CFG — Game Configuration (.CFG)¶

Two loose configuration files in the FA install directory — neither packed into any LIB archive. EA.CFG is the binary settings file written by FA on first run and updated whenever the player changes settings in-game; it persists graphics, controls, audio, and pilot selection state between sessions. IP.CFG is a small plain-text file read by IP.EXE (the multiplayer session launcher) on startup.

Tools¶

fx¶

fx cfg info <EA.CFG>       # dump the CONFIG struct + round-trip check

cfg_read/cfg_write map every field byte-identically, verified against the install's live EA.CFG by an FX_FA_ROOT-gated test. IP.CFG is two lines of plain text and needs no codec.

File Layout¶

All multi-byte integers are little-endian (IP.CFG is plain text).

EA.CFG — binary CONFIG struct (347 bytes)¶

Fully mapped from ?UCONFIG_save_EA_CFG@@YGDXZ (0x004b2980) and ?UCONFIG_load_EA_CFG@@YGPAUCONFIG@@XZ (0x004b2930) decompiles in DumpAllFunctions.txt. No gameplay diff required.

Load validation: UCONFIG_load_EA_CFG rejects the file unless magic == 0x24 AND file size == 0x15b (347 bytes). If either check fails it returns null and the engine falls back to defaults.

Note: CN_ReadConfig / CN_WriteConfig are for NET.DAT (3552 bytes, CN_INFO struct — see DAT.md). EA.CFG is a separate, smaller config handled by the UCONFIG_* functions.

Offset	Size	Field	Notes
`0x000`	4	magic	Always `0x24` (36) — version/format tag
`0x004`	4	`menu_video_mode` (`DAT_00520ac8`)	Shell/menu graphics mode — the value passed to `_InitGraphicsMode` for the 2D UI; validated against `GG_VideoModesAvailable` (fallback 2)
`0x008`	4	`flight_video_mode` (`DAT_00520a08`)	In-flight 3D graphics mode — the options-menu radio selection (1/2/4/8). The engine re-inits graphics only when it differs from `menu_video_mode`, crossing between shell and flight
`0x00C`	4	`_stickDevice`	Joystick device index (0 = none/keyboard)
`0x010`	4	`_rudderDevice`	Rudder pedal device index
`0x014`	4	`_throttleDevice`	Throttle controller device index
`0x018`	4	`_throttle100__3JA`	Throttle axis 100% calibration value
`0x01C`	192	`_mainV[0..47]`	48 × dword joystick axis mapping table (button/axis assignments)
`0x0DC`	6	`_windowTypes[6]`	Display window mode per view (6 bytes)
`0x0E2`	1	`music_on` (`_musicOn`)	Music enable flag — the counterpart to `sound_on` at `0x0E3`; read by every `Music`/`Score`/MIDI routine
`0x0E3`	1	`_soundOn`	Sound enabled flag
`0x0E4`	1	`_stereoSwap`	Stereo channel swap
`0x0E5`	2	`_overallVol__3GA`	Overall volume
`0x0E7`	2	`_engineVol__3GA`	Engine sound volume
`0x0E9`	2	`_lockVol__3GA`	Radar lock / missile tone volume
`0x0EB`	2	`_rwrVol__3GA`	RWR (radar warning receiver) volume
`0x0ED`	2	`_stallVol__3GA`	Stall warning tone volume
`0x0EF`	2	`_radioVol__3GA`	Radio chatter volume
`0x0F1`	2	`_flightMusicVol__3GA`	In-flight music volume
`0x0F3`	2	`_otherMusicVol__3GA`	Menu / other music volume
`0x0F5`	2	`_stereoSeparation__3GA`	Stereo separation width
`0x0F7`	1	`_dMusic`	MIDI music device index
`0x0F8`	4	`_gamePrefs`	Gameplay preference flags dword
`0x0FC`	4	`_gameMultiPrefs`	Multiplayer preference flags dword
`0x100`	4	`_gameDebugPrefs`	Debug preference flags dword
`0x104`	4	`_hudBrightness__3JA`	HUD brightness level
`0x108`	33	`_campaignPilot[33]`	Active campaign pilot name (null-terminated string)
`0x129`	32	multiplayer callsign	From `DAT_004f8bf9` — confirmed (see globals below)
`0x149`	13	squadron / wing tag	From `DAT_004f8c19` — confirmed (see globals below)
`0x156`	4	`_glasses3dAmount__3JA`	3D glasses convergence amount
`0x15A`	1	`_adCount__3EA`	AD (advertising/demo?) count byte

The three string fields (0x108, 0x129, 0x149) are only written if the source global is non-empty (null-check guards the copy loop). Both load and save functions are named UCONFIG_*, distinct from the network CN_ReadConfig/CN_WriteConfig pair which handles NET.DAT.

IP.CFG — plain-text launcher flags (27 bytes)¶

One flag per line, CRLF endings. No section headers, no =-separated key/value pairs except for the /n= flag.

/s
/n="Fighters Anthology"

Flag	Value	Meaning
`/s`	(none)	Start IP.EXE in server/standalone mode (not as a client join)
`/n=`	`"Fighters Anthology"`	Session/game name advertised to connecting players in the lobby

Engine Notes¶

Confirmed globals behind the EA.CFG string fields:

Address	Size	Name	Confirmed in
`DAT_004f8bf9`	32 bytes	Multiplayer callsign	`_WriteConfig` (0x41e8e0), `FUN_004900f0` (0x4900f0)
`DAT_004f8c19`	13 bytes	Squadron / wing tag	`_WriteConfig` (0x41e8e0), `FUN_004900f0` (0x4900f0)

FUN_004900f0 (entity name lookup): when param_1 == _playerId and DAT_004f8bf9 != '\0', uses these globals as the player's display name + tag pair (passed to FUN_0048e3f0); otherwise reads the name from entity+10.

IP.EXE notes:

IP.EXE is an MFC Win32 application (AfxWinMain entrypoint at 0x436ef0). It reads IP.CFG at launch and applies these as default session parameters.
The session name "Fighters Anthology" is the value shown in the LAN/IPX game browser on joining clients.
FA.EXE launches IP.EXE as a child process when the player selects a multiplayer connection type from the main menu.

Formats: P — pilot save files (PLTnnn.P) whose active slot is referenced here; DAT — the multiplayer transport configs handled by the separate CN_* function family.