The options menu is accessible at any time by pressing the ESC key. From the options menu, you have access to the following option categories.

Graphics Device

These options can be adjusted to make the game work optimally with your graphics device. Your current Allegiance graphics settings appear at the bottom of the menu. Note that these settings, with the exception of Brightness, are only in effect while flying in space.

To access the options for your graphics device

Brightness Up/Down -- Click these options, or press the U or D key, to adjust to higher or lower brightness, respectively. If no change occurs, you are already at the highest or lowest brightness or your graphics device does not allow adjustment of this setting.

Higher/Lower Resolution -- Click these options, or press the H or L key, to adjust to higher or lower resolution, respectively. If no change occurs, you are already at the highest or lowest resolution.

3D Acceleration -- Click this option, or press the A key, to toggle your 3D acceleration on and off.

Secondary Device -- Click this option, or press the S key, to toggle your secondary graphics device on and off.

At the bottom of this menu, you will see your current graphics device settings.

Graphics Options

If you find your frame rate needs a boost, try turning off any one or combination of the game graphics options.

To access the options for game graphics

Environment -- Click this option, or press the E key, to toggle the background environment on and off. Environmental graphics look great but are not necessary.

Posters -- Click this option, or press the P key, to toggle poster items on and off. These are large background bitmap graphics such as nebulae and planets.

Debris -- Click this option, or press the D key, to toggle general space debris on and off.

Stars -- Click this option, or press the S key, to toggle the background stars on and off.

Strobes -- Click this option, or press the R key, to toggle station and ship lights on and off. If you turn them off, you can still see the proper landing hangar by the color green inside the hangar bay.

Trails -- Click this option, or press the T key, to toggle the trails of ships on and off. Note, however, that these trails are a great way to tell who is on your team quickly, as the trail color matches the team color.

Afterburner Smoke -- Click this option, or press the A key, to toggle the exhaust of ships on and off.

Lens Flares -- Click this option, or press the F key, to toggle lens flares on and off.

Bidirectional Lighting -- Click this option, or press the B key, to toggle bidirectional lighting on and off. Bidirectional lighting is a dramatic second light source that adds a greater feeling of depth to objects, but it is not mandatory.

Style -- Click this option, or press the H key, to toggle your HUD style between Normal and Software modes. Software is a good option if you want to try and improve your frame rate.

Sound Options

To access the options for sound

Sound Quality -- Click this option to cycle through the sound quality settings. Higher quality sound also means a heavier hit on your processor so you might want to reduce your sound quality to keep a good frame rate.

Sound Card Acceleration -- Click this option to toggle your sound card's acceleration on and off. If you have any sound problems, try turning off the acceleration.

Music -- Click this option to toggle background music on and off.

Music Volume -- Click these options, or press the corresponding key, to increase (M) or decrease (N) music volume.

Sound Effect Volume -- Click these options, or press the corresponding key, to increase (S) or decrease (A) the sound effects.

Voiceover Volume -- Click these options, or press the corresponding key, to increase (V) or decrease (C) the voiceover in the training missions and the message stream chat.

Game Options

To access input options

Censor Display -- Click this option, or press the S key, to toggle between censoring and not censoring your messages. If you censor your messages, you will be protected from foul language.

Default View -- Click this option, or press the K key, to set your default view to either Cockpit view or Chase view.

Filter Chats Sent to All -- Click this option, or press the A key, to toggle between filtering and not filtering messages that are sent to all players in the game.

Filter Voice Commands -- Click this option, or press the Q key, to toggle between filtering and not filtering all voice commands.

Filter Chats Sent from Lobby -- Click this option, or press the F key, to toggle between filtering and not filtering all messages that come from players in the Team Lobby.

Control Response -- Click this option, or press the L key, to toggle between Quadratic and Linear control response. If your joystick is too sensitive, try the quadratic response.

Dead Zone -- Click this option, or press the Z key, to toggle between a normal and a large area around which your joystick is considered centered in the middle of your screen.

Virtual Joystick -- Click this option, or press the J key, to toggle between using your mouse as a virtual and a nonvirtual joystick.

Y Axis -- Click this option, or press the Y key, to toggle between a normal and a flipped Y axis on your joystick. When the Y axis is flipped, pushing the joystick forward will point the nose of your craft upward instead of downward.

Force Feedback -- Click this option, or press the E key, to toggle between turning on and off the feedback on a joystick that has this feature.

Map Keys and Controls -- Click or press C to in the Configure Controls dialog box.