#tr3 interviews

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Tomb Raider 3 Team Interviews

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GameSpot UK - The Team Speak Out - Tomb Raider 3

Interview appeared on Gamespot UK website, dated to 24th November 1998

We go behind the scenes of Tomb Raider III and talk to the programming team: Martin Gibbins, Chris Coupe and Richard Flowers:

GameSpot UK:

Why should gamers be excited by Tomb Raider III?

TR3 Team:

Because it's so much better than the other two!

GameSpot UK:

When did you begin coding on Tomb Raider III?

TR3 Team:

We started work on a new game, in October last year. In December last year we were asked if we wanted to do TR3. We said yes.

GameSpot UK:

Most games seem to take 18 months to complete - why has Tomb Raider III taken only half this time?

TR3 Team:

Because we took the time and effort to forward-plan in order to complete the game in the time allowed. Also we weren't actually allowed to have anymore time so we didn't have much choice really! It took about 11 months to do it.

GameSpot UK:

Does the new game require PC users to have a Voodoo 2 card?

TR3 Team:

No, it should work on the majority, if not all, the graphics cards.

GameSpot UK:

How do you think the Tomb Raider engine compares to the Unreal engine?

TR3 Team:

The Tomb Raider engine is four years old now. Taking this into consideration, it's not that bad compared to the Unreal engine. But on the grand scheme of things, the Unreal engine is just a little bit better (sarcastic!).

GameSpot UK:

How have you improved Tomb Raider III's engine?

TR3 Team:

Triangles. There are some now, in fact the majority of all the levels are triangles. Imagine trying to make a ball out of four sided shapes, trust me - it's pretty impossible, now try it with triangles - easy. Basically the levels look more real now. Also, its pretty difficult to miss the vast number of effects that are going on practically all the time. There's a lot more to look at - fish in the sea, 'real' fire, rain, snow, 'real' splashes, flocks of bats ... the list is large. All the textures used in the levels were originally drawn in true colour (more than the eye can see), these are then converted down to be used on the PlayStation/ PC, so the overall result is better. And not to forget the coloured lighting which adds the most, I think.

The PC engine is basically a better looking conversion of the PlayStation. The game was led on the PlayStation.

GameSpot UK:

How long does it take for you to design a level?

TR3 Team:

Programming wise, levels aren't done one at a time, it's kind of a global thing. The level designers normally take between 3 and 5 months to design and finish building a level.

GameSpot UK:

What type of machine do you use to design a level?

TR3 Team:

The levels are designed on a PC and downloaded to a PlayStation to see how it will look.

GameSpot UK:

What been the most difficult part of the Tomb Raider III project?

TR3 Team:

Incorporating all the new elements of the game into the existing engines.

GameSpot UK:

Are there any differences between the PC and PlayStation versions?

TR3 Team:

The PC version looks a million times better if you play it with a video card. Other than that there is no difference.

GameSpot UK:

How have you improved the AI?

TR3 Team:

Tom Scutt worked on the AI for TR3 which included enemies guarding, patrolling, leading the player to hidden goodies, ambushing, ducking behind things to get away from Lara's bullets, and generally looking intelligent. He also introduced a lot more interaction between the non-playing-characters, i.e. humans attacking raptors, raptors attacking raptors, prisoners attacking prison guards, etc., etc.

GameSpot UK:

Will there be a Dreamcast version of Tomb Raider?

TR3 Team:

That needs to be discussed.…

All rights belong to GameSpot and/or their affiliated companies. I only intend to introduce people to old articles and preserve them before they are lost.

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GameSpot UK - Nell McAndrew Interview - Tomb Raider 3

Interview appeared on Gamespot UK website, dated to 27th November 1998

Nell McAndrew plays Lara's body double, when Ms Croft's hectic schedule intrudes and she's too busy to make it into town.

GameSpot UK:

How do you feel about playing a digital character?

Nell McAndrew:

Very excited! Lara Croft is such a tough, sexy character - why wouldn't I want to be her? She's larger than life and I'm proud to think that I've been chosen to play her part.

