10 Things you can do while waiting for PS4/PC version of Rise of the Tomb Raider

2:30 pm HelenLJohnson 0 Comments

Well hello there fellow Tomb Waiter, while our winter may be Croft-less, that doesn’t mean we can’t be doing something productive about it. So grab an Earl Grey, a notepad and lets get sorted for 2016!

1. Dip your toes in somebody else’s tomb

(oxxxxxashxxxxxo - dA)

Naughty Dog couldn’t have timed it better to release the Uncharted trilogy for the PS4, followed by perhaps the final instalment a few months later. There is plenty between all four games to keep your raiding needs in check, especially with the new photo mode and additional trophies.

2. Declutter for Croft
More so for PS4 waiters, you have twelve months to sort out your abode and sell unwanted items to raise money for the game. It is a win/win situation; you get to sort out your possessions and make space while not dipping into your wages when November 2016 comes around. Just don’t spent that money in the meantime!

3. Learn a Lara skill

(coolxnalara - dA)

Lara smuggles many talents underneath that brown hair, so why not learn one of them while you are waiting for ROTTR? Choose from archery or gun control (at a reputable school!) or hieroglyphics and swan diving. If all else fails, you could always master the perfect movie french braid.

4. Catch up on fan films

(EAT Photography/Guns and Grapple)

Tomb Raider fans are a talented bunch and it would be a disservice not to check out some of the amazing films being created by fans. From the latest big release Hunted to older works such as Croft and Book of the Dead. Projects of all budgets are always appearing on YouTube and it is worth checking back every now and then.

5. Play the chronological challenge 
After nearly twenty years, Ms Croft has certainly racked up some adventures. Use the upcoming twelve months as the opportunity to revisit every single jungle, mountain and tomb that Lara has been to. Oh I see you shoving that GBA game under the bed, get it out. When I say every adventure, I mean every adventure! Including the good, the bad and the ugly! You might be able to raise some money for charity too by doing speedruns and participating in charity events.

6. Happy 20th birthday!
2016 is the 20th anniversary of Tomb Raider, so there will certainly be a lot of Lara things going on. So see this as a TBA and get involved where you can with the festivities!

7. Write a follow up story to Tomb Raider 2013 and thank a writer



Fanfiction sometimes get a bad reputation, but honestly there are so many talented writers that are creating stories under the Tomb Raider tab that it is shame they don’t get as much recognition. You will have to be careful for spoilers from next week, so I would say go through the site and save some stories now using apps such as fan fiction reader. If you find an excellent story, make sure you send the writer a little message and share it out to people who may find it interesting. Fan fiction writing is mostly an emotional economy, give a little back :). Then write your own story and see how different it reads compared to ROTTR when you get the chance to play it.

8. Catch up on your history
No matter where you started on the Tomb Raider timeline, take some time to learn about how the series started and just how imported it was to British identity in the late 90s, a time of Cool Britannia and Riot Grrrls. A great place to start is Priestman’s 2015 KillScreen article with more lengthy discussions in the books Grand Thieves and Tomb Raiders and Porn and Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Our Culture.

9. Pimp those raids

(MarySue)

Time to get those creative muscles working! Do you have a boring piece of furniture, a desk or a cushion that just doesn’t scream adventure? Or perhaps you love making cakes, nail art or apps. Whatever it is you do, make something that is unashamingly Crofty! Then share it on Twitter, because we all love that stuff ;).

10. Play nice and meet up

(LaraCroftCosplay.com)

Perhaps the most important thing is to acknowledge that fans playing the game will be spread out across twelve months. If you are an Xbox gamer reading this, avoid spoilers and taunting online with meaningless consoles wars. Respect others decisions to buy a PS4 version rather than abandoning the franchise (as I know some are) and visa versa. We all have reasons for doing what we do and the best reaction we can have is just to listen to why they are making those choices. Still go to events such as comic cons and meet up with other fans where possible or host twitter chats online. At the end of the day, if the main community doesn’t suit you, don’t sulk, just take the steps to create your own community or find and support a new one.

So there we go, what are fellow Tomb Waiters doing for 2016? Tweet me with #tombwaiters or leave a comment below.

Until next time, happy raiding.

Making Your Own Bubble Tea!

6:33 pm HelenLJohnson 3 Comments

I came back from Singapore in 2011 bringing back many memories from my research trip, one of which was the deviously addicting chewy drink called bubble or boba tea. A few years later, bubble tea shops and stalls opened around Liverpool and Manchester and I made a name for myself as the girl who could not go into a city without picking up a cup of milky, chewy goodness.

