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=== Missions ===
=== Missions ===
''LEGO Rock Raiders'' features twenty-five different [[Wikipedia:Level (video games)|missions]]. The game's mission selection screen displays a cross-section of the alien planet, with individual missions represented by cavern openings. Playable missions display an image of the mission in the cavern, while locked missions are darkened and blocked by beams. Hovering the cursor over an available mission will display its name, and a completed mission will also display its completion status and the player's achieved score for it. When starting a new game, only the first mission can be played; completing it unlocks the missions below it. The deeper into the planet a mission is located, the more difficult it is intended to be.<ref name="Mandel 2000"/>{{sfn|McPhail|1999|p=13}} The planet is divided into different-coloured layers, which are further divided into thirteen "levels" containing one to three missions in each; this was intended to give the game a branching mission path, allowing players to choose a different route through the game if they find a mission to be too difficult (though certain levels have only one mission, which must be completed to progress), or to replay the game following different paths than previously.<ref name="Finn 1999"/>{{sfn|McPhail|1999|p=13}}{{efn|Due to an oversight in the game's code, only the leftmost missions on each level can unlock a route to the end of the game. This bug is fixed when playing the game with [[OpenLRR]]<ref name="OpenLRR Fix 58"/>}}
''LEGO Rock Raiders'' features twenty-five different [[Wikipedia:Level (video games)|missions]]. The game's mission selection screen displays a cross-section of the alien planet, with individual missions represented by cavern openings. Playable missions display an image of the mission in the cavern, while locked missions are darkened and blocked by beams. Hovering the cursor over an available mission will display its name, and a completed mission will also display its completion status and the player's achieved score for it. When starting a new game, only the first mission can be played; completing it unlocks the missions below it. The deeper into the planet a mission is located, the more difficult it is intended to be.<ref name="Mandel 2000"/>{{sfn|McPhail|1999|p=13}} The planet is divided into different-coloured layers, which are further divided into thirteen "levels" containing one to three missions in each; this was intended to give the game a branching mission path, allowing players to choose a different route through the game if they find a mission to be too difficult (though certain levels have only one mission, which must be completed to progress), or to replay the game following different paths than previously.<ref name="Finn 1999"/>{{sfn|McPhail|1999|p=13}}{{efn|Due to an oversight in the game's code, only the leftmost missions on each level can unlock a route to the end of the game. This bug is fixed when playing the game with [[OpenLRR]]<ref name="OpenLRR Fix 58"/>}}  


Upon starting a mission, the character Chief presents a detailed briefing for the player, explaining the mission's situation and objective.<ref name="Park 2000"/>
The game also has eight training missions to teach new players some of its different gameplay mechanics. Each training mission has Chief guide the player through a series of tasks related to different elements of gameplay.<ref name="Mandel 2000"/><ref name="Walker 2000"/><ref name="Park 2000"/> Training missions can be accessed from the main mission selection screen, where they are positioned above the twenty-five main missions, or from a separate dedicated selection screen.{{sfn|McPhail|p=15|1999}}
 
Upon starting a mission, the character Chief presents a detailed briefing for the player, explaining the mission's situation and objective.<ref name="Park 2000"/><ref name="Walker 2000"/> Most mission objectives require the player to collect a certain amount of Energy Crystals, though other objectives can include goals such as constructing certain buildings, rescuing lost Rock Raiders, guiding Rock Raiders to find a hidden base, or blasting through certain rock walls.<ref name="Gliss 2000"/><ref name="Lopez 2000"/><ref name="Mandel 2000"/><ref name="Walker 2000"/> The player is occasionally given clues as to how to accomplish their objectives, such as lost mining equipment being placed near the intended route, and Chief sometimes gives further messages to confirm that the player is making progress.<ref name="Mandel 2000"/><ref name="Walker 2000"/> Once all objectives have been completed, the mission ends, usually with an animation showing all of the player's units teleporting back to the LMS ''Explorer''. Chief delivers a congratulatory message for completing the mission, and the player is shown a results screen displaying their mission statistics and overall score for the mission; the player can also save their progress on this screen.<ref name="Gliss 2000"/> If the player fails or quits a mission, the results screen will not show an overall score and will not let them save.


