The overall demo design should be unified and as pretty as possible. While this demo incorporates elements of play, it is also considered a demo tool, play rewards are simple and it is easy to navigate between different sample environments. It is not necessary to complete a level to exit that level. All geometry that exists in this demo is honestly intended to reflect possibilities that will be available in the Object Library of the final game product.

June 14 update: Not progressing as quickly as we could wish. For JavaOne we will not be able to provide texturemapped levels, just a texturemapped marble and mapped Gateway goals.

[June 14th note: The entire question of what to texturemap and how will be readdressed after JavaOne. Glenn has come up with a series of experiments that will give us better informed direction in our final look & feel choices for the final game.]

As an issue slightly separate from this immediate demo, Glenn is going to create two or more small libraries (10 textures each) of wood grains and ice. (Another may be of metals.) This plan is intended as a mean-time measure to have something available for use before the final Game Library is completed and available. Maps created for this demo are intended but not guaranteed to fall in line with the mini-library plan.

For this demo, we are concerned that while wire frame might work well with the architectural levels, it would not flatter the landscape level well. Therefore, as of this moment Glenn and Lorna have decided we should whip in some actual texturemaps for the demo levels. Feel free to counter-argue. (Note: as of June 7, 1999 it's increasingly likely we will make strong use of semi-transparent textures for many structures.) Having argued rival merits between wire frame, ice, and landscape, here is our roughed-out plan for mapping the demo objects:

[June 14th note: No time for implementing fancy scene-change effects for JavaOne.]

White-out / white-in transition between scenes. Scene fades in first, followed by the avatar marble. Action/play begins immediately upon completion of avatar fade-in. Fade timing subject to testing. Avatar fade-in should effectively provide the player with at least a 0.5-second lead-time warning that action will start.

Visual reward upon successful level completion: avatar marble rises on platform, spins fast, and then fades out. Avatar marble returns to the same gateway platform in the Middle Earth that corresponds with the just-completed sub-level.

A distance measure "below" each level structure is required to trigger transition back to default/start in the event of lost marbles.

Anselm has decreed: Only one, simple camera view can be available for this demo. Second person view will be supported, along with 90 degree viewpoint/directional shifts (<Shift> + <left/right arrow key>). The direction the camera is facing is always "forward", there will be no soft adjustments of camera angle and view, and no first or third person viewpoints supported.

Shifts in camera view/position reflect the current forward movement of the marble. If the marble is spinning on the spot, the camera remains motionless because the marble is not experiencing any lateral motion.

This is one area where we're not prepared to make a commitment to final design for Version 1.0 - we want to leave the possibilities open. For the final Object Library we plan to include a small variety of Gateways for players to choose from. For the purposes of this demo, each Gateway is a triangular riser with low ramps leading up to it from each side. A custom map on the top surface of the triangle will indicate which level the Gateway connects to. When the player successfully rolls up onto an Exit Point, we will incorporate an Event as a visual reward. In this case, considering that we do not have sound, the game will grab control of the marble, spin it fast and raise it / float it above the riser.

June 14th note: We must consider a radical change to our Gateway approach. The new design must be sympathetic to non-level surfaces, and must provide better interactive control supporting an apparent center-trigger rather than an edge-trigger of the teleport event. I.e. a torus that the marble rolls through.

With each instance of a MathEngine Object (the L2 Bridge, the L5 Elevator and Punching Bags), Mika should build and map the components, Ron will assemble these into functioning MathEngine Objects.

[June 14th note: Not in final JavaOne demo.]

The player is dropped from the air onto one side of the funnel, near the upper rim. Walls around the funnel rim prevent the player from going anywhere but down. We may drop coins to roll down the funnel / interfere with the player. We may drop or position bonus items / balls for the player to collect.

Level 1 is the default level for the demo game. If a player hits <ESC> on the keyboard anywhere in the demo environment, they revert to the starting position on L1. If a player drops off the edge of any level into infinity, they revert to the starting position on L1 (unless otherwise specified, as in Level 6).