This wasn’t enough however, I started to make it at home to drink (and eat!) while I worked on my cosplays long into the night before a con. I’ve tried many different ways to create my favourite beverage, instant tea, condensed milk, normal black tea, ice cubes, blended ice, instant tapioca…however it did always seem a bit of a fuss. Boba Mix came to the rescue and kindly sent me a sample pack of matcha bubble tea when they were doing a special offer. So I thought I would show you how easy it is to make your own bubble tea at home!

First of all, Boba Mix will send you prepackaged amounts of everything you need except for fresh ingredients. So all you will need is water, milk, sugar, ice and container of your choice!




Make some tea with 250ml of water and brew for 1-2 minutes.




Then add the bubble tea powder (this is what gives the drink that bubble tea shop taste), some sugar if you like and 100ml of fresh milk. They recommend whole milk however I only have skimmed which worked perfectly well. For the proper Taiwanese taste you could swap the milk for 50ml of evaporated milk or use 50ml of condense milk. The condense milk taste takes me right back to Singaporean Kopi or the ice coffees I had in Cambodia.




Place in the fridge and get on with plumping those pearls!



Boil 20g of pearls in 250ml of water then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and place in a sugar solution. The easiest way to do this is add two tablespoons of sugar and two tablespoons of lukewarm water. Any remaining solution can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days (so no excuses if you have more cravings in the following days!)


Add the pearls to a glass and pour the tea mixture over the top. Add some ice and a straw and you are done! Unfortunately someone took all the ice we had so I left my mixture in the fridge a little longer than the recommended 40 minutes to makes sure it was extra cold.



The bubble tea was delicious; using the powder mix certainly gave it an authentic taste and was so easy as everything I needed came in one pack. You can buy full size packs from their eBay store and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.


(Disclaimer: Boba Mix haven't paid me to write this post, I participated in a special offer of a free pack they were hosting at the time on social media)

How to be a #NaNoWriMo Rebel

4:20 pm HelenLJohnson 0 Comments

I think it is time for a confession, and I am probably not alone in this. I love creating stories, however most of them end up being the bath time/train ride/lying in bed kind where it is fascinating to escape into these worlds, but are never wrote out. I think the main reason is because I am scared that once they are fleshed out, they can never match what I had pictured in my mind. Admittedly, I am a dreamer, and can sit and think for hours.

This is where NaNoWriMo comes in. Although it sounds like the titular pet from a Shōjo manga, National November Writing Month has one aim. To get you to write that novel you have been talking about for years. By the end of the month you should have 50,000 words; it forces you to consider deadlines and timekeeping. Something I am sure we are all guilty of, especially with our busy lives. Remember to be a NaNoWriMo rebel though, not everything needs to wrote by the book (excuse the pun), as long as you are writing:

1. Use NaNoWriMo as inspiration, not a law.
Treat November as your writing month. You can tune in to the buzz of people around you who are writing and that may inspire you to keep going. However no-one is going to tell you off because you are writing a script or a non fiction book. Think outside the box and complete anything in the month of November, for example:

- Aim for a blog post every two days.
- Code a game that is playable by 1st December.
- Write fan fiction story (30,000 words).
- Create and write a new craft tutorial every week.
- Write an extended essay on a topic you enjoy (20,000 words).
- Write two novellas based around one character.

2. Quality is always better than quantity.
 The problem with projects that use gamification as a way for contributors to move forward is that sometimes it can be quite black or white. You either fail or you win. If you don’t quite finish, don’t be disheartened. Remember this isn’t your job (yet!) but you should remember that your project doesn’t finish in November even if you hit 50,000 words. November is your spew month, you get the words out there. Use the rest of winter as an excuse to stay indoors and tailor what you have or continue with November used as your spring board.

3. Everything doesn’t have to be new.
If you have something half finished, use that as your November writing project! On a similar vein, if you feel truly stuck halfway through November, put what you are writing to one side and do something else. This is where blogs come in very handy. You can take a break but still write, which is the most crucial thing. Often, this will clear the mind fog and you can get back to your masterpiece :).

4. Keep on the hashtags and lists.
As with capturing the buzz of the NaNoWriMo community, be aware of common hashtags and get involved in Twitter chats. Even as just an observer, make Twitter lists of people who are writing so if your project is getting you down, there is something a click away to hopefully make you feel a little less lonely.

5. Write what you like.
Don’t be discouraged by forums full of people writing their fantasy stories or hard hitting crime novels. If you want to write erotica, a children's book or an easy to read chick lit for example; you do that. There is a niche for everything, no matter how small it may be, and you might just make someone’s day by writing about it.

