This one actually causes Lara harm if she touches them. Okay, they're not hard to avoid, but with some good use of shadows and lighting they can turn an ordinary room into something special.
I used these in the fifth level of Jungle Ruins and scattered a few spike traps on the floor for added effect. As Lara approaches, the swords fall and stick in the ground nicely. Easy enough to avoid, but like I said, certainly good for spicing up a level with something a little different. The fact that they take health is a big plus.
GM
[i]Edited by GeorgeMaciver[/i]
As used in The Mutant's Demise, and if you read the reviews for the level you'll see that this night sky was greatly appreciated by everyone who played it. With the cloud layer activated as included with the download, this makes for an incredibly atmospheric night sky.
The only drawback was the height of the horizon. You can't really use this one for panoramic all round views if you use the cloud layer. But it is perfect for temple style settings where you can see the sky through ceilings.
You won't be disappointed with this one.
(I take back what I said about the panoramic all round views - that only applies if you use the cloud layers. If the horizon is used without clouds, it's fine for all round views.)
GM
[i]Edited by GeorgeMaciver[/i]
[i]Edited by GeorgeMaciver[/i]
When SBK said I could use this sea hag in Catacombs of the Guardians I was excited. I knew it was good and I knew it would help to make the level series special.
The object may be taken from Chronicles, but it has new animations, textures and sounds. This is the only category I couldn't give it full marks. 2 people who played Catacombs of the Guardian have emailed me to tell me this is their all time favourite TR baddie. That praise is well deserved.
The quality is superb. The only quibble, if quibble it is, is that the tail of the hag disappears into the ground when she goes upright to attack and she's near the bottom.
The textures, meshes and animations are brilliant, and the watery sounds as she approaches are incredible.
This enemy made the perfect Boss for me and I can't thank SBK enough for allowing me to use it. Catacombs of the Guardian has just hit the number 10 spot in trle.nets Top Fifty, and this sea hag had something to do with that rating.
Yes, the thing has a problem with not stopping, but you can put a timer in the trigger and it will stop when the time is up. Okay, you have to test it to make sure it stops where you want it to, but that's a minor problem. The only other problem is that it resets itself after a save, which kind of spoils it.
Other than that, if you use it with a bit of forethought, it is extremely effective. It animates and sounds perfect and can cause Lara a lot of grief!
*There could be a save game bug problem with these objects. It could be down to the fact that they don't go away when killed, but it looks as if savegames sometimes don't load when using this monkey. Testing is recommended.*
I've used these monkeys in Jungle Ruins and Catacombs of the Guardian. Just spotted them here and didn't know where they came from or I'd have mentioned Michiel in the readme.
The friendly monkey is absolutely perfect for jungle type levels for helping to bring them to life. The monkey wanders round chattering to itself, stopping every now and then to munch on something or wipe his face. He also turns nasty if you shoot him by accident, adding to his charm.
I tend to leave a monkey wandering around to enhance the atmosphere and ambience of a level. He can be a pain too, because Lara targets him with weapons, and if other enemies are around, she could be shooting the wrong thing.
I can't really fault the quality and usability of these objects.
[i]Edited by GeorgeMaciver[/i]
As long as you set this up properly, it works perfectly. What a wonderful idea. Lara kneels, opens the chest, and light shines out while she takes the pick up inside. It certainly adds a new dimension to pick ups.
I did try to use this in Jungle Ruins, but the levels started crashing because they were so big. Something had to go, and unfortunately, as these chests were not absolutely necessary, I didn't use them in the end. However, I've used them in Sheep in Wolf's Clothing and they help to make the level special.
[i]Edited by GeorgeMaciver[/i]
SBK calls it crude, I call it brilliant! I've used this fish in Playtime, Catacombs of the Guardian, Jungle Ruins and another level called The Cave.
I've grown to love the thing. It has this cute way of keeping up with Lara while she swims and nipping at her heels. He's also a hungry brute and if you're not careful, he can take a full medi pak.
Because he's so savage, he makes a great enemy in that folks learn very quickly that you DON'T mess with him.
The animations are fine. SBK thinks he swims a bit fast, but I disagree. It means Lara has to be very careful when she goes swimming.
I've used him if 4 different games with different WADS and not one problem to report. Great stuff SBK.
The baddies work well, and look good. I enjoyed using them and would use them again. Someone who played a level of mine with these guys called one of them Duke Nukem!
He looks and sounds brilliant. Okay, he doesn't do that much damage to Lara really, but with proper use, he can add some delicious tension to a level. If you're looking to damage Lara though, perhaps not this one.
This thing is great as an end of level baddie, but he has a problem in that you can't kill him at distance, and yet only one shotgun or six shooter round between his legs drops him. However, he's a brilliant baddy for atmosphere if he is used with some thought, and not just stuck in a level.
The switch animates and sounds perfectly once you set it with the switch manager in WadMerger.
[i]This review has been edited by GeorgeMaciver on 02-12-03 17:48[/i]