Tomb Raiders Traveler's Guide: Tomb Raider - Chronicles

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	Tomb Raider - Chronicles -- General Hints

	1. KNOW THE TRICKS	The following are strategies, hints, and tricks that will help keep Lara alive. Although much of this chapter is copied directly from the general hints section of our previous guides, they still apply here. Along with the old hints, there are several new ones too. Some tips help you take advantage of inherent weaknesses in the game The rest of the tips involve using your resources smartly. Know which weapon to use and when. Know when you should use a Medi Pack and when you shouldn't and why. Keep these things in mind and you will have a lot less trouble.
		Finger Position	This hint is for players of the PC-CDROM version of Tomb Raider - Chronicles who prefer to use the keyboard rather than a game controller. If you haven't played any of the previous Tomb Raider games, then you may be comfortable with the default keyboard setup, but seriously consider remapping the crouch and sprint keys, from their default position, to better positions. We suggest using the 'Z' and 'X' keys, so that, your right hand can always stay over the inverted-T arrow keys and your left hand can handle all the modifier keys. You will be making much more use of sprinting and crawling in this game than the previous ones.
		Safety Drops	Always use safety drops, unless there's a boulder hot on Lara's tail. The time it takes to do a safety drop may save Lara just enough health to get through the rest of the level without needing another Medi Pack. If you're tired of waiting for Lara to stand in place and turn around. Learn the reverse-roll-safety-drop.
		Unstuck	One thing about the Tomb Raider games is that you're never ever actually "stuck". (There are rare exceptions to this rule, of course.) In many situations you may think that you're at a dead end, but in there is invariably some exit from the place you're in. Look for a button or a switch to activate. Check the blocks to see if any of them are movable. See if any of the walls are scalable. Find a ledge to jump or climb to. Look for crevices to shimmy across or crawl spaces to enter. If Lara is alive and well, then there is likely a way out of that situation.
		Gotta Light?	When you want a quick look at a dark corner of a room, don't waste your precious flares for a such a small job. Draw pistols and fire off a few of those unlimited rounds. The muzzle flash will provide enough light to briefly see the surroundings.
		Save Now	For the PC-CDROm version of this game, the key will bring you directly to the save game screen. You'll learn why it's important to have a quick path to "save game" as you get further along in the game.
		Conservation	In general ammunition is plentiful in the first half of this game, because you have your trusty pistols. However, in the latter half of this game you will be faced with two situations. The first is being completely unarmed. Conveniently, the enemies will be fewer in those instances, but in the final levels, ammunition will be a precious commodity. Whenver possible conserve ammunition by using it more effectively. A single shot is often enough for certain enemies, but you have to know where to place that shot.
		Stealth	In the last levels of this game, stealth should be employed whenever possible. In almost every situation, you will find that being stealthy will be to your advantage in some way.


