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The post Tomb Raide 3 and Chronicles Concept Arts appeared first on Tomb of Ash.

Andy Sandham, the level designer and writer for Tomb Raider 3-5, send us the first part of Tomb Raider Chronicles’ script.

TOMB RAIDER V SCRIPT: ANDY SANDHAM CORE DESIGN LTD

INITIAL LOAD FMV: FMV 1:

FADE IN:
EXT. CROFT ESTATE – OVERCAST DAY
Thundery skies, rolling clouds, and the rest. Not the best
day for a funeral. LIGHTNING FLASHES, and silhouetted
against it, a FAMILIAR FIGURE.
LARA CROFT.
ANOTHER FLASH, and the silhouette revealed. A STATUE, atop
a MEMORIAL STONE. a plaque set in the stone below the
figure bearing a simple inscription:

‘LARA CROFT – 1968 – 2002. ONCE AND FUTURE ADVENTURER – FOR
HER UNDYING SPIRIT.’

A figure rises from laying a wreath beside other floral
tributes at the base of the statue. WINSTON, her ever
faithful butler, looking none too cheery.
Glances across, nodding to a shadowy couple, huddled under
an umbrella. They nod back in acknowledgement, and then
turn toward the ancient church behind them.
Winston watches them go, and then turns to hobble down a
gravel path toward a waiting rolls.
EXT. LARA’S MEMORIAL -GLOOMY DAY
A repeat of the earlier image, it suddenly SHRINKS, moves
to a corner of the screen, revealed as a video feed in a
NEWS REPORT, news reader sitting before it in a studio.
INT. ROLLS ROYCE – GLOOMY DAY
The news report plays on a small built in television,
leather surrounds, mini bar, a tasteful, British conversion
of the back of a Rolls.
Winston sitting, attempting to dry himself, one eye on the
report. Beside him, dressed in the abrupt black and whites
of a priest, FATHER PATRICK, forties.

PATRICK
’tis a sad day, Winston.
WINSTON
She will live on forever in our
hearts.
PATRICK
Surely, Winston- and for this is
only a memorial service–
we may yet receive news from Von
Croy in Egypt.
WINSTON
We can only hope and pray that
she may yet be returned to us.
PATRICK
Yet, If Von Croy is digging in
the hopes of finding her, I fear
he may only be met with black
reality.

Winston sighs, looks back to the mini television. The
report continues, stills of Lara in her various adventures.
He leans in, turns it off, sudden BLACKNESS.

TO START GAME FLYBY/OPTIONS SCREEN:

INTRO/FMV2:

INT. CROFT MANSION -CENTRAL HALL -NIGHT
Dimly lit, a lofty chamber framed by majestic stairwells,
adorned with antique canvasses, caught in flickering
candlelight, and notably EMPTY.
Except for FOOTSTEPS.
A LIGHTNING FLASH, revealing an imposing STAGS HEAD,
mounted on the wall, bleached for a moment in the sudden
light.
Below it, Winston, leading father Patrick, and our cheeky
Gallic buddy, JEAN YVES through a dark corridor below the
stairs.

WINSTON
To the study, gentlemen, where we
may pontificate over the day’s
disheartening events.
Winston arrives at an oak door, begins to unlock it.
JEAN-YVES
Indeed, my friend.
Another CRASH of lightning.
JEAN-YVES (CONT’D)
Even the heavens cry out.

Winston looks at him dolefully, before leading them into
the room.
FADE TO:

INT. CROFT MANSION -STUDY -STORMY NIGHT
a roaring fire, flickering light illuminating wood panelled
walls, the impression of a turn of the century Gentleman’s
club.
Before it, Father Patrick and Jean-Yves in large leather
chairs, face each other over an antique coffee table.
Attention on a smooth, medium sized STONE Patrick holds up,
studying it reverentially as the firelight dances across
it.

INT. CROFT MANSION -STUDY -STORMY NIGHT – WINSTON POV

Winston enters, looking down at the TRAY he carries,
decanter and crystal glasses rattling on it precariously.
Hesitates, looks across the expanse of room to the two men.

INT. CROFT MANSION -STUDY -STORMY NIGHT
Winston is feeling optimistic. Re-embarks on his hero’s
journey, but Jean-Yves is up, and relays the tray to the
table before Winston can protest.
All attention now on the STONE:

WINSTON
The ‘philosophers stone’. One of
Lara’s first artefacts. And one
of her most challenging pursuits,
if my memory serves me.
FATHER PATRICK
The Vatican still smarts with the
episode.
JEAN-YVES
She was never the one for
diplomacy, Lara. But she
certainly knew how to paint the
town red.

CUT TO:

INT. OPERA HOUSE -ROME -NIGHT

Female opera singer, centre of a magnificent stage, mid
performance.
As seen through OPERA GLASSES- Lara’s, revealed in a foxy
evening gown, the only occupant of a luxurious box
overlooking the show, two spare seats either side.
LARSON, he of the original TOMB RAIDER, appears in tux from
the curtain behind Lara, sits beside her, grinning broadly.
Not a flicker of acknowledgement from Lara.

