RLBot over TCP

This is an experimental implementation of RLBot that communicates with bot processes via TCP sockets. In addition to bots, RLBot can also connect to a controller process that manages match execution, state setting, and sending custom messages to bots (e.g. for training exercises).

The messages sent over TCP support a JSON format, offering new developers a simple way to get up and running, and a flatbuffer format (not implemented yet) for veterans that are more interested in optimizing the performance of their bot.

Each time RLBot receives a packet from Rocket League, it starts a timer for about 6 milliseconds (for 120 Hz). After processing the contents of the packet from Rocket League, RLBot sends a packet of updated game information to each of the connected bots. Once the timer expires, RLBot gathers the responses from each of the bots and assembles a packet of messages (e.g. the inputs for each car, state setting, rendering) to send off to Rocket League. Bots that take longer than the allotted time will not receive new messages from RLBot until a response is received.

How do I write a custom Rocket League bot?

The basic steps (and pseudocode) are:

1. Connect to RLBot on the specified port (default is 23235)

tcp::socket socket;
socket.connect(port);

2. Perform any necessary setup, and send RLBot a Ready message to start receiving data.

// do any expensive calculations and setup
reticulate_splines()

socket.write(serialize(Ready{
  my_id,
  my_team,
  my_name,
  my_loadout
});

3. Read the information from RLBot about the current state of the game, and decide what to do.

// the main loop
while (true) {

  // receive information from RLBot
  auto messages = socket.read_packet();

  // analyze the new game state and other messages
  process(messages);

  // figure out what to do
  auto controls = calculate_optimal_controls();

  // optionally draw some stuff 
  auto rendering_command = …;

  // send our messages back to RLBot
  socket.write(serialize({controls, rendering_command})); 

}

In theory, any language that supports TCP communication should be able to work with RLBot! Click here for more information about the different message types RLBot supports.