LBP Showcase / Reviews / Recommendations #1
Lara Cloth: Tomb Raider - Helgardh
Archive: 55 posts
| Level: "Lara Cloth: Tomb Raider - Helgardh" PSN: Kiminski ---------------------------------------------------- Oh wow! Get ready for a treat! The latest installment of Kiminiski's series is the biggest, boldest and best yet. Little Lara Cloth is embroiled in a fabulous world of intrigue and action, brilliantly constructed once more by this amazing creator. I don't know whether Kiminski has plans to present this in the Level Showcase, but I wanted to make sure no one misses out on this fantastic level. Great set-pieces, some AMAZING contraptions, and a compelling collection of puzzle/platform ideas. And it looks incredible! Play it now, and witness some of the biggest hammers in LBP!  | 2010-01-25 15:23:00 Author: MrsSpookyBuz  Posts: 1492 |
| WHAT!!! OMG! KIMINSKI!! You are trying to sneak this by us or something!!?!? LOL! Thanks MrsSpookyBuz! In my opinion, whatever she does is definitely a MUST PLAY! The water beta level she did was incredible and just made me horribly excited to see where the next Lara Cloth took us! I know she had been working several months on this and hit the dreaded 160 hour bug like 3 times. ACK!! Great to see this one finally made it to completion!! Thanks again!! | 2010-01-25 15:33:00 Author: jwwphotos  Posts: 11383 |
| Aww thanks guys! *wub* As you know, I've had no end of pains with this one, so really great to hear you enjoyed it MrsSB! | 2010-01-25 15:55:00 Author: Kiminski  Posts: 545 |
| Nice! Love this series! | 2010-01-25 16:14:00 Author: CCubbage  Posts: 4430 |
| Was a major fan of the previous one so looking forward to checking this one out! | 2010-01-25 16:27:00 Author: wexfordian  Posts: 1904 |
| Played it.... absolutely stunning! There were parts in there where I thought "how in the WORLD did she get that effect?". It not only pulled off the Tomb Raider thing with visuals, but the different puzzles and secrets gave me the exact feeling I had when playing the original games. Highly recommended! | 2010-01-25 23:26:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430 |
| Aah, the Tomb Raider series. "She climbed mountains, battled demons and overcame extreme obstacles that pushed her to the very limits of endurance." And that's just Kiminski- Lara Croft had it easy in comparison. So glad to see you managed to work through the bugs and finally finish this, I've not felt more happy giving out 5 stars than i did after playing this, boy, did you ever earn them! Its an amazing level, atmospheric (the lighting and art design are phenomenal), stylish and clever, easily up there with the best you've done. Loved all the touches you put in, but a special mention to the signature TR whirly bars, those are genius! Brilliant stuff : ) | 2010-01-26 09:51:00 Author: julesyjules  Posts: 1156 |
The atmosphere in this level is absolutely AMAZING! Kiminski is a LBP atmospheric genius! Thanks again for giving me the heads-up on this one Kiminski! I'm going to go play it again right now!  | 2010-01-26 14:31:00 Author: Kendan  Posts: 56 |
| Enjoyed it very much, very tidy level indeed. Keep up the great work it's appreciated | 2010-01-28 01:54:00 Author: Tanuki75  Posts: 172 |
| Definitely my favorite of your tomb raider levels. The blowing snow/mountains in the begining was a fantastic scene to start with. Didn't realize they weren't infinite check points until I got down to my last life goofying around (check points too small to tell), after that I was more careful. I love a good puzzle level, and this one is excellent, easy 5 stars and a heart. One question, I picked up quite a few glowing "orbs"...were these secrets, some were kinda out of the way? Did I miss something at the end that tells me how many I missed...picking them up didn't appear to do anything? | 2010-01-28 02:37:00 Author: fullofwin  Posts: 1214 |
| I got to a room with a statue on the far left, a few platforms, and a little piece of pottery holding a box within a contained area. I got up to the left, and there was a rope there, but I was unable to grab this rope. I had to corner jump up-and-to the right to continue. Besides that, it played wonderfully. The sticker work on the mountains and the statues was incredible. Really blew me away. @fullofwin - they are the only way to get a score... so there you go.  | 2010-01-28 02:53:00 Author: comphermc  Posts: 5338 |
| Played it, loved it, my jaw was on the floor from the snowy atmosphere at the beginning and end. I wish I knew how many hidden point bubbles there were, I found a ton. One tiny thing that might need mentioning, near the end (can't remember what area but it had a rolling boulder). On multiplayer if one person falls to his/her death how the screen goes dark to make the death realistic. The problem is it doesn't get light again till that person respawns at the last chekpoint, leaving the other players in the dark. | 2010-01-28 03:56:00 Author: JKthree  Posts: 1125 |