GameSpot UK:

Do you think you have much in common with Lara?

Nell McAndrew:

Yes. I'm very independent and I love sports - running, boxing etc. I have an athletic build like Lara and I've also got a rather large chest... though not quite as big as Lara's!!! I also love a challenge.

GameSpot UK:

Do you think Lara is a positive role model to today's young women? If so, why?

Nell McAndrew:

Yes, I do think Lara is a positive model - it's great to see a woman so powerful, independent and tough, yet still sexy. I really think that Lara gives women inspiration to go out and get what they want. She's a real no-nonsense character!

GameSpot UK:

What's the best thing about being Lara Croft?

Nell McAndrew:

Being Lara makes me feel powerful and confident, and the reaction I've had from people so far makes me feel really popular, even loved! It's a real pleasure to meet all the fans who support Lara -they're so dedicated to her!

GameSpot UK:

What are your aspirations for the future?

Nell McAndrew:

The main thing for me is to be successful and happy. I haven't decided exactly what I want to do just yet - I'm taking each day as it comes (a bit like Lara!). I love meeting all Lara's fans so I'll be more than happy to carry on doing that!

GameSpot UK:

What are your favourite leisure activities?

Nell McAndrew:

I love sport: running, cycling and going to the gym, and I'm hoping to take a course in rock climbing soon! When I'm not feeling quite so active I enjoy the cinema and eating out but every now and then I'll let my hair down and have a mad clubbing night out.

GameSpot UK:

Lara's a bit of a globetrotter - have you visited many countries yourself?

Nell McAndrew:

Yes - quite a few, including Japan, America, Lebanon, Italy, France and Spain.

GameSpot UK:

How did you start your modelling career - did you always want to be a model?

Nell McAndrew:

I was quite interested in seeing if I had what it takes to be a professional model, so I went to see a model agency in Manchester who took me on their books. That was a few years ago and it took a long time to build up regular work and a decent portfolio, but I didn't give up. Before that I was working in a bank. After my first taste of modelling I knew that I didn't want to go back!

GameSpot UK:

Lara's got rather large breasts, a tiny waist and very long legs - do you think that men are attracted to Lara simply because of the way she looks?

Nell McAndrew:

No... not just because she looks great, although those vital statistics do help - well initially anyway!

I think men really fall in love with Lara because she's so versatile - there's nothing she won't attempt, or at least try. She doesn't let anything get in her way and I think a lot of men really like women to be strong in character as well as the physical side of things.

All rights belong to GameSpot and/or their affiliated companies. I only intend to introduce people to old articles and preserve them before they are lost.

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Tomb Raider 3 Richard Morten Interview

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GameSpot UK Interview with Adrian Smith - Tomb Raider 3

Interview appeared on Gamespot UK website, dated to 30th October 1998

In an exclusive interview, Tomb Raider III developer Core Design's operations director, Adrian Smith, reveals Tomb Raider III's secrets…

GameSpot UK:

Tomb Raider III is divided into five mini-adventures. Does each one have a different plot and if so, are these linked by an overall story?

Adrian Smith:

I guess you could call them mini-adventures: Lara's looking for four artefacts this time so each location is almost a separate adventure. She starts off in India. She believes she's looking for a single artefact but at the end of this location she discovers that there are another three to find. So after India she can go to the South Pacific, London or Nevada in any order, before playing the final location: Antarctica. The locations are linked by a story that is brought to its conclusion in Antarctica.

GameSpot UK:

What's the plot this time?

Adrian Smith:

I can't say too much, but the four artefacts that Lara is searching for were originally discovered lying round a large meteorite that crashed to earth millions of years ago. The collision separated this point of impact from the mainland, creating a volcanic island towards the north of Antarctica. When the meteorite impacted, the area became impregnated with foreign matter ­ this matter had powerful properties and slowly released a kind of radiation that accelerated growth and evolution in both creatures and plants... but not without side effects. As Antarctica iced over, the basin of the island remained an oasis of life.

