Roster Management

Overview

The select.def file is the master roster file that controls which characters and stages appear in the game. It defines character order, stage assignments, arcade mode progression, and hidden/boss characters.

select.def Location

data/select.def

Referenced from mugen.cfg via the [Options] section's motif path (which points to system.def, which references select.def).

select.def Structure

[Characters] Section

Each line adds a character to the roster:

[Characters]
; Basic format:
chars/ryu/ryu.def

; With stage assignment:
chars/ryu/ryu.def, stages/dojo/dojo.def

; With stage and music:
chars/ryu/ryu.def, stages/dojo/dojo.def, music=sound/dojo_theme.mp3

; With arcade order:
chars/ryu/ryu.def, stages/dojo/dojo.def, order=1

; With all options:
chars/ryu/ryu.def, stages/dojo/dojo.def, music=sound/dojo.mp3, order=1, includestage=1

; Hidden character (must be unlocked):
chars/akuma/akuma.def, order=3, hidden=3

; Random select slot:
randomselect

; Blank slot (empty space in grid):
; (just leave a blank line or comment)

Character Line Parameters

Order System (Arcade Mode Progression)

The order parameter controls when characters appear in arcade mode:

• •order=1 — Regular fighters (appear in early rounds)
• •order=2 — Sub-bosses (appear in later rounds)
• •order=3 — Final boss(es) (appear last)
• •order=4-10 — Additional tiers if needed

The arcade mode selects opponents based on the maxmatches setting:

[Options]
; Format: order1matches, order2matches, order3matches, ...
arcade.maxmatches = 6,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
; This means: 6 order=1 fights, then 1 order=2 fight, then 1 order=3 fight
; Total: 8 matches in arcade mode

team.maxmatches = 4,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
; Team mode: 4 order=1, 1 order=2, 1 order=3 = 6 total matches

[ExtraStages] Section

Additional stages not assigned to specific characters:

[ExtraStages]
stages/training/training.def
stages/bonus/bonus_stage.def

These stages appear in the random stage pool and stage select screen but aren't tied to any character.

[Options] Section

[Options]
; Arcade mode matches per order level
arcade.maxmatches = 6,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
team.maxmatches = 4,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0

; IKEMEN Go additions:
; survival.maxmatches = 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
; ratio.maxmatches = 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0

Hidden Characters

hidden=0 (Default)

Character appears normally on select screen.

hidden=1

Character slot is on the grid but cursor is invisible when hovering. Player must know the position to select.

hidden=2

Character doesn't appear on grid. Must be accessed via secret input code or unlocked via Lua scripting.

hidden=3

Character is completely hidden — doesn't appear on grid and can't be selected through normal means. Used for boss characters that only appear as AI opponents in arcade mode. Can be unlocked via Lua.

Select Screen Grid Layout

Characters appear on the select screen in the order they're listed in select.def. The grid dimensions are controlled by the screenpack (system.def):

; In system.def [Select Info]:
columns = 5          ; Characters per row
rows = 2             ; Number of rows
wrapping = 0         ; 0=no wrap, 1=wrap around

So with columns=5, rows=2, a 10-character roster fills the grid. The 11th character wraps or scrolls.

Grid Planning Example

For a 12-character roster on a 4x3 grid:

Slot 1  | Slot 2  | Slot 3  | Slot 4
Slot 5  | Slot 6  | Random  | Slot 7
Slot 8  | Slot 9  | Slot 10 | Slot 11

Team Modes

IKEMEN Go supports multiple team configurations:

• •Single: 1v1 standard
• •Simul: 2v2 or more, simultaneous on screen
• •Turns: Tag team, switch on KO
• •Tag: Tag team, switch during gameplay (IKEMEN Go)
• •Ratio: Variable team sizes with point allocation (IKEMEN Go)

Team modes affect roster selection — players can pick multiple characters.

Best Practices

1. •Order characters logically: Put the poster characters first (they appear top-left)
2. •Use order= for arcade pacing: Easy characters order=1, sub-boss order=2, boss order=3
3. •Assign stages to characters: Creates themed matchups in arcade mode
4. •Use randomselect: Add at least one random select slot for variety
5. •Plan your grid: Design the select screen layout before adding characters
6. •Test arcade flow: Make sure maxmatches adds up to a good arcade length (6-10 fights)
7. •Hide bosses: Use hidden=3 for final bosses that shouldn't be player-selectable
8. •Include extra stages: Add training/bonus stages to [ExtraStages]