Quake Weenie Website - Maneuvers

Circle-strafe
Full-speed spin
Leading shots
Paranoid corners
Rocket jump

Circle-strafe

This is the fundamental maneuver in Quake, and most other first-person perspective multiplayer games. The idea is to run a circle around your opponent while keeping your opponent in your sights (presumably firing like a maniac all the while).

1. Get your opponent in your sights.
2. Step left (using the "." key in the keyboard configuration that comes standard with Quake).
3. At the same time as you're stepping left, turn right (using the mouse or the right arrow key).

Clearly, if you want to you can step right while turning left instead. Once you get this move down, you'll be able to whip around in circles with your opponent under your crosshairs all the while.

This move is by far easiest if you use your mouse or joystick for the turning, and your keyboard for the stepping. Keep zipping around your opponents until they run away, expire, or pass out from dizziness.

Full-speed spin

If you're running (and you're always running, right?), it's possible -- not to mention a very good idea -- to periodically turn around while still running in the same direction. Once you really get this move down, you can spin around to face backward, rack of a few rounds behind you, and spin back around to face forward again, all without losing any speed in your original direction.

Take some time to practice this one in a big empty room without the distraction of someone fragging you over and over. It'll be worth your time.

Basic Full-Speed Spin: while running forward, turn around. When you've turned by 180° (i.e., you're facing backward) reverse your direction so that you're running backward. Practice this until you (a) are still moving in the same direction after you turn as you were before you turned, and (b) you haven't perceptibly lost any speed.

Leading shots

If you're shooting at a moving opponent (and unless you're playing a bigger weenie than you, your opponent is moving), don't shoot where your opponent is now. Shoot where your opponent will soon be.

...unless you're toting a shotgun or the thunderbolt. These weapons deliver their damage instantaneously, so with them you can shoot right at your opponent. But nailguns and the rocket launcher require more delicate timing.

If I need to tell you not to lead shots with your axe, you need more help than I can give you. Please go away now.

Paranoid corners

Imagine you're in a hallway that takes a sharp turn to the right, and you're about to take the corner. Now also imagine that there's someone waiting for you around the corner. If you take the corner the conventional way, you'll be visible to the "lurker" while you're in the process of turning to face them.

Instead, take a "paranoid corner". Before you reach the corner turn to the right and side-step to the left. Don't stop to do this -- just turn and sidestep. You can make this move while maintaining your original speed. This has you running sideways, so that by the time you reach the corner you're already looking down it. Of course, that may not save you, but at least you'll see your desctruction coming.

Rocket jump

To rocket jump is to inflict damage on yourself for a good purpose. This idea is to give yourself an unnaturally high jump by firing a rocket at your own feet just as you jump. While this may sound stupid, it can get you out of some tight places and into some keen ones. The idea:

1. Switch to your rocket launcher
2. While running, look down
3. Fire your rocket launcher at the same moment as you jump
4. Accept the damage happily, knowing that you did it on purpose

The first several hundred times you try this you will either (a) crisp yourself, (b) not jump any higher than usual, or (c) most likely, both. But after a while, this can be a very useful special-purpose manuever. This move is tricky enough that most people define console scripts to automate them. See The Rocket Jumper's Guide to Quake for details.

Copyright © 1996, 1997 Andy Giesler. These pages appear on the Level Master V for Quake CD by permission of the author.
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