Quake Live Beginners Guide

Quake Live: how to dominate

A guide by Viddaric, last updated 10/31/2014

Disclaimer: guide will not instantly make you a QL champion. It WILL, however, help you to stop making newbie mistakes and hopefully improve your game substantially. Everything else is just practice. Lots of practice.

Disclaimer number 2: YOU WILL GET WRECKED. Even with the knowledge in this guide, more experienced players will TRAMPLE you most of the time. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. It happens to every newbie. Learn from your mistakes and keep practicing, and eventually you'll have the more-than-1 KDR you always dreamed of.

Before we even get started with the lessons, you need to set up your game and config. There are plenty of guides to setting up a custom config, and that's not 100% necessary, so I don't need to explain it, but I SHOULD explain a few things, starting with this: turn Variable Hitsounds on. This means setting your “hitsound” option to either Ascending or Descending, or your variable hitsound variable to 2 or 3. This will allow you to estimate just how much damage you're doing judging by the pitch of the hitsound, even if you can't see the damage numbers. Also, make sure that you force enemy skin to Keel Bright. Keel is the model that most accurately represents the enemy's hitbox and has very recognizable pain and jumping noises, and the bright green skin will make them easy to see on any map. Your own skin doesn't matter, so long as your jumping and damage sounds are not the same as Keel's. (and just in case you didn't notice, characters make very distinct noises when taking damage depending on how low they are. They have one for high health, one they'll use when they drop below 50 health, and a different one they have when they're almost dead. Use this information to secure kills more easily. Also in case you didn't notice, no matter what skin you choose, your hitbox is the same, so no, Eye is not the equivalent of Oddjob in this game). I also suggest turning “Darken Enemy Corpses” on, so that you never mistake a dead foe for a live one. You may need to use the console to do this. Next, assign a key or mouse button to each weapon, so you can switch to any weapon you please quickly. Trust me: the mouse wheel is NOT going to cut it in a game this fast-paced. Now find a comfortable mouse sensitivity. Try and get it as low as possible for the sake of precision; in general, you want a sensitivity that gives you a 180 degree turn with one swipe, not too much more if you can help it. This is a matter of personal preference though, and if you're more comfortable with a higher sensitivity, so be it. As for mouse acceleration, that's up to you. I personally prefer one-to-one movement to help with twitch aiming, but many people like smoother aiming for small adjustments. Again, it's up to you. You WILL have to adjust this in the console, however; it's off by default. Lastly, set your FOV to 130, or at least 105. The fisheye takes a bit of time to get used to, but it pays off in spades. After you get used to it, you'll never want to go back. If you need to hit enemies in the distance, just use the zoom feature; you can use it on any weapon, and even adjust your sensitivity while zoomed. If you don't want to take up a button to use for zoom, you can set your FOV to 90, but no lower. Now, on to the actual lessons.


Lesson 1: Movement

Rule #1 in QL:

Never

Stop

Moving

Nearly every single weapon in QL is designed to screw people over if they stand still, so DON’T STAND STILL WHILE IN COMBAT!

For this reason, DO NOT GET CORNERED! When you are cornered, you can only dodge in a very limited area, and enemies knocking you around will most likely cause you to go straight up, and this will cause you to get hammered. It also makes you into easy humiliation fodder.

However, this can be a useful thing to think about from a tactical standpoint. Forcing enemies into corners is an effective strategy for racking up humiliations of your own or just shredding them quickly with your other weapons. Just watch out for rockets in your face.

The only time you shouldn't be moving is when you are waiting in ambush for a foe when you know where he is going to be coming from. Even then, be ready to start dodging at a moment’s notice, because someone may be drawing a bead on you. Also, you CAN stop to steady your aim while using the railgun, but if anyone's close enough to hit you, I don't recommend doing so. If you can get good enough at railgun aiming to nail people without stopping, I highly recommend doing so.

When dodging opponents, you have multiple options to choose from.

Taking cover helps a lot if you’re wielding a Rocket Launcher or Railgun, but if your enemy has a Rocket Launcher of his own, the effectiveness of this strategy is limited. Also watch out for grenades and Railgun sharpshooters.

A zigzag or circular pattern will help you dodge rapid fire attacks and Rail slugs, but fares less favorably (but still effectively) against rockets and buckshot.

Jumping can help you take minimal splash damage from enemy rockets, and give you a better vantage point to launch your own rockets. It is also good for dodging the Plasma Gun. But watch out; experienced players can nail you with rockets by predicting where you will land (which isn’t particularly hard to do) and Shotgunners and Railgunners can nail you by predicting where you’ll be when they pull the trigger (again, not too hard)

Finally, the only in-combat use of the strafe jump can be applied, allowing you to jump past your opponents. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to keep a lock on them, while they will have to readjust their aim, allowing you precious time to get a few shots in. If you’re unlucky, they’ll just plant a rocket at your feet. However, this tactic is very effective against Railgunners and Shotgunners.

What you should NEVER be doing in combat is W+M1. You will die VERY quickly.

Protip: learn the strafe jump. Bunny jumping will only take you so far. The tutorial doesn't explain them very well, but I’ll give you a few quick tips:

You only need to rotate about 45 degrees for straight line acceleration. Less than that at higher speeds. Rotating more (about 120 degrees) on the first jump will allow for more acceleration and longer jump length, but isn't necessary on all but the trickiest jumps.

You can press the jump button slightly before landing to instantly jump again when you land, or you can hold the jump button to just keep jumping. Holding the button will also allow you to jump rapidly up stairs and ramps, allowing you to keep momentum on these surfaces.

If you need to turn slowly, you can continuously strafe jump in one direction

If you need to turn quickly, you can delay the jump for a split second while strafing and turning in your desired direction. You’ll lose a bit of speed, but this strategy makes cornering a lot easier

Keep in mind that strafe jumps should not be used all the time, especially in the middle of combat. However, moving quickly while not in combat will allow you to grab powerups quickly, perform quick flag recoveries, collect weapons and ammo faster, and escape enemy pursuit

It also helps when YOU’RE the one doing the pursuing.

At the very least, you should be able to clear hallway 2 of the strafe jumping practice area; clearing large gaps is a very useful skill to have.

However, strafe jumping is generally a bad idea in Instagib mode. Not only does it make you a big target, but it also has little or no point because there are no powerups or weapons in Instagibs.

Also, keep in mind that strafe jumping, like normal jumping, makes your movements more predictable and MUCH louder. It also means you cannot easily reverse your movement if you walk into an ambush, so be VERY careful when chasing.

Avoid strafe jumping directly at someone; you’ll get screwed over. Approach at an angle if you want to employ the jumping past technique

Next up: rocket jumping

You won’t use rocket jumping very much in most modes of QL. You lose about 42 health every time you perform one not including fall damage, so it’s not usually practical. However, in Clan Arena, you can perform them with no damage to yourself, so they are a vital tactic in CA! If you think that the health loss is worth it, they are also a very effective surprise and chasing technique. They are also VERY important when flag running in CTF, and scooping up powerups quickly in duels.

