|
 Miguel Marado: Tombraider95, it is great to be able to interview you, especially just after the release of your very promising new levelset, "Tomb Raider - Biohazard". Thank you very much for the opportunity! First of all, please tell anyone in the community who may still not know you: Who is Bradley Smy?
Tombraider95: Hello! It's great to be interviewed for the first time! Thanks for selecting me. Good question, I'm not even sure I know the full answer myself. Who is Brad? For the most part I'm just a Tomb Raider fan, trying to get by in this crazy world. 25 years down. However many left to go.
Miguel: From your nickname, it can be guessed you will become 26 this year. Am I right? Any interesting background to your chosen name, Tombraider95?
Tombraider95: Yes. 26 in December. The years are flying by now. Unfortunately, there's nothing interesting about my username. It's quite lazy actually, and looking back I wish I had made it a bit more unique. But now I go by "BradTRnD" in most places, which I prefer.
Miguel: Maybe I'll just call you Brad, for short ;P So, Brad, how did your first find the TRLE custom level community?
Tombraider95: I think I first came across the custom level community after finally googling the "Tomb Raider Level Editor" from reading the back of the Tomb Raider Chronicles PC case. I was about 12 at the time and always read the back of the case but was confused about what it was talking about. I didn't understand how "Creating your own Tomb Raider levels" was possible. But then after googling, it was a mixture of confusion and being blown away in amazement of what I found. I then came across Tomb Raider Forums.
Miguel: I'm sure TRLE.net and its forum came not long after. Did you start building right away?
Tombraider95: Pretty much. Being quite young at the time it was overwhelming, but the idea of creating my own Tomb Raider levels had me hooked. I do miss the earlier days when I first started out and was learning how to get everything to work and didn't care too much about how things looked. It was just a load of random large rooms with some basic gameplay. This scren on the right is one of the earliest shots I took when first learning the editor on Windows XP. I don't have a screenshot of the very first rooms I did, although I can remember what they looked like. As you can see it's the original "room edit" and it also doesn't fit the entire screen. Back then I didn't know you could make it full screen with Alt+Enter, so I wasn't able to access the bottom features such as lighting and animation ranges. I had to light levels with just ambience and flame emitters everywhere.
Miguel: That is really cool, thank you! Had you been playing Tomb Raider for a while when you had these first "room edit" tries?
Tombraider95: Yes, probably since I was about 3 or 4, so roughly 10 years prior to discovering the Level Editor. I think my uncle gave Tomb Raider 3 to my dad to play and that's how my family got into it. Originally it was my sister and I sat around the computer watching our dad play, but eventually I got into it and haven't stopped since.
Miguel: That is a truly amazing photo! You ended up publishing your first level at age 15. And by then, you were already a very capable builder. What motivated you to keep at it and improve?
 Tombraider95: Yes, I was 15 with my first official release in 2011 on TRLE.net for the “One Room Challenge”. I've now just realised that was just over 10 years ago, and I've released 12 titles including a demo since then. Not done too bad. I think seeing other people's creations motivated me to continue and improve my skills, but also I love the idea of creating something other people can play and enjoy, especially when it happens to be my favourite game.
Miguel: Did you start playing custom levels when you first found the forums and the community? Have you played a lot of TRLEs?
Tombraider95: Before discovering the community properly I came across “Himayalan Mysteries” which is the first custom level I played. I remember seeing an image of the 2nd level with the plane crashed on top of the mountain and was stunned. So I immediately downloaded and dived in. It’s still my favourite to this day. Unfortunately I don't play a lot of custom levels and it's not because I don't want to. Some people are afraid of the spiders, some don't like mummies, I have an issue with spikes. It sounds ridiculous, but even when I was really young I hated spikes in Tomb Raider, especially the Red and White ones from TR1. Plus there's just something really unsettling about a spike pit nearby in a room. I also think the sudden death animation and sound effect from Lara had a part to play in this scarring me. I'm used to the spikes in the original Tomb Raider games as I know their locations, but with custom levels, builders can place them anywhere. Especially with the TR4 engine, it's even worse because spikes can be hidden and pop up at any time. The fear of this happening has stopped me from playing a lot of levels. Years ago I used to play some custom levels when I could download them and open up their level files with Wadmerger to check if there were any spikes in the game, but now that's not possible due to most builders blocking that ability. So if I was to play a custom level now it would have to be a builder I trust to place spikes appropriately. The most realistic the spikes look, the less I have an issue with them, it's more so the original ones that disturb me. I would never play a custom level with the red and white spikes. Nope. It's rather frustrating actually because I'm missing out on so many great levels because of anxiety and the worry of coming across them. But on the other hand I really like the concept of them as they're great for designing gameplay. Also I can use spikes in my own levels as well if they look more realistic and have simple setups. Just as long as there's no surprises.