| Thanks guys, you're all lovely! I don't want to sound wet, but I can honestly say it's been the constant support on these forums that hase kept me going on this one. Well the game in general really. I'd been building this level since last May on and off and had actually lost all confidence in it.. You know like if you spend too long doing something you eventually mess it up? Not only that, but I'd not had any come back from MM about the bug either and didn't think I could stomach going through the whole rigmarole of trying to fix it myself again. Any enjoyment I'd previously gotten out of the game had been stretched beyond exhaustion. Anyway I was just about ready to throw in the towel last Autumn, but thanks to the odd PM or VM and of course my Creator Spotlight with the flood of kind responses to that, I found the motivation to keep it up. So just wanted to stress how much I appreciate it really. I'm right back into the game and loving every minute of it. Back on track, I've looked into some of the niggles you've been having and made a few adjustments: Didn't realize they weren't infinite check points until I got down to my last life goofying around (check points too small to tell), after that I was more careful. Neither did I lol. They should all be infinite now, thanks for pointing it out. I originally had them visible, but they're just so ugly.. That gong noise is bad enough for ruining the setting lol. I got to a room with a statue on the far left, a few platforms, and a little piece of pottery holding a box within a contained area. I got up to the left, and there was a rope there, but I was unable to grab this rope. I had to corner jump up-and-to the right to continue. The ropes are actually lowered when you move the statue onto the light stone pressure pad, but I can see how it was misleading. You must have some serious platforming skills to have reached it lol. To avoid confusion I've got rid of it for now as it actually had no purpose other than to alleviate the monotony of climbing up again. One tiny thing that might need mentioning, near the end (can't remember what area but it had a rolling boulder). On multiplayer if one person falls to his/her death how the screen goes dark to make the death realistic. The problem is it doesn't get light again till that person respawns at the last chekpoint, leaving the other players in the dark. Doh! I'm an idiot! I've changed the lighting sensors to require all for now. Not really sure how else to do it tbh, as even if they came back on again straight away, it's still going to seem a bit pants to the player that didn't die. If I had more thermo I'd just tart up the bottom of the pits, but I'm one cube away from going nuclear lol. Also Kendan, that zip line you mentioned on my visitor page, well seems you weren't the only one that got confused, mistervista had the same problem which led me to add a hinting cutscene camera, so thanks both for pointing that out! | 2010-01-28 12:57:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| The ropes are actually lowered when you move the statue onto the light stone pressure pad, but I can see how it was misleading. You must have some serious platforming skills to have reached it lol. To avoid confusion I've got rid of it for now as it actually had no purpose other than to alleviate the monotony of climbing up again. Bummer... this was actually one of my favorite puzzles, and the most satisfying to solve.... it was probably the most remeniscent of an actual tomb raider puzzle. Maybe do something to make it a bit more apparent? Such as lighting up the pad a bit and making a creak sound when going near the statue, or making it more obvious you can grab the statue? Just a thought. | 2010-01-28 13:25:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430 |
| The puzzle's still there, I just got rid of the lower rope, there's still the one at the top that you see in the cutscene as it falls. It's actually a bit better I think, as now you have to pull the block down to the lower ledge next to the vase in order to reach the 2nd rope, which is what I originally intended. I was hoping to confuse the player into thinking the block was needed on the higher ledge to leave the room, but also needed to get up to the higher ledge in the first place. I only changed it as I was concerned people would get bored at the possibility of climbing up again, if they fell or hadn't lowered the ropes yet, but having played through again today it didn't seem too bad. | 2010-01-28 13:41:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| Strange I figured out you needed to move the statue onto the pad within 5 mins of entering that area. What I am impressed by is the area where you need to move mirrors to shine the light on the statues, that area was gorgeous also how do you fit so much detail in your levels cuz I only have less than 1/10th of what you do in mine and most of them have maxed thermos, and I used guides and tips on how to not max it out | 2010-01-28 14:23:00 Author: cthulhu82  Posts: 211 |
| The ropes are actually lowered when you move the statue onto the light stone pressure pad, but I can see how it was misleading. You must have some serious platforming skills to have reached it lol. To avoid confusion I've got rid of it for now as it actually had no purpose other than to alleviate the monotony of climbing up again. Man, Compher and I are idiots! Compher was the only one alive at that point, but I was still looking around the room trying to figure out what to do. I can't believe I didn't think to move the statue! Instead, I had to watch Compher try and get a boost by jumping on the corner of the stone walkway. He eventually did it though... only to have our connection drop out in the next room... haha! Anyway, the level is great! The visuals are absolutely stunning and I love the opening. My only criticism is that it was hard to see the switches since they were the same color of the background. Other than that, I loved it! | 2010-01-28 15:30:00 Author: mrsupercomputer  Posts: 1335 |
