OpenRA-RL: Play Command & Conquer Red Alert

You are an AI agent playing Command & Conquer: Red Alert, a classic real-time strategy (RTS) game. You control one faction (Allied or Soviet) and must build a base, gather resources, train an army, and destroy the enemy.

The game runs in a Docker container. You interact through MCP tools that let you observe the battlefield, issue orders, and advance game time.

Quick Start

1. Install

pip install openra-rl

2. Start the game server

openra-rl server start

This pulls the Docker image and starts the game server on port 8000. Verify with openra-rl server status.

3. Configure MCP

Add to your OpenClaw config (~/.openclaw/openclaw.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openra-rl": {
      "command": "openra-rl",
      "args": ["mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

4. Play

Tell your agent: "Start a game of Red Alert and try to win."

The agent will use the MCP tools listed below to observe and command.

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How the Game Works

• Real-time: The game runs continuously at ~25 ticks/second. Call advance(ticks) to let time pass.
• Fog of war: You can only see areas near your units/buildings. Scout to find the enemy.
• Resources: Harvest ore to earn credits. Credits buy buildings and units.
• Power: Buildings need power. Build Power Plants (powr) to stay powered. Low power slows production.
• Tech tree: Advanced buildings require prerequisites (e.g., War Factory needs Ore Refinery).

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MCP Tools Reference

Observation (read the battlefield)

Tool	Purpose
get_game_state	Full snapshot: economy, units, buildings, enemies, production, military stats
get_economy	Cash, ore, power balance, harvester count
get_units	Your units with position, health, type, stance, speed, attack range
get_buildings	Your buildings with production queues, power, can_produce list
get_enemies	Visible enemy units and buildings (fog-of-war limited)
get_production	Current build queue + what you can build right now
get_map_info	Map name, dimensions
get_exploration_status	% explored, quadrant breakdown, whether enemy base found

Knowledge (learn the game)

Tool	Purpose
lookup_unit(unit_type)	Stats for a unit (e.g., lookup_unit("e1") → Rifle Infantry)
lookup_building(building_type)	Stats for a building (e.g., lookup_building("weap") → War Factory)
lookup_tech_tree(faction)	Full build order for "allied" or "soviet"
lookup_faction(faction)	All units and buildings for a faction
get_faction_briefing()	Comprehensive stats dump for YOUR faction
get_map_analysis()	Resource patches, water, terrain, strategic notes
batch_lookup(queries)	Multiple lookups in one call

Game Control

Tool	Purpose
advance(ticks)	Critical — advances the game by N ticks. Nothing happens without this. Use 25 ticks ≈ 1 second, 250 ticks ≈ 10 seconds.

Movement & Combat

Tool	Purpose
move_units(unit_ids, target_x, target_y)	Move units to a position
attack_move(unit_ids, target_x, target_y)	Move and engage enemies along the way
attack_target(unit_ids, target_actor_id)	Focus-fire a specific enemy
stop_units(unit_ids)	Halt movement and attacks
guard_target(unit_ids, target_actor_id)	Guard a unit or building
set_stance(unit_ids, stance)	Set to "holdfire", "returnfire", "defend", or "attackanything"
harvest(unit_id, cell_x, cell_y)	Send harvester to ore field

Production

Tool	Purpose
build_unit(unit_type, count)	Train units (e.g., build_unit("e1", 5) → 5 Rifle Infantry)
build_structure(building_type)	Start constructing a building (needs manual placement)
build_and_place(building_type, cell_x, cell_y)	Build + auto-place when done (preferred)
place_building(building_type, cell_x, cell_y)	Place a completed building
cancel_production(item_type)	Cancel queued production
get_valid_placements(building_type)	Get valid locations to place a building

Building Management

Tool	Purpose
deploy_unit(unit_id)	Deploy MCV into Construction Yard
sell_building(building_id)	Sell for partial refund
repair_building(building_id)	Toggle auto-repair
set_rally_point(building_id, cell_x, cell_y)	New units go here
power_down(building_id)	Toggle power to save electricity
set_primary(building_id)	Set as primary production building

Unit Groups

Tool	Purpose
assign_group(group_name, unit_ids)	Create a named group
add_to_group(group_name, unit_ids)	Add units to existing group
get_groups()	List all groups
command_group(group_name, command_type, ...)	Command entire group

Compound Actions

Tool	Purpose
batch(actions)	Execute multiple actions in ONE tick (no time advance)
plan(steps)	Execute steps sequentially with state refresh between each

Utility

Tool	Purpose
surrender()	Give up the current game
get_replay_path()	Path to the replay file
get_terrain_at(cell_x, cell_y)	Terrain type at a cell

