                          **** The Fenician Temple III ****
                                   By Turbo Pascal, 
                         Tegucigalpa, Honduras. September 2002.


Properties:
============
* Game Engine: TRII.
* Treditor3d 4.3 Rev X.
* Rview 5.0 Rev X.


If you don't knwon how to Play custum Trii Levels check this web site:

http://home01.wxs.nl/~eland037/tr2_how_to_install.htm


You can get the same tools used for built levels like this one from here:

http://home.acadia.net/userpages/vagrant/Vagrant.html



About how this level was built.
===============================

Hi, this is my 3th TR level built from scratch, (also i had built two "return to..." levels), 
practically i have built one level per year, as a Tomb Raider fans and user i would like to build
more Levels, but i am always bussy updating our unoficial levels editor tools.

Each "Fenician Temple..." level mark a important step in our unoficial tools, the first 
fenician temple 1 was the first custom tr1 level ever built (i think), it was built using 
a Treditor *2d* version and TRitem, the level was very short, about 12 rooms, and it was so painfull
to build cose the editor iterface was in 2d and Tritem did not allow you to edit the work once 
the level was saved.

The Fenician Temple II (a Tr1 level version again) was built with a improved (at that time) 
Treditor *3d* version that allowed you to build the room using a 3d interface, so it was a 
lot easier to build the geometry, and also this was the first custom level built using my 
propetary "Scripting Language" that allowed the user to have more freedom adding 
Items,objcts and triggers, and was able to make changes to the level all the times that user want.

The "Fenician Temple II" was about 3 times biger, about 34 rooms, and it was so great, i used all
tricks that i had, and it include severals cool things never seen before in a custom level.

However yet the scripting languaje was no visual, making yet dificult to work with for most users.

Now with this "Fenician temple III" i am testing my updated tools Treditor3d 4.x and Rview 5.x that
replace the scripting languaje for a improved VISUAL dialogs that allow to the user to 
Insert item,objects and triggers very easy.

I can honestly say that building this level was not dificult at all, i have used the follow steps:

1.- I selected a Base file and i used tre3d for built a dumy level with just one room on in, the
    room had only one texture from one used by a enemy or object.

2.- Then i opened this dumy level with TRviewer, i deleted all objects not interested for me and i 
    imported all items and objects that i was needing from others levels, then i saved the level
    selecting "discard unused textures". Becouse the level was just a dumy level with a room on in
    all textures was discarded except those used by the enemies and objects.

3.- Then I used TRtreture for add few new textures pages to the base level, i have used some from
   the Tr2 gold levels.

4.- Once i had ready my custom base, i started building the project with Tre3d. I was using basic 
    textures, i built few rooms and i inserted Items, Objects and triggers on those rooms and i was
    playing the game to see how it look and run so far. I was moving the Lara Item to the rooms that
    i want to test, so it was easy to build and test the level, most the time i had the Game running
    in one task and the editor in other task, so it was easy to test the work just switching from game and
    editor.

    I was Using a Backup for the project but i never had a problem with the TRe, i can honestly say
    that I NEVER HAD ANY CORRUPT or weird thing in the project, all go well from the begining, Treditor3d
    did not crash in my computer neither once.

    Also i have to say that i did not abbuse overloading the base file, some people like to add to
    the base all the enemies and textures that they want, they want to include IN JUST ONE LEVEL all
    the features that the game support, but the things don't work that way.
    I never had any problem about enemies or tramps working in weird way, i never noted enemies runing crazy or
    stucked in walls. Also it help a lot alway DEACTIVING tramps once Lara beat them.

5.- When my level was finished and i have played it a lot to see if all is Ok, i proceded to use
    Rview for doing the final texturing & light work.



About playability of this level.
================================
There is not any history in this level, it's independietly from previus chapters, like i said
my intention was to test how my tools works, but this dosent mean that it is a demo, it is a long
enough level but it is not hard to play.

I am not a artis, the geometry is not a big deal, mostly all rooms are almost a box, 4 walls and a
exit door, but i did take the time for the texturing and lighting so i think it is good looking.

