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  Ikemen GO Configurator for Windows by DarkValentine – v1.1
  README
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1.  Introduction
2.  Running the Program
3.  Selecting the Ikemen GO Executable
4.  Characters
5.  Stages
6.  ScreenPacks
7.  ScreenPack Previews and Installation Notes
8.  Ikemen GO Config.ini
9.  Quick Versus
10. Network and Netplay
11. Tournament Mode
12. Saving Settings (IkemenGO_Configurator.ini)
13. Language Options
14. Version 1.1 Changes          [added 2026-09-04]
15. AI Patcher                   [added 2026-09-04]
16. Practice Mode                [added 2026-09-04]
17. Known Limitations and Issues
18. Planned Future Updates
19. Permissions, Redistribution, and Contact


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1. INTRODUCTION
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The idea to create this configurator stemmed from a problem that needed solving.
Up until Ikemen GO, there was not a replacement for Mugen Windows Configurator
(MWC) after 2012. This tool is not only an end result, but it is also a way of
paying homage to one of the first real tools made available that had relative
use for the old M.U.G.E.N engine.

Seeing the potential of a tool like MWC to be the Swiss Army Knife of the
M.U.G.E.N world, a tool like this could prove useful for anyone who wanted an
easier way to install stages and characters, but still just want to get to
fighting while keeping direct access to run Ikemen GO normally.

While not every feature from MWC was carried over into this configurator, the
goal was to look at what the Ikemen GO engine can do and make the tool as nearly
faithful and easy to use as possible, so anyone can pick it up and run it.

This configurator was built in Python as a means to set up Quick Versus and
Tournament-style matches without the need to always load directly into Ikemen GO,
and to set up characters, stages, and screenpacks in a simple and minimal way.
It works with both stable and nightly versions of Ikemen GO.

This tool is not made to be modified or improved by anyone without permission
from the author to do so.

Redistribution should always be credited to DarkValentine1984, and should include
a direct link to the author's main site (see Section 19).


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2. RUNNING THE PROGRAM
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There is no installation required. This is a simple drop-in tool: place it in
the root folder of your preferred copy of Ikemen GO and run it. Portable and
easy.

Any updates to the configurator can be applied by downloading the new version
when it becomes available and placing it in the same root folder of Ikemen GO.
The configurator's own .ini file will continue to be used the same way.

On first run, Load All, or Browse, v1.1 creates external/mods and save if they
are missing, and writes helper Lua used by Practice Mode. Existing files are
not overwritten.


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3. SELECTING THE IKEMEN GO EXECUTABLE
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The field labeled "Ikemen GO Executable" is used only to select Ikemen_GO.exe
(or the non-Windows binary where applicable). For security reasons, the full
folder path is never shown in the configurator window. That path is stored only
in the configurator's private .ini file.


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4. CHARACTERS
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Use this tab to add, edit (display name only), delete, or automatically scan for
characters. Display names are read from each character's .def file when possible
(MWC-style). Editing a name is visual only; the path and folder are never
changed. Paths are what Ikemen GO uses when launching.

Caution: When using Automatic scan for all characters in the chars folder, the
scanner looks for every file with a .def extension. That can include character
intros and endings. Prefer manual add when you know a character has those files.
Manual adding is recommended if you are aware that a specific character has an
intro or ending that could be played in Ikemen GO.

Manual add can also open the AI Patch window. See Section 15.


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5. STAGES
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Add, edit (display name only), delete, or automatically scan stages. Display
names come from the stage .def when possible. Editing the name is visual only;
the path stays unchanged. Paths are what Ikemen GO uses when launching.


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6. SCREENPACKS
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Add, delete, automatically find, load, or set a default ScreenPack (system.def).
The current and default packs are remembered in the configurator's .ini. Load
and Set Default also write Motif (and LifeBar when set) into Ikemen GO's
save/config.ini and config.json so the engine keeps the selection.


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7. SCREENPACK PREVIEWS AND INSTALLATION NOTES
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To show a preview for a ScreenPack in the list, place a PNG screenshot named
"preview.png" in the same folder as that ScreenPack's system.def. It is highly
recommended that each ScreenPack live in its own folder under Ikemen GO's data
folder. Click the preview to enlarge it.

Notice: Some ScreenPacks may not allow this configurator to properly install
characters into them, because of the complexity of packs that use dedicated
.bat files for a fixed number of character select slots when running Ikemen GO
normally. This will be addressed in a future update.


