tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68123035723910507302024-03-13T01:01:52.172+00:00Guns and GrappleNew PerspectivesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-46525828158218903202016-03-11T12:31:00.000+00:002016-03-14T20:06:39.952+00:00Extended Interview: Laura (Laura Eliza Cosplay) Lara Croft Go / London Underground Promotional EventLast year, I spoke to three wonderful cosplayers about their adventure on the London Underground to promote "Lara Croft GO". The group were selected by Crystal Dynamics and Betty Brown PR to travel across the city as Lara on launch day, awarding commuters with iPad Minis. Instructions on how to win a tablet was included in copies of the Metro.<br />
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One of the cosplayers was Laura, also known by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaraElizaCosplayer/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Laura Eliza</a> in the cosplay community, whose first venture into the hobby began with Tomb Raider 2013. With a following of hundreds, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaraElizaCosplayer/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Laura's adventures on Facebook</a> details her journey through each incredible cosplay, photoshoot and promotional event. While Lara Croft Go's launch provided an opportunity for her to represent the Tomb Raider on an official level, Laura has actually portrayed the heroine on launch days in the past in game stores.<br />
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You can read the full London Underground article, <a href="http://gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/promoting-lara-croft-go-interviews-with.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and check out the full interview with Laura below:<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />Tell us a little about yourself!</span></h2>
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I'm Laura, I have a law degree and I'm a qualified teacher in the post-compulsory sector. I've been taking some time out over the summer to relax and work on some costumes! My hobbies include cosplay/crafting, gaming, singing, drawing and painting Warhammer figures. I've been playing video games for as long as I can remember! I've got an etsy store where I sell some of the items I make: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LauraElizaCosplay" target="_blank">https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LauraElizaCosplay </a><br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">When did you get into "Tomb Raider" and cosplay?</span></h2>
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I watched the first few Tomb Raider games being played when they were released. I was only three when the first game came out, so the first one I played myself was Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation, on my SEGA Dreamcast in 1999. The first time I 'dressed up' as Lara was when I was fifteen; school leaver's day was fancy dress and I got the 'Tomb Raider Anniversary' fancy dress costume for a low price on eBay. A few years later for a bit of fun I wore that costume at a local beach and put the pictures on Facebook, where Sara LaRochelle of laracroftcosplay.com found me. I made the Doppelgänger outfit from Tomb Raider Underworld that Halloween and then Sara really helped me get into cosplay properly; my first full cosplay was Lara Croft from the 2013 rebooted Tomb Raider.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVug2sFfYof7PtN3nHsfjFl7zoTjM_211y0Dv3vRdWutB90U-KtdRdI_Eq-SoVn5coeUCLPqsMtdeyfIsKLN6tN8Fpe-zptUwhj-wGRPNmgJJS3_9LwvXfOVNlDT9RCYItPsP0VgbakHw/s1600/LauraTrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVug2sFfYof7PtN3nHsfjFl7zoTjM_211y0Dv3vRdWutB90U-KtdRdI_Eq-SoVn5coeUCLPqsMtdeyfIsKLN6tN8Fpe-zptUwhj-wGRPNmgJJS3_9LwvXfOVNlDT9RCYItPsP0VgbakHw/s1600/LauraTrain.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Official Tomb Raider Blog.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">How did you become involved in the Lara Croft GO event?</span></h2>
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Lynn Daniel from 'Brown Betty' contacted me, Lisa and Helen via e-mail, after Rachel forwarded our details, asking if we'd be interested in the PR stunt for Square Enix.
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Was this the first you’ve cosplayed as part of a promotional event?</span></h2>
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Yes and I'd love to do it again.
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "open sans" , "oswald" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "open sans" , "oswald" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">[Editor Note: Laura actually promoted Rise of the Tomb Raider and, I believe, Tomb Raider Definitive Edition at Super Games World in the past, but this was her first role as an official Lara Croft cosplayer for Crystal Dynamics.]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "open sans" , "oswald" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">How did you prepare for the day ahead?</span></h2>
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As I travelled from the North East and the journey was eight and a half hours, I stayed with some relatives, so I went down a couple of days early. I had to get a train in to the offices at 5.42am, so I made sure I got plenty of rest the night before and had a coffee when I got there!<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">What was your impression of the event, how did the day go?</span></h2>
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I had a fantastic time and we were all really well looked after. It felt very special. We enjoyed each other's company and loved chatting to people on the tube and in the stations.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7E0LgU9kOwUpOPqpwgpJ06rnNVgGL6pEzLhXOfRWx592mwok41VmAPlafIVFIaQwXZsmi7od_HYgNyE0c4pLVfL0y33LbZEV16kmEL8L_PGcyBJkluECKPMBSNfUGwMTCb9LcUTbV_Y/s1600/LauraBuddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7E0LgU9kOwUpOPqpwgpJ06rnNVgGL6pEzLhXOfRWx592mwok41VmAPlafIVFIaQwXZsmi7od_HYgNyE0c4pLVfL0y33LbZEV16kmEL8L_PGcyBJkluECKPMBSNfUGwMTCb9LcUTbV_Y/s1600/LauraBuddy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Official Tomb Raider Blog.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">How many people came up to you during the event?</span></h2>
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A lot! We had 3 iPads each as prizes for the lucky commuters who whispered the pass-phrase to us. We all travelled on the same train from Farringdon to King's Cross, in four different carriages, the intention being for us to all split off and go to various tube stations. As I stepped off the train I had my first winner; rounding the corner the second and as I got pictures with him, the third and final winner approached, so the prize giving was over rather rapidly for me! People were still running up to me to say 'Lara Croft GO' and I had to tell them that I had no more prizes but most people just seemed happy enough to 'meet Lara Croft', it was a great feeling.
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">As you were interacting with the public, did you feel safe throughout the event?</span></h2>
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Despite being a Northerner quite unfamiliar with London and being in such a huge and busy city, I had no safety concerns whatsoever during the event. We each had an escort to travel around the tubes with us and they carried the iPads in backpacks.
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What kind of steps did the team make to ensure that everything went smoothly?</span></h2>
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The Brown Betty team were very friendly and welcoming, they made sure we had everything we needed and that we all felt comfortable. They got each of us hot drinks and a copy of the 'Metro' newspaper with the Lara Croft GO feature while we were getting our makeup done in the morning. I've never had my makeup done professionally before so that was lovely!
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">What cosplays are you working on now or planning?</span></h2>
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I'm currently working on Lara Croft from the upcoming 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' and my next planned cosplay is Xiuying Hong from Shenmue II. <br />
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A huge thank you to Laura for taking time to do this interview!<br />You can follow her adventures on her Facebook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaraElizaCosplayer/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Laura Eliza Cosplay</a>.</span></h3>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-7409565787089233172016-03-09T11:38:00.000+00:002016-03-14T20:23:53.587+00:00Extended Interview with Helen (Lady Scion) Lara Croft Go / London Underground Promotional EventLast year, I spoke to three wonderful cosplayers about their adventure on the London Underground to promote "Lara Croft GO". The group were selected by Crystal Dynamics and Betty Brown PR to travel across the city as Lara on launch day, awarding commuters with iPad Minis. Instructions on how to win a tablet were included in copies of the Metro.<br />
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One of the cosplayers was Helen, also known as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Lady-Scion-Cosplay-1587906064801508/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Lady Scion</a> in the cosplaying community. She has beautiful recreations of Lara Croft's outfits from Tomb Raider (2013), Angel of Darkness and the classic titles which are not only stunning but have been carefully constructed with clear passion and dedication. Helen's hobbies also explore other sides of the Tomb Raider series. In her free time, she is also a blogger and runs a site dedicated to Tomb Raider, cosplay and games called <a href="http://tangledwiresandcontrollerinscreen.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tangled Wires</a>. The site highly recommended and a pleasure to read!<br />
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You can read the full London Underground article, <a href="http://gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/promoting-lara-croft-go-interviews-with.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and check out the full interview with Helen below:<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />1. Tell us a little about yourself!
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I’m Helen and I am a cosplayer and Tomb Raider fan from the North West of England. I am a researcher and has worked in the video game industry as a social media assistant. I also have an <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LittleShopofYamatai" target="_blank">Etsy store</a> that I sell mostly Tomb Raider cosplay items, but to be honest if something works well on one of my cosplays I’ll offer it for sale to help out people who maybe can’t make it or doesn’t have the time. All the money from my store now goes back into costume supplies, however when I started in back in 2013, it was so helpful to get a little extra money in after university.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijouPCIBwOuJoEFH-7HUUMozwoYXY9Vowzmbg3NHzHY2UG7L6Y0ufQG9BavObXReP5M-2YPUVLdp4NJ1OB45HdkBIJxvh7Lrts50IXJMAhLB0kRIaucV_M0W7SvIgFH0FwMpqj3lcbacw/s1600/Helen01Int.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijouPCIBwOuJoEFH-7HUUMozwoYXY9Vowzmbg3NHzHY2UG7L6Y0ufQG9BavObXReP5M-2YPUVLdp4NJ1OB45HdkBIJxvh7Lrts50IXJMAhLB0kRIaucV_M0W7SvIgFH0FwMpqj3lcbacw/s1600/Helen01Int.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "oswald" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 24px;">Photo by </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Darren-Rowley-Photography-289955224349130/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', Oswald, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Darren Rowley Photography</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , "oswald" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 24px;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">2. When did you get into Tomb Raider and cosplay?
</span></h2>
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For Tomb Raider, I broke my leg in 1997 when I was 8 years old. As I was off school for over a month, my neighbour offered to give me his Sega Saturn, as he was getting a Playstation, and said I could take any game I wanted. He passed the box over and I had a rummage and at the bottom was a box with a woman on it! She had brown hair like me so I instantly wanted it. I loaded the game and fell in love exploring this lady’s house for hours on end and the the eerie quietness of Vilcabamba. Then I came across the T Rex and didn’t sleep that night! From there Lara has been part of my life.
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For cosplay, I found it hard to get a job after my masters degree in 2012 and took the decision to take some time out to be a carer for my mum. I found out about MCM London and didn’t realise we had conventions in the UK, I thought they were just American things like SDCC. I bought tickets for myself and my boyfriend as Christmas presents and I decided to make the reboot Lara costume as I had found myself coming back into gaming after a few years out. I really loved the costume and related to the reboot character of a Lara, just out of university and battling with the world. Making the costume gave me some escapism and something to accomplish during this time and helped me so much to keep positive. I wore it to MCM May 2013 and decided this is what I wanted to do as a hobby. It combined skills I learnt during my A-Levels, when I decided to take an academic route rather than studying costume design, with my love of gaming. I haven’t looked back yet!
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">3. How did you become involved in the Lara Croft Go event?
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I attended the Tomb Raider meet up at Gamescom and Meagan came up to me to offer the role. I was took by surprise but of course I said yes. I grew up with the Tomb Raider models and wishing I could be like one of those. I know if hadn’t had done it, I would have had a very upset little me inside and I couldn’t let her down! I checked with work, and thankfully they were okay to let me do it, so I went ahead.
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQz-OCprqfADtdG26k6USvrA-Qb43zf8q0fjvos3lbuLNRF77Iqd7Fzg8tO-X4tXDPEgTBhvlnqVZ-j7f-7SPT2iknotBmUF5oHZr1-WQHt8zvdzd97oAXzWgnerPKIAxAmkeIyYowLRk/s1600/Helen02Int.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQz-OCprqfADtdG26k6USvrA-Qb43zf8q0fjvos3lbuLNRF77Iqd7Fzg8tO-X4tXDPEgTBhvlnqVZ-j7f-7SPT2iknotBmUF5oHZr1-WQHt8zvdzd97oAXzWgnerPKIAxAmkeIyYowLRk/s1600/Helen02Int.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Photo from the <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/post/127896532845/check-out-our-gallery-of-photos-from-the-croft" target="_blank">Official Tomb Raider Blog</a>.</span><br />
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<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">4. Is this the first you’ve cosplayed as part of a promotional event?
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Yes it is, it was a fantastic experience and I really love how companies are getting involved with cosplayers now. Cosplay has such a visual impact at events and on the street that can draw in consumers and at the end of the day, a cosplayer is simply a fan. Companies are making it easier too with outfit and prop guides such as the one one from Rise of the Tomb Raider and Guerrilla Game’s Horizon: Zero Dawn; having official measurements and colours is a dream! It means so much to have your work recognised by the creators and to be part of something.
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">5. How did you to prepare for the day ahead?
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So that we all matched, we were provided with shorts and vest tops that matched the Lara Croft GO aesthetics. Myself, Laura, Rachel and Lisa just needed to provide a backpack, boots, holster and gloves. I made myself a backpack a couple of days before I travelled down to London with the help of Laura (Laura Eliza Cosplay) in the skill of modified bags as a lot of unfortunate things happened that week which meant I couldn’t spend as much time as I would have liked on the bag making it from scratch. I do sometimes get panic attacks and made sure my trip down was nice and calm as possible, just in case! Luckily all was okay! I stayed with some relatives for the weekend and that was it really apart from the night before I was sat finishing edges on my bag while using a Korean sheet face mask!
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />6. What was your impression of the event, how did the day go?
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I think it was a fantastic event that really worked for what the game represented. Lara Croft GO harks back to the classic aesthetics and is all about experiencing Tomb Raider on the go. So by having a Lara on the tube travelling around London, it is a visual representation. All the iPads were snapped up pretty quickly, so it is nice to know that the advertisement in the Metro had an impact and that people were actively on the look out. Also we avoided a potential tube strike which was pure luck!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIou_uCOiDZ3_Dcm9T85lamYQhAs5BRaQNEDpLmJ49IN70DvhaUnC5VD-QhW1ikJbM0WbB5fx4Cyf5rRbYLgccpxJMp0mFtNAM9ogz_QkX0ShVhdBpTpFdNV_w-wn1YmhMXQenBday-Co/s1600/LaraCroftGoAd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIou_uCOiDZ3_Dcm9T85lamYQhAs5BRaQNEDpLmJ49IN70DvhaUnC5VD-QhW1ikJbM0WbB5fx4Cyf5rRbYLgccpxJMp0mFtNAM9ogz_QkX0ShVhdBpTpFdNV_w-wn1YmhMXQenBday-Co/s1600/LaraCroftGoAd.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">7. How many people came up to you during the event?
</span></h2>
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I think I had around 7 people approach me within 25 minutes, obviously only the first three won the iPads. Some of the people had a real nostalgia trip and were just as happy to get a picture with Lara Croft! Many of the passengers looked on and knew who I was cosplaying as even if they didn’t approach me to whisper the password ‘Lara Croft GO’.
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />8. As you were interacting with the public, did you feel safe throughout the event?
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I had a minder with me at all times, as did all the other Laras. I knew if I felt panicky or uncomfortable then we could stop for a bit; but I felt very safe throughout and it was just like travelling to a convention in all honesty. I was made aware of all the safety procedures before I agreed to the event so I knew everything would be in hand and I wasn’t going to be left alone.
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />9. What kind of steps did the team make to ensure that everything went smoothly?
</span></h2>
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While we were getting ready in the morning we were briefed about what we were expected to do and who our minders were. There was also emails before the event checking that we were all okay costume wise and what would happen if the tube strike went ahead, so that we wouldn’t travel to London and find that plans had changed. Our minders also made sure we were okay while we were travelling around and kept an eye out just in case anyone decided to be a little creepy or was harassed. Thankfully, plan A worked out perfectly and we all had a great time and lots of laughs.
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />10. What cosplays are you working on now or planning?
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At the moment I have just finished Lost Valley Lara, which is Anniversary Lara after a dinosaur attack! The next on my list is Aloy from Horizon: Zero Dawn and I am redoing my GLaDOS for competition next year. I’ll finally get around to doing a Rise cosplay next summer.
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">A huge thank you to Helen for the interview! </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">You can follow her upcoming cosplay adventures on <a href="https://twitter.com/Lady_Scion" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Lady-Scion-Cosplay-1587906064801508/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-16993136480592878102016-03-07T07:27:00.000+00:002016-03-14T20:16:09.768+00:00Extended Interview with Rachel (Athora Cosplay) Lara Croft Go / London Underground Promotional EventLast year, I spoke to three wonderful cosplayers about their adventure on the London Underground to promote "Lara Croft GO". The group were selected by Crystal Dynamics and Betty Brown PR to travel across the city as Lara on launch day, awarding commuters with iPad Minis. Instructions on how to win a tablet was included in copies of the Metro.<br />
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One of the cosplayers was Rachel, also known as Athora in the cosplaying community. Her detailed costumes and intriguing photoshoots has understandably captured a lot of attention over the years. She has received recognition from official TR social media channels and fansites, and was featured cosplayer on both Lara Croft Cosplay and the Tomb Raider Blog. In addition to that she was also the Official Cosplay Ambassador for the UK, promoting Rise of the Tomb Raider at EGX 2015 (formerly Eurogamer Expo). When she's not Lara Croft, she also portrays Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" and Wonder Woman.<br />
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You can read the full article, <a href="http://gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/promoting-lara-croft-go-interviews-with.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and check out the full interview with Rachel below:<br />
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<h3>
Tell us a little about yourself!</h3>
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Hello! My name is Rachel! I'm 22 and live in Kent, UK. I currently work with race horses, which is<br />
one of my passions! Among gaming, cosplay and of course, "Tomb Raider"! ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-kJ0J6chPxQc3gBbNIiwkLapj9WBW2GtAOpB4aXTs66PY14IV2neQrdfSSYf6byLn342wfW7ODj6AIoYctX98U-aPbG1YrhlS6qH2PzrNDjykP1x7rgGaVeH2eUTwJrib3vPXjRcBso/s1600/AthoraLCRachel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-kJ0J6chPxQc3gBbNIiwkLapj9WBW2GtAOpB4aXTs66PY14IV2neQrdfSSYf6byLn342wfW7ODj6AIoYctX98U-aPbG1YrhlS6qH2PzrNDjykP1x7rgGaVeH2eUTwJrib3vPXjRcBso/s1600/AthoraLCRachel.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Darren-Rowley-Photography-289955224349130/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Darren Rowley Photography</a>.</td></tr>
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<h3>
When did you get into "Tomb Raider" and cosplay?</h3>
<br />
I first got into cosplaying as Lara Croft when I made my very first costume. In 2008, some friends and I decided to attend MCM Expo which is held in London twice a year. "Tomb Raider Underworld" had just been released so it seemed apt for me to make a Lara Croft costume. :) I actually cosplayed as Anniversary Lara as I felt it was easier for me to make at the time. <br />
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<h3>
How did you become involved in the Lara Croft GO event?</h3>
<br />
I was approached by the Senior Community Manager at Crystal Dynamics, Meagan Marie, to become involved with helping to promote the game and the Tomb Raider Cosplay community as their official UK representative at Eurogamer Expo (which was held in Birmingham in September). As their Official Lara Croft cosplayer I was also offered to help promote "Lara Croft GO" for an agency. <br />
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<h3>
Was this the first you’ve cosplayed as part of a promotional event?</h3>
<br />
Yes! <br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">[Editor Note: The Lara Croft GO event took place a month before EGX where Rachel acted as the Official UK Cosplay Ambassador and promoted "Rise of the Tomb Raider". This was her first time promoting Lara Croft at an official event, but she also was a spotlighted cosplayer at gaming conventions before then!]</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97Jm9I47gSzMVhtx3zJ4I2B9BygK0m_UIrs7KvrHi9lxqhITqCakFTO-N9ItCnl0Oyjg67X6iA4InyvCjv1MEqxbNhpTF6guy4R-SEw9OJsPAyk6RXSEHtt5eH0GPG8aXeYVD8xigNQs/s1600/Athora01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97Jm9I47gSzMVhtx3zJ4I2B9BygK0m_UIrs7KvrHi9lxqhITqCakFTO-N9ItCnl0Oyjg67X6iA4InyvCjv1MEqxbNhpTF6guy4R-SEw9OJsPAyk6RXSEHtt5eH0GPG8aXeYVD8xigNQs/s1600/Athora01.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from A<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AthoraCosplay/" target="_blank">thora Cosplay's Facebook page.</a></td></tr>
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<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
How did you prepare for the day ahead?</h3>
<br />
I first made my costume extra durable so there was less chance of anything breaking if I happened to accidentally brush past somebody on the cramped tubes! Luckily my costume held up. ;) I also ensured my costume was safe so nothing could snag on anyone; that's one thing I often try to be weary of, even at conventions.<br />
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I spoke to other Official Lara Croft Cosplayers and asked for their advice, never be afraid to ask for advice! especially from those who have been doing it for many years! :) The best advice I received was "Smile like you're a Disney Princess".<br />
<h3>
<br />What was your impression of the event, how did the day go?</h3>
<br />
I was first apprehensive as I didn't know how we would be received by the public, as you're travelling through the tube stations during peak times you could bump into a variety of people, both nice and not so nice! But once we were down in the tubes and adrenaline kicked in I was really enjoying myself. I think it rubbed off on other people too as many looked up and smiled, I was even called beautiful! I think the day went superbly, the lucky winners were ecstatic with their prizes and I'm so glad I helped to make people's day. One guy even said it was his last day at work, on top of winning an iPad! The smile on peoples faces as they walked away with their prizes was so satisfying, it made me feel great! <br />
<h3>
<br />How many people came up to you during the event?</h3>
<br />
I would say all in all about six people? Not a great deal of people, especially not as many as I thought there would be! But not many people had a copy of the Metro newspaper on them, which told them the password on how to get an iPad. ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXAM_rmLXjqMCGU8R0x3NBdf60SrrWZRXLnpc4v48O_Ke4iA1bDLyN093QuFjeR4YA1hy1wNXz7Xk5iWDP4Jih1VKuZL5laeMeyw45-ea03ZIYowo9PJV195F_3JL7zLjzCQ_NLBlTrg/s1600/Athora02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXAM_rmLXjqMCGU8R0x3NBdf60SrrWZRXLnpc4v48O_Ke4iA1bDLyN093QuFjeR4YA1hy1wNXz7Xk5iWDP4Jih1VKuZL5laeMeyw45-ea03ZIYowo9PJV195F_3JL7zLjzCQ_NLBlTrg/s1600/Athora02.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AthoraCosplay/" target="_blank">Athora Cosplay's Facebook page</a>.</td></tr>
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<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
As you were interacting with the public, did you feel safe throughout the event?</h3>
<br />
I felt comfortable interacting with the public, I had an escort with me who kept hold of the iPads, plus a journalist and a photographer from the Metro Newspaper. <br />
<h3>
<br />What kind of steps did the team make to ensure that everything went smoothly?</h3>
<br />
We all departed from the same station and went off on separate tube lines during the event, there were four of us dressed as Lara, each with our own escort. We were then instructed to meet back at the office once we'd handed out all of our iPads. The team had our travel cards ready for the day before we left and they ensured we were all comfortable and happy that we knew what we were doing so the day ran smoothly. <br />
<h3>
<br />What cosplays are you working on now or planning?</h3>
<br />
I'm planning on reworking my "Rise of the Tomb Raider" costume, I'm also thinking of doing a classic Lara costume in the near future too! :)<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />A huge thank you to Rachel for taking time to do this interview!<br />You can follow her adventures on her Facebook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AthoraCosplay/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Athora Cosplay</a>.</span></h3>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-84296756309534656912016-02-23T22:07:00.001+00:002016-02-23T22:23:34.750+00:00Lara Croft for Children?I first discovered Tomb Raider when I was 8 years old in the form of Tomb Raider III. I was too young (and scared) to play the game itself and for the first few years, I just ran around the Manor levels of the first three games and pretended I was jumping and climbing on the assault course with this amazing lady called Lara Croft. I instantly found a hero to look up to who remains so to this day. Now, my 6 year old brother is also a big fan of Lara. He likes to watch me play Rise of the Tomb Raider. However, because of the level of violence, there is very little of it he can watch - only the challenge tombs and general exploration to find the extras that I missed.
