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Settings and Configuration

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Dragynrain edited this page Nov 13, 2025 · 1 revision

Settings & Configuration

Complete reference for all settings and configuration options in Rogue Signal Protocol.

Accessing Settings

From Main Menu:

  • Select "Settings" from main menu

From In-Game:

  • Press ESC to open pause menu
  • Select "Settings"

Navigation:

  • Up/Down - Navigate options
  • Left/Right - Adjust values
  • Enter - Toggle or confirm settings
  • ESC - Save and exit settings

Audio Settings

Master Volume

  • Range: 0.0 - 1.0 (0% - 100%)
  • Default: 0.7 (70%)
  • Description: Controls overall audio output for all sounds and music
  • Effect: Adjusts both SFX and music together

SFX Volume

  • Range: 0.0 - 1.0 (0% - 100%)
  • Default: 0.75 (75%)
  • Description: Controls sound effect volume
  • Includes:
    • Exploit activation sounds
    • Combat hit/miss sounds
    • Item pickup sounds
    • Enemy detection alerts
    • UI interaction sounds
  • Independent: Works separately from music volume

Music Volume

  • Range: 0.0 - 1.0 (0% - 100%)
  • Default: 0.6 (60%)
  • Description: Controls background music volume
  • Includes:
    • Level 1: Corporate Network theme (level1_stealth.ogg)
    • Level 2: Government System theme (level2_infiltration.ogg)
    • Level 3: Military Backbone theme (level3_core.ogg)
    • Menu background music
  • Independent: Works separately from SFX volume

Audio Tips:

  • Set Master to 0 to mute everything instantly
  • Balance SFX higher than music for gameplay clarity
  • Music can be distracting during stealth - lower it for focus

Graphics Settings

Graphics Mode

  • Options: Graphics (sprites) | Glyph (ASCII)
  • Default: Graphics
  • Description: Choose between sprite-based graphics or classic ASCII/Unicode characters

Graphics Mode (Sprites)

  • Visual Style: Cyberspace sprites rendered as PNG images
  • Features:
    • 64x64 sprite tiles
    • Particle effects for exploits (if enabled)
    • Smooth animations
    • Full-color sprites
  • Performance: Slightly higher resource usage
  • Best For: Modern aesthetic, visual clarity

Glyph Mode (ASCII)

  • Visual Style: Classic roguelike ASCII/Unicode characters
  • Features:
    • CP437 Unicode character set
    • KreativeSquare TrueType font
    • Faster rendering
    • Traditional roguelike feel
  • Performance: Lower resource usage
  • Best For: Classic roguelike fans, lower-end systems, performance

Switching Modes:

  • Changes take effect immediately
  • No game restart required
  • Gameplay identical in both modes
  • Preference is personal - try both!

Particle Effects

  • Options: On | Off
  • Default: On
  • Description: Enable/disable particle effects for exploits in graphics mode
  • Includes:
    • Exploit activation particles
    • Combat effect particles
    • Environmental effects
  • Note: Only affects Graphics mode, no effect in Glyph mode
  • Performance: Disable for better FPS on slower systems

UI Settings

UI Color Theme

  • Options: 8 color themes
  • Default: Cyan
  • Description: Choose UI accent color for menus, borders, and highlights

Color Themes

Cyan (Default)

  • RGB: [20, 255, 200]
  • Cool, tech aesthetic
  • High contrast on dark backgrounds

Purple

  • RGB: [200, 60, 255]
  • Vibrant, energetic
  • Popular alternative

Magenta

  • RGB: [255, 20, 255]
  • Bold, striking
  • High visibility

Golden

  • RGB: [255, 240, 0]
  • Warm, classic
  • Excellent readability

Crimson

  • RGB: [255, 20, 80]
  • Aggressive, intense
  • Warning aesthetic

Azure

  • RGB: [0, 200, 255]
  • Bright, clean
  • Calm vibe

Emerald

  • RGB: [0, 255, 100]
  • Matrix-style green
  • Hacker aesthetic

Ivory

  • RGB: [245, 245, 235]
  • Subtle, elegant
  • Easy on eyes

What Colors Affect:

  • Menu borders and highlights
  • Button outlines
  • Selected items
  • UI accents
  • Status bar elements

What Colors DON'T Affect:

  • Gameplay colors (enemies, terrain)
  • Message log colors (fixed by message type)
  • Health/heat/trace indicators (fixed by value)

Achievement Popups

  • Options: On | Off
  • Default: On
  • Description: Show popup notifications when achievements unlock
  • When Enabled:
    • Popup appears at top of screen
    • Shows achievement name, icon, description
    • Fades after 3 seconds
    • Doesn't pause gameplay
  • When Disabled:
    • Achievements still unlock silently
    • View unlocked achievements in menu (V key)
    • No interruption to gameplay flow
  • Recommendation: Enable for first playthrough, disable for focused runs

Gameplay Settings

System Crash Warning

  • Options: On | Off
  • Default: On
  • Description: Show warning dialogue before using System Crash exploit
  • Reason: System Crash deals self-damage and can kill you
  • Warning Content:
    • "System Crash deals damage to YOU!"
    • Confirms you want to proceed
    • Prevents accidental deaths
  • When to Disable: Experienced players who know the risks

Dialogue Preferences

  • Description: Per-dialogue toggles to hide specific warnings after seeing them once
  • Format: Individual dialogues can be disabled
  • Examples:
    • Overclock warning
    • Tutorial tips
    • First-time help messages
  • Reset: Delete saves/user_settings.json to see all dialogues again

Display Settings

Note: Display settings are configured in game_rules.json and are not user-adjustable in-game. These are fixed by design.