LARSON
Well, goldarn, ain’t you just a
picture?
LARA
Ah, the charming Mr. Larson.
Returns to her glasses.
LARA (CONT’D)
Has Pierre let you off the leash?
Talking of which, where is our
‘learned friend’.
LARSON
Oh, he’s around.
(beat)
You got the cash?
LARA
I’ve got the cash.
(beat)
But I don’t deal with the monkey.
Larson’s grin drops from his face.
LARSON
Well now, that ain’t polite for a
lady. And would that still be the
case, even if the monkey has got
a little something that lady
might want?

She Turns to look at him for the first time. Larson’s smile
returns, twice as wide. He hesitates, savours the moment.
Then from his jacket, produces the ‘Mercury stone’
NOTE: this is the first element of the Rome puzzle – four
stones, that once combined, will give access to the level
reward – ‘the philosophers stone’.
Lara’s eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning. Then,
as her eyes narrow, Larson shifts in his seat,
uncomfortable in her suddenly predatory gaze.
A FLUID movement, and Larson SPRINGS BACK.
Her turn to return the grin, a wad of NOTES in hand.

LARA
Lucky I’m in a generous mood.
The barrel of a small PISTOL placed at Lara’s TEMPLE. She
doesn’t need to look up.
LARA (CONT’D)
Crawled out from under your rock?
PIERRE, a small, well dressed, elaborately coiffured
Frenchman, stands over her. Cocks the hammer.
PIERRE
No need for unpleasantaries Miss
Croft. I am afraid I must, once
again–
Gently removes the cash.
PIERRE (CONT’D)
–Relieve you of your burden.

On Lara, oddly passive

LARA
Easy come, easy go.
Larson now at Pierre’s side, holding the stone, giggling
like an irritating child. Lara unmoving, they begin to edge
backward toward the curtain.
As Lara raises her gloved arm toward Pierre, awaiting the
polite gentleman’s response.
He hesitates.
PIERRE
Now now, Miss Croft. No games.
She looks to him like butter wouldn’t melt.
LARA
As if.

Pierre keeps the gun steady, leveled at her. Hesitates.
Then Steps forward, to cautiously take her hand, meeting
her gaze.
And in the briefest moment, as he lowers his eyes to kiss
her hand, a CRACK, as she flattens her open palm across his
nose.
Pierre drops onto his backside with a thump, gun slipping
out of his grasp.
Lara out of her seat, closing on the retreating Larson,
knuckles white around the stone, other hand searching
frantically in his jacket. Expression suddenly triumphant.
A TINY, easily concealed PISTOL, leveled at Lara. She
looks at it coyly.

LARA
Larson. I expected more from you.

His eyes drop instinctively to his tiny weapon. He can’t
help himself. That’s his bad luck, as a KICK from Lara
sends him CRASHING BACK through the curtains.
And the STONE arcing HIGH INTO THE AIR, following a
trajectory OUT OVER THE BALCONY, falling toward the crowds
below.
LARA PROPELS herself from the LIP OF THE BOX, LAUNCHING
HERSELF INTO SPACE.
SPINNING out over the AGHAST FACES FAR BELOW – and CATCHING
THE STONE at its APEX, her momentum carrying her forward
into the GIANT STAGE CURTAINS.
SCREAMING FROM THE AUDIENCE, discordant notes of the
musicians abandoning their instruments for the spectacle.
LARA clutches the top hem, for her weight to TEAR THE
MATERIAL FREE of its hooks, gradually SLOWING HER FALL,
eventually DEPOSITING HER by the CONFUSED SINGER.
INT. OPERA HOUSE -STAGE -NIGHT
SILENCE.
Lara checks the stone, dusts herself off – looks up to find
the AUDIENCE, gazing, stupefied.
The SPOTLIGHT finds her, and the first ripple of APPLAUSE.
BUILDING in volume.
She takes a bow, as the cheering SWELLS, flowers thrown
onto the stage, the opera singer looking somewhat
CRESTFALLEN at this invading opportunist.
A GUNSHOT from above – Pierre, leaning drunkenly over the
lip of the box, gun back in his hand – and as the screaming
starts once more, Lara EXITS, stage left.
INT. OPERA HOUSE -BACK STAIRS
From the back of the box, Larson and Pierre scrambling down
the stairs, all bloody nosed and out of breath.

LARSON
(wheezing)
It ain’t over till the fat lady
sings.

