Read Me First - Spring

Get the installer here: Download
Make sure you have the latest version of Spring. See Download.
Spring is a game engine, not a "game". The content itself (the buildings, units, sounds, images) are packed in mod files. There are several mods and games you can play with Spring. They all have different play styles. Mods and games can be found at the Games page.

Playing Spring

Open the Spring application, by double-clicking on the Spring icon.
Select a Game or Mod.
Select a Map.
Select an AI.
Click "Test the Game".
Some games come with their own custom menus, single-player missions, etc, but these are not supported by the Spring default menu at this time.
Not all AIs will operate with every game. For more infomation, see the AI section, below.
You may also play single-player games with SpringLobby.
Some games support missions; these can be obtained either by installing the game, or by downloading them via SpringDownloader.

To play a game of Spring online, you must run the Springlobby program.
You can start Springlobby through the start menu link it creates or by running Springlobby in the directory you installed Spring in.

To chat with allies, press Alt+Enter, or type "a:" (without quotation marks) before your message.
Press Shift+Enter or type "s:" before your message to chat with spectators only.

Press F1 for seeing the heightmap (because some buildings cannot be built anywhere).
Press F2 when you want to see where the builder can build the selected unit.
Press F3 for seeing last action in the game.
Press F4 for seeing metal map (where to build metal extractors).
Press F6 to enable/disable sounds.
Press F9 to enable/disable the health bars above units.
Press F12 to take a screenshot.

For more information Check Keyboard Key Layout: Spring Keyboard Layout Image

Press the left mouse button to select a unit.
Press the left mouse button and drag a rectangle to select multiple units.
Press the right mouse button on the terrain to move all selected units to that location.
Press the left mouse button on the terrain to deselect any selected units you have selected.

A list of the most commonly played and recently updated games and mods can be found in the Games page, and you download them from the links on that page.
Additional games / mods may be found by visiting the links here.
To install a game to Spring, you can double-click on the mod file (.sd7 or .sdz) and a program called "archive mover" that comes with spring will automatically install it for you. If you cannot do this, you can instead directly drop the file into your "Spring\Mods\" directory.
Some games come with complete installers. Most are files that can be dropped into your Spring installation.
Some mods have multiple .sd7 or .sdz files for single player games modes or mutators. These should be installed in the "Spring\Mods\" directory, just like a game or mod.
Once a game or mod has been installed, you can use the "refresh maps/mods" option from the "tools" list in SpringLobby.

Maps can be found here.
These files are also ".sd7" or ".sdz" files. They may be zipped with WinZip or WinRar, to further reduce their size. In that case, unzip them before placing them in the "Maps" directory in the Spring folder.
As is the case with mods, use the "refresh maps/mods" option from the "tools" list in SpringLobby.

The main purpose of SpringLobby is to set up and start games on the Spring engine, either as online multiplayer games or single-player games. #Additionally, it is also an IRC-like chat client, has a BitTorrent-based downloader to get new maps, games / mods and missions, and can be used to watch demos of previously played games.
Private messaging is also supported through SpringLobby by double-clicking a person's name, either in a chat channel or in a battle room. To exit a private messaging window, click on the "X" button on the tab with that player's name on it in the "chat" tab.
To host a game, go to the "Multiplayer" tab and click the "Host new" buton on the bottom right of the screen. Another tab in the "multiplayer" section will show up, allowing you to chose the mod and other settings.