Configuring the controls in the Default Game Preferences Window establishes the default values of various game settings, each of which may later be able to be changed by the player. It is possible for the player to revert to the default game preferences at any time by clicking the Restore Default Settings button in the game's Preferences Window.
Click the Edit Default Preferences button at the bottom of the Interface Window's Additional Properties tab (shown above) to access the Default Game Preferences Window.
The Default Game Preferences Window provides a set of controls identical to those found in a finished game's Preferences Window. Simply configure these controls as you would the preferences in a finished game to establish the default game preferences. For information on the purpose of each control, see the Setting Game Preferences section. Note that the selected Screen Size setting will be ignored if the Switch Resolution checkbox is left unchecked. Games that do not switch resolutions automatically set the default Screen Size to the recommended setting, which is determined based on the display's resolution as the game starts up.
After configuring the default preferences, click the OK Button to return to the main Interface Window.
Customizing Screen Settings
The Preferences Window in a finished game contains a Screen Size pop-up menu that displays a selection of available display options. The contents of this pop-up menu may be customized by clicking the Edit button to the right of the Screen Size pop-up menu in the Default Game Preferences Window (shown below).
Clicking the Edit button displays the Screen Settings Window, which allows for the modification of the list of available screen settings. Screen settings may be created and deleted using the Create New Screen Setting and Delete Screen Setting buttons. The properties of the selected screen setting appear on the right side of the window.
The Screen Setting Name field contains the name of the screen setting as it appears in the Screen Size pop-up menu in the finished game's Preferences Window.
The Caption field contains a brief description of the screen setting. The caption text is displayed to the right of the Screen Size pop-up menu in the finished game's Preferences window.
The contents of the two Size fields determine the horizontal and vertical resolution of the screen setting. All screen settings must conform to a 4:3 size ratio; when one dimension is specified, the other is determined automatically. A broad selection of screen settings is available by default, representing most common display types. It is generally recommended that a wide variety of screen settings remain available so that a common display types can be supported.
Limiting the resolutions of the available screen settings may benefit some games by improving performance and preventing the player from seeing opponents and obstacles until they are nearby. See the Optimizing Game Performance section for more information on limiting the available screen sizes.
The Pixel Scale only has any effect if the Switch Resolution checkbox is checked in the game's preferences. (The Switch Resolution checkbox is disabled and invisible by default). If resolution switching is enabled, the Pixel Scale entered here is multiplied by the screen setting's Size property to determine the resolution that the display is switched to during gameplay. For example, if a screen setting whose size is 640 by 480 pixels is multiplied by a Pixel Scale of 200%, the display would switch to a resolution of 1280 by 960 when that screen setting is selected in the game's preferences.
It is crucial that the Height of a screen setting, multiplied by its Pixel Scale, be able to be evenly divided into the native vertical resolution of an associated display type. For example, since the Apple iMac G5 20" has a 1680 by 1050 pixel display, the iMac G5 20" screen setting has a Height of 525 and a Pixel Scale of 200%. (Since the display does not conform to Power Game Factory's required 4:3 screen size ratio, black bars appear on the left and right of the screen during gameplay.)
Customizing the Particle Effects Slider
The player uses the Particle Effects Slider to limit the maximum number of particles in the game and maintain game performance. The range of values available within the Particle Effects Slider may be customized with the Particle Effects Window. Open this window by clicking the Edit button next to the Particle Effects Slider.
Selecting a wide range of values, for example, 50 to 500, will give the player the ability the choose a maximum number of particles that is appropriate for his computer. However offering a very high maximum value (such as 1000) may not be helpful; the presence of huge numbers of particles decreases game performance. Limiting the range of options prevents the player from accidentally choosing a setting that might ruin his enjoyment of the game.