This repository contains a bare development environment for creating a new mod/game on the OpenRA engine.
These scripts and support files wrap and automatically manage a copy of the OpenRA game engine and common files during development, and generates Windows installers, macOS .app bundles, and Linux AppImages for distribution.
The key scripts in this SDK are:
| Windows | Linux / macOS | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| make.cmd | Makefile | Compiles your project and fetches dependencies (including the OpenRA engine). |
| launch-game.cmd | launch-game.sh | Launches your project from the SDK directory. |
| launch-server.cmd | launch-server.sh | Launches a dedicated server for your project from the SDK directory. |
| utility.cmd | utility.sh | Launches the OpenRA Utility for your project. |
| <not available> | packaging/package-all.sh | Generates release installers for your project. |
To launch your project from the development environment you must first compile the project by running make.cmd (Windows), or opening a terminal in the SDK directory and running make (Linux / macOS). You can then run launch-game.cmd (Windows) or launch-game.sh (Linux / macOS) to run your game.
The example mod included in this repository provides the bare minimum structure to launch to the in-game main menu for the sole purpose of demonstrating the SDK. See Getting Started on the Wiki for instructions on how to adapt this template for your own projects. For common questions, please see the FAQ. See Updating to a new SDK or Engine version for a guide on updating your mod a newer OpenRA release.
The OpenRA engine and SDK scripts are made available under the GPLv3 license, and any executable code developed by a mod and loaded by the engine (i.e. custom mod DLLs, lua scripts) must be released under a compatible license. Your mod data files (artwork, sound files, yaml, etc) are not part of your mod's source code, so your are free to distribute these assets under different terms (e.g. allowing redistribution in unmodified form, but not for use in other works).