Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance Guide

Forged Alliance Forever (FAF) FAQ for Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance

Forged Alliance Forever (FAF) FAQ

Forged Alliance Forever (FAF) FAQ

Below I will use the following abbreviations:
“Supreme Commander” – SC
“Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance” – SCFA
“Forged Alliance Forever” – FAF

What is FAF?

FAF is a community effort having the primary purpose of providing a ‘client’ software having a multiplayer lobby (besides other functions). The client also integrates various improvements into SCFA which are also developed in the FAF project (e. g. balance). Furthermore FAF is running the server infrastructure to make multiplayer possible. FAF has it’s home at [link] .

Do I need to play online using the client?

No, but the client has to be online once to download the FAF game files. Afterwards you can just launch the FAF executable with the “init” parameter: “ForgedAlliance.exe /init init.lua”.

Is FAF multiplayer compatible to Steam SCFA multiplayer?

No. The multiplayer system is completely separate.

Do I need to have Steam running to be able to play a FAF game?

No.

Do I need to forward ports?

No, but it would be better.

Which functions does the client provide?

In no specific order, the list may be incomplete:

  • News
  • Chat
  • Tournaments
  • Multiplayer up to 16 players
  • 1v1 Matchmaking (Ladder)
  • Co-Op for campaign missions (SC and SCFA), alone or with up to 3 friends
  • Map, mod and replay vault
  • Leaderboards
  • Achievements (Downlord’s client)
  • Unit database

Do I need SCFA to play FAF?

Yes. It’s only about 3 USD when it’s on sale. The Gold Edition which additionally includes SC is only about 4 USD when it’s on sale.

Do I get into troubles regarding the Steam Subscriber Agreement by installing the FAF client?

No (see question below).

Are my game files modified by the FAF client?

No – neither when installing nor when running. You can either launch the unmodified game using the original shortcut or you can launch the FAF mod by using the client or directly (offline).

How do I get started with the client?

Extremely easy. Just follow my getting started guide.

Is there a manual?

There are multiple different “manuals”:

Do I need a low ping?

No. A ping <= 500 ms is enough.[forums.faforever.com]

Anything less than or equal to 500 (one half second) is perfectly fine for FA, since the simulation forces all events to occur with a 500ms delay to begin with. [Lag] happens when one or more players have a ping that is consistently higher than 500ms. The simulation stops until the packets are received.

How active is the FAF community?

Very active. Just have a look into the forums and at the GitHub page.

Are there many players online?

Yes. In the evenings (CET) usually around 1000 at the same time.

Is the FAF project open source?

Yes. The umbrella for the various FAF parts (projects/repositories) is a GitHub page.[github.com] Each project has a committed lead and the contributors can freely choose the project(s) they work on at any time.

I have technical problems like game not starting, graphics- or sound-problems. Where can I find help?

There are multiple places where you can find help:

Changelog

2018-06-29 Initial version.
2018-06-30 Some rewording. Add link to FAF homepage.
2018-07-07 Correct link to getting started guide.
2018-11-04 Add FAF Discord as help source.
2021-07-03 Correct FAF forum link and some others, remove info about two clients.

SteamSolo.com