EXT. ALLEYWAY -ROME -NIGHT

A Narrow, cluttered alley. Parked beside the STAGE
ENTRANCE, A helmeted DELIVERY BOY removes PIZZA’s from the
back of his scooter, approaches the door.
CRACK!
Door thrown open, Mr. Dominos flung unceremoniously into an
unpleasant assortment of waste bags.
Lara, MID FLIGHT, Sizes up the situation in an instant–
TEARS off the excess dress material below the thigh–
LEAPS onto the scooter, a moment to store the ‘Mercury
stone’ in the PIZZA COMPARTMENT, before KICKING the still
idling engine INTO GEAR.
She is OFF AT SPEED into the alley, Dominos back on his
feet, scrambling after her momentarily before conceding
defeat, hands on thighs, gulping in breath.
Notices FOOD MATTER on his clothes, beginning to sweep it
off with disgust, until a ROARING from behind causes him to
SPIN.
The helmet framing his expression of INCREASING ALARM–
DIVES HEADFIRST INTO THE WASTE he just climbed out of, as a
TAXI CAREERS PAST, speed informing us that it may not the
Owner in control.
INT. TAXI CAB -NIGHT
Larson DRIVING, expression FIXED INTENTLY AHEAD,
illuminated in the lights of the dash.
Also illuminating Pierre, hands wedged in front of him,
eyes blinking tight shut at BOXES, other waste flung over
the windscreen.
Until a LARGER BUMP, drawing his ATTENTION FORWARD, Larsons
intensity replaced once more with the familiar GRIN–

The post Tomb Raider Chronicles Script appeared first on Tomb of Ash.

Andy Sandham designed levels in Tomb Raider 3-5 and also did narrative work in Tomb Raider 4-5. Make sure you read our interviews with him!

The post A card signed by Andy Sandham! appeared first on Tomb of Ash.

Tomb Raider III sees a number of locations that are set in
London. One such level is Aldwych; an abandoned tube station populated with
thugs and rodents with whom Lara must fight in order to reach a small Masonic
Temple and advance onto the next level. Survivor Reborn and I recently visited
the real Aldwych Tube Station, located in the City of Westminster where Surrey
Street meets Strand. Once known as Strand station upon its opening in 1907, it
closed in 1994 due to lack of use. 

Piccadilly, o RLY?

Parts of the station and the running tunnels
were used during both world wars to shelter artworks from London’s public
galleries and museums from bombing. 

Since it had a low passenger flow, the
station had long been popular as a filming location even when it was open, and
has appeared as itself and as other London Underground stations in a number of
films (28 Weeks Later (2007), V for Vendetta (2006), Sherlock (2014) and many
others). In recognition of its historical significance, the station is a Grade
II listed building.

Andy Sandham, the creator of London levels in Tomb Raider
III was very interested in abandoned tube stations at the time and even though
Andy’s vision of Aldwych does differ from the actual station, the real Aldwych
doesn’t have escalators and its staircase is actually a spiral for example. 

Staircase in Aldwych

There are places where the level completely copies the actual station. Such places will make any hard-core Tomb Raider fan visiting the station grin with the thought OH WOW I’VE BEEN HERE.

Another significant difference is the Masonic Temple in the
game (or maybe there is one somewhere in the real Aldwych? Hidden from public
eyes). Andy “wanted to try and get in as much ‘London lore’ as possible in
that area” by adding such a temple to the station.

Both the level and the actual Aldwych have this earie
atmosphere. It featured in an episode of Most Haunted Episode 19:

The track and infrastructure are maintained in operational
condition and a train of ex-Northern line 1972 tube stock is permanently
stabled on the branch.  This train can be
driven up and down the branch for filming.

The ancient elevator is not in working order though. There
are in fact three lift shafts, able to accommodate two elevators each, but only
one shaft was actually finished and supplied with two elevators. The other two
remained empty. 

The physical connection with the Piccadilly line northbound
tracks remains, but requires manual operation.

The level features a secret platform that you can only
access with a flight mode mod, as the train will kill you as you approach to it
otherwise. The platform is empty and there’s nothing there really, it looks
like an unfinished bit of the level. Andy assumes “that must have been a test
area?” He did “spend a lot of time making little extra bits… although I presume
this was just a texture test I was doing?”

Notably one of the real Aldwych’s walls has been used as a
test area for tiles. 

 “The secret [of the unused platform in the level] is
unfortunately lost in the mists of my addled brain!” (Sandham, 2015). See our short video from the station:

Additional Media:

Andy Sandham Interview Part 1 and Part 2

Our photos from Aldwych Station

Special thanks:

Andy Sandham, Jonathon Cooper.

The post Exploring Aldwych – the Real Location from Tomb Raider III appeared first on Tomb of Ash.

Name:                         RICHARD
MORTON

Age:                            26

Current job title:       Level
Creator

Current job description:

Creating
Lara’s new locations, inventing the puzzles and traps, adding the

enemies
to each finished map, playing the entire game and checking

playability.

Work history:

Yogi Bear,
Scooby Doo, Chuck Rock II, Asterix and the power of the gods, Thunderhawk II,
Tomb Raider II & III.

What is the most significant improvement you personally
hope to give Last Revelation?

Easier
level of difficulty (but not too easy!), more imaginative puzzles, more use of
enemy A.I. An even more polished product. 

