## Problem
Patches sending the `spawn` intent over the game WebSocket while a match
is underway:
```js
ws.send(JSON.stringify({ type: "intent", intent: { type: "spawn", tile: tileRef } }));
```
The server relays it like any intent, and `SpawnExecution.tick()` then
**relinquishes the player's entire territory and re-conquers it at the
target tile** — instant teleport anywhere on the map.
The root cause is that `SpawnExecution.tick()` had no spawn-phase gate
(only a random-spawn re-roll guard), and the engine ticks the execution
**both during and after** the spawn phase (`activeDuringSpawnPhase()` is
`true`, and after the phase `!inSpawnPhase()` is also `true`).
## Fix
Ignore a spawn intent when the game is no longer in the spawn phase
**and** the player has already spawned:
```js
if (!this.mg.inSpawnPhase() && player.hasSpawned()) {
return;
}
```
Because `inSpawnPhase()` / `hasSpawned()` are deterministic game state,
the intent becomes a no-op identically on every client — no desync.
Unaffected:
- First-time spawns (`hasSpawned()` is false)
- In-phase spawn picks and re-picks (`inSpawnPhase()` is true)
- Existing random-spawn re-roll protection (kept as-is)
## Tests
- Added `Spawn intent after the spawn phase cannot relocate territory
(anti-teleport)` — establishes a player, then asserts a later `spawn`
intent leaves `spawnTile()` and `numTilesOwned()` unchanged.
- Simplified `Spawn on specific tile` to a single first spawn (the
previous version relied on an out-of-phase re-pick, which this fix now
correctly forbids).
- Full `tests/core` suite green (259 tests).
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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.