Leoc1995

Interview by Miguel Marado (MigMarado)

Edited by Modi Flanagan (nerdfury)

December 2022

 

Miguel Marado: Hi, Leoc1995,

Thank you so much for granting me this interview! Very early this year [2022] you won the début edition of the Classic Engine Competition, which PedroTheGamer organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the release of Tomb Raider (1996).

Congratulations! Tell us about the competition. How did it feel to come out on top?

 

Leoc1995: Hello,

Thank you for inviting me for an interview. I'm happy to be able to talk a little bit with the TRLE community and to talk about my trajectory with TombRaider.

About the competition, it was an idea from a Discord server and, because it only considered the first three TR engines, it ended up encouraging me to participate. I had just finished my TR1 called "Folklorist Diary - Forgotten Treasure" that I built using the old "Dxtre3d" editor, and I was starting my transition process to "Tomb Editor". So "Shattered Memories" was my first level with the new editor and I was happy with the feedback I received. There were only four competitors, but it was a start for the competition. And I believe that with the improvements the community is bringing to the TR1, TR2 and TR3 engines, future competitions with these engines will attract more builders.

It was the first competition I had entered, and being that I was learning Tomb Editor it was even more challenging to get it finished by the deadline. Winning the competition was not the most important thing for me, since I always see TRLE as a hobby, but I will not deny how good it is to see all the positive feedback for my TR2 idea that I've been saving for a long time.

 

 

Miguel Marado: Hopefully all those wonderful reviews provided motivation for you to continue giving us your great levels!

Tell us about yourself and about your nickname in the community, Leoc1995.

 

Leoc1995: My name is Leonardo. I'm Brazilian, from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and I am currently a University Professor. Tomb Raider is my favorite game franchise (next to Resident Evil) and I've always been interested in creating my own games/levels. Tomb Raider II is my favorite, being the first one I played.

At the time I started looking for ways to create my own levels, the official editor was only suitable for the TR4 engine, and I always found it complex to use because my English was not good. However, in 2010 I met a small community of Brazilians with interest in TRLE, in a blog. In this blog there were some small tutorials about Dxtre3d, an unofficial level editor created by TurboPascal that made it possible to create levels in the other engines. From there I started to practice, until in 2011 I released my first TR2 levelset (with many problems, but normal for a début).

 

About my nickname: it's related to my name and year of birth, and I created it initially for my YouTube channel that I have until today. So I used the same when I joined the TRLE community. :D

 

Miguel Marado: We're going to touch upon several of the themes you just mentioned ;)

Tell us a bit more about when and how you discovered Tomb Raider II, and how it eventually inspired you to become a level builder.

 

Leoc1995: The first time I had contact with Tomb Raider was in 2003, when my parents bought our first home PC. As soon as we got the PC, my uncle gifted me three games, one of them being TR2. I still have it stored in my physical collection (see photo below). Besides being the first, it was the one I played more often.

I really like the variety of enemies, scenarios, objects and weapons… the final levels with the warriors of Xian being my favorites. And I always loved the Floating Islands style levels, so they were inspirations. This is the reason why among my levels there is always one or another level of this style. After TR2 I played the others, all on PC, until I discovered the Tomb Raider Level Editor on the second CD of Tomb Raider Chronicles. But, as I said before, the official TRLE didn't support creating TR2 levels, so I had to look for alternatives.

 

Miguel Marado: So, you were very young when you started playing, and you were still very young when you published your début: Folklorist Diary - The Abyss of the Horizon. Was it the first level you built?

 

Leoc1995: I was 8 years old when I first played Tomb Raider, and my first released TRLE was in 2011 when I was 16. It was my first released level but not the first one I created, because I had been testing and creating levels since 2008 (more or less), but it took me a while to understand Dxtre3d. Besides that, initially I didn't have the goal to release it to the TRLE community. I had the help of the Brazilian community a few months later to understand it better.

I always created individual levels, not sets, until I decided to mix some of the best levels I could build at the time and create a set called "Folklorist Diary - Abyss of the Horizon''. You may notice that the levels don't have transitions, so this was the reason (I created it as single levels first). It's a set of simple levels, with standard lighting, a few bugs/crashes and simple gameplay, but OK for a début.

 

Miguel Marado: Oh, you shared it with the Brazilian TRLE community first? So is that why the levels were on YouTube before they were on TRLE?

Is that also why the first reviews came only around a year after the release?

 

Leoc1995: Yes, I sent it to this blog first, and also to some close friends. At the time I didn't have much contact with the international community as I have today through my Instagram, Discord and Forums, since at the time I didn't have good English and so I avoided "international" contacts. It was on this blog that I received my first feedback – even the first submission to TRLE.net was made by the blog guys, who submitted it for me.

