* You can go to the [Player Options](https://archipelago.gg/games/Starcraft%202/player-options) page, set your options in the GUI, and export the yaml.
* You can generate a template, either by downloading it from the [Player Options](https://archipelago.gg/games/Starcraft%202/player-options) page or by generating it from the Launcher (ArchipelagoLauncher.exe). The template includes descriptions of each option, you just have to edit it in your text editor of choice.
* You can ask someone else to share their yaml to use it for yourself or adjust it as you wish.
Remember the name you enter in the options page or in the yaml file, you'll need it to connect later!
Check out [Creating a YAML](https://archipelago.gg/tutorial/Archipelago/setup/en#creating-a-yaml) for more game-agnostic information.
### Common yaml questions
#### How do I know I set my yaml up correctly?
The simplest way to check is to test it out. Save your yaml to the Players/ folder within your Archipelago installation and run ArchipelagoGenerate.exe. You should see a new .zip file within the output/ folder of your Archipelago installation if things worked correctly. It's advisable to run ArchipelagoGenerate through a terminal so that you can see the printout, which will include any errors and the precise output file name if it's successful. If you don't like terminals, you can also check the log file in the logs/ folder.
#### What does Progression Balancing do?
For Starcraft 2, not much. It's an Archipelago-wide option meant to shift required items earlier in the playthrough, but Starcraft 2 tends to be much more open in what items you can use. As such, this adjustment isn't very noticeable. It can also increase generation times, so we generally recommend turning it off.
#### How do I specify items in a list, like in excluded items?
You can look up the syntax for yaml collections in the [YAML specification](https://yaml.org/spec/1.2.2/#21-collections). For lists, every item goes on its own line, started with a hyphen:
```yaml
excluded_items:
- Battlecruiser
- Drop-Pods (Kerrigan Tier 7)
```
An empty list is just a matching pair of square brackets: `[]`. That's the default value in the template, which should let you know to use this syntax.
#### How do I specify items for the starting inventory?
The starting inventory is a YAML mapping rather than a list, which associates an item with the amount you start with. The syntax looks like the item name, followed by a colon, then a whitespace character, and then the value:
```yaml
start_inventory:
Micro-Filtering: 1
Additional Starting Vespene: 5
```
An empty mapping is just a matching pair of curly braces: `{}`. That's the default value in the template, which should let you know to use this syntax.
#### How do I know the exact names of items?
You can look up a complete list if item names in the [Icon Repository](https://matthewmarinets.github.io/ap_sc2_icons/).
- If you're running through the website, the server IP should be displayed near the top of the room page.
3. Type your slot name from your YAML when prompted.
4. If the server has a password, enter that when prompted.
5. Once connected, switch to the 'StarCraft 2 Launcher' tab in the client. There, you can see all the missions in your world. Unreachable missions will have greyed-out text. Just click on an available mission to start it!
To run StarCraft 2 through Archipelago in macOS, you will need to run the client via source as seen here: [macOS Guide](https://archipelago.gg/tutorial/Archipelago/mac/en). Note: when running the client, you will need to run the command `python3 Starcraft2Client.py`.
