ONLY FOR EXPERTS!

Tricks and backdoors... If we dig down a little in the world of TR, we come to realize: these "different ways" increase the game's longevity and supply new dimensions for the hardcore TR gamers in spite of years of experience with hands on the gameplay; and the developers' "left as is" places in the game! Yes, we DO mean our "Only for Experts" title, because only the initiated adventurers knew these tricks... We looked around in this matter and only found the TombRaiders site having anything to say on this issue! These times are gone now! This is what we intend to present to You, hosted by OBig and Jani... They will show you a different face of this fantastic game! Now, fasten your seatbelts before you falling off your seats! Beware! This is the final warning: you'll experience things you have never come accross before; you'll be taken to places you've never been before at all!

But what we're talking about? In each episode of the TR series we can find specific faults: "left as is" platforms etc. These things are left in there by the programmers in order to be able to perform subsequent checks or simply they had no ideas what to do with them throughout the programming process! Of course these places are unavailable from the "normal" gameplay and even harder to find as you can pick up the secrets! These special venues are mostly unknown before the public, but now you can discover a couple of of them and you'll see something special you've never seen before! Actually, you'll do this like an engineer or "game-art" specialist! I have to say now: you can decrease the number of unavailble medipacks! ;)

Let's see some examples: How can you pass the"Thames Wharf" level (TR3) through five minutes with adhering to all the rules of the normal gameplay? How can you get the unavailable big medipack in the "Palace Midas"? How can you reach the helicopter and the first bridge in the first level of TR3Gold ("Highland Fling")? Have you ever seen a "dusting kayak ("Madubu Gorge" - TR3) , or flying submarine unit on the streets of London (TR3)? You'll find answers for these tiny tricks onthis site... But don't forget: they are a little hard to find and perform now and then!

Now I have a few words to say about the best known bugs...

At first a few TR specific features! If we jump with Lara, the first thing we recognise is that Lara doesn't fall back to the same place she jumped from but few pixels further ahead or sideways! Another important thing: if we jump underneath or inside of a column we'll find ourselves on the top of it!

So, here are some well-known backdoors:

1. "Corner Bug": The most frequent bug-type. You can find this bug in all episodes of the Tomb Raider series and there are lots of variants of this bug...

- "L" Column-variant (right side): We have to find a place where the columns form an "L" shape! Maybe there's a wall on the left side of the column and "free air" on the right side... But our goal is to get the top of this "L" column in spite of it's height! If we want to pass this we have to apply a special trick! First: we have to stand on the top of "L" formation (hopefully we reached) but on the right side where the free air is, just in front of the higher column... So, if the "L" is front of us we have to stand on the absolute edge of the right side: stick to the higher column with front, then turn 45 degrees to the right (it's not too easy to make this move exactly!); you can get the exact position if you look down and when the block's corner in the same direction is with her, that's the way to do it ... Maybe it's a bit "pixel-work" but the success guaranteed! Now some jumping with Lara without moving away! Don't forget: Lara will not fall back to her original place, always a few pixels away; in this case a little bit left side. Soon she will find herself in the wall with the half of her body! Now this is the point when the "block bug" starts working: if we go inside or underneath of a column, the program will bring us onto the top of it! And approximately after the third jump it will happen! Such a brilliant solution!

Typical example for the block bug in the"Palace Midas" (TR1): get the big medipack on the high column...

- Corner variant: standing into a triangle corner and walking permanently, Lara will slide inside of it. This is a possible way to get closer to a pickup or whatever earlier thought to be unreachable!

Now try to get the chopper in the "Highland Fling" (TR3Gold) using this bug!

- There's a selection of specific use for this bug variant, try to explore yourself...

2. "Fence Bug": Easy to understand and apply but just in TR1-2-3, the episodes this bug has been resolved... The substance: you can walk through the fitting of fence blocks! In the TR1Gold "Return To Egypt" level you'll get the Uzi with using this bug. And in the TR2 "Barkhang Monastery" water hall...

3. "Block Bug": It is a special TR feature instead of bug... If we manage to get 'into' a column or inside of it, suddenly we'll get the to the top! Now I just can say only one example: on the place of "St. Francis' Folly" (TR1), standing under the Thor's hammer after a while two blocks will fall... Hurry rush to the closest and it will not be deadly just we'll be on the top of it!

4. "Left as is" platforms, designer's fault: it's a special way to get to places where normally we could get only hours later! For example: London, level "Thames Wharf" (TR3). Pass this level in only five minutes using the bug or pass it in two hours. The choice is yours. But don't forget: the using of a bug is absolutely legitimate!

These examples mean just the beginning but match the trickness of the developers... There are more tricks and backdoors of course but they were built on each other! You have to explore the endless possibilities of this share of tricks!

Maybe it seems too mysterious but sometimes so hard to explain the matter of them... So, watch the pictures and try out the game saves: the result depends only on you!

Have a nice journey on these "unofficial" ways, I'm sure that you'll get thunder-struck a few times! ;)

(C)opyright: SYS "I make my own luck."

Time & Date: 18:25 2001.04.10. (ANSI)

E-Mail this: mail_sys@tombraider.hu

All Rights Reserved