If you want a one-key command, I suppose you may try simply
bind <key> connect <serveraddress>
However IIRC binded keys do work only when you are actually playing, not from menu.
If you want something to be written in console (to be used also when not playing), but to do not write the full server address each time, I can guess something like
set <variable> "connect <serveraddress>"
then
vstr <variable>
should work.
As example, in case you use "serv1" as variable and 127.0.0.1:27960 as serveraddress:
set serv1 "connect 127.0.0.1:27960"
then
vstr serv1
Note: Maybe using "seta" instead of "set" for setting the variable and then using "/writeconfig" should allow to store your user-created variable to your configuration, to do not have to recreate it each time you open OpenArena. It's years I don't try that, I'm not sure it works (however I suppose it should).
Alternatively, you may add the
set <variable> "connect <serveraddress>" command to your autoexec.cfg file, to automatically re-create the variable each time you launch OpenArena.
Other alternatives:
1) Putting the "connect <serveraddress>" command into a .cfg plain text file in your baseoa folder, and then invoke that .cfg file with "exec <filename>" or "exec <filename.cfg>".
(While "vstr" is the command to "run" a variable containing commands, "exec" is the command to "run" text files containing commands and variables.)2) Creating a new
shortcut in your OS to OpenArena executable, adding "+connect <serveraddress>" after its path... something like
"C:\Games\OpenArena\openarena.exe" "+connect 127.0.0.1:27960"
That would automatically connect to the specified server on startup.
3) Using Favorites: (
DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Favorites
Note: I haven't actually tried these right now, I may have done some small imprecision.
See also: (
DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Command_console