If you don't know how to rocket jump, don't worry, it's actually really easy. All you have to do is jump and fire downward at the same time. DO NOT CROUCH however; unlike in Source engine games, crouching in midair will cause your upper body to go down, not your legs to come up, which means you'll take more damage from the rocket and will NOT be launched any higher.

Clear at least corridor 2 of the Rocket Jump Training Course; it’s not that hard. You'll rarely ever use any technique from corridor 3 other than the jump-pad jump (which is just a matter of timing your rocket to fire at the same time as you hit a jump-pad), and the final chain jump is just insane. In addition, learn how to do rocket acceleration. This means firing a rocket at the wall or floor behind you allowing you to gain a lot of horizontal movement rather than vertical, and if you keep jumping you’ll keep that speed. This is a very effective escape or pursuit maneuver in CA and duels and a great flag running and recovery technique in CTF, but usually unnecessary in other modes.

Grenade jumping is a bit harder, but if you fire the grenade straight down and have decent timing, you can pull it off. Take note that you're much more vulnerable while doing it and you take more damage from it than a rocket jump though. Don’t bother with the plasma wall climb unless you're REALLY dedicated. It turns you into a complete sitting duck and costs a lot of health. Rarely if ever worth it. Still, if you want to be a duel master, LEARN IT. Rocket launchers are not always forthcoming. You can also do a very short “Plasma Jump” if you only need a few inches more than your standard jump.

Lastly, Jump Pads and Teleporters.

Jump pads may be tempting little numbers. They’re good for quick travel and elevation, but they make you into a clay pidgin for anyone with a Railgun, or anyone waiting for you with a Shotgun. Your landing site is also very predictable, meaning you may have a rocket waiting for you. Skilled players can even nail you before you even land, or shred you with a Lightning Gun, or just wait with their gauntlets out and spinning. In Instagib mode, using jump pads can be a death sentence. Bottom line, if you must use jump pads, try to avoid using them when people are around, or be ready with your most powerful weapons and take down your foes BEFORE they shoot you out of the sky

As for teleporters, remember that when using a teleporter that you are at a bit of a disadvantage. You make a pretty loud sound when you teleport, alerting people to your presence, plus you won’t know where any enemies may be lurking. And of course, there’s the inevitable problem of teleport campers, especially on Asylum. Just use them with caution. They do work wonders as methods of escape, and escaping through them allows you to easily nail any pursuers. But be aware, many times a teleport's exit may be very close to its entrance, so watch out for players who take the alternate route. Also be aware that if you're standing on a teleporter exit when someone (friend or foe) uses the teleporter, you'll get telefragged, so avoid that.

That just about covers movement, so let’s move on to…

Lesson 2: Weapons

The first thing you have to understand about weapons in Quake Live is that none of the basic weapons are overpowered… because ALL the weapons are overpowered. They balance each other out in this way, although there are two notable exceptions. Let's go over them all briefly, shall we?

I’m also going to be talking about how to counter each weapon when we come to it, but keep in mind, these counters don’t always work; weapon switching is very fast in QL, and if they have other weapons, they can counter your counter. For this reason, these counter tactics usually don’t work very well in CA (although they DO work in that the opponent must waste time switching weapons), but they are more effective in FFA, and can work wonders in duels if your opponent has a limited weapon stock.

Anyway, on to the weapons!


The Gauntlet (gaunt, glove)

Deals 50 damage per “tap”, 2.5 “taps” per second, giving a DPS of 125. You must be touching an opponent to “tap” them, and your crosshair must be on them. Knocks enemies back a bit. Creates a buzzsaw-like sound and a slight white glow when in use.

This is your weapon of last resort; when all your other weapons run dry, this is all you have left. Because of how fast players move in QL, this weapon is both powerful and utterly useless. If an opponent is aware of you and has room to run, you will NEVER hit them, and your W+M1ing self will be a perfect target for that shiny new shotgun he picked up a while ago. Even if your opponent is stuck with an empty primary himself, he’ll be the one retreating and thus moving into new areas first, allowing him to pick up a weapon and slaughter you. Plus you’ll be taking constant damage from his secondary while he does. It is best used for ambushes and surprise attacks. It also works well on cornered opponents, as well as stupid opponents who haven’t learned rule #1 yet, and of course, for those with no honor, type killing. It can also be used to surprise an opponent who thought you were on the defensive, and, occasionally, to nail someone in midair who can’t get out of the way. Despite the satisfaction of the humiliation kill, don’t use this weapon too much; the others blow it away. Never, ever use it against the rocket launcher or lightning gun unless you are already in their face. Otherwise you’ll never even get close. Even if you ARE in their face, you should probably use something else if you have it.

How to counter:

Don’t get cornered and shoot at them while backpedaling. If they strafe jump in an attempt to catch up with you, just sidestep them, turn around, and continue shooting them. This will be a very short battle if you have a shotgun, lightning gun, or rocket launcher.

The Machinegun (MG)

Deals 5 damage per hit, 50 DPS (assuming all shots hit). Infinite range, but has a slight spread, making it slightly inefficient but still very usable at long ranges.

The unarguably weakest weapon in the game, The Machinegun is still not to be ignored. Some people think this thing is completely worthless. This is not entirely true, because while most weapons in QL are very weak in certain situations, the Machinegun can be used in ANY situation, albeit with limited effectiveness. The Machinegun is very useful for taking down weakened opponents. If you see someone fleeing from someone else, several people fighting, or an opponent at range who hasn't just spawned, take a few shots. You might get lucky. It may not be useless, but it’s still the weakest weapon in the game, and you should be primarily non-confrontational until you find something better. Keep your distance, prey on weakened foes, and find a better weapon and preferably some armor before going all out.

HOWEVER! It has 3 uses once you find other weapons:

1. Finishing off foes who have been Railed or weakening foes enough that they die in one Rail

2. Finishing off opponents who have been weakened by your other weapons then gotten too far away to reliably hit with any of those weapons (or finishing them off once those weapons run dry)

3. In maps with no Railgun, or against foes with no Railgun, skirmishing at long range

Despite its low power, you should still get good at using it because it's the only reliable long range secondary, you spawn with it in duels, and it uses the same type of aiming as the ever-deadly Lightning Gun. Also, keep in mind that it's a hitscan weapon with no tracer; if you use it at range, there's a decent chance that your opponent will take a while to notice where it's coming from.

How to counter:

If you’re very low on health, you may be screwed. Try to find cover or nail him with a quick-killing weapon. If you’re not low on health, pretty much anything will work other than your own spawn weapons. Dodge erratically to minimize damage. Try not to get into Machinegun duels against equal-health opponents unless a powerup is at stake. Just run until you find a better weapon and waste him with that. However, don’t neglect to shoot at him while backpedaling if he won’t get off your back.


The Shotgun (SG)

Fires 20 pellets in two 10-shot rings. The inner ring deals 7 damage per pellet and the outer ring deals 4 per pellet, for a total of 110 damage per shot possible. At 1 shot per second, the DPS is also 110.