6. Don’t rush to publish.
This is mainly for fan fiction writers or bloggers and is something I am guilty of. Completing a chapter or post, editing then publishing in the same night. Please don’t do that! I know it is so tempting to get it out there to feel that sense of completeness, but very often there will be silly mistakes or you end up trapping yourself because the story changes halfway through writing and the start does not make sense for where you are now. Complete your story, edit it, reflect, then release in chapters maybe every week.

For self publishing, don’t rush it out for the same reasons as suggested above. You don’t want people to be put off your story by terrible grammar and spelling. In addition, many people will self publish in December after NaNoWriMo, instead provide yourself with some reflection time and if you are still happy with your work, try in March or April. Remember though, the aim is just to write, you do not need to publish anything if you don't want to.

Are you writing in November? Let me know via Twitter and we can cry together over cups of tea! When I decide what it is that I am doing!

Further reading: '25 Things You Should Know About NaNoWriMo'

Top Ten Moments I Cannot Forgive Lara For

6:00 pm HelenLJohnson 0 Comments

37 Shades of Relic Run

10:07 pm HelenLJohnson 0 Comments

1.Tomb Raider on a mobile is ridiculous.
2. *friend points out that Tomb Raider 1 and 2 are on mobile*
3. Shut up, that's different...anyway I can't play it without a controller.
4. ...Have you got Relic Run?.....
5. This isn't right, it is money grabbing and devaluing the Tomb Raider franchise!
6. <DOWNLOADING RELIC RUN>
7. Don't look at me like that, you're playing Final Fantasy Record Keeper.
8. Ooh that looks pretty.
9. This like Temple Run.
10. I like Temple Run.
11. I'm quite the Temple Run master if I do say so myself.
12. *DIES*
13. This isn't like Temple Run.
14. Lara go left.
15. LEFT LARA.
16. For gods sake.
17. She's been deaf since 1996.
18. KICKING SKULLS IS AMAZING.
19. Temple Run...WITH GUNS!
20. Oh god I swiped...
21. I didn't mean to do that.
22. I forgot it wasn't Temple Run - I'm sorry Lara...I'll take that one.
23. Did your leg just go over your head?
24. Start again, I 'm so close to an artifact.
25. T REX! :')
26. Oh damn, she just fell down a hole.
27. That was kinda your fault this time.
28. Ohh Lara your head!
29. Why do I keep dying!
30. *friend points out that this is embarrassing for a Tomb Raider fan*
31. Who asked you? You little...
32. Shit.
33. Died again.
34. *Throws phone on sofa*
35. *Gets a comforting cup of tea*
36. *Picks up phone*
37. *Plays Temple Run with Lara look-a-like*

Get Ready Cosplayers, Con Season is Upon Us

7:54 am HelenLJohnson 0 Comments

In The Search for My Lara

6:46 pm HelenLJohnson 2 Comments

I have just come back from a fantastic day discussing all things geeky and tech at Liverpool Girl Geeks inaugural meet up event to celebrate International Women's Day. Naturally, I wore one of my Tomb Raider tee shirts; not that I need any excuses but it just seems right to represent team Tomb Raider on this day.

At almost twenty years old, the franchise has inspired not just women, but all walks of life who have crossed the threshold into Croft manor. Yet, it is the voices of women who admire and are inspired by Lara that I hear the loudest. This weekend at PAX East, Jenn Croft, one of the most influential Lara cosplayers around has been gathering fans from around the convention to take pictures and share out the Lara love. I know that this is part of the marketing for Rise of the Tomb Raider; however you can see the excitement on fans faces as they meet someone they admire. All of this is firmly rooted in how the franchise has been received over the years and through all the highs and lows, there has been an undercurrent of admiration for the British archaeologist who stole our hearts and our gaming time.

What is interesting is how individuals perceive the character of Lara Croft. After a 90s conception and two reboots, the story and personality of Lara has changed throughout the years. Where a person has picked up on the franchise combined with their favourite game in the series alters how an individual perceives Lara. This is very telling when we look at the growing body of fan fiction with writers creating their own timelines; while some dismiss any romantic notions, there are just as many if not more that try to explore the 'what ifs' with Lara had she had someone else in her life romantically. Some, like myself, try to weave together parts of all the timelines to create a Lara that is a product of 20 years of development. I'd like to call it bio-blending, remixing elements to create one solo narrative. 

