Game menu

Primary UI for start/load/save and options. Entry point: main() in SOURCES/PERSO.CPP calls MainGameMenu(load) at line 2398. In-game, Options/Save/Load keys open submenus; ESC/MENUS opens pause. Option changes are persisted in lba2.cfg at exit (see CONFIG.md).

Menu tree

Hierarchy as displayed in-game. Text IDs in parentheses; [if …] = conditional visibility.

Main Menu
├── Resume (70)              [if CURRENTSAVE exists]
├── New Game (71)
├── Load (72)                 [if saves exist]
│   └── ChoosePlayerName → save slots (text 0–6)
├── Save (73)                 [if in game, SavingEnable]
│   └── ChoosePlayerName → save slots (text 0–6)
│       └── SavedConfirmMenu: Cancel (24) / Delete (48)
├── Options (74)
│   ├── Back (26)
│   ├── Sound volume (11)
│   │   ├── Back (26)
│   │   ├── Samples (19)       [slider]
│   │   ├── Voice (20)         [slider, if FlagSpeak]
│   │   ├── Music (21)         [slider]
│   │   └── General volume (23) [slider]
│   ├── Choose language [custom localized label]
│   │   ├── Back (26)
│   │   ├── Texts: <language> [custom localized label]
│   │   └── Voices: <language> [custom localized label, CDROM builds]
│   ├── Advanced options [custom localized label]
│   │   ├── Back (26)
│   │   ├── Reverse stereo channels OFF/ON (12/13)
│   │   ├── Detail Level (45)             [slider 0–3]
│   │   ├── Movie camera OFF/ON (46/47)
│   │   ├── Auto camera / Classic camera [custom localized label, community addition]
│   │   ├── Small videos / Full screen videos (27/28)
│   │   ├── Fullscreen display OFF/ON     [custom localized label]
│   │   └── Don't display text / Display text (16/17)
│   ├── Keyboard Config (14)
└── Quit (75)

DoGameMenu returns the selected text ID, or 1000 for ESC.

Terms

Term	Definition
CURRENTSAVE	Quick-save file (current.lba); Resume is shown when it exists
SavingEnable	Flag allowing Save; false during intro
FlagSpeak	Voice support; controls Voice sample preview and whether Display Text can be turned OFF
MainGameMenu	Entry point for the main menu

Entry and flow

• MainGameMenu(load) in SOURCES/GAMEMENU.CPP (line 2651)
• First-time vs returning: IsFirstGameLaunched() skips to intro; otherwise BuildGameMainMenu() builds the visible entries
• Plasma background, InitPlasmaMenu(), FlagShadeMenu

Main menu structure

The main menu uses a template → build → drive flow:

Component	Role
RealGameMainMenu	Static template array with all 6 entries (70–75). Never passed to DoGameMenu directly.
BuildGameMainMenu	Copies from template into GameMainMenu, filtering by runtime state. Resume only if CURRENTSAVE exists; Load only if IsExistSavedGame(); Save only if !firstloop and SavingEnable. Always includes New Game, Options, Quit. Updates nb, ycenter (275 without Resume, 335 when Resume is present), and default selection.
DoGameMenu	Generic driver for any menu array. Runs input loop (Up/Down, Fire/Action), handles sliders (type 2–7), language cycling (types 8–9), draws via DrawGameMenu, returns selected text ID or 1000 (ESC). Used for main menu, Options, Volume, etc.

Flow: RealGameMainMenu (template) → BuildGameMainMenu(firstloop) → GameMainMenu (filtered) → DoGameMenu(GameMainMenu) → returns 70–75 or 1000.

Submenus

• Options (OptionsMenu): top-level submenu for Sound volume, Choose language, Advanced options, and Keyboard Config. Reuses original text.hqr labels where they already exist and keeps custom localized labels only for the new submenu concepts. Calls GereVolumeMenu(), GereLanguageMenu(), GereAdvancedOptionsMenu(), and MenuConfig(). Calls SetDetailLevel() on exit.
• Volume (GereVolumeMenu): VolumeMenuVoice / VolumeMenuNoVoice depending on FlagSpeak. Sliders for Sample, Voice, Music, and General volume. Persisted via CONFIG.md.
• Language (GereLanguageMenu): cycles text language and voice language independently. Text changes reload text.hqr immediately; voice changes update the active LanguageCD setting.
• Advanced options (GereAdvancedOptionsMenu): toggles stereo handling, movie cameras, follow camera, video playback size, window fullscreen mode, and subtitle display; includes the existing Detail Level slider.
• Save/Load (SavedGameManagement, ChoosePlayerName): Player name selection, save slots, GameChoiceMenu[], SavedConfirmMenu[] for delete
• Keyboard config (MenuConfig): standalone config tool in SOURCES/CONFIG/ or in-game ReadInputConfig/WriteInputConfig