Miguel: It must be really hard dealing with that issue, and having to limit yourself to a few levels of a game you love. I'm really sorry for that. I hope you, and others dealing with these limiting issues, eventually find strategies to overcome them in a healthy way :) I notice you're a bit more of an active voice on TombRaiderForums.com, but you've also been a part of the forums at TRLE.net for a long while. Do you, as a builder and as a player, find support and motivation in the community?
Tombraider95: It's annoying and dumb. I wish I could be hypnotised to get over them. I'm more active on TombRaiderForums than on the TRLE forum, yeah. I think the original reason I joined the TRLE.net forum was because of “Back to Basics”, which I think to answer your question is a great example of support and motivation in the community. It allows participants to build and learn from each other whilst using the same content, and I think that helps to motivate. Even though it's a competition, there's a great deal of support involved. Most recently the latest “Back to Basics” I really enjoyed building for (despite a few bumps here and there) as all of us were in it together and we ended up producing 16 great levels for people to play. I am quite curious about what the next “Back to Basics” theme will be as that will make or break whether I participate again or not.
Miguel: I think the “Back to Basics” competitions are just great for everyone :) Speaking of competitions, you've been involved with the “One Room Challenge” competition from the very start, which coincides with your beginnings as a builder. Then, you also became responsible for organizing it. Can you tell us more?
Tombraider95: So originally the “One Room Challenge” was created and hosted by MyRaider4Life, and I remember having a go myself but it wasn't until I think the 3rd iteration that I released my Maria Doria level for it [Miguel’s note: Brad participated in the second edition, yet the first had not resulted in any levels released. Therefore, it can be considered the first edition]. It wasn't until years later when I was craving for the competition to come back that I messaged MyRaider4Life who was up for hosting another one with some help from me. Then came 2018 and MyRaider4Life wasn't around at the time, so I posted a thread on TRF asking if anyone was up for another ORC competition, to which a lot of people replied yes, so I kind of took over hosting it from then. I think the 2018 year was the best iteration of the competition.
Miguel: Your first ORC entry was a throwback to the sunken ship portion of TR2. We'll talk later about your other major TR2 project, Tomb Raider II Revised. Is it fair to assume your favourite Tomb Raider game is TR2?
Tombraider95: Yes, TR2 is my favourite. I have a lot of memories with it, but I also think it was just a massive step up from TR1 with a good variety of locations, outfits, weapons, vehicles, enemies, etc... It has some of the best and most memorable levels in the series... The Great Wall, Venice, Wreck of the Maria Doria, Barkhang Monastery, Temple of Xian, Floating Islands. I really loved the Scuba outfit when I was younger too. But before I knew how to level skip, I would usually just play about in the first half of The Great Wall because I would be too scared to do the infamous spike trap section for obvious reasons. TR2 also has my favourite ending to a Tomb Raider game. Lara in her manor blasting enemies away with a shotgun in her dressing gown and then finally breaking the 4th wall and shooting the player before taking a shower. I think it's perfect.
Miguel: That ending is definitely memorable! Some of your releases don't feature a level description, and "Return to the Maria Doria" is one of them. Do you think a background story is not important for a level?
Tombraider95: In those cases I don't think I had anything worth noting as they're pretty simple regarding the narrative. Lara arrives at a location and is hunting for an artifact. Usual Tomb Raiding stuff. For bigger levels that have more of a focus on story I think it should be important, but it's not mandatory. Gameplay is more important for me.
Miguel: Your following release, "Egypt", continues the trend of not being set up by a story, and more importantly, it was released only one week after your first level and with the same type of concept, since it was the first of your "Mini Adventures" series. Were you gaining confidence and speed when building at that point?