| also how do you fit so much detail in your levels cuz I only have less than 1/10th of what you do in mine and most of them have maxed thermos, and I used guides and tips on how to not max it out I'm obsessed with smoothing out jaggies! That and I change stuff all the time to squeeze it all in.. The ending did feature a giant machine and a portal out of the underworld, but I ditched it to keep my cogs lol. Man, Compher and I are idiots! Compher was the only one alive at that point, but I was still looking around the room trying to figure out what to do. I can't believe I didn't think to move the statue! Instead, I had to watch Compher try and get a boost by jumping on the corner of the stone walkway. He eventually did it though... only to have our connection drop out in the next room... haha! Lol, and there was I worried it was a clich?!  | 2010-01-28 16:48:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| Just to throw this out..... it would be kind of cool if, when sackboy walked across the pressure pad, there was a creaking sound.... it may even be dramatic and make the player wonder what that area is. Not a big deal - the level is obviously amazing the way it is - I was just playing Tomb Raider Underworld recently and they had those little ambiant effects that gave you clues. | 2010-01-28 18:35:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430 |
| I got playing this one yesterday, and must say I was pleasantly entertained. Unfortunately I got sidetracked and had to turn off the PS3 before I could finish the level, but I liked what I saw. Cubbage is right - you've done a great job of capturing the magic of the original game series. The beginning sequence outside the cave. Let's just say when I started the level, I didn't even move for several minutes because I was trying to wrap my head around what you did here... Never before have I seen a stickered background that looked as real or 3D as this. I'm still not even quite sure how you pulled it off, but the visual effect is stunning. If I didn't know better, I'd have assumed you had access to textures, stickers and tools that simply do not exist for the rest of us. Fantastic job, I'll be sure to finish it today! | 2010-01-28 19:41:00 Author: Thegide  Posts: 1465 |
| I will admit that I unstickered the mountains and the statue once I had thoroughly enjoyed them. The care you took to make them look as good as they do is astonishing. | 2010-01-28 20:38:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338 |
| Just to throw this out..... it would be kind of cool if, when sackboy walked across the pressure pad, there was a creaking sound.... it may even be dramatic and make the player wonder what that area is. Not a big deal - the level is obviously amazing the way it is - I was just playing Tomb Raider Underworld recently and they had those little ambiant effects that gave you clues. I'm actually fighting the clock as far as tinkering too much is concerned, my pistons are currently broken at 0.1, so the bug is on it's way in again. I did manage to have a quick look though and I've basically changed the piston on the pressure plate to lower when you stand on it (Or in front of it, but oh well lol), rather than when the statue is placed. I added a nice fat creak too, but you can't hear it too well over all the other atmospherics lol. Having it set up like that obviously means that the statue will no longer lower the plate without me adding some logic, but my thermo's literally busting at the seams. I don't think it matters too much though, as your eyes are taken away from the plate for the cutscene of the rope coming down anyway. I'll maybe tweak it a bit over the weekend if I get time. Cheers for the ideas. The beginning sequence outside the cave. Let's just say when I started the level, I didn't even move for several minutes because I was trying to wrap my head around what you did here... Never before have I seen a stickered background that looked as real or 3D as this. I'm still not even quite sure how you pulled it off, but the visual effect is stunning. If I didn't know better, I'd have assumed you had access to textures, stickers and tools that simply do not exist for the rest of us. Fantastic job, I'll be sure to finish it today! Thanks Thegide, hope you enjoy the rest! I actually swear by my old PS2 Eye Toy, my laptop and this website for my textures: http://www.cgtextures.com/ They've got pretty much everything covered, some of the stone work and rock faces are fab. I totally recommend checking them out, it's like it was created for LBP! I usually need to tweak the contrast/saturation a bit in Photoshop before I capture them on my cam to get them nice and vivid, but they're gorgeous hi-res images and generally come out very well. | 2010-01-28 22:46:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| Sorry.... didn't want to make suggestions that would break things (it was already fantastic) - I was actually just trying to think of a way to draw a bit more attention to that area on the floor or to the fact that the statue could be dragged. I think the real issue is that when people see such a large, beautiful statue that looks more like part of the scenery - they don't realize it can be dragged. People are used to dragging small boxes around, but not necessarily statues. In the actual Tomb Raider game Lara would probably have come in, a cut scene camera would pan over to the spot on the floor and she would say "Hmmmm....". That was enough to clue you in that a puzzle had started and you had to start looking around for the solution. But on the other hand, I was really excited when I figured it out, so maybe its perfect. | 2010-01-28 23:43:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430 |