Name:                        PETER
CONNELLY

Age:                            26

Current job title:       Musician/Audio
producer

Current job description:

I’m
currently responsible for all aspects of the audio side of Tomb Raider

IV.

Work
history:

I’ve worked in the games industry for about 4 years now.
Previous released

titles include Battleships (Hasbro), Risk (Hasbro), Mass
Destruction (BMG),

Europoker – arcade (Alien Leisure), Flesh Feast (Segasoft).
I’ve also done

some freelance work for companies such as Red-Lemon Studios

(Glasgow). Prior to this I completed an OND and HND in
Music Technology

at Newcastle College of Arts and Technology.

I’ve always been into music and have been composing tunes
on computers since the early C64 days.

What is the most significant
improvement you personally hope to give give Last
Revelation?

I
now want to combine my overall experience and classical training, as a musician,
and incorporate them into the advanced technologies we have here at Core Design
to hopefully create some really breathtaking music for the fourth game.

Name:                        MARTIN
GIBBINS

Age:                            29 

Current job title:       Programmer

Current job description:

I
am working on effects, traps, puzzles and general engine changes /

improvements.

Work
history:

Asterix
and the Great Rescue (Master System)

BC
Racers (PC)

Blam!
(PC/Playstation/Saturn)

ShellShock
(PC/Playstion/Saturn)

Swagman
(Playstation/Saturn)

Tomb
Raider 3 (PC/Playstation)

What is the most significant improvement you personally
hope to give Last Revelation?

A
generally cleaner, more polished look and feel.

Name:                         ANDY SANDHAM

Age:                            29

Current job title:       Level designer

Current job description:

Level design,
graphics and objects required for levels specifically under my jurisdiction.

Work history:

BLAM! Tomb
Raider III. Fighting Force.

What is the
most significant improvement you personally hope to give Last Revelation?

Realistic interfacing with
objects/ resulting in vastly improved gameplay!

Name:                         MARK HAZELTON

Age:                            26

Current job
title:       Graphic Artist  

Current job
description:

I produce
all publicity graphics for Tomb Raider and Lara. This includes magazines,
billboards and the box art. Posing Lara in a 3D software package, I build the
relevant scenery and light accordingly. The image is then rendered and
retouched by myself, to iron out any floors and add special touches. When I
have time I also help out with the games FMV by building models.

Work history:

Last employer Arc Developments

Titles of Developed Games: Rosco
McQueen, Tomb Raider II, Tomb Raider III,

Ninja, Fighting Force 1 & 2

What is the most
significant improvement you personally hope to give Lara ?

Exactly what the public demand!

Name:
                      JERR O’
CARROLL

Age:                            34

Current job title:       Animator

Current job description:

I’m
responsible for the continuation of Lara’s ever-expanding movement abilities.
New moves are a major part of what will help Tomb Raider grow, and hopefully
these new ones will be up to the task! Also the games in-game cut-scenes and
new vehicles.  

Work
history:

Various minor games on the old Amiga system. Running Man.
Moonwalker. The Deep.

Littil Divil and Team Suzuki for Gremlin.

Gender Wars for SCI,

Heimdall 1 & 2, Premiere, Asterix, Ninja for Core –
plus Tomb II, III & now the fourth.

What is the most significant improvement you personally
hope to give Last Revelation?   

I’ll
be giving Lara a whole new range of movements, which will add to the new
adventure. Some are subtle ones, like increasing the speed of generic movements
already existing. But also adding a brand new set which will add to the playing
experience. It’s a big responsibility to work on something as large as Tomb
Raider!

Name:                         DEREK LEIGH-GILCHRIST

Age:                            25

Current job title:       Console
Programmer

Current job description:

Mainly
Technical stuff – I’m in charge of Improving the Game Engine and Optimising the
game code so we can get more things happening on screen such as environment
mapping, skinning etc.

Work
history:

Tomb Raider  –
Playstation

ShellShock – Playstation

Ninja – Playstation

Fantastic Dizzy (Sega Genesis,Amiga,CD32 etc.)

Cosmic Spacehead (Sega Genesis,Amiga)

Magicland Dizzy (Amiga, Atari ST)

Bubble Dizzy (Amiga, Atari ST)

Prince of The Yolkfolk Dizzy (Amiga, Atari ST)

Captain Dynamo (Amiga, Atari ST)

Battle Valley (Amiga, Atari ST)

Spot (Atari ST)

What is the most significant improvement you personally
hope to give Last Revelation?

I`m hoping to make the fourth game the
best looking Tomb Raider game yet, by improving the game engine to handle more
polygons and more special effects. Lara already looks much better with skinned
joints and 200 more polygons!

Name:                        RICHARD
FLOWER

Age:                            30

Current job title:       Programmer

Current job description:

Responsible for the PC Version and the addition of
some of the new features for both PC and PSX.

Work
history:

Previous
employer Electronic Arts, titles worked on were a couple of canned products,
then worked on the 3D Match engine for Premier League Manager. At Core, Tomb
Raider III and Tomb Raider II: Golden Mask.