Menu data format

• U16 *ptrmenu: [selected, nb_entries, y_center, dia_num, (type, text_id)*]
• DrawGameMenu(), DoGameMenu() in GAMEMENU.CPP (lines 1760, 1823)
• Text IDs from text.hqr / dialogue system (GetMultiText), plus synthetic IDs (e.g. MENU_ID_* in the 2100 range) resolved in BuildCustomMenuText()
• Type in each entry: 0 = plain text/toggle, 2–6 = volume sliders, 7 = Detail Level slider, 8 = text language cycle, 9 = voice language cycle

Menu layout

Layout uses logical coordinates in the game framebuffer. Default size is 640×480 (RESOLUTION_X / RESOLUTION_Y in SOURCES/INITADEL.C); ModeDesiredX / ModeDesiredY (LIB386/SVGA/SCREEN.CPP) follow the allocated buffer. Menu code still uses many fixed 320 / 639 / 479 values for centering and full-screen effects; BoxStaticAdd often uses ModeDesiredX - 1 / ModeDesiredY - 1 so dirty rectangles match the buffer.

Constant	Value	Role
LargeurMenu	550	Half-width from center for selection bars and long-text clip/scroll
HAUTEUR_STANDARD	50	Height of one menu row
MENU_SPACE	6	Vertical gap between rows (DrawGameMenu)
Main menu y center (template)	335	RealGameMainMenu[2]; BuildGameMainMenu sets 275 when there is no Resume row, 335 when CURRENTSAVE exists
Options menu y center (template)	260	GameOptionMenu[2]
Horizontal center	x = 320	DrawOneChoice / DrawGameMenu (half of 640-wide layout)

Save/load slot list: NB_GAME_CHOICE (5 visible rows), Y_START_CHOICE (205), 60 px between rows (ChoosePlayerName).

Languages and localization

The main menu still uses only the six template actions (70–75). Options (74) adds in-game Choose language and Advanced options (see menu tree): top-level GameOptionMenu has 5 rows in display order — Back (26), Sound volume, Choose language, Advanced options, Keyboard Config (14).

Mechanism	Where	Notes
BuildCustomMenuText	SOURCES/GAMEMENU.CPP (DrawOneChoice)	Rows use either GetMultiText (classic dialogue IDs) or synthetic menu IDs (e.g. MENU_ID_CHOOSE_LANGUAGE); new headings can use in-code UTF-8 strings converted to CP850 for the font.
Language submenu (GereLanguageMenu / LanguageMenu)	Types 8 / 9 in DoGameMenu	8: cycle UI text language (Language, left/right); ReloadMultiTextFile applies immediately. 9 (CDROM): cycle voice language (LanguageCD).
Language / LanguageCD in lba2.cfg	InitLanguage() / WriteConfigFile()	Read at startup; written at process exit with other settings (see CONFIG.md). Not flushed when leaving Options mid-session.
Long translated labels	DrawOneChoice	If SizeFont(string) > LargeurMenu, the selected row scrolls the label horizontally inside the clip; unselected rows align left inside the bar.
Voice preview (Volume menu)	DrawOneChoice, type 3	Uses SAMPLE_VOICE_MENU + LanguageCD so the voice test matches CD/voice language.

Mixed localization (new Options strings)

The reworked Options screen uses two sources of copy, by design:

• text.hqr via GetMultiText — Original dialogue IDs for volume, stereo, movie camera, video size, subtitles, and other strings that already existed in the retail game.
• In-code LocalizedMenuLabels in SOURCES/MENU_LABELS.CPP: UTF-8 strings, converted with CopyUtf8ToCp850 / FormatUtf8ToCp850 for the menu font. The table is one row per label, each row carrying its own enum id plus all six translations; the column follows Language (same index as the UI language). Used for new submenu titles (“Choose language”, “Advanced options”, …), the display fullscreen OFF/ON lines, and the key-config footer. Its contract (id equals index, no missing translation, matching printf specifiers across languages) is pinned by tests/menu_labels.

When the player changes UI language, ReloadMultiTextFile refreshes text.hqr strings and the LocalizedMenuLabels index updates together, so both layers stay aligned.