Screenshot of “Mini Adventures - Egypt”:
Tombraider95: Gaining confidence for sure. I think I built that “Egypt” level in 2 days! That sounds crazy now as it would usually take me a few months to build a level. But to be fair, considering the size of the level and the theme being standard TR4, it's not that surprising. After my first ORC level I wanted to build another level that kept that same size of 18x18 overall but without the limits of one room. I think it was a good idea for me to focus on smaller levels so I could experience all of the different parts of building and releasing a level without being overwhelmed with a massive project, hence why I started the "Mini Adventures" idea. I also really like building in small spaces as I enjoy the challenge, and it's similar to why I also enjoy building smaller houses in “The Sims”. It's the idea of getting everything to fit that I like. And also, sometimes players only want a quick, fun level to play that's not going to take hours and hours to complete. So, it's a win-win. Maybe one day I will do another “Mini Adventure”...
Miguel: I really like that approach, although it may have limited the scores a bit, given how very small levels were rarer then. In fact, "Egypt" has very little consistent criticism in the reviews, so it is very solid, like "Return to Maria Doria", for such a time-pressed build. Two months later, you had a lot of firsts! You released a level with equally accomplished builder Matie, so it was your first collaboration. That levelset was also your first that eventually featured on TRLE's Hall of Fame. Finally, it was the first level to attain very high ratings (>9.50). I'm talking about the first installment of "The Crystal Skulls'', of course. How did the idea and the opportunity to build this levelset come about?
Tombraider95: Matie and I started speaking when I offered to beta test her BtB Venice level back in 2010. It's quite funny actually, I remember asking if she had used any spikes in her level before I tested it, she replied "no", which was in fact a lie because her level did have them at the end, haha. But luckily, I sensed the spikes before they appeared. I saw a part of her level and had a bad feeling, something wasn't right. I then proceeded and the spikes were sitting in a pit waiting for me. I still haven't forgiven her, haha. Since then, we spoke all the time and wanted to do a collab project together. I think Matie had the idea of the “Crystal Skulls” being the artifact and I wanted the levels to be involving a monastery for the first part. Looking back, I definitely would condense the whole project down to make it more achievable, as I think I especially kept coming up with ideas for levels which made the project bloated. But it was in those days where you wanted to build everything possible! I would like to do a collab with another builder again in future, but something smaller and probably just the one level.
Miguel: After the interview gets released, you should expect some tentative PMs, haha! I think it's good that you're up to collaborating. Collaborations nearly always result in very well received levels. I didn't feel that "The Crystal Skulls" was bloated at all, and I think its reception speaks for itself. How was it, receiving all those high ratings? Did you expect to have a level in the Hall of Fame a mere 14 months after release, and two and a half years after your first level ever?
Tombraider95: I did have the chance to participate in a collaborative project a couple of years ago but I ended up not having enough time to do it. But I'm definitely up for some sort of collaboration in the future now. When I say "bloated" I mostly mean the number of levels we had planned and how long the project would go on for. Overly ambitious. The parts that we did release I think were well structured, with a level from each of us. But if I was to do it again, I'd definitely try and reduce the amount of content we were planning, and include more levels in each release rather than just two. At the time I didn't quite understand how levels got onto the Hall of Fame, but it's always nice when your levels do. It's great to get high ratings too of course!
Miguel: Were you planning on having many more installments to "The Crystal Skulls" saga that never got made? Did it all become too much?
Tombraider95: Yes, there were a few other parts planned, but after Part 2 we didn't have as much time anymore due to life, and unfortunately lost the motivation for it. I managed to keep building, as I joined “Back to Basics” soon after Part 2 was released, but Matie didn't release another level until 6 years later with “Back to Basics” 2020. I loved her level a lot and it was actually the last custom level I've played. It definitely deserved to come 2nd place.
Miguel: "A Matter of Life and Death" is one of the (many) gems produced in the latest "Back to Basics" competition, definitely. Going back to ratings and reviews, at this point (after releasing "The Crystal Skulls - Part 1") you had been awarded mostly good feedback through them. How do you feel about reviews (and ratings), as well as their purpose?
Tombraider95: I think reviews are important as they can help to motivate and improve builders. As long as any criticism is done in a respectful way and not in a way that could convince the builder to give up, I think it can be helpful. Some might argue the TRLE review system is flawed, but I do find it can be exciting when a new review pops up and you're wondering what the scoring will be and where you sit on the leaderboard.
Miguel: I'm glad you can see the positive aspects of reviews and ratings :) Getting back to your levels, your next solo release was "Tinnos", another of your "Mini Adventures". It was a successful release. The level felt longer to some reviewers (when compared to your previous small solo levels), and received much praise despite having mazes and some players experiencing bugs. However, it took almost two years after "The Crystal Skulls - Part 1" for the community to see the fruits of your labor again. What can you tell us about that hiatus?