The first peoples to discover the island were Polynesians, and when one tribe discovered the abundance of life there, they decided to stay. Deep within the dormant volcano, they found the core of the meteorite ­ magically suspended it seemed, above the rock. (The material was in fact magnetic and was being repelled by the magma below.) The settlers built an altar round the meteorite and used four smaller pieces of the meteorite to create a device to trap and save the precious radiation.

Years later, as explorers were charting Antarctica, they discovered the remains of the island. Fresh animal tracks in the snow, led them to the crumbling remains of the settlement. When the explorers reached the altar, they looted the four artefacts, and as they left, one of the men was attacked and killed by a mutant beast. The others fled in terror. Only one survived to record the story...

Back in the present day, a scientific research company hits sculpted rock as it blows a wall of ice in the Antarctic and discovers an unknown material and the body of the savaged explorer. On the explorer's tombstone are the details of the boat on which he sailed. Using this information, the research company sets about searching for the artefacts.

Lara, meanwhile, is in India searching for one of these artefacts herself, unaware of its true history. And so the adventure begins.

GameSpot UK:

What are the locations like? We've seen the London screens. Is running round the capital as challenging as raiding a tomb?

Adrian Smith:

The locations are quite diverse. London features a night-time rooftop level ­ from there Lara drops into some of the buildings, including an eerie waxworks museum and the Natural History Museum. Eventually she finds her way to St Paul's, and from there into the sewers (for which Lara has an underwater propulsion unit, à la James Bond), deserted tube stations and Masonic halls. The level of detail in Tomb Raider III enables us to create really atmospheric locations.

Other locations include: Nevada (Area 51 and the desert), The South Pacific (very lush, featuring a coastal level, island in terior and a white water level!), India (jungle locations and temples), and Antarctica (where all is not as it seems!).

GameSpot UK:

What sort of enemies will Lara face this time?

Adrian Smith:

Well, they'll all have a far higher level of AI than previously encountered since we have 'Dr Tom', the AI specialist working with us on Tomb Raider III. Nearly all the enemies are new and include snakes, hyenas, monkeys, dragons, huskies, whales, piranhas and jellyfish, plus a whole lot more.

Lara will be able to avoid some of her human enemies by ducking and crawling to avoid their line of sight, but once they see her, they'll raise the alarm and the chase will really be on. Some of the animal enemies may run away from Lara when initially approached, but if she follows them, she may be led to danger. Many of the enemies will also work in groups to cut Lara off, so she'll have to work out ways to distract them in order to proceed. And watch out for the monkeys ­ they love to run away with Lara's precious medipacks!

GameSpot UK:

Lara's an athletic lass. Does she have any new moves this time round?

Adrian Smith:

The main new moves include the duck, crawl, monkey swing and dash. Since Lara is now able to crawl in narrow spaces and tunnels, the exploration element of the game has really been opened up. The duck allows Lara to quickly avoid gunfire ­ she can also shoot while in the duck position so combat now becomes more strategic. The hand-over-hand monkey swing can be used to traverse areas that Lara is unable to cross on foot, and the dash allows Lara to sprint to safety when she needs to make a swift escape. Lara can also add a dive to her new dash move. This is particularly useful for time-based traps where she'll have to dash and dive through closing doors.

GameSpot UK:

Fashion fans want to know what Lara is wearing this season? Is brown still the new black?

Adrian Smith:

Since Lara is so practical, she needs suitable outfits for each location. These include white and grey camouflage trousers and jacket for the Antarctic, a black cat-suit for London, combat trousers for Nevada and a crop top for the hot South Pacific locations.

GameSpot UK:

What about those lovely boy toys ­ vehicles and guns?

Adrian Smith:

Lara does indeed have some new vehicles to help her get around. A couple of the levels will rely solely on the use of vehicles to complete them successfully: Lara will be white-water rafting in a kayak and speeding down mines in a rail cart. Other vehicles include a James Bond-style underwater propulsion unit and a quad bike... but I don't want to give any more than that away right now!

As for the weapons, some of Lara's new items include an automatic rifle, rocket launcher and desert eagle guns.

