Tomb Raider

Tarragona: World Heritage

Level 4: Devil's Lair

Devil's Lair

Introduction

This is the 4th Level of the "Tarragona: World Heritage Saga". It is the 4th one in the saga but not in time, because it was available before "Tarragona: World Heritage (Level 3) - Devil's Bridge-".

The episode is also inspired, like level 3, in the "Devil's Bridge", the roman aqueduct located in Tarragona. It is a "bonus level" that you will find in level 3 and at the end you will came back to the level you came from.

Synopsis

The legend tells that a shepherd requested to the Devil to build a bridge between two mountains, this will make his live easier because he will save time moving the sheeps. The Devil built it in one night! The next morning the Devil request the price to the shepherd: the soul of the first who cross the bridge! But he told him to take the correct soul. He was not the first one to cross it! The first one was one sheep. Does the Devil still live near the bridge?

Now Miss Croft has find the access to his Lair. May be Lara will find him at home! Enjoy this 167 room level and see how is the hell!

Warning!

There are two scripts in the ZIP:

- Script.dat This one is to use with the Levels 1, 2 & 4. Copy it to c:\Program Files\Core Design\Trle
- Script4.dat If you only have installed level 4, use this one. Copy it to c:\Program Files\Core Design\Trle and rename it as Script.dat

Flares Bug!

The initial release (TOM file from May 7th 2001, 17:42) of TWH4 has the "Flares bug". The Zip that you can download in this Web is the updated TOM version (May 22nd, 7:06).

Someone kindly explain my about the bug and also its cause. To have more than 32 active "Flame emitters" at the same time. The solution is to set triggers to inactivate the unnecessary "Flame emitters".

Some notes

If the previous level do not had too many enemies (I do not like the free violence), in this one there are some, do not hesitate to shot them because they are not longer human; they are Wraiths! If you see them do some strange things like walk over lava, some time they do it, do not worry, it is not a "Bug", they are not humans and they can do things that Lara can't do it. If you do not help them (with the weapons) to leave their actual existence, there system can slow down and additionally you will not find some necessary pieces that they give you before disappear.

I have developed the level using the default colour settings of my graphic card (Desktop, Direct3D and Glide/OpenGL settings R:1.30 G:1.30 B:1.30), and less some rooms that are intentioned dark, I am able to see fine rooms. If you see too dark, may be you need to adjust the brightness, contrast or graphic card defaults.

Do not get crazy trying to climb everywhere, climbing walls are clearly different, there are 2. The ceiling where you can monkey swim are or grates.

The level is near the TR limits (167 rooms, 436 triggers, 224 objects, 85 CD tracks, 9 Fly-by cameras, 21 Fixed Cameras, 19 enemies, thousands of tiles, more than 200 lights, sound assigned to textures and several sound effects). If you complete the 100% of the level then you have find: 3 Secrets, 5 Wraith Souls, the 7 Capital Sins, the "Big Brother" eye and around 19 (black and red robed) Wraiths.

If you use the "fly cheat" you can create impossible/unexpected situations, like reach some where before time, this can result in impossible situations. I have work in some of them but ... Good look!

Recognition

I want to thanks to Michael L. Jelarcic, by his "TRWest v1.0" utility, that I have used to generate the custom Wad. It is a wonderful tool.

I want also thanks to John Dodis, by his "Texture Editor V3", used to create my texture file, he made me the live easier.

Walkthrough

During the travel you will receive some news as Camera shots, to guide you. The sound is also important. The help you will receive will be depend on what you already made. For example, if you go into the House without the "Faust's Contract, a Camera will show where is it.

There is not a single way to pass the level. Here you have my suggestion.

After the first "Fly-by" that give you an quick overview of 1st stage of the Hell. First of all we will jump to the stairs that you have in front. At the top of the stairs you will see a Grate: back flip the small slope, jump and grab the grate. Monkey swim till reach the Temple.

You will notice a grate over the Temple ceiling (1), Lara can grab it (2). To grab it you need to ungrab Lara from the grate and jump and grab when she starts to slide over the slope. Follow the ceiling dark green path till the end and fall over a platform.

1

2

You must slide the next slope, but if you want to find the 1st Secret, back jump and grab the platform border, move to left till be near the left end, but do not reach it (3). Pull up and use the slope that you have in front of Lara, after reach the next section of the slope, jump and move right, hide by another slope touching the wall there is the secret.

3

1st Secret

Slide over the slope, before fall into the Lava jump and grab the ceiling over the slope (there is a grate). Monkey swim till reach the wall, the door in the wall will be opened, ungrab and cross the door.

The door will be closed, and you will find 2 Wraiths, eliminate them and you will find the 2 Souls that you need to open the exit door. After open the door, jump over the House ceiling, search the climbable surface in south wall of the House. Make your way to the window and find the 1st Capital Sin. Make your way back to the ceiling.

Look the south east end of the Hell, you will see a Big Green Block. Make your way to the block. This Block have some fissures and climbable walls. Make your way to the top. In the top you will see another slope with a grate in the ceiling. Slide and jump to grab the ceiling. Monkey swim till reach the Start Point.

Make again the way that you already know: Stairs, Grate, Temple Ceiling till reach the small platform over the 1st Secret. You must pull up Lara over the slope to the West, when she starts to slide you must chain 4 jumps (4), a back flip the last one to grab the edge of the last slope (5). Ungrab, grab, move left, ungrab, grab and you see the way through the Ramp. Follow the Ramp till the Short Stairs.