As for the reviews, I didn't really understand them at that time… I didn't even know how to look or how it worked. But after a while, understanding the site better, I realized that it took almost a year to receive a first review, but I had no idea why. Nowadays I understand the importance of feedback. I hope that levels from all builders always have a good amount of reviews, even though I know that very few players stop to write a review after playing it.

 

Miguel Marado: As a builder, when did you first start paying attention to these English reviews? You published five releases within a little over a year when you started. Were you starting to read these comments?

 

Leoc1995: If I'm not mistaken in 2013, just before I released my sixth level (Folklorist Diary III). I believe most of the reviews on my levels started coming in mid-September 2012. Even then, despite the feedback, I did not use these reviews to actively improve my "first era" levels. Only after 2020, when I returned to building levels, did I start paying attention to feedback to improve the quality of the levels.

 

Miguel Marado: That is interesting. It explains many negatives found on your first few releases, which tended to have bugs and beginner faults in their execution, alongside lacking or limited descriptions -- according to the reviews, that is. Would you say reviews eventually helped you reach the award-winning level you're at now?

 

Leoc1995: Yes, my first levels had several problems, even due to lack of knowledge of how to solve them, so I consider the reviews to be correct in this case. But I don't think reviews are the main cause of improvement in my levels. I have some criticisms about the review system and the subjective way that some reviewers approach their text, because they criticize things related to the engine, and that engine does not allow the builder to "perform" what the reviewer asks (for example: things related with the TR4 engine, but it's a TR2). But it's a particular point of my criticism for the reviews, and I understand that there are very good reviewers too, with constructive and useful criticism to evolve as a builder.

I consider Beta Testing to be the fundamental reason for the change in quality of my levels, since my old levels had no testers (at least testers that know about the editor and how it works). Since I returned to building levels in 2020, I started to share more of my projects, and become an active part of the TRLE community. In the period between 2013 and 2020, I improved my English, and when I returned to TRLE, I expanded my network of contacts: on Instagram (@folkloristdiary), and especially on Discord. Of particular note is Steven’s (YouTube walkthrough creator) server and the friendships I created there.  Here, I met other Tomb Raider builders and players, who gave me quality feedback to improve every corner of my level and make it as polished as possible. It also allowed connections with other builders, which made a TR2 collaboration possible: The Forbidden Place, a recent release organized by Mahetus as the main author, collaborating with BlackWolfTR and I.

So overall, I found the reviews relevant, with many positive and constructive reviews, but attentive beta testing, without rushing, was the most important thing that I did.

 

Miguel Marado: With regards to reviews, I noticed you're a supporter of the new website TRCustoms.org. Is that because of the different review system?

 

Leoc1995: I don't have direct and continuous contact with the moderators of the new website, but I like it when we have new things and improvements for the TRLE community. TRCustoms brings some benefits to the builders, by allowing them to customize their own profile and have control over updates for the levels.

As for their review system, I think it's an interesting proposal, but it also has some points to improve, just like TRLE.net. I believe that we still don't have a perfect model for the review system, and possibly we never will, because reviews take into account the reviewer's point of view, their experiences with TR, their skills, their tastes and expectations. And what on the one hand some may consider to be a bad TRLE, on the other hand can be a very good custom level.  Allowing a comment field for the author to respond to reviews would be one possibility, however this would be a "time bomb" because many authors don't absorb criticism and take it personally, so it's a very complex and sensitive issue.

I always consider TRLE to be a hobby, so I don't think there needs to be 100% polished and professional levels, but they should be fun to play and innovative in some way, since Tomb Editor allows the author to use their imagination as they wish. Also, I always support new things for our community, to move forward for improvement. The benefits to the builder are, in my opinion, more important than the new review system itself. And, in one way or another, having an alternative website can help TRLE.net to improve and maintain itself.

 

Miguel Marado: I really like your perspective on reviews, and on the TRLE.net and TRCustoms relationship!

I’ve noticed you tend to be a very positive, supportive person in the community. You’re on Discord and TombRaiderForums, even if you’re not on the TRLE.net forum (as far as I know). Your English is clearly very good now, and we’re both native Portuguese speakers doing this in English for the community.

What does the international community mean to you today, now that you can better communicate in English?

 

Leoc1995: Video game fan communities have some peculiarities and are quite similar. There are positive points, with nice and friendly people who always help and exchange knowledge. There are also negative points, which unfortunately also occurs in the TRLE community: taking a hobby too seriously and sometimes using strong words that discourage some builders. But I want to emphasize mainly the good people in this community.

