Accessibility options
Archaist supports a broad range of configuration options, ranging from individual sound and music volumes to different graphics modes. Most of these are fairly obvious and explained well enough in the
settings section, but some can use additional discussion:
Profiles
Profiles are found under the game settings menu and are snapshots of complete sets of settings. Choose a profile slot under the "save" sub menu to store the current settings in this slot. Choose the same profile from the "load" menu to restore these settings later. You also have the option at any time to reset all settings (window/full screen mode excepted) to their defaults.
Spoken interface
The spoken interface is only available if you have the SAPI 5 speech engine installed on your machine. This is a standard component of Windows XP, but can also be downloaded from Microsoft's web page.
This option enables voice description of the menu and in-game options to a varying degree depending on the detail setting:
- Low
- only the selected option and its marked status are read
- Medium
- the selection, its type (node, action, option) and marked status are read
- High
- the selection is described and if it is a node there is also a brief description of its sub menu. Any menu movement that is triggered as a side effect of another menu action is also noted.
- Very high
- the selection is described and if it is a node there is also a detailed description of its sub menu. All menu movement is reported. You can use this option to navigate the menu completely blindly, although some vision is required to play the actual game.
You can also turn on and off the reading and positioning of the menu option help texts independently of the detail settings. While Archaist allows you to adjust the volume, pitch and speed of the current voice relative to the system settings, you can use the system control panel for better control over the speech engine.
Keyboard customization
Enter the keyboard customization screen by selecting "set keys" in the interface menu. Here you can customize the keys each player uses.
Each game function may have up to two keys assigned. Furthermore, Escape is always assigned to exit (or, actually, the dual role of pause/exit in-game) and the Pause button is always assigned to pause.
Each game control key can be turned sticky by holding down Shift when entering it. Pressing a sticky button once changes its state from pressed to released or from released to pressed. This is enabled in-game only and only if the active control scheme does not override the behaviour.
Controls
Archaist supports a broad range of control schemes to allow comfortable play with any device using a keyboard or mouse driver.
Note: Due to hardware limitations, normally only a limited number and combination of keyboard keys can register at once. If you experience key lock, particularly in two player mode with many buttons in simultaneous use, try reconfiguring the controls. Special keys like Ctrl and Alt are usually safe.
Here is a brief rundown of the main categories and how they apply to the various game screens. For a closer look at the individual modes, see the settings section:
One switch control
This mode uses only the activate button which defaults to space for player one.
- Menu
- While the menu supports multiple control schemes simultaneously, one switch menu control requires the "scan" option set as menu type in the interface settings. This enables automatic menu option rotation at your chosen speed as well as "back" options for return to previous menus. Hit the activate button to mark a selected option, enter a sub menu or perform an action. Mouse- and multiple key movement schemes are still enabled and briefly pause the options scan if used.
- Game
- The map and supply screens work on the same principle as the menu, with each option/sector selected in turn. For the actual game there are four main types of control, each further configurable. Of these, one is a "clean" option that does not rely on persistent switch state. The rest requires the switch to be held for variable periods of time.
- High scores
- One switch name entry uses a spinning alphabet wheel. As your desired character enters the marked area, press the button once to stop the alphabet wheel spinning. Wait for the character to light up then hit the button again to select that character into the name field.
For a short while after entering a character an arrow is shown on screen. Pressing the button during this time reverses the direction of the wheel.
As the arrow disappears the wheel start spinning again and you can enter a new character.
Select END when you are done.
Special characters SPC: blank space
CASE: toggles between upper and lower case characters. Though the wheel will automatically change to lower case after you enter your first character, CASE allows for more unorthodox capitalization schemes.
DEL: deletes the last entered character. By repeatedly pressing the button with DEL selected you can delete several characters in a row.
END: ends the character input and saves the name on the high score list.
Two button control
This mode uses the select and activate buttons. For player one this defaults to arrow down and space respectively.
- Menu
- While the menu supports multiple control schemes simultaneously, two button menu control requires either "return" or "scan" set as menu type in the interface settings. This enables the "back" options for return to previous menus. Hit the select button to rotate through the available menu options and activate to mark a selected option, enter a sub menu or perform an action.
- Game
- The map and supply screens work on the same principle as the menu, with the select button cycling through the options available and activate confirming. For the actual game there are four main types of control, each further configurable. Of these, "steer" and "jump" do not rely on persistent button state. The other two require the buttons to be held for variable periods of time.