| *facepalm* Yeah after checking out that site it makes perfect sense. I'm not used to seeing quality stickers come out of webcams in this game. In a sense, you really do have that special toolkit, hah! Perhaps I need to dig me up a webcam now. Do you cap from LCD or CRT? | 2010-01-29 00:14:00 Author: Thegide Posts: 1465 |
| Sorry.... didn't want to make suggestions that would break things (it was already fantastic) - I was actually just trying to think of a way to draw a bit more attention to that area on the floor or to the fact that the statue could be dragged. I think the real issue is that when people see such a large, beautiful statue that looks more like part of the scenery - they don't realize it can be dragged. People are used to dragging small boxes around, but not necessarily statues. My Plays to Completed Plays ratio is horrendous currently, so I think you're probably right in suggesting a few hints here and there. I actually really struggle with knowing how obvious the way forward should be, it's a very difficult balance, especially when considering the enormous age range. I want it to be challenging, but not so much that people quit out and don't reach the finish line. *facepalm* Yeah after checking out that site it makes perfect sense. I'm not used to seeing quality stickers come out of webcams in this game. In a sense, you really do have that special toolkit, hah! Perhaps I need to dig me up a webcam now. Do you cap from LCD or CRT? Just the LCD on my laptop. I pop the camera on a pile of CDs sat on the keypad and have the image going through the cam up on LBP while I tinker with the contrast etc. Although I had to capture the statue image in sections for decent results as I lost too much detail doing it in one. It's a shame the Eye Toy and PS Eye have such lousy res.  Why on earth they've yet to implement image uploading I'll never know!  | 2010-01-29 10:44:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| What I find astounding is that this is the first level I've ever seen that has more people that hearted it than finished it.... that says a lot for the quality of the level. | 2010-01-29 12:04:00 Author: CCubbage Posts: 4430 |
| Well... I have to say that it is one of the first levels that I wished for a Save Point on LBP!!! I keep having to take off or do something else before figuring it all out!! ...that at least accounts for one of those hearts! Wow... such a cool cool level. Kiminski (as usual) has impressed me with her amazing use of stickers as well as huge cool contraptions. I will have more once I finish! Kiminski... you should start a thread! This is ultra top notch Spotlight Material!!!!!!! ...well.. all your levels are, but anyway just love it so far!! | 2010-01-29 12:31:00 Author: jwwphotos Posts: 11383 |
| Moved to Level Showcase. Cue spotlight eligibility! | 2010-01-29 13:01:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338 |
| LOL!! This could be the first ever Spotlighted Level dragged in there kicking and screaming! | 2010-01-29 13:03:00 Author: jwwphotos Posts: 11383 |
| Naw, no kicking and screaming. She said it has "made her day." I did play it again last night with Morgana. We had a blast dissecting your sticker work... and dangit, Morgana is amazing at finding those hidden point bubbles! The floor lowering a bit on that pad was very helpful! | 2010-01-29 13:05:00 Author: comphermc Posts: 5338 |
| Naw, no kicking and screaming. She said it has "made her day."Too right! Thanks Morgana and Comphermc! Not forgetting MrsSpookyBuz who recommended the level in the first place, of course! | 2010-01-29 14:05:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| Aah, great! First up, Kiminski, I'm really pleased you agreed for this to be moved into the Level Showcase. It would be a travesty if this level was missed! And thanks to comphermc for recognising this fact and organising its move into here! Good stuff! Right, onto the level... I played it a few times - solo, 2 player and 4 player. I had no multiplayer issues, except it took a very long time to complete due to one or more of us stopping in many places to ponder or simply stare at the scenery. But I want to review it from the first time I played it on my own... From the very beginning, I was enchanted and totally hooked. It's an incredible level, full of wondrous adventure and gorgeous eye-candy. Sure, some bits are tough and challenging - you need to use your brain as well as your platforming skills. But this is Tomb Raider we're talking about! And all those statues! Imperious, my friend! I know you've had loads of issues and problems while building this, and I know you may have lost your motivation through all the bugs and breakages, but I'm really chuffed that you stuck with it, gritted your teeth and completed it. It's one of the most involving, engaging and head-shakingly fantastic levels I've ever played. I really hope the success of this level will spur you on to continue creating. I'm confident when I say you're an extremely talented and creative lady, and LBP would not be the same without you around. Thank you. | 2010-01-29 16:08:00 Author: MrsSpookyBuz Posts: 1492 |