The puzzle kind is like in both previus chapters, you start from the begin and start runing forward until
you get to the end of the level, you will have to find the switch or key (what original!) for open the door
that let you go to the next room section, also you will have to kill anything that it move; I think
the level is fun and i hope that you enjoy playing this.

I have decided to use TRII engine to continue with the Fenician Saga, i like very much TR1 levels but 
not everybody is able to play tr1 level in high resolution way, also Tr1 is very limited in the amount 
resources availibles; probably my next level will be in TRIII game engine. 

There is not any "secret" in the level, i mean i did not put any "secret found" command but i have
added the MAGNUN guns in a place that can be missed if you did not check carefull where you pass...
they are not hiden in any dark place...just it can be missed; finding the magnuns is not obligatory
for ending the level.


Hints:
=======

- One Oportunity puzzle: The most clasic TR objects (besides the pushable Box) is the colapsable floors,
  i like to use that tramp a lot, however this give a disventage, they are "once chance" kind puzzles, where
  you have only one oportunity, if you fail you will need to reload a prevoius saved game and
  try again. So please don't be fool saving your current game state after failing a colapsable floor.

- Medipacks & Flares: I did not put a lot medipacks just so few, i have tested the level played as "wall.tr2" where
  Lara start with two medipacks and with Flares, so use it only when necessary.

- Bouncing Pad: If you never played TRII before, let me tell you that there is a cool item called
  Bouncing Pad, this make Lara Jump very higer when Lara step on in. If you STOP walking in the sector 
  where the bouncing pad is then Lara will be sent Up vertically and will fall down over the 
  bouncing pad again and eventually will die.

  The correct way to use this item is runing and (not stoping) over the bouncing pad to the direction
  that you want Lara jump higer. 
  There will be one time in the level where you need Lara Jump even far, for do that try to make Lara 
  jump and fall over the bouncing pad border and then press the <Ctrl> key, this will make 
  lara "Fly" far. The Bouncing Pad look like a Red sector carpet in the floor.

- Timer puzzle: There is a puzzle where is involved the timer, i have tried the puzzle and i did not
  choose my best time, i think the time that i give is good enough and the puzzle can be beat in a 
  rasonable time if you are good enough moving Lara without stoping her a lot.

- Switch combinations: There is a puzzle with multiple switchs, if you think that there is not
  way to know the right combination then let me tell you that the combination is obvious and not hard
  at all. :-)

- I have added carring items to some human badies, so don't forget to look in the death body for goodies.

- Save a lot your progress and do it in more that one slot, just to be safe.


Bugs:
======

- There is a one litle bug, but it was TRviewer fault, when Lara is swiming underwater some bubles 
  can be seen as blood, i am sure this is a Trviewer Bug, cose i have seen the same happen to Igor 
  in his Yves trii level. It look like if Lara is swiming in those days of the months when all womens
  have this problem.

- Also, there is a Underwater room in the level that was set up as "not tiled boxed" in the editor, i
  found this is the only way to make work a puzzle that i included there, but when Lara is killed
  in this room, She play a wrong animation and a weird camera effect is show!, but instead calling
  this as a bug I call this a "weird cool effect", and the playability of the level is not affected
  at all.


Source Porject:
===============
I think nobody like to give their TRE projects, but like in both previus Fenician levels, i am giving
the full source Files for the "Fenician Temple III", so you can learn from they and you can make
changes or can be used in your project. The *.TRE file is for Treditor 4.3 or above version, and the 
*.MSH is for the Rview 5.0 or avobe, you will need the released playable Fenician Temple III as base
file for be able to compile the project.

You can use the *.TRE project for build your own adventure reusing the geometry, you just need to
check the "do not open Base file" option for open the TRE with not any base file and then use "make the
level empty" option for deleting all items,triggers,statics,cameras and sink from the level, so you can
reuse only the rooms with your own custom base level. Those Options can be found in Treditor3d 4.4 or above.


Thanks:
========
As always, i want to thanks to my Friend the Vagrant for helping to keep the adventure alive, and
to Henk Eland for recopiling and supporting all our unoficials levels.


KEEP ON BULDING!



Turbo Pascal, September 2002.

