OpenFront Controls and Hotkeys

Quick answer

The essential defaults are G for ground attack, B for boat attack, T/Y for attack ratio down/up, K/L for alliance request/break, C to center the camera and F to select all warships. Number keys 1–0 map to build actions.

What the current game establishes

• Toggle view — Space
• Ground attack — G
• Boat attack — B
• Attack ratio down — T
• Attack ratio up — Y
• Request alliance — K
• Center camera — C
• Select all warships — F

Decision steps

1. Toggle view — Space
2. Ground attack — G
3. Boat attack — B
4. Attack ratio down — T
5. Attack ratio up — Y
6. Request alliance — K
7. Center camera — C
8. Select all warships — F

How to read the position

Use WASD to move the camera, Q/E to zoom out and in, and M to toggle the coordinate grid. The default build keys are 1 City, 2 Factory, 3 Port, 4 Defense Post, 5 Missile Silo, 6 SAM Launcher, 7 Warship, 8 Atom Bomb, 9 Hydrogen Bomb and 0 MIRV. U swaps direction. Shift+R sends a retaliate attack. L breaks an alliance. P pauses where the game mode permits it, while comma and period change speed in supported contexts. On macOS, the build-menu modifier defaults to Command; elsewhere it defaults to Control.

The next action should improve at least one of three things: your reserve, the shape of the border, or the route to connected land. If it improves none of them, wait, reposition, or choose another front. If it improves one while making the other two dangerously worse, make the action smaller and reassess.

Common failure modes

• Changing attack ratio after starting the wrong front instead of cancelling and reassessing.
• Using B for a land route or G for a naval route.
• Forgetting that personalized settings can differ from defaults.
• Pressing a build key without checking selected territory and available placement.

Sources

• github.com

Related guides

• How to play
• Attack ratio
• Naval control

In-match check

Defaults are a starting point, and personalized settings can differ. Check the control panel if a listed key does not behave as expected. Learn ground attack, boat attack, ratio adjustment and camera centering first; the numbered build row becomes much easier once those four actions are automatic. Practice the commands in a low-pressure opening before relying on them at a contested border. Camera movement and centering reduce missed threats, while separate ground and boat commands prevent an accidental route from consuming a critical reserve.

Before the next action, compare three signals: reserve direction, border shape and route value. Continue when the action improves at least one without making the other two dangerous. Pause when the line stalls, a second threat appears or the new territory cannot be held. This short check prevents a temporary advantage from turning into an exposed core.

Questions players ask

What if the situation changes mid-action?

Stop the current commitment, lower the ratio if necessary, and read the map again. Real-time decisions are strongest when they include an exit condition.

Which signal matters most?

Immediate survival comes first. After the core is safe, prefer the action that creates connected land or removes a dangerous route.