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<br />
This gave me an idea…Lara has been reinvented over and over. Could she be reinvented again, this time for children? Even the recent more light hearted tablet/phone games, Lara Croft: Relic Run and Lara Croft GO (rated 9+), still promote gun use.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3_yRZl5EvENBTNnzIoe-A5Ounu7sTLn5mNTflaDziAIt1d5OtQHrexEw2HsdQvcye6DMxeGvd8DM5tquDsJEn9JgJU51Zyd7utCSohwzaYuaiX6fXVX5NEKA6Iksrrp0QHvMEDoGot4/s1600/Lara01Kate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3_yRZl5EvENBTNnzIoe-A5Ounu7sTLn5mNTflaDziAIt1d5OtQHrexEw2HsdQvcye6DMxeGvd8DM5tquDsJEn9JgJU51Zyd7utCSohwzaYuaiX6fXVX5NEKA6Iksrrp0QHvMEDoGot4/s1600/Lara01Kate.jpg" /></a></div>
Over the years, the Tomb Raider games have been criticised for glamourising this as well harming wild animals. Of course, that can be said for any action game and film in history.
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<br />
What would happen if we stripped the weapons, the death traps, the bad guys with big guns, the wild beasts trying to eat the protagonist for breakfast and make it purely about discovering and adventuring? Would it still be Lara Croft? Imagine a tablet game featuring a classic style Lara with a climbing harness in place of her double leg holsters. She takes you with her on her adventures around the world as you learn about the history and cultures of the countries you visit. Maybe join her on digs and help her solve puzzles as she tells you stories that may have relevance.
<br />
<br />
This could also be used in schools as a fun educational tool to get children enthusiastic about ancient history and the field Lara works in. No weapons, no violence. Just a strong female character for those of a young age to look up to.I’d like to start a debate about this. Let us know what you think in the comments or via our Facebook and Twitter pages and if you like, share this article with your friends.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
"Disney Lara Croft" by <a href="http://slatena.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">Slatena</a>. For more fantastic artwork and cosplays, check out <a href="http://slatena.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">her deviantArt</a> page. Used with permission.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-53993091379223893172016-02-20T17:17:00.001+00:002016-02-21T17:04:09.788+00:00Major Site Announcements / February 2016 The Final Chapter and KateWe have two massive updates for today!<br />
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Guns and Grapple has been around for almost eight years (or a decade, including planning) and creating it was one of the best decision I've made. I've had wonderful experiences and I've met incredible people across the globe. From a young age, Lara had been my personal hero and I loved escaping with her on numerous adventures; having the opportunity to celebrate that with so many friends has been wonderful. I am really fortunate to have met so many talented writers and cosplayers and creators and I look forward to continue to following your adventures for, I hope, many years to come.<br />
<br />
Owning the site hasn't always been easy, but in the end it's always been worth it. It's taken me to new places and dared me to go a little bit further.<br />
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I've learnt a lot and it's been an interesting journey, but one that's entering it's final chapter.<br />
Next February will mark the closure of Guns and Grapple's eighth and final year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qfTs9uyYN21G6d9sMeKllZS9tzR7ciWLpN2GTnjIMGomprSRnFlO_p3qeDDl_Y-yBj1uxAVTo4A5yeGdsA9_L8qufBbRROjQVWh-Feegs4yW10c6HLSradJfhmNxsCnIeBE4QpKVktE/s1600/MajorAnnouncement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qfTs9uyYN21G6d9sMeKllZS9tzR7ciWLpN2GTnjIMGomprSRnFlO_p3qeDDl_Y-yBj1uxAVTo4A5yeGdsA9_L8qufBbRROjQVWh-Feegs4yW10c6HLSradJfhmNxsCnIeBE4QpKVktE/s1600/MajorAnnouncement.jpg" /></a></div>
There's some sadness with writing those words, but it feels as though it's for the better. It feels like a natural end, and I am happy that I have so many great memories from the past decade to accompany it. For me the series always represented adventure and stepping into the unknown, even if it's scary, because sometimes it just works. And for me it did, ten years ago I made an actual life changing decision, and my life is richer for it. This past month brought a wave of new opportunities both professionally and personal that I didn't want to pass up, but requires more hours in the day. I want to go for them.<br />
<br />
But this has been such a huge part of my life that I didn't want to leave it behind so suddenly, so I wanted to celebrate one final year, especially as it's the 20th anniversary of the series.<br />
<br />
Which brings us to our next massive update.<br />
<br />
I'm incredibly excited to announce a new member joining Guns and Grapple, the lovely <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katesykesUK/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Kate Sykes</a>.<br />
<br />
Kate is extremely multi-talented with experience as a cosplayer, writer, actress, photographer and interviewer. Over the past few years she has written <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/post/35782394264/guest-blog-kate-sykes-mcm-expo-while-we" target="_blank">guest posts</a> for the <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Official Tomb Raider Blog</a> as well as numerous lovely articles and interviews for Guns and Grapple. She has been spotlighted for her cosplay skills by Crystal Dynamics in <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/post/65712546068/croft-couture-31-kate-the-tomb-raider-fandom-is" target="_blank">Croft Couture</a> and has been a featured cosplayer at <a href="http://www.laracroftcosplay.com/" target="_blank">Lara Croft Cosplay</a>. In recent years, she has written two Tomb Raider fan films, a Christmas short, and the upcoming adventure, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katesykestombraiderfanfilm/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Hunted</a>.<br />
<br />
For me it's a great pleasure to have her on my team, I am a huge fan of her work and she's a brilliant friend. A huge thank you to Kate for taking this final adventure with me.<br />
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Let's make it a good year!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-91018133113291812712016-02-03T16:35:00.000+00:002016-02-03T16:35:35.805+00:00The Causeplay Cosplay Quilt [Open for Submissions!]I'm really excited today to have the opportunity to talk about a really awesome project!<br />
<div>
<br />
Last year, Annie Roig-Pate began work on a special item for an upcoming <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CauseplayShop/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Causeplay charity event</a>. If you've visited the <a href="http://www.tombraider.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Official Tomb Raider blog</a>, <a href="http://laracroftcosplay.com/" target="_blank">Tomb Raider Cosplay</a> or Guns and Grapple in the past, chances are that you're already very familiar with Annie's projects. Not only is she a well known name in the community, perhaps best known for her amazing cosplays which she posts under the name <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecosplaymom/?fref=ts" target="_blank">The Cosplay Mom</a>, but she's also been supported many projects which gives back to the cosplaying community. One of those projects is the community driven item that's being handmade for an upcoming Causeplay event.</div>
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For those who don't know, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CauseplayShop/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Causeplay</a> is a charity event created by Crystal Dynamics' Senior Community Manager, Meagan Marie. It combines cosplay and charity and has made a positive impact across the globe. The organisation was officially established in 2014, but various charity auctions took place in 2013, in the lead up to the official unveil. Since it's creation, over $10,000 has been raised for causes like the <a href="http://www.mercycorps.org.uk/?source=us-hp" target="_blank">Mercy Corps</a>, <a href="http://www.redcross.org/" target="_blank">American Red Cross</a>, <a href="http://proteqtchildrensfoundation.blogspot.fi/" target="_blank">Proteqt Children’s Foundation</a>, <a href="http://www.thetrevorproject.org/" target="_blank">The Trevor Project</a>, <a href="http://www.roomtoread.org/" target="_blank">Room to Read</a>, <a href="http://www.nepalyouthfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Nepal Youth Foundation</a> and the <a href="http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/" target="_blank">National Eating Disorders Association</a>. Meagan arranges auctions more frequently, in the space between major store events. Traditionally the items have a cosplay theme but they could also be related creations such as props or designs or event signed sketches.<br />
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<br />
Staying with the cosplay theme, Annie has been hard at work collaborating with other cosplayers to create a cosplay-inspired quilt. The cover will feature squares sent to her from all around the globe. The contributions are created using left over material from previous cosplaying ventures, but redesigned to represent a character. The idea is that each square will be linked to a specific cosplayer, character and adventure. For instance, each piece will be representative of a character and must be redesigned to be recognisable. So if the character had a special badge or a memorable patch, that would be the perfect thing to recreate on the square, so you can instantly tell the character.<br />
<br />
When I first heard about the item, I was really excited. Not only were some of my favourite cosplayers from across the globe taking part but handmade covers have a habit of doing amazingly well at charity auctions. It's items like these which instantly shows a very clear sense of passion behind the work. Handmade creations demand immaculate detail, dedication and patience; things which adds to the appreciation and value of the item. There's something really lovely about owning an item that has been carefully constructed by someone over several weeks or months.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg929pYPIm05JbgIS0O86Yi2p7xbEzcDAVq14J2P1vcmZqfGob8xMlog-hD7Gve9xE1loXqhfVwsFZ-tz825K1PN73jahyphenhyphenSbb2nIVIikdndzchJJfHqpH7aI0bfTG_8a5wKmaw2IAdCz7k/s1600/CauseplayAnnie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg929pYPIm05JbgIS0O86Yi2p7xbEzcDAVq14J2P1vcmZqfGob8xMlog-hD7Gve9xE1loXqhfVwsFZ-tz825K1PN73jahyphenhyphenSbb2nIVIikdndzchJJfHqpH7aI0bfTG_8a5wKmaw2IAdCz7k/s1600/CauseplayAnnie2.jpg" /></a></div>
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For Annie this has been months in the making, between talking to Meagan about the details to collaborating with fellow cosplayers, her focus now falls on crafting the piece. Last December, I asked if I could talk about it on the site. She checked with Meagan and shortly after, I was given the go ahead. It's a topic that up until this point only was talked about behind close doors and on private channels. The chance to talk about this for the first time in a post is not only a great privilege but one I'm also treating with care. The official announcement containing the full list of contributors, prices and details of the quilt and event, will be made closer to completion. In the meantime, make sure to follow Annie on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecosplaymom/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and the Causeplay Store on <a href="https://twitter.com/CauseplayShop" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CauseplayShop/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>!<br />
<br />
If you're a cosplayer and you would like to get involved with the project, there's still time! You can contact Annie on via her email address at<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #373e4d; line-height: 15.36px; white-space: pre-wrap;">thecosplaymom(at)yahoo(dot)com </span></span>or send her a message through her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecosplaymom/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> for more information or for details to send your own design. Your square doesn't have to be Tomb Raider inspired, as a celebration of cosplay culture, it a collaboration between many cosplayers across numerous fandoms. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-63472879209693673602016-01-06T22:47:00.004+00:002016-01-06T22:47:42.838+00:00Official Q&A for Rise of the Tomb Raider [PC]Yesterday, Crystal Dynamics announced <a href="http://gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/press-release-tomb-raider-comes-to-pc.html" target="_blank">the PC release date</a> for "Rise of the Tomb Raider"! The title will be available as a digital download on 28th January, with a physical copy released the following day.<br />
<br />
Following their announcement, Crystal put together a list of answers to questions the community may possibly have about the PC version and its release later this month. The questions cover topics like a PC Collector's Edition, DLC schedules and global release times.<br />
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Read the full Q&A below:<br />
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<b>---- -- -- -- ----</b></div>
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<h3>
Who lead development of "Rise of the Tomb Raider" for PC? </h3>
Longtime partner Nixxes took lead in developing "Rise of the Tomb Raider" for PC, in close collaboration with Crystal Dynamics. <br />
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<h3>
What are the minimum specs for "Rise of the Tomb Raider" on PC? </h3>
<br />
Minimum OS: Windows 7 64bit<br />
Processor: Intel Core i3-2100 or AMD equivalent<br />
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 650 2GB or AMD HD7770 2GB<br />
RAM: 6GB<br />
HD Space: 25GB<br />
DirectX: DirectX 11<br />
Input: Mouse + Keyboard<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkDAlXFeb85GMfvIWBkuLPr0AwN46fip-WJ2coSLFA2DQS67A_be04LEqYJwHfV7-YZxrLPPzFpX6kHmIb1vZzQiJB_Pqht_4q931S91FCH76qG1z4kcNoB_HiETbM-8kfr1l1cLLN3U/s1600/PCFAQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkDAlXFeb85GMfvIWBkuLPr0AwN46fip-WJ2coSLFA2DQS67A_be04LEqYJwHfV7-YZxrLPPzFpX6kHmIb1vZzQiJB_Pqht_4q931S91FCH76qG1z4kcNoB_HiETbM-8kfr1l1cLLN3U/s1600/PCFAQ.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3>
What frame rate and resolution is "Rise of the Tomb Raider" on PC? </h3>
<br />
At recommended settings you can run the game at 60 FPS at 1080p. With max settings you will be able to run the game in 4K resolution.<br />
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<h3>
<br />What territories will sell "Rise of the Tomb Raider" for the PC as a physical disk? </h3>
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Confirmed territories that will sell "Rise of the Tomb Raider" for PC as a physical disk include UK, France, Germany, and Poland. Further territories TBD.<br />
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<h3>
<br />Will "Rise of the Tomb Raider" also release on Mac? </h3>
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"Rise of the Tomb Raider" will be released for Steam and Windows 10 on January 28th. We do not have any details on a Mac version at this time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wVXIbf1jxjI1QfUBkP7fCRLyC3FJHVECSbM-olOYCFfKyWe4FkNm4SQL33TK1g55uk1-ct8KUqQmbygmjLxVcWBZ-NpkVojdxrmibAULdIOvBbT7zQG0r0IbYDspHATrzIsIVCfZlNo/s1600/PCFAQ2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wVXIbf1jxjI1QfUBkP7fCRLyC3FJHVECSbM-olOYCFfKyWe4FkNm4SQL33TK1g55uk1-ct8KUqQmbygmjLxVcWBZ-NpkVojdxrmibAULdIOvBbT7zQG0r0IbYDspHATrzIsIVCfZlNo/s1600/PCFAQ2.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3>
Will DLC already released for Xbox be available at launch?</h3>
<br />
Yes, all content currently available on Xbox One and Xbox 360 will be available as part of the season pass at launch. All future content will be released simultaneously across all platforms.<br />
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<h3>
Can you play "Rise of the Tomb Raider" on PC with a controller? </h3>
<br />
You can play "Rise of the Tomb Raider" on PC with a controller, or with mouse and keyboard.<br />
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<h3>
<br />Are there any unique features for "Rise of the Tomb Raider" on PC?</h3>
<br />
The PC version of "Rise of the Tomb Raider" will support 4K resolution and features improved framerate and visuals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRMCTBv6QfUFZluoNXSbtfsG6sWsx6YFokZ2uvG650fzkCT9B3QiOXeUpXohoTKyn0Xfj3LtO7nUMZfBlyOTvI7AbOOosd_3oR6p-CjBmXKluFYG6uNAmRgKLmwhFG-6Uay4SYOVrHgM/s1600/PCFAQ3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRMCTBv6QfUFZluoNXSbtfsG6sWsx6YFokZ2uvG650fzkCT9B3QiOXeUpXohoTKyn0Xfj3LtO7nUMZfBlyOTvI7AbOOosd_3oR6p-CjBmXKluFYG6uNAmRgKLmwhFG-6Uay4SYOVrHgM/s1600/PCFAQ3.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3>
Is the January 28 release date global?</h3>
<br />
"Rise of the Tomb Raider" will release digitally on January 28th worldwide. The physical version will go on sale in select territories on January 29th.<br />
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<h3>
<br />Are the languages the same for "Rise of the Tomb Raider" on PC? Any additional languages?</h3>
<br />
The languages options for "Rise of the Tomb Raider" on PC are the same as the Xbox One and Xbox 360 version.<br />
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<h3>
<br />Is a collector’s edition available for "Rise of the Tomb Raider" on PC?</h3>
<br />
Yes, a collector’s Edition, which include the Digital Deluxe version of the game, a 12-inch Lara Croft statue, replicas of Lara’s journal and jade necklace, and a steel case, will also be available from the Square Enix e-store for $149.99.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-11095701533803461022016-01-05T15:10:00.000+00:002016-01-05T15:32:23.266+00:00Press Release: Tomb Raider Comes to PC on 28th January<b>Official Press Release: SQUARE ENIX AND CRYSTAL DYNAMICS ANNOUNCE RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER RELEASE DATE FOR WINDOWS 10 AND STEAM</b><br />
<br />
Award Winning and Critically Acclaimed Adventure Coming to PCs on January 28th
<br />
<br />
REDWOOD CITY (January 5, 2016) - Following Rise of the Tomb Raider’s highly successful release exclusively for Xbox One and Xbox 360, Square Enix® today announced that the game will be available for Windows 10 and Steam on January 28, 2016.
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<br />
Bringing the game’s thrilling narrative and perilous environments to PC in stunning new detail, developers Crystal Dynamics® and Nixxes Software added numerous features, including Windows 10 support and 4K resolution. Rise of the Tomb Raider® was nominated for Best Action/Adventure for The Game Awards and follows the critically acclaimed, award-winning Tomb Raider®.
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<br />
“The PC release of Rise of the Tomb Raider continues the positive momentum from our highly successful partnership and collaboration with Microsoft for the launch on Xbox One and Xbox 360,” said Scot Amos co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSr8nzP5MfsvtRXcSHnT-VAY7JbcP4Y9I4_0hwkpcnAl6xrnA5bE8cvnTwRrsmuPQpouOqIQxqIWzE1gNwxhVGHbpzjq168D82_QS5a4tMPZDNKqU0YX70fjH6bYzRqe2T23bUIeVTFI/s1600/PCRelease.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSr8nzP5MfsvtRXcSHnT-VAY7JbcP4Y9I4_0hwkpcnAl6xrnA5bE8cvnTwRrsmuPQpouOqIQxqIWzE1gNwxhVGHbpzjq168D82_QS5a4tMPZDNKqU0YX70fjH6bYzRqe2T23bUIeVTFI/s1600/PCRelease.jpg" /></a></div>
“PC players are a passionate, devoted audience and we know they’ll embrace the version created for their systems,” said Ron Rosenberg, co-Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics.<br />
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After uncovering an ancient mystery, Lara must explore the most treacherous and remote regions of Siberia to find the secret of immortality before a ruthless organization known as Trinity. Lara must use her wits and survival skills, form new alliances, and ultimately embrace her destiny as the Tomb Raider. Experience high-octane action moments, conquer beautifully hostile environments, engage in brutal guerilla combat, and explore awe-inspiring deadly tombs in the evolution of survival action. In “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” Lara becomes more than a survivor as she embarks on her first Tomb Raiding expedition.
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The PC version of Rise of the Tomb Raider will be available as a digital download via Steam®, the Windows Store, Amazon™, the Square Enix e-store and other major retailers – both in-store and online. Standard edition pricing is $59.99. The Digital Deluxe edition is $89.99 and includes a Season Pass to nearly all current and future DLC.
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<br />
A Collector’s Edition, which includes the Digital Deluxe version of the game, a 12-inch Lara Croft® statue, replicas of Lara’s journal and jade necklace, and a steel case, will also be available from the Square Enix e-store for $149.99.
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To learn more about Rise of the Tomb Raider, please visit the official website and follow the game on Facebook and Twitter.
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<br />
Related Links<br />
Official Homepage: <a href="http://www.tombraider.com/" target="_blank">www.TOMBRAIDER.com </a><br />
Official Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/tombraider" target="_blank">@TOMBRAIDER</a><br />
Official Facebook page: <a href="http://facebook.com/TOMBRAIDER" target="_blank">http://facebook.com/TOMBRAIDER</a><br />
Official Tumblr: <a href="http://officialtombraiderblog.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">www.TOMBRAIDER.tumblr.com/</a><br />
Official YouTube Channel: <a href="http://youtube.com/TOMBRAIDER" target="_blank">http://youtube.com/TOMBRAIDER</a><br />
Assets are available on the press site: <a href="http://press.na.square-enix.com/products/p286/rise-of-the-tomb-raider" target="_blank">http://press.na.square-enix.com/products/p286/rise-of-the-tomb-raider</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">About TOMB RAIDER
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The TOMB RAIDER franchise has sold over 45 million copies worldwide and inspired one of the most successful video game film adaptations in history, grossing over $300 million at the global box office with protagonist Lara Croft becoming a contemporary global icon. The most recent release in the world famous franchise, Rise of the Tomb Raider, released exclusively for Xbox One and Xbox 360 on November 9, 2015. The game has received numerous “Best of” nominations and is one of the highest rated games on next generation systems. All of this has made TOMB RAIDER once again a destination brand for action-adventure.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">About Square Enix, Inc. <br />Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 110 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 66 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 45 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.na.square-enix.com/ .