This is most likely going to either be one of your best weapons or one of your worst weapons. Its effectiveness varies widely depending on the situation and your aiming skill. Obviously, being a shotgun, this is a close-range death machine; 110 damage is nothing to scoff at, and is, in fact, the highest damage per shot of any weapon in QL except the rarely found and hard to aim nailgun. However, people move very quickly in Quake Live, so it may prove very difficult to hit them when they’re dodging around you spraying plasma. Plus it’s very hard to catch someone at close enough range to actually deal that full 110 damage; the spread is pretty wide, although you'll still deal 40-60 with a well-aimed shot at mid range. But if you can catch them, they'll take devastating damage, and if they don't die immediately, they'll usually be in a good position to be finished off by your next shot. Also, unlike a standard FPS shotgun, the QL shotgun loses no damage per pellet at range, so if you aim in someone’s general direction at a distance you’re bound to do at least 4 damage, usually more. You can use this to easily take down weakened and fleeing enemies, but against a fresh enemy, you’d be better off with the Machinegun. (Or just not attacking at all). Keep in mind, though, it’s very hard to hit people with this at close range if they’re dodging like mad. Surprise people and don’t let them dodge, or skirmish at mid range, dealing constant damage while focusing on dodging their attacks. Also keep in mind, when enemies start bunnyhopping, it’s the perfect time for skeet shooting. If you can get good with this weapon, you’ll also be a very good Scout in TF2, assuming you also follow Evildaedalus’s guide. Yes, it's an old guide, but still very relevant.

How to counter:

If you have more than 50 health or so and a decent ranged weapon (meaning any weapon other than the Machinegun, Grenade Launcher, or Shotgun), just keep your distance, dodge to the sides, and hose ‘em. If you have LESS than that, take cover and run for it, or hope your weapons can take him down in the first shot or two, or else you’ll have no chance. If they surprise you or ambush at close range, try the strafe-jumping dodge or just move unpredictably. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to surprise them with a quick Gauntlet tap, but don't resort to this unless you are stuck with no better options. If you have enough health to take a few shots from them, you can also back away while dodging and firing and hope they don’t catch up, but in all likelihood, they will, unless you have a rocket launcher or can otherwise ambush them. NEVER move straight towards them if you can avoid it. I've seen so many times when someone with a clear advantage makes the stupid mistake of attempting to get close to an enemy with shotgun, and gets taken down for it.


The Grenade Launcher (GL)

Grenades explode 3 seconds after impacting any solid surface, and instantly when they hit a player other than their firer. Grenades deal variable splash damage depending on distance from the explosion, but a direct hit will deal 100 damage, as will the splash damage if you're standing right on top of it. Its rate of fire gives it a DPS of 125, assuming all grenades hit directly. Unlike the TF2 grenade launcher, grenades DO explode if you touch them after they hit the ground. Its explosions are larger than those of the Rocket Launcher, but grenades travel significantly slower, and do not explode on contact with walls, floors, and ceilings, however they do explode on contact with corpses. This is the only instance in the game where corpses actually matter. Grenades make a metallic tinging noise when they bounce on a surface

The Grenade Launcher is a very… situational weapon. It is very poor as an aggressive weapon, especially because, unlike rockets, people can outrun a grenade. Aiming it is very difficult against a dodging opponent due to the slow projectile speed, although not impossible. It does work well as an impromptu Rocket Launcher if you lead your shots correctly. The arcing shots make it nearly (but not completely) impossible to hit airborne foes, and don’t even think about trying to use it against a fleeing foe. But that doesn’t mean it’s useless. Quite the contrary, in fact. When you’re fleeing, bounce a few grenades off the walls of tight corridors. You’re practically guaranteed to wing your pursuers. Grenades are just as effective as rockets against W+M1ing idiots. You can drop a few down a corridor to start off a fight and your opponent will be weakened if not dead, lay a few down on a powerup or weapon and your opponent will eat them while going for the goods, or put them on a teleporter exit where your foes are expected to be. Use them to turn an opponent’s cover into an exploding deathtrap, then finish them off with your other weapons (this also works against foes who are on platforms above you). Or just spam them in tight areas and rack up kills while enemies fight among your many many explosions.

Also of note: if you fire a grenade low enough to bounce on the ground immediately, you can artificially lower its fuse time, so if you want a faster blast, do that.

How to counter:

If someone you’re chasing pulls a Grenade Launcher and heads for a choke point, there’s a good chance that it’s not worth it to follow him. Go around and ambush him from another angle instead. Some (stupid) people will attempt to chase you if you flee, their grenades falling hopelessly short, leaving them vulnerable to your weapons. Above all else, avoid tight corridors and cramped areas, and be aware that if they miss, that doesn't necessarily mean they missed; keep delayed grenades in mind when dodging. Alternatively, just snipe them. Grenades have pathetic range


The Rocket Launcher (RL)

Like grenades, rockets deal variable splash damage depending on distance from the explosion, however, unlike the grenades, splash damage is capped at 84. Direct hits still deal 100. It fires the same speed as the grenades, so the maximum DPS is once again 125. Rockets have a smaller blast radius than grenades, but travel faster and explode on contact with walls and other obstacles as well as players. The rockets also make a whooshing sound while flying through the air.

If there’s one weapon in Quake Live that you absolutely MUST master, it’s this one. It appears in every level of QL without fail, and is one of the most powerful weapons in the game. Its blast attacks and 100 damage direct hits make it the favorite of pros and non-pros alike. Usable at long range and devastating at short range, this beast of a weapon is going to be your helper, your strength, and your savior. It’s also very effective against multiple foes at a time.

Leading your shots and going for direct hits is the most deadly method of attack; it deals 100 damage per direct hit, meaning that any enemy with no armor or overheal will die in one shot, and almost anyone else will die in two. Even in Clan Arena, it only takes 3 direct hits to kill an uninjured opponent, and even an absolute Quake master who manages to scoop up enough powerups to achieve the perfect 200/200 ideal will go down in 4. However, this isn't easy to do. Direct hits are difficult to land and easily dodgeable. This is where rocket juggling comes in. Oh yes, rocket juggling. Once mastered, this technique will take down pretty much anything. For those unfamiliar with the practice, rocket juggling is the act of keeping an opponent in the air with rocket knockback and setting them up for easy direct hits by knocking them into predictable movement arcs or into corners. This makes dealing heavy damage much easier, so learn it, use it, and love it.

Most people say to aim for the feet when using the rocket launcher, so if you miss, the splash damage still gets them. This is mostly right, but keep one thing in mind: most of the time, an enemy fighting against a rocket launcher is going to be moving away from you, so if you aim for the feet your rockets will fall short. In cases where opponents are fleeing, aim for around the knees. And don't forget to lead your shots if you aren't at point-blank or near point-blank range!