I already mentioned the Discord server that I consider a lot when exchanging ideas about TRLEs and sharing knowledge. As for the forums, I'm not very active, but from time to time I share a little of my projects. I'm always willing to try to help those who look for me there or through my networks (Instagram, YouTube and Discord). I don't have the profile to participate in different groups and meet everyone in the community and I don't intend to do that either. I prefer simplicity and keeping in touch with people I trust.

In general, the international community has a lot of importance in my improvement and evolution as a level builder, besides being a way to help me practice different languages, especially English and Spanish.

 

Miguel Marado: With regards to your website (https://sites.google.com/view/folkloristdiary ), YouTube (https://youtube.com/user/leoc1995  ) and Instagram (@folkloristdiary), what function do they fulfill for you? Are they a means to be more open outside of the more “closed” TR community, to share your work with people who may not know about TRLE? Or are they other ways for you to express yourself more individually?

 

Leoc1995: Yeah, exactly! I use my Instagram, YouTube and website to share my TRLE projects with everyone. I have sometimes received messages on my Instagram from people who liked the images and videos I posted, but didn't know that TRLE existed. In the end they were surprised to find out that there are approximately 3500 levels built by fans from all over the world. I also share work from other builders, or levels that I like and recommend.

So yes, I use these means to share with everyone, and even try to captivate a little of the Brazilian public. However, despite having several builders from Brazil, there are few national players or streamers who play TRLEs.

At the same time there is also the "individual" matter of customizing a website, making Instagram posts and also managing a YouTube channel, as I also make videos of other games but without the intention of having millions of views. More as a hobby and for fun.

 

Miguel Marado: All of that sounds great! Do you have some real-life friends who also enjoy Tomb Raider with whom you share your levels? How does TRLE fit into your real life?

 

Leoc1995: Yes – not many share this same love for the Tomb Raider franchise, but yes, some friends do, and I send them my levels in advance. This is because many people prefer "current" games and the classics end up not being very captivating (this is something related to the issue I mentioned of captivating the Brazilian public).

Some even tried to practice with the level editor, but they don't have the patience that this building process requires, hahaha. But it's not something I talk about much in my "real" life; my day-to-day conversations about TRLE are virtual/online (Discord).

 

Miguel Marado: So, I’m guessing your beta testers are online friends or acquaintances, right? Do you find it easy to get people to test your levels? Are they the same people almost every levelset? Tell us about that process.

 

Leoc1995: I can say that I have a "team" of fixed testers, about 5 or 6, but this can vary depending on the availability of each one. Currently only two of my released TRLEs have had beta testing: Folklorist Diary - Forgotten Treasure (TR1) and Shattered Memories (TR2), and the variation in the tester list is quite small. I conducted some beta tests recently of my TR3 in development called Folklorist Diary II (which is not yet finished, but I like to beta test little by little) and also on another TR2 called The Last Jade Dragon (this will possibly be released earlier than Folklorist Diary II, possibly in early 2023).

The testers are mostly from Steven's server. They are people I feel comfortable sending my levels to before releasing; trust is something very important at this stage. They won't always be available to test the levels, but I don't like to rush to release, so I wait for them to become available (and I know that those who won't be able to test will let me know). I can say that it's not easy to find good testers, but the success of my last two levels makes me realize that I have the right team to identify improvements and fixes to make.

 

 

Miguel Marado: That sounds like a very good situation for all involved. Let’s talk about your levels for a bit. There’s one recurring theme since the beginning: the “Folklorist Diary”. It is a delightful name, and it sounds very mystical to me. What does it mean? Are all of the levels under that umbrella related to one another? Is there an order to play them in?

 

Leoc1995: I have never had much creativity in naming levels; it has always been a weak point. So I would get inspired by some games and take chapter names or related things to use in my TRLEs. "Folklorist Diary" was a name I found interesting and that I found in the game Fatal Frame/Project Zero; it was the name of some files you find during the game. I had inspiration from games like Resident Evil, Bioshock, Silent Hill (with Shattered Memories), etc.

In my début, the name of the levels are pretty much all based on chapters from this Fatal Frame franchise. So, in general, names that I thought were cool to use ended up as a brand name for my levels.

As for the relation between the levels, what I can tell you is that from my TR1 I decided to do a reboot, because the Leoc1995 from the first era ended up mixing things up and getting lost in the order and connection between them, hahaha. For those who are interested, it's obvious that I allow people to play my old levels, even to see the evolution that I had from that time until today. However, when people ask me directly I always tell them to focus on the latest levels, starting with Folklorist Diary - Gold Edition which was a closure for my début, and then focus only on the most recent ones (Forgotten Treasure and also Shattered Memories, which is also related despite not having “Folklorist Diary” in the name).