This leads me on to my Lara. Who is my Lara? First of all I'll tell you who she isn't. The international sex symbol that had unrealistic proportions and was objectified as part of the male gaze. I'm not denying that people shouldn't see her as such a description; Lara was born into a time where Riot Grrl and being a 'Lad' was popular. Video games and the PS1 became part of late nineties culture, as did the models and marketing campaigns that went around them. Without a doubt, Lara can meet that description, but I never saw that side growing up. 



This is what makes Lara a fascinating character to study. Took at face value, Lara Croft is perhaps one of the most normal personalities in gaming. She has brown hair, brown or green eyes, no super powers, wears simple clothes and has a fairly modest inventory when she travels. If Lara was a real person, she could sit in a coffee shop and blend into the general public. It is what she does, and her adventures that are remarkable. In this respect, it is very easy for an individual to overlay personality traits on to, let's be honest, a fairly normal person. It is only in the most recent narratives that Lara has had a prescribed identity. In the older games, it was a lot less clear who Lara Croft was other than a gun toting bad ass. Well, if you went off the original bios that is. In the minds of thousands of gamers, we made our own Lara Croft and we grew up with her. Our Lara.

Let's get back to my Lara. She is a mix between Classic and Reboot, I can fully imagine that the Lara we see in Tomb Raider 9 develops and grows into the Lara we see in Tomb Raider 1, 2 and Angel of Darkness. She is extremely clever and although born into British society, would rather live to her own values. She isn't against relationships, indeed she has been in some and sometimes uses her charm to get her own way, but Lara just doesn't get time to invest in such things. For Lara, fighting doesn't always mean with weapons, she has times where she has to fight against herself, her heritage and society expectations. She attacks them to the best of her ability, even if sometimes she fails. She isn't, and has never been perfect but Lara lives her life how she believes it should be lived.

Daniocampo1992.deviantart

 I know some people will read that and think, "that's not Lara", and that is what Tomb Raider fans need to appreciate. There are many Laras, not one of them is the 'right' one. The franchise is too engrained in popular culture to overwrite previous incarnations. I want to know who your Lara is, I want to know why she inspires you. We are all correct and on International Women's Day, let us celebrate one of the women in gaming who has opened doors for many of us, despite only being made of pixels.     

Elegantly Wasted with Rise of the Tomb Raider

10:08 pm HelenLJohnson 0 Comments

I won’t lie, when I saw the new screenshots from ROTTR, I squee’ed a little. A whole month of Tomb Raider from Game Informer! Think of the stories! Think of the speculations! Most importantly, think of that cosplay goodness. The new t-shirts, new boots, new holster, new bow; I can hear the money leaving my bank account right now.

However, hold on there little bank account with your eBay password knowledge…something isn’t right. My relationship with this game is very different to Tomb Raider games previously, the problem being that right now I’m sat next to a PS4.

Whoops.

Yes, I was very annoyed when it was announced that ROTTR would be exclusive to the Xbox One, mainly because they let the all platform hype train leave the station with the the first teaser, then kicked off two thirds at the next stop. While I wouldn’t say I’m a complete Sony fangirl, I was even considering Xbox One before launch, I do prefer PlayStation simply because the controller fits better in my hands and my tastes seem to go with Sony exclusives more than Microsoft.

Until now then eh? Heh…..never mind….

I raged, of course I did. My Tumblr post was continually reposted that showed Lara shooting herself with an arrow. That was honestly how I felt, that the franchise was killing itself and the community. I have said to this day, that the Tomb Raider community is one of the most supportive and creative out there. I wondered what would happen to Katie’s Tomb Raider site now she couldn’t take PC screenshots or the millions of fans who were introduced to the franchise through the PlayStation One era and just kind of grew up with the relationship. I ranted on Twitter, there was no chance that I was going to make a Rise cosplay. It would just be wrong.
 The sad thing is, as all the rage calmed down after a few months and ROTTR became a timed exclusive (maybe), I kind of understand the business decision behind it. I know how badly games can be budgeted which has a knock on effect on future titles. I know that sometimes, the decision that is best for the business isn’t always the best for the game or the community. I hate that I am saying that, and my heart doesn’t want to accept it. We have to accept that games are a business, a large player in the entertainment industry. Of course I didn’t want Tomb Raider to be an exclusive, I certainly don’t like it, but I can understand why.

