Level Design Basics

Geometry Rules:

• The table must never have a flat surface parallel to the bottom of the screen. Put a slight tilt on everything so the ball will never come to a full stop.
• Put a raised edge on both sides of all ramps so the ball will not fall off. The raised part should be at least the height of the ball.
• The launch ramp should be raised off the ground so the ball cannot get back on it.
• The launch ramp should not be sloped
• Level boundaries should not be sloped. Make them perpendicular to the ground. If you need a sloped boundary, put a section that is perpendicular to the ground underneath it.

Ball Basics

Before you can start a level you need a few basic actors in place.  Place a BallSpawn where you want new balls to appear.  Below it place a PB_Plunger or PB_Plunger2.  Where the ball will make contact with the plunger, place a PB_Charger.   You will also want to make an invisible wall that the ball will rest on just above the plunger.  The plunger moves backwards as you build up the charge and will return to the original location when released.

You will also need to place a PlayerStart actor somewhere that cannot be reached.   It is a good idea to build a small room and place the PlayerStart in it.  When the game is started, it will spawn a Player actor which receives input and controls the gameplay.  There is only one player actor regardless of how many players you select in the game menus.  Make sure the Player actor is sitting on the ground and not up in the sky.

Finally you need to place left and right flippers in different places.  These are found in the PB_Misc category under Flipper. You can have as many flippers as you want in a level. Rotated flippers are not allowed.