 

Miguel Marado: This brings me to another question that is only marginally related to your levels: what was behind that 2013-2020 building hiatus of seven years?

 

Leoc1995: Although I had contact from the Brazilian blog I mentioned, creating levels back then was a bit lonelier for me than it is now. In 2013 some of the members were also not so present and the conversations were diminishing. In addition I had changes in my personal, professional and study life, where I was in University and with less free time to build. After my last release of 2013 I stopped building levels, as I ended up losing the drive for it.

However, in 2020, with the whole Covid pandemic context, I spent a lot of time working from home and looking for some hobby. In the meantime, I found on YouTube some videos of my old TRLEs by Adrielvicio and TombRaiderFanJim. I found this amazing, because back in 2013 there were no videos like today (nowadays we have so many playthroughs and walkthroughs). And so, I remembered the editor and slowly started to search my archives stored in my PC. Unfortunately I don't have any of the old projects to fix or improve, but I did have Dxtre3d and some tutorials that I had written myself to remember (which helped me get back on track).

If you analyze, you can see that recently many inactive builders have returned with new levels after a hiatus, so possibly the pandemic is a factor that brought these builders back into the community. So my own hiatus occurred due to the above reasons, and from 2020 I resumed – expanding my contacts via Instagram and Discord  to contact players and other builders.

 

Miguel Marado: That makes a lot of sense. I hope this time you feel motivated to stick around!

Let’s talk about your début’s context. There is no description available. What is the story you wanted to tell with Folklorist Diary - The Abyss of the Horizon?

 

Leoc1995: As I mentioned before, my début was created from a mixture of different individual levels (eight in total), and there is no transition between levels. For example, one moment you are in a level with Tibet textures and the next level you start in a Maria Doria-style corridor. Normal for a début. But overall, by putting these different levels together, my proposal was "different chapters" of the Diary where Lara searches for the location of the Abyss of the Horizon.

However, there was no well-elaborated story construction, and it was only in the later levels that I started little by little to try to improve in this regard. This problem was one of the reasons that led me to think about a reboot for my older levels, and also trying to establish a coherent story in my recent levels.

 

Miguel Marado: Your second level, Folklorist Diary II - The Condor Eagle (Demo), has a vague but interesting story alluding to Brazilian literature and mythology. Do you feel you were successful in getting that across? Some reviews point out that there was dialogue, but it was hard to understand.

 

Leoc1995: Honestly, I don't think I was successful, hahahah. It was a demo of a project I never finished, but the initial structure of this demo was used in my TR3 under development (that you can see in the screenshots below). I think that, in general, storylines that needed adjustments were characteristic of my older levels, but I've improved little by little.

About the dialogues... well... if you add up a set of factors that I commented on in earlier questions, you will understand the issue with it. English difficulties, lack of international contact, inexperience with audio editing are some examples. So, to make the dialogues I used a voice generator website, with a result... hmm... I think the reviews speak for themselves.

Looking back at the past, and seeing these mistakes, makes me see that there has been an evolution in my skills to create TRLEs. So, I always leave the old levels available for anyone who wants to download and test them.

 

 

 

Miguel Marado: I think this is a very important conversation. It is a good part of a builder’s growth to make mistakes, manage criticism and disappointment, and learn from it all to feel more realized as an author. So this is an example for builders (and for reviewers, so they aren’t too harsh on newcomers). Do you have better memories of Return to the Ghost Factory, your 3rd release? I confess I didn’t quite understand the story…

 

Leoc1995: Of my old levels, this is the one with the most negative points. For example: Crazy Day is a 5 minute joke level, with nothing much, only a test level with animations, and Hidden Palace has its moments, but also without much improvement over the previous levels. So Return of the Ghost Factory in general has standard lighting (the second level is so dark that even my current self is afraid to play, hahaha), has several animation bugs, and even a crash that prevents the player from finishing the level (unless they use a flare trick to make Lara climb a ladder). It's a very rare crash, as during development it never occurred to me. This clearly demonstrates that I had no beta testers at that time. Only after release did reviewers start pointing it out. I noticed it came out of nowhere, but never tried to fix it (maybe there was some rush to release projects and I wasn’t attentive to polishing the details).

As for story details I don't think it had any depth, as I can currently say that it is an "unfinished" level, as it's moving forward and then suddenly it’s the end of the level. It’s something common in many old TRLEs that do not use TRNG. What I can say is that I have in mind to remake this level someday or use it as a specific level in a level set. It may not be on the TR4/TRNG engine because it's not my priority, but maybe in the future I can focus on this project.

 

Miguel Marado: With this, we get to your last pre-hiatus level, Folklorist Diary III - Chronicles of Terabithia. It gave you the best rating thus far. It is no wonder, since the level has a much more fleshed out storyline which gives more meaning to the Folklorist Diary, alongside better reviews. Still, it is your level with the least reviews so far. What do you think is behind that?

