I’ve been playing Red Alert 1 on CnCNet again for the past few months, and overall it’s been a great experience — a real trip down memory lane. It’s genuinely nice to see that there’s still a small but dedicated community keeping this classic alive. That’s also why my team and I make an effort to welcome new players. After all, without fresh players, this community simply won’t last.
Unfortunately, that openness comes at a cost.
Almost every day, we run into so-called “teamkillers” — players who deliberately sabotage their own team. What starts as an enjoyable match quickly turns into frustration, and that’s a shame. This kind of behavior drives people away from a community that’s already niche and vulnerable.
We’ve reported this issue multiple times to CnCNet admins. The standard response? Provide evidence — screenshots, videos, the works. Fair enough, to a point. But in practice, this means you’re expected to play the game while also acting as a part-time evidence collector. Apparently, we’re not just here to play, but to document incidents like we’re preparing for a courtroom drama.
To make matters worse, the penalty for teamkilling — reportedly a 5-minute kick — is, frankly, laughable. The effort required to gather and submit evidence often exceeds the punishment itself. So it raises a simple question: why even bother reporting?
What’s even more frustrating is the apparent lack of trust. When multiple active community members — people who spend hours in the game daily — report the same offenders, that should carry some weight. We’re not in a courtroom where every single incident needs to be proven beyond doubt.
Meanwhile, the same offenders keep showing up, often on new accounts or via VPNs. And no, it’s not realistic to expect players to investigate every new teammate like we’re part of an intelligence agency.
It’s time to have a serious discussion about this — with both the community and the admins.
Because let’s be honest — it would be a real shame if a classic like Red Alert 1 slowly fades away due to frustration over something that should be manageable.
I’d really like to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback on this.
For now: stay calm, don’t let it completely ruin your enjoyment, and let’s hope the administrators start addressing the actual issues affecting this game 😉
