Website

For days I've been working on a new design for my website, and it's driving me mad. I've never been that angry about css and html or even my server.

I swear, there is a troll sitting on the server, messing up everything I just created.

I first started with a very messy version with images mainly in the main folder and one external style sheet, using css formatting only, using no tables at all and everything worked fine, till I began to try and get the backgrounds of two neighbouring columns to reach down to the end of the site....

This failed as only the one with the "longer content" seemed to reach down to the end of the page. Then I tried using minimum-height, following a manual for it in every aspect, but it did not work...

After several tries, each time beginning from scratch, I gave up and decided to go back to tables, at which point Firefox decided it didn't like tables any more. And even though I could not find any reason, any error and had a valid code it insisted that there was "text" between my two "td"s - I swear, it was "td closed" "td opened", there was nothing in-between, not even a space.

In-between, whenever I had enough of the trouble with tables or floating divs, I got over to moving the images into a separate folder to get some order. This worked fine, till I tried linking them. I used the same method as on my regular Website (I must say, that the location where I'm trying all this is exactly like the one on the regular site, is is just another subfolder on the same server, they just have a different name and a different domain assigned to them) a link would look like this using the / at the beginning to indicate that it is relative to the main folder; this was I can use the same link in an include file without any trouble... or so I thought. This would not work...

Then suddenly a similar problem turned up with one of my includes... I normally use
include('includefile.inc.php');
or
include("includefile.inc.php");
to include a file in several pages that has always the same content... but suddenly include('head_d.inc.php'); was not good enough for my server and it took me 20 Minutes to figure out that it was because I used ' ' instead of " " which is very strange, as there was no conflict with other 's or "s....

Yesterday... It was suddenly the other way around and I had to exchange " and ' again... Silly server....

One other thing happened yesterday. I finally decided on accepting a compromise and using css. I already had a running version of how I liked it but with all image and stylesheet links (and content) a bit too messy for my taste. So I copied it and exchanged the links, then modified the menu and then tested it. Suddenly something I did not touch at all did not work any more. Just-like-that.... I tried to find the error, I removed all non-essential information from the page, I copied the working source of the part in question into my framework but everything was unsuccessful. So it must be something I used in one of the two surrounding divs... However I could not find anything that explained why something that was supposed to be at the beginning of the right column was at the end of it. There was no "clear" or anything...

So I started from scratch again....

Today I tried to convert my phpBB Forum to a WBB Lite (I was maybe planning to get the full version, if this test was successful and the board proved to be more comfortable)...

Alas everything went wrong. After countless timeouts while uploading it I finally decided to try it on my home server instead. I installed the WBB, I copied my forum.tombraidergirl.net database there and then I tried the converter, which was designed to convert phpBB to WBB.

It failed after converting 17.000 Posts of 30.000. So, we tried again this time converting the posts separately. This seemed to work at first, but when checking out the forum I realised that I couldn't log in.

WBB seems to be using user id 1 for the guest account. In phpBB the guest account was -1 and id 1 was my account. In other words my account had been deleted. I used one of my test-accounts and changed the permissions to admin through the DB to get into the forum. So I got in, but the forums were damaged as well…

For now I have given up.

I am currently busy with revising the complete site.

Originally I wanted to put everything in a database, but after finishing the Fanfiction Section I cannot be bothered. Too much work to do.

Maybe I'll convert the walkthroughs next, but for now, I will just update everything manually.

I have started with the german part and am currently working on the Comic Section. I am trying to integrate the WIKI with the site, while I'm at it.

I have also worked on the Movie page (added deleted scenes of Cradle of Life), which will come online, when I am ready with updating the whole page.

I will upload everything at once, since a new background will come along with it.

I have finally made a decision to move my website to a different webhosting package.

Well actually nothing will change for tombraidergirl.com, since I simply upgraded the package, but the german part of the site tombraidergirl.de will move over to the same server.

Since both sites will then be at the same location, I am now working on a mysql based solution to connect the pages better.

I am currently busy with filling my walkthrough into the database. The only thing I will have to worry about in the future is the content of the walkthroughs. The menu, the category links, the previous and next links and the disclaimers will be generated automatically.

Afterwards it will be very simple to change the design of the whole page in a few steps, in case I get a new idea.

Now I am sitting here, thinking about what to do next. I had planned to make huge steps forward today, but where do I start?

I have just added a few more things to the wiki. (where Lara's Mansion is, a few pictures and information on the minecart and the underwater jet, Aldwych, Sophia...)

As you can see I have been playing Tomb Raider III, London. But only to get pics and info for the wiki.

(I have to supress the urge, to mark every keyword, a sure sign that I have worked too much on the wiki.)

I now got my own copy of The Prophecy for Gameboy Advance, thanks to ebay. So I could continue with the wt there.

The last couple of days I was busy with working on the TR1 walkthrough. I turned every baddy into a link that will guide you to the tr1 opponents page, where you can find out what to do about them, and I have marked some keywords (like safety drop, cornerbug...) to the according article in the wiki. Overall it should have become easier to find all the information you might need.

Then I suddenly got stuck in Egypt where I found that one of the baddies, named black panther, might actually be a panther mummy. I have to check this before I can continue. But then there is the problem that our version of Glidos is running on Jans PC. He wanted to make the baddy screenshots anyway. But then again he wanted to re-read my stories ("remind me later", "not now" ...), help me to spellcheck and whatelse have I forgotten???

So now where do I go? With TR1 unfinished I don't really want to start with the TR2 walkthrough.

There is also the german version of the wiki that has to be made.

