Comments on: How to Win a "Quake II" Deathmatch

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.