If you don't want to bunny hop, have the low ground, or some other circumstance prevents you from juggling, you can go for direct hits WITHOUT a setup, but this is very difficult. Rockets are not hard to dodge at long range, and somewhat difficult to hit directly even on opponents who are moving straight. But a jumping or jump-pad jumping enemy is a bit more predictable, and flying opponents cannot dodge their incoming explody doom. Keep in mind though: at long range, if your opponent is aware of you, you're better off with a Railgun or Lightning Gun. Avoid engaging aware opponents with either of these weapons at mid to long range, because you WILL lose. Also remember that explosions can cover entire corridors and the splash damage can hit enemies behind corners. And don’t forget: as long as you’re holding this baby, you can travel with explosions! But try not to screw up and rocket jump with less than 50 health if you’re not playing CA, and remember that an opponent at point blank will hurt YOU as well if you hit them with rockets. Last tip: try to keep the high ground if at all possible while using rockets, it makes it much easier to rain splash damage down on your foes

How to counter:

Stay away from walls; the splash damage will decimate you. If at all possible, keep your distance and dodge when necessary. Stay in open areas where you have plenty of room to dodge incoming explosions. Hold the high ground if you can, it will make it almost impossible for him to hit you with splash damage. And for the love of god, don’t bunnyhop. You’ll have explosions waiting for you when you land. Jumping out of the way of rockets is a good way to lower splash damage, however, but may result in you getting juggled if you're not careful. If you get juggled, focus all your attention on taking down your juggler as fast as possible before all your health is gone, or use your own rockets to escape the juggle (but watch your health; getting fragged is preferable to suicide in terms of deaths. You really shouldn't use this strategy at all outside of CA). You can also jump back from the explosions and try an impromptu rocket jump off of their rocket as an escape tactic, but make sure you have somewhere to run to. An alternate strategy is to just get up in their face. They can’t aim at the ground when you’re up close and personal without hitting themselves, so go nuts. Just watch out for direct hits. You’ll take much more damage than they do if you take a direct hit.

A brief note on air rockets: It's difficult to hit a guy when he's flying through the air, but if you've ever played Tribes, it should come naturally to you. If you HAVEN'T played Tribes, here are two tips: 1. remember that when someone is at the peak of their arc, they have “hang time”, were they're not moving very much vertically at all. This makes them slightly easier to hit when they are in it, and should be taken into account when aiming at them on the way down. 2. if you just want to practice your air rockets, go into practice mode, choose a map with lots of jump pads (Longest Yard is usually best), set yourself up with some rock-stupid bots, and go to town.


The Lightning Gun (LG)

Fires a beam of lightning which deals extremely rapid damage. Hits for 6 damage per “tick” (NOTE: This was changed in the August patch. It used to do variable damage based on range, but now always does 6). It does have a limited range, and will deal no damage outside it. Hits up to 20 times per second, giving it a DPS of 120, assuming you keep a perfect lock on your opponent. Also creates a mild buzzing sound when you are holding it, which may give away your position or the positions of your enemies

As a hitscan weapon, a perfectly accurate weapon, and a weapon with an incredibly high DPS, the Lightning Gun is a dangerous son of a bitch. However, your aim is going to have to be good if you want to make this weapon work for you. Unlike rockets, buckshot, or rail slugs, the Lightning Gun requires a constant lock on an opponent to keep its top performance. Keeping a lock on a constantly dodging opponent is extremely difficult. You will pretty much never get that perfect 120 DPS. Remember though: flying and jumping foes can’t dodge. If you’re not so good at midair rocket leading, this is a nice alternative way to shred opponents who dare to use the jump pads. The knockback can even keep foes in the air and undodging for longer, ensuring their demise. You can also use it in choke points; this gives opponents much less dodging space and severely limits their escape options. Still, you do want to get good at hitting grounded and dodging opponents. If you can keep a lock on someone, there’s nothing they can do but die. But watch your ammo! The Lightning Gun chews through it very quickly, and getting caught with an empty gun at an awkward time is usually fatal. Don't be surprised if you're using most of your ammo for one kill at first. One way to maximize your damage is to use your movement to aim instead of adjusting your crosshairs. This will allow you to match a dodging opponent, although it's not too effective against foes who are moving normally instead of zig-zagging. You can also sweep your LG from side to side or in small circles to keep the damage on a dodging opponent, although you won't get DPS as good as  perfect lock if you do this. One last tip: the Lightning Gun is only effective when you have a constant view of your opponent, so if he has cover, you’re usually better off with something else. If you don't HAVE anything else, try and break his cover somehow.

One more thing of note: unlike in the original Quake, the Lightning Gun CAN be used underwater without instagibbing yourself. They must have upped the safety countermeasures or something.

How to counter:

If it's convenient, find cover as fast as possible. This is the best way to minimize the damage you take from the lightning. Dodge to the sides to throw off their aim. Do not jump, or you will be pushed back and helpless. DO NOT use jump pads to attempt to escape. You will get shot down. Using single shot weapons such as the Rocket Launcher and Rail Gun while dodging in and out of cover is an ideal mode of attack. On large maps, you can also sometimes get very far away and use a Railgun to take your attacker down from outside his attack range. But the most important thing is to kill them before they kill you, because if they can get a lock on you, it’s all over.


The Plasma Gun (PG)

Fires balls of plasma in the direction you fire. These shots always travel perfectly straight with no spread or recoil penalties, and have infinite range. Each shot deals 20 damage, and it fires 10 rounds per second, giving this weapon a staggering 200 DPS. It also has a very small amount of splash damage, capped at 15 damage per shot (do not rely on this splash damage).

Similar to the shotgun, this weapon’s effectiveness will vary widely depending on your situation and skill. Leading your shots perfectly will get you absurd amounts of damage. 200 DPS is higher than any weapon in the game other than the BFG... but you won’t get that 200 DPS unless you hit every shot, and chances are, you won’t. Leading your shots is very difficult in a game where people move as fast as they do in QL, especially because you have to keep a constant lock on the place where you're leading. This means that using the Plasma Gun is doubly difficult: it combines the lock-on aiming of the LG with the leading of the RL (and doesn't even have the RL's large splash to make up for it). But again, make it work for you, and it will destroy your enemies faster than any other weapon in QL (Except the BFG of course). A way to bypass the leading problem is to simply spam it in choke points. The limited dodging space means that anyone attempting to go through is pretty much bound to take heavy damage. Foes pressed against walls can also be “pinned” to the wall by shooting a wall of plasma to their side. The only way they can dodge is into the plasma, and if they stay still, their loss, just adjust your aim and shred them. You can use it at close range to eliminate the problem of foes dodging your shots; they won't have nearly enough time (But remember that rocket launchers and shotguns can take you down fast, and also you'll take a very small amount of damage if you use it at point blank). Or you can just pray 'n' spray. You won't deal very much damage, but it's almost impossible to dodge entirely, and is therefore good for finishing off injured opponents. But remember: each ammo box or weapon pickup only contains 50 shots, and it chews through them like nothing. Similar to the LG, watch your ammo. You can perform tiny jump boosts with the splash damage if a weapon or ledge is just out of your reach. You can also “Climb” walls with the splash damage, but like I said earlier, this is rarely ever worth it and usually drains way more health and is way less versatile and reliable than a simple rocket jump. Still, if you want to be a duel master, you should get good at it anyway; rocket launchers are not always close at hand when you need them

How to counter:

Use similar tactics to the Lightning Gun, with a  few changes. You CAN jump or use jump pads, but make sure the pads are going AWAY from your foe. Bunnyhopping can be very useful for throwing off their aim. Avoid close range encounters so that you have time to dodge, and avoid choke points, getting pinned to walls, or getting cornered at all costs.


