TGDB.net - Game news, cheats, solutions, walkthroughs, trainers, saved games and much more!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUAD DAMAGE TACTICS
Of all the power-ups in Q3A (i.e. Haste, Invisibility, Battle Suit, Personal
Teleporter, Stimpack), the Quad is the only one that will HEAVILY change the
outcome of the match in favor of the bearer. In other words, if you get one of
these in a FFA or TDM (and you're somewhat skilled at staying alive), you'll
rock the house. Quad RL and PG are the best for FFA, but don't overlook the
Quad LG or the Quad SG when your ammo runs dry. Some players insist on using
the built in game timer to help them time the re-spawn. This can be toggled on
or off with the command: cg_drawtimer 1 or 0. Watch when the Quad initially
pops up, and then just add 2:00 to the time when it will re-spawn once more.
Also be aware that the elite players will always know when it's ready to pop
up, so you should take the appropriate counter measures to keep players from
being Quad Whores.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERSONAL TELEPORTER USAGE
When falling off a ledge, into a lava pit, or into a foggy void, use the
Personal Teleporter to warp yourself back onto solid land. This is why it
helps to have your "use item" key setup as a key that's easily accessible.
This is useful on Q3DM18, and Q3DM19.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STRAFE-JUMPING
Ever wonder why certain players (usually the really good ones) always seem to
be jumping around like rabbits, and usually, at accelerated speeds? Well, it's
not just for show. You get two distinct benefits from doing this. First off,
you'll be much harder to hit if you're good at doing it intermittently.
Jumping will almost immediately make you a much harder target, when used to
make your movement more random. The second and more prevalent benefit from
Strafe Jumping is that you can actually move faster from point A to point B by
doing it correctly.

*The Method*
To do a set of strafe jumps, you'll need to hit jump and strafe at the same
time as you move forward. The more of these you do in a row, the faster you'll
get moving. You'll notice a VERY significant speed increase if you do them
correctly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE CROUCH PUMMEL
Try standing next to one of your friends with Gauntlets equipped. Both of you
should face each other, but one of you should duck, while the other just looks
straight. The guy who is crouching should just press forward into the other
guy with his Gauntlet. Nine times out of ten, the guy who is crouching will
win. Why? Because the guy who's looking straight can't hit the guy who is
crouching without looking down with his mouse. In battle, this happens very
quickly, so be ready to get into crouch position asap.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BOTTOM LINE (Important!)
I can't TELL you how to become a better Q3A player. In fact, it doesn't matter
how many Q3A FAQs you read on how to get better. Nor can I or anyone else SHOW
you the techniques to make you a master. Sure, all this technical info and
weapon data helps, but it won't make you any better at aiming, will it? And it
surely won't make you learn the levels. And what about your instincts? Do you
have what it takes to predict what other players are going to do? You see what
I'm getting at here. If you want to get good (or better yet, GREAT), you're
gonna need to play. And play a LOT! I've been playing Q3 since the first beta
test came out (1.05 I think), on average of about 20 hours per week, and I
still get smoked all the time! And still, I see far too many players out there
saying things like "I suck!" or "How'd you get so good?" Instead of
tossing
out phrases like that, why not just take that whooping as an incentive to get
better, and further your finesse and technique. And don't consider practice
against the bots as your only method of learning, either. You need to play
people to get good. Get connected, then get online and start "fRaGginG sOme
lLaMa aSS!" :p

==============================================================================
4.)WEAPONS BREAKDOWN/ANALYSIS=================================================
==============================================================================
Every weapon has its strengths and weaknesses, just as every weapon has its
time and place. The more you play, the more you'll find ways to implement each
and every weapon into any given situation. You should always take things like
range, speed, damage, and even the skill/patterns of the opposing player into
consideration when thinking about weapon tactics in game. Q3 isn't just a
mindless blast-fest. It's meant to be both a deeply strategic and tactical
game by its very nature. You can take the level of strategy in Q3A as far as
you'd like to take it -- knowing that the farther you push yourself, the odds
are your opponents will too. Remember that certain guns have "unwanted"
effects in the place of sound and color that make them more detectable by good
players. These effects are noted next to each weapon by the Equipped Sound and
Visibility stats respectively.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAUNTLET- You'll need to be up close and personal for the Gauntlet to hit, and
when it does, you'll do 50 points of damage per smash. When it connects,
you'll notice that you'll be repelled quite a bit by the hit, making it tough
to connect with a follow up unless you have your opponent pinned up against a
wall. It's especially useful when players are chasing you around a corner, and
then you quickly duck behind a wall and equip your Gauntlet. Immediately run
back around the corner and you'll give them a little something to think about.
:) This weapon should only be used as an absolute last resort (unless you can
find tricky ways to implement it like the aforementioned technique). In TDM
games, you'll find yourself using it quite a bit.