Tombraider95: I think I was busy building levels for the “Crystal Skulls” project in that gap, including for Part 2. Then at some point I wanted to do something different and continue my “Mini Adventures” series which just happened to be almost 2 years later. I wanted the next instalment of that to be a contrast to “Egypt”, and those remade Tinnos textures by Soul looked really good and I had to use them.
Miguel: TR3 seems to fit the bill of TR2, given your earlier description of what you most liked about it. Was the choice of Tinnos also related to a preference for TR3?
Tombraider95: I don't think the choice to do “Tinnos” was related to it being part of TR3 in any way, although I do like re-creating classic environments. I usually get inspired when I find a well-made texture set that's ready to go. Because of that and as the theme was snowy, Tinnos fit my plan to have that as the next instalment. Also, I think the 4 elements gameplay of that level inspired me to recreate that in an 18x18 space.
Miguel: Fair enough ;) A few months after the successful "Tinnos", you won the “20x20x20 Challenge” of 2014! The level that clinched it for you was "India", and it received high praise and top ratings. How did that feel?
Tombraider95: It was great! Although it was a shame it was only the 4 of us competing [besides Brad, AoDFan, Klona and Raider99 participated with other well received levels] in that competition, I am quite proud of the level regardless! I picked India as again I found the amazing texture set by AgentXP, and the warm Jungle setting was a nice contrast from the cold snowy Tinnos theme. It ticked all the right boxes.
Miguel: I noticed through their reviews that a couple of very experienced and no-nonsense reviewers, Jose and manarch2, were beta-testers for this level. Tell us about how that came to be and what influence it might have had on the final release?
Tombraider95: To be honest I can barely remember, haha. I think they were suggested to me as good beta testers so I asked them and they accepted. I'm sure they did a good job on testing as the level turned out really good!
Miguel: That is funny! I am sure they are happy to give all of the credit to you, though ;) A year later, almost to the day, you released your next solo release. It was your entry for the “Back to Basics” 2014 Khmer Empire-themed competition, "Submersion of Angkor". Once again, you won! I mean no disrespect to any other of the wonderful competitions the community has seen, but “Back to Basics” is a special, very highly regarded competition. Besides this, seventeen other great builders were up for that top spot. Do you think this was your greatest achievement as a builder?
Tombraider95: It's definitely up there on my most proud moments as a builder, haha! “Submersion of Angkor” is definitely one of the favourite levels I've made because I think it got a lot of things right in my opinion. My previous “Back to Basics” attempts failed as I didn't get very far with building, but with this attempt I found it was quite easy to build and the ideas just kept coming. The package team did a really good job. I'm really happy with how the level turned out and it definitely motivated me as a builder.
Miguel: How many times before then do you recall trying to build a level for a “Back to Basics” competition?
Tombraider95: Three times before. Venice [2010], Steampunk [2011] and Northern Legends [2013]. The fourth time’s the charm apparently.
Miguel: So those levels remain unreleased, right? Do you have many levels you built, yet could never quite be released?
Tombraider95: Yes, they were started but didn't get much progress. There's plenty of other levels I started but never saw the light of day, but back then it was mostly just for practice and seeing what worked. Now if I start a project, chances are it'll eventually get released as otherwise I wouldn't bother.
Miguel: Sounds fair! How much time are you able (and willing) to devote to building, usually?
Tombraider95: When I was at school, I'd usually build afterwards during the week and at weekends. Since getting a job and working in an office Monday to Friday I'd usually leave level building until weekends, as working all day and then sitting at the computer at home to level build can be draining. Very soon I'll actually be moving out finally into my own house and being a proper adult, so I might get slightly less time from then on, but we'll see!
Miguel: Life catches up with all of us, indeed! After your big 2014 success (second part of "The Crystal Skulls" and the award-winning "Submersion of Angkor"), there was another minor hiatus. Still, this could be considered a major hiatus when we remember that your Christmas gift to the community ("TR2 Revised Sneak Peek") was a demo of sorts, and your next full-fledged release came in mid-2018, through "Tomb Raider II Revised - Part 1". That must have been a really demanding project. Were you building during all of this time?
