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For example:
bind ctrl "use Shotgun;use Super Shotgun" //selects SG and SSG
bind end "use Railgun" //selects the Railgun
bind del "say OMGWTFLOLBBQ" //say this when the key is pressed
Notepad is an ideal program for editing CFG files because it doesn't save files
with any special formatting. So if you use some other word processor, make sure
to save your file as MS-DOS Text, or something similar. You can even create a
CFG file from scratch if you wish, and you should save with the file
extention '.cfg'. Oh, and make sure that you keep a line break at the end of
the .CFG file so that the last line of the file will be processed by Q2.
You can do this for playing Q2 mods, too. Let's say you started playing a mod
called Giex, and you needed to bind a key to 'identify' and '+castspell'.
Won't
it be a pain to type 'bind kp_enter identify' and 'bind mouse2 +castspell'
every time you play? Well, once you quit Q2, look in the mod folder (for this
mod, it would be Quake2\Giex\). Copy that 'config.cfg' file and re-name it to
something else. Now all you have to do is type 'exec .cfg' to
instantly get all your keys binded.
If you want to start Q2 with a CFG file automatically loaded, just rename the
file to 'autoexec.cfg' and place it in the directory that also contains the
'config.cfg' file. This configuration will be executed every time.
Okay, so you've got a perfect setup for yourself. Now you can start playing Q2
for real! No more excuses for the poor performance of your mouse, no more
standing in one spot while you fumble around to select the Rocket Launcher...
oh yes, don't forget to change your name and player model/skin in the
Multiplayer-Player Setup menu.
===============================================================================
4. Basic Movement and Strategy
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.1 Moving
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't Stop 'til You Drop:
I'm sure you've heard most of this before, and most of it should be picked up
from plain common sense. Don't stop moving, at all...ever...for the whole time,
especially during combat. If you're moving, you're instantly a harder target
for others to hit. Even if the coast seems clear and you're waiting for
something (like an item respawn or an elevator), keep moving around in random
directions. It may feel nutty, but at least you won't get blind-sided by an
attacker who jumps out of nowhere. In addition, walking in a straight line down
a hallway will get you killed. Zig-zag, move in erratic patterns, do whatever
you have to do so that it makes it harder for others to take shots at you.
Strafing Along:
Sidestepping/strafing is the best way to avoid enemy fire while in a combat
situation. When locked in a fight, keep moving around your opponent left and
right so that you are able to dodge whatever he/she throws at you while you
keep a lock on your target. Don't move too much in one direction, or in
obvious patterns as your opponent will pick up on these movements and adjust
their aim accordingly. Try moving forward, a slight dodge to the left, a long
strafe backwards and to the right, and so on, anything that will help you avoid
enemy fire.
When you've locked horns with an enemy, try circle strafing. Whenever you move
in any direction, keep your crosshair on the enemy by moving it in the opposite
direction. While you're doing this, you can move in a circle-like arc pattern
which allows you dodge and fire effectively. This may seem a bit hard at first,
but it will eventually come to you.
Jumping Up and Crouching Down:
Jumping may make you harder target in combat, but constant bunny hopping can
and will get you killed in no time flat. If you mix it up with sideways and
forwards/backwards movement though, you will be a harder target for your
attacker to hit. Be careful not to jump in patterns though, since you run the
risk of losing control of your character when you leap off the ground. It is
easier to attack an opponent with an SSG by lunging forward, and you can move
around the map faster. Keep in mind that when you jump, it is a bit easier for
enemies to predict your movement, and jumping recklessly through the map can
allow an enemy to easily pick you off.
Crouching hinders your movement very much, so it isn't a good idea at all to
navigate around the map on your knees. It is, however, useful for dodging shots
from a Railgun or an SSG. Random crouching can be a good movement to throw in
when you're dodging, but don't hold the crouch key for too long because you
may wind up getting shot when you let go. Also try crouching when you're
suddenly surprised a player, but don't try it against RL users.
Take Off Into the Air with the RL:
Remember that the Rocket Launcher can help you zip across the map at the cost
of 50 or so health points with no armor. Simply look down and fire a rocket,
and jump the moment you do so. Make sure to fire at a steeper angle for a more
horizontal movement, or straight down if you need the height. Practice the RJ
as you will be able to cut off opponents if you know they are right above you,
and you can quickly reach a certain item like the Megahealth on Q2DM1.