GameSpot UK:

Are there any changes to the combat? Does Lara have to aim now or does she auto-aim as before?

Adrian Smith:

It's basically the same system, but a couple of the weapons will require Lara to aim herself.

GameSpot UK:

What improvements have been made to the game engine and graphics on Tomb Raider III?

Adrian Smith:

Firstly there's a new structure for the order of gameplay: Tomb Raider III contains five separate locations which link together, but after completing the first location the following three can be played in any order, before the final location closes the game. Whereas Tomb Raider I and II contained 15 levels, Tomb Raider III contains 20, making it a considerably larger game. The levels themselves are far less linear than before and the player will have a choice of at least two routes to complete each one. The routes will vary in difficulty: taking the harder route will reward the player with more pick-ups, whereas the easier routes will be quicker and less complicated. To add further variety to the gameplay, the save-game system offers an easy and a hard option.

The easy option allows the player to save the game anywhere, as in Tomb Raider II. The harder option will use the save-game crystals that featured in Tomb Raider I, but this time Lara can either use the save-game crystals immediately, or store them in her inventory for use later on.

Tomb Raider III's level editing system has undergone an extensive redesign: our programmers use the level editor tool to create the rooms that, when linked together, make up each level. Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider II used a grid system to create the levels ­ this meant that the level architecture that Lara was able to interact with consisted of a series of blocks of different heights and dimensions. Tomb Raider III's system now incorporates triangles. This means that we can now achieve greater detail such as very realistic organic surfaces, and smoother shore-lines.

We're also able to create more complex architectural structures such as domes, arches and vaulted ceilings.

Tomb Raider III's game engine offers more speed than the first two games, and handles a greater amount of detail. The water in the third game is now transparent, reflective and rippling. When Lara swims or wades through the water, she'll leave a wake behind her. If she fires a weapon into the water, you'll see a new underwater explosion effect. Also, if she's standing in the water and firing a weapon, you'll see the empty shells actually drop into the water and sink to the bottom.

Other effects include semi-transparencies such as mist, smoke and shafts of light. And weather effects such as snow, wind and rain are now included ­ all of which give the game a deeper atmosphere and added realism.

We also have more realistic flames and explosions. When Lara fires a weapon, you'll even see smoke from the barrel of her gun. Lara now leaves footprints and you'll also hear sound effects as she runs across different surfaces.

Sadly, page four (of four) is no longer available.

All rights belong to GameSpot and/or their affiliated companies. I only intend to introduce people to old articles and preserve them before they are lost.

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Glory - Lara Croft Interview

Interview appeared in the French Magazine 'Glory' in December 1998, and was written up onto the fansite 'Captain Alban'.

The full interview can be found here (Original French) / here (translated in English), but below are a few sample question.

Glory:

Lara, the third part of your adventures has just been released. What should you accomplish this time?

Lara Croft:

This time, I have to look for the fragments of a meteorite which crashed on the earth during prehistoric times. These fragments are scattered all over the world and it seems that they have mysterious powers.

Glory:

And where are you taking us?

Lara Croft:

My quest takes me to the rooftops of London, in the heart of India, in the lush jungle of the South Pacific islands, in the ice of Antarctica and in Area 51 in Nevada ...

All rights belong to Glory and/or their affiliated companies. I only intend to introduce people to old articles and preserve them before they are lost.

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Gamespot UK Interview With Susie Hamilton - Tomb Raider 3

Interview appeared on Gamespot UK website, dated to 27th November 1998

In this exclusive interview Susie Hamilton talks about Lara's most successful year yet, plus she tells us about Lara's new range of merchandise.

GameSpot UK:

In terms of Lara what's been this years highlight?