Tombraider95: Yeah, pretty much. I've been building every year since I came across the editor really, so during that time I was building for the “Tomb Raider II Revised” project.
Miguel: The sneak peek you released was criticized somewhat, specifically for being short and a bit repetitive of the original material. On the other hand, the first part of the full release made it to the Hall of Fame and was very well received by the reviewers. What more can you tell us about this "TR2 Revised" project?
Tombraider95: Well the clue's in the name "sneak peek", of course it's going to be short, haha. “TR2 Revised” was spawned from loving the original game so much and my love for recreating classic environments in the editor. So I wanted to give the project a go as I had a lot of resources already available. My idea was to create something familiar but also that felt new, so players weren't performing the exact same gameplay from TR2, hence why the structure is slightly different in each level. But looking back I think I definitely went a bit too far in some areas when things could have been simplified.
Miguel: Do you think you'll ever get around to releasing the remaining “TR2 Revised” levels?
Tombraider95: Never say never, but it would be a huge amount of work and unfortunately life gets in the way, so any current spare time I do have, I like to use it to build new ideas. If I could go back in time I think I'd enjoy running a group project of this remake with myself only building a handful of levels. That way more people can pitch in and it would be developed quicker.
Miguel: If that is still a possibility for the remaining levels, maybe you'll get some people expressing interest after reading this. "Tibetan Monastery", your following level, was another participation in the “One Room Challenge”. You were running the competition, this time around, and you said earlier it was its most successful iteration. What do you think was the reason for that success?
Tombraider95: I think there was just more energy and enthusiasm for it that year. Also, we managed to entice Titak to participate and she rightfully came first place with her amazing Thailand themed level [Xumonghk].
Miguel: Besides Titak and yourself, there was quite a roster of participating builders, that's for sure! After "Tibetan Monastery", there was another little hiatus until your most recent "Back to Basics" entry, in 2020. What can you tell us about "A Debt in Tibet", a level with a wonderful backstory (which is not usually a feature for your levels, as discussed before)?
Tombraider95: Soon after the Tibetan Monastery ORC release I started working on my latest project, but then “Back to Basics” Tibet popped up at the end of 2019 and I just had to join. The Tibet theme was a really good choice and the fact the competition finally allowed TRNG/Tomb Editor really helped to update it and make it more modern for builders. Regarding the story I like to keep it somewhat simple and I knew I wanted to include a crash site in the level, so I thought of the idea of Lara being rescued by the village and starting off with no weapons and having to repay their kindness by fetching an artifact for them. Then I realised "Debt" and "Tibet" kind of rhyme, so I knew that had to be the title. "A Debt In Tibet" is definitely one of my favourite titles for a level. “A Debt In Tibet” was also the first level I built with Tomb Editor. I have to thank “Back to Basics” 2020 for happening because otherwise I would probably still be using NGLE. I was about halfway through my current project when Tomb Editor released and I really didn't want to have to learn a new program as it would just take me longer. But “Back To Basics” allowed me to build a level and learn the new editor without having to worry about all the admin as everything's ready for you. It was a lot quicker to get into than I thought and now I can't imagine using anything else but Tomb Editor. I'm really happy with how my Tibet level turned out and it's definitely one of my top releases.
Photograph of the editing process for “A Debt in Tibet”:
Miguel: I think the level was very well received and only got very minor criticism, including a timed-run featuring some rolling blades :) It placed fifth in a very close competition which was riddled with amazing levels and builders.We finally are able to play your latest release, "Tomb Raider Biohazard". From what you just said, it seemed to have taken you almost two years to build and, because of the BtB, you even switched editors mid-way through. Is that right?
Tombraider95: Yes! The first 4 levels were built with NGLE.exe, then after I finished my BTB level I brought them over to Tomb Editor and made improvements. Then continued on with Level 5 building in Tomb Editor. I find it funny that the project originally started with TREP & NGLE and it ended with TRNG & Tomb Editor.
Editor screenshot from “Tomb Raider Biohazard”:
Miguel: This is another project of yours that also seems to have a powerful backstory, with a storyline unfolding throughout the levels. What more can you tell us about that, and about the levelset in general?