DEFAULT AMMO: N/A SPEED OF PROJECTILE: N/A
MAX AMMO: N/A DIRECT DAMAGE (one hit): 50 points
RANGE: In your face! SPLASH DAMAGE: N/A
RATE OF FIRE: N/A VISIBILITY: N/A
EQUIPPED SOUND: N/A

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MACHINE GUN- This is probably the most useful default weapon in FPS history.
It's hitscan, meaning that it hits from any distance instantaneously, and it
deals out A LOT of damage in a very short period of time. It's useful in FFA
or TDM matches to "pick up the scraps." Because of its high rate of fire, it's
easy to get the final hit on a group of weakened opponents who have been
dueling with one another in the center of the arena (easy frags). Don't be
afraid to dish out major damage with a rail or rocket, then grab the frag by
following up with 10-20 machine gun rounds afterward.

DEFAULT AMMO: 100 SPEED OF PROJECTILE: Instant Hit
MAX AMMO: 200 DIRECT DAMAGE: 7 (FFA), 5 (Teamplay)
RANGE: Infinite (pattern disperses) SPLASH DAMAGE: N/A
RATE OF FIRE: Very High VISIBILITY: Low (muzzle flash)
EQUIPPED SOUND: N/A

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHOTGUN- This weapon is a one-shot kill on an unarmored man at close range,
and gives the term "streetsweeper" a whole new meaning when used in heavy
crowds. The farther away your target, the less likely you are to hit them with
one of the 11 pellets in each shot. The patterns for each shell are random,
and if you don't believe me, just try shooting 20 shells at a wall to see if
there's any correlation. Because of this, it's absolutely critical to get
center-mass hits for the Shotgun to inflict massive damage. This can take some
getting used to, which is what makes the Shotgun one of the toughest weapons
to use against high-level players. Some players swear by the Shotgun and it's
ability to inflict instant hits while others despise its inconsistency. One
thing's for sure though -- you can't argue with 110 points of damage at point
blank range!

DEFAULT AMMO: 10 DIRECT DAMAGE (up-close): 110 points
MAX AMMO: 200 10 ft. away: 100 points (avg.)
RANGE: Infinite 20 ft. away: 50 points (avg.)
RATE OF FIRE: Slow 30 ft. away: 10-30 points (avg.)
SPEED OF PROJECTILE: Instant Hit VISIBILITY: Low (smoke/muzzle flash)
SPLASH DAMAGE: N/A EQUIPPED SOUND: N/A

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLASMA GUN- The Plasma Gun has an extremely high rate of fire, and does 20
points of damage with each ball (on direct hits), making it great as a room
clearer. Its only drawback is the fact that the projectiles themselves are
easy to dodge at medium to long ranges. One thing to keep in mind when using
the Plasma Gun is to find alternate patterns of dispersal. Try using the
infamous "S-pattern," or even the technique where you shake your mouse (left
to right) to get a larger spread. The plasma balls are also very vibrant
(visually), giving away your position almost immediately to all players around
you. The Plasma Gun shots do give off splash damage, so be extra careful when
rounding corners and the like -- it's very easy to kill yourself with the
excess splash.

DEFAULT AMMO: 50 SPEED OF PROJECTILE: Moderate
MAX AMMO: 200 DIRECT DAMAGE (one ball): 20 points
RANGE: Infinite SPLASH DAMAGE: 1-19 points
RATE OF FIRE: Very High VISIBILITY: High (bright purple balls)
EQUIPPED SOUND: N/A

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRENADE LAUNCHER- The GL isn't so great for offense, but works wonders for
defense. It lobs projectiles that are more powerful than rockets, although the
rate of fire is somewhat slow. You'll gain an advantage with the GL from
increased elevations, as the grenades will naturally try to find the lowest
possible ground. I like lobbing grenades into a large lot of players during a
FFA, accumulating splash damage on the whole crowd. You can also try using the
GL when you're being pressed by an extremely aggressive opponent. They'll
think twice about rushing after you make 'em eat one of these puppies...