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-10734999406594301302015-12-14T09:07:00.001+00:002015-12-14T11:05:57.732+00:00Promoting Lara Croft GO / Interviews with Helen, Laura and Rachel How Four Cosplayers Took Over the London Underground In celebration of Lara Croft GO's launch, four cosplayers from the UK were recruited to promote the game in a new and interesting way. Each of the ladies were given three iPad Minis, a travel card and a route on the London Underground. Instructions on how to win a tablet from one of the Laras was hidden in copies of the Metro, a free newspaper offered to commuters at various stations. Inside the paper, it was revealed that you could win a tablet if you tell the password "Lara Croft GO" to a Lara on their travels across the city.<br />
<br />
Being from London, I had an immediate interest in the promotional event. I also had some questions about their experiences and their thoughts on the day. For this article, I had the pleasure of talking to Rachel (Athora), Helen and Laura. A huge thank you to them for taking time out of their busy life to talk about this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCX7y4BjWtfbO75ZABsRPEDCM7c5Yxn22eXGd3NnOTYDlCT46knZv-EADQPtic5Td_1ocuOsa8l49cwpviOgawys2mxnDbK6S-5mCJuln74LvtM7SJawh_8ry4ZXbw6o4VmTSIfkpBCo/s1600/1GroupShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCX7y4BjWtfbO75ZABsRPEDCM7c5Yxn22eXGd3NnOTYDlCT46knZv-EADQPtic5Td_1ocuOsa8l49cwpviOgawys2mxnDbK6S-5mCJuln74LvtM7SJawh_8ry4ZXbw6o4VmTSIfkpBCo/s1600/1GroupShot.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Official Tomb Raider Blog.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
One thing which stands out immediately from their interviews was how the project came about. There wasn't one email that was sent around, and each Lara was contacted at different times; a clear sign that this event spent a long time in a developmental stage, probably because this wasn't a stand-alone TR cosplay event.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Cosplayers</h3>
<br />
For Helen, her invitation came during a cosplayer gathering over the Summer. "I attended the Tomb Raider meet up at Gamescom and Meagan [Senior Community Manager at Crystal Dynamics] came up to me to offer the role. I was taken by surprise but of course I said yes." Helen's motivation for taking part in the event came from following the series at an early age. " I grew up with the Tomb Raider models, wishing I could be like one of those" Each year, until 2009, Eidos employed a spokesperson to promote the brand as an official Lara Croft model. The lady chosen would portray Lara at various press events and conventions, taking part in photoshoots and interviews. After the release of Tomb Raider Underworld in 2008, the decade-long tradition ended with gymnast, Alison Carroll. In recent years, the tradition returned as something new, with a larger focus on cosplayers and the community promoting the series.<br />
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Rachel, also known online as Athora, has been involved in the cosplaying community for several years now. While she's accurately crafted outfits inspired by Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) and Wonder Woman, she's perhaps most know for her portrayal of Lara Croft. In her interview, she recalls getting the initial invite, "I was approached by [Meagan] to become involved with helping to promote the game and the Tomb Raider Cosplay community, as their official UK representative at Eurogamer Expo, which was held in Birmingham in September. As their Official Lara Croft cosplayer I was also offered to help promote Lara Croft GO for an agency."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIXaaWJRMNS9DTLq9hDA0mmdI-uNmb_RQctxz-3fwjukl80QAebQwAwlkG_y0sU_a7b_-vfjfS6D4YBpV_9qUNmSRf3zyFD78-ilh0-e4gKWbsVgn0aDP3WHPN96ClO9s2iHdJR_L0pU/s1600/LCGoUndergroundGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIXaaWJRMNS9DTLq9hDA0mmdI-uNmb_RQctxz-3fwjukl80QAebQwAwlkG_y0sU_a7b_-vfjfS6D4YBpV_9qUNmSRf3zyFD78-ilh0-e4gKWbsVgn0aDP3WHPN96ClO9s2iHdJR_L0pU/s1600/LCGoUndergroundGroup.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LisaMarieCosplay/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Lisa</a>'s Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jandrewfilmandphotography/">Justice Pictures UK</a> / Helen's Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Darren-Rowley-Photography-289955224349130/">Darren Rowley Photography</a> / Rachel's Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Darren-Rowley-Photography-289955224349130/">Darren Rowley Photography</a> / Laura's Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Darren-Rowley-Photography-289955224349130/">Darren Rowley Photography</a></span></td></tr>
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<br />
Laura's involvement in the Lara Croft GO event started with a surprise email asking if she would interested in taking part; "Lynn Daniel from 'Brown Betty' contacted me, Lisa and Helen via e-mail, after Rachel forwarded our details, asking if we'd be interested in the PR stunt for Square Enix." Laura's journey in cosplay began gradually; at first she put together a Lara Croft outfit for a school graduation fancy dress party at the age of fifteen. "A few years later, for a bit of fun, I wore that costume at a local beach and put the pictures on Facebook, where Sara [Croft] of <a href="http://laracroftcosplay.com/">Lara Croft Cosplay</a> found me. I made the Doppelgänger outfit from Tomb Raider Underworld that Halloween and then Sara really helped me get into cosplay properly; my first full cosplay was Lara Croft from the 2013 rebooted Tomb Raider."<br />
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<br />
<h3>
Preparation</h3>
<br />
For some of the Laras, this was the first time that they would be officially promoting a Tomb Raider/Lara Croft title at an event. Most of the costume preparation would have to wait until the big day, but there were a few things that could be done in the lead up to it.<br />
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As the event was going to be photographed, each Lara had to look similar which meant that Square Enix would supply the vest and shorts, ensuring that the colour matched. Helen recalls:"Myself, Laura, Rachel and Lisa just needed to provide a backpack, boots, holster and gloves. I made myself a backpack a couple of days before I travelled down to London with the help of Laura."<br />
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"I first made my costume extra durable so there was less chance of anything breaking if I happened to accidentally brush past somebody on the cramped tubes!" Rachel describes, "luckily my costume held up. I also ensured that my costume was safe so nothing could snag on anyone; that's one thing I often try to be weary of, even at conventions. I spoke to other Official Lara Croft Cosplayers and asked for their advice. Never be afraid to ask for advice, especially from those who have been doing it for many years! The best advice I received was 'Smile like you're a Disney Princess'"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ_DNMrxOjBge8ZStme9n0kux-1t2ofFgCi8DJxpB4l8ApBDAAnxiEddtn-ds9EZwXHR6QNWNkecUUMXjU4LSzmRz7S_cdTrRSf8959PPdW1ub6O2P4nnrQahEs7hzIGoYL42zfS7kQA/s1600/3GroupShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ_DNMrxOjBge8ZStme9n0kux-1t2ofFgCi8DJxpB4l8ApBDAAnxiEddtn-ds9EZwXHR6QNWNkecUUMXjU4LSzmRz7S_cdTrRSf8959PPdW1ub6O2P4nnrQahEs7hzIGoYL42zfS7kQA/s1600/3GroupShot.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Official Tomb Raider Blog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Another important element of the event was punctuality. Many of the Laras lived outside of London and needed to travel into town to promote the game. The tour across London would begin just after the large morning rush hour, but before then each Lara had to get to reach the office. As Helen describes "I do sometimes get panic attacks and made sure my trip down was nice and calm as possible, just in case! Luckily all was okay! I stayed with some relatives for the weekend and that was it really apart from the night before; I was sat finishing edges on my bag while using a Korean sheet face mask!"<br />
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For Laura, she had quite a ways to travel, something which would have been impossible on the day. To take part in the event, she had to find an alternative solution, "As I was travelling from the North East and the journey was eight and a half hours, I stayed with some relatives, so I went down a couple of days early. I had to get a train in to the offices at 5.42am, so I made sure I got plenty of rest the night before and had a coffee when I got there! "<br />
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<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Event</h3>
<br />
Before the day could begin, the cosplayers had a meet up point in London where they would get their Lara Croft gear on and would be walked through the schedule. Recalling the morning, Laura commented on how the team prioritized the cosplayers. "The Brown Betty team were very friendly and welcoming, they made sure we had everything we needed and that we all felt comfortable. They got each of us hot drinks and a copy of the 'Metro' newspaper with the Lara Croft GO feature while we were getting our makeup done in the morning. I've never had my makeup done professionally before so that was lovely! "<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVug2sFfYof7PtN3nHsfjFl7zoTjM_211y0Dv3vRdWutB90U-KtdRdI_Eq-SoVn5coeUCLPqsMtdeyfIsKLN6tN8Fpe-zptUwhj-wGRPNmgJJS3_9LwvXfOVNlDT9RCYItPsP0VgbakHw/s1600/LauraTrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVug2sFfYof7PtN3nHsfjFl7zoTjM_211y0Dv3vRdWutB90U-KtdRdI_Eq-SoVn5coeUCLPqsMtdeyfIsKLN6tN8Fpe-zptUwhj-wGRPNmgJJS3_9LwvXfOVNlDT9RCYItPsP0VgbakHw/s1600/LauraTrain.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the Official Tomb Raider Blog.</td></tr>
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<center>
</center>
<br />
Once in Lara Croft gear, the team began their journey, pausing momentarily at Farringdon Station for promotional photographs. As a group they travelled from the station to Kings Cross where they split up and went on different underground lines."We all departed from the same station and went off on separate tube lines during the event, there were four of us dressed as Lara, each with our own escort." Rachel begins, "We were then instructed to meet back at the office once we'd handed out all of our iPads. The team had our travel cards ready for the day, before we left, and they ensured we were all comfortable and happy and that we knew what we were doing so the day ran smoothly."<br />
<br />
Each cosplayer had three iPad Minis to give away, a total of twelve overall, but with the Laras travelling in different directions, the devices were soon in the hands of the public. "As I stepped off the train [at King's Cross] I had my first winner. Rounding the corner the second, and as I got pictures with him, the third and final winner approached. So the prize-giving was over rather rapidly for me! People were still running up to me to say 'Lara Croft GO' and I had to tell them that I had no more prizes but most people just seemed happy enough to 'meet Lara Croft', it was a great feeling."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7E0LgU9kOwUpOPqpwgpJ06rnNVgGL6pEzLhXOfRWx592mwok41VmAPlafIVFIaQwXZsmi7od_HYgNyE0c4pLVfL0y33LbZEV16kmEL8L_PGcyBJkluECKPMBSNfUGwMTCb9LcUTbV_Y/s1600/LauraBuddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7E0LgU9kOwUpOPqpwgpJ06rnNVgGL6pEzLhXOfRWx592mwok41VmAPlafIVFIaQwXZsmi7od_HYgNyE0c4pLVfL0y33LbZEV16kmEL8L_PGcyBJkluECKPMBSNfUGwMTCb9LcUTbV_Y/s1600/LauraBuddy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the official Tomb Raider Blog.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Helen faced a similar situation. "I think I had around 7 people approach me within 25 minutes, obviously only the first three won the iPads. Some of the people had a real nostalgia trip and were just as happy to get a picture with Lara Croft! Many of the passengers looked on and knew who I was cosplaying as even if they didn’t approach me to whisper the password ‘Lara Croft GO’."<br />
<br />
For the cosplayers, the event ended pretty soon after setting out, and they made their way back to the studios where they reconvened with the others in the group. Reflecting on the morning, Helen describes the adventure as a "fantastic event that really worked for what the game represented. Lara Croft GO harks back to the classic aesthetics and is all about experiencing Tomb Raider on the go. So by having a Lara on the tube travelling around London, it is a visual representation. All the iPads were snapped up pretty quickly, so it is nice to know that the advertisement in the Metro had an impact and that people were actively on the look out. Also we avoided a potential tube strike which was pure luck!"<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ-kN5GTubr2vA7bd-sI6XdFvzVfE1NIiIclda45w-tSS3ZK0kG4FeyJwATqxqFuyAKAlSg2MNXVc_69k_eLb_GL02CmvsrrENIIZP-YQJPCOh9Enrn9jqZtCF9Q_VI8NqZx8lZQTwEU/s1600/LaraCroftGoUndergroundRae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZ-kN5GTubr2vA7bd-sI6XdFvzVfE1NIiIclda45w-tSS3ZK0kG4FeyJwATqxqFuyAKAlSg2MNXVc_69k_eLb_GL02CmvsrrENIIZP-YQJPCOh9Enrn9jqZtCF9Q_VI8NqZx8lZQTwEU/s1600/LaraCroftGoUndergroundRae.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photography by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.812128242219410.1073741830.325899764175596&type=3" target="_blank">Metro / Image via Athora Cosplay</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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The day seemed to be a success with a smooth journey, and was relatively stress free. Commenting on how the event felt, Rachel describes her experiences and her thoughts.. "I was first apprehensive as I didn't know how we would be received by the public, as you're travelling through the tube stations during peak times you could bump into a variety of people, both nice and not so nice! But once we were down in the tubes and adrenaline kicked in I was really enjoying myself. I think it rubbed off on other people too as many looked up and smiled, I was even called beautiful! I think the day went superbly. The lucky winners were ecstatic with their prizes and I'm so glad I helped to make people's day. One guy even said it was his last day at work, on top of winning an iPad! The smile on peoples faces as they walked away with their prizes was so satisfying, it made me feel great"
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<h3>
</h3>
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<h3>
The Topic of Safety</h3>
<br />
When I contacted the group, I told them about that I would be discussing the topic of safety during the article, to make sure they were okay with it. The London Underground is safe but it doesn't always feel welcoming, and sometimes when I've travelled on it, there's been a guy testing boundaries or just general creepiness. When I first heard of the event, I was slightly concerned about safety. I didn't think that anything was going to happen, but I didn't want the Laras to be in that position of promoting the brand and feeling as though, because they were in that role, that they had to be nice to intimidating characters.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIou_uCOiDZ3_Dcm9T85lamYQhAs5BRaQNEDpLmJ49IN70DvhaUnC5VD-QhW1ikJbM0WbB5fx4Cyf5rRbYLgccpxJMp0mFtNAM9ogz_QkX0ShVhdBpTpFdNV_w-wn1YmhMXQenBday-Co/s1600/LaraCroftGoAd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIou_uCOiDZ3_Dcm9T85lamYQhAs5BRaQNEDpLmJ49IN70DvhaUnC5VD-QhW1ikJbM0WbB5fx4Cyf5rRbYLgccpxJMp0mFtNAM9ogz_QkX0ShVhdBpTpFdNV_w-wn1YmhMXQenBday-Co/s1600/LaraCroftGoAd.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Promotional advert for the event.</span></td></tr>
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<br />
The first person I talked to was Meagan Marie (Senior Community Manager at Crystal Dynamics). I messaged her to make sure that I could write about the Lara Croft GO event and conduct interviews with the cosplayers, and that there was no contract or paperwork which prevented that. I also mentioned that I had wanted to ask about safety in the interviews. Along with a green light, she also illuminated how safety was a primary focus that remained throughout the planning and the event. The cosplayers were accompanied by a guide who would make sure that the event went smoothly, and that they would be the ones with the iPad Minis, not the Laras.<br />
<br />
Admittedly as soon as I heard that Meagan was part of the preparation, the situation changed in my mind. She has led several cosplay gatherings and appeared as a special guest in costume at numerous events. A couple of years ago she spoke about treatment of women in the gaming industry in a blog post entitled "<a href="http://meagan-marie.tumblr.com/post/46396481491/what-would-you-do-if-you-werent-afraid" target="_blank">What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid</a>" which also covered cosplay. Her passion for the hobby is matched by her knowledge of the scene, and her experiences gives her a insight into how cosplay events can be improved to ensure everyone has fun and feels safe.<br />
<br />
In addition to Meagan, I also talked to the Laras about any concerns they had during the event and if they felt safe. Talking to Helen, she describes "I had a minder with me at all times, as did all the other Laras. I knew if I felt panicky or uncomfortable then we could stop for a bit; but I felt very safe throughout and it was just like travelling to a convention in all honesty. I was made aware of all the safety procedures before I agreed to the event so I knew everything would be in hand and I wasn’t going to be left alone. "<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lwLyaqUrhymzQHSBzgJUosfPoGMtO28-7bfaVl_9IfHtSoyZXUshD54NTMNtXRtNni07b_jq5VRh0cMB4Ss1uNn0AQktypFHUDQf6CAaEf_DxGWPxlOuZRw-fv3rl5sbfB4FoAYyqCE/s1600/Walking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lwLyaqUrhymzQHSBzgJUosfPoGMtO28-7bfaVl_9IfHtSoyZXUshD54NTMNtXRtNni07b_jq5VRh0cMB4Ss1uNn0AQktypFHUDQf6CAaEf_DxGWPxlOuZRw-fv3rl5sbfB4FoAYyqCE/s1600/Walking.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.812128242219410.1073741830.325899764175596&type=3" target="_blank">Metro via Athora's Cosplay FB page</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Helen also spoke about the possibly of changed plans or anything that would disrupt getting to the offices or the Underground on the day, as well as the role of their guides. "There was also emails before the event checking that we were all okay costume wise and what would happen if the tube strike went ahead, so that we wouldn’t travel to London and find that plans had changed. Our minders also made sure we were okay while we were travelling around and kept an eye out just in case anyone decided to be a little creepy or was harassed. Thankfully, plan A worked out perfectly and we all had a great time and lots of laughs."<br />
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<h3>
Future Projects</h3>
<br />
Of course I couldn't have a cosplay feature without asking them about their upcoming projects! Speaking to the three ladies, it was nice to see some overlap with the project, and how they continue to pursue Tomb Raider inspired cosplays.<br />
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<div>
For Rachel, her next project will be about refining some of her older projects, and improving upon them; "I'm planning on reworking my Rise of the Tomb Raider costume, I'm also thinking of doing a classic Lara costume in the near future too!"<br />
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(You can follow Rachel's adventures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AthoraCosplay/?fref=ts">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kitakhaleesi/">Instagram</a>.)<br />
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<div>
Rachel and Laura share a similar goal, with a new cosplay inspired by Lara's latest adventure. "I'm currently working on Lara Croft from the upcoming 'Rise of the Tomb Raider' and my next planned cosplay is Xiuying Hong from Shenmue II. "<br />
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<div>
(To keep up to date on Laura's future cosplays, follow her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LaraElizaCosplayer/?fref=ts">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/_LauraEliza_">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://lauraelizagamer.deviantart.com/">deviantArt</a>)<br />
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<div>
With Helen, she recently celebrated the completion of her new TR outfit, which you can see photos of from <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tombraiderofficialflickr/albums/72157658964388060" target="_blank">EGX (Eurogamer Expo)</a> in Birmingham. "The next on my list is Aloy from Horizon: Zero Dawn and I am redoing my GLaDOS for competition next year. I’ll finally get around to doing a Rise cosplay next summer."</div>
<div>
<br />
(Check out Helen's previous and upcoming adventures on <a href="https://twitter.com/Lady_Scion" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Lady-Scion-Cosplay-1587906064801508/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.)</div>
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<h3>
A huge thank you to Rachel, Laura and Helen for taking the time to do the interviews. It was great hearing about your experiences from the event.</h3>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-25213928832225117122015-11-08T21:23:00.002+00:002015-11-08T21:23:36.225+00:00Exclusive Interview with Jeff Wajcs Senior Designer at Crystal Dynamics [E3 Special][<b>Warning! Minor Spoilers, </b>although the piece focuses more on Crystal's approach to tomb design rather than detailed examples and locations.]<br />
<br />
As part of the E3 Ambassador Program, I wrote an article for the <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/post/123747974615/e3-ambassador-blog-a-return-to-tombs-author" target="_blank">official Tomb Raider blog</a> about the reemergence of tombs in the
latest installment of the franchise. After listening to fan feedback
from the previous game, the team at Crystal focused on expanding these areas, making them more complex and captivating. For the piece I had the pleasure of
interviewing Jeff Wajcs, Senior Designer at Crystal Dynamics. I am so happy with how the interview turned out, the answers that Jeff gave were not only informative but there was a clear passion and genuine interest behind the words. <br />
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Parts of the interview can be seen in the Return to Tombs article, but I am excited to be allowed to share with you the full interview below. A huge thank you to Meagan to arranging the interview and Jeff for the fantastic answers:<br />
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<h3>
What types of tombs can players expect to encounter in the game? And how to do they differ from each other?
</h3>
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Jeff Wajcs: We have the main critical path tombs the optional challenge tombs. The critical tombs are bigger than ever and feature a variety of gameplay, themed around big puzzles. Additionally, there will also be exploration, combat, and traversal in these spaces, along with collectibles to find. Challenge Tombs are smaller and focus primarily on puzzles. Traps and other dangers appear in both, so Lara will have to stay on her toes no matter which sort of tomb she is raiding.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHEDckNDm6p9I7wqQy7jJn2WtmFB2YiOWB5MiPN8nH3HCFSgKD8sXdS3TBfMZ4nJ-RyHMogmgXqfaswVQzjKTSjIBRjWIzLplcx1F9Zg4U-QdiHsmXH6Pc1pGtcAKqhmIawFhFOXoFkY/s1600/JeffTombs01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHEDckNDm6p9I7wqQy7jJn2WtmFB2YiOWB5MiPN8nH3HCFSgKD8sXdS3TBfMZ4nJ-RyHMogmgXqfaswVQzjKTSjIBRjWIzLplcx1F9Zg4U-QdiHsmXH6Pc1pGtcAKqhmIawFhFOXoFkY/s1600/JeffTombs01.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h3>
You’ve announced that you want to improve the tomb experience from the previous game, what is your design philosophy for the new game?
</h3>
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Jeff Wajcs: Besides just having more tombs in general, we have a new philosophy for critical path tombs. Every critical path tomb throws one “big problem” at Lara. She needs to solve a series of puzzles in order to chip away at the “big problem,” bit by bit. We also refer to this as “nested puzzles.” This philosophy lets us insert traversal and combat challenges in the moments between puzzles, and helps us balance the pacing without compromising the puzzle theme of the level. This also puts the puzzles into much larger spaces to explore, and Lara will be able to return to them later to find everything she missed on her first time through.
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<h3>
Has the Next Gen technology and graphics expanded the potential of tombs and puzzles in Rise of the Tomb Raider?
</h3>
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Jeff Wajcs: You bet! Water is one of my favorite things to use for puzzles, and you’ll see a lot of new next gen materials and FX on display. Lara will need to use the different physics of water to solve a wide variety of puzzles. There are changing water levels, water currents, water used as weight, water powering machines- there’s a lot. And Lara will be able to swim around freely in it for this game!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPRxUwuaFsBOcuLDOjL4nXtwvB1HnOKOPUZEvUA_22fY38Rs9QIGON8VVRMmfxHEUDJYJ5rYjs7p_MeWhMcs_Zg4AIrEpFqNsZ9h4wqVeXRRQ-aPdc2-mevKEwUqL3svjeMaFjuFJLyQ/s1600/ReturntoTombs02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPRxUwuaFsBOcuLDOjL4nXtwvB1HnOKOPUZEvUA_22fY38Rs9QIGON8VVRMmfxHEUDJYJ5rYjs7p_MeWhMcs_Zg4AIrEpFqNsZ9h4wqVeXRRQ-aPdc2-mevKEwUqL3svjeMaFjuFJLyQ/s1600/ReturntoTombs02.jpg" /></a></div>
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</h3>
<h3>
What is the developmental process for planning and creating tombs? Can you walk us through the workflow?
</h3>
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Jeff Wajcs: There’s no formula for coming up with puzzles. Some like to start with the story component. Others start with the puzzle mechanics. I like to start with the layout of the space itself. Of course, all three of those things need to be decided on and approved early. After that comes the grind- iterating to work out all of the problems. Is there enough of a “wrinkle” with a nonobvious solution? Have all the puzzle mechanics been introduced? Are there any problems with the layout? This all takes place before user testing, which flushes out all kinds of new problems. Why aren’t players finding the rope connection? How can we discourage an idea that leads to a dead end? How many times did the player die on a specific part? It takes a lot to get a puzzle balanced and satisfying to play!
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<h3>
Did you find anything particularly challenging when it came to designing the tombs in the game?
</h3>
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Jeff Wajcs: The most challenging aspect of designing a tomb is always tying in the fiction. The days of random pressure plates and gigantic wall switches are long gone. We work hard to incorporate every puzzle element into the environment and the story we are telling inside of it. The puzzle and story improve each other by quite a lot when they are connected.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL30EGITWlGTGlBthQAKxbRqqESD8oRkiPde5jXA8kWlg2EXRWx-IaMzkcCwHJAbJHMwCGPqW5nt4rcxXwnkWyGWqHdsweu3vCjJ0GmaveolVovZm9lcv-C_NNCnEqYoM_1Bzd5AzBg8E/s1600/JeffTombs03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL30EGITWlGTGlBthQAKxbRqqESD8oRkiPde5jXA8kWlg2EXRWx-IaMzkcCwHJAbJHMwCGPqW5nt4rcxXwnkWyGWqHdsweu3vCjJ0GmaveolVovZm9lcv-C_NNCnEqYoM_1Bzd5AzBg8E/s1600/JeffTombs03.jpg" /></a></div>
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</h3>
<h3>
In the previous game, the focus was on Lara learning how to be a survivor, for Rise of the Tomb Raider she’s more experienced. Does this have an impact on the tomb design?
</h3>
<br />
Jeff Wajcs: Instead of stumbling into tombs and trying to escape, this time Lara is actively seeking the tombs out in order to learn their secrets. We put a lot more attention into how Lara finds and infiltrates the ancient spaces of our world. Of course, now that Lara actually wants to get into the tombs, the tombs themselves have to try even harder to keep her out. We’ve prepared a bunch of new traps and hazards that only Lara Croft could survive.
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<h3>
How are you handling the difficulty level? Are the tombs designed so that Lara and the player always have to push that little bit more? And do you have a way of balancing the difficulty so that experienced and new players can both enjoy the tombs?
</h3>
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Jeff Wajcs: Survival Instinct is the key for aiding new players. Every puzzle can be solved without Survival Instinct, and players that enjoy being challenged by puzzles can definitely go without it. Lara will provide more hints the more Survival Instinct is used, so less familiar players can rely on it more. The presence of Survival Instinct is actually what allows us to include the harder puzzles in the game that we hope our longtime fans will appreciate.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59ZV7zXWzIWjvxtIF5n9esnDf9Cu6Q5jHK9gvD3v1fs99RzcOzokB2wajuWIYeXHhmeIDy1xkddP2KyYDrykz_vRSXb4iZ9Wqi-0RE3PU0xeKCfyXoBTx6UqaW_k2O4XE5vraGSxhFnM/s1600/JeffTombs05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59ZV7zXWzIWjvxtIF5n9esnDf9Cu6Q5jHK9gvD3v1fs99RzcOzokB2wajuWIYeXHhmeIDy1xkddP2KyYDrykz_vRSXb4iZ9Wqi-0RE3PU0xeKCfyXoBTx6UqaW_k2O4XE5vraGSxhFnM/s1600/JeffTombs05.jpg" /></a></div>
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</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Closely related to the previous question, how are you tailoring the tomb difficulty for players with different levels of experience?
</h3>
<br />
Jeff Wajcs: Tomb Raider has a lot of action gamers in its audience, gamers who may not have a lot of puzzles in their diet normally. It is a great opportunity for us to introduce them to puzzle gameplay, and it is no small challenge. We’ve done a good job breaking down our harder puzzles into their constituent pieces and introduced each individually. For instance, Lara’s rope arrow is something unique to Tomb Raider and has more than one application (including a couple new ones!). Teaching those applications one at a time and ramping them over the course of the game is really important. That way, when players are stumped on the puzzle, it is for the right reason and never too long, and they get the rush of satisfaction from figuring it out.
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<h3>
<br />What kind of rewards can players expect to find in the challenge tombs? Do they unlock achievements or will they affect the gameplay and Lara’s abilities or equipment?