Get to Know the Battlefield:
Quake 2 contains a total number of 8 official DM maps for multiplayer games. Of
course, there is a whole slew of maps that have been made by many players, but
you should at least get to know the original 8. Learn all the trick jumps,
weapon and ammo locations, armor and health, and so on. You can do this by
starting up Q2 and typing 'map q2dm#' in the console (where # is a number from
1 to 8). Practice navigating around the levels, and use the cheats if you want
by typing 'give all' for all the weapons, 'god' for invulnerability, and
'noclip' to fly through the map.
Types of Jumps:
There are many movement tricks you can accomplish when you take off into the
air. Key jumps include the Double Jump, Circle Jump, and Strafe Jump.
Double Jump - basically, you tap the jump key twice and you will jump off a
small edge. Well, I find it hard to explain, but oh so easy to demonstrate and
execute. Here's something to practice: fire up Q2DM1 and head to any staircase.
Now, move to the foot of the staircase, and to the side. Jump toward the stairs
and as you do so, tap the jump key as you hit the edge. If you did it right,
you should hear your character grunting twice, and your jump would be a bit
higher and farther. That's what a double jump is...try using this on any edges
you find to boost your speed and psyche your opponent out! Make sure to learn
the double-jump from the crates to the megahealth on q2dm1, it is really that
useful.
Strafe Jump - move forward and strafe at the same time, and just jump toward
your destination. By doing this, you can move farther and faster than with
ordinary jumps. Keep jumping like this and you can move at an astounding speed,
but make sure to angle yourself to compensate for the sideways movement.
Circle Jump - move forward, and turn the mouse slightly. While turning the
mouse, start your jump and keep moving the mouse in the same direction. This
can be awkward at first, but it will greatly improve your distance. If you are
able to combine this with a strafe jump, you can gain a great boost in speed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.2 Becoming Aware of your Surroundings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your Field of View:
By default, your field of view (FOV) will be set to 90. This can be restricting
to players, so you can alter this value in order to have a better view of the
playing field. The only problem is that distant objects will appear smaller
than before, and everything will look like it's moving faster. In order to set
your FOV, open the console and type 'fov .' The bigger the number, the
bigger the view. A nice figure for starting players is 120. Once you learn how
to move efficiently and are able to figure out where players are, you can lower
it to around 110 so that railing targets won't be as difficult. Take note that
increasing your FOV over 90 will stop you from being able to see your weapon.
You might as well set your handiness to the center setting (in the console,
'hand 2'), so that you don't have to adjust your aim for the right/left side.
Hearing Sounds:
You can determine how healthy another player is and where someone's location is
on the map by listening carefully. If you haven't picked up on it yet, there
are different sounds that are played when a player is at a certain level of
health. If someone is low on health, you'll hear an anguished yell of pain when
that person takes damage. Contrary to that, a topped off player will sound as
if they're shrugging off a hit like it's nothing. These sounds should tell you
when to charge forward and when to hold back.
When you listen to what is going on in the battlefield, you may be able to
determine where other players are headed. One example is on Q2DM1, where a
player may drop down from the Grenade Launcher to the Rocket Launcher below.
Even if you didn't see it for yourself, you can hear it from the grunt that is
heard when the player falls down a long distance. After that is the sound of 3
items being picked up. This could be your chance to nick 'em in that little
crevice before he/she escapes! Listen to each distinctive sound that all the
items make. Lots of practice is required, but you'll get better over time.
Knowing Yourself and the Enemy:
It was Sun-Tzu who said "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not
fear the result of a hundred battles." Thus, you may have some things that
differ from your opponent, such as your aggressiveness. You will also have some
things that are in common, such as the ability to aim well with every weapon.
Knowing what others would do when faced in a situation and appreciating what
you do yourself in that same exact situation is an important key to victory.
Be aware of players, and outwit them to gain an advantage.
Be careful of those who may use this awareness against you. For instance, you
may hear a weak player crying out in pain. With that player knowing that you
would give chase, they might hide in a corner and wait for you to pass by.
Don't let yourself get manipulated by another player. Keep in control as much
as you can.
Being Unpredictable:
As you are aware of other players' movements, they can be aware of your own.
They may have the upper hand, so don't let them think they can pick up an easy
frag. One example is when you're low on health and the other person knows it.