| I played this level yesterday and it's as amazing as everyone has been saying I spent a lot of time checking out the sticker work, and was inspired to try it out myself someday. I was surprised at some of the material you chose to sticker... for example, you chose the eggshell material for the statues with the swords. I probably would have chosen the blue wood, but I really liked the results you achieved with the eggshell. Some things I really liked about this level, besides the stickers, were the unique gameplay elements. The poles that you spin around on were genius The big hammers you had to jump on were really cool looking, and I liked how they were incorporated in the platforming. The mirrors were really nice looking. The dragons looked amazing. Just everything about this level screamed Tomb Raider!Some really small nit picks: The puzzles were really well done, but the one in the room with the mirrors, maybe it's just me but the way out, after you solve the puzzle, seemed out of place. I went back and forth a few times until I noticed where to go. Again, that's probably just my fault. It's just funny that it wasn't any of the puzzles that stumped me... it was where to go next in that room! Also, The big hammer that I assumed was supposed to come down and hit the door way... I think with a bit more time I could have figured it out, but I noticed I could grab the sponge material that the door way is made of. Well, after about a minute of pulling I made my own entry way instead of using the hammer. If this is intended, then great! But if not, I'd suggest not using grab material as the door way so people know for sure that they have to get the hammer to come down and slam the door way. The big plate that creaks and sinks into the floor... it worked ok, but the statue wasn't heavy enough to keep it down. That didn't hinder me from continuing, but I think it would look better and make more sense if the plate stayed down when the statue, or sack boy was on top of it. Lastly, and I know you can't change this now, but I think it would have been cool to shake the actual level at the end with some pistons rather than using shaking cameras. It just seemed odd to me that everything was shaking, but my sack boy could stand completely still. Overall I thought this was an amazing level. I gave it 5 stars and a heart... now I need to go try the others! | 2010-01-30 15:49:00 Author: Powershifter  Posts: 668 |
| Shaking the actual level instead of the camera would be totally annoying...all your jumps would be affected by the motion of the platform you're on. What are you standing around for anyway? The whole place could collapse any minute, get your sack-person in gear and get moving! The end sequence was great, imparted a sense of urgency to escape...and the jumps/rope swings were a lot of fun and very tomb raider-esque. The camera shake was just enough to get a good effect without being obnoxious. | 2010-01-30 18:17:00 Author: fullofwin Posts: 1214 |
| Shaking the actual level instead of the camera would be totally annoying...all your jumps would be affected by the motion of the platform you're on. What are you standing around for anyway? The whole place could collapse any minute, get your sack-person in gear and get moving! The end sequence was great, imparted a sense of urgency to escape...and the jumps/rope swings were a lot of fun and very tomb raider-esque. The camera shake was just enough to get a good effect without being obnoxious. I agree in saying that it could be obnoxious, but I think my latest level [see sig] proves that when tweaked right, shaking the level gives a really nice effect without the obnoxiousness. To each their own.. I guess | 2010-01-30 19:40:00 Author: Powershifter Posts: 668 |
| Great great level, I'm glad to see you have returned to releasing new levels, it's been quite a while since you last released one. The opening was beautiful and stunning, it definitely made me say wow. The details were all perfectly done and added to the atmosphere. My favorite part of the level was the gameplay, it was probably the first level that really captured the true sense of being a really well known character. I had very few complaints and this is by far your best level, even better than Sonic, which I just love. 5 Stared and Hearted. | 2010-01-30 19:55:00 Author: TheFirstAvenger  Posts: 787 |
| Thanks guys! It's always good to hear nice things about my levels, but this one's been a sore subject for me for many months and I was especially keen for it to do well. Your comments are very much appreciated! Powershifter, you're absolutely right about the pressure plate/statue room, it was the result of a mid-week tweak and I didn't have time to do it properly, but I've spent a bit of time on it this evening and it's now working as it should on my moon. I've also added a cutscene camera hinting at where to go after the light beam room statue has been raised. Still need a few play tests, but should be republishing tomorrow morning. The hammer door was originally made of stone, but there was too much rubble to clamber over to get through the doorway, I had to change it to dissolve. I'll maybe look into switching just the lowest cube back to stone, so you can't grab it any more. As for shaking the level, I'm going to stand my ground on that one. It's a nice idea and I'm sure it would work well in other levels, but there's so much going on anyway (Behind the scenes especially!), I just don't feel it's necessary. I'm hoping the majority of Sackfolk won't be stood around dawdling with the temple collapsing around their feet anyway lol. | 2010-01-30 22:24:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| I did play it again