What is the most significant improvement you personally
hope to give give Last Revelation?

To
create a more specific PC Version of the product, improved lighting, making
better use of accelerator card features, to include multi pass rendering
techniques.

Basically
give PSX owners something to drool over…

Name:                         JOBY WOOD

Age:                            26

Current job title:        Level Designer & Graphic Artist.

Current job description:

Basically
responsible for the production of the last few levels of the game, as well as
mucking in with the rest of the team on other things like storyline, new
features etc…

Work
history:

Battle Valley (Amiga). Pub Trivia (Amiga-St). Llamazap (St
Falcon). Tempest 2000 (Jaguar-PC). Fantastic Dizzy (MegaDrive-Amiga). BC Racers
(PC-3DO). Ninja Shadow of Darkness (Playstation).

What is the most significant improvement you personally
hope to give Last Revelation?

As a new recruit to the Tomb Raider team, I will be helping to introduce
some new puzzles and fresh ideas into the game.

Name:                         JAMIE MORTON

Age:                            21

Current job title:       Level Designer

Current job description:

The design, textures and objects for each of my
levels. Where traps and enemies will be placed in the maps. Also to help
produce the basis of the game story, and new ideas for puzzles and Lara
animations.

Work
history:

Tomb Raider III. Also map work on Thunderhawk 2 and
Shellshock.

What is the most significant improvement you personally
hope to give Last Revelation?

More involving puzzles, and traps that do not
necessarily kill the player instantly. To help cut down the annoyance people
have with the instant death situations.

Name:
                       PHIL CHAPMAN        

Age:                            More
than 21, less than 40!

Current job title:       Animator

Current job description:

Design and
animation of enemies.

Work history:

Tomb Raider III
animations

What is the most significant
improvement you personally hope to give Last
Revelation?

Better animation, of course!
Plus a variety of very original baddies for Lara to pit her wits (or guns)
against…

Name:
                       PETER DUNCAN

Age:
                         31

Current job title:       Graphic artist

Current job description:

Level design, modelling and texturing.

Work history:

Display studio artist, and film school graduate.

What is the most significant
improvement you personally hope to give Last Revelation?

To give a greater atmosphere, as well as make it a bit
more of an adventure game, and also to bring the story development into the
levels.

Name:                         TOM
SCUTT

Age:                            34

Current job title:       Artificial
Intelligence (AI) Programmer

Current job description:

Programming
all the creatures and people (except Lara) in Tomb Raider 4. Prototyping the AI
for other Core Design games.

Work history:

Lecturer
in Artificial Intelligence at Nottingham University for seven years… moved to
Core in 1998 and worked on the AI in Tomb Raider 3 for the last six months of
that project.

What is the most
significant improvement you personally hope to give
Last Revelation?

Giving Lara enemies (and friends) that
can move around the map (almost) as well as she can.

Producing
creatures that will surprise (and frighten), and rewarding players who think
before they shoot.

Name:                         CHRIS COUPE

Age:                            31

Current job title:       Programmer

Current job description:

PlayStation
programmer on Last Revelation

Work history:

86-89:
Elite Systems Ltd

89-97:
Arc Developments

97-99:
Core Design

What is the most
significant improvement you personally hope to give
Last Revelation?

To
make it a lot more playable and even more polished than the previous versions!

From “TOMB
RAIDER IV –TEAM INFORMATION FOR EXCLUSIVE WEBSITE HOSTS”

The post TOMB RAIDER IV – CORE DESIGN TEAM INFORMATION (1998-1999) appeared first on Tomb of Ash.

Since my interview with Andy Sandham was published it received a lot of popularity and feedback. Because of all the feedback we received I wanted to open our next layout of questions to the Tomb Raider community. Here are their questions for Andy Sandham.

Andy Sandham, Core Design

 In early magazine previews it was said that Tomb Raider III would feature a higher resolution and groundbreaking graphics This also said it would contain up to 3 routes of completion (majority of these routes were taken out), Could you give us a bit more information about this and why it never made it into final release? 

I believe the optional routes were taken out due to time pressure – as our first Tomb Raider game as a team, we were really up against it, learning new tech, etc., so I believe we held out on the ‘hub’ system until tomb raider 4 to prevent ourselves from having nervous breakdowns! With regards the graphics, I believe the coders implemented triangulation on the blocks (which caused a variety of control nightmares including plenty of Lara riverdancing) which allowed us as designer/artists to create more ‘organic’ shapes. Although I should point out this didn’t seem to help out too much with my accidentally ‘cubic’ version of St’ Paul’s Cathedral… I should also note that according to the coders, the lighting was vastly improved – may have been dynamic lights? Difficult to remember!

St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tomb Raider III Title screen

In Tomb Raider III beta version it is possible to see Peru on the globe. Why the level was cut out from the game and what was its original purpose? It was said that the first level would be there to explain the storyline and then the player would be able to choose where to continue their adventure from a set of four locations. Was Peru actually the original first level?