Move forward to the start of this month. I am putting in plans for my 2015 costumes and there is a glaring omission. I see screenshots and detailed breakdowns of the current Rise outfit and I want to make it; but how can I make something that I may not have the chance of playing? I’m pretty strict with my costume creation, I need to play the game before I make something so I can understand how the fabric may move and what happens in-game that may affect the look of the outfit. I also like to get into character even if I am not creating a skit for a masquerade; psychology and ideologies of a character feeds into the cosplay process. So it is safe to say, the cosplay side is having a bit of a battle with the Lara fangirl!

I can’t lie, I’m fascinated by what has come out so far; but it doesn’t feel the same as TR9 did and I don’t think it ever will even if Square Enix end up with the rights for PS4 and PC while Microsoft has XB1. Elegantly wasted perfectly describes how I feel at the moment in regards to ROTTR, what is being produced looks good and is very slickly done in comparison to last year. We even have a new film mentioned in the Yamatai gossip towers (with a whole host of potential issues that is irrelevant here). Yet it is still tied to it’s past mistakes.

However, let’s face it. It’s Tomb Raider, we’ve been through similar if not worse situations and we are still here after nearly 20 years. That has to count for something right?

Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Raider in your Life

7:44 pm HelenLJohnson 1 Comments

Oh dear, it is two days until Valentines day and you have yet to buy a present for the raider in your life. Never fear, here are some emergency options that you can buy right now, no internet needed! Please note that these are UK biased, because that is where I live! However hopefully you can find similar/same items wherever in the world you are :) (mostly!).

1. Green Parker Jacket

Pretty sure the most influential trend forecaster is a Tomb Raider fan; these Rise-esque jackets have been everywhere this autumn/winter season. A few now are also on sale, so not only is it practical and very Tomb Raidery but can also save you a few pennies.








There are so many gift ideas I found while writing this that I definitely need to return soon to put together Gifts for Croftys volume two, which would feature items available from the internet! Hopefully you have found a little inspiration from this and I wish you a Happy Valentines day...that is after you have celebrated Lara's birthday...obviously....

from tombraidergifs.tumblr

Year of the Croft

9:14 am HelenLJohnson 0 Comments

As you may have seen on my Twitter (@Lady_Scion) I created an advent calender for last December and enjoyed it immensely. When it came to Boxing day (26/12), I was a little bit sad that I wasn't scheduling up Tomb Raider goodness for the week.

So I wondered...

Could I do this for a year? Rise of the Tomb Raider is out next December and we are in the run up to the 20th anniversary in 2016...

So why not make 2015, the "Year of the Croft".

This means that for one week of every month, I will be posting fan art, fiction, oddities and other Tomb Raider works from around the internet on my Twitter feed. Each month will have a theme and every post will have #YOTC so by the end of it, we should have a nice little collection :) .

Let's just say that #TRAdvent didn't make a dent in my Tomb Raider folder on my hard drive! I should be ashamed...but I'm really not.

Please find below the schedule for 2015 and I hope that you join me over on Twitter.

Year of the Croft 2015

Jan: Angel of Croft
19th-25th 
January is dark and snowy, so lets start the year by celebrating the love/hate relationship with Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness.

February: Mrs Croft
9th-15th
There's enough shipping going on around the internet to fill a month, but let's keep it around Valentines day shall we...

March: Cosplay Croft
9th-15th
It is the start of con season! Yay! So I'll be sharing fantastic resources to help you with your own Lara cosplays.

April: Crossover Croft
20th-26th
Sometimes Tomb Raider works far too well when Lara is placed into another world...and sometimes it is just...weird

May: Croft Armed
11th-17th
Celebrating all things shooty, bang, bang in the TR universe. (Swish and ping weapons also accepted).

June: Doppelganger Croft
8th-14th
There are many things that have been inspired by Tomb Raider, here are some of them in all their glory or almost copyright infringement. [EDIT: Changed date due to my own little adventure in Cambodia! 19/4]

July: Random Croft
7th-14th
I'll start out with a bag of random words and Google a randomly picked word with "Tomb Raider" or "Lara Croft". Prepare yourself for strangeness. [EDIT: Changed date because I'll still be raiding tombs in Cambodia! 19/4]

August: Holiday Croft
10th-16th
Lara taking a break for once with these vacation pictures; hopefully dancing to Wham's Club Tropicana.

September: Other Crofts
14th-20th
Lara gets a month off, this month is dedicated to the supporting roles.

October: Weird Croft
25th-31st
Tomb Raider, but not as we know it.

November: Rise of the Croft
16th-22nd
All things Rise'y

December: Christmas Croft aka #TRAdvent
1st-25th
It's baaaaack! This will be a full 25 days of Tomb Raider festivities. There might also be a competition or two...

#YOTC