Westwood Chat Tips

w1.01 If you have never used this software before you need to do the following things:
1. Check if Westwood Chat is installed, if not install it from the Red Alert CD.
2. Join the Westwood Tournament by completing the form here.
3. Open Westwood Chat and log in using the username and password you choose when you joined.

w1.02 You must have this software installed and a username to play tournament games. More information about the Red Alert tournaments.

w1.03 When you first log into Westwood Chat, to find the Red Alert section all you need to do is doubled click C&C Red Alert in the channel types list on the right. This will take you to Red Alert and Red Alert Aftermath games.

w1.04 Paging other players can be done by pressing the button on the toolbar, or by following the menu Actions/Locate / Page a user. Then select the Page Tab and simply type in their username and your message and click send.

w1.05 Locating other players can be done in exactly the same way, you simply select the Locate tab instead, and enter no message. This will tell you which room a player is in, if they are logged on.

w1.06 There is also a phonebook which you can use to record the usernames of your favourite players. It is extremely easy to use, you simply right click on their name in the people list (once you're in a room with them) and select add to phonebook. Now when you press the page / locate button there is a pull down list for username which contains everyone in your phonebook. To remove people simply right click them in the same way and select remove from phonebook.

w1.07 A very important point to make about playing players in Westwood Chat is this:
When you lose a game online you must always 'resign game' NEVER 'abort mission' as this is considered dishonourable by the online community, and Westwood themselves who reflect this with the colour of the face next to your rank on the ladder. It could result in other players not wanting to play against you, and aborting has been known to crash either players computer as it does not finish the game, but you merely leave the game, leaving the other player to finish against the computer.

w1.08 In the channel list some games are in yellow and some are not. The games in Yellow are tournament games, if you play these the result will affect your rank in the tournament ladder. The others are non tournaments games, these are used to play friendly games, maps players have made in the map editor and nurple maps.

w1.09 The red R and the blue A on each game indicates whether it is a Red Alert game or an Aftermath game. You can only play the Aftermath games if you are using an Aftermath CD. Players using an Aftermath CD can play both.

w1.10 Obviously there are a lot of other people in Westwood Chat and they are all looking for a game, channels are filled, closed and created every second. To get an uptodate channel list, you must press the refresh button on the toolbar, or use the menu Channel/Refresh Channel List.

w1.11 You can host your own game channel simply by clicking on the button on the toolbar with the Red Alert logo on it, or by using the menu Games/Host a... Once you have selected this an option menu appears. This lets you select whether you are playing Red Alert or Aftermath, if you want to play tournament games or not, and whether you want you want a public or private channel. Private channels can not be entered by anyone without specific invitation from you, public channels can be joined by anyone. If you are meeting someone online for a prearranged game, it is best to create a private channel.

w1.12 To send a private message to someone if there are more than one person in the channel, you need to select their name in the people list before you send your message. This message will then only appear to them.

w1.13 Also included in Westwood Chat is a Red Alert Help Bot if you are having problems. To find it goto the chat channels on the first channel screen (use the small green arrow button above the channel list). You need to send a private message to it for a response.

Extra tips

w1.14 To to avoid any confusion, channels are often referred to as rooms by users of Westwood Chat.

w1.15 You can use the same Westwood Chat software to play other Westwood games like C&C and Monopoly.

w1.16 When playing online game it is best to put the game speed onto fastest. To do this in a Red Alert game, press space bar to bring up the menu, then press game controls, and then draw the game speed scroll bar all the way to the right. Games are a little slower online, and your opponent will appreciate the difference this makes to the game speed for both players.