The “Texts:” / “Voices:” lines format GetLocalizedMenuLabel with GetLanguageName(Language) / GetLanguageName(LanguageCD) — i.e. the canonical names from TabLanguage[] (English, Français, …), not per-locale translations of those names.

Adding a new UI language requires both the usual text.hqr coverage and a new translation column in every row of LocalizedMenuLabels. See TEXT.md for why the text.hqr half of that is the hard part.

For voice lines and packaged assets, see GLOSSARY.md and CONFIG.md (Language, LanguageCD).

For the text engine underneath all of this (the text.hqr format, id resolution, fonts and codepages, the dialogue machine), see TEXT.md.

Implementation notes

• Plasma background: A hallmark of LBA1 and LBA2 menus. InitPlasmaMenu() (ANIMTEX.CPP) sets up an animated plasma texture; DrawFireBar / DrawFire render textured bars (selection highlight, sliders, input fields). The effect is plasma (not the separate fire algorithm); SelectPlasmaBank(12) for selection, SelectPlasmaBank(4) for sliders.
• Save screenshot: Generated at save time in SaveGame() (SAVEGAME.CPP); shown via LoadGameScreen() and DrawScreenSave(). See SAVEGAME.md for the full flow.
• DEMO build: Save/Load (72, 73) are disabled (greyed out, skipped by Up/Down). After ~50 min idle (or Shift+D), SlideShow() runs; returns 9999 to trigger credits.
• Volume sliders: Type 2–6 map to globals; left/right adjust with VOLUME_TIMER_KEY (5 ticks) debounce. Sample and General volume sliders play random SFX preview when focused.
• DetailLevel → Shadow: SetDetailLevel() (GAMEMENU.CPP line 458) derives Shadow, RainEnable, MaxPolySea, FlagDrawHorizon from DetailLevel. Shadow in config is read at startup but overwritten when leaving Options.
• Localized custom labels: See "Mixed localization (new Options strings)" above — split between text.hqr and LocalizedMenuLabels / CP850.
• Options entry count: Top-level GameOptionMenu[1] is 5 in OptionsMenu(). Nested volume/language/advanced menus set their own entry counts per DEMO / FlagSpeak / CDROM.

Limitations

Limit	Value	Notes
Main menu entries	6	MAX_MAIN_MENUS, GameMainMenu[4+6*2]
Save slots visible	5	NB_GAME_CHOICE, Y_START_CHOICE; list scrolls
Player name length	100 chars	MAX_SIZE_PLAYER_NAME
Resolution	640×480 (default)	See "Menu layout"; window may scale; internal layout as above
Long text	No wrap	Wider than LargeurMenu (550px): see "Languages and localization"
Input	Keyboard/joystick always	Optional mouse when MenuMouse: 1 in CONFIG.md (default); see "Mouse in menus" below

Note: IsExistSavedGame() uses a hardcoded 100000L buffer; the save list elsewhere uses MAX_PLAYER derived from BufSpeak size.

Mouse in menus

When MenuMouse is enabled (FlagMenuMouse, default on), the game shows the software menu pointer (FlagMouse in LIB386/SYSTEM/MOUSE.CPP, composited in BoxBlit), maps hover to the highlighted row, and confirms with left press + release on the same row (release-edge confirm). The mouse wheel adjusts focused sliders in DoGameMenu (volume/detail/language rows) and scrolls the save/load name list in ChoosePlayerName. Refcounted MenuMouseAcquire / MenuMouseRelease wrap menu entry points so nested menus keep the pointer until the outer scope exits.

Gameplay: MainGameMenu calls MenuMouseRelease() before MainLoop() and MenuMouseAcquire() after the player returns to the main menu, so the menu pointer is not drawn over the world (interiors or exteriors).

OS cursor: After the window is created, the engine calls SDL_HideCursor() and SDL_SetCursor(NULL) (LIB386/SYSTEM/WINDOW.CPP); the same pair runs again on SDL_EVENT_WINDOW_FOCUS_GAINED and SDL_EVENT_WINDOW_MOUSE_ENTER so the compositor does not bring back the arrow over the game. Only the framebuffer sprite is intended to be visible.

When the sprite appears: On first MenuMouseAcquire, the engine calls ShowMouseAfterFirstMotion() — the sprite stays off until the first SDL_EVENT_MOUSE_MOTION (keyboard-only menu use stays pointer-free). After it is shown, MouseSpriteShouldDraw() in LIB386/SYSTEM/MOUSE.CPP hides the software sprite again after 3 seconds without mouse motion, buttons, or wheel; any of those refreshes the timer and shows the sprite. The internal LIB386/MENU file dialogs call ShowMouse(true) and get an immediate pointer and the same idle-hide behaviour.