 

Leoc1995: Yes, Folklorist Diary III was my best level before this hiatus, along with my début, because it was where I managed to create something a little more detailed, and with virtually no bugs that harm the gameplay.

About the reviews, I think there are different factors that can affect the amount of reviews a level has, but without an analysis I wouldn't be able to tell you why this is my level with the least reviews. Maybe it was released at a time when there were a lot of new levels, or near some competition. Or maybe because it used the original TR4 engine, and not TRNG.

Anyway, by only analyzing the levels of the time to try to understand the reason, it was common to receive few reviews. There are good levels of different engines that have even fewer reviews today, that are also old levels (some even with scores between 8 and 9). And since I already had the issue of going a year without receiving a review on my début, as mentioned before, then having few reviews I don't see as a problem, but something normal to occur.

There are few players who take the time to write feedback to the builder. I have even reviewed some levels, but since I'm not in the habit of finishing the TRLEs that I start playing, my amount of reviews is small.

 

Miguel Marado: It is a complex thing to analyze. Speaking about other author’s releases, do you often download and try levels?

 

Leoc1995: Recently a little less, but yes, I'm always playing TRLEs, especially when new TRLEs come out in my favorite engines: TR1, TR2 or TR3.  As I mentioned in the previous answer, sometimes I can't finish a TRLE, but it's something that happens to me with other games as well. Maybe it's because I stop playing for a few days due to lack of time, and then I can't resume with the same excitement.

Also taking into account the fact that I do beta tests for other builders, but also preferably on these engines. In the same way that some builders test my levels, I test theirs. I play TR4 levels less than the previous engines: I usually play only when there is a level with a theme of my interest, or that I consider inspirational to my projects.

 

Miguel Marado: You’re a builder, but when it comes to TR1, 2 and 3 you’re a player as well. This is interesting because after your original TR2 release, you built in TR4 for five consecutive releases. You only returned to TR2 after your building hiatus, in 2020, and you never returned to TR4. Why did you build with the TR4 engine? And how was it getting back to your beginnings with Folklorist Diary - Gold Edition?

 

Leoc1995: My focus on TR1, TR2 and TR3 is more recent; as I said I always try to play new levels that were released in these engines. But at the time I was starting as a builder, I did play several TR4 levels. I really like Richard Lawther's levels (for example the UUB franchise), Cowboy's (for example Ghosts of Croft Manor and Coyote Creek), Oxy's (Frosty Mansion), among other TR4 custom levels. So yes, I had the curiosity to try to build with the TR4 engine, but as already mentioned I encountered some obstacles (bugs and crashes) on the way (mainly due to the fact that it wasn't TRNG and that I used Dxtre3d to build).

When I returned to this hobby in 2020, I even came back with a TR4 project, which in this case would be the remake of my Folklorist Diary II. I have posted a comparison video on YouTube, in case you are curious (https://youtu.be/hmQufu8jMno). But after a while I decided to migrate to a TR2 project, and I ended up using part of the ideas of this remake in the Gold Edition, and also in my TR1. These levels received more positive feedback than my previous ones, and I decided to continue analyzing these engines to try to bring more innovative levels, or ideas never used before in these engines.

 

Miguel Marado: After Gold Edition, you released a demo and the full game Folklorist Diary - The Forgotten Treasure, one of your most successful releases, using the TR1 engine. How was the change from TR2 to TR1 for such a lengthy six-level set?

 

Leoc1995: It was a huge challenge to work on a new engine, even more so being the first TR engine. Although in the final stages of my TR1 I added the improvements of TR1Main (that reduces the limitations and brings innumerous benefits for builders), my project was built totally within the original limitations of textures and objects. Over time, several crashes occurred that I had to balance the structure of the levels to avoid them. Despite this, it was one of the engines I liked building with the most. It allows me to do new things, like for example the use of the centaur statues (I won't mention spoilers, but those who played my TR1 must know what I'm talking about :P).

I can consider that building a lengthy six-level set with all the original limitations was an achievement for me. And with the TR1Main improvements I strongly recommend that other builders try to work on this engine, as there is a lot of new stuff that can be built and planned by thoroughly analyzing every detail that this engine "hides” in its depths. I have a few things in mind, but until I finish my two ongoing projects I don't intend to start anything new.

 

Miguel Marado: We'll talk more about your future projects soon.

Now we get to the project that earned you the Classic Engine Competition win, and your highest-rated solo release, Shattered Memories. I loved the very creative levelset, and the theme of broken perception. That seems like a theme you like working with as a builder, from your description of other projects involving Lara's altered mental states. Tell us more about that trend.