Dropping through the funnel on Level 1a brings drops the player onto the rolling, hilly (variable terrain / surface friction) landscape environment of Level 1b. The L1a Funnel can be seen in the "sky" directly above the centre of L1b, but L1b cannot be seen from L1a.

The player may roam at will around on Level 1b. Gateways to all other levels (1a, and 3 through N) are scattered about the landscape of L1b. If the player rolls off the rim of the level landscape into infinity, the player reverts to the starting position on L1a.

Middle Earth includes a tunnel through the landscape to better demonstrate collision abilities of the software.

Level 2 is not visible from any other level.

The obvious way to tie our demo directly in with MathEngine. The MathEngine Bridge is attached to two variable-height risers, the whole placed upon a platform (no walls). A shallow ramp (shallow enough to allow the ball to roll up) leads up to the top of one of the taller riser. (Note uphill rolling of avatar marble subject to experiment and restrictions.) The exit Gateway for the level sits atop the opposite, shorter riser. The player must successfully cross the bridge to reach the Gateway.

Dropping off the rim of the level returns the player to the starting point of Level 1a Funnel.

The Gateway returns the player to the corresponding gateway for L2 on L1b Middle Earth.

Level 3 is not visible from any other level.

This level is a large bowl with a square, flattened rim. The Starting Point is at one edge, the exit Gateway at the opposite kitty corner. There are no walls around the rim. Invisible Trigger Points are placed at the remaining two corners, and at the bottom center of the bowl. When the player crosses any of these trigger points, at any time, a large number (20? more? subject to experiment) of spheres drop onto the level from above. The player is pushed and jostled by the spheres, there is the potential for the player to become buried and stuck, or to be knocked off the edge of the bowl. The player can push these spheres around, including right off the edge of the bowl.

Play goal: the player is required to push all spheres out of the bowl and off the level platform to meet "end level" requirements (before the level Gateway will work, exiting the player).

Dropping off the rim of the level returns the player to the starting point of Level 1a Funnel.

The Gateway returns the player to the corresponding gateway for L3 on L1b Middle Earth.

Level 4 is not visible from any other level.

The point to this level is to allow the player to push objects around. Maze walls should prevent the player from freely roaming the (small) level without pushing obstacle objects out of the way. (June 14th note: we opted to ingnore "maze" design complications, limiting ourselves to moveable object-base obstacles. Additionnally, a bug has prevented us from implementing non-spherical moveable objects in this level in time for the JavaOne demo. The original intention was to provide, boxes, cylinders, and pyramids as well as spheres for pushing about.)

Area 1 - the Entry platform: The avatar is dropped into the centre of collection of objects within a walled area. The player must push some or all of these objects out of the way in order to move freely about the area. Other objects may be stacked within this area for the player to knock down.

Connector 1 - from A1 to A2: a narrow, wall-less platform leads from A1 to A2. Stairs down from the platform to either side lead to open air. Obstacle objects upon the platform must be pushed out of the way to create a clear passage (suggest spheres).

Area 2 - the Shallow bowl: the player must cross a shallow bowl containing a number of spheres. The player may push about these spheres at will and watch them interact with each other and with the boundaries of the bowl.

Connector 2 - from A2 to A3: indentical to the A1/A2 connector, preferably with different object obstacles (suggest pyramids).

Area 3 - the Gateway: an open platform area is home to the Gateway. A pyramid obstacle object (June 14th note: must be a sphere short-term) is placed upon the Gateway, the player must push this off before they may exit the level.

Dropping off the rim of the level returns the player to the starting point of Level 1.

The Gateway returns the player to the corresponding gateway for L4 on L1b Middle Earth.

[June 14th note: Not in final JavaOne demo.]

Our most complex demo level, this one actually incorporates three mini-levels and a Gateway interconnected by slides and an elevator. Levels 5b, 5c, and 5d might be stand-alone if necessary. Level 5 is not visible from any other level.