Tombraider95: “Biohazard” definitely has the most detailed story of any level I've done. The project is inspired by the “Resident Evil 2” remake which I played back in early 2019. After playing the remake I got inspired and really fancied continuing a "young Lara" project idea I had several years ago set in Ireland. The original idea then was to have Lara be stranded in the woods somewhere in Ireland, where she'd come across a weapon to use and some sort of castle, similar to “Resident Evil 4”. That was it really. So, I built on from this idea and “Biohazard” was born in early 2019. I wanted the opening of the game to be similar to “Resident Evil 4” where Lara enters an isolated residence and asks for help from a spooky guy by a fireplace, who then attacks Lara. I'm really happy with how I created this in the game. The game follows a similar storyline to any “Resident Evil” title of Lara stumbling across a virus which has turned people into zombies, and she basically tries to find the source of the virus and needs to stop it before it falls into the wrong hands. The game isn't supposed to be “Resident Evil”, but a RE fan will pick up and appreciate several references and ideas throughout the game. It's a nice blend between Tomb Raider and “Resident Evil”. It was also decided early on that I wanted to include a "Harder Mode" which limits saving the game to typewriters located around the levels, similar to some “Resident Evil” titles. I'm also very happy with how I re-created this in the game.
Miguel: There have been four reviews so far, all of them glowing! Besides recognizing all that you said (the "Resident Evil" influence, which does not drown out the Tomb Raider feel), the levelset has also been compared to "Uncharted: Lost Legacy". As a builder in general, what other influences have you drawn upon so far, in general and for "Biohazard"?
Tombraider95: Yes, the response has been going well so far! I'm happy people are enjoying it! Although not intentional I can definitely see the “Lost Legacy” influence regarding the Train Level at the end, haha. I think a really big influence for “Biohazard” and anything else I've done recently is actually Tomb Raider itself. I like to look back and see what made those classic games work so well and try to implement and even expand or improve upon that in my creations. Also, I'd say seeing other people's creations in the community can be an influence by inspiring ideas or using similar concepts that you might not have thought of.
Miguel: Those are very appropriate influences, haha. Given all that influential creativity, do you think the community is still thriving?
Tombraider95: I think there was a quiet period where it felt like things were dying down, but with the release of Tomb Editor and the continued work on Tomb Engine, things are picking up and the community definitely feels very active still.
Miguel: As we've now covered all of your releases through the last 10 years, we can say your building career testifies to the vivacity of the community. You've spoken about how sometimes you can't play custom levels due to issues with spikes. How do you keep yourself up to date on what TRLE innovations (in gameplay and visuals) are current? What kept you developing a better skill-set as a builder?
Tombraider95: I don't think you need to play a lot of custom levels to be up to date with innovations. Being part of the forums and the Discord group helps me to stay up to date with the latest tools, features and projects other builders showcase. As long as you keep at it, you'll pick up new skills over time anyway. For example, “Biohazard” was the first time I've made my own Smoke Emitters using FLEP to create waterfalls, wind, smoke and steam to add that extra bit of detail to my levels. Once I understood the process (thanks to the community) I got the hang of it. But I will admit I can be quite slow on picking up new tools/features as it can be overwhelming at times.
Miguel: Do you think it is hard to start now as a new builder, because of more recent and better tools, or do you believe the threshold is lower because of these high quality tools? Which tools do you recommend for beginner builders?
Tombraider95: It's definitely easier to get into building custom levels now than before thanks to the newer tools and number of available tutorials online. Tomb Editor is definitely the number one tool that I recommend for beginners. It's really modern and easy to dive into. Tom [Simmons]/Reggie is a good example of someone who only got into building because Tomb Editor was available and he's extremely committed to building his own levels now with the newer tools. With this he's been able to create his own unique visual style of levels too which I think helps him to stand out.
Miguel: Are you excited for new software like "Tomb Engine", which is still under development now by dedicated members of the community? What do you think it will mean to get powerful software like that, allowing builders to use a wide variety of elements (like weapons, enemies, puzzles, objects, moves) from previous Tomb Raider games and customs, yet in an even more versatile engine?
Tombraider95: I'm definitely looking forward to it! It's great to see fans this dedicated to creating new stuff like this for the community. I'm excited to see all the possibilities, as it'll be great to include elements from TR1,2,3,5 without having them oddly patched into the TR4 engine. I feel like it's going to be the "Ultimate Custom Level Experience", to be able to do so much more and hopefully a lot easier. At the moment I'm actually experimenting with the TR2 Engine for the first time, so by the time Tomb Engine gets released I may be ready to jump into that for a project.
Miguel: That sounds great! Besides that experimentation, can you shed some light onto your ideas for future projects? Do you still have plenty of fuel in your tank, haha?