Fixed Display Parameters

  • Screen Size: 80x50 characters
  • Game Viewport: 27x21 tiles (visible play area)
  • UI Panels: Fixed layout
  • Status Bar: Top of screen (1 line height)
  • Message Log: Bottom of screen (scrollable)

Settings Storage

Settings File Location

File: saves/user_settings.json

What's Saved

All user preferences:

  • Master, SFX, and music volumes
  • Graphics mode (graphics or glyph)
  • Particle effects toggle
  • UI color theme
  • Achievement popup toggle
  • Dialogue preferences
  • System Crash warning toggle

When Settings Are Saved

  • Immediately when changed in Settings menu
  • On game exit
  • Survives game crashes (last saved state restored)

Settings Persistence

  • Survives: Death, game uninstall (if file backed up)
  • Doesn't survive: File deletion, save folder reset
  • Reset Settings: Delete saves/user_settings.json to restore defaults

Default Settings (Fresh Install)

When user_settings.json doesn't exist, defaults are:

{
  "master_volume": 0.7,
  "sfx_volume": 0.75,
  "music_volume": 0.6,
  "graphics_mode": "graphics",
  "particle_effects": true,
  "ui_color_theme": "cyan",
  "achievement_popups": true,
  "dialogue_preferences": {},
  "system_crash_warning": true
}

Graphics Preview Feature

Accessing Graphics Preview

From Settings Menu:

  • Select "Graphics Preview" option
  • Available only when in Graphics mode

Features

  • Browse All Sprites: View all included sprite variants for each entity
  • Cycle Variants: Switch between different visual styles for:
    • Player sprites
    • Enemy sprites (all 8 types)
    • Terrain sprites
    • Item sprites
    • UI elements
  • Live Preview: See sprites rendered in demo environment
  • Animated Demo: Enemies cycle through alert states (yellow → orange → red)
  • Automatic Saving: Selected sprites saved on exit

Preview Controls

  • Arrow Keys: Navigate between entities
  • Enter: Cycle to next sprite variant
  • ESC: Exit preview (saves selections)
  • Mouse: Click sprites to cycle variants

Sprite Selection Export

Location: logs/graphic-preview.log Contents:

  • Your selected sprite variants
  • Instructions for modifying graphics_tiles.json
  • Perfect for modders wanting to customize sprites

Advanced Configuration

Modding Settings (JSON Files)

For Modders: Settings beyond user options require editing JSON files:

game_rules.json

  • Display dimensions
  • Gameplay balance values
  • Color definitions (non-UI)
  • Balance constants
  • Room generation parameters

game_content.json

  • Enemy stats
  • Exploit definitions
  • Upgrade values
  • Network configurations
  • Loot tables

graphics_tiles.json

  • Sprite mappings
  • Entity-to-sprite associations
  • Variant definitions

Warning: Editing JSON files can break the game if done incorrectly. Always backup before modifying.

Troubleshooting Settings

Settings Won't Save

  • Cause: File permission issues
  • Fix: Ensure saves/ folder is writable
  • Check: saves/user_settings.json exists and isn't read-only

Audio Not Working

  1. Check Master Volume isn't at 0
  2. Check SFX/Music volumes aren't at 0
  3. Verify audio files exist in sound/ and music/ folders
  4. Restart game

Graphics Mode Won't Switch

  • Fix: Should switch immediately - restart game if stuck
  • Check: graphics_tiles.json and graphics/ folder exist

UI Color Theme Not Changing

  • Check: Color applies to UI elements only, not gameplay
  • Test: Look at menu borders and button highlights
  • Verify: Setting saved in user_settings.json

Settings Reset After Update

  • Normal: Game updates may reset settings if format changed
  • Backup: Copy saves/user_settings.json before updating
  • Restore: Replace file after update if compatible

Recommended Settings

For New Players

  • Graphics Mode: Graphics (easier to read)
  • Achievement Popups: On (learn what's possible)
  • System Crash Warning: On (prevent accidents)
  • SFX Volume: 75% (hear important cues)
  • Music Volume: 50% (less distraction)

For Experienced Players

  • Graphics Mode: Personal preference
  • Achievement Popups: Off (less distraction)
  • System Crash Warning: Off (faster gameplay)
  • Volumes: Adjusted to taste

For Performance

  • Graphics Mode: Glyph (faster rendering)
  • Particle Effects: Off (reduce GPU load)
  • Master Volume: Lower (reduce CPU audio processing)

For Streamers/Content Creators

  • Achievement Popups: On (show progression)
  • Graphics Mode: Graphics (more visually appealing)
  • Particle Effects: On (more dynamic)
  • Music Volume: 40% (allow commentary)
  • UI Color Theme: High contrast (Crimson, Magenta, or Azure)

Keyboard Shortcuts in Settings

  • Up/Down: Navigate options
  • Left/Right: Adjust values (volume, cycle options)
  • Enter: Confirm/toggle boolean options
  • ESC: Save and exit
  • Mouse Click: Select and adjust (mouse support)
  • Mouse Wheel: Scroll if menu extends beyond screen

Settings Philosophy

Design Principles:

  1. Sensible Defaults: Game playable without touching settings
  2. Non-Intrusive: Settings don't affect core gameplay balance
  3. Persistent: Preferences survive across sessions
  4. Accessible: Easy to find and modify
  5. Forgiving: Can't break game by changing settings

What's NOT Configurable:

  • Keybindings (fixed for consistency)
  • Difficulty (selected at game start)
  • Display resolution (fixed to 80x50 console)
  • Game rules (requires JSON modding)

Settings are about comfort and preference, not gameplay advantage.

For modding beyond settings, see the Development Guide.

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