I remember that Heather, level designer and artist on Tomb 2 had built most of Angkor Watt – but that team were offered their own project (project Eden?) and so jumped at the chance, leaving us with a ¾ complete level that was handed over to Jamie Morton. Uncertain about Peru, but I do remember we discovered a day or two after the game shipped that as soon as you started on the mud slide in that level and jumped left super quick, you would end up at the end of level trigger! This, understandably, caused some concern…I’m uncertain if we fixed this, or if it’s still in the game…

Tomb Raider III beta screenshots © Unseen64

The UFO in the Area 51 level is much bigger on the inside than the outside. Was Dr Who’s Tardis an inspiration to this? And how this effect was achieved in the game?

Yup, our little nod to Dr. Who – with regards achieving it, the doors in the tomb raider editor were effectively portals that sent Lara in to a new BSP– I think there was a lot of fiddling with that room so that the wall normals were only visible from the inside, although I’m uncertain if it lived in the same space or if we teleported Lara to a different area. In the dim recesses of my tired old brain, I do remember us having some issues with this area.

Tomb Raider III, Area 51

Why was there a sphinx in Lud’s Gate? Was it meant to be a duplicate of the one from Sanctuary of the Scion?

Yup, a nod to that classic chamber – the cutaway camera in that level was one of the first major elements of cinematic ‘spectacle’ I had seen in computer games – and I wanted to replicate it. Never as good as the first time, though!

Lud’s Gate Tomb Raider III and Sanctuary of the Scion Tomb Raider I

Why was All Hallows (Tomb Raider III) made as a bonus level and not included in the main game? It seemed like it was on early screenshots. Did it have a different purpose in the beginning and story to go along with it?

I believe I originally made this as part of the inside of St. Paul’s, but due to memory, I couldn’t fit it in. I also remember It was insanely difficult, I made the bloody thing and could only just complete it…saying that, I picked up Tomb 3 again the other day to have a look – started playing the London level (which I built) and couldn’t get off the first roof without dying repeatedly. We weren’t so keen on the game concept of ‘on-boarding the player’ in those days.

All Hallows in Tomb Raider III Alpha and Final release

Eventually, Lara discovers a small Masonic temple when she explores Aldwych. Why is it there? Also why Aldwych was chosen as a location in the first place?

Aldwych was chosen as a location as I was interested in abandoned tube stations at the time – there are a number under London, although I have a sneaking suspicion Aldwych has now re-opened. I’m actually heading that way next week, so if it is, I’m going to take a look and see if I’m able to find any gangs of giant rodents, etc. With regards the Masons, I wanted to try and get in as much ‘London lore’ as possible in that area – and I should also point out I was also obsessed with geographical accuracy, so I wanted to make sure the locations were all plausible and ‘reachable’ from one another – something I believe adds to player immersion.

Tomb Raider III, Aldwych

What inspired you for Irish levels in Tomb Raider Chronicles? Why was Ireland chosen as a location?

I’m big on British folklore, and Ireland seemed a good choice for all kinds of mysterious goings on, perhaps also inspired by my growing up in the Highlands of Scotland, and spending a lot of time walking out on the Isle of Skye, visiting Iona and Staffa, etc.,and being scared by things going bump in the night!

Tomb Raider Chronicles

In the PC version of Tomb Raider Chronicles it comes with a level editor. Now the level editors community grew to huge proportions. A lot of its aspects were even improved by the fans. Is the level editor similar to the software that you used to create levels? Did you play any custom made levels?

I had a look at this the other day with a view to walking my students through the processes of early level design in action adventure titles. From what I could see, this was pretty much the editor we used day to day. With regards custom made levels, management (Adrian) would, I believe, play a number of these, and would show us some of the better ones, yes.

Tomb Raider Level Editor

 FMV version of Lara’s manor in Tomb Raider I is slightly different to the one in Tomb Raider II (where you can actually go outside). It looks strikingly similar to Compton Wynyates (which is in Warwickshire, near Derby). It even features the painting of the horses that Lara has in her main hall. Was this indeed the original inspiration for it?

I’m still uncertain of Toby’s original inspiration –although with regards the painting of the horses, this may simply be down to this texture being available in the book we were scanning for textures that day! Sorry I can’t be of more help – I’ll see what else I’m able to dig out, as I’m seeing some of the original team next week.

Compton Wynyates and Lara’s Manor from FMV in Tomb Raider I 

Ashka/Fiend for Lara Croft in Russia. 

(Read this article in Russian)

Special Thanks to Tatiana Leitzel

Questions submitted by:

newraider75, darylbaxter, ggctuk, profc, mordyga, E. Muntyan, boobandie. 

The post Interview with Andy Sandham (part II) appeared first on Tomb of Ash.