Don't retreat to nearby health packs, as your opponent will be expecting it
and will chase you there. Instead, try leading your pursuer into an unexpected
area, or even turn around and attempt to take him/her out by surprise. The
enemy may be sure of your movements, so use that against them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.3 Aiming
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leading your Aim:
You know that if you fired a projectile weapon right at a distant target, they
would be able to dodge it easily, right? This is where leading comes in. Aim at
the spot where the enemy is going to be when the projectile hits, not directly
at him/her. Even instant-effect weapons like the Railgun need leading, since
there is a small delay when you fire your weapon. You won't have to lead too
much unless you have a bad connection. I assume that almost everyone has a
pretty good connection nowadays, but there still are a few unlucky souls.
With a bad connection (200+ ms), it's a whole new game in terms of aiming. You
will have to aim ahead quite a bit with the Railgun, and it can appear rather
easy to psyche out an HPB (high ping bastard) using a Railgun. On the flip
side, a LAN connection will have little to no delay when you fire. Learning to
predict your enemy's movements will help you very much in your aiming.
Holding Back:
Before you click the mouse, be sure that you have a good chance of actually
hitting your target. Randomly firing rockets might get you something, but your
ammo will be depleted quickly and it is not a very skillful technique to do.
Instead, hold off and let your target move into a favorable position while you
adjust your aim. By taking a moment to aim, you'll increase your accuracy and
possibly conserve your ammo.
Trip-wiring:
This oddly-named technique is a mix of timing and leading. You first place your
crosshair in the location where your enemy is going to cross, and keep it fixed
in position. After, you simply observe his/her movements and fire when the
enemy is about to appear under your crosshair. You can combine this with strafe
movements to make small adjustments to your aim. One thing you can do when you
are locked in sequencial attack duel is to keep your aim on a vertical level.
Strafe left and right to throw your opponent's aim off while adjusting for your
own. Remember that your timing can be thrown off depending on your connection.
You may have to point your cursor in the middle area of your opponent's
strafes, or on the edge and then fire when you think he/she will move back.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.4 Combat
bind ctrl "use Shotgun;use Super Shotgun" //selects SG and SSG
bind end "use Railgun" //selects the Railgun
bind del "say OMGWTFLOLBBQ" //say this when the key is pressed
Notepad is an ideal program for editing CFG files because it doesn't save files
with any special formatting. So if you use some other word processor, make sure
to save your file as MS-DOS Text, or something similar. You can even create a
CFG file from scratch if you wish, and you should save with the file
extention '.cfg'. Oh, and make sure that you keep a line break at the end of
the .CFG file so that the last line of the file will be processed by Q2.
You can do this for playing Q2 mods, too. Let's say you started playing a mod
called Giex, and you needed to bind a key to 'identify' and '+castspell'.
Won't
it be a pain to type 'bind kp_enter identify' and 'bind mouse2 +castspell'
every time you play? Well, once you quit Q2, look in the mod folder (for this
mod, it would be Quake2\Giex\). Copy that 'config.cfg' file and re-name it to
something else. Now all you have to do is type 'exec .cfg' to
instantly get all your keys binded.
If you want to start Q2 with a CFG file automatically loaded, just rename the
file to 'autoexec.cfg' and place it in the directory that also contains the
'config.cfg' file. This configuration will be executed every time.
Okay, so you've got a perfect setup for yourself. Now you can start playing Q2
for real! No more excuses for the poor performance of your mouse, no more
standing in one spot while you fumble around to select the Rocket Launcher...
oh yes, don't forget to change your name and player model/skin in the
Multiplayer-Player Setup menu.
===============================================================================
4. Basic Movement and Strategy
===============================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.1 Moving
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't Stop 'til You Drop:
I'm sure you've heard most of this before, and most of it should be picked up
from plain common sense. Don't stop moving, at all...ever...for the whole time,
especially during combat. If you're moving, you're instantly a harder target
for others to hit. Even if the coast seems clear and you're waiting for
something (like an item respawn or an elevator), keep moving around in random
directions. It may feel nutty, but at least you won't get blind-sided by an
attacker who jumps out of nowhere. In addition, walking in a straight line down
a hallway will get you killed. Zig-zag, move in erratic patterns, do whatever
you have to do so that it makes it harder for others to take shots at you.
