diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 97a47ba..50cc6a5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ else()
 endif()
 
 install( FILES "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/ttrts.6" DESTINATION ${MANPAGE_LOC} )
+install( FILES "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/api/lua/ttrts.lua" DESTINATION share/lua/5.1/ )
 
 # Subprojects
 add_subdirectory( source )
diff --git a/api/lua/ttrts.lua b/api/lua/ttrts.lua
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..c6b5297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/lua/ttrts.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+#! /usr/bin/lua
+
+-- need socket for server communications
+require "socket"
+
+local ttrts = {}
+
+--[[ Attempt to connect to the server ]]
+function ttrts.ConnectToHost(host)
+
+
+	ttrts.socket = socket.connect( host, 11715 )
+	if not ttrts.socket then error("Failed to connect to " .. host .. " on port 11715") end
+
+	-- Porform the hanshake
+	local line = ttrts.socket:receive('*l')
+
+	local player, name = string.match(line, "player (%d+) name ([%a%d]+)")
+
+	-- bail out if handshake information failed
+	assert( player and name , "Handshake failed with incorrect player and name")
+
+	-- return the handshake line with a new line (removed by the *l call to receive) and string end
+	ttrts.socket:send( line .. "\n" .. "\0" )
+
+	return player, name
+end
+
+-- [[ Recieve gamestate info ]]
+function ttrts.GetStateFromHost()
+
+	if not ttrts.socket then error("ttrts.socket must be set") end
+
+	function newLine()
+		return ttrts.socket:receive('*l')
+	end
+
+	local line = ""
+	local state = {}
+
+	-- INVESTIGATE WHY THIS IS NEEDED
+	newLine()
+
+	local thename = newLine()
+	state.name = string.match( thename, "NAME:([%a%d]+)" )
+	assert( state.name, "Gamestate file format missmatch (no name)")
+
+	state.size = {}
+	local sizes = newLine()
+	state.size.x, state.size.y = string.match( sizes, "SIZE:%[(%d+),(%d+)%]" )
+	assert( state.size.x and state.size.y , "Gamestate file format missmatch (size failure)")
+
+	state.turn = string.match( newLine(), "TURN:(%d+)" )
+	assert( state.turn, "Gamestate file format missmatch (no turn)")
+
+	-- Get the wall line
+	state.walls = {}
+	local wallline = newLine()
+
+	assert(string.match( wallline, "WALL:"), "Gamestate file format missmatch (no wall line)")
+
+	-- Grab all walls on the line
+	for wallstring in string.gmatch(wallline, "%[%d+,%d+%]") do 
+		local wall = {}
+		wall.x, wall.y = string.match( wallstring, "%[(%d+),(%d+)%]" )
+		table.insert(state.walls,wall)
+	end
+
+	assert( newLine() == "~~~~", "Gamestate file format missmatch (missing ~~~~)" )
+
+	-- get the units
+	state.units = {}
+
+	local unitline = newLine()
+	while unitline ~= "END" do
+
+		local unit = {}
+		unit.pos = {}
+
+		-- Parse the unit line
+		unit.id, unit.player, unit.vis, unit.dir, unit.pos.x, unit.pos.y = 
+			string.match( unitline, "UNIT:(%d+) pl:(%d+) vs:([^%s]+) dr:(%a+) ps:%[(%d+),(%d+)%]")
+
+		assert(unit.id and unit.player and unit.vis and unit.dir and unit.pos.x and unit.pos.y, "gamestate file format missmatch (error with unit)")
+
+		table.insert(state.units,unit)
+
+		unitline = newLine()
+	end
+
+	assert(unitline == "END", "Gamestate file format missmatch (didn't end in END)")
+
+	return state
+end
+
+-- [[ Get Random Orders from gamestate for a particular player ]]
+function ttrts.GetRandomOrders( id, state )
+	
+	local orders = ""
+	local possibleorders = { "F", "L", "R", "A" }
+
+	local units = state.units
+	for key,unit in pairs(units) do
+		if unit.id == id then
+			local order = "F" -- TODO MAKE RANDOM
+			orders = orders .. "ORDER:" .. order .. " id:" .. tostring(id) .. "\n"
+		end
+	end
+
+	orders = orders .. "END\n"
+
+	return orders
+end
+
+-- [[ Send the orders to the server through the socket ]]
+function ttrts.SendOrdersToHost( orders )
+	assert( string.match(orders,"END"), "Cannot send orders without END" )
+	ttrts.socket:send( orders .. "\0" )
+end
+
+-- [[ using method from http://lua-users.org/wiki/AlternativeGetOpt	]]
+function ttrts.getopt( arg, options )
+	local tab = {}
+	for k, v in ipairs(arg) do
+		if string.sub( v, 1, 2) == "--" then
+			local x = string.find( v, "=", 1, true )
+			if x then tab[ string.sub( v, 3, x-1 ) ] = string.sub( v, x+1 )
+			else			tab[ string.sub( v, 3 ) ] = true
+			end
+		elseif string.sub( v, 1, 1 ) == "-" then
+			local y = 2
+			local l = string.len(v)
+			local jopt
+			while ( y <= l ) do
+				jopt = string.sub( v, y, y )
+				if string.find( options, jopt, 1, true ) then
+					if y < l then
+						tab[ jopt ] = string.sub( v, y+1 )
+						y = l
+					else
+						tab[ jopt ] = arg[ k + 1 ]
+					end
+				else
+					tab[ jopt ] = true
+				end
+				y = y + 1
+			end
+		end
+	end
+	return tab
+end
+
+return ttrts
\ No newline at end of file