The Rail Gun (RG)

Fires a single, pinpoint accurate hitscan slug which appears as a tracer beam. A hit deals 80 damage, a miss deals nothing. Its extremely slow fire rate (only one shot every 1.5 seconds or so) restricts its DPS to 53. It also pierces targets, allowing you to hit multiple targets with a single shot if you're lucky or skillful. You also get an “Impressive” award if you score two hits without missing. Quake 3 restricted its color to green, but you can customize it in QL. You can also customize the color you see both your allies beams and your enemy's beams as to avoid confusion in the heat of battle. It also makes a very distinct ambient sound when held which may give away your position or the positions of your opponents.

53 DPS? That's barely even better than the Machine Gun! Plus, the slow fire leaves you very vulnerable if you miss, and the damage per shot is the lowest out of any non-rapid fire weapon in the game other than the gauntlet! but despite these disadvantages, the Rail Gun is both one of the most powerful weapons in QL in the right hands, and one of the weapons you must master if you are to be a QL expert. Its DPS may be low, but keep this in mind: unlike its louder, more powerful cousins, the Rail Gun has precision. With any other weapon, you are rarely if ever actually going to achieve the full DPS. Keeping a perfect lock-on with an LG, MG, HMG, or PG is almost impossible against a dodging foe. It's also nearly impossible to direct hit with every single rocket or grenade or stay close enough and accurate enough to hit with every single shotgun slug. The RG on the other hand will always get its full DPS as long as you can get a single well aimed shot in every 1.5 seconds. Plus, the RG is effective even at the longest ranges, long out of reach of the other weapons. This makes it extremely useful on space maps, where large, open areas are the norm. Press your range advantage whenever you can, but watch out for LG users. If they get too close, it will hurt. Find cover and take 'em down easy if they show up. Also keep in mind that it's an instantaneous kill against foes with less than 80 HP, so you can also use it to prevent retaliation against weakened foes, but make sure you don't miss!

How to counter:

Similar to the LG, dodge sideways like mad. Don't jump or use jump pads or you'll be shot down. If they fire but don't kill you, keep in mind that you have a little less than 1.5 seconds to move freely. You can use this time to close the distance with them or escape. If an RG user takes you on at long range and you have no RG of your own, find cover ASAP or attempt to close the distance with an LG or HMG while dodging. Try not to get in rail duels if you don't have enough HP to take a rail yourself. Escape and try to gain an advantage before engaging again.

Above all else, never go straight toward or straight away from them or you will be taken down (although that's a pretty good rule of thumb for fighting any hitscan weapon)


The Heavy Machine Gun (HMG)

Deals 8 damage per shot, 13 1/3 shots per second, 106 2/3 DPS. Has a slightly larger spread than the MG.

Ah, the new weapon from the August patch. I'm not going to spend much time on this because it's effectively the same as the LG with some incredibly minor differences. So instead of copypasting the LG section with a few edits, I'll just go over the pros and cons of the HMG vs the LG.

Pros:
No tracer, similar to the MG
No maximum range
Looks and sounds similar to the MG, so foes might underestimate you
Doesn't chew through its ammo as fast

Cons:
Lower DPS
Has spread, making it less reliable at mid range

Overall, the LG is better in most situations, but the HMG can be useful on larger and more open maps. Don't underestimate the benefits of lower ammo consumption and no tracer though. In the end, it's mostly down to personal preference.

How to counter:

Use the LG tactics, but keep in mind that they can still hit you outside LG range.


The BFG 10,000 (BFG)

Fires giant plasma balls which explode on impact with walls and players. Each shot deals 100 damage on a direct hit. Splash damage starts at 100 and decreases depending on distance from splash. Splash is slightly smaller than that of the Rocket Launcher. Fires incredibly quickly considering its power, and has a staggering 333 1/3 DPS.

I do not consider this weapon as part of the “8 standard weapons”, mostly because it does not appear in Clan Arena FOR GOOD REASON. This is effectively a rapid fire rocket launcher. If that doesn't scream “unbalanced” to you, I don't know what will. Even among the overpowered weapons of QL, this one is over-overpowered. Do I even have to tell you how to use this weapon?

HOWEVER, it does have some disadvantages despite its power. For one thing, its splash is smaller than that of the rocket launcher. This may be mostly a non-issue because of the increased splash damage, but it means that you can't jump very well with it (and will take more damage while attempting to jump with it), and a good dodger will have a slightly easier time avoiding the splash. The smaller splash also makes it harder to juggle with. It also has very limited ammo, and chews through its 10 shots far faster than the Lightning or Plasma guns. The gun itself tends to be in areas that require you to expose yourself, meaning that if anyone sees you going for it, you might get shot down before you even grab it. And, of course, if you accidentally put your face to a wall, you're probably going to kill yourself. Still, if you can get your hands on one, they can take down almost any enemy with very little trouble, and absolutely vaporize enemies at close range or in enclosed spaces.

How to counter:

If you're in an enclosed area, GET OUT. Otherwise, just use the rocket launcher tactics. Try and keep your distance; that's the easiest way to avoid the splash damage.


Other weapons:

Due to how rarely they appear, I won't be going into very much detail about the three other weapons that appear in QL. I will, however, give you some base descriptions and damage values. I'm pretty sure you can figure out how to use them on your own

The Chaingun:

Basically a machine gun on steroids. Spins slowly at first, then speeds up for double the DPS. Each shot deals 8 damage. DPS is 80 while spinning slowly, 160 while spinning quickly. However, has a larger spread than the MG and a slightly larger spread than the HMG, and thus has slightly more damage falloff at range, but usually does more damage anyway at all but the longest ranges. Effectively, you should just use it the same way as the lightning gun, except try to spin up a bit before you face off with your foes.

Nailgun

Fires ricocheting projectiles. It can hit enemies around corners, but the chances of actually pulling this off are low. Deals 12 damage per projectile, 10 projectiles per shot, and 1 shot per second resulting in a DPS of 120. This is effectively a shotgun with a bit more power, not hitscan, and a much, much tighter spread. A well led shot can take down an unarmored opponent with ease, and it can hold choke points very well. However, it's not a very common weapon and it is very hard to aim due to being non-hitscan, non-rapid-fire, AND non-splash damage.

Proximity Mines

NOTE: As of the August patch, proxy mines have been removed. This description will remain in the guide for posterity and in case they return.

Annoying. Basically a sticky grenade launcher. Deals the same damage as a grenade launcher but the shots last longer and have proximity triggers, but make a distinct sound and a flashing light which makes it very easy to tell when they're close by. And yes, you can stick them to players. The proximity trigger DOES have a delay, however, so if you know that the mines are there, you can trigger them, back off, and take no damage.


Now, a brief word on weapon loadouts. The August patch changed... a lot of things. But loadouts were most certainly the biggest change. Before this point, everyone spawned with nothing but a machine gun. Now you get something more than that. The intent of this change was to make the game easier and more approachable, but most of the existing QL community didn't want that. A lower skill requirement kind of cheapens the experience, and I will not claim that I was not disappointed myself. But honestly, if Quake has to become Babby's First Arena Shooter in order to keep the genre alive, so be it. I'll admit that I would have been a bit more miffed if UT4 wasn't coming to appease the hardcore crowd, but it is, so I'm not. Besides, duel mode doesn't have loadouts, and duels are the part of QL that is the hardest of hardcore. Anyway, enough about my personal feelings about loadouts, let's talk about the loadouts themselves.