DEFAULT AMMO: 10 SPEED OF PROJECTILE: Very Slow
MAX AMMO: 200 DIRECT DAMAGE (one shot): 120 points
RANGE: 75-90 ft. maximum SPLASH DAMAGE: 1-119 points
RATE OF FIRE: Moderate VISIBILITY: Moderate (smoke trails)
EQUIPPED SOUND: N/A

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROCKET LAUNCHER- If you're going to practice with a specific weapon, then make
sure to invest some time with the RL. Not only will you need to learn to
effectively use it, but you'll also need to learn to take counter measures
against it. Since it's not a hitscan weapon (it's actually rather slow), a
good player will learn to dodge and avoid rockets on a regular basis. Try
shooting a rocket at your opponents feet, bouncing them up in the air, and
then hitting them on their way down with a follow up rocket for the frag. Now
sit back and watch your frags rack up faster than an overclocked Celeron 300A!

DEFAULT AMMO: 10 SPEED OF PROJECTILE: Slow
MAX AMMO: 200 DIRECT DAMAGE (one shot): 100 points
RANGE: Infinite SPLASH DAMAGE: 1-99 points
RATE OF FIRE: Moderate VISIBILITY: High (smoke trails)
EQUIPPED SOUND: N/A

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIGHTNING GUN- The LG (or "shaft") is great as a concentrated follow-up
weapon. Hit an opponent with a well-placed RL shot, then immediately switch to
the LG for the last few bits of health they have remaining. If you have a
great aim, and are able to track on to players with ease, the LG is for you.
One cell from this gun will do 8 points of damage, although the longer you
keep it focused on the enemy, the more damage it will inflict (obviously). Be
aware that it DOES have a limited range, which we measured out to be around 75
ft. in-game. The one problem with the LG is its lack of appearance in most of
the Tournament maps. It seems like iD software made it unnecessarily tough to
get good with the LG by keeping it away from most of the maps in the game. My
favorite weapon...

DEFAULT AMMO: 100 SPEED OF PROJECTILE: Instant Hit
MAX AMMO: 200 DIRECT DAMAGE (one cell): 8 points
RANGE: 75 ft. SPLASH DAMAGE: N/A
RATE OF FIRE: Constant VISIBILITY: High (electric stream)
EQUIPPED SOUND: Electric buzzing

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RAIL GUN- Several of the tourney maps have Rail Guns on them, so expect to
face a lot of players who know how to handle rails if you plan to compete. The
Rail isn't just a sniper weapon though; it can be almost as useful in a heated
duel if your aim is good enough. The Rail Gun takes the most practice of all
weapons to master, but once you do, server domination against even expert
level players will be that much easier. Don't overlook weapon combos like the
Rail/RL, or the Rail/LG. The initial hit from the Rail often throws the enemy
back, giving you the necessary time to switch to a different gun and follow up
for the frag.

DEFAULT AMMO: 10 SPEED OF PROJECTILE: Instant Hit
MAX AMMO: 200 DIRECT DAMAGE (one shot): 100 points
RANGE: Infinite SPLASH DAMAGE: N/A
RATE OF FIRE: Slow VISIBILITY: High (thin tracer beam)
EQUIPPED SOUND: Distinct "Hum"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BFG 10K- Much better than any of the BFGs from previous Quake (and Doom)
games, the new and improved 10K is basically a cross between a Rocket Launcher
and a Plasma Gun. Combined with the Quad Damage, it feels reminiscent of the
Quad/RL from the original Quake where you could frag anything that moved in
less than a second. The projectiles move as fast, if not a bit faster than a
plasma shot, but have the direct and splash damage of a rocket! Obviously, you
can see that this is THE weapon of choice when dueling in the arenas (albeit
totally cheeseball), so make it a point to find them when they're available.
Personally, I like to play levels without the BFG10K -- it's just more fun
without a weapon of such power.

DEFAULT AMMO: 20 SPEED OF PROJECTILE: Very Fast
MAX AMMO: 200 DIRECT DAMAGE (one shot): 100 points
RANGE: Infinite SPLASH DAMAGE: 1-99 points
RATE OF FIRE: Fast VISIBILITY: High (bright blasts)
EQUIPPED SOUND: Low-Freq. Resonance

==============================================================================
5.)POWER-UP BREAKDOWN/ANALYSIS================================================
==============================================================================
Each of the Power-Ups has its own set of properties that make it desirable.
This list is meant to clarify those elements, and stress how important the