Tomb Raider: The Atlantean Mandate Project

Tomb Raider: The Atlantean Mandate Project
As many of you know, I’ve been working on my “AMP” project for a while now. I posted a thread about it ages ago; however, I quickly let it go dead due to the fact that I had no screenshots prepared. Until now. Titled Tomb Raider: The Atlantean Mandate Project, my adventure will bring our famous adventurer across the world in search for an ancient artifact hidden deep beneath the realms of Atlantis. To places even Natla could never have known about. (Just to be clear, Natla will NOT be making an appearance.) I’ve decided to go ahead and pursue a more historical look at the ancient continent, while adding a whole new storyline, full of fiendish enemies and a competitor Tomb Raider. AMP will feature the locations of Thailand, Ireland, Mexico, Indonesia, and a final battleground of sorts that I don’t intend to reveal until the title is released. As the adventure pushes forward, Lara Croft will come across several familiar faces (such as Werner Von Croy, Amanda Evert, and the lovable Janice of AOD). While there are several enemies I’m crafting up (such as the Hypnotist), I’ve decided not to give Lara a main enemy. Instead, as I mentioned before, she will come across a competitor Tomb Raider, known as Ethan Bane. The bickering between Lara and Ethan will be phenomenal. I’m a writer. Humor comes easily.

The Story of AMP
In many ways, Tomb Raider: AMP connect with the stories of TR1 (not TRA), AOD, TRL, and TRU. However, I will not be including the Amelia/Richard plot in any way, shape, or form. (Snooze-fest.) At its core, AMP will feature a completely new storyline with just a few familiar faces. Lara’s bio is primarily based off of the original way she was described (back when Toby Gard was sane). She’s a selfish woman who would be willing to do just about anything to seek her prize. The best part? It’s all for sport. Lara Croft has no long term motive for me. My story will be primarily driven by side characters and the events that occur, not the way Lara is feeling.

Following the fashion of TR1 (which seemed to have been dropped in later titles), Lara Croft is not only an adventurer, but a world renowned author. She’s written several novels about her exploits (which can be found throughout my unique version of Croft Manor), and is known to give lectures to students who are attending universities. The game opens with a short cutscene of Lara at a rather prestigious college in London. Many of the students are arrogant, and don’t believe a word that Lara has to say about her past adventures. In some oddly twisted way, my version of Lara hopes that these young men and women will grow up to become her competitors. She loves the satisfaction of victory and wants to defeat them all.

The follow-up cutscene, which you see right before you begin to play, is a sort of tribute to Core, in which I’ve incorporated several classic characters into a sensible flashback, which partially explains what the mysterious artifact Lara is searching for could be. I’ve made the bold decision that none of the flashbacks will be playable, as I want to be able to convey the emotions through cinematic sequences. Plus, I feel that playing at the university or at Von Croy’s Estate would take away from the overall presence of the title. AMP will be crammed full of tombs. This is no Area 51 remake. Lara won’t ever visit Tokyo in my title. What she’ll primarily come across is the undead and death defying traps and puzzles. I’m sure many of you are thinking some of this can’t be done. My motto? If I want to do it, I’ll figure out a way. It’s not like there’s a deadline.

The Easter Eggs of AMP
My favorite thing about being able to create my own CUSTOM levels is that I get to hide secrets, and above all else Easter eggs. AMP will be crammed full of hidden goodies and small gestures in respect toward past titles. Plus, I intend to include a small “Kill Zip and Allister” mini game somewhere in Croft Manor, but I haven’t quite worked out the design to my liking just yet. I’ll say one thing: There will be blood. Lots and lots and lots of delicious Zip-and-Allister-filled gore. Yum.

The Outfits of AMP
One thing I’ve liked about recent Tomb Raider titles is the selection of outfits. Lara seems to be a tad more modest, covering up almost all skin and even wearing heavy layers. While I don’t plan to cover her up completely, I feel that it’s a better Tomb Raider experience when Lara is just a tease. I don’t want to see her boobs hanging out. A: She’s a bunch pixels. B: She’s a bunch of pixels. That’s just weird. Lara’s “assets” will not be shown for even a moment in AMP. Throughout most of the title, Lara will be wearing a long sleeveless shirt. I find it completely unnecessary to have her belly button and boobs hanging out all of the time. Lara will not be featured wearing the classic blue outfit. Its time has passed, and I’m ready for a new Lara. Whether or not she will be wearing a different outfit in the manor has not yet been decided, as the manor hasn’t even been started. Just drawn out. We shall see.

The Level Designs of AMP
I have hundreds of drawings. Hundreds. Seriously. A lot. I've designed probably about 25% of the game so far. Now I'm taking those drawings and converting them to computer images. I just started today. January 4th. It's taking ages, but I want to give you an example of how many twists and turns there are in my avarage level. This is about 5% of the Thailand portion of the game. No objects have been added to the image. No seperate levels have been added. If you have anything to say, I'd appreciate constructive criticism. Nothing mean. Please. Anyway, here's an image. I should note that most portions of this photo are outdoor locations.