== Development ==
== Development ==
Line 34: Line 36:
== Reception ==
== Reception ==
{{Video game reviews
{{Video game reviews
| GR = 65%
| GR = 65%<ref name="GameRankings"/>
| AVault = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Mandel 2000"/>
| AVault = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Mandel 2000"/>
| CGSP = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Finn 1999"/>
| CGSP = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Finn 1999"/>
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{{reflist|refs=
{{reflist|refs=


<ref name="OpenLRR Fix 58">{{cite web |last=Jordan |first=Robert |date=13 June 2023 |url=https://github.com/trigger-segfault/OpenLRR/commit/198e597480540f8d65eed3e7039b1a54b4c3ce79 |title=trigger_segfault/OpenLRR Fix #58: Properly unlock already-visited level links |via=[[Wikipedia:GitHub|GitHub]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622175623/https://github.com/trigger-segfault/OpenLRR/commit/198e597480540f8d65eed3e7039b1a54b4c3ce79 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=4 February 2026}}</ref>
<ref name="OpenLRR Fix 58">{{cite web |last=Jordan |first=Robert |date=13 June 2023 |url=https://github.com/trigger-segfault/OpenLRR/commit/198e597480540f8d65eed3e7039b1a54b4c3ce79 |title=Fix #58: Properly unlock already-visited level links |work=[[OpenLRR]] |type=GitHub commit |via=[[Wikipedia:GitHub|GitHub]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622175623/https://github.com/trigger-segfault/OpenLRR/commit/198e597480540f8d65eed3e7039b1a54b4c3ce79 |archive-date=22 June 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=4 February 2026}}</ref>


<!-- reviews -->
<!-- reviews -->
<ref name="GameRankings">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197777-lego-rock-raiders/index.html |title=LEGO Rock Raiders for PC |website=[[Wikipedia:GameRankings|GameRankings]] |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=15 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527042231/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197777-lego-rock-raiders/index.html |archive-date=May 27, 2019}}</ref>


<ref name="Finn 1999">{{cite web |url=http://www.cdmag.com/articles/025/060/legorr_review.html |last=Finn |first=David |date=December 29, 1999 |title=Lego Rock Raiders |website=[[Wikipedia:Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] |publisher=Strategy Plus, Inc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030709120318/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/025/060/legorr_review.html |archive-date=July 9, 2003}} Print version: {{cite magazine |last=Finn |first=David |title=Lego Rock Raiders |department=Reviews |magazine=[[Wikipedia:Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Magazine]] |number=113 |date=April 2000 |publisher=Strategy Plus, Inc |location=[[Wikipedia:Richmond, Vermont|Richmond, Vermont]] |page=92 |ISSN=0955-4424 |url=https://archive.org/details/computer-games-magazine-april-2000/page/n113/mode/2up?view=theater}}</ref>
<ref name="Finn 1999">{{cite web |url=http://www.cdmag.com/articles/025/060/legorr_review.html |last=Finn |first=David |date=December 29, 1999 |title=Lego Rock Raiders |website=[[Wikipedia:Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] |publisher=Strategy Plus, Inc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030709120318/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/025/060/legorr_review.html |archive-date=July 9, 2003}} Print version: {{cite magazine |last=Finn |first=David |title=Lego Rock Raiders |department=Reviews |magazine=[[Wikipedia:Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Magazine]] |number=113 |date=April 2000 |publisher=Strategy Plus, Inc |location=[[Wikipedia:Richmond, Vermont|Richmond, Vermont]] |page=92 |ISSN=0955-4424 |url=https://archive.org/details/computer-games-magazine-april-2000/page/n113/mode/2up?view=theater}}</ref>

Latest revision as of 02:32, 5 February 2026

LEGO Rock Raiders
A scan of a PC CD-ROM "big box" front with the LEGO Rock Raiders logo at the top and featuring a piece of CGI artwork The art shows a LEGO minifigure piloting a small hovering craft through a cavern full of Energy Cyrstals; a large monster made of rock is swinging its fist at him, and a large slug is watching. The bottom of the cover shows LEGO Media's "Games" and "PC CD-ROM" logos.
European "big box" front cover
Developer(s)Data Design Interactive
Publisher(s)LEGO Media International
Director(s)Eamonn Barr
Producer(s)Tomas Gillo
Designer(s)
  • Karl White
  • David Allen
Programmer(s)
  • Tony Stoddart
  • Rob Wilson
Artist(s)
  • Rob Dorney
  • Dave Garbett (animation)
Composer(s)
  • Marl Boonyer
  • John Saull
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player

LEGO Rock Raiders is a 1999 LEGO-themed real-time strategy video game developed by Data Design Interactive and published by LEGO Media International for Windows.