last night with Morgana. We had a blast dissecting your sticker work... and dangit, Morgana is amazing at finding those hidden point bubbles! The floor lowering a bit on that pad was very helpful! I like the bubbles Really first class level you got here. Yea, comphermc & I played it and had endless amazement at your material and sticker use. It's so subtle in places too - really outstanding sticker and texture work. We did find some unexpected surprises in the sticker dissection too - easter eggs are very cool. The bubble secrets are excellent as well. I just wish there were a way to determine if I'd found them all. lol. Really captured the Tomb Raider vibe in this one too. Nothing bad I can find at all except I want more! lol Thanks for another awesome, unique and very artfully done experience. EDIT: Oh and add a crash sound effect when the hammer hits the wall.... that's what I wanted to mention and forgot. lol | 2010-01-30 23:11:00 Author: Morgana25  Posts: 5983 |
| That was maybe the best level I have ever played. Top 5 for sure. I kept dying on purpose at the part where you had the animated skeletons and the gas swooping about just so I could look at them more. One other thing, how did you pull off that effect where the electrified glass was revealed after you pulled a switch in the hammer section? A bunch of tiny pieces of dissolve? Pistons? Maybe it's really obvious but I didn't quite catch the whole thing the first time. But it still blew my mind. | 2010-01-31 04:11:00 Author: thekevinexpress  Posts: 256 |
| EDIT: Oh and add a crash sound effect when the hammer hits the wall.... that's what I wanted to mention and forgot. lol Gosh, thanks for bringing that up! There's actually supposed to be a crash and was one at one point, I guess it didn't carry over during one of my many attempts at capturing the level to fix the bug. I dread to think what you found underneath all those stickers lol, I'm not one for rewinding my mistakes, I just paint over the top lol. Glad you enjoyed it though, cheers for your comments! One other thing, how did you pull off that effect where the electrified glass was revealed after you pulled a switch in the hammer section? A bunch of tiny pieces of dissolve? Pistons? Maybe it's really obvious but I didn't quite catch the whole thing the first time. But it still blew my mind. Cheers Kevin! It's just a big block of electrified glass on a piston behind a thin layer of stone, with a really thin pattern cut out of it. So when you pull the switch it just moves the block so you can see it through the cut out. | 2010-01-31 12:19:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| Best opening ever! Cool lighting, awesome visuals. | 2010-01-31 16:43:00 Author: OmegaSlayer Posts: 5112 |
| What an absolutely amazing level - just so beautifully decorated and lit. Sombrely gorgeous. The praying statues were stunning, as was the dragon. There were some great little details too, like the bats and animated skeletons and gas that thekevinexpress mentioned. Awesome gameplay to boot. I loved the bubble hunting. I think I've found quite a few but is there any way you could tell us how many there are (in single player) so that I can see how many I've missed? Needless to say, 5 stars and hearted. | 2010-01-31 18:50:00 Author: shropshirelass  Posts: 1455 |
| This is now one of my alltime favorite levels! Great stuff. I have no complaints, other than you using a swinging rope before me, haha.. (I was hoping to be the 1st! ) Great job! If you find the time, I'd love your thoughts on any my levels. No obligation. | 2010-02-01 05:32:00 Author: DrunkenFist_Lee  Posts: 172 |
| This, this was.... it was... well ***** incredible! +The atmosphere is to notch +The intro is mind blowing +The dragon at the beginning is beautiful +I just loved the little puzzles +The statues are &%/$ (try to figure that one out, hint: the answer is awesome) +Loved the giant hammers +The rope swinging was brilliant +The pole swinging was even brilliant...er? (no sexual pun intended) +Fantastic use of the speech camera +The water rising scene is incredibly well done +Many many secrets +I LOVE PANCAKES!!!!!!! It only deserves a supreme 5 heart rating and a star :star: | 2010-02-01 20:34:00 Author: blizzard_cool  Posts: 752 |
| That was absolutely incredible! I don't have anything to add that hasn't been said above, but wow, just had to come on here and say that - WOW! You had me at the opening scene and throughout, great puzzles and platforming, absolutely stunning visuals and needless to say, some of the best work out there. Thanks for coming back to gift us with some more Kiminski magic! 5 stars and hearted! | 2010-02-02 01:34:00 Author: ScoutsBoo  Posts: 63 |
| nice i can tell this is ana awesome level with nice puzzles and visuals good job as allways | 2010-02-02 01:41:00 Author: ferrrch Posts: 429 |
| This level was enchanting, but you didn't showcase it. I don't know whether to hug you or stab you with a chainsaw. lol. Jokes aside, this is now my official all-time favorite level. Absolutely outstanding! I can't believe all the textures and details and innovation you crammed into this. Perfect balance of platforming, puzzles, and visuals-the three things I think are most important in any level. Not to mention the lighting, consistentcy of theme, variety of objectives, and overall polish. Other than occasionally getting stuck in the hammers, the jittering of the black gas ghosts (strenth-set pistons can fix that, if you don't understand what I mean, comphermc has one in his copyable logic dropbox level), the mirrors still being able to be moved after activating, and the lack of reset-logic during the collapsing boulder section, this level is just about perfect. I'm not being polite or using flattery, this absolutely blew me away. | 2010-02-02 01:45:00 Author: Incinerator22  Posts: 3251 |