 

Leoc1995: I had this level idea planned for some time, since I came back to the community in 2020. I already had this idea of a level involving different scenarios from the original games. With TR2Main that improved many things in the engine and drastically reduced the limitations, it was possible to apply it to a TRLE. The inspiration for this type of level came from games like Silent Hill and especially The Evil Within. I consider the latter to be an underrated game but I really like its purpose and construction, with sudden changes, memories, plot-twist, differentiated enemies, etc.

My recent levels follow a "Mystery/horror" idea with a surreal touch, because it's a way to justify weird and even nonsense things I created for my levels, hahaha. But often with a touch of humor, like enemies with familiar faces from the franchise, or those who throw a cup of tea, and also in the level names, like "Copycat Land" which refers to an inside joke from the Discord server I mentioned. Being my first attempt with Tomb Editor, I think the level has a better result than expected, but I also know that some points I could have done differently. This is part of the evolution in skills with the new level editor.

In one way or another my future projects also follow this surreal and mysterious proposal, but of course always trying to bring new things. So similar things may be noticed soon in my next levels.

 

Miguel Marado: Your latest demo, Folklorist Diary II - The Cursed Memories (Demo) – a TR3 Egypt level! – takes inspiration from the route your story has been taking over the last few releases. It was very well received and promises a lot when it comes to your unique vision and very creative approach to TR. Is this one of the projects in the cards for you? Do you intend on releasing more demos or the full adventure soon?

 

Leoc1995: Yes, this is one of the two projects that I'm currently developing. I don't plan to release new demos, but only the final version. I will still need some time, as the other project (a TR2) is more advanced and will be released earlier (early 2023). So possibly this TR3 will be released in the second half of next year. I already have 5 levels finished in this set, however possibly one of them I will split in two.

Currently, the TR3 engine is more limited than the previous ones, due to TR1Main and TR2Main. So, I always have to be careful when detailing TR3 levels, as there are random crashes which I need to investigate and solve. The community has developed the so-called "Tomb3", which brings some improvements to the original game and can also be used for custom levels. However, it's still not at the same level as TR1Main and TR2Main. There are already significant improvements: reducing problematic flickering objects in very open rooms, or when using the horizon.

As for the project itself, I can say that the initial levels have an Egyptian theme, but over time the surreal and mysterious aspects begin to emerge, occurring in similar situations to my previous level (Shattered Memories). Otherwise, I try at least once a month to post some updates of this and my other project on my Instagram, YouTube channel and also a thread in the TombRaiderForums.

 

 

Miguel Marado: That’s a TR3 project to look forward to! TR3 makes for quite good levels, in my opinion.

Tell us more about your upcoming TR2 project.

 

Leoc1995: Last year I had started a TR2 level to join the Create a Classic [CaC] competition. I even managed to build most of the first level, but doing two projects with defined deadlines (CaC and also the Classic Engine Competition that was a little earlier) was not a good choice for me. So, I decided to stop the CaC level and save it for a future opportunity. Later on, I was thinking about a mansion style level for my TR3, which would be the 6th or 7th level. But the limitations of TR3 would not allow me to make a level as detailed as I wanted, and so I ended up porting the idea to TR2 and adding it to the existing structure of my unreleased CaC.

Currently I'm in the advanced stages of this project, although at the end of the year I have less time to build. There will be five levels; three are ready and the last two are shorter. Two of the levels I already did some betatests and got feedback for corrections. The level has no relation to my previous levels, but like the others it follows the same logic of surreal, mystery and horror that are the proposals of my TRLEs.

The project is called The Last Jade Dragon. Lara discovers that the jade dragons she found in the original adventure were not all that existed, and that there is one last dragon that provides some mystical characteristics for those who obtain it. Thus begins the adventure, where Lara goes in search of this last Jade dragon. A somewhat cliché story, like most TRLEs in which Lara searches for an artifact, but I can guarantee that the process to finding it will be different and with some innovations for a TR2.

 

 

 

Miguel Marado: It actually sounds pretty good to me!

We’ve now established that your style involves surreal, mystery-driven levels with horror elements. What would you say are the tools you like working with the most? You’re now using Tomb Editor. Are there other essential tools in your arsenal? Have you tried the new community engine, TEN?

 

Leoc1995: For the first three engines there is no need for many tools, so mainly those related to Tomb Editor, such as Wadtool, as well as image and music editing tools, a texture editor, etc. Oh, and the script editor, of course. Despite these few tools, I'm always investigating the objects of each engine and ways to use them differently. For example: new animations, changes in the characteristics of enemies/objects, mixing between different engines, etc.