- High scores
- Two button entry uses a spinning alphabet wheel. Hold the select button to spin the wheel rapidly (or to toggle wheel spin if the select button is sticky). Press activate to enter character selection where you choose your desired character by repeatedly pressing select. Finally confirm your choice by pressing activate.
For a short while after entering a character an arrow is shown on screen. Pressing activate during this time reverses the direction of the wheel.
Select END when you are done.
Special characters SPC: blank space
CASE: toggles between upper and lower case characters. Though the wheel will automatically change to lower case after you enter your first character, CASE allows for more unorthodox capitalization schemes.
DEL: deletes the last entered character. By repeatedly pressing the button with DEL selected you can delete several characters in a row.
END: ends the character input and saves the name on the high score list.
Three button control
This mode uses the left, right and activate buttons. For player one this defaults to arrow left, arrow right and space respectively.
- Menu
- While the menu supports multiple control schemes simultaneously, three button menu control uses the same semantics as the one switch scheme and requires the "scan" option set as menu type in the interface settings. This enables automatic menu option rotation at your chosen speed as well as "back" options for return to previous menus. Hit the activate button to mark a selected option, enter a sub menu or perform an action. You can also use the left and right buttons to enter or return from sub menus quickly. Doing this briefly pauses the options scan.
- Game
- Use the left and right buttons to cycle through options and sectors in the map and supply screens. Confirm with the activate button. For the actual game there are three main types of control, each further configurable. Of these, "steer" does not rely on persistent button state. The other two require the buttons to be held for variable periods of time.
- High scores
- Three button entry uses a spinning alphabet wheel. Spin the wheel using the direction buttons. Press activate to enter character selection. Choose your desired character with the direction buttons and confirm your choice by pressing activate.
Select END when you are done.
Special characters SPC: blank space
CASE: toggles between upper and lower case characters. Though the wheel will automatically change to lower case after you enter your first character, CASE allows for more unorthodox capitalization schemes.
DEL: deletes the last entered character. By repeatedly pressing the button with DEL selected you can delete several characters in a row.
END: ends the character input and saves the name on the high score list.
Full (five button) keyboard control
This mode uses all four directional keys as well as the activate/fire button. For player one this defaults to the
arrow keys and
Space.
- Menu
- While five button menu control works with all four menu types available from the interface settings, it behaves differently depending on which one is selected. If "quick" is selected, option activation is automatic and moves with the menu marker. In this case you need only use activate when performing an action (like entering or exiting the game). This is the smoothest way to navigate the menu but is incompatible with all other control schemes except mouse/analog.
If any of the other three menu types is activated, you must actively choose a desired option by pressing activate when it is marked.
- Game
- Selections in the map and supply screens are done with the arrow keys using activate/fire to confirm. For the actual game, left and right moves the leaper horizontally, up accelerates and jumps, down brakes, and fire launches missiles (unless autofire is enabled).
- High scores
- Full keyboard control uses a virtual keyboard for character entry. Choose among the available characters using your control keys and press activate to select it into the name field. You can naturally just type your name directly on the keyboard as well. To enter direct name entry just press any accepted character key that is not also a directional button.
Special characters SPC: blank space
DEL: deletes the last entered character. By repeatedly pressing the button with DEL selected you can delete several characters in a row.
CLR: clears the name field entirely
END: ends the character input and saves the name on the high score list.
Mouse/analog
This is the mode for any analog input device using mouse drivers, like a camera mouse/head tracker, trackball or indeed a mouse.
- Menu
- Position the cursor over an option and press any of the supported buttons to select it, enter a sub menu or perform an action (like entering or exiting the game). Clicking on the right side of the active menu enters the sub menu of the marked node. Clicking on the left side returns to the parent menu. If touch control is active, no clicking is needed. Just touch the options with the cursor to activate them.
- Game
- Choice of supplies in the supply screen and sectors in the map is done using regular point and click. In the actual game, position the cursor in the control fields to control the leaper. The buttons can be individually configured to jump, fire, brake or pause. You can also activate pause and exit buttons by moving the cursor to the upper half of the game screen.
- High scores
- Mouse control uses a virtual keyboard for character entry. Position the cursor over a character and click any button to select it into the name field. If touch control is enabled no clicking is necessary, just touch the active area on each character to select it.
Special characters SPC: blank space
DEL: deletes the last entered character. By repeatedly pressing the button with DEL selected you can delete several characters in a row.
CLR: clears the name field entirely
END: ends the character input and saves the name on the high score list.