| Hi Kiminski. A wonderful level filled with intrigue and adventure, enveloped by a stage that is "masterfully designed". Well Done! Just a suggestion...you should start a Showcase Thread for this one. Rick | 2010-02-02 02:11:00 Author: RickRock_777  Posts: 1567 |
| Thank you everyone! With regards to showcasing, I don't really feel comfortable talking about myself/work unless somebody asks I guess. Publishing's bad enough - I've never felt as vulnerable as I do waiting on those first few plays lol.Anyways.. I uploaded a newer version over the weekend, which has hopefully addressed 'most' of the niggles you'd been having. I did toy with the idea of having stats at the end of the level to give the player an idea on how many secrets they got, but since it's part of a series, I decided to let it remain in keeping with the others. For those of you who were asking though, there are 16 secrets, 17 including the big one that brings the house down. Also, for those that couldn't make it to the end, there's a video up on YouTube now too. As usual, I had a nightmare trying to squeeze it all in to YouTube's 10 minute time limit, so no laughing at my (lack of) platforming skills, I was in a rush! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4htptPoli7E | 2010-02-04 11:17:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| Hehe, loved how you instantly started running to make that 10 minute deadline!! Don't know if I responded in this thread yet, but you've got a pretty awesome level there!! Definitely the best in the series. I loved everything about it, except perhaps the music which, imo, didn't connect that well with the rest of the level. | 2010-02-04 11:23:00 Author: Zwollie  Posts: 2173 |
| For those of you who were asking though, there are 16 secrets, 17 including the big one that brings the house down. Thanks, that's really helpful. Are any of those two player only? I have been assuming that the large Roman numeral II on one of the stone weights near the bats means 2x. EDIT: Don't worry, I've found out the answer by playing it in 2 player (doh!) Anyway it means I've found all the secrets, yeay!!!!!! Now I just need to stop dying so many times, lol! | 2010-02-04 14:17:00 Author: shropshirelass Posts: 1455 |
| I played it like 1 week ago, and I must say that I was very impressed! Beautiful visuals and atmosphere, and great gameplay and puzzles! I loved the statues, they were amazing! I made it to the end , but I think I missed a lot of secrets (17 :eek ... I'll replay it anyway! Really great work!! | 2010-02-04 14:49:00 Author: dajdaj03  Posts: 1486 |
| Love this level. I blathered on about it in the comment section but I'm sure the stuff I said got lost amongst all the other people's. When I ran into the first statue, I was surprised, because I didn't remember seeing any 3d objects or decos that looked like that. Then I unstickered it to find... just a regular flat shape made of eggshell. It looked so real! Same with the mountains at the beginning: I thought "Ah, she used the 3d glitch to make a background, but what texture is that?" No, it wasn't 3d glitch: just a painted backdrop. I've always written off the idea of using the camera to take pictures for lbp, but I think I'm going to have to invest in a camera now. I mentioned a few nitpicks (niggles) on your level's comment section, but I'll repeat them here. All of the poles swing counter-clockwise, which is fine for most, since you're trying to jump to the right anyway, but there's one where you're supposed to go left. It's still do-able but it doesn't really look natural swinging from the top of the pole when you're upside down. At the part with the boulder, if you jump right after the knives, you can trigger it to fall down in front of you. Not a big deal, I guess, but thought it was worth mentioning. I think that's it. I already mentioned that it was hard to find the grabbable parts, and you said it was deliberate. It obviously wasn't TOO hard, 'cuz I did find my way through, and it seems like pretty much everybody who made a serious effort was also able to. Pretty darn near perfect level. And it's a knock off of a licensed IP: those are ALWAYS crap; but you managed to thoroughly capture the feel of the series. I really felt like I was playing a TR game. I even made a Lara sackgirl costume just for this level, and I always put it on when I play it. Side note/off subject: in one of your other TR levels (can't remember which), Lara has a bit of dialog that sounds exactly like the kind of thing she would say in a TR game. Something about "Shiva, guardian of the (something) it seems. I hope he's in a good mood." Was that lifted from a TR game or did you write that? Cuz it was exactly the kind of thing she would say. | 2010-02-05 00:22:00 Author: Sehven  Posts: 2188 |