Susie Hamilton:

The debut appearance of Virtual Lara at E3 was one of the major highlights, although it took a massive effort from several people to set this up. We had to fly in a special team from Germany, plus all their equipment, and it took nearly three days to get the system working properly. After several rehearsals, we finally got it right at about 2am the morning the show opened. Fortunately, most of the questions from the audience were pretty straightforward, but there were a couple that really threw us, even though we had spent the past couple of weeks trying to think of the kind of questions people would be asking Lara. The team, plus Lara's voice and myself operated from a very small room at the back of the stand. We had two monitors - one to see the audience and one to see the actual screen at the front of the stand. So, 'Lara' was able to pick out certain individuals from the crowd and ask them questions herself. However, once they were picked-on, most of them became very shy - perhaps they were over-awed! The software itself was quite complicated and required 2 operators as well as Lara. One person was responsible for Lara's movements - each move corresponded to a key on the computer. Obviously, Lara's movements had to fit in with what she was actually saying, so the operator had to work extremely closely with Lara's voice to get this right.

GameSpot UK:

Any other moments that stick in the memory?

Susie Hamilton:

Another highlight was the press tour - we took Nell McAndrew [the model how plays Lara] to Italy, Spain, Germany, the US and Australia to promote TRIII. Nell made personal appearances on TV shows, radio stations, department stores etc. The response was completely overwhelming and she was treated like a major celebrity! Although the tour was very tiring (hopping from hotel to airport to hotel is not very glamorous, believe me!), all those who participated, including Nell, were very pleasantly surprised by Lara's popularity.

Other highlights for Lara included front cover images and great features in nearly all of the UK's games magazines, a TV advertisement for the French car manufacturer, SEAT, and a pop video for German band 'Die Arzte' (the song reached no.1 and stayed there for several weeks).

GameSpot UK:

Apart from Tomb Raider III what else has Lara been involved with?

Susie Hamilton:

Lara has just launched her own range of clothing and merchandise. The Lara C range has been designed and manufactured by 'Animal' and is now available via the website and also from catalogues packed with Eidos titles.

GameSpot UK:

Ok, so tell us more about Lara's new range of clothes and accessories?

Susie Hamilton:

Well, there are two 'ranges': The LARA (c) merchandise range comprises 'street-wear' items designed and manufactured exclusively by Animal. The LARA (c) items are all black and white and labelled with the LARA (c) logo only. Most games merchandise features huge pictures and logos, so we really wanted to something a bit different. By using the Lara c logo, we hope to establish a range that is much more 'wearable'. Since all items are designed by Animal, they are very trendy and the quality is superb! Clothing Items include men's t-shirt, women's t-shirt, Polo shirt, sweatshirt, 1/2 zip fleece, 'Team' jacket, dressing gown, baseball cap and a knitted beanie (ski hat). Other items include a briefcase bag, girl's mini rucksack, bath towel, CD case, wallet, watch (men's and women's), watch-strap and key fob.

GameSpot UK:

Any other Lara stuff available?

Susie Hamilton:

We've another range of items that prominently features Lara Croft herself. The Diffusion range offers a selection of items that incorporate the Tomb Raider III logo and Lara Croft signature; all items are high quality collectibles for the avid Tomb Raider fan! Items include posters (2 designs), calendar, mousemats (3 designs), t-shirts (2 designs), beach towel, backlit analogue watch, Lara figurine & 5ft freestanding Lara cut-out.

GameSpot UK:

So where can we get all these goodies?

Susie Hamilton:

The LARA (c) and Diffusion items are available from the LARA (c) catalogue packed into Eidos games from the end of November. The catalogue will also feature on the Eidos, Core and Lara Croft websites. Advertising will appear in national, lifestyle and computer games press.

GameSpot UK:

How many emails do you get each day about Lara?

Susie Hamilton:

Usually around 20-30

GameSpot UK:

What kind of advertising are we going to see for Tomb Raider III?

Susie Hamilton:

Press advertising: Specialist and lifestyle advertising (two separate ad concepts) TV advert - due to start early December Radio advertising Billboards Back-of-buses In store: Posters, oversize boxes, standees, stacking cubes, shelf wobblers, window stickers, open/closed signs. Cinemas: Collectable postcards in foyers.

GameSpot UK:

Any news on the Tomb Raider film?

Susie Hamilton:

No more news yet - we've heard that paramount will be casting early next year so we'll let you know as soon as we have the vital information!