Or there is the problem with the styles in the forum, which I have to redo.

Or shall I dump everything and finally create the fanfiction db? Well I'd need Jan's help and he has to read, first, DAMN IT!

Yesterday I have made a new background for the website, after changing the banner two days erlier and someone saying they want a new style in the forum I came up with this quick change which also included some of the colours.

I might change the background colour on mouseover for the menu as well but later.

The same background will be used for my new project (yes, it's independent from the website) but it is fading into white.


The New Project:
As for the new project I have made huge steps forward. I have designed a logo and as mentioned the background is ready. As people can choose which style to use I will have to see what I do about the other unchanged styles, either remove them or offer different tr themes.

A lot of informantion still has to be filled in, but I'll probably make it till Halloween. Although not in german, that will probably cost me another two weeks to get it done.

It's been a long times since I posted anything in here.

First of all I was busy with fixing a few problems with the new forums styles.

Second I have been working on some of the walkthroughs. I have spellchecked part of it, marked goodies and baddies, and I have added pictures here and there.

And third I am working on a little Halloween Treat. What thas it I won't tell you yet, you have to wait a while longer. I'll just tell you, that it has taken up most of my freetime during the last week.

University has started again. Alas I didn't get everything done I wanted to.

Especially the "Fanfiction Section" where I planned to introduce an automatic upload function and put everything in a database, could not be finished.

Further I still have a lot of the walkthroughs to spellcheck. I am revising AoD (both languages), TR1 (English) and TR2 (German) which is also not done. In AoD I am in Prague and in TR1 and 2 in the second level.

Only the Halloween Treat proceedes as planned and will probably be finished in time.

Again I have put much thought into the fanfiction section. For a long time I've now been planning to change to an automatic system, where writers can log in and post their stories online. I don't have the time to build it from scratch so I looked everywhere for open source software I could use. Unfortunately I didn't find any (yet). What I could find was either open to everyone (every registered user could edit every article, theirs or not) or still in development.

Currently we are busy with uploading our last hope for a quiet week without much to do. If this fails I might have to change my mind and start building it myself.

And this is the reason why I did not make a new forum style tonight, besides that fact that after fixing a few wrong graphics this morning I was fed up with it.

Two new Forums Styles are ready for use.
The first one is a Comic Lara Style:


And the second is one I've made because of the popularity of the Kurtis style, but the fact, that most people who commented on the style did not like Kurtis
So here is the AoD Lara Style which is similar to the Kurtis one.



I might do more Styles during the next week.

After hours of work the first new style: Kurtis is finally ready.

Today I had an idea for a new forums design. I will start this project as soon as I can. I am planning to make two completely new styles, one in white, the other one in black. The new styles will be filled with little Tomb Raider graphics.

I am thinking about a picture for the background, little icons for the postings and a new head banner.

It seems this is taking me a while longer. I started sorting the screenshots and this proved to be more complicated as it seemes at first. I am currently busy with the Hall of Seasons and the four seasons levels.

I am still working on the AoD walkthrough. Currently I am comparing the Louvre stormdrain part. I estimate, that I will make it throught the whole Louvre part soon. And hopefully I can starts playing the Prague part today.

Next up I will test all the savegames for compatibility with the 52 patch. Most of my savegames from the Prague part are useless with the 52 patch.

I am currently busy comparing the english and the german walkthrough. There are reviesed parts I have not written in one or the other language. The whole Paris section is revised and enhanced with graphics.

When I am ready with that I will take care of the Prague section which has not been revised so far. I also have to make savegames for the prague part, especially since the old savegames (made without patch) are useless with the 52 patch installed.

After that I will return to translationg the gold walkthroughs to german, and then next up is the unfinished business wt, for which I will need Jan's computer, since he is the one who has a Glidos PC Version. (I always played TR1 on my PlayStation.)

As always I will spend some time with other things inbetween. There are the deleted scenes from Cradle of Life and as always the comic section where I'll have something to do.

I have done what I can for the english comic section, the pictures still have to be made. (The first page is ready, but I wanted to make at least three before I upload it.)

I have to work on the german comic section. Especially scan the special limited editions I have got. I haven't bought all the standard issues, since I have them in english, but I couldn't resist the german comic con specials. After all these are collectibles.

My first ebay package arrived today. I scanned the covers of the issues I got right away and added them to the corresponding pages and the cover overview

It pretty though to get something scanned, when you are busy to keep the cat away from the precious comics.

Currently I am spending all my time with the translation of the TR4 walkthrough into German. I am almost done. Then I will either continue with Golden Mask or Lost Artefact.

Next up is also the Unfinished Business walkthrough in both languages.

As for the comic section: I am still waiting for some special comics I have gotten on ebay. I am also working on the Comic Pictures and will scan some more during the next couple of days.

I have made a tiny update to the Tomb Raider 3, Tinnos Walkthrough. The riddle of the 5 switches is solved. There are actually two hints on which trigger you have to use.

I am currently spellchecking the TR1 walkthrough.

I have also searched for new news about Tomb Raider and checked the news section where I found that some of the pics weren't working properly any more. I fixed this by creating a new folder for the pics on the server where the news are.

Today I have contacted all my Artworkers and Lookalikes. Alas 17 mails returned. But I am happy that three responded right away with some updates:

• Raz
  
• Arno
  
• Karen

If you are one of the 17 who did not get my mail, please contact me at submission AT tombraidergirl.com to give me your new address.

If you are a new lookalike or artist you can also contact me and send in pictures. Right now I am working on the sections and have a bit time for you.

Click below to see the email you have missed