Tombraider95: Well as I've said I should be moving out and being a proper adult very soon, so I'm happy I was able to finish and release my latest project “Biohazard” before this happened. I should really be taking a well-earned break now so I can focus on the moving house part, but I'm already thinking of new ideas, haha. But for a while I've wanted to create a project in the TR2 Engine (thanks to Tomb Editor), and as it's a lot simpler than the TR4 Engine, (and will require me to go back to basics as it were) I think it will be fitting considering I'm not sure of how much time I will get to do Level Editing in the near future. Creating a project with the TR2 Engine will take up less of my time but will challenge me in trying to push the limits of that engine to create something that feels new and exciting. It's always a good sign when an idea really motivates you, which this one does for me. Also, LoreRaider is working with the TR2 Engine currently and has created some amazing stuff with it, so I'm peeking over his shoulder learning as much as I can. I've already got a basic idea for levels/story for this project as I was quite bored the other day. Aside from the TR2 Engine project, look out for possibly another “Mini Adventure” in the future, and even another “Back to Basics” level depending on what the next theme is. That's all I have for now.
Miguel: And that is plenty, thank you! Sometimes we all need a breather, and after such a long and impressive levelset like "Biohazard", it is well deserved. What is the role of building in your life? A way to express yourself? A release from daily stress?
Tombraider95: It's just a fun hobby I've enjoyed over the years. I just love creating environments in the TR engine and the idea of creating my own TR levels always excites me. Level building also helped to get me a job in the video game industry, so I'll always be thankful for that.
Miguel: What can you tell us about that job?
Tombraider95: Very busy! But it allows me to continue building environments for the most part, so I'm happy! Although if I could be paid to create Tomb Raider levels, I would do that instead in a heartbeat, haha.
Miguel: That sounds like a cool job ;) I'd like to pick your brain regarding beta-testing, especially since you know the video game industry. We've talked about some experienced beta-testers you had in the past, and you'll certainly use beta-testers in future projects. What do you "need" from a beta-tester? Have you always relied on these tests for all your releases?
Tombraider95: By the time I get to the point where I need beta-testers for my project, I'm usually quite bored of playing through my own levels myself, haha. It can become tedious. So, what I "need" from a beta-tester is to be thorough in finding all the errors I need to fix, so there doesn't need to be so many rounds of testing overall. There are so many things you don't think of when testing your own levels, so I definitely always need a few different types of players. Especially with a game consisting of multiple levels, you need testers that have the time too, but any help is appreciated. I do get pre-release anxiety though -- the worry I'm releasing a game that's going to crash and is unplayable, despite running through it myself.
Miguel: It's good for people to know the different aspects to beta-testing, including people who just provide an extra point of view that can generate unwanted outcomes. We're approaching the end of the interview. However, there is a fundamental question for me that hasn't quite turned up before: who are your favourite builders (both your main references for custom levels and impressive newcomers)?
Tombraider95: Good question. I think my favourite builder is probably Titak, not only because she was the author of the first custom level I played, but what she's been able to do in the editor (not even Tomb Editor yet) has been incredible. I'm really looking forward to the rest of “Mists of Avalon”. It's coming up to 10 years since the release of “First Clues” this December. That's insane. Matie is also one of my favourites too of course, I just wish she had more time available to build more levels as she is very talented. LoreRaider also stands out to me because I don't think he's been level building as long as a lot of us, but has improved and picked up so much in so little time. His Desert/Pyramid level is one of the best TR environments that I've seen. It's always nice to see when he has something to showcase. AgentXP is also one of my top builders (a fellow Brit) as she creates a lot of amazing looking levels, usually with a lot of colours.
Miguel: Even if there are no right or wrong answers to the question, that is a great list ;) This has been great for me. Thank you so much, Brad! I appreciate the time you took to answer my questions in this lively interview :) I have one last question: What do you wish to say to any new members of the TRLE community who may be reading this interview in the future?
Tombraider95: No problem, this has been fun! Thank you for doing this. To any new members I'd say, keep at it! There's so much you can do with the TRLE tools, especially with the upcoming [Tomb] Engine, almost anything is possible. However, it can feel overwhelming, so start off small and slowly expand your levels/ideas and you'll pick up things in no time as you go. Only build when you feel motivated and remember, you're supposed to enjoy this, so have fun!
|
