22 — Settings
Purpose
This document specifies the Settings screen — all configurable options, their defaults, and their behavioral effects. Accessible from Main Menu and from the in-game pause menu.
Section 1 — Controls
| Setting |
Options |
Default |
Effect |
| Fire Mode |
Manual Fire / Auto-Fire |
Manual Fire |
Manual: tap/hold fires. Auto: fires while joystick is held. Heat applies in both. |
| Joystick Style |
Dynamic / Fixed |
Dynamic |
Dynamic: base appears at touch-down point. Fixed: bottom-left. |
| Joystick Size |
Small / Medium / Large |
Medium |
Scales joystick diameter proportionally. |
| Fire Button Position |
Standard / High / Low |
Standard |
Shifts fire+special buttons vertically. |
| Tap-Anywhere Special |
ON / OFF |
ON |
ON: right-half tap deploys special when charged. |
Section 2 — Audio
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Effect |
| Master Volume |
Slider 0–100% |
80% |
Global volume multiplier |
| Music Volume |
Slider 0–100% |
75% |
Per-sector music |
| SFX Volume |
Slider 0–100% |
85% |
Weapon fire, impacts, kills |
| Voice Transmission |
Slider 0–100% |
90% |
Sira-Vel, Veth, Halen voiced lines |
| Haptic Feedback |
ON / OFF |
ON |
Light = hit taken; medium = kill; strong = boss phase |
Section 3 — Accessibility
| Setting |
Options |
Default |
Effect |
| Reduce Motion |
OFF / ON |
OFF |
ON disables non-essential animations (score pops, combo arc, magnet particles). HP/heat/special animations always active. |
| High Contrast Mode |
OFF / ON |
OFF |
ON: HUD elements 100% opacity, borders 1.5px, no transparency. |
| Large HUD Text |
OFF / ON |
OFF |
ON: HUD text scaled 1.3× |
| Screen Shake |
Full / Reduced / Off |
Full |
Controls shake intensity on damage and boss transitions |
| Colorblind Mode |
None / Deuteranopia / Protanopia / Tritanopia |
None |
Remaps HP bar, heat bar colors to colorblind-safe alternatives |
Section 4 — Display
| Setting |
Options |
Default |
Effect |
| Frame Rate Target |
60 FPS / 30 FPS |
60 FPS |
30 FPS reduces battery drain on older devices |
| Brightness Offset |
Slider −3 to +3 stops |
0 |
Adjusts game brightness independent of system setting |
Section 5 — Game
| Setting |
Options |
Default |
Effect |
| Language |
English / Romanian |
System default |
Romanian available v1.0; Russian post-launch |
| Stage Intel Auto-Skip |
OFF / ON |
OFF |
ON: dismisses 5s briefing overlay instantly |
| Show Pilot XP Gains |
ON / OFF |
ON |
OFF: hides XP floater on kill |
| Confirm Stage Restart |
ON / OFF |
ON |
ON: confirmation prompt before mid-run restart |
Section 6 — Account
| Setting |
Type |
Effect |
| Cloud Save |
Toggle |
Enables platform cloud save (Google Play Games / Apple Game Center) |
| Reset Progress |
Action button (red) |
Clears all save data. Double-confirmation: type "RESET" to confirm. Irreversible. |
Pause Menu
Accessible via pause button (top-right, ti-pause) during gameplay.
[PAUSED]
[RESUME] ← primary
[RESTART STAGE] ← confirm if setting ON
[SETTINGS] ← subset: audio volumes, fire mode, screen shake, haptic
[QUIT TO HUB] ← confirm
Full settings accessible only from main menu.
Summary — Locked Decisions
- Fire Mode default: Manual — auto-fire is accessibility, not default
- Dynamic joystick default, fixed available
- Tap-Anywhere Special ON by default
- Haptic ON — 3 intensity tiers
- Reduce Motion / High Contrast / Large HUD — all off by default
- Screen shake: 3 levels
- Colorblind modes: 3 options (full sprite implementation post-v1.0)
- 60 FPS target with 30 FPS fallback
- Pause menu is a subset — full settings only from main menu
- Reset requires typing "RESET" — no accidental wipes
Document version: 1.0 (locked)
Part of: Tao Baryon GDD — Tier 4 UX & Meta