</h3>
<br />
Jeff Wajcs: There are a ton of new skills this time around, and several of them can only be acquired by completing the Challenge Tombs. Tombs also have a ton of crafting resources, which are more important than ever. Lara will also find maps that show her the locations of other collectibles out in the wild. So no matter what kind of player you are and what kind of gameplay you like, Challenge Tombs will have the right reward for you.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4Gnoku4Xcn9LlCuWDJ1Qm-ygIAPoK9ADXG5NEbMfKC2uwD6z8rzYB222we8k2G0t0tyO7moPvDknz6o1sEGUDXH1XjyGAMZomkkueN-YVAsyN6vXQXSuV-PQedzN8U9QX-uXxEEBpk4/s1600/JeffTombs04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4Gnoku4Xcn9LlCuWDJ1Qm-ygIAPoK9ADXG5NEbMfKC2uwD6z8rzYB222we8k2G0t0tyO7moPvDknz6o1sEGUDXH1XjyGAMZomkkueN-YVAsyN6vXQXSuV-PQedzN8U9QX-uXxEEBpk4/s1600/JeffTombs04.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
The challenge tombs in the previous game felt a little disconnected from the main storyline. Will the new tombs have a bigger story significance or be tied more closely to game world’s lore?
</h3>
<br />
Jeff Wajcs: One of the biggest improvements to the Challenge Tombs has been in the story department. Each Challenge Tomb has a history for the player to discover, both in the documents left there but also in the environment itself. Each tomb feeds into the broader mystery that Lara is trying to figure out. The environments are certainly much more exciting as a result.<br />
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<h3>
What are Lara’s motivations to enter the tombs? Is she going there purely for archaeological interest or for personal gain or something else?
</h3>
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Jeff Wajcs: Finding the secrets lost in time is important to Lara so that she better understands the world, and what happened to her on Yamatai. There is also Trinity, an organization that exists to use history’s secrets for their betterment. They destroy what cannot be hidden, whereas Lara would rather use those secrets for the betterment of mankind. She will learn a lot as she learns those secrets one by one.
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[Transportation, lodging, and E3 badge provided by Crystal Dynamics and Xbox as a part of the E3 2015 Ambassador Program]<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-60172183356106058752015-11-08T02:03:00.003+00:002015-11-08T02:03:38.687+00:00Extended Interview with Stella Lune (Stella's Tomb Raider Walkthrough / Blog) Extra Life Marathon 2015If you're visiting this site, chances are that you're a Tomb Raider fan, and as a Tomb Raider fan you probably have already visited <a href="http://www.tombraiders.net/" target="_blank">Stella's Tomb Raider Walkthroughs</a> plenty of times in search for that hidden secret that's just a little too hidden or the solution for a puzzle. She owns one of the longest-running TR fansites and, since it's creation in 1998, has been an active member of the community. In recent years she started up the Extra Life Team Tomb Raider Community group, which has raised over $7,000. A little while ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Stella about her experiences as Captain of the group and her plans this year. <br />
<br />
As part of <a href="http://www.gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/extra-life-charity-marathon-2015-team.html" target="_blank">the Extra Life article</a>
I wrote, I contacted three members of Team Tomb Raider Community and
asked if I could interview them about their plans for this year,
motivations and challenges. The article is live now, but you can read Stella's full interview below:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Tell us about yourself!</h3>
<br />
I've been playing Tomb Raider since shortly after the first game came out and doing walkthroughs at <a href="http://tombraiders.net/" target="_blank">tombraiders.net</a> for nearly 18 years now. Obviously I'm a huge fan of the series, but I'm equally enthusiastic about promoting community among the fans. Extra Life is a great way to bring players together for a good cause.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9fjsSq8ruoLZUfa_ndg5qPqfSu0n8TF4Yke472PS8DrrllsbUpptMQ4vZziM7AlsevQaExTJJVF7Aguiloo0Db16aGkRt4iE8Vt3xv4HN7x1vwcunwfK8roYnOgzCvga8ptji71uAZA/s1600/StellaExtraLife02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9fjsSq8ruoLZUfa_ndg5qPqfSu0n8TF4Yke472PS8DrrllsbUpptMQ4vZziM7AlsevQaExTJJVF7Aguiloo0Db16aGkRt4iE8Vt3xv4HN7x1vwcunwfK8roYnOgzCvga8ptji71uAZA/s1600/StellaExtraLife02.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h3>
This year is going to mark your fourth charity livestream for Extra Life, what have you learnt over the years of running it?</h3>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
For those who aren't familiar with the event itself, <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/" target="_blank">Extra Life</a> is a video game marathon to benefit <a href="https://giveamiracle.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org/" target="_blank">Children's Miracle Network Hospitals</a>. It's sort of like a walk-a-thon or fun run but instead of doing an actual sport, the participants recruit sponsors and then earn their donations by playing games for 24 hours. The Tomb Raider community team is just one of thousands in the whole Extra Life event, which last year included more than 50,000 gamers and raised over $6 million.</div>
<br />
As for what I've learned, I think the main thing is to stay flexible. I wish I could say I had some sort of grand plan, but to be honest, whenever I try and schedule things too rigidly there's always some technical glitch, time zone issue, or other problem. It's a challenge coordinating players from different countries, playing on different systems, with different levels of equipment and technical ability. So I just try and stay loose and roll with whatever happens. The main thing is to make everyone--both players and spectators--feel welcome and of course to encourage donations. That's why we're here.<br />
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<h3>
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<h3>
What motivates you to do it each year? </h3>
<br />
My number one motivation is the kids. My son has always been healthy--practically indestructible, in fact!--but my heart goes out to the families of sick and injured children. It's a stressful situation, and the last thing they should have to worry about is money. Our efforts help provide treatment for kids without health insurance or whose insurance doesn't cover all the care they need. It also helps hospitals acquire much-needed equipment to make kids' hospital stays easier and help them get better faster. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucuc6tfIeqRYjEKJWjogPmxC7_ZXpGUN6sO_xtdAl6k1KdHZdAkyqUneQionTJNii1PtcIcyK3dS-Xdn353d5EdRdWeXBFC4KHRlQT9PjzJrgKFYJ_BPl-CPwRymAmpDTQ3lCenhyphenhyphenBbU/s1600/StellaExtraLife01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucuc6tfIeqRYjEKJWjogPmxC7_ZXpGUN6sO_xtdAl6k1KdHZdAkyqUneQionTJNii1PtcIcyK3dS-Xdn353d5EdRdWeXBFC4KHRlQT9PjzJrgKFYJ_BPl-CPwRymAmpDTQ3lCenhyphenhyphenBbU/s1600/StellaExtraLife01.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h3>
What's the biggest challenge with arranging the livestream?</h3>
<br />
For me it's the technical side. I've managed to figure out the basics for my own streaming, but I'm no wizard. When other players have trouble with their setup or their internet, there's not a lot I can do to help. I encourage people to test, test, test beforehand, but even then there are always unforeseen issues. After that, it's coordinating all the players in their different time zones. It's great being a part of a worldwide fandom, but with people in North America, Europe, Australia, and all over the place, things can get a little crazy.<br />
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<br />
<h3>
What's the weirdest thing you're experienced while running the livestreams? </h3>
<br />
Well, there have been a few hilarious game glitches and plenty of sloppiness brought on by late hours and long stretches at the keyboard, but so far we've been pretty fortunate not to have had any major mishaps. You have to expect the unexpected though. That's part of the fun of livestreaming. Anything can happen--and probably will! <br />
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<br />
<br />
<h3>
What tips would you give to someone taking part in it for the first time?</h3>
<br />
Start small. You don't even have to livestream if you can't or don't want to. Many players do their Extra Life gaming offline. Some play on their own, some with friends or family, some even play mobile games, board games, or tabletop games. There are lots of options. Livestreaming is just one of them.<br />
<br />
Same with the fund raising. Set a small goal at first, but try to remember that the donations are the reason we're here. You're not asking for yourself; you're asking for the charity, so don't be shy. Ask a lot of people to sponsor you for a small amount and the donations will add up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwC4wfUk25ceO2kwE-zTWM3pLGtKPx2hLLC_-NjEr38rb7PW3s_V3dYxipqqakJED-AJIjCcps2wwg2uTkPsDvBWruK-mN-tYyn2MUKHOY4v9ZxF61bE0klwMjiYXL6jAAEsWzIUzBjk/s1600/StellaExtraLife03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwC4wfUk25ceO2kwE-zTWM3pLGtKPx2hLLC_-NjEr38rb7PW3s_V3dYxipqqakJED-AJIjCcps2wwg2uTkPsDvBWruK-mN-tYyn2MUKHOY4v9ZxF61bE0klwMjiYXL6jAAEsWzIUzBjk/s1600/StellaExtraLife03.jpg" /></a></div>
I should also clarify that I'm thrilled to have guest players on the livestream who aren't raising money. Not everyone has the same connections, and people who live outside of North America, where Children's Miracle Network Hospitals are based, will probably not be able to get as many donations, but every bit helps. If you can't collect donations yourself, maybe team up with another player and encourage donors to support that person.<br />
<br />
Finally, if you're thinking about participating in Extra Life and have any questions at all, please read our <a href="http://blog.tombraiders.net/2014/08/team-tomb-raider-community-extra-life.html" target="_blank">Extra Life FAQ</a> feel free to <a href="http://tombraiders.net/stella/contact.html" target="_blank">contact me</a>. I'm happy to answer and I'd love to have more people on the Tomb Raider team!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Any teasers you can give about what you're planning for this year's event?</h3>
<br />
The official Extra Life marathon is November 7. My plan is to do a few test streams beforehand to troubleshoot my setup and encourage other people to get involved. If all goes well, I'll be streaming the Ireland levels from Tomb Raider Chronicles on Halloween. Then on the 7th we'll be taking turns streaming all day and through the night.<br />
<br />
A few team members are doing their own separate livestreams on the 7th and in the days leading up to it. You can check out the team roster <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.teamParticipants&teamID=21123" target="_blank">here</a>. Click each player's name to see what they're up to.<br />
<br />
And of course THERE WILL BE PRIZES! The first two years I did giveaways during the livestream, but that turned out to be too chaotic. So now we run a raffle for a few weeks surrounding the event. Anyone can enter, but people who donate to Extra Life receive bonus entries. Thanks to Crystal Dynamics, GOG.com, and a few generous individuals, we're well stocked with prizes. Details will be announced in a few weeks.<br />
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Please visit the <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/team/tombraider" target="_blank">Tomb Raider Community Extra Life Team page</a> for more information, to sign up to play, or to make a donation.<br />
<br />
People can also follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/stellalune" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/stellatombraider" target="_blank">Twitch</a>, and my <a href="http://blog.tombraiders.net/" target="_blank">blog</a> for updates and <a href="http://tombraiders.net/stella/contact.html" target="_blank">contact me through my website</a> if they have any questions.<br />
<br />
Thanks so much for sharing this with your readers. I hope to see some of you during Extra Life!<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-21527773377137300042015-11-08T01:09:00.001+00:002015-11-08T01:30:08.743+00:00Extended Interview with Nathan (NathPlays YouTube Channel) Extra Life Marathon 2015Recently I had the opportunity to talk to Nathan of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/NathPlays" target="_blank">NathPlays</a>, the host of (honestly) my favourite Let's Play channel. He brings an intelligent sense of humor to his playthroughs which makes his videos really engaging. Like Kelly, he is also taking part in the Extra Life marathon this year with Team Tomb Raider Community. <br />
<br />
As part of <a href="http://www.gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/extra-life-charity-marathon-2015-team.html" target="_blank">the Extra Life article</a>
I wrote, I contacted three members of Team Tomb Raider Community and
asked if I could interview them about their plans for this year,
motivations and challenges. The article is live now, but you can read Nathan's full interview below: <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Tell us about yourself! </h3>
<br />
Hello, my name is Nathan Hoar. I'm most formerly known as NathPlays on most social sites I use. I'm a British video gamer and have been ever since my parents kindly gave a good ol' Playstation back in 1997. I've started a YouTube channel under the name <a href="https://www.blogger.com/">NathPlays</a> and have become a Let's Player. If you're unfamiliar with let's playing it's basically just someone commentating while playing any video game. It's something I really do enjoy doing and I see it as a hobby of mine when I have nothing to do in my boring life. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYx0q_91MZjkvqLclNCh-Gi-f1-X2DiIpn2d3CX3bnAp2FZWXTBD3kNqqyLJYZauG5vGADHuNv47fsQ4yF_piCWl_IFoAmPKzzZKx4P0DTYqLSiOC2AmRHBmnYhOvkd9oIJDhQqiQK1tk/s1600/NathanExtraLife02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYx0q_91MZjkvqLclNCh-Gi-f1-X2DiIpn2d3CX3bnAp2FZWXTBD3kNqqyLJYZauG5vGADHuNv47fsQ4yF_piCWl_IFoAmPKzzZKx4P0DTYqLSiOC2AmRHBmnYhOvkd9oIJDhQqiQK1tk/s1600/NathanExtraLife02.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0.$end/=1$text6/=010">You’re no stranger to Let’s Plays; you took part in last year’s Extra Life livestream and you regularly post playthroughs on your YouTube channel. What have you learnt through doing these and does live streaming feel different compared to filming YouTube episodes?</span></span></span></h3>
<br />
What I've learnt from doing playthroughs on YouTube and livestreaming is that you can meet so many lovely people for doing what you love. That truly is an amazing feeling and I end up meeting more and more lovely people in my life and I cannot be thankful enough for it. Live streaming does feel different to YouTube only because you know you're not going to edit it later on. It's a much more easier process and honestly I feel more relaxed when doing streams personally.<br />
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<br />
<h3>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0.$end/=1$text8/=010">What motivates you to take part in the event?</span></span></span></h3>
<br />
Taking part in Extra Life, I can't think of something greater. Doing what you love for a great cause to benefit children's medical network hospitals, it really is a wonderful event to take part off. It's also lovely to see everyone streaming and donating for children in need of our help.<br />
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<br />
<h3>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0.$end/=1$text10/=010">What’s the biggest challenge with arranging your livestream?</span></span></span></h3>
<br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0.$end/=1$text10/=010"> </span></span></span>I'm a part of the Team Tomb Raider Community group which is hosted by the lovely Stellalune. So there really isn't a whole lot of challenges as far as I can say. Setting up a live stream is a bit difficult mostly because of my internet is terrible but anyway moving on.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Gv7aIpBTGz2ApWaN7FDAdR1gYbE9ZrA_490ty5M1g-Mem96zWEpBly7FvJFpe0s7axLQdb7C9VcTlth-i9SOTf3nfoCHa_epxnQVDujOlIpqQ7SU5_C03SA0XRkuB2e71CpZNwJrw7Y/s1600/NathanExtraLife01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Gv7aIpBTGz2ApWaN7FDAdR1gYbE9ZrA_490ty5M1g-Mem96zWEpBly7FvJFpe0s7axLQdb7C9VcTlth-i9SOTf3nfoCHa_epxnQVDujOlIpqQ7SU5_C03SA0XRkuB2e71CpZNwJrw7Y/s1600/NathanExtraLife01.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h3>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0.$end/=1$text12/=010">What’s the weirdest thing you’ve experienced while running the livestreams? </span></span></span></h3>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"></span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0.$end/=1$text12/=010"></span></span></span>The weirdest thing would be the constant haters just spamming the chat for no reason and saying cruel things to you. The weird part about it, is that I just have to pretend they don't exist. I really don't bother with people who just say mean things without giving any context whatsoever. I really hate to ban people but I try to stay focused and keep talking to the people who are lovely and they're so many lovely people always when you're streaming. <br />
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<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0.$end/=1$text14/=010">What tips would you give to someone taking part in it for the first time?</span></span></span></h3>
<br />
The most important tip would be to be yourself and only do it, if you want to. Don't just join in because all the cool kids are doing it, do it for yourself only and you will have a lot of fun with streaming. It's no easy task to stream and talk in front of strangers but what is easy nowadays? Keep doing it and if you enjoy it, you'll get better and better at it each time. I'm still learning with streaming myself and I meet more and more new people every time I stream.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".h.1.$mg=2mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.2.$mid=11443759141814=2e08fd660011979db55.0.0.0.1.0.0.0.$end/=1$text16/=010">Any teasers you can give about what you’re planning for this year’s event?</span></span></span></h3>
<br />
Previous Extra Life events I've streamed Tomb Raider II: Golden Mask and Tomb Raider: Chronicles, games that are well known in the Tomb Raider Community. I kinda want to spice things up this year and play any level made by the wonderful community itself. ;)<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-71043506799531858892015-11-07T20:19:00.001+00:002015-11-08T01:25:22.948+00:00Extended Interview with Kelly M (The Archaeology of Tomb Raider) Extra Life Marathon 2015 A little while ago, I spoke to the lovely (and also crazy smart!) owner of <a href="http://archaeologyoftombraider.com/" target="_blank">The Archaeology of Tomb Raider</a>, Kelly M. She's taking part in the <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/" target="_blank">Extra Life</a> marathon this year, as part of <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=21123" target="_blank">Team Tomb Raider Community</a>, raising money the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. While she has already taken part in several gaming sessions over the past few weeks, she is also planning some more over the next few days, to raise even more money for charity.<br />
<br />
As part of <a href="http://www.gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/extra-life-charity-marathon-2015-team.html" target="_blank">the Extra Life article</a> I wrote, I contacted three members of Team Tomb Raider Community and asked if I could interview them about their plans for this year, motivations and challenges. The article is live now, but you can read Kelly's full interview below.<br />
<br />
A huge thank you to Kelly for taking the time out to talk to us!<br />
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<h3>
<br />
Tell us a little about yourself! </h3>
<br />
I'm Kelly M, the admin of <a href="http://archaeologyoftombraider.com/" target="_blank">The Archaeology of Tomb Raider</a>. When I'm not busy working on the blog or updating its various social media channels, you can find me playing on my PS4 (when my husband isn't hogging it for himself), reading up on current affairs or archaeology, watching anime, fussing over my two cats, or daydreaming about my next trip abroad. <br />
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<h3>
This year is going to mark your second charity livestream for Extra Life, have you learnt anything from preparing the event last year?</h3>
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I think the main thing I learnt last year is to relax, be myself (I'm notoriously shy), and just go with the flow. It's fine to micro-manage every last detail, to set goals and stick to a schedule, but there's something to be said for spontaneity and random chatter. I planned to hold a Q&A session on a certain date and time but in the end, it turned out to be a lot more fun to just answer people's questions as they popped up on the screen.<br />
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This year's event will be equally casual and, I hope, equally entertaining. Why fix something if it ain't broke?<br />
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<h3>
What motivates you to do it each year?</h3>
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Raising money for childrens' hospitals is motivation in itself but the reason I take part in Extra Life specifically is because a) I'm unlikely to ever run a marathon or bungee-jump for charity and b) I want to help change the way the general public views the gaming community. <br />
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The media may try to convince the public that gamers are all closet psychopaths who are just one step away from committing mass murder but, in actual fact, the majority of gamers are amazing, friendly, and often talented people who channel their time and energy into raising awareness and funds for worthy causes, such as <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/" target="_blank">Extra Life</a> or its UK equivalent, <a href="http://www.specialeffect.org.uk/gameblast" target="_blank">GameBlast</a>. It's time to retire the tired old stereotypes for once and for all and I'm here to help!<br />
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<h3>
What’s the biggest challenge with arranging the livestream?</h3>
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My biggest challenge is using social media to announce my live streams or beg for donations. Facebook seems to be a particularly useless outlet for advertising live streams or sharing links to Extra Life fundraiser pages. Boosting these posts' meager reach without paying for the privilege is a challenge in itself and I'm constantly trying to find new ways to get around Facebook's unpredictable news feed algorithms. <br />
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Thank God for Twitter and Twitch email notifications...<br />
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<h3>
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve experienced while running the livestreams?</h3>
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I haven't really had anything weird happen during my live streams, aside from running into a few funny glitches on Tomb Raider 2013 (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=556dB_e8Z1Y">Link!</a>) or having a guy repeatedly type "Boobs bae?" in the chatroom. We all had a hearty laugh at the "Boobs bae" guy before smashing him with the Ban Hammer. Good times, good times. ^_^<br />
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<h3>
What tips would you give to someone taking part in the event for the first time?</h3>
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Keep a pile of drinks and (ideally healthy) snacks handy if you're going for the full 24-hour marathon experience and make sure you take regular breaks to stretch your legs, take a nap, or nip to the loo. If you can get some friends or family involved to cheer you on and/or bring you food, even better. <br />
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Don't forget to interact with your viewers in the chatroom (if you have one) as people are more likely to stick around if they feel welcome and noticed. Do remind people that you're raising money for charity but try not to beat them over the head about it by reminding them too often or guilt-tripping them into donating money. No one likes a "chugger".<br />
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If you're new to streaming, make sure you have everything set up beforehand and run a few trial streams to test your audio, chat, and broadcast settings. Try to iron out any potential technical issues in advance to minimize the chance of something going wrong on the day.<br />
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Lastly, don't forget to download and install any game/system updates before the big day. You'd be amazed how often my live streams have been delayed because of an unexpected update. And, if you're a PS4 gamer, there *will* be updates. I can guarantee it.<br />
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<h3>
Any teasers you can give about what you’re planning for this year’s event?</h3>
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Well, last year I did a complete playthrough of Tomb Raider 2013 and played some Assassin's Creed: Black Flag so I won't be playing either of those this time around. Instead, expect to see some Uncharted, perhaps a little GTA Online, and some Far Cry 4. The latter should be pretty amusing as I've never played a Far Cry game and have practically no experience with first-person shooters. God help me when the honey badgers start coming after me...<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-86555014100196458542015-10-31T20:14:00.000+00:002015-10-31T20:14:16.973+00:00Extra Life Charity Marathon 2015 / Team Tomb Raider Community Interviews with Stella Lune, KellyM & NathPlaysNovember is shaping up to be an exciting month for Tomb Raider fans; not only will we see the launch of Rise of the Tomb Raider for XBOX One and XBOX 360, but the first Saturday (7th) marks the official date for Extra Life, a charity gaming marathon which supports Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.<br />
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For the past four years, a dedicated group of Tomb Raider fans have arranged their own livestream to raise funds for the charity. While many of the members play on the main channel, others run their separate livestreams or on play different days, but collects all donations under their group name, <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=21123" target="_blank">Team Tomb Raider Community</a>. The team is captained by long-time fan Stella Lune of <a href="http://www.tombraiders.net/" target="_blank">Stella's Tomb Raider Walkthroughs</a> and to date has raised over $7,000 for charity.<br />
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<b> [ Link to the main <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/stellatombraider" target="_blank">Team Tomb Raider Community's Channel</a>.]</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JzJgLXnZw2_OQpIvqdVXfVeagt3mob37HlJBUEvovyi5pel97ipXPTsjZ8A5PpFN6SI-kZe3UcRcZRlh4RXVNiEcbzlqNELMC5RWKzM_jT9sa1uAiIVNJprnZJUluEWNjg45QlDB5jk/s1600/Main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JzJgLXnZw2_OQpIvqdVXfVeagt3mob37HlJBUEvovyi5pel97ipXPTsjZ8A5PpFN6SI-kZe3UcRcZRlh4RXVNiEcbzlqNELMC5RWKzM_jT9sa1uAiIVNJprnZJUluEWNjg45QlDB5jk/s1600/Main.jpg" /></a></div>
Recently I had a the pleasure of talking to three members of Team Tomb Raider Community to talk about the preparation that goes on for the livestream, their motivation and plans for this year. A huge thank you to Stella, Kelly M (<a href="http://archaeologyoftombraider.com/" target="_blank">Archaeology of Tomb Raider</a>) and Nathan (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/NathPlays" target="_blank">NathPlays YouTube Channel</a>) for speaking to me about their plans!<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The Charity</span></h2>
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First, a little something about the event itself...<br />
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Extra Life began in 2008, as a way of honouring a young lady named <a href="https://youtu.be/rHSZ_82wiJg" target="_blank">Victoria Enmon</a> who battled acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. After her passing in January of that year, the event was set up to raise money for the hospital (Texas Children’s Hospital) which had cared for her so that it can help other children facing similar situations. In 2009, Extra Life expanded. In just its second year, more than a hundred websites and 12,000 donors supported the campaign and in response to worldwide attention, the campaign focused on raising money for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.<br />