Gameplay

LEGO Rock Raiders is a mission-based real-time strategy game with elements of construction simulation.[2][3]

Missions

LEGO Rock Raiders features twenty-five different missions. The game's mission selection screen displays a cross-section of the alien planet, with individual missions represented by cavern openings. Playable missions display an image of the mission in the cavern, while locked missions are darkened and blocked by beams. Hovering the cursor over an available mission will display its name, and a completed mission will also display its completion status and the player's achieved score for it. When starting a new game, only the first mission can be played; completing it unlocks the missions below it. The deeper into the planet a mission is located, the more difficult it is intended to be.[2][4] The planet is divided into different-coloured layers, which are further divided into thirteen "levels" containing one to three missions in each; this was intended to give the game a branching mission path, allowing players to choose a different route through the game if they find a mission to be too difficult (though certain levels have only one mission, which must be completed to progress), or to replay the game following different paths than previously.[5][4][a]

The game also has eight training missions to teach new players some of its different gameplay mechanics. Each training mission has Chief guide the player through a series of tasks related to different elements of gameplay.[2][7][8] Training missions can be accessed from the main mission selection screen, where they are positioned above the twenty-five main missions, or from a separate dedicated selection screen.[9]

Upon starting a mission, the character Chief presents a detailed briefing for the player, explaining the mission's situation and objective.[8][7] Most mission objectives require the player to collect a certain amount of Energy Crystals, though other objectives can include goals such as constructing certain buildings, rescuing lost Rock Raiders, guiding Rock Raiders to find a hidden base, or blasting through certain rock walls.[10][3][2][7] The player is occasionally given clues as to how to accomplish their objectives, such as lost mining equipment being placed near the intended route, and Chief sometimes gives further messages to confirm that the player is making progress.[2][7] Once all objectives have been completed, the mission ends, usually with an animation showing all of the player's units teleporting back to the LMS Explorer. Chief delivers a congratulatory message for completing the mission, and the player is shown a results screen displaying their mission statistics and overall score for the mission; the player can also save their progress on this screen.[10] If the player fails or quits a mission, the results screen will not show an overall score and will not let them save.

Development

Reception

Notes

  1. ↑ Due to an oversight in the game's code, only the leftmost missions on each level can unlock a route to the end of the game. This bug is fixed when playing the game with OpenLRR[6]

References

  1. ↑ McClendon, Bill (November 18, 1999). "And Then There Were Three". Gamecenter.com. CNET. Archived from the original on February 26, 2000.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Mandel, Bob (January 27, 2000). "Rock Raiders". The Adrenaline Vault. Irving, Texas: NewWorld.com, Inc. Archived from the original on November 22, 2002.
  3. ↑ a b c Lopez, Vincent (January 12, 2000). "LEGO Rock Raiders". IGN PC. San Francisco: Snowball.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2000.
  4. ↑ a b McPhail 1999, p. 13.
  5. ↑ a b Finn, David (December 29, 1999). "Lego Rock Raiders". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on July 9, 2003. Print version: Finn, David (April 2000). "Lego Rock Raiders". Reviews. Computer Games Magazine. No. 113. Richmond, Vermont: Strategy Plus, Inc. p. 92. ISSN 0955-4424.
  6. ↑ Jordan, Robert (13 June 2023). "Fix #58: Properly unlock already-visited level links". OpenLRR (GitHub commit). Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2026 – via GitHub.
  7. ↑ a b c d e Walker, John (March 2000). "Lego Rock Raiders". Reviews. PC Gamer. No. 80. Bath, Somerset: Future Publishing Ltd. p. 90.
  8. ↑ a b c Park, Andrew Seyoon (January 28, 2000). "Lego Rock Raiders". GameSpot. ZDNet. Archived from the original on June 20, 2003.
  9. ↑ McPhail 1999, p. 15.
  10. ↑ a b c Gliss, Sascha (March 2000). "Kumpel mit Plastikherz" [Miner/Buddy with a Plastic Heart]. Test. PC Games (in German). No. 90. Fürth: Computec Media GmbH. p. 124. ISSN 0947-7810. Web version: "Kumpel mit Plastikherz". 7 March 2001. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019.
  11. ↑ "LEGO Rock Raiders for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Werner, Thomas (January 2000). "Rock Raiders". PC Player (in German). München: Future Verlag GmbH. p. 183.
  13. ↑ Lyon, James (6 April 2000). "Lego Rock Raiders". PC Zone. No. 88. London: Dennis Publishing. p. 91.

Sources

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