Strafing Along:
Sidestepping/strafing is the best way to avoid enemy fire while in a combat
situation. When locked in a fight, keep moving around your opponent left and
right so that you are able to dodge whatever he/she throws at you while you
keep a lock on your target. Don't move too much in one direction, or in
obvious patterns as your opponent will pick up on these movements and adjust
their aim accordingly. Try moving forward, a slight dodge to the left, a long
strafe backwards and to the right, and so on, anything that will help you avoid
enemy fire.
When you've locked horns with an enemy, try circle strafing. Whenever you move
in any direction, keep your crosshair on the enemy by moving it in the opposite
direction. While you're doing this, you can move in a circle-like arc pattern
which allows you dodge and fire effectively. This may seem a bit hard at first,
but it will eventually come to you.
Jumping Up and Crouching Down:
Jumping may make you harder target in combat, but constant bunny hopping can
and will get you killed in no time flat. If you mix it up with sideways and
forwards/backwards movement though, you will be a harder target for your
attacker to hit. Be careful not to jump in patterns though, since you run the
risk of losing control of your character when you leap off the ground. It is
easier to attack an opponent with an SSG by lunging forward, and you can move
around the map faster. Keep in mind that when you jump, it is a bit easier for
enemies to predict your movement, and jumping recklessly through the map can
allow an enemy to easily pick you off.
Crouching hinders your movement very much, so it isn't a good idea at all to
navigate around the map on your knees. It is, however, useful for dodging shots
from a Railgun or an SSG. Random crouching can be a good movement to throw in
when you're dodging, but don't hold the crouch key for too long because you
may wind up getting shot when you let go. Also try crouching when you're
suddenly surprised a player, but don't try it against RL users.
Take Off Into the Air with the RL:
Remember that the Rocket Launcher can help you zip across the map at the cost
of 50 or so health points with no armor. Simply look down and fire a rocket,
and jump the moment you do so. Make sure to fire at a steeper angle for a more
horizontal movement, or straight down if you need the height. Practice the RJ
as you will be able to cut off opponents if you know they are right above you,
and you can quickly reach a certain item like the Megahealth on Q2DM1.
Get to Know the Battlefield:
Quake 2 contains a total number of 8 official DM maps for multiplayer games. Of
course, there is a whole slew of maps that have been made by many players, but
you should at least get to know the original 8. Learn all the trick jumps,
weapon and ammo locations, armor and health, and so on. You can do this by
starting up Q2 and typing 'map q2dm#' in the console (where # is a number from
1 to 8). Practice navigating around the levels, and use the cheats if you want
by typing 'give all' for all the weapons, 'god' for invulnerability, and
'noclip' to fly through the map.
Types of Jumps:
There are many movement tricks you can accomplish when you take off into the
air. Key jumps include the Double Jump, Circle Jump, and Strafe Jump.
Double Jump - basically, you tap the jump key twice and you will jump off a
small edge. Well, I find it hard to explain, but oh so easy to demonstrate and
execute. Here's something to practice: fire up Q2DM1 and head to any staircase.
Now, move to the foot of the staircase, and to the side. Jump toward the stairs
and as you do so, tap the jump key as you hit the edge. If you did it right,
you should hear your character grunting twice, and your jump would be a bit
higher and farther. That's what a double jump is...try using this on any edges
you find to boost your speed and psyche your opponent out! Make sure to learn
the double-jump from the crates to the megahealth on q2dm1, it is really that
useful.
Strafe Jump - move forward and strafe at the same time, and just jump toward
your destination. By doing this, you can move farther and faster than with
ordinary jumps. Keep jumping like this and you can move at an astounding speed,
but make sure to angle yourself to compensate for the sideways movement.
Circle Jump - move forward, and turn the mouse slightly. While turning the
mouse, start your jump and keep moving the mouse in the same direction. This
can be awkward at first, but it will greatly improve your distance. If you are
able to combine this with a strafe jump, you can gain a great boost in speed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.2 Becoming Aware of your Surroundings
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your Field of View:
By default, your field of view (FOV) will be set to 90. This can be restricting
to players, so you can alter this value in order to have a better view of the
playing field. The only problem is that distant objects will appear smaller
than before, and everything will look like it's moving faster. In order to set
your FOV, open the console and type 'fov .' The bigger the number, the
bigger the view. A nice figure for starting players is 120. Once you learn how
to move efficiently and are able to figure out where players are, you can lower
it to around 110 so that railing targets won't be as difficult. Take note that
increasing your FOV over 90 will stop you from being able to see your weapon.