Exclusive concept arts for Tomb Raider 3 (Aldwych) and Tomb Raider 5 (Ireland) kindly provided by Andy Sandham after his interview with me! Please have a read if you haven’t already

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Andy Sandham was involved in majority of Tomb Raider games by Core Design. He was an artist, level designer and a scriptwriter throughout his work on Tomb Raider series. And today he kindly agreed to an interview with me.

Andy Sandham, Core Design

Hello Andy, thank you for agreeing to have Q&A with us.

You had a great level of involvement from Tomb Raider II until Tomb Raider (5) Chronicles.  Which was your favourite game that you worked on? 

Tomb Raider 3 – we really pushed the boundaries of what the PSONE was capable of, and there was a healthy sense of competition in the team. I also created the London level, which allowed me a lot of ‘research time’ in London, if that’s the right phrase. I still recall standing in tube stations with my breeze block sized digital camera taking photographs of the floor and walls for textures!

Tomb Raider III (1998)

Croft manor has always been a great training area for beginners and veterans alike to establish the new skill sets each game had.  Previously we have read that Croft Manor was inspired by Kedleston Hall however we have personally gone there and it does not have that many similarities.  Having been in Darby and outside the original Core Design building, we noticed many of the buildings were brick with white edging and had architectural similarities.  What inspired the look of Croft Manor really?

I’m uncertain what Toby’s (Toby Gard) original inspiration was – although, yup, It did bear a few similarities to the original Core building – without the hidden quad bike track, of course.

Ex Core Design building (55 Ashbourne Road, Derby, UK) and Croft Manor in Tomb Raider III

Why was Croft Manor removed from Tomb  Raider (4) Last Revelation and Tomb Raider (5) Chronicles?

If memory serves, I think we began to try and build the tutorials into the levels – as per the Werner Von Croy intro section out of Last Revelation – so that we weren’t doubling up work. As a side note, that tutorial sequence with Werner Von Croy still gives a number of us re-occurring nightmares – companion AI in those days was a relatively new thing, even if Werner was (supposed to be) on a fairly linear path… Myself and Tom (AI coder) battled through this day and night for a number of weeks — although I think if we hadn’t already cut our teeth with the nightmarish baptism of fire ‘Sophia boss battle’ from Tomb3, one of us may have ended up leaping out of a window. I think we’re both still catching up on sleep from that one…

Von Croy (Tomb Raider 4) and Sophia Leigh (Tomb Raider III)

We noticed right next to the old Core Design building there was an office building called “Croft House”.  Was Lara Croft’s last name inspired by the building next door or is the “phone book” story true on how her name was chosen?

Nope, neither. Lara was originally Lara Cruz as created by Toby, but I believe the boss wanted something more English. Toby and the original scriptwriter, Vicky (Vicky Arnold), came up with ‘Croft’, as being quintessentially English.

Croft House, 51 Ashbourne Rd, Derby

In Tomb Raider (4) Last Revelation we get to see Lara Croft as a young girl going on one of her first adventures with Von Croy.  How did you come up with the concept and story to involve her younger and being guided by someone?

As above, this was to integrate the tutorial ‘seamlessly’ into the game. Obviously didn’t work out quite that way, though!

Our hero, Lara Croft, has been known to save the world a few times.  She saved it from power hungry Natla who was going to release an Atlantean race of beasts, Bartroli who was releasing a dragon, and Dr. Willard who was trying to accelerate evolution.  In Tomb Raider (4) Last Revelation suddenly Lara Croft is the one leading the world to the apocalypse by reading the Amulet of Horus.  What made the team decide to make Lara make this critical mistake?

The Core team all sat down together to outline the story for Tomb 4 (which I scripted, as no-one else wanted to do it), and it was kinda decided we needed something new – the ‘revelation’, so to speak. That’s where the plot device originated from.

Tomb Raider 4: The Last Revelation (1999)

What was the reason to make it seem like she died?  Was this a plot-based move (such as a cliffhanger to have Tomb Raider advance to a new console) or perhaps did Core feel this was the end of the Tomb Raider franchise as a whole due to a dip in sales?

Jeremy and Adrian (our bosses) were very much hands off with regards what we wanted to do with the games  – other than ‘greenlighting’ settings, etc. – We were all a little sick of Lara, and decided killing her might give us a chance to move onto a new project.  Didn’t work – although in hindsight, I’m amazed how much freedom they gave us – these days, If you proposed killing Lara croft, you’d probably end up sleeping with the fishes…The joys of a small team are coming back though, via indie projects…

Clearly, a ton of research on ancient Egypt and its mythology went into Tomb Raider (4) Last Revelation.  How did you go about researching for all the levels? 

Jeremy (to his credit) actually decided we needed to set 4 back in Egypt – to get Lara back to Tombs – and generously planned a trip out there for all of us – unfortunately, with the deadline rapidly approaching, and a number of inoculations required with specific time periods before they took effect, meant  another trip to London instead! We all spent a lot of time in the British museum, and trawling around the bookstores on the street opposite for the books with the most photographs of textures in! It was always a highly sought after prize – the book with the most textures that we could scan in. (I should point out the internet was still relatively useless with regards resources at this point)

Locations in Tomb Raider 4

In Tomb Raider (4) Last Revelation we all were introduced to the ability to walk back to the previous level despite our advancement to the next.  How did this idea come up?  Was this something that was thought of early on and could not be done due to technological limitations or was this a new idea for the game series?

