again? Have you thought about testing yourself with a Back to Basics, or a One Room Challenge? (These are several questions… I’m still counting them as one. :D)

Delca: Sure, I could join again! Create a Classic really pushed me to be creative. It has been a great experience, and it ended in the best possible manner for me. This competition really allows freedom - unlike Back to Basics, which I find to be too restrictive (same assets and theme for everyone). That said, I don't think you will see me in any competition for a while. I need a rest, aha. On the forums, I've read people suggesting new rules for a brand new competition. That sounds nice! I do not have ideas to suggest but I hope something will come out of these discussions.

Miguel: Competitions are always welcome for me (as a player and reviewer, of course)!

Thank you very much for the time you gave me and the community, so that we could get to know you better. I really enjoyed this chat!

What do you have to say to any new people arriving in the community, possibly new builders, who read this interview?

Delca: Thank you Miguel, it's been a pleasure! It was a great opportunity to open up and talk about me, both as a person and as a builder.

For new builders who read us, I'd recommend checking out Tomb Editor. I do think this is the most intuitive and beginner-friendly level editor we’ve ever had. If you're struggling with building your first level: it's totally fine! You know, I've waited 8 years to finally release my début level... It takes time and patience. Look for inspiration and ideas that motivate you. Whether you go for Classic or Next Generation style, keep things simple and start with a single-level adventure. Finally, be careful with the beta-testing process, because it's mandatory to polish your level before you publish it. Thank you for reading us, and I hope you will enjoy my future projects! :D