Most Underrated Skill in Quake?

[Lardarse]

In single player, conserving ammo. Especially grenades, if you are a GL whore (I am).

I actually find that it's nails that I often run out of once I get going with the SNG, so instead I use the SSG a lot more than most do. I can easily take down a fiend with just the SSG, because I've spent a lot of time teaching myself how to do it...

I like to do 100% runs through the id episodes (though I'm not really good). It's very easy to waste all your grenades in e2m1 because it's convenient (and fun).

Then, in e2m2, you have to backtrack to kill some zombies because you were out of grenades. That sucks.

Simple. Don't use the GL on e2m1 :-) The highest single monster health on that level is 80, unless you're playing it with a mod that randomly makes enforcers into "tanks" with 300 health, but that's why I save all of my nails ;-)

If you want to save shotgun ammo on enforcers (and knights), then use the trick that speedrunners do - shoot single, then double. That will work on scrags as well, but they move too much...

I think that the most underreated skill (at least in SP - if you play DM and you don't have this skill, then you have a problem...) is making every shot count. I posted this in func_msgboard, and I'll post it again here:

Take the Marcher Fortress for example. On Easy, there is a fiend walking away from you right at the beginning. (I've never tried any other skill settings). You have to take it out with just your shotgun. Now, the fiend has 300 health, and your shotgun does 24 damage (6 pellets each doing 4) per shot. That means that to take it down in 13, you can only miss with 3 pellets. If you can't consistently kill it in 13-15 shots, then you need more practice with the shotgun.

If you really want to practice this, and you know how to code and compile QC, then you could make a progs.dat where ammo pickups are reduced in value and/or you can carry less ammo. THEN try to do episode 1 on nightmare getting all kills and secrets...

[golden_boy]

Lardarse, you have some very good tips. Thank you.

My SNG use follows a pattern of "use like a whore, then use something else" unless it's a shambler (in id maps, you mostly get nail ammo when you meet one, example Crypt of Decay and Door to Chthon).

I use a bestweapon script that goes, "shaft, SNG, SSG, nailgun" and have quick grenade bound to mouse3. RL is selected by keypress, Space switches me back to the best non-explosive weapon.

I have no qualms to use SNG or shaft when I have ammo. I don't start panicking when I run out of nails or cells. they're luxury. I'll take on a hellknight with the SSG. I almost never run out of shells.

I will adapt on maps where I have to conserve f.ex. nails, though. But it's rare.

In dm, it's RL, shaft and quad-sng like most others I'd guess. My boomstick skills could be better.

Making every shot count, you're right. You said it better than me.

[Monster]

I can bring down a shambler easily with an axe, it just takes awhile.

[ubermensch]

Using the hook is the most underrated skill in Q, hands down.

Owing to a disability, I can only effectively use one or two fingers of my left hand, so I learned the hook really well and use that where other players would use side-stepping, etc.; the hook gets me out of those tough situations. Though sometimes it creates new ones (a lot of my deaths come from excessive hook-usage giving my position away)

Funny story, I used have this theory of applying "reason" to hook-usage (how Kantian!) and try and figure out the 'perfect' way to use hooks, but I realized that when you're in the game, most of what you do is basic instincts (reaction), so if you stop to think, even for a second, you get fragged.

As Connery in the Rock said: "You must never hesitate." (that used to be a bind I used!)


Your pal,
Cory

[ubermensch]

Oh and if we're talking about "pure" skills (not mods), then I'll say controlling the LG. You master that, and you're set for life.


Regards,
Cory

[Lardarse]

Lardarse, you have some very good tips. Thank you.

/* Snip */

Making every shot count, you're right. You said it better than me.

Thanks. I agree that you almost certainly need nails to take down shamblers, as well as vores (if you can't use explosives) and fiends (if there's not much room to move). But you should learn to adapt your weapon choice to the situation; that includes what the monster is, where it is, and what ammo you have left. I was playing the other day, and I used 4 different weapons to take down an ogre. That's a little extreme, but I was trying to save both shotgun and nail ammo...

If you really want to practice this, and you know how to code and compile QC, then you could make a progs.dat where ammo pickups are reduced in value and/or you can carry less ammo. THEN try to do episode 1 on nightmare getting all kills and secrets...

I've actually made that progs.dat if anyone wants to try it...