We were all keen on a ‘hub’ and more player choice so that if the player was stuck in one area, they’d be able to try another without getting frustrated – what now would be referred to in poncy ludological terminology  as ‘player agency’

In Tomb Raider (5) Chronicles there are four stories that are going back to Lara’s past. How did  the concept of Tomb Raider (5) Chronicles come about?

Tomb Raider 5 was based around the levels we originally pitched for Tomb 4 – Jez (Jeremy) told us he wanted Lara ‘back in some fucking Tombs!’ – hence Tomb 4 being set in Egypt.

As a level designer what was your process to turn concept into reality?  Did you physically draw out maps or diagrams to aid in creation?  Do you have original concept art you would like to share with us? (UPD. Andy sent us some concept art)

Yup, very much a case of thinking of an area you’d like to tackle (like the London Underground), then drawing out rough sketches of the layout and what you wanted Lara to achieve at the end of each level (funnily enough, I found some of these just the other day…), and then a lot of time working my way around puzzles, and then off to collect the textures using my trusty gigantic digital camera!

I’d note that around tomb 5, creating original puzzles was becoming pretty difficult, and I worked out a number of systems with which to formulate new puzzle concepts – a number of which I’m now teaching my award winning Design students within my puzzle design course at NHTV school of international game architecture and design (IGAD)*

*(please note this is a plug) (please no we included it )

Tomb Raider 5 – Chronicles (2000)

Was it a coincidence that there was a Russian sub by the name of Kursk that sunk in the Barents Sea a few months before the release date of Tomb Raider (5) Chronicles which included a Russia level with similar themes?

This was Joby’s (Joby Wood) level – I’m unsure if this event was related, although I do know Joby had an enormous pile of books on his desk focussing on the ‘spear of destiny’?

In concept form and even once the script has been written there are many differences to the completed project.  What are some of the notable changes on the games you worked on from concept to finished project?

Tomb Raider three was interesting as we kept pushing the boundaries – one of the coders would shout ‘Hey, I’ve got a quad bike working!’ or something similar, and we’d all crowd around and then start working out ways to get these new systems into our levels. I still distinctly remember, at least once a week, asking Chris (Coupe), one of the programming leads, for some new feature I wanted to make my level better, to be told quite categorically to ‘fuck right off’. Without fail, two or three days later, Chris would call me over with the feature implemented and say ‘Happy Now’? We had some world class (although potty mouthed) talent on that team.

Have you played the newer Tomb Raider games by Crystal Dynamics?  What are your thoughts on them? 

Yup, been playing the new ones – Some really nice work here. And I do love the way they’ve taken some of the core features and revamped and upgraded them (i.e. the vine climbing becoming the ice hook walls, and the zip lines you’re able to shimmy back up). It’s all building on what was originally a simple, clean, genius concept within the original Tomb Raider.

As the scriptwriter and as a level designer you had a lot of say in the feel of the Tomb Raider classics.  How do you feel about the direction the story of the new games has taken?  What would you have done different?

I actually correctly predicted that the series may try for a bit of ‘survival horror’, as the solitary nature was something that made the original so unique. With regards the script on the new game, I’m not entirely convinced – I feel they were going in a particular survival horror direction, and then lost their nerve. Very much a ‘Hills have eyes’ and ‘Deliverance’ vibe, became ‘Bear Grylls with a crossbow’…

Tomb Raider (2013) by Crystal Dynamics

How do you feel about the level design of the new games?  What would you have done different?

I’m impressed! You’re guided along the critical path in such a way that you actually feel as if you’re exploring – a vitally important aspect as a player motivator within these games. It’s really a case of drip feeding setpieces, spectacle, and awe inspiring moments as player motivators – which they do well.

In theory if you had your team then with the same projects with MODERN technology what advancements in level design would you take advantage of?  What ideas you wish you could have used were thrown out because of technical limitations?

Lara croft floating in orbit, surrounded by the wreckage of her broken satellite, attempting to find a way back to Earth whilst utilising the canny guidance of George Clooney? Joking aside, with regards advancements in level design, I teach a number of subjects within this field, and wouldn’t say there are many MAJOR advancements – it’s just knowing the techniques on how to motivate and reward the player while providing the right amount of challenge. So, in a nutshell, just knowing how to do it right in the first place!

Thank you very much for your time!

It’s been a pleasure.

AshKa/Fiend for Lara Croft in Russia. Read this article in Russian

Special Thanks to Tatiana Leitzel.

READ PART II OF THIS INTERVIEW

The post Interview with Andy Sandham (Core Design) appeared first on Tomb of Ash.