Euro Map

note - some elements of the original design document are combined for initial version

• This level is a turn of the century (the other one) European view of its own architectural roots - this level is an example of how easy it is to take our rich global heritage and be able to fill a whole level with architecture within any constraints desired - this level sticks to spherical influenced architecture, columns from ancient Greek to present day, and in this case all European all architecture
• Will look like a turn of the century landscape painting and the level selection screen picture of this level will reflect that - a bluish white distance fogging (non-gamers will be fascinated how structures can be in distance fogging and then disappear or reappear) possibly mixed with clouds as back drop to gently rolling hills and structures - reminiscent of Maxfield Parish - all structures that are accessible are round or have motifs incorporating spherical or circular architecture - will have lots of European structured park and garden effects such as well defined paths and lawn cut in a circle around the base of trees - very European style manicured terrain - earlier part of level reflects turn of century fascination with ancient Greek and Roman - structures as you climb from beach are old ruins and become more recent architecturally as you move up the slope - time theme - see dream structures
  

• level is a series of climbing terraces up a valley - slope curves around the side of a hill - so much of terrain is blocked to keep those frame rates up - worn paths through the rock where grass areas are separated into terraced steps up the slope
• can be a mix of rock slope or grass plus as many trees as allowed by the engine - possibly modeled trees since they will be art - not just detail - mix and match sets of branches
• as participant moves from one terrace to another the path gets smaller with higher altitude - everything is progression - as structures get more modern the path becomes smaller - what does it mean?  - doesn’t always have a point - in this case it is aesthetic and the participants can yak about significance and assign personal meanings - like they will with everything else
• the thumb-nail below is an outstanding show of the mystery this level will have - click on picture for more details and comments
                           
• a whole study of the use of columns and arches could be made as you climb the centuries of Europe
• no sky box on this level except for the carousel - going for detail and fogging effects
• only the base of hills need to be detailed - with distance fogging only the bottom will be seen - on surface the bluish white distance fogging will be like a super hazy day and surreal - suggestive of a European version of heaven
• distance fogging of bluish white (fogging in all 6 directions - will work for the POV whether in the land or water part - since water is sun lit and coral sand bottom (bluish white) - surreal
• to add detail to the terrain use non-solid brushes beyond barriers such as garden walls, streams, islands - for instance a more detailed tree can be used if it is kept at a distance and is non-solid geometry - or a huge spherical theme architecture for looks only
• like going deeper in the "lagoon level" the day changes to evening and then night as you climb the slope
• use Maxfield Parish colors - landscape themes popular during last turn of century
  

• Lion statues - gryphons etc. can be used as static architecture or add facial animation?

• there will be an alternate level to this one in all gray scale (with some spare hand coloring effects?) so we will build 2 libraries of texture art for this one level - or I will grab Debabelizer
• level select screen picture shows a Greek temple in shallow water next to beach and park like terrain with clouds and mountain - hover sound on picture is soft wave sound - framed in a formal classic oval frame
• after selecting level the screen goes dark - ambient soft wave sound continues - graphics fade from black to a top down view of water coming up at gravity rate - loud splash as camera plunges - top down view - into the depths - a few bubbles coming up as camera goes by but not enough to really notice the bobbing movement of the camera view - view corkscrews downward rotating camera counterclockwise - scene rotates clockwise
• then the top of the StoneHenge (details at resource page) comes out of the distance fogging and then view slows and scene rotation (corkscrew motion) stops - showing the structure on plain sand bottom - with this visual reference it becomes obvious the camera view is the first person view of a dolphin (or at least a mammal - tail is horizontal so view goes up and down vertically in relation to the dolphin - versus side to side for fish) ambient underwater dolphin talk kicks in
• the camera moves as fast as allowed - to weave in and out of the stone columns - stopping once in a while to look at a detail - a sharp turn or two and some over the back twisting reversals of direction
• before moving camera to shore - the view looks straight up and the dolphin lets go of a bubble ring (dolphins can blow bubble rings like a smoke ring from a cigarette smoker) - more tie-in with sphere and circular theme
• camera/dolphin bobbing view moves toward shore - maybe a cheap way to go from dark depths to more sunlight (this is continued as the user climbs the slope once out of water- the day gets darker until it is completely dark at the top of the level) - parallel patterns in sand are at right angle to path - sun is visible through water on the upward bob of the camera - movement to shore takes just long enough that the sun will be predominate - another sphere
• in 2 feet of water the view transitions to 3-4 feet above ground in the middle of the Temple of Delphi ruins - the only structurally round Greek dream temple? - the base of the temple is rock - fit together in circular platform connecting into Greek style road going inland - around the corner road is broken up and dirt/grass covers over more and more of it
• this and any other structure on this level might use lots of translucency to add to that surreal dream thing
• disable voice talk until after camera flight for mood setter
  