Your choices for weapons are RG, RL, HMG, and LG for primary and SG, MG, PG, and GL for secondary. Note that primary weapons do not come with much ammo; the slow firing ones only come with 5 shots, and the fast ones with only 50. This can be fixed with ammo crates. Now as for the choices, I am firmly of the opinion that in most situations, the best loadout is RG + SG. RG because it gives you the long range advantage and is also generally harder to acquire than the other weapons, and SG because it's the most powerful and reliable secondary weapon at close range, and you have RG for long range. For these reasons, I honestly think that both RG and SG should not actually be spawn weapon options, especially the RG. The massive range advantage granted by the RG should be something you have to earn, not just get by default. But I digress. Let's briefly go over the other options:

The RL is the best choice for close-quarters, and also gives you rocket-jumping capability right off the bat. On larger maps, pair it with the MG to cover your long range gap, and on smaller ones, pair it with the SG.

The HMG and LG are pretty much interchangeable, although for larger maps, the HMG can stand in for the RG if you want to use a secondary other than the SG. If you want mid-range dominance, this is a good option.

The GL and PG are kind of the oddballs. The GL is unreliable as hell, but has the advantage of being able to make traps and attack foes around corners and such. This can be useful in maps with lots of enclosed areas. I suggest pairing it with the LG or HMG so that you can always have something reliable to make up for it. The PG... well, you can actually pair the PG with any primary weapon IF you are good with it. Being good with it is very hard though, so usually it's just a worse version of the SG. There is one exception though: corridors. On maps with lots of straight and narrow passages like Hero's Keep, Cobalt Station, and Eviscerated, the PG can make it nightmarish for your enemies to travel through any choke point.


Lesson 3: Items

In every mode except Clan Arena and Instagibs, items are an incredibly important factor in Quake Live. Controlling and collecting them is what separates good QL players from the kind of QL players who win FFA games with a 10/1 KDR before anyone else can even break 25 kills. And win duels with a score of 20 to 0. Items don't spawn randomly (except the first powerup spawn); every item will respawn a set amount of time after it is taken, so obviously you want to be back to get it at that time. Some people pay attention to the in-game clock and actually time the items exactly, but you can also time by feeling; basically estimating when you think the timer is up. This will take a lot of practice. Don't be afraid to wait around an area for a few seconds waiting for an item to spawn either, just make sure you're not waiting in a vulnerable position. Also note that even though item timers have been introduced in the August patch, you have to be at the spawn point in order to see them, so keeping mental timers is still important.

Two other things to note:

1. Most weapons respawn every 5 seconds, so if you need a weapon and it's not at the spawn point, just wait for it, but watch out for the person who took it before you. Take note, however, that a few weapon spawns are less frequent. Ammo respawns every 10 seconds.

2. taking ANY item makes a sound which can be heard by others. If you're tracking someone down, listen for them and track them down based on what items you hear them collect. If you're trying to be stealthy, avoid picking up items you don't need (but never pass up a red or yellow armor or the megahealth if you have an opportunity to get it without being attacked)

Armor

Armor comes in 4 flavors: red (100 armor) yellow (50 armor) green (25 armor) and armor shards (5 armor) All armors respawn 25 seconds after they are collected and max out at 200. Controlling armor is INCREDIBLY powerful in QL; if you can get even half of the red armors that spawn in an FFA game, you will have a major advantage over your opponents. If you have armor and take damage, 2/3 of the damage will be redirected to your armor, so if your health is at least half of your armor, armor is basically an extension of your health bar. 100 armor will effectively double your longevity, and 200 will triple it. Always try and control armor, especially red armor, whenever you can.

Health

Health also comes in 4 flavors: green (restores 5, but can go up to 200) yellow (restores 25, but can only go up to 100) orange (restores 50, but can only go up to 100) and blue, AKA the megahealth (restores a whopping 100 and can go up to 200) Health respawns 35 seconds after it is taken, however in duels on Vertical Vengeance and Almost Lost the megahealth will take 2 minutes instead. Being that health is what keeps you alive, having 100 health or more can make you much harder to kill. Megahealth control is MUCH more important than you might think, as well. You might be wondering why, especially because armor can bring you up to 200 effective health  (100 hp, 100 armor) without decaying. The big reason is because the megahealth is the only way to actually get the perfect 200/200 state. No matter how much you control armor, you will max out at 300; with mega health, you can have 400, which is incredibly important in duels. Megahealth is also important in FFA, where all the smaller health powerups will be getting scooped up by other players and armor alone will not protect you. Also of note: grabbing a health bubble in the middle of battle is a good way to artificially extend your health, but don't neglect your attacks while doing so, and be aware that your opponent may see you going for the health and plant a rocket on it.

Powerups

Powerups are a special breed of item; not every map has them, but they are very valuable and can make a big difference in your performance. They aren't on the map at the beginning of the game, but spawn randomly between 30 and 60 seconds into the match and respawn two minutes after they are collected on most maps. They all last 30 seconds and are dropped when their holder is killed. A recognizable sound that sounds vaguely like a gasp can be heard by everyone when they spawn or respawn, and the announcer will say the name of the powerup to everyone when someone picks it up. Also of note: on some maps, different powerups will spawn in the same place. You'll probably want to get them no matter what spawns though. In addition, as of the August patch, a globally visible icon will appear a few seconds before a powerup spawns, so watch out for enemies trying to contest you for them.

Quad Damage

The item that turns the tides of a battle. It used to give a true quadruple damage back in the original Quake, but due to game balance issues and possibly inflation, it now only supplies triple damage. Still, it turns even the lowly machinegun into a greater threat than a lightning gun, and every other weapon into an engine of destruction. Your weapon choice should be different while holding Quad than normally; for one thing, the rocket launcher is less prudent due to the facts that you won't need the juggle for massive damage and if you hit yourself with the splash, you'll definitely suicide. It's still very usable though, just lower on the priority list. The best choices while quadding are generally the shotgun, HMG, and lightning gun, although the rail is great for instakill bursts at any range, and the plasma gun's 600 DPS will shred through even the toughest opponents. Keep in mind though: it provides no armor or health when picked up. You can still be killed just as well as anyone else if you don't kill your foes quickly. It is dropped on death, so be careful not to give it to your opponents when playing team games, and try and steal it from foes if you see an opponent with it who doesn't know you're there (if they do know you're there, it might be a good idea to get out before you die, unless the quad holder is already almost dead) Also take note that rocket jumping while holding the quad and NOT holding a battle suit is a very very bad idea. You also are surrounded by a blue aura while holding this item, making it obvious that you have it.

Regeneration

Provides 15 health per second up to 100 health. If you already have 100 health or more, provides 5 health per second. Also stops health decay while you have it. This one is pretty self explanatory, but as always, keep in mind: you're not unkillable while you have it. Some armor will go a long way to making you LESS killable though. It's also worth noting that it is the only way to get 200 health without megahealth, so if you have no mega control or are on a megaless map, try to control this powerup. Appearance wise, it makes you flash red every second.