You might as well set your handiness to the center setting (in the console,
'hand 2'), so that you don't have to adjust your aim for the right/left side.
Hearing Sounds:
You can determine how healthy another player is and where someone's location is
on the map by listening carefully. If you haven't picked up on it yet, there
are different sounds that are played when a player is at a certain level of
health. If someone is low on health, you'll hear an anguished yell of pain when
that person takes damage. Contrary to that, a topped off player will sound as
if they're shrugging off a hit like it's nothing. These sounds should tell you
when to charge forward and when to hold back.
When you listen to what is going on in the battlefield, you may be able to
determine where other players are headed. One example is on Q2DM1, where a
player may drop down from the Grenade Launcher to the Rocket Launcher below.
Even if you didn't see it for yourself, you can hear it from the grunt that is
heard when the player falls down a long distance. After that is the sound of 3
items being picked up. This could be your chance to nick 'em in that little
crevice before he/she escapes! Listen to each distinctive sound that all the
items make. Lots of practice is required, but you'll get better over time.
Knowing Yourself and the Enemy:
It was Sun-Tzu who said "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not
fear the result of a hundred battles." Thus, you may have some things that
differ from your opponent, such as your aggressiveness. You will also have some
things that are in common, such as the ability to aim well with every weapon.
Knowing what others would do when faced in a situation and appreciating what
you do yourself in that same exact situation is an important key to victory.
Be aware of players, and outwit them to gain an advantage.
Be careful of those who may use this awareness against you. For instance, you
may hear a weak player crying out in pain. With that player knowing that you
would give chase, they might hide in a corner and wait for you to pass by.
Don't let yourself get manipulated by another player. Keep in control as much
as you can.
Being Unpredictable:
As you are aware of other players' movements, they can be aware of your own.
They may have the upper hand, so don't let them think they can pick up an easy
frag. One example is when you're low on health and the other person knows it.
Don't retreat to nearby health packs, as your opponent will be expecting it
and will chase you there. Instead, try leading your pursuer into an unexpected
area, or even turn around and attempt to take him/her out by surprise. The
enemy may be sure of your movements, so use that against them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.3 Aiming
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leading your Aim:
You know that if you fired a projectile weapon right at a distant target, they
would be able to dodge it easily, right? This is where leading comes in. Aim at
the spot where the enemy is going to be when the projectile hits, not directly
at him/her. Even instant-effect weapons like the Railgun need leading, since
there is a small delay when you fire your weapon. You won't have to lead too
much unless you have a bad connection. I assume that almost everyone has a
pretty good connection nowadays, but there still are a few unlucky souls.
With a bad connection (200+ ms), it's a whole new game in terms of aiming. You
will have to aim ahead quite a bit with the Railgun, and it can appear rather
easy to psyche out an HPB (high ping bastard) using a Railgun. On the flip
side, a LAN connection will have little to no delay when you fire. Learning to
predict your enemy's movements will help you very much in your aiming.
Holding Back:
Before you click the mouse, be sure that you have a good chance of actually
hitting your target. Randomly firing rockets might get you something, but your
ammo will be depleted quickly and it is not a very skillful technique to do.
Instead, hold off and let your target move into a favorable position while you
adjust your aim. By taking a moment to aim, you'll increase your accuracy and
possibly conserve your ammo.
Trip-wiring:
This oddly-named technique is a mix of timing and leading. You first place your
crosshair in the location where your enemy is going to cross, and keep it fixed
in position. After, you simply observe his/her movements and fire when the
enemy is about to appear under your crosshair. You can combine this with strafe
movements to make small adjustments to your aim. One thing you can do when you
are locked in sequencial attack duel is to keep your aim on a vertical level.
Strafe left and right to throw your opponent's aim off while adjusting for your
own. Remember that your timing can be thrown off depending on your connection.
You may have to point your cursor in the middle area of your opponent's
strafes, or on the edge and then fire when you think he/she will move back.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.4 Combat
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Other files from this game:
- Quake 2 savegame by System on 14/03/2006, 06:30
The game ending - Quake 2 document by System on 14/03/2006, 06:30
Quake 3dfx tweaking guide with sample - Quake 2 FAQ by System on 09/03/2006, 09:50
Beginners Guide - Quake 2 FAQ by System on 09/03/2006, 09:50
- Quake 2 cheats by System on 09/03/2006, 09:50
- Quake 2 cheats by System on 09/03/2006, 09:50
For the demo version