Now hidden between the slopes, in the North West, you must find the Faust's Contract (6). Place Lara at top of short steps facing the temple, the Faust's contract is at left. In front of you there is a slope, turn Lara and try a back jump and hold the slope outer edge. Slide Lara to right. Now the Contract is very close in the front-right from Lara. Pull up Lara back jump and front jump moving right and you will get it. Make your way down to the Ramp and came back to the Short Stairs. From here you must chain 8 jumps over the Short slopes till reach a Safe Platform. To reach the Temple is now easy.

4

5

6

Hidden in the Firmament, in the North West area, there is a Lever Switch that will extinguish the Temple's Door Fire. Before enter the Temple look its floor (ceiling), that is the key to reach the other side. Use the 1st Capital Sin to extinguish the Small Tower's fire.

The quickest way to the Small Tower is one of the slopes to the east of the Temple. In the Small Tower you will find the House Key. Inside the House you will use the Faust's Contract to open the Temple Exit. To leave the House you will need 2 more Souls. Reach the Temple and leave the 1st Hell's Stage jumping to the water.

The course will carry Lara. In the next room Lara will can take some breath in the "Air Room" near the Metallic Door. In the far North West side there is a 2nd Capital that will open the Metallic Door if you use it in the correct place. Cross the door turn right, there is a 3rd Capital Sin to open the next door. To the South there is a way to the "Air Room". Make your way to the second metallic door and again the course will carry Lara.

Lara is now into a Labyrinth and she has not to much breath. In front tyou can distinguish a darkener floor, follow it, it is the Exit. Follow the way till leave the water.

A "Fly-by" will show you the 2nd Stage of the Hell. You must go into the Tower using the Fissure between the Door and the Tower. Push the Button inside the Tower, now you will be able to get a new Soul that you will need to open the Tower Doors. One Door will made available the access to the Tower Embattlements, a running jump from the Door to the rigth, and Lara will access the second right Embattlement, another jump and she will reach the top central one (7). Now you will find the 2nd Secret. To descend Lara must run diagonally from to the top central battlement to the second right Embattlement. Inside the Tower you will find a Hole in the floor, under it there are water, use it.

7

2nd Secret

8

Make your way throught the underwater red tunnels (right, right, right, left, left) to access the south Rampart. After the first pull up yo will notice a Fissure to the right of a door in the South West Rampart 8, before reach it you must rise Lara some floors and find the way to the South West section. After use the Fissure, a couple of jumps and you will find the Stairs. From here it is not too difficult to find the way to the top of the Rampart. Once there you must reach the Bridge over the Magma Lake, you will find some Wraiths.

Cross the Bridge, is not to difficult, and Lara will enter in a Corridor with some stairs, at the end there is the Cadavers Pool that you were looking for. Inside the Pool there is the 4th Capital Sin, an Infernal Cross in the ceiling shows you the exact location.

Now you must guide Lara through the Yellow Submarine Tunnels, take the upper one to East, descent to the bottom, go East, go to the top and you will find the 5th Capital Sin. Quickly make your way back to the starting point you do not have time too loss. Now descend to the bottom, reach the East edge and you will find the Exit. Descend now to the Lava level.

Now you have all what you need to open the Small House. Inside you will find a Lever Switch to extinguish the Eternal Flames. It is a Timed switch, you do not must loss time in your way to the exit. The easiest way is the Yellow Platforms way, try to run us much time and chain jumps.

Inside the Dungeonstake the Right Corridor you will find the 6th Capital Sin. Use it to open the Exit door. Jump over the Small Magma Lake and decent beside the Magma River, you will find the 3rd Stage of the Hell.

The 3rd Stage is the dark Pyramid. At the right of the stairs there is a hole to access the Stage Exit Door Switch, but is not yet time. Descend to the lower level of the cavern. Near the North West Corner you will find the 1st Big Brother Piece. Inside the South West Area there is Ladder that will guide you to the 2nd Big Brother Piece. From here you ascent to the top and from here you can find the North Stairs. inside the North Chapel take the left stairs to find the 7th Capital Sin. Came back to the North Stairs.

From the North East Balustrade a back flip to the pyramid slope, a jump and grab the Upper Cornise. Move right till get the corridor, in the North Top Room a kind Wraith will free another Soul. Take the next Corridor to access the upper level of the East Chapel. Before descent to the lower floor, made a look. In the East wall of the lower floor you will find a place to lead the Soul, this will convert the Lava into Water.

Take the water tunnel to access the North Chapel Bottom, there using the last Capital Sin you will open the door to the 3rd Secret.

9

3rd Secret

Make your way to the South Stairs. Using the Fissure you will access the chamber with the Stage Door Exit Switch. Combine the Big Brother Eye Pieces to use it with the Switch. Access to the inside of the Pyramid to cross the door just opened.

Inside the West Chamber you will find a Lever that will open a door. Cross it and use the next Lever to reach the Exit of the Level.

The End

Notes

I believe that is I have made a good job with this level but it was not possible to made all what I had in mind. Something were not in my had, it was not question of more time (it took to me around 300 hours), some times the limit is are the resources or the Tomb Raider engine itself.

Whith "TRWest v1.0" I was able to build my custom WAD, it was good! But the limits are still there. Let me note some things that i was not able to overcome. There is only 1 type of enemy (Baddy2). My desire was add some skeletons and crocodiles, but in this level, due to its size, it was only possible to have 2 enemies at the same time, the 3rd one means a "program crash". For this reason to have more than 2 enemies at the same time was leave a single type. For this reason you only will find one kind of enemies.

I will add a section to my web page about this kind of problems in the coming days. If you are developing levels could be interesting for you.

Josep Borrut
Tarragona
May 7th, 2001