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8. IKEMEN GO CONFIG.INI
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This tab reads and writes options under the Video-related settings in the save
folder (config.ini and/or config.json). Use "Load from config.ini" and
"Save to config.ini" with the listed dropdown options (RenderMode, resolution,
Fullscreen, VSync, KeepAspect, Stretched, MSAA, WindowedBorderless, and related
values as shown in the UI).

Saved values are written into the actual save folder used by Ikemen GO and are
reloaded the next time the configurator starts.


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9. QUICK VERSUS
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Set up players, team mode (Single / Simul / Tag / Turns), life and power
(adjustable in steps of 100), color, CPU, stage, rounds, time, and audio
options, then launch with START. The Network / Netplay toggle on this screen is
disabled and marked as Work In Progress. For online play, see Section 10 and use
the Network Guide and Ikemen GO Netplay Setup buttons in the app.

Practice Mode (v1.1) is a toggle on this page. It only affects START, not the
top Play button. See Section 16.


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10. NETWORK AND NETPLAY
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The Network / Netplay feature inside this configurator is a Work In Progress and
remains disabled until it is ready. That does not prevent online play.

To play online:
  1. Close the configurator.
  2. Launch Ikemen GO normally (Ikemen_GO.exe).
  3. Connect both PCs with one of the methods below (or use Parsec for streaming).
  4. Use the engine's own Network menu for Host / Join.

Recommended connection methods (details are also in the in-app guides):

  • ZeroTier (https://www.zerotier.com)
    Creates a private virtual network so both players appear on the same LAN.
    One player creates a network and shares the Network ID; both note their
    ZeroTier IPs. Host starts Host mode; joiner enters the host's ZeroTier IP.

  • Radmin VPN (https://www.radmin-vpn.com)
    Simple virtual LAN for Windows. Both join the same Radmin network; joiner
    uses the host's Radmin IP in Join mode.

  • Parsec (https://parsec.app)
    Streaming: one player runs the game and streams; the guest controls the
    host machine. This is not the same as Ikemen's built-in peer-to-peer netplay.
    For true engine netplay, prefer ZeroTier or Radmin VPN.

General tips:
  • Prefer wired Ethernet when possible.
  • Match characters, stages, and ScreenPack as closely as possible on both PCs.
  • Default netplay port is often 7500; without a VPN the host may need firewall
    or router rules.
  • Use the same Ikemen GO build (same stable or same nightly) on both sides.

In the configurator, two buttons open full instructions:
  • Network Guide — connection methods (ZeroTier, Radmin VPN, Parsec) and tips.
  • Ikemen GO Netplay Setup — step-by-step Host / Join inside the engine, CLI
    helpers, rollback notes, and troubleshooting.

Those guides follow the language selected in the configurator. For the most
complete steps, open them from the Quick Versus screen rather than relying only
on this README summary.


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11. TOURNAMENT MODE
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Single-elimination tournament with seeding, optional CPU per slot, Spectator
(CPU vs CPU), random stages per fight, winner dialogs, and statistics. After
Drawing and Start, use Fight to run matches. Rounds are best 2 of 3; draws
follow the rematch rules described in the app.

The bracket tree is drawn in the grey panel after Drawing. Format 4, 8, 12, 16,
or 20 sets how many name-lines appear on the left. The current match is
outlined. See Section 14.


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12. SAVING SETTINGS (IkemenGO_Configurator.ini)
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Saving inside the configurator writes an .ini file next to the program so that
folder location, language, ScreenPack current/default/lifebar, and character
and stage display-name overrides can be restored the next time you open the
tool. The full Ikemen folder path is kept only in that file and is not shown
in the UI.


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13. LANGUAGE OPTIONS
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A language dropdown is available at the bottom of the window (English, español,
Italian, Brazilian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Russian). The tool tries to
autodetect the system language on first run; if it cannot, select a language
manually. A status flag badge is shown next to the selected language.
Additional language options may become available in a future update.


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14. VERSION 1.1 CHANGES                         [added 2026-09-04]
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Open "Version 1.1 Changes" on the top bar for the same list inside the app.

Confirmed working in v1.1:
  • Tournament bracket visualization (4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20 lines).
  • AI Patcher on manual character add, with backup and chars/Name-only path.
  • Practice Mode on Quick Versus START (infinite time, no rounds flag,
    life/power locked at 99990). Top Play is unchanged.
  • First-run creation of external/mods and save, plus dv_practice.lua.
  • Config.ini / config.json values persist in the game save folder.