Planning Phase (optional)

Tool	Purpose
start_planning_phase()	Begin pre-game strategy planning
get_opponent_intel()	AI opponent profile and counters
end_planning_phase(strategy)	Commit strategy and start playing
get_planning_status()	Check planning state

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How to Play (Strategy Guide)

Step 1: Deploy your MCV

At game start you have a Mobile Construction Vehicle (MCV). Deploy it to create your Construction Yard:

1. Call get_units() to find your MCV (type "mcv")
2. Call deploy_unit(mcv_actor_id)
3. Call advance(50) to let it deploy

Step 2: Build your base

Follow this build order:

Order	Building	Type Code	Cost	Why
1	Power Plant	powr	$300	Powers everything
2	Barracks	tent (Allied) or barr (Soviet)	$300	Infantry production
3	Ore Refinery	proc	$2000	Income + free harvester
4	War Factory	weap	$2000	Vehicle production (requires Refinery)
5	More Power	powr	$300	Keep power positive

Use build_and_place() — it auto-places when construction finishes:

1. Call get_valid_placements("powr") to find a good spot
2. Call build_and_place("powr", cell_x, cell_y)
3. Call advance(250) to let it build (~10 seconds)
4. Check get_production() to confirm completion
5. Repeat for next building

Important: Your faction may be Allied OR Soviet. Check get_game_state() → faction field. Barracks type depends on faction.

Step 3: Train your army

1. Call build_unit("e1", 5) for 5 Rifle Infantry ($100 each)
2. Call advance(100) to let them train
3. Once War Factory is ready: build_unit("3tnk", 3) for Medium Tanks ($800 each)
4. Set rally point near base exit: set_rally_point(barracks_id, x, y)

Key units by faction:

Unit	Code	Cost	Role
Rifle Infantry	e1	$100	Cheap, fast
Rocket Soldier	e3	$300	Anti-armor
Medium Tank	3tnk	$800	Main battle tank
Heavy Tank	4tnk	$950	Soviet heavy armor
Light Tank	1tnk	$700	Fast flanker
Artillery	arty	$600	Long range
V2 Launcher	v2rl	$700	Soviet long range

Step 4: Scout the map

Send a cheap unit to explore:

1. Train one Rifle Infantry
2. Call attack_move([unit_id], far_x, far_y) toward unexplored areas
3. Call advance(500) to let it travel
4. Call get_enemies() to see what you've found

Step 5: Attack the enemy

Once you have 8-10 combat units:

1. Call get_enemies() to find enemy buildings
2. Call attack_move(all_unit_ids, enemy_base_x, enemy_base_y)
3. Call advance(100), check get_game_state() for battle progress
4. If enemies visible: attack_target(unit_ids, enemy_id) to focus fire
5. Keep producing reinforcements while attacking

Step 6: Macro (ongoing economy)

Throughout the game:

• Keep power positive (build Power Plants when needed)
• Keep producing units — never let production idle
• Build additional Ore Refineries for more income
• Replace lost harvesters

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Game Loop Pattern

A good agent loop looks like this:

1. get_game_state() → read the situation
2. Decide what to do based on:
   - Economy: enough cash? Power positive?
   - Production: anything building? Queue empty?
   - Military: under attack? Ready to attack?
   - Exploration: enemy found yet?
3. Issue orders (build, move, attack)
4. advance(50-250) → let time pass
5. Repeat until game is won or lost

Check get_game_state() → done field. When true, result will be "win" or "loss".

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Tips

• Always call advance() after issuing orders. Orders don't execute until game time passes.
• Use batch() to issue multiple orders in one tick (e.g., build + move + set rally).
• Check available_production before building — it lists what you CAN build right now.
• Don't let production idle — keep queuing units. Idle production wastes time.
• Build near your Construction Yard — buildings must be placed adjacent to existing structures.
• Power matters — if power goes negative, production slows to a crawl.
• Use attack_move instead of move when heading toward enemies — units will engage threats.
• A completed building blocks the queue until placed. Always use build_and_place() to avoid this.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Server not running	openra-rl server start (needs Docker)
Can't build anything	Deploy MCV first with deploy_unit()
Building won't place	Use get_valid_placements() for valid spots
No money	Build Ore Refinery (proc) for harvesters
Production slow	Check power with get_economy() — build Power Plants
Can't find enemy	Scout with attack_move to unexplored quadrants

Links

• GitHub: https://github.com/yxc20089/OpenRA-RL
• PyPI: https://pypi.org/project/openra-rl/
• Leaderboard: https://huggingface.co/spaces/yxc20089/OpenRA-Bench
• Discord: https://discord.gg/openra-rl