Invisibility

This one is just mean. You are transparent while holding this item, and are basically seen as a vague shimmer in the air. This is not protection from collateral damage of course, but it will let you get surprise kills all over the place. The shotgun and HMG are preferred weapons while using this powerup, because they leaves no tracer and will not give away your position. Rockets aren't bad either, but don't use lightning or plasma, because your position will be obvious. You CAN use the gauntlet, but keep it off until the moment when you actually attack, or it will give your position away

Haste

Provides 30% bonus movement speed and 25% bonus attack speed. Great when combined with any DPS weapon, but fast rails or shotguns may also be powerful. Rockets are not as effective, because the knockback will make prediction very difficult, although true rocket masters can work with it. This is the only powerup that doesn't modify your appearance, however it will cause your character to create a “speed dust” trail when you run

Battle Suit

Provides complete protection from lava and other non-instant-death environmental hazards. Also prevents all fall damage and self-damage, so rocket jump to your heart's content. In addition, you take half damage from all outside sources while you have it. For some reason, unlike the other powerups, the announcer does not announce when this powerup is picked up, merely playing a tone for everyone on the map. You will be surrounded by an orange aura while holding it.


Holdable items

These items can be saved for later and used whenever you want. You can only carry one at a time, and they respawn every 90 seconds. They are not dropped on death and are lost if you die while holding them.

Medkit

Doesn't appear in very many maps, and NEVER appears in duels or FFA. Upon use, restores your health to the spawn total of 125, regardless of what it was before. Can't be used if your health is over 125, so don't worry about accidentally losing your megahealth with it.

Personal Teleporter

Randomly teleports you to a spawn point on the map. This is effectively a “get out of jail free card”, and will let you get out of a bad situation that would normally be hopeless. It can also save you when falling into a bottomless pit or when you are about to die from fall damage. Keep in mind that you might end up teleporting in right next to a guy with a rocket launcher and a hard-on, so use it as a last resort.

Kamikaze

Instagibs yourself in exchange for a MASSIVE explosion around you. Obviously you don't want to use this unless you're gonna die anyway or have at least 2, preferably more people around you. This item also automatically activates itself on your corpse after you die, but there is a long enough delay for your killer to get away if you die. Also surrounds both your living body and your corpse with floating skulls, letting people know that you are a ticking time bomb. This is also the only non-powerup item that makes a global sound when it spawns, namely a bell toll.

Invulnerability

Gives you 10 seconds of immobile invincibility. Smart players will just run and come back with rockets blazing in 10 seconds, but using it around important areas and major choke points can give your enemies a lot of trouble. Also can be used as a surprise move when your enemy thinks he's got you.

Flight/Jetpack

Can be used over time rather than once, but does have a limit to how much fuel it has. As long as you hold down the item button, this item will propel you upwards, allowing you to avoid fall damage and rain destruction down on your enemies like no other. But don't get too carried away or you'll just get shot down by railgunners.


Persistent Powerups

NOTE: As of the August patch, Persistent Powerups have been removed. This section is remaining in the guide for posterity and in case they return. I hope they do, because they were a lot of fun.

These items, also known as “runes”, only appear in CTF in each team's base. You can only hold one at a time, but once you have one, you'll keep it until you die. They are all represented by letters and respawn every 10 seconds. You can only take the runes from your own side of the map.

Armor Regen:

Regenerates 10 armor every second up to 100. A nice ability in general, especially for people who don't control armors or want to travel in groups and let their teammates take armor. Also good for enclosed maps with lots of hiding spots where you can lick your wounds and come back with a vengeance.

Damage:

Much like the Quad Damage, balance issues have made the Damage powerup significantly less... powerful. It used to be called the Doubler and did exactly what you would expect, but now it only supplies 150% damage. Keep in mind, however, that the other runes are defensive or can be used defensively, so it effectively makes you a glass cannon. It is best used for defending, because you can get all the armor you need in your own base, and your increased damage will allow you to easily take down attackers and flag thieves. Also dieing is less of a penalty if you were defending rather than attacking because you won't lose as much position.

Guard:

You take half damage from everything. If you're going to be scooping up armor and health powerups all over the place, there is no substitute for this; it will make you an unstoppable juggernaut. Also very useful for defending the flag carrier and assaulting heavily defended flags.

Scout:

You move and fire 25% faster, take no self-damage, and do not make footstep sounds, but as a consequence, your armor decays to 50 instead of 100, and decays even faster when you're over 100. This is a must-have for flag runners and interceptors. If your rocket acrobatics are good enough, you can steal pretty much any flag with this bad boy under your belt.



Lesson 4: Tactics.

A lot of people write Quake off as a brainless twitch shooter. But let me speak from experience: if you don't use your brain, YOU WILL GET SLAUGHTERED in higher level gameplay. Doubly so in Clan Arena, Triply so in TDM and CTF, and Quadruply so in Duels. I won't get into every strategical detail ever, especially not team tactics (although staying with your team and not being a lone wolf idiot does help), but I can go over the kind of tactics which may seem minuscule but will improve your game exponentially if you employ them where you did not before. Starting with the most important one:


Attack or Retreat

AKA Advance or Abscond, Fight or Flight, and Know When to Hold 'em and When to Fold 'em. This is a very basic concept: always know that retreat IS an option, and is sometimes a better option than staying on the offensive. I made the mistake of going full-bore offensive all the time when I first started playing Quake, and chances are you did too. This will get you killed more often than not. If you have a significant tactical disadvantage and an easy escape route, don't hesitate to take it. Even if the escape route ISN'T easy, take it anyway if your situation is dire enough. Just because you run from a battle doesn't mean you can't come back later with better weapons, more armor, or a better position and turn the tides against your foes. Plus, when you come back, your foe might be distracted, giving you the advantage of surprise and an even better chance to defeat them. Three more things to keep in mind: first, there is ALWAYS a penalty for death. In FFA it's losing all your weapons and possibly being thrown out of position and item control. It's even worse in team games and duels, where a death for you is also a kill for the enemy. Even if the situation seems hopeless and your HP is very low, the only time you should be giving up your life is in CTF games, and even then you should avoid it unless your sacrifice may make the difference between a successful capture/intercept or a failed one. Second, chasers are predictable. They usually have to strafe jump to keep up with you, and unlike your strafe jumps, their jumping is going to be straight towards you. This makes it really easy to counterattack. Even if they don't strafe jump, it's just a matter of turning a corner and setting up an ambush. For this reason, it's also generally a bad idea to chase others unless you think you can make the kill quickly. Use a different route and ambush fleeing foes from a different angle. Third, DO NOT TUNNEL VISION. It is a very common thing for a player to only focus on his target, then get killed by someone flanking them or drawing a railgun bead on them. If you are between two enemies and both of them have their sights on you, GET OUT. If it's really desperate, just focus on your initial target and try to get one more kill before you go down, but more often than not, you can just escape and come back later.

Also of note: don't forget about your personal teleporter if you have one! If you get flanked or cornered, don't hesitate to pop it to save your life!