	2. KNOW THE TOOLS	Besides running, jumping, and fighting, it is important to be familiar with the other equipment that Lara might be carrying around. However it's not enough to just know what they do, but also how to use them strategically.
		Timex TMX	The compass from The Last Revelation is gone, and instead of the stopwatch of the previous games has returned in the form of a Timex TMX. This gadget will provide statistics of your current game at anytime in the level instead of at the very end. You can see how many secrets Lara has picked up, how long you've spent in the current level, how much ammunition was used, and even how far Lara has traveled (in kilometres of course). The TMX will not tell you is how many kills you've racked up or items you've picked up.
		Medi Packs	Use these sparingly and hoard them for the later levels. Learn how much health you think you'll need to finish a level. If Lara is injured and you think you can get her to the end of the level, then don't use a Medi Pack because Lara's health will be restored to full at the beginning of the next level. It is also important to distinguish the difference between Small Medi Packs and Large Medi Packs. Small Medi Packs will restore Lara's health by half of the total health bar, while Large Medi Packs will restore Lara's health bar to full health. One important feature of Medi Packs is that they contain poison antidote. If Lara is poisoned by a scorpion or a poisonous dart, her health bar will turn yellow, and she will continue to take damage until she dies from the poison. In the event that Lara is poisoned, you must use a Medi Pack at some point to cure her. However if Lara has enough health remaining, it is often a good strategy to look around for other poison darts or snakes and deal with those hazards before using one of your precious Medi Packs.
		Flares	Be aware of areas that are dark and consider using a flare before entering because Lara may not have time to light a flare when she gets inside. Also, Lara can toss flares after lighting them. This is particularly useful in large rooms, where you can toss a flare into the room to see what's inside. Be particularly sparing with the flares, as they are in short supply and there are plenty of dark areas in the game. If you need a quick light, read the hints above.
		Binoculars/Headset	In some levels you will have access to either the binoculars or the headset. If you need a better look at something in the distance, you can use the binoculars. You can adjust the zoom level with the sprint and crouch keys. The headset is equipt with an infrared display which is activated by pressing the action key.
		Crowbar	Through out the levels, you may find actual crowbars or various pieces of metal, such as a loose handrail or a piece of a fence, which you can pick up and use as a crowbar. Once you pick up the crowbar, you will find several uses including prying open gates, prying loose a useful item, and so forth. When in doubt, see if you can pry it open or off with the crowbar.
		LaserSight	In some places, you can find a lasersight, but it comes standard on the HK Gun and the Grappling Gun. The lasersight can be combined with either the revolver or the Desert Eagle pistol. To activate the lasersight, ready the weapon that you have combined with the lasersight and use the look key. Instead of automatically targetting enemies, you will have to aim weapons manually. The zoom level of the lasersight can be adjusted with the sprint and crouch keys. The lasersight is extremely useful to shoot open locks, grates, and guards.
		Grappling Hook Launcher	The grappling gun, which you will find in the VCI tower, is a unique little item. The ammuntion for the gun consist of a grappling hook and a spool or rope packed into an explosive charge. The grappling gun is equiped with a very special lasersight or scope. The laser beam that the scope emits is red when the grappling gun is aimed at a surface that cannot be grabbed by the grappling hook, but the laser turns green when you target a surface that the grappling hook is capable of grabbing onto. A successful hit with the grappling hook will result in a rope dangling down from the spot you hit.

