Startup Sequence & Main Menu

Relevant source files

The following files were used as context for generating this wiki page:

• crates/cyrus-startup/src/lib.rs
• crates/cyrus-startup/src/menu.rs
• crates/cyrus-startup/src/preparation.rs
• crates/cyrus-assets/src/startup/menu_export.rs
• crates/cyrus/src/main.rs
• crates/cyrus-startup/README.md

The startup sequence orchestrates the transition from application launch to active gameplay. It plays installed splash animations, presents the title screen, and initializes the data-driven book menu. The sequence ensures that all required game assets are prepared and exported before world entry.

The system supports both native and browser hosts, providing faithful reproduction of the original game's visual and audio presentation. It handles cinematic playback, persistent settings management, and session restoration through the main menu interface.

Startup Orchestration

The StartupPlugin manages the initial presentation states. It plays timed splash frames followed by a static title image. The plugin remains active during AppState::Loading and AppState::Menu.

Startup Presentation Flow

This diagram illustrates the progression from initial launch through the splash sequence to the main menu.

Splash Variants

The engine supports two primary splash animations derived from the original game files.

Variant	Description	Original File Reference
Windows	Default Glide splash used in GOG Windows release.	3DfxSpl2.dll
Dos	Older shield animation found in DOS Glide overlays.	glide2x_emu.ovl

Sources: crates/cyrus-startup/src/lib.rs:31-40, crates/cyrus-startup/src/lib.rs:142-145

Asset Preparation

The LoadingPlugin scans the installation directory and prepares assets for the menu and HUD. A background worker thread performs these operations to avoid blocking the main application loop.

Preparation Logic

1. The worker thread starts with a dedicated 8 MiB stack size to accommodate deep parser calls.
2. It executes export_menu and export_hud for presentation hosts.
3. It performs a full preload scan for direct or headless hosts to verify format coverage.
4. The system reports progress via LoadingProgress and emits a MenuPrepared resource upon completion.

Sources: crates/cyrus-startup/src/preparation.rs:40-65, crates/cyrus-startup/src/preparation.rs:90-112

Menu Export Data

The export_menu function extracts geometry, text, and widgets from the original game data.

Main Menu System

The main menu uses a data-driven book interface. It manages navigation, selection, and activation of menu entries defined in MENU.INI.

Menu State Management

The MenuState resource tracks the current page, selected items, and interaction status. It handles different contexts such as standard Startup, player Death, or LastGame confirmation.

• Navigation: Input is sampled via PlayerBindings. The system skips disabled or hidden entries and wraps around page boundaries.
• Visuals: The menu is rasterized to a 640×480 image and displayed as a sprite.
• Clock: The menu initializes a SimulationClock using settings from SYSTEM.INI.

Sources: crates/cyrus-startup/src/menu.rs:75-120, crates/cyrus-startup/src/menu.rs:395-430

Menu Actions

Menu entries trigger specific behaviors based on their assigned action IDs.

Action ID Range	Behavior
-2	Requests application quit.
1, 2	Opens Save or Load pages.
10	Resets session for New Game and plays introduction movie.
101, 102	Opens the description editor for manual save slots.
202	Restores a selected save slot through the host session boundary.
301..=305	Plays the cinematic movie associated with the entry.
710..=724	Triggers key rebinding for the selected control.

Sources: crates/cyrus-startup/src/menu.rs:563-630, crates/cyrus-assets/src/startup/menu_export.rs:188-198

Launch Requests and Shortcuts

The application supports command-line and URL parameters to bypass the standard startup sequence. The LaunchRequest resource captures these shortcuts.

Command-Line Integration

The native binary maps arguments to startup behaviors:

• --skip-startup: Bypasses the splash animation.
• --new-game: Directly initiates a new game from the book.
• --movie [INDEX]: Plays a specific movie by its MENU.INI index.
• --load-slot [SLOT]: Restores the newest revision of a specific save slot.

Sources: crates/cyrus/src/main.rs:150-180, crates/cyrus-startup/src/menu.rs:39-50

World Entry and Loading

World entry begins after a menu selection or launch shortcut. The process uses the StartGame resource to manage the transition.

World Entry Sequence

1. Scene Request: The system issues a SceneRequest for the destination world ID.
2. Loading Screen: A random variant of the destination's transition artwork is displayed.
3. Progress Tracking: A red progress bar and percentage label indicate asset loading status.
4. Transition: The system fades the loading screen out before handing control to the game world.

Sources: crates/cyrus-startup/src/menu.rs:786-820, crates/cyrus-startup/README.md:95-105

World Entry Coordination

Summary

The startup and menu system provides a bridge between the host environment and the faithful game simulation. It coordinates asynchronous asset preparation with synchronous presentation rules. By utilizing data-driven configurations from original files, it maintains fidelity while allowing for modern enhancements like high-frame-rate rendering and fast loading.