## Description:
- The lobby WebSocket broadcast (`/lobbies`) was re-sending the full
`PublicGames` snapshot — including each lobby's `gameConfig` — to every
connected client every 500ms. Almost nothing in that payload changes
tick-to-tick; only `numClients` moves.
- `WorkerLobbyService` now tracks the sorted set of `gameID`s it last
sent as a full snapshot. On each incoming broadcast it sends a `full`
only when that set changes; otherwise it sends a `counts` delta carrying
just `{gameID → numClients}`.
- This relies on the master-side coupling at
[MasterLobbyService.ts:140-159](src/server/MasterLobbyService.ts#L140-L159):
when master finds a lobby without `startsAt`, it both sets `startsAt`
AND schedules a fresh lobby on the same tick, so the gameID change
brings the `startsAt` (and `gameConfig`) along with it.
- New WS connections are primed with the worker's cached last `full` so
late joiners don't have to wait for the next structural change.
- `LobbySocket` parses the new discriminated union (`PublicLobbyMessage
= full | counts`), keeps the last full snapshot in memory, and merges
counts into it before invoking the existing callback. `GameModeSelector`
is unchanged.
- Master → worker IPC is unchanged — still sends the full snapshot every
500ms. The optimization only applies to the worker → WS-client boundary,
which is the fan-out point.
## Please complete the following:
- [x] I have added screenshots for all UI updates
- [x] I process any text displayed to the user through translateText()
and I've added it to the en.json file
- [x] I have added relevant tests to the test directory
## Please put your Discord username so you can be contacted if a bug or
regression is found:
evan
OpenFront.io is an online real-time strategy game focused on territorial control and alliance building. Players compete to expand their territory, build structures, and form strategic alliances in various maps based on real-world geography.
This is a fork/rewrite of WarFront.io. Credit to https://github.com/WarFrontIO.
License
OpenFront source code is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0
Current copyright notices appear in:
- Footer: "© OpenFront and Contributors"
- Loading screen: "© OpenFront and Contributors"
Modified versions must preserve these notices in reasonably visible locations.
See the LICENSE for complete requirements.
For asset licensing, see LICENSE-ASSETS.
For license history, see LICENSING.md.
🌟 Features
- Real-time Strategy Gameplay: Expand your territory and engage in strategic battles
- Alliance System: Form alliances with other players for mutual defense
- Multiple Maps: Play across various geographical regions including Europe, Asia, Africa, and more
- Resource Management: Balance your expansion with defensive capabilities
- Cross-platform: Play in any modern web browser
📋 Prerequisites
- npm (v10.9.2 or higher)
- A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.)
🚀 Installation
-
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/openfrontio/OpenFrontIO.git cd OpenFrontIO -
Install dependencies
npm run instDo NOT use
npm installnornpm ibut instead use ournpm run inst. It runs the safernpm ci --ignore-scriptsto install dependencies exactly according to the versions inpackage-lock.jsonand doesn't run scripts. This can prevent being hit by a supply chain attack.
🎮 Running the Game
Development Mode
Run both the client and server in development mode with live reloading:
npm run dev
This will:
- Start the webpack dev server for the client
- Launch the game server with development settings
- Open the game in your default browser (to disable this behavior, set
SKIP_BROWSER_OPEN=truein your environment)
Client Only
To run just the client with hot reloading:
npm run start:client
Server Only
To run just the server with development settings:
npm run start:server-dev
Connecting to staging or production backends
Sometimes it's useful to connect to production servers when replaying a game, testing user profiles, purchases, or login flow.
To replay a production game, make sure you're on the same commit that the game you want to replay was executed on, you can find the
gitCommitvalue viahttps://api.openfront.io/game/[gameId]. Unfinished games cannot be replayed on localhost.
To connect to staging api servers:
npm run dev:staging
To connect to production api servers:
npm run dev:prod
🛠️ Development Tools
-
Format code:
npm run format -
Lint code:
npm run lint -
Lint and fix code:
npm run lint:fix -
Testing
npm test
🏗️ Project Structure
/src/client- Frontend game client/src/core- Deterministic game simulation/src/server- Backend game server/resources- Static assets (images, maps, etc.)
🤝 Contributing
Contributions and translations are welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for the workflow, the approved-issue process, project governance, and translation info.