	3. KNOW THE WEAPONS²	Lara's arsenal has been reduced a bit in the latest game, but the visual effects are yet more impressive than in any previous game. It is vital that you know the strengths and weaknesses of each weapon. This is a guide to selecting the right weapon for the right situation. The characteristics of each weapon will be described and compared below. Legend: Ammunition: Describes how many units you receive with each pickup. Targeting Range: The maximum distance that Lara can stand from an enemy and still be able to target it. Effective Range: The distance that the weapon is most strategic or effective. Damage: The amount of damage the weapon inflicts. Reload Time: The amount of time that the weapon cannot be fired either because of the recoil or reloading of the weapon
		Pistols³	Once again Lara sets out on her adventures armed with these trusty sidearms. With one in each hand, these handguns allow Lara to show off her nimble footwork while pumping endless rounds into her enemies. When drawn, Lara automatically targets the first enemy in front of her. The pistols are the weapon of choice for the weaker enemies and for "shooting fish in a barrel". Unlike in previous games, Lara will not maintain her lock on enemies when she is no longer facing them, but instead she will target another enemy or just shoot straight ahead. Although reliable, pistols inflict little damage. Ammunition: Unlimited Targeting Range: 16 metres (8 blocks) Effective Range: Close to medium range Damage: Light Reload Time: None
		Shotgun	Lara's shotgun keeps its upgrade from the previous game. This 12 bore weapon does the most damage at close range and can often bring enemies down with one or two shots. That fact is important to know because the shotgun becomes a strategic weapon in areas where evasive maneuvers are not possible, such as a small room. The shotgun can effectively take down an enemy very quickly. It makes the best use of your limited shotgun shells and is the safest way to deal with the shotgun's long recoil time. Beside regular shotgun shells, Lara will also find wideshot shotgun shells which can fire a dispersed shot pattern. Wideshot ammo has a much larger spread of firepower and is more powerful. Wideshot is scarce, so choose wisely when to use it. Ammunition: 2 shells per package Targeting Range: 16 metres (8 blocks) Effective Range: Best used at close range Damage: Heavy damage at close range, light if further Reload Time: Medium
		Uzis	Uzis are best for those hard to kill enemies that require many rounds of ammunition to bring down, because these fully automatic 9 mm pistols put out the most rounds per second. However, the Uzis are more suited for battles at close quarters, since they are not as accurate as the pistols or the Desert Eagle when attempting to hit a target at a large distance. Uzi ammo can disappear quickly if you have an itchy trigger finger, so use the Uzis wisely.³. Ammunition: 40 bullets per pair of clips Targeting Range: 16 metres (8 blocks) Effective Range: Close to medium range Damage: Medium Reload Time: None
		Revolver	Back from Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, is the revoler. The revoler's range is quite long, and the amount of damage it inflicts is moderate, but one feature of the revolver is that it can be combined with the lasersight to form an extremely accurate weapon. Ammunition for the revolver is scarce, so save it for when you actually need it. Ammunition: ? bullets per box Targeting Range: 16 metres (8 blocks) Effective Range: Medium to long range Damage: Medium Reload Time: Medium
		Desert Eagle	Back from Tomb Raider 3 is The Israel Military Industries [IMI] .50 caliber pistol, the Desert Eagle, (licensed in the United States by Magnum Research Inc.) is the most powerful handgun available to Lara. Although the weapon is limited to a 5 round clip, this gun packs enough power to punch through body armor if required. This handgun replaces the magnums from the original Tomb Raider game and the automatics in Tomb Raider II. Lara will wield only one of these powerful pistols while supporting it with her other hand to deal with the weapon's strong kick. The heavy damage produced by this weapon as well as the short recoil time, makes this one of the most formidable weapons in Lara's arsenal. However, because of the limited ammunition that can be found, save this weapon for taking down enemies at close range, when it is necessary to bring down the enemy quickly, and for the tougher enemies at the end of each area. More importantly, the Desert Eagle can be combined with the the LaserSight for highly accurate high-power sniping. Ammunition: 10 bullets per pair of clips Targeting Range: 16 metres (8 blocks) Effective Range: Close to medium range Damage: Heavy Reload Time: None
		HK Gun	The custom HK gun is larger than the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine from Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, but smaller than the M-16 assault rifle of Tomb Raider II. The HK Gun can be operated in three different modes: sniper, burst, and rapid-fire. In sniper mode, the gun fires a single shot when the trigger is pulled. In combination with the laser scope, which is comes standard with this weapon, the sniper mode is extremely accurate and effective. In burst mode, the HK gun will fire a burst of five rounds each time the trigger is pulled. This is an effective mode for dealing with individual enemies while allowing the bearer to conserve ammuntion. Finally, the rapid-fire mode puts the gun into a fully automatic mode. In this mode, the HK gun will continue firing bullets while the trigger is depressed until the trigger is released or the gun's clips are empty. Ammunition: 60 bullets per pair of clips Targeting Range: 24 metres (12 blocks) Effective Range: Long range (least effective at close range) Damage: Medium Reload Time: None

	4. KNOW THY ALLIES AND ENEMIES	One big advantage in your travels is to know what enemies you're up against. You should know how they attack and how quickly they do it, what is the best way to avoid them, and what weapon works best for taking them out. The following are some principles that you can use when encountering enemies. You may not want to read this section until after you've met each particular enemy for the first time because finding out what the enemies are can really spoil the thrill for you. Click that BACK button on your browser to go back. Otherwise you can click this link to go to the directory of enemies that can be found in Tomb Raider III.