Logo screens (AdelineLogo, ShowLogo): no menu pointer; left click still skips the wait (Click from SDL). Name entry / “dialog” caret: CursorActif and DrawCursor() in SOURCES/GAMEMENU.CPP (DrawOneString) draw a blinking text caret from HQR_Get(HQRPtrSprite, 9) — that is not the mouse pointer; it only indicates the typing position when editing the save name.

Set MenuMouse: 0 in lba2.cfg for keyboard/joystick-only menus.

Why the menu pointer matches the game (SPRITE_CURSOR)

Retail LBA2 almost never needed a mouse in the main menus (keyboard/joystick first), so the shipped menus used a tiny embedded bitmap (BinGphMouse in the engine). Separately, the data tables in SOURCES/COMMON.H already name a SPRITE_CURSOR index (173) next to other UI chrome (SPRITE_DISK, ardoise corners, etc.). That entry lives in sprites.hqr and was meant for in-game UI pointer use, not for the classic menu loop—easy to miss if you never played with the mouse in contexts that draw it.

The community menu mouse path simply loads HQR_Get(HQRPtrSprite, SPRITE_CURSOR) (SOURCES/DEFINES.H → MENU_MOUSE_SPRITE_HQR_INDEX). So the pointer is original art already on the disc; we are not inventing new pixels. If sprites.hqr is missing or the entry fails to load, SOURCES/GAMEMENU_MOUSE.CPP falls back to BinGphMouse like the DOS build.

Implementation: SOURCES/GAMEMENU_MOUSE.CPP, SOURCES/GAMEMENU.CPP (DoGameMenu, ChoosePlayerName).

Future enhancements

Ideas that stay in the spirit of the original design:

• More visible save slots – 5 is arbitrary; 7–8 with tighter spacing (NB_GAME_CHOICE, Y_START_CHOICE) keeps the same UX.
• Config saved when leaving Options – Currently written only at exit; saving on Options back would avoid loss on crash.
• Additional Options entries – Structure supports it; extend GameOptionMenu and add handlers.
• Resolution scaling – Scale layout for higher res while preserving the plasma/font look.
• Open-source / community distributor logo – A logo for community builds (engine branding, not game rebranding). Add a DistribVersion value for community builds; show the logo only when that value is set. The logo asset must be created and licensed as open-source (e.g. CC0, MIT) and live in the repo. Does not replace or obscure the original game identity; analogous to ScummVM/OpenMW splash screens. Game assets (GOG/Steam, etc.) remain under their original licenses.

Historical notes

The menu code preserves 1997-era developer artifacts worth noting for preservation:

• Detail Level hardware comments – SetDetailLevel() (GAMEMENU.CPP lines 462–490) labels each quality tier with informal French: machine bof (crap machine), 486 ?, Pentium de base ?, machine de folie (crazy machine). These reflect the target hardware of the day. See FRENCH_COMMENTS.md.
• Distributor logos – DistribLogo() and AdelineLogo() show different publisher logos (Activision, EA, Virgin) based on DistribVersion, reflecting regional publishers in 1997.
• Isabelle – MAX_SIZE_PLAYER_NAME in DEFINES.H is attributed: Calculé avec des ',' par Isabelle (calculated with commas by Isabelle).

For broader preservation (ASCII art, French comments, developer culture), see FRENCH_COMMENTS.md and ASCII_ART.md.

Code reference

Concept	File	Function/Symbol
Main menu entry	GAMEMENU.CPP	MainGameMenu, BuildGameMainMenu
Menu render/input	GAMEMENU.CPP	DoGameMenu, DrawGameMenu
Menu mouse	GAMEMENU_MOUSE.CPP	MenuMouseAcquire/Release, hit-test, wheel/slider helpers
Options submenu	GAMEMENU.CPP	OptionsMenu, GereVolumeMenu, GereLanguageMenu, GereAdvancedOptionsMenu
Save/Load list	GAMEMENU.CPP, SAVEGAME.CPP	PlayerGameList, ChoosePlayerName, DeleteSavedGame, LoadGameScreen, DrawScreenSave
Menu label text	GAMEMENU.CPP	BuildCustomMenuText, GetMultiText
UI language / text	MESSAGE.CPP	InitLanguage, GetMultiText, Language, LanguageCD

Cross-references

• CONFIG.md for options persistence and Language / LanguageCD
• SAVEGAME.md for save/load format and lifecycle
• DEBUG.md for bug save/load menu integration
• CONSOLE.md for console availability in menu