Feature request: add loading screens like the PSX version.

[Storm3000]

Is it possible to add the loading screens from PSX version to Tomb1Main?

The Tomb2Main project already did it and it looks great.

[Richard-L]

I would love this, obviously 😇

Pertains to my asset importer under "discussions", as I personally don't think these should just be included (how TR2M does it).

[Richard-L]

Maybe for some added context, I compiled the images together in a strip.

PS1

Saturn

^ you can see how curiously Saturn has a different loading screen for the "Greece" level group. It is more telling of its first Francis' Folly level, as you can see Lara having to enter on top of the mountain, to then find the folly has a part leading all the way down.

PS1 images:
.RAW container, each 384x256px resolution

Saturn images:
.BIN container, each 320x256px resolution

I can document the full set of images in https://github.com/rr-/Tomb1Main/discussions/247 if you like. There are 9 PS1 files, 13 Saturn, latter including things like a Sega logo, the beta TR1 main menu backdrop, etc.

You can copy them from the PS1/Saturn discs, and use b122251's Tomb Raider Image Converter tool to save them out as bitmaps. https://b122251.org/tr/tools/index.html

[rr-]

It would be nice to have each image as a separate PNG and I'd appreciate documenting it in the related discussion.

I'm leaning towards just bundling it with the game. For the music we went with external hosting unaffiliated with this repository, but I don't think anybody's going to make much fuss about those 5 images.

[Richard-L]

@atombraiderfan oh nice, yes I do remember seeing them but forgot. Thanks for linking.

@rr- since this appears to be a legit source from what looks to be core, should these images just be included? I can outline later where each of them appear on PS1/Saturn

[foxprite]

But, when exactly would these screens be used? As a separate toggle option that would force a pause for a user defined number of seconds? And would people really want to wait and stare at these for a bit every time they jumped into the game or is this just to scratch the need of knowing it's there just in case?

I do have to play devil's advocate a bit when talking about adding these type of assets to the main distributable, even if they're no more than a few KB. (Something like fixed levels or the alternative animations seem more worth the risk.)
It does seem like extra logic to implement something that might have extremely limited appeal.

[Richard-L]

I disagree. The loading screens are great and universally loved. They are small files and will very likely be optional.

[foxprite]

Well, not universally as I general distaste for wasting any amount of time on loading screens (or logo intro screens) even though I grew with the Saturn (and PlayStation edition as well later).
Regardless, the main point was that including those with the exe is not required as they're easily acquirable online or dumped. Since right now people are being linked to UB, they could be linked to these as well.

[ArhumMK]

I'd love to have these loading screens even if they appear for a fraction of a second due to modern hardware. You could limit the appearance of these loading screens to level transitions only. So loading saves within a level will not show these, Or the loading screens only appear when you start a new chapter, i.e Greece loading screen before it's first level only.