Design Document
"GemDrop"
September 29, 2000
Keith Weatherby II

Target Platform :
Win32 / Direct-X 3.0 or better
To run under Windows 95, Windows 98, 
Windows NT, and possibly to run under Windows 2000
Recommend Pentium 90 or better
Runs in 640x480 8-bit color (256 color palletized)

I.)  Overview:
     
     GemDrop is a clone of the popular game Tetris, in which you 
     have to arrange falling pieces in order to form and remove 
     lines.  Although this is a clone, I have taken it to the next 
     level, and added extra goodies and twists.  The pieces 
     composed of blocks are now composed of "gems", and the play-
     field expands.  Other extras are detailed below.


II. ) Game Description:
      
      A.) Objective(s)
          
          The player's objective is to gain as many points as
          possible, and to go to the highest level the player
          can attain.

      B.) Gameplay
      
          When the player starts up the game, a couple of 
	  introduction screens come up and then a title screen
	  after which the menu for the game appears.  The user
          has the ability to choose different elements of the 
          program including : start new game, view credits 
          view instructions, view high scores and quit.  Also
          if a player is currently in the game they may resume
          it or start a new one.  When a player selects the 
          "start new game option" a level screen shows with the
          following information, level number, current score, 
          and how many lines needed to remove this level.  
          The player proceeds to play, moving the pieces into
          position, by using the arrow keys and rotating with
          the spacebar.  After about every 6 lines removed the
          speed of the pieces increase, until they are so fast
          that they are a challange to the player to control.
          After each level, the speed is reset only more lines
          are required to be removed, than the last level.  The
          twists come after about 3 levels of play, when random
          blocks start appearing.  Also during certain levels a 
          horizontal divider appears in the middle of the playfield 
          making it more challenging to place the pieces, as well
          as an "elevator" which pushes all the blocks on the 
          playfield up one line.  After each level the playfield 
          grows larger till it nearly fills the screen.  The 
          player continues to play until it gets impossible for 
          them to go any further or until all the pieces get 
          stacked to the top of the playfield at which time a 
          life is removed and they may restart the level.
          The player continues this until all lives are used
          up.  Additionally the player may get extra lives, 
          bonuses, and go to the lightning round.

          I. ) Bonuses:
               
               The player gets a random pick of three different bonuses,
               the first being the piece "freezer" which stops a piece in
               mid-air, the "bomb" which removes four lines from the bottom
               of the player, without giving the player score, and the "slower"
               which slows the movements of all pieces to the speed of the
               beginning of the level.  After a certain amount of score the
               player gets an extra life.  A player only gets a bonus after
               the current bonus is used (with the exception of the extra life)

         II. ) Extra:
                 
               If the player gets four lines in a row it's called an "uhf".
               When the player gets 4 "uhf's" he proceeds to the lightning
               round assuming he gets finished with the current level.  The
	       lightning round has no obstacles, and gives many more points.

	 III. ) End of Game:
 
                When the player has expelled all of their lives, the player
                will either see an "initials" entering screen for highscores
                or simply their score.  Then the game returns to the menu.                 
       
      C. ) Controls:
           
           The player can only use the keyboard for play.
           The arrow keys are use for most of the movement.
           Left, Right to move, up to rotate, down to drop.
           The Spacebar may also be used to rotate the pieces.
           The Escape key may be used to exit the game. 
           The Ctrl Key is used for the player bonuses. 
           The 'M' Key may be used to mute the music.
           The 'P' Key can be used to pause the game.

      D. ) Graphics:
           
           The graphics for each block are composed of "gems" and two status
           bars showing each item including score, total lines, "uhfs", lines
           needed to finish the level, player bonus, next piece box, and level.
           There are also starfields on the backgrounds of the screens, in game
           multi-directional multi-colored starfields, and the menu's stafields
           that emenate from the center.

      E. ) Sound :
       
           Sounds are simple, marble dropping sounds for the gems hitting each
           other, glass breaking when lines are removed.  The music will consist
           of a few tunes in .mod format.  They tune's frequency will increase
           causing it to speed up each level.  
           

End of Design Document.
Keith Weatherby II