                           click to map

• first structure up slope from Delphi is an open air sunken amphitheater - circular of course - circular is a symbol of gathering - do something theatrical animated here? By voices only? - Shakespeare is in vogue (only for the last 4 centuries) - add faded murals on all walls
• a lot of ancient Greek art with their caricature of dolphins can be used for murals
• Roman Light House

• Lion statues flanking path into 2nd terrace
• lots of lawn - tree park - tall elliptical trees
• old style Victorian gazebo - round - with chess set? - could do some funky portal stuff with the Gazebo openings on each side, maybe showing the different areas of the level?
• big old Oak  tree with branches reaching out over a static waterway (all is peaceful - balanced with interaction - initial demo may not have much interaction but it is still art, still an enhanced chat, still new to non gamers) - big enough to walk the branches
• pond comes into a very wide spot and a foot/carriage bridge crosses - the bottom of bridge matches up with water reflection to make a perfect oval - but still see the foundation going straight down below the translucent water
• on the upper slope side a mini aqueduct feeds the pond  - pond has an overflow into underground drainage or over the cliff or down through the lower terraces and onto the beach

• sun-dial  - no shadow - timeless - in the middle of a stepping stone path
• 4  arches - participant only sees 4 garden arches with a different season within each portal - entering puts participant into a small round walled garden -  Spring growth - Summer abundance -  Fall colors - Winter snow and ice  - frozen ponds and leafless trees versus...
• 4 arches garden has a small pond, bench, boulders, possible fountain, statue, one tree, one bush, brick work on ground, so texture of something like the brickwork would have leaves on the corners in one season, grass growing through the cracks on another, snow covered on another...
• so as the garden is designed visualize the shadowing of texture on stepping stones with light snow
• in transition area between terrace 2 and next terraces put a fancy stone foot bridge gapping a ravine
  

• see resources page for ideas on paintings
• imagine walking down a gallery and the 3D paintings, on both sides of the participant, have separate elements inside each that shift against each other and the overall background - the first question through the participants mind is "cool, it moves, can I walk into it?" - although we might do restricted look only portals on this with one walk in painting for variety - would be very cool if one painting was a warp to the backside of another and could exit out another paintings canvas
• the graphic below shows a great way to present the 2D/3D paintings in an architecture that is pre-turn of the century and at the same time has a spherical theme - each painting will be multiple panels of 2D textures so that as you walk down the gallery you see the elements of a picture scrolling against other elements placed further back into the picture - click on the thumbnail image to see a great example European gallery with columns showing those ancient roots and spheres! 
• click on image to get detailed view
                   
• need a pointillist (painting by dots or daubs of paint) picture that only lines up all 3 transparent panels from a certain vantage point to see the painting
• make it so can walk in among the painting panels - so in the reference picture above make the murals come down to the floor so they can be entered - may be crude but gives the promise that someday all these elements will be colored statue/models - a tableau
• need a Winter scene with several transparent animated textures of snow falling - have token animated textures in the other paintings?
• may have to put 2D panels far enough back in the painting that it doesn't mess with frame rate
• could make the gallery surreal by having doors of water and ability to swim up to any details such as the ceiling and column tops once inside the gallery
  

• refer to the carousel details within the main design document - all the details probably can't be accomplished for this shareware demo
• this will be the token interactive art for this level as example of what could be done though out every level of the future evolved program
• the big draw of this level is the carousel - users will habitually do the dolphin camera ride and the walk up the hill side and this ritual will train anticipation/objective
• possible local fogging to complement distance fogging
• once within a certain range then carousel lights start turning on - music - carousel doesn’t start spinning until both participants are on the platform
• once on and carousel is spinning it rises up until fogged in all 6 directions and rotation stops as it rises into a sky box that simulates spinning without any fogging - so skybox is a rotating camera including stars and a moon actor
• if no local fogging then rely on distance fogging - rising into a sky box that converges slightly towards top so that rising through it will cut off distance fogging
• a full moon is placed with the stars and has a surreal animation of its own - moon rotates at a visible rate and the surface is much wider than possible - animated galloping horses across the surface etc. transforming to racing jumping dolphins - ideas? - some kind of animation or static rotating images on the moons surface
• interactive element is ability to stop rotation or adjust the speed from stop to the fastest speed the frame-rate can handle - and ability to make carousel go back down to the ground
• door in center housing of carousel allows climbing up to roof of carousel to see rotation of the top of the skybox stars
• bottom of sky box is clouds curving downward with curve of earth so when fogging drops below this point it will have a visually controlled transition (combined with a painted cloud band around the sky box)
  

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