The Virtual World will be the highest expression of art/self/community - addressing the human condition and advancing the global culture

• As altitude and moisture changes, the tropics give way to seasonal deciduous and then pine.
• This is the direct path into the heart of the island.  Make terrain so player can’t easily follow coast, maybe by drawing them further  from surf with curiosity attractions.  Don’t let explorer see 3 Sisters or volcano from a distance until up on a plateau of the high desert.
• Contains the first set of dream structures on the Northern edge.
  

• The participant will realize the subtle transitions in biomes and terrain - observation becomes a part of the journey or way of interaction before getting into the heady stuff.
• Natural areas like this will be something the explorer can come back to when all the highpoints of the island have been reached.
  

• An example of terrain design: sometimes you might want a loud waterfall beckoning - but sometimes you want a surprise like walking up an obvious trail up on the less rough terrain side of a stream and then suddenly a large pool of water - this could be a feeder stream off any bigger water source that is followed until finding this as fed by a spring or bottom of cliff - super clear water with terrain and plants showing under water and just enough waterfall sound for ambiance that can only be heard when vegetation is no longer obstructing - just enough water volume and turbulence coming through to make water clear - have to swim to see bottom of deep end - most of stream comes down smooth sloped rock for a nice visual but source of waterfall sound is the 30 foot drop over overhang where a trickle comes down for more visual - is 30 feet a good drop length for the right amount of sound? - so the stream at top also has a cool visual element to it as it fans out - of course an island of rock projecting from the shore out into the pool some and drop off
• need an area of forest that is burnt like a lightning strike - and an area with small runty trees on a rocky outcrop that are exposed to prevailing wind bent toward the center of island - could be used as navigation reference
• find arrow head or pottery at base of  a huge rock with a flat vertical surface that is darker than the rest of the rock - a fire reflector rock
• white birches in middle of forest to lead to a moss covered spring
• make birds fly between the participant and the sun - to show off shadowing on the ground - not as likely in thick jungle or in desert where less birds
• forest streams splitting and rejoining - any surface with intermittent water splashed on it must have the shine and wetness of darker texture -  specially if it is something influenced by tide
• make some paths obvious to prompt following for predetermined visuals etc.
• put trails in saddles of terrain and along and to waterways true to the world - indented in the ground if heavily used - this is where to spot the shadows using trails of extinct creatures - lots of stuff turn of century thinkers would observe - nature is difficult for most to observe and appreciate - but this program would make you look at anything critically -  wondering how realistic it is for the way the trail goes along slope and cuts into it - make people wonder about the systems being emulated
• they will also get lost in the forest by mixing desert and pine if a real slow transition
• different ambient sound from day to night and quieter in the transition times - when lighting is cool
• predominant wind side of rocks and any buildings is more eroded
  

• a richly decorated seasonal Indian hunting cabin to reflect one of Nemo’s childhood memories - as a prince in India before war and slavery (revealed in Mysterious Island) - several chances for surrealism - but a real part of the island as something Nemo built as reminder of either better times or as reason to drive his quest
• replays of childhood memories and the forces driving Nemo to his life long mission
  

• memory - childhood defines who you are - the furthest human evidence east and west on the island is this site and the light house - both sites are memory related (memory encompasses all in this psychological refuge) 
  

• this may be the explorers first contact with elements that may seem surreal - based on Nemo’s memory
• way to find the cabin is by taking direction from a power cable that goes from poison lake through the forest to the cabin intermittently exposed on the surface - if they go wrong way they lose it in desert and later they see same wiring going into the cliff with the vent - so they know to follow it the other way into the forest down slope - then once lose track of last of power cable then...the power cable trail is something fellow explorers can pass to each other if an explorer has yet to visit this area
• a group of different pines in color and height hides a structure - observation and exploration is everything - reward it - this would be a great India styled retreat cabin with a statue (statues are a definite theme in this program) that comes alive in the evening to visit? - do lighting in the cabin by metal lamp with amber light showing through stamped metal patterns -  the quiet retreat cabin has a water well that is a visual portal changing through the day as a story of Nemo’s child hood - a first childhood love - a favorite game showing a scientific principle - a story told to him by a parent
• Nemo’s lost projects from child hood scattered in the forests - cool artifacts of the mind and remnants/memories of family or scientific interest
• A classy way to do memory replays would be by sound and shadows alone - the explorer could follow an event as it plays out along a path and down to the beach
• perhaps a surreal element shows a young boy hiding in the well (water is safety) with the sound of a few gun shots above - initially this could all be communicated by sound if the animation isn’t in place

Keep Following the Trail..

The Next Area of Interest are the Dream Sets