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By donating in this year's Extra Life your money will go towards caring for children in hospitals across the United States and Canada. Every minute, 62 children enter the hospitals and the donations received throughout the livestreams provide help for children regardless of whether or not they have health insurance. The money also helps the hospitals improve and maintain the level of care by paying for training, research and equipment.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The Motivations</span></h2>
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Planning, preparing and executing a successful livestream session can bring its challenges, and several members spend months getting ready for their playthrough. With an charity event, everyone is driven by different experiences and aspects of the fundraiser.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwPhiRYQ_bNb8SVbs8f-LZ9NR-0XcKWW7AYfh8XWgLMwfGUQ0i_1xs2PYKDl8De31oGE81IaJ87Nd9QQthI5Px2DmnS_Z_uxcAoGL8tXu9dFL0sNdeLvdspSWPBow7OEeg56vfhPonAk/s1600/Main01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwPhiRYQ_bNb8SVbs8f-LZ9NR-0XcKWW7AYfh8XWgLMwfGUQ0i_1xs2PYKDl8De31oGE81IaJ87Nd9QQthI5Px2DmnS_Z_uxcAoGL8tXu9dFL0sNdeLvdspSWPBow7OEeg56vfhPonAk/s1600/Main01.jpg" /></a></div>
Stella Lune is not only the owner of one of the community's well loved sites, but also the captain of <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=21123" target="_blank">Team Tomb Raider Community</a>. She set up the group back in 2011. In her interview she spoke about her motivations behind the creation and her continual support for the past four years: "My number one motivation is the kids. My son has always been healthy--practically indestructible, in fact!--but my heart goes out to the families of sick and injured children. It's a stressful situation, and the last thing they should have to worry about is money. Our efforts help provide treatment for kids without health insurance or whose insurance doesn't cover all the care they need. It also helps hospitals acquire much-needed equipment to make kids' hospital stays easier and help them get better faster."<br />
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Many of the other members of the team echo Stella's motivations. "Taking part in Extra Life, I can't think of something greater" describes Nathan, the owner and host of NathPlays. "Doing what you love for a great cause to benefit children's medical network hospitals, it really is a wonderful event to take part of. It's also lovely to see everyone streaming and donating for children in need of our help."<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The 2015 Schedule</span></h2>
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In our discussions, the team teased about what you could see on the livestreams this year, and from the sounds of it there's plenty of treats in store for viewers.<br />
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Last year Kelly, the owner of The Archaeology of Tomb Raider, played Tomb Raider (2013) for Extra Life, this time around she's taking her livestream on a quick vacation away from the series. "Instead, expect to see some Uncharted, perhaps a little GTA Online, and some Far Cry 4. The latter should be pretty amusing as I've never played a Far Cry game and have practically no experience with first-person shooters. God help me when the honey badgers start coming after me..." Yay, honey badgers! Like a few of the members in the group, Kelly will be playing the titles on <a href="http://archaeologyoftombraider.com/extra-life/" target="_blank">her own Twitch</a> channel, and breaking down her marathon over a number of days.<br />
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There's also big plans for the official Extra Life marathon date on 7th November, packed with Tomb Raider goodness. There's even an opportunity to join Lara on some new adventures, in what Nathan has planned: "Previous Extra Life events I've streamed Tomb Raider II: Golden Mask and Tomb Raider: Chronicles, games that are well known in the Tomb Raider Community. I kinda want to spice things up this year and play any level made by the wonderful community itself."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH7smm4dA2UmHQOEVxjAJ0q7IRENdU7k9EGnl-9hyphenhyphenkYrxv_eb2fIytQJt9diGCAj1SXo6bqVZltKhYtMO312D-RDI35D9MhY1-iu2ECAQlp4ssDTfr_vLHXLhXz4R0JxN7AI5-SnoqBY/s1600/Main02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMH7smm4dA2UmHQOEVxjAJ0q7IRENdU7k9EGnl-9hyphenhyphenkYrxv_eb2fIytQJt9diGCAj1SXo6bqVZltKhYtMO312D-RDI35D9MhY1-iu2ECAQlp4ssDTfr_vLHXLhXz4R0JxN7AI5-SnoqBY/s1600/Main02.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screenshot by <a href="http://tombraiders.net/katie" target="_blank">Katie's Tomb Raider Screenshots</a>.</td></tr>
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As for Stella's playthrough she's not revealing just yet what she has in mind for the big day, but she teased a few levels which she might try in the lead up to it, starting with one of the classic games: "My plan is to do a few test streams beforehand to troubleshoot my setup and encourage other people to get involved. If all goes well, I'll be streaming the Ireland levels from Tomb Raider Chronicles on Halloween. Then on the 7th we'll be taking turns streaming all day and through the night." The Ireland levels are certainly intriguing with some creepy... and unique characters. While Tomb Raider games up to that point had elements which were unnerving, those levels embraced the horror concept more, making it a perfect choice for a Halloween livestream.<br />
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There's also another exciting thing to look forward to, and something which has been in the works for several months....<br />
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"And of course THERE WILL BE PRIZES!" Every year, months before the livestream, Stella organises raffle prizes and giveaways on behalf of Team Tomb Raider Community, which are given out during the event. "The first two years I did giveaways during the livestream, but that turned out to be too chaotic. So now we run a raffle for a few weeks surrounding the event. Anyone can enter, but people who donate to Extra Life receive bonus entries. Thanks to Crystal Dynamics, GOG.com, and a few generous individuals, we're well stocked with prizes. Details will be announced in a few weeks." In previous years these prizes included t-shirts, games, books, trading cards.<br />
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In addition to main Team Tomb Raider Community's prizes, Kelly has her own raffle for fans who donate through her page. The prize is an interesting box filled with mysterious goodies. With the exception of Kelly herself, no one knows what's inside the prize box, although we do know that she collected them in her travels across Japan.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The Challenges</span></h2>
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Preparing the a day of livestreaming or recording spread across numerous days can bring challenges ranging from technology problems to losing your voice. A lot of these can be prepared for before the event but many you just have to play by ear.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMm1T7sCRX3Cl-xViHdfTm3RpEVkV__DsTrg6I_hN2YCXloS967GicUSlAM_W6mRmrD0KcJ_QIAzlU3JzKXIDwdXVqGWNNg5kctB2b1-HTgqC35TamwPAM4yJ-4WTn2HZq_oFYuIUCnTg/s1600/Main03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMm1T7sCRX3Cl-xViHdfTm3RpEVkV__DsTrg6I_hN2YCXloS967GicUSlAM_W6mRmrD0KcJ_QIAzlU3JzKXIDwdXVqGWNNg5kctB2b1-HTgqC35TamwPAM4yJ-4WTn2HZq_oFYuIUCnTg/s1600/Main03.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Screenshot by <a href="http://tombraiders.net/katie">Katie's Tomb Raider Screenshots</a></td></tr>
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"I'm a part of the Team Tomb Raider Community group which is hosted by the lovely Stellalune. So there really isn't a whole lot of challenges as far as I can say." Nathan describes, "setting up a live stream is a bit difficult mostly because of my internet is terrible but anyway, moving on." As Stella is is in charge of organising the main team channel on her account, arranging schedules can get... interesting, especially with dealing with timezones. Stella makes it look easy but it can be a challenge, as she mentions: " It's great being a part of a worldwide fandom, but with people in North America, Europe, Australia, and all over the place, things can get a little crazy."<br />
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Over on Kelly's livestream, the challenges are quite different. Anyone who owns a Facebook page for a fansite or YouTube channel will conclude that while it's a great way to interact with your audience, it's sometimes pretty bad with informing them. "My biggest challenge is using social media to announce my live streams or beg for donations. Facebook seems to be a particularly useless outlet for advertising live streams or sharing links to Extra Life fundraiser pages. Boosting these posts' meager reach without paying for the privilege is a challenge in itself and I'm constantly trying to find new ways to get around Facebook's unpredictable news feed algorithms. Thank God for Twitter and Twitch email notifications..."<br />
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If it sounds as though you might be up for avoiding the traps of social media and fighting with technology, there's still time to be a part of the team and raise money for charity. If not there's always plenty of other ways to take part in this year's event. For the last part I'm going to hand it over to Stella to talk about how you can be involved.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The Ways You Can Help </span></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Stella:</span></h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">You don't even have to livestream if you can't or don't want to. Many players do their Extra Life gaming offline. Some play on their own, some with friends or family, some even play mobile games, board games, or tabletop games. There are lots of options. Livestreaming is just one of them.</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Same with the fund raising. Set a small goal at first, but try to remember that the donations are the reason we're here. You're not asking for yourself; you're asking for the charity, so don't be shy. Ask a lot of people to sponsor you for a small amount and the donations will add up.</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">I should also clarify that I'm thrilled to have guest players on the livestream who aren't raising money. Not everyone has the same connections, and people who live outside of North America, where Children's Miracle Network Hospitals are based, will probably not be able to get as many donations, but every bit helps. If you can't collect donations yourself, maybe team up with another player and encourage donors to support that person.</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Finally, if you're thinking about participating in Extra Life and have any questions at all, please read our Extra Life FAQ [<a href="http://blog.tombraiders.net/2014/08/team-tomb-raider-community-extra-life.html%5D"><span class="s1">http://blog.tombraiders.net/2014/08/team-tomb-raider-community-extra-life.html]</span></a> and feel free to contact me [<a href="http://tombraiders.net/stella/contact.html%5D"><span class="s1">http://tombraiders.net/stella/contact.html]</span></a>. I'm happy to answer and I'd love to have more people on the Tomb Raider team!</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-14503933145492921972015-10-30T17:07:00.000+00:002015-10-30T18:22:34.299+00:00Catching Up With Hunted: A Fan Film Based on Tomb Raider A Conversation with Annie Roig-Pate (The Cosplay Mom) and Sara CroftEarlier this year I posted <a href="http://gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Hunted" target="_blank">an article and a series of interviews</a> with the talented team working on an upcoming Tomb Raider fan film called Hunted. Inspired by the events of Tomb Raider (2013), the story is written by Kate Sykes, directed by Joshua Pate and Dylan Riley, and stars Annie Roig-Pate (Lara), Sara Croft (Sam) and Carla Croft (Himiko).<br />
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Filming began the winter of last year and was picked up again this summer with several changes. Following their recent shoot, I had the pleasure of chatting to the lovely Sara and Annie again about their experiences while on set. A huge thank you to both ladies for the amazing interview!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>You can follow Hunted's progress on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katesykestombraiderfanfilm/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TombRaiderFanFilm" target="_blank">YouTube</a>!</b><br />
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</h3>
<h3>
Did the atmosphere on set feel different compared to the winter filming and did any changes take place since then that altered your approach this time around? </h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Annie:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> It certainly was different! We went from one extreme to the other, and instead of it being dangerously cold, it was horribly hot! When we filmed during the winter, it was so deadly bitter cold, that everything was super rushed. We only did one take per scene, and it bit us in the butt in the end. However, this time seemed much easier and more relaxed for all of us. We filmed very close to home, and made sure to bring lots of water on set to keep everyone hydrated. We learned a lot from our last filming session, one of the things being that the less props and gear to carry, the better! So we made sure to only bring what we absolutely needed. We also had a larger cast and crew this time around, so we had more hands to help carry props and filming equipment. It was also a lot of fun seeing all of the props that Sara made come together; it really brought the sets to life, and I felt like I had stepped right into the game!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGJk4n1EgvOjytp9XfHFBaCSMH75xwcnLmXAOjjZ4DC1W9P12__IC2gLhnFVxjX3IdONkybyDl9DfeJM41jiYC8Orxz3JoBuL-vJVkGhox9spAm9ODiTgzCEGaSZASMORsNpYC_Whotc/s1600/2Hunted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGJk4n1EgvOjytp9XfHFBaCSMH75xwcnLmXAOjjZ4DC1W9P12__IC2gLhnFVxjX3IdONkybyDl9DfeJM41jiYC8Orxz3JoBuL-vJVkGhox9spAm9ODiTgzCEGaSZASMORsNpYC_Whotc/s1600/2Hunted.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">First Look! (Raw footage). Screenshot provided by Annie.</td></tr>
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<h3>
[For Sara] Last month we heard that you had just wrapped up your final scenes as Sam. How did you feel when you completed that last scene?</h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sara: </span>I felt a sense of relief and accomplishment, but also a sadness because it meant that my mission was complete and I had to say goodbye to my dear friends. It was so much fun, it's hard to leave such an awesome bunch of people.
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<h3>
What challenges did you face for this second part of filming? </h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sara:</span><b> </b>Well, this time around we had a dedicated cameraman (Dylan), fantastic equipment and crew. No complaints whatsoever! If I had to find something, I guess the only challenge was to play a helpless damsel in distress. I had to go against every instinct in the fibers of my being to act like a weak little girl.
Samantha Nishimura and I are as different as day and night. I am not exactly girly, I like to think that i can defend myself in a bad situation and don't like to ask for help. I was compared to Michelle Rodriguez a lot when I was younger, in secondary school. My mom was my role model, she is a strong, beautiful woman that taught me confidence and pride.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Annie:</span> Because this is all volunteer work, all of our cast and crew members couldn't afford to take time off from work, and sometimes it was difficult to get a date set where everyone could meet up at the same time. Being that my husband Josh (Mathias) and I are parents, trying to secure a babysitter to watch our son on the days that everyone could get together felt almost impossible! And, on top of that, we had Sara visiting from out-of-state, so we needed to make sure we filmed all of her scenes before she went back home (again)!<br />
<br />
Luckily, Josh and I are extremely blessed with wonderful family members that came through, and they watched our son for the whole week of filming! Another challenge we've recently faced, is the sun setting earlier now that the seasons are changing. When we filmed in mid August, we had plenty of daylight to spare, but now that we're filming in late September into October, the sun sets so quickly now. Not to give too much away, but one of the main locations we're using are the forests and coastal regions of Maine. So the trees, sun, and other misc. natural causes love to make things complicated for us!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMhIHEaIaggiy1gfmOA3OJSLO4yO7BRaDh8H5wMne_kmtBnxEd-2zAo_v0qbTmDrZRt-yzze6GeSlJV56FWl9mUJJ6xgNanM-WCi8RrC8al3CUxQz_UN36vigyrweN4_t224XHchOcNU/s1600/2Hunted01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMhIHEaIaggiy1gfmOA3OJSLO4yO7BRaDh8H5wMne_kmtBnxEd-2zAo_v0qbTmDrZRt-yzze6GeSlJV56FWl9mUJJ6xgNanM-WCi8RrC8al3CUxQz_UN36vigyrweN4_t224XHchOcNU/s1600/2Hunted01.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">First Look! <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(Raw footage).</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Screenshot provided by Annie.</span></td></tr>
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<h3>
What has been your best moment from this shoot?</h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Annie: </span>After filming for days on end, I always look forward to getting everyone together and watching the raw footage and seeing all of the bloopers and mishaps of hilarity that ensue! It's such a riot, and when we all get to laughing uncontrollably, and the tears are coming down our eyes from laughing so hard. It makes me remember how much Tomb Raider keeps bringing me closer to my friends, and how many wonderful memories we're making in the process! We keep joking about it, that in the end, our blooper reel is going to be longer than the film itself! But it just goes to show you how much fun we've all been having in the process!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sara: </span>It was a particular scene that you can see a little of in the screenshots we provided.<span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span>It was the first night of shooting and I had a lot of fun sitting around, doing something that wasn't too physically demanding; I loved every second of it! It was an honor working with Annie Roig, she's so amazing! She truly brought Lara to life. Every time she got into costume, it was like Lara had stepped out of the TV and into this realm!
Another awesome moment which happened outside of filming, was when Josh and Annie took me out for a photo shoot wearing my Daenerys Targaryen Dothraki rags. I was treated like a princess, those two are professionals, I felt so spoiled! I can't wait to see the photos! When we were done, we went to a frozen yogurt place. It was so much fun, they gave me the courage to go out like that in public which I've never done before.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUFkeUFhAkcfFHa8V_dOhsTroXC3Jm8U1-CSIU7KtXOAqf6gpHsC8NTuNoifTXqr8Sn2AbPE0Ydab7qe212uqJRPVOTLnAt6jFr6C2SlNiFqSKBSNGgKMGsUIiE-4EoxgCoh-nqVTNS0/s1600/2Hunted02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUFkeUFhAkcfFHa8V_dOhsTroXC3Jm8U1-CSIU7KtXOAqf6gpHsC8NTuNoifTXqr8Sn2AbPE0Ydab7qe212uqJRPVOTLnAt6jFr6C2SlNiFqSKBSNGgKMGsUIiE-4EoxgCoh-nqVTNS0/s1600/2Hunted02.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Behind the Scenes Photo [Facebook] / Photography by EAT Photography</td></tr>
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<h3>
From the on set photographs, you can immediately tell that so many in-game props were recreated for this film. What’s the process of researching these items and, given the quantity and variety of the pieces, how did you stay within budget?</h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sara: </span>I believe I made about 18 different pieces. Annie and Josh also collected a tremendous amount of props like statues, weapons and musical instruments from the far east. Kate even sent us some awesome papers with Kanji all over them.
To research, l'd just play the game and pause every time I found something that was feasible, take a screenshot of it and then brainstorm ideas on how to make it. I was able to stay well within our budget as most of the things I picked did not require complicated materials. Not to mention I was careful about what I use. If we need 20 skulls for the set, it's better to make them out of papier-mâché from a clay mold, instead of buying the plastic skulls for $25 each.
Our intent was to have a good looking set, make it as accurate as possible without bankrupting ourselves. Plus some items, you couldn't just buy, so we needed to make them anyways. We wanted this film to be unique and I think this sets it apart.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXPYpJ6OooLogtl6wDxjPwjSZuK7z2WmsVW6VcgrqFC2X-qxC4DtS0FRNrLhUpyGPz-itnc9LRwd8wyvWoKFIrPBdgsbwKG83vlw4JIMMx8qm8LKqY5X0iiI0fFo0RwOhQXXyg0kCOmw/s1600/2Hunted032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXPYpJ6OooLogtl6wDxjPwjSZuK7z2WmsVW6VcgrqFC2X-qxC4DtS0FRNrLhUpyGPz-itnc9LRwd8wyvWoKFIrPBdgsbwKG83vlw4JIMMx8qm8LKqY5X0iiI0fFo0RwOhQXXyg0kCOmw/s1600/2Hunted032.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Behind the Scenes Photo [Facebook] / Photography by EAT Photography</td></tr>
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<h3>
Something I’ve often wondered, Annie; does portraying Lara on film feel different compared to portraying Lara in photoshoots and have you learnt something from one experience which you can put towards the other? </h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Annie: </span>In ways, yes. During a photoshoot, you stand there and for one frame you have to bring to life and portray an emotion of a character; whether it's a photo of Lara with her famous "Grrr" face shooting at something, or off in the distance exploring the terrain. It's fun, but it's just posing and standing still until you go to take the next picture. In between shots, you can take a break, giggle, grab a bite to eat, sit and have a drink etc, then take time to get back into character and get the next shot.<br />
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[Annie] Film, however, never stops. You need to stay in character, it captures all of your angles, and every inch of emotion on your face, and reads every bit of body language that you are giving off. Film, to me, is a lot more demanding in terms of realism. A photo can be edited, areas can be cropped, lighting can be adjusted, and in most cases film can too. However, we're working with equipment and editing programs that come straight out of our pockets. We don't have a Hollywood budget, and we've never asked for money. So when we go to film, everything it needs to be in place because it's mostly going to be the raw footage that you see when the film is finally released. But it's most certainly a fun challenge! And I've most certainly learned a LOT from this film. It has helped me to train myself to stay in character longer, and it's also made me learn to appreciate photoshoots more!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS1TFexbtB-vG6QiHn62RzPV0oCitpobcVnTSrIka_wafwUvw98Zv0Izq0-LDVXE5PnsU8woWl39nzVAOWtMCUju69djTk2DjMysqbyDwlQho0x3iYtWXdTyqBqC1vGzkIlsrEi9aH0s/s1600/2Hunted06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYS1TFexbtB-vG6QiHn62RzPV0oCitpobcVnTSrIka_wafwUvw98Zv0Izq0-LDVXE5PnsU8woWl39nzVAOWtMCUju69djTk2DjMysqbyDwlQho0x3iYtWXdTyqBqC1vGzkIlsrEi9aH0s/s1600/2Hunted06.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomb Raider (2013) Cosplay Photoshoot / 2013 / Photo by EAT Photography</td></tr>
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<h3>
Sara, as the creator of the community’s largest cosplay site, you’ve posted about dozens of fan films and cosplay videos. Did the expectations you had from seeing those videos give you insight into how this project will be like in terms of filming or was it completely different?</h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sara: </span>It's definitely different seeing the finished product of other people, not taking into consideration what the actors and crew went through to get that perfect shot. I definitely learned a lot about the process of making a movie, however small it is. It's just a fan film, yes, but it takes a lot out of you. For example, I had no idea how many different angles of a scene we'd need and that we had to do each angle twice or more for safety. It's hard work but it's unbelievably fun!<br />
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<h3>
Now that you’re a little closer to the completed film, how are you feeling now?</h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Annie: </span>I am unbelievably ecstatic! When we first pitched the idea to do this, we originally intended on going to Sara's house, and film it in her backyard using her point-and-shoot camera, and our outdated Nikon D90! It has come leaps and bounds since then; Dylan has hoped on board as our Director, and has been so kind as to lend us his camera, equipment, and film experience. Our other friends Ian and Ethan have also joined the bandwagon and have sacrificed some of their time to play the roles of some mean Solarii members, as well as take on the responsibilities of crew, helping Dylan out with equipment! I've seen some of the raw footage, I've seen some of the Special FX being created, and I've never been so excited before! I know it's not 100% perfect, some things are missing here and there, but we made it our own. I really can't wait to share it with the rest of the Tomb Raider community... I really hope they enjoy all of the hard work, literal blood, sweat, and tears that we all have put into this project!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaqapCd3QLdR394BvqqBKCRqd6DP6QhYEb3NUFagxh2vGN8SGQWuPCAp6IaY8TQu7SgAKoZyOyA79RuJFiOLEiHh_pvWQAI9KUmd_Jz3i6U8oYXxXdnYXhmARZ_-ziotSAMMSstkMVRs/s1600/2Hunted05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFaqapCd3QLdR394BvqqBKCRqd6DP6QhYEb3NUFagxh2vGN8SGQWuPCAp6IaY8TQu7SgAKoZyOyA79RuJFiOLEiHh_pvWQAI9KUmd_Jz3i6U8oYXxXdnYXhmARZ_-ziotSAMMSstkMVRs/s1600/2Hunted05.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Look! <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(Raw footage).</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Screenshot provided by Annie.</span></td></tr>
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<h3>
Cheeky extra question. In addition to the fan film, you’ve been pretty busy on the cosplaying side. Any teasers you can give for the projects you’re currently working on or planning in the future?</h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Annie: </span>I have, indeed, been a busy little bee! Between being a full time mommy, and working at my (awesome) daytime job at Mexicali Blues, I've been working on a ton of side projects! Sometimes I wonder if I took on a little too much... haha!<br />
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[Annie] I've gotten a few modelling gigs coming up with a New York based designer called Hibernacula. I always love working with Kelly, it's so magical! Another project that I've been working on is an illustration project with Eric McAvoy (Visual FX artist for Torchwood, Digital compositor for 2012, True Blood, Terminator, CSI: Miami & Crime Scene Investigation, and SO much more!!), but again sadly that's all the information I can give away at the moment! And in the future, I've teamed up with the lovely Meagan Marie on a super awesome, top secret, wonderful cosplay project that sadly I can't get into further details about yet! I'm also *VERY* close to finishing up my Maya cosplay from Borderlands 2, and I'm aiming to go on another photoshoot with Shu of EAT Photography this winter, *fingers crossed*! Oh, and a honeymoon coming up... But my husband is surprising me with that, so I have no idea when that's coming up, haha!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>You can follow Annie on <a href="https://twitter.com/thecosplaymom" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecosplaymom/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://thecosplaymom.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.]</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKsHz4cyt556344uB5ul9X75ANIBm0JaFw39SNQvFBez3DEuKl4cw9LSfke5jbzIwT0wcJl46bqppskxLaIhvNjOSkwJzAJ9FozguMtG2_FuzMLPt3QA7QbvSRk58mTsz0BB3c-I6UEE/s1600/2Hunted08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKsHz4cyt556344uB5ul9X75ANIBm0JaFw39SNQvFBez3DEuKl4cw9LSfke5jbzIwT0wcJl46bqppskxLaIhvNjOSkwJzAJ9FozguMtG2_FuzMLPt3QA7QbvSRk58mTsz0BB3c-I6UEE/s1600/2Hunted08.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maya / Borderlands 2 Teaser Photograph [The Cosplay Mom FB Page]</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sara: </span>I can definitely divulge a few details there! Anything for Guns and Grapple! I am working on four Daenerys Targaryen costumes from Game of Thrones, I find myself completely head over heels for this character, dare I say, it is a Croft-level infatuation.