As for the new engine (TEN), I haven't tested it yet, as I think it's still in its early stages. So I'll wait for improvements and advancements before I try anything with it. I’m also waiting for more tutorials, especially for scripting, as it's one of the points that drives me a little away from TR4. I hope scripting is not too complex in this new engine.

 

Miguel Marado: It is really early days for TEN, even if it sounds exciting to me.

You recently collaborated with Mahetus and BlackWolfTR on The Forbidden Place. Was it your first attempt at a collaboration, or just the first finished one? How was it? Would you do something like that again?

 

Leoc1995: Yes, it was the first time I tried to make a level together with other builders. I give the credits to Mahetus, for doing all the organization and balancing. Meanwhile, BlackWolfTR and I did our specific sections and helped testing and improving the other parts. But balancing the work of three authors was a very well done task by Mahetus, and this is evidenced by the success the level has so far. We are three authors with different building profiles, but the result is a level with a lot of variation for the players. The initial idea was Mahetus', to open up a space for BlackWolfTR and me, but yes, I think our sections have helped to increase the quality of the level as a whole.

I met Mahetus and BlackWolfTR on the Discord servers, and I admire the quality of their work. BlackWolfTR has a profile of creating tasks that are difficult for the player, but not impossible, bringing interesting challenges, especially for experienced players, as well as having clever ideas for puzzles and gameplay as a whole. Mahetus has a profile similar to mine, liking surreal levels and with some intelligent ideas. I say this not only because of the levels they have released, but also because of their ongoing projects I have been following in the last few months. They are two new builders, at least compared to me, and have a lot of potential to become two of the most recognized in terms of quality and fun levels. Not surprisingly, their TR2 levels are currently (November 2022) the highest scoring on TRLE.net, but I think the recognition will come when some of these levels enter the Hall of Fame.

It was a really interesting experience to construct levels collaboratively. I plan to try again in the future, both with them and with other talented builders (but with a focus on TR1, TR2 and TR3 for sure).

 

Miguel Marado: You seem enthusiastic about both Mahetus and BlackWolfTR, who are young and bright builders. Are you excited about the amount of new builders approaching the scene, and about their quality and ingenuity, more generally?

 

Leoc1995: Yes, I always enjoy seeing new builders making their débuts. And being non-TR4 levels I'm even happier, because, besides my preference, we know that there are far more TR4 levels compared to the other engines.

I think it's always important to renew our builders, because I know that they are not eternal (not only because humans are mortal, but because sometimes authors leave this hobby) and that the community always has to improve and expand if it wants to maintain itself in the long term. The interesting thing is that many début levels are already being released with a very good quality, which is excellent news, it shows that the community is evolving.

In addition, many tools and improvements to the original engines have provided builders with ways to use all of their imagination, with very few limitations in this process.

 

Miguel Marado: We do owe a great debt of gratitude to the developers, who keep coming up with impressive new tools for the game to stay alive and well!

Do you think the learning curve is steep, for a début level to be of high quality? Do you have many levels that were shelved because they weren’t as good, or working how you’d expected?

 

Leoc1995: I think there are countless factors that make a début have quality or not. I also think that the evolution of technology in the last 10-15 years makes communication between new builders and the community easier and faster, making it possible to acquire skills needed for a good début level. Maybe this explains the quality of some débuts made recently. Maybe… I can't say precisely.

So this learning curve you mention takes into account such factors, and maybe the difficulties and inexperience I had with my début aren't as applicable for newer builders today. In the past, many tutorials were written only, and even too complex for newcomers. Nowadays, we have tutorials on YouTube, and also new networks like Discord, where you can join a TRLE server and ask your questions directly to a range of builders, easing the learning curve. I have already commented on the issue of the review system and the difficulty of finding a balance. Here I add the fact that words can hurt, and that often very direct and negative reviews can drive away new builders. And because of a hobby, criticisms arise demanding that every TRLE has the quality of a The Last of Us or God of War, but that's not how it works for a hobby. Each new author has a life, a life experience, experiences with games and personal tastes. With their experience, they create levels for fun and share them with the community, but may receive some reviews that do not make the builder grow and improve their skills. Instead they make them discouraged and hate the community.

I did this contextualization to explain my opinion of the multiple factors that influence the quality of a début, where I think that the criticism has to be sincere, but in the case of new authors, the reviewers should relativize and bring points that make the builder evolve.

As for cancelled levels, yes, before my début I had several attempts at levels that were never shared. My first level had just one big room with several corridors, keys/doors, enemies, backtracking, more keys/doors, until Lara went to the end of the corridor and finished the level. To me that was amazing, the best thing I could create, with the satisfaction of having realized my dream of creating my own game with my favorite game engine. And here, sometimes authors have a hard time seeing that the quality of their level can be increased significantly, and are averse to critical reviews. That is, there is the reviewer's side and the developer's side, and a balance has to be found (a little utopian, but necessary).

