How to Win a "Quake II" Deathmatch

You've played Quake II for hours on end, and the computer just isn't offering much of a challenge anymore. It's time to try your fortune and skill against human players in an online deathmatch.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access
• Personal Computers
• Quake II Software

1. Make sure your computer is up to the task. If the game runs sluggishly in single-player mode, it's going to be downright infuriating in an online multiplayer game.

2. Get a fast and reliable Internet connection. Make sure you have at least a 56K modem and that you're getting a good connection when you sign on to your Internet Service Provider.

3. Run! Make yourself a more difficult target to hit by moving fast, all the time.

4. Jump! Constantly jumping up and down may seem silly, but it will make it much more difficult for your opponents to target you effectively.

5. Strafe! If you sidestep and fire at the same time, you can dodge your opponent's attacks and still return fire.

6. Be greedy. Seize every (safe) opportunity to grab extra weapons, ammo, armor and health.

7. Show no mercy. Be sneaky, take advantage of ambushes, shoot your opponents in the back ' they'll be sure to do the same.

Tips & Warnings

• The only way to master the Quake II deathmatch is to practice. Every time you play, you'll be able to perfect the basic strategies and techniques, learn more advanced ones and create your own.
• There are a lot of somewhat immature people out there ' not all of them kids ' who play multiplayer Quake II on the Internet. Either learn to ignore them, or find a group of players with whom you enjoy spending time online.

on 11/22/2005 Your mind is your most important ally in any FPS deathmatch. Know the game, know the levels, know the weapons, know the power-ups. Know all of these like the back of your hand. You should be able to run through a level backwards and still pick up everything you need. Always assume the other guy is smarter, faster, has better aim, and knows the level better. Therefore, be aggressive and don't let him gain the upper hand on you. Running away and/or being defensive works sometimes, but in the end offensive wins the fight, which is why you need to know the game.

Here are some quick tips:

- Rocket launcher - Aim for your opponent's feet or at the walls near him. Hell, if he's close enough, shoot the ceiling. You want to damage him, that's the point of shooting at him, so hit the bigger target unless your aim is perfect.

-Control the quad as if it were a matter of life or death. Same goes with megahealth.

-Have a set path that you follow in a level. You can run it backwards or forwards, but try to time it so you pick up items as they respawn so you don't have to stop. Now, this doesn't mean to run this path like clockwork, but it will give you a framework you can always go back to after a firefight or something. This way, you aren't running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Remember, prior planning prevents poor performance.

The best tip I can give for winning a Quake II deathmatch? Practice as much as possible. Some of the guys on these servers are unbelievable. Practice one-on-one deathmatches, and ALWAYS play against people who can kick your ass. You will improve extremely quickly by doing this. Picking on easier players does nothing to improve. In my opinion, this actually makes it worse.