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[Sara] I provide you with teaser pictures of my baby dragons who will grace the next shoot with my qarth leather armor outfit also. I have the first set of my pics with a real life prop dragon bust that is a real prop, not photoshopped.<br />
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[Sara] I also am going to do a couple more shoots as Ada Wong from Resident Evil 6. Silk Spectre II from Watchmen and more Electra Natchios outdoors this time. Also just finished my Isis costume from Lara Croft and The Temple of Osiris.<br />
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<b>[You can follow Sara on <a href="https://twitter.com/_Sara_Croft_" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SaraCroftCosplay/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/saracroft88/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://saracroftcosplay.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a> and on her website, <a href="http://laracroftcosplay.com/" target="_blank">Lara Croft Cosplay</a>]</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daenerys Targaryen / Game of Thrones</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-83025625953868751022015-10-29T02:09:00.000+00:002015-10-29T02:09:27.343+00:00Community Spotlight: Fuinur Croft [with Interview]Lots of Tomb Raider fans run sites for different reasons, for me I love having the ability to write about the games I'm passionate about and the fan projects which I think are absolutely incredible. This topic has been something that I've been looking forward to focusing on, because it features one of my favourite Lara Croft cosplayers, Fuinur Croft.<br />
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If you've been an active member of any cosplay sites in the community, or a regular visitor to the official TR blog, chances are that you've already encountered quite a bit of Fuinur's work. Her cosplay has been spotlighted by Crystal Dynamics as part of their <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/post/61779232015/croft-couture-29-fuinur-the-tomb-raider-fandom" target="_blank">Croft Couture</a> series, and she was <a href="http://laracroftcosplay.com/menu/Previouscosplayer23.html" target="_blank">featured cosplayer</a> on <a href="http://laracroftcosplay.com/" target="_blank">Tomb Raider Cosplay</a>. Her detailed outfits and her ability to perfectly portray Lara immediately shines through in her photos.<br />
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I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Fuinur about her experiences cosplaying, what inspired her to get into the hobby in the first place and her personal tips. View the interview below. A huge thank you to Fuinur for the answers.<br />
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You can also follow Fuinur's adventures on <a href="https://twitter.com/FuinurNephthys" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FuinurCroftCosplay?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://fuinurcroft.deviantart.com/gallery/" target="_blank">deviantArt</a>, <a href="http://fuinurcroft.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChEmfWGaKRJwp0nKaYQK86Q" target="_blank">YouTube</a> and on her <a href="http://fuinurcroft.weebly.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9LRm_ZYlPR6ZSDLBO1dBV9NBbIL9z1dsIkdp3J5nieB7RqxSrHkmWcvn6Kv0DFB65LYlLnhPChrDENs1rnHE4BGE1Uastu01dQd9ecBg8TwjujwrnUj74KRTAZdE9IshZyg-Rt32e64/s1600/FCroft01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9LRm_ZYlPR6ZSDLBO1dBV9NBbIL9z1dsIkdp3J5nieB7RqxSrHkmWcvn6Kv0DFB65LYlLnhPChrDENs1rnHE4BGE1Uastu01dQd9ecBg8TwjujwrnUj74KRTAZdE9IshZyg-Rt32e64/s1600/FCroft01.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Tomb Raider (2013) Photoshoot / 2015 / Photography by Andrea Simonetti</td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about yourself! </span></h3>
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I'm Fuinur, I was born in 1992 in Rome and I'm a fashion student! I've been a cosplayer since 2008 and my first character was Nana Osaki from the manga, Nana. I started to cosplaying Lara Croft in 2011/12. In addition to cosplay, my others hobbies are drawing, making clothes and jewels and photography. My favourite books are Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. My favourite writers are: JK Rowling, JRR Tolkien, Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe. I love rock and metal music! <br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What inspired you to cosplay as Lara Croft?</span></h3>
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I played Tomb Raider for the first time in 1997, thanks to my father and his friend who gave to me, Tomb Raider II, my favourite one. My love for Lara and TR is never ending, and when I was 8/9 years old, I loved to dress up like Lara and try to cosplay her. In 2011 I started to do Lara Croft cosplays. My first costume was Tomb Raider Legend: Biker. I love her because she's smart, strong and beautiful... It's like a dream come true! I want to cosplay all the Lara's costumes from every game, it's hard but I want to try! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nlslar7cI2f6Xqb1VUc0cA4X6kZnmRf9WZMWFFE_DhQfNQek-Q5P5Vmj3ljTqJTwch3lARdNFqA1YeIMVatdtYdXo4KRGxCU-37lsQEfm2YRGHWO7cMgWxyact-u2n9dxkOynoRNL7M/s1600/FCroft02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nlslar7cI2f6Xqb1VUc0cA4X6kZnmRf9WZMWFFE_DhQfNQek-Q5P5Vmj3ljTqJTwch3lARdNFqA1YeIMVatdtYdXo4KRGxCU-37lsQEfm2YRGHWO7cMgWxyact-u2n9dxkOynoRNL7M/s1600/FCroft02.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Tomb Raider Legend Photoshoot / 2011 / Photography by Massimiliano Pellegrini</td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What tips would you give someone who wants to cosplay the character?</span></h3>
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For staters, you must know the character and the games, and do it with passion! (And not for fashion like a lot of girls). <br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Looking back at when you started cosplaying, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?</span></h3>
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People for starters. A lot of people asked me "Why do you cosplay Lara Croft? It's so stupid!" or something like that. For me, being my hero is a big success, and I want to say to everyone has said that to stop and "look at me now, I'm happy!". Cosplaying is not easy, when you find friends and people that want you to stop, or think that cosplaying is stupid. For me it's a beautiful hobby and work and I won't stop just because sometimes we can have little problems. Do what you love, always! And believe in yourself!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TcnZjcKcHpP5hxTUe3WF4ylLBcjLtVnJ8GsZmF7tNG5KSgKSAkBPTDT1QTWa9LvmiOapt8MpH5Rehi72-FMRVFR_OBBUcrCmVGovygtQO5kB1tfeHkqLv2SPjwJPbGV6F7oKkhrCqZ4/s1600/FCroft04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TcnZjcKcHpP5hxTUe3WF4ylLBcjLtVnJ8GsZmF7tNG5KSgKSAkBPTDT1QTWa9LvmiOapt8MpH5Rehi72-FMRVFR_OBBUcrCmVGovygtQO5kB1tfeHkqLv2SPjwJPbGV6F7oKkhrCqZ4/s1600/FCroft04.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Rise of the Tomb Raider Photoshoot / 2015 / Photography by Mauro Saranga</td></tr>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">What's the best thing about cosplaying?</span></h3>
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Being who you want to be! <br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What's the strangest thing about cosplaying?</span></h3>
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Strangest thing? Being another person for a few of hours, maybe. When you're cosplaying you're not yourself, not totally. You can be anyone you like and do things that your characters does! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIguLbg0M__-ZyHL93O3C72MpgfIbZStVnrVLNxUPEUZjtmJcODpgApFPDX-Q5WBPcRYIHPAZwIX_d_5qdT_oVkChkj_9zI93FS6xPOYCXFGVX5fnJGUYOIfNLvbgJSHEJkr6L39mS5vU/s1600/FCroft03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIguLbg0M__-ZyHL93O3C72MpgfIbZStVnrVLNxUPEUZjtmJcODpgApFPDX-Q5WBPcRYIHPAZwIX_d_5qdT_oVkChkj_9zI93FS6xPOYCXFGVX5fnJGUYOIfNLvbgJSHEJkr6L39mS5vU/s1600/FCroft03.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Tomb Raider (Classics) / 2014 / Photography by Davide Fotoesogni</td></tr>
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<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What is your favourite costume and why? </span></h3>
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My favourite costume is the Classic Lara from Tomb Raider 1-5, because that costume for me means Lara. I grew up with her, and her blue-green vest and dual pistol, they means a lot for me. Also I love the Reborn and the newest Rise of the Tomb Raider costume; I had a lot of fun to make it. It's was hard but it gave to me a lot of satisfaction! <br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Why do you cosplay?</span></h3>
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I'm a cosplayer because, for me, sometimes it's beautiful be your favourite character. It's not a full-time hobby, and you are still yourself, but I love to go to conventions dressed up as Lara because I can feel like her for a few of hours. And it's beautiful when people appreciate what you do and love the costume. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-76546422464963656852015-10-20T02:14:00.000+01:002015-10-20T02:14:07.123+01:00Crystal Dynamics Talks Rise of the Tomb Raider's Gameplay Modes / Q&A [Possible Spoilers!]In a recent community Q&A, Crystal Dynamics talked more about the gameplay modes that players can expect to find in Rise of the Tomb Raider. As we're getting closer to first launch date, the team are talking more in-depth about the game, and that means possible spoilers. Now, this specific interview focuses gameplay and not about the storyline or specific scenes. I tend to be pretty wary of finding out too much about a game... which is why I have two fansites apparently... I perhaps didn't think that one through. But even if you're avoiding spoilers for the game, this Q&A should be alright!<br />
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In any case, I'm going to put up a spoiler warning just in case you want to go into the game and be surprised by every part of the content.<br />
<h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b>[Possible Spoiler Warning!]</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl72uLB4XrFN7mMsbZXiIZetXAieL0u3KqIXsORJhCoBEVST8iR7Lb8CdksoZi68VCHC_iufElO71iBg7p_W1J8m2kAKHwYPTEE9zUABHtuopeMpV2WZNMW7AB3GI2U8NI91X4n91XRIw/s1600/Cards01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl72uLB4XrFN7mMsbZXiIZetXAieL0u3KqIXsORJhCoBEVST8iR7Lb8CdksoZi68VCHC_iufElO71iBg7p_W1J8m2kAKHwYPTEE9zUABHtuopeMpV2WZNMW7AB3GI2U8NI91X4n91XRIw/s1600/Cards01.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Q: What are Expeditions?</h3>
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A: Expeditions are additional modes of gameplay in Rise of the Tomb Raider. Each mode allows you to play “Expedition Cards” to modify your experience, and complete challenges for credits, which can be then used to acquire additional cards. At launch, the Expeditions you’ll be able to play include Chapter Replay, Chapter Replay Elite, Score Attack, and Remnant Resistance.<br />
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<h3>
Q: Will Expeditions be available on the Xbox 360 version of the game?</h3>
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A: Yes. Extra gameplay modes will be available on both Xbox One and Xbox 360 with the same content.<br />
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<h3>
Q: What are Chapter Replay and Chapter Replay Elite?</h3>
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A: The Chapter Replay modes allow you to select and replay parts of Rise of the Tomb Raider’s campaign. In Chapter Replay, you start the chapter with pre-determined inventory and skills. In Chapter Replay Elite, you start with the gear in your latest profile data from the campaign.<br />
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<h3>
<br />Q: Can you replay the entire game in Chapter Replay Elite mode?</h3>
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A: In Chapter Replay and Chapter Replay Elite you choose specific chapters to replay rather than starting the game over in full.<br />
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<h3>
Q: What is Remnant Resistance?</h3>
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A: Remnant Resistance is an objective-based challenge mode that is played in Rise’s large “hub” spaces. You can choose to play existing Remnant Resistance missions made by your friends and the Tomb Raider community, or create your own mission. A Remnant Resistance mission is composed of 5 objectives, which can involve things like taking down a high value target, collecting intel documents, hunting animals, and more. Additionally, as the creator you can set Lara up with the costume and weapons of your choice, as well as apply up to five of the standard expedition cards as well. Lastly, you can choose where the challenge takes place, at what time, and what weather is active.<br />
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The harder the mission, the higher the reward (in credits). However, you must beat your own mission for it to be posted to the leaderboards. Difficulty can vary from objective to objective. For example, a normal difficulty objective to rescue hostages, followed by a high difficulty objective to take down a bear. Players familiar with Hitman: Absolution’s Contracts Mode should feel right at home in Remnant Resistance.<br />
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<h3>
Q: Are cards kept forever once I get them, or are they consumable?</h3>
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A: It depends on the card! The majority of cards are consumed once you’ve completed a mode. If you’ve created a Score Attack mission that is too difficult to complete and choose to quit, you won’t lose your cards.<br />
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Some cards are what we call “Foil Cards.” Foils are cards that are not consumed on use. All costume and weapon cards are foils to make sure Remnant Resistance players don’t have to worry about setting up player inventory.<br />
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<h3>
Q: Are there any cards that can only be acquired with microtransactions or by buying the seasons pass? Is Big Head Mode gated behind a pay wall?</h3>
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A: Cards associated with pre-orders and DLC will be available with their associated downloadable content. The Big Head Mode card is not a pre-order exclusive, and has a chance to show up in any card pack.<br />
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<h3>
Q: Do I have to buy or earn credits to start using cards when I first play the game?</h3>
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A: You’re automatically given a starter set of cards when you first begin playing so you can experiment with our extra game modes. Earning or purchasing additional cards beyond the starter set is up to you, and you are never required to purchase a card in order to play a gameplay mode.<br />
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<h3>
Q: Do I need cards in order to play Expeditions?</h3>
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A: Chapter Replay modes and Score Attack can be played once you’ve unlocked a level, without using any cards. Remnant Resistance requires location and objective cards, several of which are provided when you first start the game.<br />
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<h3>
Q: How do I get credits?</h3>
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A: There are many ways for you to earn credits to use in Rise of the Tomb Raider’s Expeditions:<br />
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<b>1. </b> Playing the campaign. Various activities such as challenges, finding relics, and story progression will gift players with additional credits.<br />
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<b>2. </b> Challenge Tombs. Completing challenge tombs while playing the campaign will earn you additional credits.<br />
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<b>3.</b> Backpacks. Similar to Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris’ canopic jars, when people on your friends list die they will occasionally leave a backpack where they fell. Finding one of these backpacks while playing campaign will net you some credits.<br />
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<b>4. </b> Expedition Challenges. In Chapter Replay, Chapter Replay Elite, and Score Attack, you can select up to five challenges to attempt when selecting a chapter to play. Completing challenges results in a credit reward, the value of which is determined by the difficulty of the challenge.<br />
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<b>5.</b> Score Attack. As previously mentioned, if you score high enough in a game of Score Attack to earn a medal, you will earn credits based on which medal you earn.<br />
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<b>6.</b> Remnant Resistance. Playing and completing missions will earn you credits both for completing objectives and for entire missions. Playing other Square Enix games. Players who register as a Square Enix member will get credits for playing other games such as Life is Strange, Hit Man and Deus Ex.<br />
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There are additional ways to earn credits in Rise of the Tomb Raider, ensuring you always have enough cards to experiment and challenge your friends in Expeditions. <br />
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<h3>
Q: How many credits do I get when I earn some? How many credits do I need to buy card packs?</h3>
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A: We’ve worked hard to ensure card packs can be unlocked as quickly as they are consumed.<br />
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<h3>
Q: Are credits used to unlock outfits?</h3>
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A: No. Expedition credits are only used to purchase card packs. There are alternate means of crafting and unlocking costumes in the single-player campaign.<br />
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<h3>
<br />Q: When you guys talked about letting players compete with each other, what did you mean? Is there a competitive multiplayer mode?</h3>
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A: There are no multiplayer modes in Rise of the Tomb Raider. However, there are ways in which you can face off against your friends and the Tomb Raider community:<br />
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<b>1. </b> Score Attack. You can look at Score Attack leaderboards and see how your friends or the community have scored per chapter. You can bring up the details of a player’s performance, including their kills, deaths, and what cards they used. If you think you can do better than they did, you can challenge their score, which costs a small value of credits per card the player used. This way you can challenge your friends’ scores, even if you don’t have the cards they used.<br />
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<b>2. </b> Remnant Resistance. When you post a Remnant Resistance challenge, your friends are able to play it. When you play someone else’s Remnant Resistance challenge, your score on their challenge is tracked, with the top 3 players being posted on the challenge. A week after the challenge was posted, the player with the highest score in that challenge is awarded credits and the challenge is removed.<br />
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<h2>
Questions Regarding the Season Pass</h2>
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<h3>
Q: Is there a difference between the season pass for Xbox One and Xbox 360?</h3>
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A: The content for the Season Pass for Xbox One and Xbox 360 will be the same.<br />
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<h3>
<br />Q: Is there an edition of the game that comes with the season pass?</h3>
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A: Yes, the <a href="https://store.xbox.com/en-US/Xbox-One/Bundle/Rise-of-the-Tomb-Raider-Deluxe-Edition/3e0063c6-4acf-416a-89be-6f6ac69a8387">digital deluxe edition on the Xbox Store</a> includes the full base game and the season pass. You can also pre-order to receive the Remnant Resistance pack.<br />
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<h3>
Q: Was extra content pulled out of the core game for the season pass?</h3>
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A: No. After Rise of the Tomb Raider went gold, the team shifted focus to creating content for the season pass, including much-requested story DLC, and two additional Expedition modes.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-21914090162593998392015-10-17T21:41:00.002+01:002015-10-18T15:37:43.240+01:00A Return to Lara Croft: Relic Run Mountain Pass & Campaign Mode UpdateTo celebrate ten million downloads for Lara Croft Relic Run, the team at Simultronics released a major update for the game. Back in May, when the game was originally announced, the immersiveness of the gameplay, the style and the variety of the enemies and environments took me by surprise. I travel quite a bit, and the game provided hours of entertainment during those quiet moments. With the release of the update, I loaded up the game thinking just a few things had changed. I was definitely wrong! There's a lot more to this update than just one new location.<br />
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Here's a look into how Lara Croft Relic Run has changed with the Mountain Pass update!<br />
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Just for clarity, the marketing company that promotes Lara Croft: Relic Run, Betty Brown, transferred gems to my account to ensure that I could check out the new Mountain Pass location and Minigun. I had already got all the achievements before the release, so the next stage was automatically unlocked, and I purchased upgrades for the Minigun with the in-game currency I had built up before then; 57 gems and +35,000 coins. I did use the gems on other things, and I will post a new article about the changes in the in-game currency soon. The review below looks at the game before the gems were transferred.<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">A Quick Refresher</span></h3>
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Lara Croft: Relic Run is a free-to-play title, developed by Simutronics in collaboration with Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, is available worldwide for the iPhone, Android and Windows phone. The title is part of the Lara Croft series, a spin-off from the original Tomb Raider games and continues roughly where Temple of Osiris left off. In the game, you're searching for fellow archaeologist, Carter Bell, who has gone missing. Your search takes you from Cambodia to the Sahara and now the Mountain Pass, looking for clues. You can read more about the previous version of the game, on our preview article, <a href="http://gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/a-closer-look-at-lara-croft-relic-run.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">A New Level System</span></h3>
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If you're looking for an endless runner game, this game is not it... well, not anymore. Whereas before you could pick either exploring the jungle or desert locations, this time you build up to discovering each of the relics. Each location now has 40 levels which are broken down into two groups. The first group involves Lara searching for clues and finding relics. Every time you collect a relic, you're closer to discovering the truth about the level, but it also means that the next time you need to find one, the challenge will be harder and you must find more clues to obtain the item. The second group are challenge levels. They don't really add to the story, but each level has a particular target. Some of these challenge levels involve you running a certain distance, fighting X amount of enemies or collecting coin. For these levels the player is scored using stars. One star is enough to complete the level and move onto the next, and you can return, if you want, to improve your score later.<br />
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The two level types alternate, so you'll face a challenge level, then a search for a relic, then another challenge level.<br />
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While the game style may have changed, there are a few things that have remained the same. The progress you made before the update will carry over and you will start the game on the highest relic you obtained during your playthrough. That means that if you got 100% completion, you can start exploring the Mountain Pass location. Additionally, all your purchases will also remain, including your gems, outfits, and any upgrades.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Scheduled Exploration</span></h3>
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Prior to the update, the player would discover new traps and enemies depending on their playtime. If you played a lot, new areas would be unlocked mid-level. The thing players would focus on the most on was the duration of their run and how high their score would be because of that. With the new update, things are very different! Each level seems to add one new thing, which makes it easier to search for clues and the game teaches you to be cautious of your surroundings one trap at a time. However, this does have an effect on the pacing of the game, causing the level progression to feel slower, even though you are proceeding through the levels at a much quicker rate. It's something that new players, won't notice but those more familiar with the title will feel the change.<br />
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HOWEVER! There is a way of returning to the previous format that Relic Run offered in which you run for longer, but this mode is apparently only unlocked upon beating the 100th level.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Saving Your Progress</span></h3>
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If you're struggling to find the clues, there's a new system which makes your search easier, but it comes at a cost. If you trip you might be given the option to watch an advert to regain a life. Alternatively you can use ankhs, or spend gems to get ankhs. These were also available in the prior version, but the new update now includes some useful extra ways of saving your progress. If you trip before you found all of the clues, the end level menu will give you the option of saving the clues you've found so far. It may cost you several gems, but if you're struggling, it provides a useful way of progressing!<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">The Mountain Pass</span></h3>
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The Mountain Pass location was something which was announced on launch day back in the Spring. Possible future levels were also discussed, such as Venice, which pays a nice homage to Tomb Raider 2. But we knew for a fact that Lara's next adventure would take place on a mountain path.<br />
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Due to a the system which introduces new traps and enemies in stages, a quick look at the Mountain Pass may make you think the environment is more barren than the previous locations. In actuality, it's a tricky level filled with tight corners and surprise environmental obstacles which introduces you to new creatures such as the ice spiders and yetis. It also allows Lara to speed along the path on a snowmobile.<br />
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Unfortunately, the snowmobile is the one problem I have with the update. Like the quad bike in Cambodia and the motorcycle in the Sahara, the snowmobile provides variety to the gameplay. But personally I find that the snowmobile can feel a little sluggish, and takes a while to change lanes. While I was excited about the new vehicle at first, it soon became a burden. Like with the other vehicles, the snowmobile also faces its fate on the side of a cliff. At first I was sad, but then I concluded that it sacrificed its mechanical life so that relics could be found, so our departure was bittersweet.<br />
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But I soon found another snowmobile. And another three after that. And that's where things began to get a little expensive. I had crashed a total of three times during the level, all on the snowmobile, each time expecting it to be that little bit faster to move between the alleys. The first time I watched an advert to gain a life, then I converted 10 gems into two ankhs, and then used a further 15 gems to save my clue progress to avoid re-entering the snowmobile minefield.<br />
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It's certainly an interesting vehicle, but often a little frustrating depending on the randomly generated environment. Good news: it handles exactly like the snowmobile in Tomb Raider 2, bringing back those nostalgic memories. Bad news: it handles exactly like the snowmobile in Tomb Raider 2.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Minigun</span></h3>
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With the new update, the team introduced a new weapon, the gatling gun. It's a little different to use this weapon, compared to the others, and at first... I didn't know quite what to make of it. To use the gun, you simply hold your finger down on the screen and move it where you want the spray of bullets to go. It does take a little while to warm up the gun, and once it's started it does eat through bullets at a rapid speed. It's pretty effective on the yetis, but best reserved for those trickier moments. Luckily it doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Final Notes</span></h3>
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When I first checked out Lara Croft Relic Run in London, there were two versions of the game being passed around on the iPads. Most of them had a developer version of the game loaded up, and others had the retail version. That's pretty common, especially when press are coming in for just a few minutes, and there's just not enough time for them to learn how to sense and avoid traps. The developer version focused on the gameplay, and you would respawn immediately after tripping. So while the challenge would get harder, you could just keep going. When I sat down I didn't know this. My iPad had the other version. I died a lot. It was only a couple of hours into the event, when we moved onto the second location, that I realised that I just couldn't; I didn't have the gems or the progress to unlock that section yet. I then got a chance on an iPad with the developer version and the experience felt different.<br />