More recently I have no archived levels, and I no longer own the project files to those older levels. I usually create the structure of the level and afterwards spend hours to polish and detail it as best as possible, and if I don't like the result I make punctual changes. I don't have this habit of archiving anymore, due to my lack of time with the hobby, compared to the last decade. If I dedicate months to a project to not release it, then I would honestly be wasting my life.

 

Miguel Marado: These detailed answers are good for new builders, since they can better understand they are not the only ones who go through these issues early in their careers.

We've talked about new builders, but what about your building influences and favorite builders?

 

Leoc1995: I commented in a previous answer about some authors I like, when I commented about TR4 levels. Richard Lawther's levels always excited me for the puzzles and mysteries surrounding each new adventure, such as the UUB [Underworld Unfinished Business] and Shalebridge Murder Mystery levels which are excellent. Cowboy is another very talented author. My favorite level of his is The Ghosts of Croft Manor – it’s one of my inspirations for making mansion levels with a mysterious and surreal aspect. Still about TR4 levels, Delca is a more recent author, but has impressed me with the quality of his levels, Fantôme and Kitten Adventure being two masterpieces.

And of course, I can't forget to mention builders who have released TR1, TR2 and TR3 levels. Besides the new authors I have already highlighted, I can mention Feder who has successful levels that bring innovations and at the same time keep the traditional style of the classics. Nordic Adventure was an inspiration for me to try a TR1 custom level. Danath is another author; this one I have more direct contact with on Discord, being an author on my list of beta testers, and I also test his levels. He has an interesting profile: making traditional levels that have the essence of what is Tomb Raider, besides also being an author who started with Dxtre3d and is making the transition to Tomb Editor. Other authors like TheWolf, Sabatu and TheVagrant (this one a little older) are also references of good levels of the first three engines.

I won't be able to list all the authors I admire, but these are excellent builders that serve as inspiration for me to keep building new TRLEs.

 

Miguel Marado: You seem very much in touch with what’s going on in the building community.

Do you think you will take part in other competitions or challenges in the future, after winning your first (Classic Engine Competition)?

 

Leoc1995: I believe so. If any interesting opportunities arise that fit my levels' style I may participate. Before trying new things I intend to finish the two projects that are in progress, and then think about new TRLE possibilities. Until then, maybe I will have new inspirations and motivations to create new adventures.

I think the next steps will be to participate in some different challenges/competitions, and also to try some more collaborative projects.  But now it's just waiting and seeing what happens next year.

 

Miguel Marado: You sound like you're back in TRLE to stay, and that's great!

We're now at the end of your interview. Thank you for this very interesting conversation and all of your time!

You've already shared a lot of positive messages. Still, are there any last words you'd like to leave to future players and builders?

 

Leoc1995: First of all I thank you once again for inviting me to talk a little bit about TRLE and to tell you about myself. It was a pleasure and I'm glad to have been invited for an interview.

As my last words in this interview, I just want to restate the points I brought up during the previous questions. I see TRLE as a hobby, something I don't intend to make money from (if others do, it's not my problem). So, in seeing it as a hobby, I think the community as a whole has to be lighter and more positive. As I mentioned before, gaming communities have their good and bad points, i.e. there are good people and bad people, but often they take this hobby very seriously, and for me TRLE is nothing more than a way to keep the classic Tomb Raider alive and up to date. The skills and talent that fans have is formidable, both in building levels and in improving features of the original games. So being in the TRLE community means that in one way or another we love Tomb Raider, and that's our common ground.

For new builders, I would point out that feedback can often be a bit heavy in reviews and comments on your levels, but if this is a hobby that you want, then don't give up. Seek contacts in the community, as there are a lot of good and friendly people. The more experienced builders will not always be able to help newcomers with their doubts, because everyone has their own life and time is something precious and often in short supply, but they can point out tutorials and ways to go for the new builders.

For the players, I would like to thank everyone who has played my TRLEs and who sends me comments with compliments and criticism for improvement. If someone asked me why I build and release TRLEs, I would answer that it's my hobby and I like to see people playing and reacting to my (sometimes surreal) ideas. This was one of the factors that motivated me to return in 2020, and I enjoy watching my levels being played by others.

To those who are reading this interview to the end, I thank you for taking some of your time for this, because the current world makes people read too little. For anyone who wants to follow my projects or are interested in contacting me, please see my Instagram or YouTube. Thank you all and I wish that the community remains strong and, if possible, more positive than negative (perhaps another utopian point that I mention, but I have faith in it, hahaha).