Height, Distance, Space, and Cover

Some weapons work better in some situations. This is obvious. However it is very easy to overlook an obvious tactical disadvantage or advantage based simply on where an opponent is or where YOU are. Here are the basics of this type of tactics:

An opponent with a height advantage can rain rockets, grenades, and rails on his opponents with minimal chance of return fire. The height also means that rocket splash is MUCH easier to hit with. If the platform he is standing on is high enough, it can be used as cover, because his foe cannot shoot OVER it and must either resort to well timed burst attacks, minimal damage DPS attacks, or grenades. If you are facing a foe who has this advantage over you, the best way to overcome it is with a railgun or by retreating and attacking from a less vulnerable angle. It may be tempting to rocket jump in order to get on his level, and this SOMETIMES works, but a skilled opponent will just shoot you out of the air if he's aware of you (although if he's not, this can turn the tides of battle in your favor with a surprise attack). You can also spam grenades up to his area, but this usually only works if he's distracted; if he knows you're there he'll wise up to that mode of attack pretty quickly.

Obviously, range is a big factor in determining what weapons will outperform others. Rocket Launchers and Shotguns are ideal short range weaponry, although if you're good, a Plasma Gun will do the job even faster, and a Lightning Gun or HMG can be powerful as well. At mid range, pretty much nothing beats a Lightning Gun, but the Rocket Launcher and Plasma Gun will also work in a pinch, the Railgun and HMG will still work very effectively, and a shotgun will work if your opponent has some other disadvantage. Railguns and Machine Guns excel at long range confrontations, but if your opponent doesn't get out of range, the Lightning Gun will work as well. So if you're within your opponent's ideal range for his weapon, you are by default at a disadvantage. Break this advantage if you can! At long range, back off from LG users and keep out of their reach. Don't get close to shotgunners and keep enough distance from rockets to dodge. And always try and get within the ideal range for YOUR weapons. And remember, if you're up against an opponent and you're at HIS ideal range and not yours, there's always the option to retreat and approach from a more favorable angle.

Some areas have tight corridors and lots of walls. Others are wide open and have plenty of space. Obviously, having less dodging space will make it easier to hit with rockets and plasma and it's easier to hit with splash damage and trap foes with grenades if there are walls everywhere. However, more walls means more cover, making lightning and plasma spam less effective (although also giving you less space to avoid both), and giving you places to hide from railgunners. Keep this in mind when choosing your battlefields.

If you have something to hide behind, you can use that to your advantage. Quake is no cover-based shooter; it trusts you to be able to use cover on your own without Velcroing your back to a wall that you want to take cover behind. Having a place to hide is a great way to fight when you have a railgun. Just pop out, shoot, and pop back in. Of course, if your enemy has a railgun you'll probably take a counterattack. Cover isn't super effective against most weapons in QL; rockets can hit you around corners, plasma can be spammed so that you take it as soon as you come out, grenades can flush you out, and rails can hurt a lot when you take peeks. What cover can REALLY be useful for, however, is covering escapes or disguising ambushes. When fleeing an opponent, put as much solid matter as you can between you and your opponent. Or alternatively, turn around, pretend you're still fleeing, and hose your opponent when they give chase. Just keep both your weapons and your opponent's weapons in mind; cover is still one of the most effective deterrents of lightning guns.


Item control

See the section on items for more details on this, but item control is pretty damn important. You want armor if you want to stay alive. If you're not scooping up at least half the powerups in a duel, you're probably losing. Also keep in mind that even if you can't get an item yourself, you can make life difficult for anyone trying to take it from you. Rain rockets and grenades on the area and make them pay for taking the powerups that are so clearly yours; items generally spawn in vulnerable positions, so take advantage of that. Just make sure that doesn't happen to YOU when YOU go for the items

Weapon Combos

Now, weapon combos aren't exactly the most important thing in Quake Live. Making a kill with just one weapon is a fine way of doing things most of the time. In fact, a lot of the time, it's encouraged; weapon switching may be fast in QL, but it's not instantaneous. However, knowing these combos can be useful in some situations. A lot of the time, they're pretty intuitive, but it doesn't hurt to go over them anyway. Keep in mind though, against a highly armored foe, these effectiveness of these combos is dubious. They're mainly meant for quickly finishing off foes with 150 combined health and armor or less, although a bit more focus with the first weapon can make them work against tougher opponents. Starting with one of the most fun ones...

Rocket to Rail

In wide open areas where your rockets can launch an opponent high into the air, it's time for skeet shooting! This combo is also useful for when your rocket launches an opponent away, even in cramped quarters. Be ready to adjust for dodge in that case though; he'll probably land before you can switch to rail. You can also use the lightning gun if your opponent is knocked REALLY high up.

Rocket to Shotgun

Very simple: Weaken with rockets, finish with shotgun. As a rule, it's very hard to miss with the shotgun, and the fact that it's hitscan and thus will prevent counterattacks faster than the slow-traveling rockets is also a nice bonus. It also means that you don't have to bunny hop for the final strike, and can also easily finish off foes who have gained height or distance on you.

DPS to Burst

As a rule, the LG combos really well because it has no downtime between shots, so you can switch at any time. You can weaken your opponent with LG or HMG, then finish off with some buckshot. This is a basic DPS/burst combo, and also works with the Plasma instead of Lightning or Rail instead of Shotgun. The concept is that the DPS reduces them to the point where they can be finished off in one shot, and does so with maximum efficiency. This is a nice, fast way to dispose of an opponent. Just be careful not to miss with the burst attack, or else you would have done better to not have switched at all.

Burst to DPS

As a rule, burst attacks are generally all-or-nothing. If you miss with a Railgun shot or whiff a shotgun attack, you're wide open for a while, and rockets become very unreliable at longer ranges, and are difficult to score powerful hits with if you don't have the height advantage or are in open areas. And of course, a grenade is always hit-or-miss if you're not in an enclosed area and your opponent isn't an idiot and doesn't stand on grenades you've already launched. However, if you manage to land a good, powerful burst damage hit, but don't trust yourself to land another, switch to a DPS weapon and finish the job. Rapid fire is hard to miss with. This works best with the LG, but also works with the MG. It will even work with the PG in a pinch, although I suggest spraying instead of actually trying to aim with it if you're going for a quick finish; you only need one or two shots to connect if you're using plasma.


Learn from your mistakes

This is the final piece of advice that this guide is going to provide, but it's also the most important one. When you die in Quake Live, chances are it's because you made some kind of mistake. Maybe you engaged on an opponent who had too much armor. Maybe you tried to fight an enemy at close range and he pulled a shotgun. Maybe you got surrounded and attacked by two guns at once. Maybe you stepped out into a wide open area with no railgun to defend yourself with. Maybe you got greedy and chased a guy only to have him pick up an orange health bubble, turn a corner, and hose you when you show your face. Maybe you just stepped on a grenade. No matter what happens, realize what you did right, and what you did wrong. Correct your future actions accordingly. If you die and just keep doing the same things that resulted in your death, guess what? You're going to keep dying. So learn instead. This really applies to almost any video game, and I guess also to life itself, but it's more important in Quake than you'd expect. Learn from your mistakes. Get better. Start dominating. And actually play every once in a while! Empty servers are depressing.

I'll see you in the arena. Long live the high-flying, fast-paced first person shooter. Good luck, have fun, and kick ass.