How to improve the game and get dual pistols.

How to quickly improve the visuals and get dual pistols in the game also contains advice on a few bugs.

Basic improvements/advice.

Note: This guide is mostly redundant thanks to fixes via the https://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=226260
Tomb Raider AOD Restoration patch, while some advice (like reading the manual) is still valid, this fan mod restores the Dual Pistols as a pick-up and includes tweaks to fix various bugs such as the Short Hop bug, this guide is still useful though if you want to play Vanilla AOD.


Advance Warning: While there is a "Controls fix" patch, I will not link it as I personally think it makes the game controls worse, if you try it and certain things (Lara quick-turning instead of moving backwards when you press the move back button) annoy you, that's is something the patch adds,

This guide will also list ways to "Cheat" the dual pistols into the game since they were left out of the game in the rush to release it, you will normally never obtain them without the methods listed in this guide.

Make sure to read the game's manual, like previous TR, certain vital moves are described in there but not in the game's tutorials.
Here is also an warning for one of Lara's moves, when performing the short hop (walk and Jump at the same time.) Lara will automatically rotate in the last direction pressed, make sure to move slightly fowards/backwards to ensure Lara jumps straight ahead and not drastically off-course, usually to her death.

During one of the last levels, the Lost Domain, you get a strength upgrade that lets you sprint-jump, due to the publisher forcing the game to be rushed, the game doesn't tell you that you can sprint jump, while the PS2 Version had the timer for the level altered so it can be able to be beaten without it, the PC version was not, so just remember that you can sprint jump after getting the strength upgrade in that level.

The EXE-multipatcher (Used later in this guide) is apparently going to get an update to let us fix this glitch but it hasn't come out yet, just remember to tap fowards/backwards before doing the short hop, all other jumps work fine.

There are some "secret" (not explained) moves that let you move a little more fluidly detailed in this fourm post I found.
https://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=38862

Improving the basic Graphics.
Open the game's launcher, select settings and make sure VMR9 is ticked and that Cubemap reflections Character/ Camera update is set to half. (The game will usually fail to start with VMR9 unticked and will lag heavily with Cubemap updates set higher.)

You can also scroll down in the launcher in the options sections to alter stuff such as enabling Shadows, as well as additional visual changes.

Boot up AOD, go into the in-game options and select graphics, this lets you enable better quality water but this is a bit visually buggy.

There is a tool called the AODSCU, while it has a good few uses (one of which is later in this guide.), it also has better support if used to start the game for high resolutions which can make the game look better at higher resolutions, the download link is in the next section of this guide.

Easy improvements.

To get Dual pistols:



https://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?p=8050443&postcount=1
This in-depth fourm post should explain how to get them with the help of a tool called the AOD SCU.



Download for the SCU: https://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/tng/aod_scu.html

I suggest also always starting the game using the SCU since it's higher resolution settings work better than the game's version. (For instance with 1366 x 768 the skybox will cause an green line across the corners of the screen if it's in view with the base game but the SCU's settings for 1366 x 768 doesn't have this issue.)

Using the EXE-Multipatcher:

Download the multipatcher from here:
https://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=215413

Then move TRAODMP to
Tomb Raider (VI) The Angel of Darkness\bin

You can find this by right clicking on the game in your library, selecting properties and then clicking Local Files and then View Local Files

Your graphics settings in the game's launcher change which EXE is launched when the game is launched, with the P3/P4 settings using the P3/P4 EXE, using the SCU from the dual pistols portion, you can force the game to use a specific EXE.

Drag and drop any of the TRAOD EXE's onto the TRAOD MP to have it open the EXE and use the handy interface to mod the game: you can do thing such as:
Re-enable missing Graphic effects from the PS2 version of the game.
Increase the graphics quality of reflections.
Make Pick-ups rotate when picked up TR4/5 style.
Enable/Disable Lara's sunglasses. (Takes effect when changing level, normally they are only worn in cutscenes.)
And other visual improvements as well as some gameplay ones.

Enhanced Audio:

While support for EAX was dropped with recent versions of Windows, it's still possible to emulate it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASoKdoiKtPk
Here's a youtube video demonstrating how the game sounds.
EAX enables a bunch of echos and such to the game's sounds however since EAX emulation isn't perfect the sounds are a bit low-quality so I'd say ultimately this is up to personal preference.

This video also includes a link to getting AOD EAX up and running.

Out-right modding the game.

To improve the way levels look/improve or mod characters:

https://www.tombraiderforums.com/showpost.php?p=7613212&postcount=1
Go to the google drive link at the bottom to download all the level/cutscene fixes at once and a little higher for the character model/ending cutscene fix as well as the EXE Multi-patcher.

Open Properties via right clicking on the game in your steam library, click "Local Files" and then "View Local Files"
Then make sure to go to.
Tomb Raider (VI) The Angel of Darkness\data\Maps and copy/paste the level files, you can find a download for all of the level/cutscene files at once at the bottom of the first post.

You will have to place the cutscenes inside the cutscenes folder in the maps folder.

For editing Characters:

Go to the DATA Folder and manually create an empty CHAR Folder, place any character mods into this folder and they will automatically replace the in-game characters, just remove them from the folder to disable them. I know if you're using a Lara-mod she will have a heavily glitched apperance til' the next level if you remove a mod mid-level that replaces the current model for Lara.

You can also use this for mods to Lara's clothing.

http://www.core-design.com/community_aodwillowtreeherbalistfix.html

Here you can download another fix for a minor character to fix his face animations, download, open the folder so you see the Paris GMX files, then copy/paste it into into your data/maps folder to overwrite the level file.

Improved Loading Screens.

http://www.core-design.com/community_aodloadingscreenshd.html

Download, open the loading screens folder inside and have PragueLS and ParisLS overwrite the same folders contained in
Steam\steamapps\common\Tomb Raider (VI) The Angel of Darkness\data



Idle movie:

http://www.core-design.com/community_aodmmdp.html

Unzip it and place in
Steam\steamapps\common\Tomb Raider (VI) The Angel of Darkness\data\FMV

The SCU will have an option to enable it so it will play if you're idle on the main menu.


Improved FMV's

http://www.core-design.com/community_aodimprovedfmvs.html
Unzip and place in Steam\steamapps\common\Tomb Raider (VI) The Angel of Darkness\data\FMV

Add Credits:
Due to the rushed schedule, the PC version of AOD is missing the credits, this lets you re-download them.

http://www.core-design.com/community_aodendingcreditsfix.html

Place in Steam\steamapps\common\Tomb Raider (VI) The Angel of Darkness\data\FMV

Feel free to give feedback.

If links are dead or you encounter any issues with the instructions/downloads make sure to give feedback so I can improve the guide.

[FlamePurge]

Appreciate it, Samz. :)

[Samz]

Yeah I'm aware of that, I should probably update this with a link to it soon.

[FlamePurge]

Dual Pistols are included as a pickup in this mod, TR:AoD Restoration Project.

https://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=226260

[OyajiBR☕]

Many years ago I used the dual pistols mod in Tomb Raider 6, when I didn't even know what mods are. It felt complete that way.

[Nubi K.]

Oh..😣😣😣

[Samz]

Never used Tex mod myself so I can't help you there.

[Nubi K.]

Id like a step by step on how to use texmod to design my own mods. plz