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The recent update feels very similar to that experience. It changes a lot of what you knew about the title. It's much less punishing than the previous game was, while still presenting a challenge. I love that there's now an option to save your progress. As someone who picks up the game in the middle of writing articles or on the plane, it's great to have the opportunity to put down the game when you want.<br />
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No game is perfect and while the snowmobile can be clunky and the strength of the yeti is a little too much at times, it's still a very solid game with an addictive gameplay element. Perfect for traveling with or just chilling out. It's definitely worth checking out!<br />
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<i>[Update 18/10: Added paragraph about in-game currency.]</i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-33759616447728577962015-10-05T01:08:00.001+01:002015-10-17T21:53:17.521+01:00 Exclusive Interview: Noah Hughes Franchise Creative Director [E3 2015 Special]<b>[Possible Spoilers! We don't go in depth into enemy types, story or levels however the interview does touch on them. Like the Return to Tombs article, this interview focuses on Crystal's approach to Lara's next adventure.]</b><br />
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During E3, I had the opportunity to sit down with Noah Hughes, Creative Director at Crystal Dynamics, and talk about Rise of the Tomb Raider.<br />
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The interview was at the end of a crazy, packed day. It started with the Microsoft Media Briefing, on screen interviews (eek!) and featured a working lunch, a working dinner and finally a XBOX press event which ended around midnight. Originally I had planned to focus on the interview throughout lunch; smoothing down some of the ideas I had jotted down on paper and getting some serious writing in. Unfortunately that didn't quite go as planned; I was told in the morning that there was some trouble collecting my E3 badge, so the time put aside had a new focus. But I did have some time to work on it.<br />
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Given the atmosphere in the room, and that it was rolling into the evening, I wanted to have a relaxed conversational interview about how Crystal approached Lara's next adventure rather searching for an exclusive. It gave us the opportunity to talk about the game and the development process in a different light, I hope you'll enjoy it. Noah was absolute pleasure to talk to and it's clear right from the moment he entered that restaurant that he has a passion for the series and genuine interested in the community. You can read the full transcript below<b>.</b><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: How do you feel about the world seeing the first bit of gameplay for Rise of the Tomb Raider?</span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>Well, I'm always very excited to finish the game, E3 is a little bit before finishing so we're still hard at work at Crystal, but feeling really good about what we've got to show and excited to finish it. I think generally it's always invigorating to go to E3 and see positive feedback from fans. Everybody at the office is excited to, basically take the next couple of months to close it out and put it in a box.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: Thank you for decoding the question then! (I stumbled a little at first). So when did you start production for this game?</span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>Y'know that's actually that's a good question. I don't know. It was after we finished the last one, but to varying degrees you start thinking about the game even before you finish the first one. So, one of the things we joke about is if something doesn't make it into the first one that 'aw maybe we can get that into the second one'. So there's always natural ideas and patches that you want. But also you get to do also a blank slate and say 'okay, well what do we want to do?' So pretty much as we started clearing our minds for the first one, we started putting together exciting ideas for the first one but also more importantly, starting to understand where we wanted Lara to go next. That's always the centre of our pre-production; what's Lara's next adventure? What's her next location? What's her next myth?<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: How do you even start thinking about creating a new Tomb Raider game? That feels like a huge undertaking! </span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>Yeah! I mean, there are parts that are tough and parts that are easy. So, somethings that are tough are trying to understand if we look at the character in the reboot and we look at the Lara we all know and love, there's sort of this question of how do we step her towards that. And that's a little bit harder because it's specific to her character and her arc. Then there's fun and easy questions like 'what places in the world would be cool to visit' and 'what myths would be cool to explore'. So we basically put those two things together and tried to brainstorm both exciting adventures and important steps for Lara.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: Talking about myths, how did the team go about researching them? (Asked by Kelly, Archaeology of Tomb Raider) </span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>Yeah, I think we looked at...Well, one of the great things- I can't even imagine a time before the Internet and libraries, and things like that. We very much immerse ourselves in research both traditional which is books, and also online. But it's also really fun in the sense that we can bring out the map of the world and say 'where do we want to go today'. So, part of it is taking the ideas of Lara's current interests, so when we talk about all the millions of places that Lara could go, where would SHE want to go next? We started to make sure that her important parallels between her first journey and her second journey; this current chapter as it relates to her understanding.<br />
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So one of the things you'll see as a through line between the two games is myths about immortality, and in the first game we had the myth about an immortal Queen. And in the next game she is chasing the myth about immortality, that she's partly trying to take something she'd glimpsed in her first adventure and try to understand where if anywhere in the world does this truth exist? And that's one of the things that I like about the Tomb Raider myths research is that it's not just random it's trying to understand what are the underline commonalities the myths of multiple cultures. And part of what we try to do is say what is a common thread between what she experiences on Yamatai and what she might experience in her next adventure and how will that help explain to her the world that she lives in. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: So, will the game explore multiple myths tied with that common trait? (Asked by Kelly, Archaeology of Tomb Raider) </span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>It does! We've announced Siberia as a location and Syria as a location, and as you know sort of based on Japanese myth. So, we try to find commonalities between different myths within these cultures, so you'll see some amount of common thread that transcends any one culture.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: Watching the demo, something which really impressed me was when Lara was walking across the cliff edge and you can see the snow parting as she was walking. How did the team ensure that they captured that level of realism in her interaction with the environment? </span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>Yeah! A couple of things. One is that, we started with the story but once we were inspired by Siberia as a location, that we knew snow and ice would be important and also we were making a game on a new generation of hardware for the first time. We wanted to basically take environmental detail and express that in sort of next gen technology kind of ways. So actually snow is a really fun way to do that; I know it kind's of sounds silly but, when I first got that technology where I could walk around and draw shapes in the snow, and there's something so cool about the character affecting the world in that way. It was fun for us to work with programmers to try to realism the environmental technology that would allow us to really place Lara in these hostile environments. So, it started with kind of the story but it ended up being a technology feature exercise.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: Can you talk a little bit about the tomb aesthetics? Did the team have any real life sources for inspirations or references?</span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>Yeah, as you know it was really important for us to, especially hearing feedback from the first game, to push tombs in all their awesomeness which to me is lots of facets; it's amazing places you wouldn't normally go but it's also these hidden, secret locations with dangerous traps and awe inspiring reveals and all of these things. So for us, tombs were important in both digital and gameplay design. But a lot of the mythology comes from <span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".ai.$mid=11437224954438=299d27a88e0f6beab52.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".ai.$mid=11437224954438=299d27a88e0f6beab52.2:0.0.0.0.0.0">Byzantine</span></span> backgrounds and visual design, <span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".ai.$mid=11437225044344=22106d47631d64bbb95.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".ai.$mid=11437225044344=22106d47631d64bbb95.2:0.0.0.0.0.0">so actually we did a lot of -- as we did on both games -- </span></span>we had a lot of artists travelling and taking pictures and trying to inspire ourselves by the real architecture and even murals and paintings and stories and all of that. Yeah, definitely both from the<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".ai.$mid=11437224954438=299d27a88e0f6beab52.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".ai.$mid=11437224954438=299d27a88e0f6beab52.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"> Byzantine</span></span> background as well the Russian location, in both cases, we really tried to do on the ground research as well as, sort of, fictional inspiration research.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: Could you talk a little about the type of enemies Lara will face in the game?</span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>Hmm, I think we're not talking too much about the enemies. The two things to recognise are that Lara does cross paths with Trinity who is a secret organisation with unclear goals... as of yet. But they operate on the same level as Lara so she will face, essentially a race to the lost city with this ancient and secret organisation, Trinity. We also inspire ourselves with myths of the cultures and the locations, so we have more to share about the enemies in the future.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: What aspect of the game are you most excited about people checking out when the game is launched? </span></h2>
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<b>Noah: </b>I think I'm... two parts....three parts... It's hard! I think I'm very excited about tombs, and that's not because that's your line of questioning, but as a fan it very much hurt me to not have delivered on that as much as people wanted to experience. I'm very excited about going back to tombs in the main story context but even, also in our last game, a lot of people appreciated our challenge tombs, and I think we do better with the main tombs as well as our challenge tombs. So I think we have a lot of Tomb Raiding for people in the game, and that's very exciting to me.<br />
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I think another thing that's awesome is, we had survival mechanics in the last game, I think we have the chance to very much evolve those, so it was kind if the first time in a Tomb Raider game where we had fully pushed into survival land. We have a more mature survival system which make it fun to explore environments and become more competent and more powerful and geared up.<br />
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And then the third thing is probably just the next gen. That it is actually exciting to have new technology that I always focus on the story and the character but I also, I just, new technology allows us to do new cool things, so that's been fun. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: So, I'm someone that completes the game but likes going back to just find those hidden items in the levels. Will there be collectibles in the game?</span></h2>
<br />
<b>Noah: </b>Yeah! We have at least as much and probably a lot more to do in this game than the last game. I think one thing people will find is there's the main story is at least as long, probably longer, and then the secondary content is more robust. We have at least as many, and probably more, collectibles like documents and relics and mission givers, and being able to infuse the narrative into our secondary missions and thinks like that. So, I'm actually very excited, and I think probably, one of the things I'm most proud of is that, as a game, it exists as an exciting roller coaster ride but it's probably most fun as a world to just explore every nook and cranny. I believe that for players like you, there will be even an improvement than the last game.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><b> </b></b><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">G&G: I think we have time for one more question... So, the game is coming out on November 10th, it may be a little early, but because you've been hard at work on it for the past few years. Have you been thinking about any celebration plans? Something to look forward to when the work is completed?</span></h2>
<br />
<b>Noah: </b>Well, I think everyone looks forward to resting at the end, but there's a buzz around the office just because we've just got so good reception and feedback from the last game. And we feel that we can, realise a good sequel, as well as fix some things that people wanted. For me, it's exciting to just get to the light at the end of the tunnel and say 'oh, I think we've done our fans a service'. But in terms of what we do, I think most people will probably sleep for two days and then not talk to anyone for a week after that, or maybe that's just me.<b><br /></b>
<b> </b><br />
<b>G&G: After all the work, all you want to do is stare at the wall for a bit. </b><br />
<br />
<b>Noah: </b>Yeah, you know how it is! But I'm very excited for the game, as you know, it's a lot of work to make a game, so everything goes into this. Until you're done, all you're trying to do is make the best version of it that you can.<br />
<b><br /></b>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">A huge thanks to Noah for taking the time to do the interview! </span></h2>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans', Oswald, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">[Transportation, lodging, and E3 badge provided by Crystal Dynamics and Xbox as a part of the E3 2015 Ambassador Program]</span>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-57546183900785275302015-10-03T23:52:00.001+01:002015-10-03T23:52:52.813+01:00Exclusive Interview: Graham Jones Director & Writer, Tomb Raider Divinations [Fan Film]Just before the release of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZDDiEzZoWg" target="_blank"><i>Tomb Raider Divinations</i></a>, I had the opportunity to talk to Graham Jones, the Writer and Director for the fan film. Right from the start, the fan film felt like an ambitious project with a public financial backing through Kickstarter, a larger budget, and bigger goals. It was also clear from the initial ideas that the team behind the project has an enormous passion for the series and the work they do.<br />
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Read our interview below! <br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Tell us a little about yourself! </span></h2>
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I work for a visual effects company in Norwich called Rockstar<i>.</i> I've been a huge film production fan for years, when I left school in 2004 me and a bunch of my mates got together and in true cheese style, we made Hairy Mary; our first attempt at a feature length film, about two guys trying to return the hairy zombies to the crypt they came from. It was classic cheese in every sense of the word!
Since then, we haven't ever put down the camera, as I progressed through College and Uni we started to push our ideas a little further, having learned new tech and purchased new equipment. We are still hard at work having made around 10 films and probably around 40 shorts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1JcVxL1ITo6vpTyEobQrYLCZcW-4RPb9RBWFwq4I901TCMg2aiHQtKbB4EUadaU6ximQzsxG41zW-fPwl5P06t2JA2MxgGWRl4l2g9p0My3Wwo1s5UlH-NNzywRnR3rTsJEXnAf64dI/s1600/Graham.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1JcVxL1ITo6vpTyEobQrYLCZcW-4RPb9RBWFwq4I901TCMg2aiHQtKbB4EUadaU6ximQzsxG41zW-fPwl5P06t2JA2MxgGWRl4l2g9p0My3Wwo1s5UlH-NNzywRnR3rTsJEXnAf64dI/s1600/Graham.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Tomb Raider: Divinations was funded on Kickstarter. How was the decision made to crowd fund the project and how did you go about planning it?</span></h2>
<br />
We produced our first '<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVam2swPctM" target="_blank">Lost Valley</a>' film with nothing but a few pounds from my pocket to put together a costume and dye each piece. We filmed in one day. When we came up with our fresh trilogy story, we knew that Divinations would need more than just a few pounds. As we wanted to start to bring other locations into the film, that would mean travelling between locations, feeding people, dressing our characters and updating some of our equipment. It just seemed that Kickstarter was for us; a great community of people for fan film producers. We gathered together all of our research, looked into locations and actors then started to set up our campaign page.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Did you have an backup plans in case the Kickstarter goal wasn't met?</span></h2>
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If Kickstarter hadn't made the funding we were looking for, the chances are, knowing our push to make films, we would have tried our hardest to make what we could. Really reaching out to a new audience is important to us, the bigger the fan base we build now, the better chance we have of showing some of our unique projects we have in the pipeline.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The project received full backing in the final few hours, how did you feel when you realised the goal was reached? </span></h2>
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When we made our goal in the final few hours, we were all pretty shocked [on] this end. We had been throwing out the campaign for that month, and [it] started to generate some interest; but as the donations started to flow in right at the end, almost feels like our hard work was working. Just had to wait that little bit longer and not give up on our project.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzgKwZ1Hs9p-mEk2rfA-0bhHffV42wTbSQzowK1jlzDcrYgWJXfcz3q3uF628AddDlaQQAn5BRdNzBdDrfAboq9N6gAe6IOtq87T29Ypq1FETp91NFYyQRQKxhat8lzZdFztz5Bdvngw/s1600/Graham2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzgKwZ1Hs9p-mEk2rfA-0bhHffV42wTbSQzowK1jlzDcrYgWJXfcz3q3uF628AddDlaQQAn5BRdNzBdDrfAboq9N6gAe6IOtq87T29Ypq1FETp91NFYyQRQKxhat8lzZdFztz5Bdvngw/s1600/Graham2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">As this is your second Tomb Raider fan film, did you approach the project differently based on previous experience? </span></h2>
<br />
We went into this film knowing that we didn't want to make a Tomb Raider based directly on a level previously playable on console. We wanted to cross our ideas into a small series, but at the same time I didn't want to push for a larger budget. A few people kept telling me how modest my budget was for the film, but I was determined to make a decent first film without blowing it by asking of people to invest in our ideas having not made anything too seriously before; but deep down we all knew that we could.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Tomb Raider was a perfect opportunity to show the web the potential our small filming group has.
With the project drawing to a close, how have you found the past few months?</span></h2>
<br />
The final few months saw my electricity bills rocketing through the roof as my PC was endlessly rendering out visual effects elements for the film. Each night saw me getting home from work cleaning animations, setting up scenes and setting it off over night to render through my ever growing queue of graphics. Towards the end we really wanted to add scenes that were in the script that we couldn't pull off because of the budget. We had a mad rush around to tie up any loose ends, going back to locations to capture any extra shots we wanted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJE7Ndd4Gvot8KucUDpsvZGYSvXi4R9a_24-R2S3vepIRmIzS4GQl8LBH_zAuouAtFJWByuaJE6yC7mULY7wmSWEGuJcY2Igiv-B4WGTyqNMb2UAMRXS6ZVzyKeRr93p71eRhrv8swYbQ/s1600/TRD_Saul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJE7Ndd4Gvot8KucUDpsvZGYSvXi4R9a_24-R2S3vepIRmIzS4GQl8LBH_zAuouAtFJWByuaJE6yC7mULY7wmSWEGuJcY2Igiv-B4WGTyqNMb2UAMRXS6ZVzyKeRr93p71eRhrv8swYbQ/s1600/TRD_Saul.jpg" /></a></div>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What challenges have you faced during filming and were they things that you were prepared for at the start? </span></h2>
<br />
The main challenges we faced were on set. Every time we went to a location to scout it out: beautiful sets with everything we needed. Classic in my Jones nature of luck, we turned up to film at the Quarry... Norwich council were chopping down our forest because of an over running amount of Ivy eating away at the trees. So we really had to work around the sounds of men yelling, and chainsaws ripping into trees; on the one day we had a huge schedule, we had that to battle with! We also had a few issues with our swimming pool scene, having all the underwater equipment ready, we wasn't quite ready for how much lens distorting chlorine there would be. It was nuts, you could almost walk on the surface it was so thick.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What has been your favourite or most memorable moment of the project so far?
</span></h2>
<br />
My favorite moment would have to be meeting up each morning, grabbing food from a superstore and driving in our mini convoy to the set. I love starting early with all my best mates, setting up the costumes and equipment, there's never a dull moment on our sets, doesn't matter if we are making a comedy or a horror, we are always having cracking banter.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">As you're nearing the end of the project, what is there left to do? </span></h2>
<br />
Now we are nearing the end, the film has been rendered out. We have had private viewings between the crew and are happy with the end product. All we are doing now is clearing licences and prepping the Funder perks. When the licences are cleared, away it goes, Black Dragon Productions will launch the movie on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZDDiEzZoWg" target="_blank">our Youtube Channel</a>.<br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Thank you Graham for the interview! </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-52294501210966633792015-10-02T17:54:00.002+01:002015-11-08T21:24:44.100+00:00A Return to Tombs A Glimpse into Rise of the Tomb Raider [Full Article]<b> </b>[<b>Minor Spoilers:</b> Although the piece focuses more on Crystal's approach to tomb design rather than detailed examples and locations.]<br />
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<br />
<b>A little introduction: </b>a few weeks ago, as part of the E3 Ambassador Program, I wrote an article for the <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/post/123747974615/e3-ambassador-blog-a-return-to-tombs-author" target="_blank">official Tomb Raider blog</a> (and which I can now post here) about the reemergence of tombs in the latest installment of the franchise. After listening to fan feedback from the previous game, the team at Crystal are expanding these areas making them more complex and captivating. For the piece I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Wajcs, Senior Designer at Crystal Dynamics who gave amazing answers.<br />
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It's an element of the upcoming game that I am seriously excited about, and I loved having this opportunity to talk about it. Read the article below: <br />
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">A Return to Tombs</span></h2>
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For Lara Croft, her journey across Yamatai was one of survival, which tested her determination and strength to their limits. The struggles she faced through the game shaped her, turning her into the character that many of us grew up with. Her experiences made her more determined, and kindled an interest to learn more about the secrets of the world. The next game, Rise of the Tomb Raider, continues Lara’s story and takes her to new locations in search for new truths, new challenges, and excitingly, new tombs.
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<br />
Community feedback from the previous game highlighted an interest for bigger and more complex tombs, an element which Crystal Dynamics seems eager to deliver on for Lara’s next adventure. To understand Crystal’s vision for tombs in the upcoming game, I recently spoke to Jeff Wajcs, Senior Designer at Crystal Dynamics.
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<br />
Instead of encountering tombs as a means to escape enemies or as an optional puzzle, in Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara will be intentionally and actively seeking out these areas. As Wajcs explains, “besides just having more tombs in general, we have a new philosophy for critical path tombs. Every critical path tomb throws one ‘big problem’ at Lara. She needs to solve a series of puzzles in order to chip away at the ‘big problem,’ bit by bit. We also refer to these as ‘nested puzzles.’” These areas combine elements of puzzle solving with traversal and combat challenges, which enables Crystal to “balance the pacing without compromising the puzzle theme of the level”.
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The game will also see the return of challenge tombs. These tombs focus on a single puzzle and a single goal. While smaller than those encountered on the critical path, they are still packed with goodies to entice the player. Lara will be able to collect a number of resources in the tombs, which can be used in the game’s new upgrade system to improve Lara’s weapon and ammo, increasing the level of variety in the gameplay.
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<br />
“There are ton of new skills this time around, and several of them can only be acquired by completing Challenge Tombs,” Wajcs reveals. For completionists, some Challenge Tombs will hold maps containing the locations of other collectibles outside of the area. “So no matter what kind of player you are and what kind of gameplay you like, Challenge Tombs will have the right reward for you.”
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<br />
Previously many of the Challenge Tombs were stand-alone areas of exploration, which the player would venture to in search of a reward. This is an element which the team has been focusing on and improving upon for the new release.
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<br />
“One of the biggest improvements to the Challenge Tombs has been in the story department,” Wajcs explains. Even in these optional areas, Lara’s fascination with archaeology will be growing, and the player will not only collect rewards but discover more about the location they’re in. “Each Challenge Tomb has a history for the player to discover, both in the documents left there but also in the environment itself. Each tomb feeds into the broader mystery that Lara is trying to figure out. The environments are certainly much more exciting as a result.”
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Rise of the Tomb Raider sees the return of many features from the previous game, but thanks to next gen technology and graphics, the potential for tombs and puzzles has been greatly expanded. In addition to the scale and the realistic, yet magical appearance of these tombs, the team has been working on creating real-world puzzles to bring a new level of immersion to the title.
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“The most challenging aspect of designing a tomb is always tying in the fiction. The days of random pressure plates and gigantic wall switches are long gone,” Wajcs says. One of the improvements made with the tombs is an expansion of the use of physics. “Water is one of my favorite things to use for puzzles, and you’ll see a lot of new next gen materials and FX on display. Lara will need to use the different physics of water to solve a wide variety of puzzles. There are changing water levels, water currents, water used as weight, water powering machines - there’s a lot.”
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The game is also promised to be accessible to players who have yet to play the previous title in the series. The return of the Survival Instinct feature teaches new players how to assess and manipulate the environment.<br />
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“Every puzzle can be solved without Survival Instinct, and players that enjoy being challenged by puzzles can definitely go without it. Lara will provide more hints the more Survival Instinct is used, so less familiar players can rely on it more,” Wajcs says. “The presence of Survival Instinct is actually what allows us to include the harder puzzles in the game that we hope our longtime fans will appreciate.”
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Wajcs also teased about the challenges that Lara will be facing, as she’s now a more experienced adventurer. “Of course, now that Lara actually wants to get into the tombs, the tombs themselves have to try even harder to keep her out. We’ve prepared a bunch of new traps and hazards that only Lara Croft could survive.”