| EDIT: Don't worry, I've found out the answer by playing it in 2 player (doh!) Anyway it means I've found all the secrets, yeay!!!!!! Now I just need to stop dying so many times, lol! Congratulations! I noticed you whooped everyone's score last week during the battle for first place, you must be well ahead now lol. Love this level. I blathered on about it in the comment section but I'm sure the stuff I said got lost amongst all the other people's. When I ran into the first statue, I was surprised, because I didn't remember seeing any 3d objects or decos that looked like that. Then I unstickered it to find... just a regular flat shape made of eggshell. It looked so real! Same with the mountains at the beginning: I thought "Ah, she used the 3d glitch to make a background, but what texture is that?" No, it wasn't 3d glitch: just a painted backdrop. I've always written off the idea of using the camera to take pictures for lbp, but I think I'm going to have to invest in a camera now. I mentioned a few nitpicks (niggles) on your level's comment section, but I'll repeat them here. All of the poles swing counter-clockwise, which is fine for most, since you're trying to jump to the right anyway, but there's one where you're supposed to go left. It's still do-able but it doesn't really look natural swinging from the top of the pole when you're upside down. At the part with the boulder, if you jump right after the knives, you can trigger it to fall down in front of you. Not a big deal, I guess, but thought it was worth mentioning. I think that's it. I already mentioned that it was hard to find the grabbable parts, and you said it was deliberate. It obviously wasn't TOO hard, 'cuz I did find my way through, and it seems like pretty much everybody who made a serious effort was also able to. Pretty darn near perfect level. And it's a knock off of a licensed IP: those are ALWAYS crap; but you managed to thoroughly capture the feel of the series. I really felt like I was playing a TR game. I even made a Lara sackgirl costume just for this level, and I always put it on when I play it. Side note/off subject: in one of your other TR levels (can't remember which), Lara has a bit of dialog that sounds exactly like the kind of thing she would say in a TR game. Something about "Shiva, guardian of the (something) it seems. I hope he's in a good mood." Was that lifted from a TR game or did you write that? Cuz it was exactly the kind of thing she would say. Cheers Sehven, I did catch a few of your posts on the level cheers. Thanks so much for all the interest! Poles - I completely agree the one in the water room is very awkward looking, but having it the other way round proved a bit too difficult and generally threw you to the ground. Think of it like an overarm throw, as apposed to a gentle underarm, just a bit too powerful for landing on an inch long ledge. The others are fine, as you're generally landing on solid ground, or grabbing another pole. I'll have another look when I'm next on though, it does bother me, maybe attach the ledge to the wall to stop you sliding off the end or something. Boulder - I didn't even lethalise it, so not sure it would kill you if it rolled over your head lol. It was more of an effect to enhance the sense of panic, like the falling pillars. You never know, dodging it may prove rewarding anyway.. As for the text at the end of the other level, yes it was out of my head lol. I actually hate writing speech and generally get stuck for hours trying to get it right, so well chuffed you thought it was a Lara quote lol. | 2010-02-05 10:11:00 Author: Kiminski Posts: 545 |
| Hi Kiminski! Congrats on this one. I finally got some time to complete this and wanted to leave you more feedback, though I am not sure I can possibly add to the others comments on how amazing this level truly is. I think one of your best yet! ...but playing a new level by you is sorta like dining at a Michelin star restaurant, you expect to be amazed and you deliver on all counts. First off, masterful strickering. I learn so much every time I visit one of your levels and this one is no exception. You raise the bar every single time and this one vaulted it so high that we need another roof now. The atmosphere throughout was amazing, but that opening scene. Woah.. that was definitely a "Yup.. this is Kiminski". I especially loved the huge statue and those amazingly huge hammers! Stellar! The puzzles were amazing. They were wonderfully elegant and masterfully performed in a awesome space that truly captures the essence of raiding ancient tombs. I was lost, I scratched my head, and later figured out the next step and continued to the next... wow. One of the first levels in awhile that had me wishing for and in progress game save!! LOL!! Only a few minor points and not really issues, but food for thought. I did accidentally get stuck in the first hammer a few times in my early attempts and found there to be two open boxes for the ends. No biggie, but for awhile I thought that was part of the ride though being horribly unsuccessful I realized nah... and found how to proceed. I did find myself wishing for a bit of color here and there, but realized that we were deep underground and a huge snowstorm outside. So seeing the 'lighting of the string' cut scene made up for it. ...that was very cool and so upset I didn't think of it first!! Congrats and thanks so much for sticking through this one and finally completing. I know you had so many huge issues with the 160 hour bug and had to rebuild in a new level at least 3 times. I can only imagine the relief and happiness you must have felt when you were finally done!! zillions of stars and a few hundred hearts for your efforts. ...though in LBP terms, that only adds up to 5 stars and a warm and fuzzy heart for one of my favorite creators. | 2010-02-05 14:09:00 Author: jwwphotos Posts: 11383 |
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