#Setup & Configuration

#Before editing

Copy the place file before touching shared modules. Config and Catalog are read by nearly every service.
Stop Play before editing scripts or persistent assets; changes made only during a test are discarded.
Keep instance and folder names as they are. Services look up SharedConfig, Services, Remotes, Assets, Spawn, Map and the base folders by exact name.
Put balance changes in the configuration modules, not inside services. Services read the config tables at startup.

#Configuration modules

Module	Holds
`ReplicatedStorage.SharedConfig.Config`	Flags, rarities, zones, guardians, bats, treadmills, trails, mutations, sizes, pet income, shop, pen, index, events, security, admin
`ReplicatedStorage.SharedConfig.Catalog`	The authored pet list per biome, Rift/shrine/event groups, per-rarity spawn weights, and the generated egg list
`ReplicatedStorage.SharedConfig.WikiPets`	Per-pet overrides for grow seconds, income and index Speed reward
`ReplicatedStorage.SharedConfig.Features`	Feature switches and per-system tuning: day/night, carry, base building, tools, events, Rift, free gift, announcements
`ReplicatedStorage.Shared`	`Format` (number and duration formatting), `Net` (remote names and the action allow-list), `PetRig`

#Flags

Config.Flags is the master switch list:

Flag	Value	Effect when off
`Rift`	`false`	Rift arena, banners and `RiftService` stay idle
`GreatBloom`	`true`	Bloom crystals and the Crane unlock
`AngelsDemons`	`true`	Angel/Demon biome, shrine recipes and portals
`Tools`	`true`	Bats and bear traps are not handed out
`FreeGift`	`true`	The one-time `+10,000 Speed` gift
`Badges`	`true`	Badge awards (every badge ID is still `0`)
`Announcements`	`true`	Hatch announcements and cross-server messages
`Monetization`	`true`	Purchase handling (inert while product IDs are `0`)
`GlobalLeaderboard`	`true`	Cross-server leaderboard store
`DebugCommands`	`true`	The Studio-only `SAE_TestApi` bindable function

#Persistence settings

Setting	Value
`Config.DATASTORE_NAME`	`SAE_Profiles_v1`
`Config.PROFILE_SCHEMA_VERSION`	`2`
`Config.Economy.SAVE_INTERVAL`	60 seconds
`Config.Economy.INCOME_TICK`	1 second
`Config.Economy.OFFLINE_INCOME`	`false` — income only accrues while the player is in the server

#Studio-only helpers

In Studio the bootstrap creates ServerStorage.SAE_TestApi, a BindableFunction that runs runTests, setSeed, addSpeed, addCash, giveEggItem, forceNight, inspect and plotInfo. Setting the SAE_RunTests attribute on Workspace makes the next Play session run the test harness automatically (require(Services.TestHarness).run(section)).

#Startup check

Start one Play session and confirm the Output window shows, in order:

[SAE] Backend starting (Config v1, profile schema v2).
[SAE][Zone] Tagged … tiles for … of 12 zones.
[SAE][Guardian] Created … guardians for … nests (one per region).
[SAE] Backend ready in … s. Bases: …, nests: …, persistence: …

Then verify in game:

A nest prompt appears, and stealing from the big nest wakes the guardian.
Delivering the egg into Workspace.Spawn.SafeZone starts a grow timer.
The hatch prompt appears when the timer ends and the pet lands in the inventory.
Placing the pet changes the Money/s leaderstat.
A treadmill step increases Speed.

A restarted Studio session is not proof that data persists. Check a saved profile in a published test place with API access enabled.