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[Transportation, lodging, and E3 badge provided by Crystal Dynamics and Xbox as a part of the E3 2015 Ambassador Program]<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-84895169894085172172015-09-29T21:40:00.000+01:002015-10-03T02:03:47.577+01:00Exclusive Interview: Anna Tyrie Lead Actor, Tomb Raider Divinations [Fan Film]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To celebrate the release of <i>Tomb Raider Divinations</i>, I spoke to Anna Tyrie, the fan film's leading lady about her experiences on set. Sections of the interview were used in our main article about about the project, which focused on events taking place behind the camera. You can read the full report, <a href="http://www.gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/behind-scenes-of-tomb-raider.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Naturally I couldn't resist posting the full interview in its own separate post.<br />
<br />
Anna Tyrie is a familiar name to Tomb
Raider fans; she's no stranger to fan films with experience portraying Lara in Tomb
Raider Ascension and Tomb Raider The Lost Valley. As an actor with a
passion for the series, she is the perfect in the role. Read our full interview below and follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/anna_tyrie?lang=en" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Anna.Tyrie.Official?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, or <a href="http://www.annatyrie.com/" target="_blank">her official site</a> for more adventures.<br />
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Throughout filming for Tomb Raider Divinations, she also recorded her own video diaries on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/annatyrie/videos" target="_blank">her YouTube channel</a>, check it out! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiN8klOw3dW3WkJn5tgpFndWAErO7Q8o3cHPx0mklimwSlb_4Uy9PaHsxxpwhiOkGWUCWnc33lpprhEQqOizjIX4gdLIvlXz4clk6exI6Z-k3ZdDtBu0OmUd5Vk7J2pCZPwQB9fiyJGg/s1600/TRD_Anna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiN8klOw3dW3WkJn5tgpFndWAErO7Q8o3cHPx0mklimwSlb_4Uy9PaHsxxpwhiOkGWUCWnc33lpprhEQqOizjIX4gdLIvlXz4clk6exI6Z-k3ZdDtBu0OmUd5Vk7J2pCZPwQB9fiyJGg/s1600/TRD_Anna.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Production Photo from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TombRaiderDivinations?fref=ts" target="_blank">Tomb Raider Divinations' Facebook Page</a>. </td></tr>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">From following your social media pages, it's very clear that you have a genuine
passion for your work, especially for your upcoming project, Tomb Raider
Divinations. What drives your passion for acting?</span></h2>
<h3>
</h3>
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My passion for acting - I have a great appetite for variety, so I act as a way to indulge that appetite. It is so much fun becoming many different characters and inhabiting different worlds.<br />
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<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What is it about Tomb Raider or Lara Croft that attracts you to the role?
</span></h2>
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Lara is very simply strong and stunning. I love strong women. And Lara does it with such style.<br />
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<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">You’ve done several Tomb Raider productions over the years, do you approach Lara’s character differently now, compared to your first fan film?
</span></h2>
<br />
I have approached all three films the same I think. I try as much as possible to bring a slightly vulnerable human side to Lara.<br />
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<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">How do you get into character?
</span></h2>
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Costume plays a huge part in finding that character. Once you put on the boots and the holster you really start to feel kick ass. I will spend quite a lot of time in training in the run up to filming, focusing on fitness and technique. Then on the day it's simply a case of focusing.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH-_LVgUYaaWV_IUcPH1zGSGNbqIQ9KJF_pYXZleYs6kxPl658y3Y45QHG2Aief3xqG3cZggmti2eunHXorVFMm84-xq0S2ljvK-Vgsj0ZSHTAcDgg62u5eh1yMYAFQ2Nziultfamd2w/s1600/TRD_Cover+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH-_LVgUYaaWV_IUcPH1zGSGNbqIQ9KJF_pYXZleYs6kxPl658y3Y45QHG2Aief3xqG3cZggmti2eunHXorVFMm84-xq0S2ljvK-Vgsj0ZSHTAcDgg62u5eh1yMYAFQ2Nziultfamd2w/s1600/TRD_Cover+copy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promotional Photo from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TombRaiderDivinations?fref=ts" target="_blank">Tomb Raider Divinations' Facebook Page</a>. </td></tr>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">In one of your behind the scenes diaries, you mentioned that you have some new TR gear for this film. How do you prepare your Lara look and what things do you keep in mind when choosing new items?
</span></h2>
<br />
To be honest the costume selection has always be led by my directors. They have the creative vision and they guide me to select the costume. Most important things I bare in mind though is 'Can I move in it?'. The last thing you need during a film shoot is a wardrobe malfunction. lol.<br />
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<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">With the project drawing to a close, how have you found the experience?
</span></h2>
<br />
Shooting Tomb Raider Divinations was as thrilling as all of my Tomb Raider shoots. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to portray my heroine. There is nothing more fun than throwing yourself around in a forest or on a beach.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What challenges have you faced during filming and were they things that you were prepared for at the start?
</span></h2>
<br />
Cold. I am always shooting in the cold weather, it seems to be my curse. I was aware that it may be a little chilly and so I packed thermal underwear and try to make sure i was well rested and that I ate well in order to stay healthy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqR9ce10I7GX2ui7-Ouv8_4yoXIP-ImAouitI-1s39PniDebBGsimyb-ophQRQxy-yTcmboAPy4SnxbbtWzIj6IOz1b3hPqBg_LE9Apg7ztb9d-fj48VZKWwalCizcb2dLda6xzty7lT8/s1600/Anna01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqR9ce10I7GX2ui7-Ouv8_4yoXIP-ImAouitI-1s39PniDebBGsimyb-ophQRQxy-yTcmboAPy4SnxbbtWzIj6IOz1b3hPqBg_LE9Apg7ztb9d-fj48VZKWwalCizcb2dLda6xzty7lT8/s1600/Anna01.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promotional Photo from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TombRaiderDivinations?fref=ts" target="_blank">Tomb Raider Divinations' Facebook Page</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What has been your favourite or most memorable moment of the project so far?
</span></h2>
<br />
I think my favourite day was when I got to play with a sword, it was rather heavy but so much fun.
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">What can we look forward to seeing you in next?
</span></h2>
<br />
Well I am working with Secret Cinema at the moment in a live event in London (Star Wars but shhhh it's a secret) that runs until September 27th. Then I will be working with the Tomb Raider Divinations crew to create something original but equally ass kickin'.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Thank you for doing the interview with us, Anna! </span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></h2>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-8821574379125199162015-09-27T18:45:00.000+01:002015-10-02T16:57:10.809+01:00Behind the Scenes of Tomb Raider Divinations [Fan Film]From its initial plans, Tomb Raider Divinations was always going to be an ambitious project, both as a fan film and a creation funded by public support. The announcement was made February of this year by the Director and Writer, Graham Jones. The announcement also accompanied a pledge campaign set up on Kickstarter to finance the film. Divinations would be Black Dragon's second Tomb Raider fan film, following Tomb Raider: Lost Valley last year. This time the team returned with expanded exceptions and a bigger budget.<br />
<br />
In anticipation for their project, I had the opportunity to talk to Graham as well as Anna Tyrie who plays Lara Croft.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumO4YQYaRTDLgscIjSnH5bDj5XSX7xW1hQ8kBMH3RLeozt4hnrIOt8B9tDhtutWzsrF2zNrSEu711SxvTh7jzOSKryYEdbO2nWJoaFkJuz6G-Ctr18RFvvC5CSfox67jBoceI8zD6mlA/s1600/TRD_Cover+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumO4YQYaRTDLgscIjSnH5bDj5XSX7xW1hQ8kBMH3RLeozt4hnrIOt8B9tDhtutWzsrF2zNrSEu711SxvTh7jzOSKryYEdbO2nWJoaFkJuz6G-Ctr18RFvvC5CSfox67jBoceI8zD6mlA/s1600/TRD_Cover+copy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promotional Shot from Tomb Raider Divinations' Facebook Page.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The original goal for the campaign was £1,000 but by the end the team had collected £1,228 with the help of the project's 26 backers. However using a service like Kickstarter also adds a further element of risk; its no longer personal project but one with financial backing by numerous partners in which money was put forward for a project in its infancy. Many projects with funding campaigns can have problems persuading or finding their audience, whereas others receive the full backing but due to complications struggles with the budget given. To avoid these issues, planning and preparation is absolutely vital.<br />
<br />
In our interview, Graham explains the reason for choosing Kickstarter and where the money raised throughout the month went to: "We produced our first 'Lost Valley' film with nothing but a few pounds from my pocket to put together a costume and dye each piece. We filmed in one day. When we came up with our fresh trilogy story we knew that Divinations would need more than just a few pounds, as we wanted to start to bring other locations into the film; that would mean travelling between locations, feeding people, dressing our characters and updating some of our equipment. It just seemed that Kickstarter was for us, a great community of people for fan film producers. We gathered together all of our research, looked into locations and actors then started to set up our campaign page."<br />
<br />
Like many publicly funded projects, while the campaign
collected donations throughout the month, it was the final few hours
which secured financial support for the project. Graham comments about
those last few hours "we
were all pretty shocked in the end, we had been throwing out the
campaign for that month, and it started to generate some interest; but as
the donations started to flow in right at the end, it almost feels like our
hard work was working. Just had to wait that little bit longer and not
give up on our project." While the team had a plan in mind encase the Kickstarter goal wasn't met, a successful pledge campaign allowed them to expand on their original plans and bring the film to its fullest potential. "Tomb Raider was a perfect opportunity to show the web the potential our small filming group has."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOADD5vAu9pO8Exa48cuC1WmibU7YFIO8mC40rARI5WF-v1uwPByK1ecmOI51aHOafaibXJpNTyEVwKaPjItjFcmimA3w9Fj-dQrP8hPpJgO1qFQfDrwms3gpPoC7YaPEgQ-H54jH9Ng4/s1600/TRD_Saul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOADD5vAu9pO8Exa48cuC1WmibU7YFIO8mC40rARI5WF-v1uwPByK1ecmOI51aHOafaibXJpNTyEVwKaPjItjFcmimA3w9Fj-dQrP8hPpJgO1qFQfDrwms3gpPoC7YaPEgQ-H54jH9Ng4/s1600/TRD_Saul.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Production Photo from Tomb Raider Divinations' Facebook Page.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
With their project funded and underway, the team's new goal was to meet the expectations both of the audience and themselves. Graham explains that he didn't want to recreate a scene from a level of Tomb Raider, "we wanted to cross our ideas into a small series, but at the same time I didn't want to push for a larger budget".<br />
<br />
The film's leading lady, Anna Tyrie, is perhaps a familiar name to Tomb Raider fans with similar previous experiencing portraying Lara in Tomb Raider Ascension and Tomb Raider The Lost Valley. As an actor with a passion for the series, she is the perfect in the role. Returning to that role she explains her trick for getting into character "Costume plays a huge part in finding that character. Once you put on the boots and the holster you really start to feel kick ass. I will spend quite a lot of time in training in the run up to filming, focusing on fitness and technique. Then on the day it's simply a case of focusing." Anna's approach to the role brings a very clear passion for the series and character, "Lara is very simply strong and stunning. I love strong women. And Lara does it with such style. "<br />
<br />
"Shooting Tomb Raider Divinations was as thrilling as all of my Tomb Raider shoots. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to portray my heroine. There is nothing more fun than throwing yourself around in a forest or on a beach." And with a new adventure comes new scenes and opportunities for Anna. Describing her favourite memory on set, "I think my favourite day was when I got to play with a sword, it was rather heavy but so much fun."<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRcPKTF9LjW-5BzfQFoNdZcxW2eMPw-RPR8KyKaFRG-w0mSg3V6dt7sSq1Wq9kvGnDat_Tqcs6yaS2QuoTaH0LdkZ0gJ0RmYZWP5WWz8SsBTjlMpVDW-fzixD7G2R9IQ3ZoRdYvITA5U/s1600/TRD_Anna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRcPKTF9LjW-5BzfQFoNdZcxW2eMPw-RPR8KyKaFRG-w0mSg3V6dt7sSq1Wq9kvGnDat_Tqcs6yaS2QuoTaH0LdkZ0gJ0RmYZWP5WWz8SsBTjlMpVDW-fzixD7G2R9IQ3ZoRdYvITA5U/s1600/TRD_Anna.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Production Photo from Tomb Raider Divinations' Facebook Page.</td></tr>
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<br />
As the Director and Writer for the fan film, Graham's favourite moment was about the atmosphere on set and the day ahead. "My favorite moment would have to be meeting up each morning, grabbing food from a superstore and driving in our mini convoy to the set. I love starting early with all my best mates, setting up the costumes and equipment. There's never a dull moment on our sets, doesn't matter if we are making a comedy or a horror, we are always have cracking banter." Throughout the filming, behind the scenes videos were recorded of the cast and crew heading to the set and reflecting on each day, and with each recording you can feel their enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
Of course, with every project, there's always challenges to completing it. Filming
began in early Spring, and in England that can be one of two things; unseasonably hot days or Winter's struggling grip. Unfortunately for the
cast and crew it was the latter. Similar situations were faced by the team behind <a href="http://gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/hunted-tomb-raider-fan-film.html" target="_blank">Hunted</a> and <a href="http://gunsandgrapplemag.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/exclusive-interview-dwyz-creator-of.html" target="_blank">Tomb Raider: Reboot</a>, with Lara adventures so often set around curses, perhaps they've uncovered a real one. Anna begins, describing about
the challenges she faced on set. "I am always shooting in the cold
weather, it seems to be my curse. I was aware that it may be a little
chilly and so I packed thermal underwear and try to make sure I was well
rested and that I ate well in order to stay healthy. "<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG31_QDfp4PzWc0cWpJfK9ZtEIDHq9YdxoNeLQGcy4rMwpgM5ODjPR7Q5QkUUQrwrrbT0ytLJMDVabJR7LpaCkW6y6mkrVZNc9mMyCHwHTLuX2zUvrv6g5zCF2mcM9ZYAHqYJ6ua10AA/s1600/TRD_Group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuG31_QDfp4PzWc0cWpJfK9ZtEIDHq9YdxoNeLQGcy4rMwpgM5ODjPR7Q5QkUUQrwrrbT0ytLJMDVabJR7LpaCkW6y6mkrVZNc9mMyCHwHTLuX2zUvrv6g5zCF2mcM9ZYAHqYJ6ua10AA/s1600/TRD_Group.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Production Photo from Tomb Raider Divinations' Facebook Page.</td></tr>
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<br />
Graham's challenges were a little different, especially as his role involved capturing the perfects shots to schedule "every time we went to a location to scout it out, beautiful sets with everything we needed. Classic in my Jones nature of luck, we turned up to film at the Quarry.... Norwich council were chopping down our forest because of an over running amount of Ivy eating away at the trees. So we really had to work around the sounds of men yelling, and Chainsaws ripping into trees, on the one day we had a huge schedule, we had that to battle with!" While Lara is in contact with Zip throughout her adventure, the film also features quieter moments in which she must survey and master her surroundings in order to progress. These scenes were filmed with a combination of good focus for the actors and precise timing, as they were shot between the groan of chainsaws.<br />
<br />
Tomb Raider Divinations celebrated its launch just a little while ago! It's a polished and impressive film which has taken months of dedication and care to get it to completion. In our interview, Graham talked about the final stage getting to the final product. "The final few months saw my electricity bills rocketing through the roof as my PC was endlessly rendering out visual effects elements for the film, each night saw me getting home from work cleaning animations, setting up scenes and setting it off over night to render through my ever growing queue of graphics." In addition to the animations, various last minute additions were made, "towards the end we really wanted to add scenes that were in the script that we couldn't pull off because of the budget. We had a mad rush around to tie up any loose ends, going back to locations to capture any extra shots we wanted."<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sZDDiEzZoWg?rel=0" width="600"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
Now with Tomb Raider Divinations completed, the team at Black Dragon will be finishing their work on the Kickstarter campaign. While future plans for them weren't discussed in detail, we were promised to see unique projects coming from them in the future. For Anna, she's continuing her work on stage in London, but also teased a possible return to Lara's boots. "Well I am working with Secret Cinema at the moment in a live event in London (Star Wars but shhhh it's a secret) that runs until September 27th. Then I will be working with the Tomb Raider Divinations crew to create something original but equally ass kickin'. " <br />
<br />
Thank you to <a href="https://twitter.com/nossers?lang=en" target="_blank">Graham Jones</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/anna_tyrie?lang=en" target="_blank">Anna Tyrie</a> for talking about their experience on Tomb Raider Divinations. Make sure to watch the film on their YouTube channel, and subscribe to both Black Dragon and Anna for more goodness in the future! Check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TombRaiderDivinations/timeline" target="_blank">Tomb Raider Divinations Facebook page</a> for more production photos.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-42851902982010656692015-08-27T15:49:00.000+01:002015-08-27T16:16:46.422+01:00Exclusive: Lara Croft Go UK Preview Event / First ImpressionsLast Tuesday, my brother travelled into Central London to take part in the <i>Lara Croft Go</i> UK Press Event. At the reveal he had the opportunity to check out the game and ask questions to the developers. This preview is written with his notes from the event combined with my playthrough this morning.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>First to the basics</b>.</span> Lara Croft Go is the latest instalment in the Lara Croft series and is a nostalgic journey back to those first adventures. It's a turn-based puzzle game which explores forgotten worlds, treasures and deadly new traps. The controls are pretty simple too: just slide in the direction you want Lara to go and tap to interact. The title is rated PEGI 7 and is developed by Square Enix Montreal in collaboration with Crystal Dynamics. It's a premium game and is available for download now on <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.squareenixmontreal.lcgo&hl=en" target="_blank">Android</a>, Windows Phone and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lara-croft-go/id971304016?mt=8" target="_blank">Apple Devices</a> for £3.99 /<span class="st"> €4.99 / $4.99. </span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nostalgia.</b></span> Lara Croft Go feels like a classic Tomb Raider title, built for modern devices. While it may look a little different with its soft watercolour palette and isometric viewpoint, its core gameplay element remains the same. You are Lara Croft on a personal mission to explore the ruins of an ancient civilisation and uncover the myth of the Queen of Venom. There are no humans in this part of the world, only the creatures you stir with your presence. The primary focus is on exploration and puzzles, blended with those memories of the classics. <br />
<br />
As soon as the game starts, you're introduced to the menu system; a familiar sight for fans of the Core Design titles. The options are served as part of a revolving cycle of items which includes Lara's journal, a backpack and a watch. If you explore the menu system a bit more, you'll discover the unlockable outfits Lara can obtain, many of which are based on outfits she wore throughout her earlier adventures. Some of those outfits can be unlocked with a purchase including the Square Enix, Agent 47 and Deus Ex inspired designs. But, there are 10 costumes from the classic games which the player can unlock simply by collecting relics along the path.<br />
<br />
Lara's movements will bring a smile to classic fans too, as the game sees the return of the impractical but iconic flips, handstands and slides. And just wait until you discover a relic! There's lots of nice little homages to the classics.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Exploration.</b></span> The goal for each level is to move from A to B, solving the puzzles and manoeuvring around obstacles which block your path as you go. Movement is relatively simple with Lara only able to move on a specific path. While it could make the gameplay too easy and without challenge, it's actually the opposite. The player is restricted to work within a certain area with a growing danger and limited ways to escape.While there is a limitation to where you can go, the art style creates that sense of wonder, placing Lara in the middle of a mesmerising tomb rather than just focusing on the areas she can travel to. Even while standing still, the world is alive with activity, whether it's the foliage catching in the wind, or creatures scuttling along the black border, it feels as though Lara is transversing a breathing environment. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Puzzles. </b></span>The game is presented in a series of five books, which in total features 41 levels. Each level has one main puzzle and several smaller ones in the form of enemies, which we'll touch on a little later. While there's a simple path from start to finish, puzzles and traps spices up the experience. Avoiding enemies can force the player to think several steps ahead to get the advantage. Sometimes perfecting a level could take multiple tries. As a result, it may not be a fast paced action game but it's certainly engaging. The game is turn-based which means the environments changes after Lara makes her move, this includes blades, baddies and boulders, so there's no need to rush your move. It's better to take your time!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Combat. </b></span>While Lara Croft Go isn't a combat game, it has a combat element. Enemies are a puzzle mechanic instead of just existing . Creatures like the snakes are stationary and will only attack Lara once she moves within one space of them, and only if they are facing towards her. They are easily taken down with a surprise attack from the back or side. In addition to her pistols, Lara can collect spears which she can throw at the snakes if they are on a path parallel to her. Spiders are a little more tricky and will follow a predetermined path.. While shooting them may be difficult, levers can help trap them and remove them from our path. Perhaps one of the most interesting creatures are the lizards which follows Lara if you get too close. Their insistence to follow her steps exactly can also be their downfall, as the player can lead them over broken footpaths. (Step once on a footpath to unsettle it, again to break it.)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Relics. </span></b>Collectibles are scattered around the maps, either right next to the paths or in the far distance. Simply clicking on the pots will reveal the artifacts inside. Once you collect them, your total is saved even if you die on your next step. Collecting all of the relic fragments or crystals will unlock new outfits which you can use throughout the adventure. Some of these pots may be hidden by the environment and only seen on a particular step. You can replay levels to collect all the collectibles within the space, but later levels will have checkpoints to make replaying easier.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Verdict.</span></b> Lara Croft Go is available now on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lara-croft-go/id971304016?mt=8" target="_blank">Apple Devices</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.squareenixmontreal.lcgo&hl=en" target="_blank">Android</a> and Windows Phone. If you can, make sure to check it out! It's a sweet and engaging adventure game with a unique style and a beautiful watercolour look. There's no tutorial, it just throws you into the action, but the game's controls are easily to to pick up making it the perfect game to pick up and play.<br />
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If you enjoyed the classic Tomb Raider games, you'll enjoy this!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclaimer: My brother checked out the game during the UK press event for Lara Croft Go, arranged by Square Enix. My copy of the game was purchased on the Google Play store this morning.</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812303572391050730.post-87820846721592775902015-07-12T09:33:00.000+01:002015-07-12T19:49:54.568+01:00E3 2015 Special: A Return to Tombs [Teaser] Guest Post for the Official Tomb Raider BlogJust before E3, I did an interview with Jeff Wajcs, Senior Designer at Crystal
Dynamics about TOOOOOMBS!<br />
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The interview was part of a guest post planned for the Official Tomb Raider blog following the event in Los Angeles. As part of the E3 program, each ambassador was provided with a topic and an interview opportunity. Over the past few days there has been <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/tagged/E3-2015" target="_blank">a series of incredible pieces</a> which focus on a Rise of the Tomb Raider, and there's still plenty more to come!<br />
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I started work on my piece as soon as I got back from E3. It was an exciting but also pretty scary experience, especially as it's about a topic and an element which many fans want to see in the upcoming game annnnnnnd it's also going to be an official blog. It was a little hard to write while distancing away from what the reaction would be. I did such a great job on distancing that I spent a few days just focusing on the introduction *shifty look*. Fortunately everything fell into place just before my deadline.<br />
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Following feedback from the previous game, one of the things which Crystal wants to focus more on with Rise of the Tomb Raider was puzzle areas and tombs. Check out the teaser below to learn more about these areas and read the full piece on Crystal's blog, <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/post/123747974615/e3-ambassador-blog-a-return-to-tombs-author" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
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[E3 Ambassador Blog] A Return to Tombs</h3>
<i>Author: Rachel - <a href="http://gunsandgrapple.com/" target="_blank">Guns and Grapple</a>, UK </i><br />
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For
Lara Croft, her journey across Yamatai was one of survival, which
tested her determination and strength to their limits. The struggles she
faced through the game shaped her, turning her into the character that
many of us grew up with. Her experiences made her more determined, and
kindled an interest to learn more about the secrets of the world. The
next game, Rise of the Tomb Raider, continues Lara’s story and takes her
to new locations in search for new truths, new challenges, and
excitingly, new tombs.<br />
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Community feedback from the previous game
highlighted an interest for bigger and more complex tombs, an element
which Crystal Dynamics seems eager to deliver on for Lara’s next
adventure. To understand Crystal’s vision for tombs in the upcoming
game, I recently spoke to Jeff Wajcs, Senior Designer at Crystal
Dynamics.<br />
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Instead of encountering tombs as a means to escape
enemies or as an optional puzzle, in Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara will
be intentionally and actively seeking out these areas. As Wajcs
explains, “besides just having more tombs in general, we have a new
philosophy for critical path tombs. Every critical path tomb throws one
‘big problem’ at Lara. She needs to solve a series of puzzles in order
to chip away at the ‘big problem,’ bit by bit. We also refer to these
as ‘nested puzzles.’” These areas combine elements of puzzle solving
with traversal and combat challenges, which enables Crystal to “balance
the pacing without compromising the puzzle theme of the level”.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Read the <a href="http://tombraider.tumblr.com/post/123747974615/e3-ambassador-blog-a-return-to-tombs-author" target="_blank">rest of the article</a> on the Official Tomb Raider blog! </span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">A huge thank you to Jeff for doing the interview. The answers were really in depth and informative! </span></h4>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2