See Section 17 for remaining limits.


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15. AI PATCHER                                  [added 2026-09-04]
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Certain characters ship with extra AI, or someone later made a patch. Those
packs are usually extra .cmd, .cns, .st, .def, .air files, and sometimes
aihelper*.cns, aisummary.txt, or AI-* files.

How to use it:
  1. Characters tab → Add Character (manual .def). Intro/ending defs are skipped.
  2. After the character is added, the AI Patch window opens.
  3. Target folder is shown only as chars/CharacterName (no full disk path).
  4. Always back up first. Use "Create backup of this character".
     A copy is written as chars/CharacterName_backup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.
  5. Add files and/or a patch folder, then "Copy into character folder".
  6. Skip if this character has no patch.
  7. You can open the same window later from Edit Character → AI Patch...

Automatic scan never applies patches and never adds intros or endings.

Some authors still need you to point cmd= / st= in the character .def at the
new filenames. The patcher copies files; it does not rewrite the .def.


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16. PRACTICE MODE                               [added 2026-09-04]
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Practice Mode is a checkbox on Quick Versus. It is not the engine's full
Training / Practice menu.

When enabled:
  • Time is set to infinite and the time box is locked.
  • Rounds are not sent to the engine (infinite / no auto-quit count) and
    the rounds box is locked.
  • Life and Power sliders show 99990 (maximum allowed) and cannot be edited.
  • START launches with those values and -maxpowermode (power stays full).
  • The top Play button still boots Ikemen GO normally.

When disabled, Time, Rounds, Life, and Power work as a normal Quick Versus.

This is as close as the configurator can get without the engine Training menu.
Life starts at 99990; it does not refill after every hit. Esc still quits the
Quick Versus match. F1 / Shift+F1 can still KO.


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17. KNOWN LIMITATIONS AND ISSUES
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• Network / Netplay inside the configurator is disabled (Work In Progress).
  For online play, run Ikemen GO normally and use your preferred method
  (ZeroTier, Radmin VPN, Parsec, or the engine's own Host/Join). See Section 10
  and the Network Guide / Ikemen GO Netplay Setup buttons for detailed steps.

• Automatic character scan looks for every .def under chars, which can
  unintentionally include intros and endings. Manual add is safer when you
  know a character has those files. Detection improvements are planned.

• Some ScreenPacks with complex install scripts or fixed slot counts may not
  work fully with automatic character install from this tool. Planned for a
  future update.

• Due to known limitations of how Ikemen GO and the configurator interact, if a
  new feature is added that may interfere with the configurator, Ikemen GO, or
  both, that feature may remain inactive until a fix or future update. The
  netplay toggle is one example.

• Practice Mode is not the engine Training / Practice pause menu. There is no
  in-match Training Menu or Command List from this toggle. Life does not
  regenerate every hit. Esc still exits Quick Versus.

• Some community AI patches still need cmd= / st= edited in the character .def
  after files are copied.

• 12- and 20-player tournament trees pair adjacent lines (12→6→3→2→1 and
  20→10→5→3→2→1). That is not a padded 16/32 seed chart.

• Lua helpers load only when the selected game folder is a real Ikemen GO
  directory that contains external/mods (created automatically in v1.1).

• Challenge Mode will no longer be included. An attempt to add it in v1.1
  broke the entire configurator, which resulted in a critical failure of the
  configurator itself. A complete restore/rollback from a previously
  saved setup was required in order to restore all functionality. As a result, 
  this  is the first known "Hard Limit", and no further attempt will be made. 

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18. PLANNED FUTURE UPDATES
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• Round Robin style mode (restored/improved)
• Character intro and ending detection when using automatic scan
• Optional .def cmd= / st= rewrite after an AI patch copy
• Better support for complex ScreenPacks that use dedicated install scripts
  or fixed select-slot counts
• Additional language options
• In-configurator Network / Netplay when it can be done safely


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19. PERMISSIONS, REDISTRIBUTION, AND CONTACT
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A user of the configurator may not modify or improve the tool in any way.
Suggestions for potential features and functions are welcome, but those
features or functions are not guaranteed to be added if there are unavoidable
limitations between the configurator and Ikemen GO itself.

Redistribution must always credit DarkValentine1984 and include a direct link
to the author's main site.

Find the author at:

  DV's M.U.G.E.N Works — https://dvmugen.theostlobby.net
  X — https://x.com/ObserverDark
  YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@DarkValentine1984

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  End of README  •  v1.1  •  2026-09-04
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