OpenRA

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

AI, Bots & “Intelligence”

  • Many find the built‑in AI hard and note that RTS AIs commonly “cheat” via resource bonuses, build-time multipliers and full map vision.
  • Others point out examples of “fair” AIs and stress that in classic CS terms this still counts as AI; the goal is plausible, challenging opponents, not superhuman play.
  • StarCraft bots via BWAPI and systems like AlphaStar are cited as strong but still below pro players (under fair constraints).
  • LLMs are seen as excellent tools for authoring RTS AI scripts and heuristics, but too slow and wasteful for real‑time control.
  • Some experiment with LLM-generated tournaments between AI scripts; newer models can outperform their human game designers.

Gameplay, Balance & Technical Choices

  • Several players feel OpenRA is better balanced and more fun than the original, with specific examples (e.g., artillery vs tesla coils) showing improved counterplay.
  • Others like the original’s imbalances and “just build Tesla Coils” style.
  • One fork claims much better AI behavior, pathfinding, performance (on newer .NET), and partial Tiberian Sun support, but its maintainer had a poor experience contributing upstream.
  • The save/load system replays the entire match to restore state. This is praised as technically impressive but causes extreme load times for very long, large games.

Ports, Related Projects & Assets

  • Users ask about browser versions; links are shared for a browser OpenRA frontend and a RA2-in-browser project (Chrono Divide), which is described as remarkably advanced.
  • Other open RTS/engine remakes mentioned: Beyond All Reason, 0 A.D., remakes of Heroes of Might and Magic II, and Caesar III forks (Julius/Augustus).
  • Some hit a “wall” needing original assets; others note EA released C&C/RA as free downloads.

Community, Ecosystem & Nostalgia

  • Many express strong nostalgia: LAN/serial/IPX play, modding via INI edits, iconic music used for coding, and personal stories of unlikely RA experts.
  • Reports on the online community are mixed: some praise the active player base; others describe toxicity, racism, and trolling and ask if moderation has improved.
  • There is frustration that Tiberian Sun/RA2 support is still incomplete, especially from someone who backed an old crowdfunding effort.
  • EA is criticized for “ruining” the franchise but also credited for tolerating or even open‑sourcing older titles.