Strafe-jumping
Encyclopedia
Strafe-jumping is a form of trickjump used to increase a player's speed in computer games based on the Quake engine
and now the Doom 3 engine. The technique is common in Half-Life 2
, QuakeWorld
, Quake II
, Quake III Arena
, Quake 4
, QuakeLive, CodeRED: Alien Arena
, Nexuiz
, Cube, Jedi Knight II
, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
, Soldier of Fortune II
, Doom 3
, War§ow, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
and Tremulous
. It is widely accepted as being part of the game.
It had started as a bug in the Quake code base, but it was later decided to be kept intact, as it has become a canonical method used by the player base.
The movements are usually as follows:
Done correctly, this will dramatically increase the player's velocity with successive jumps. The only way to learn this technique is by practice. Sequential strafejumping is mainly a matter of muscle memory, as the maximum angle of mouse motion increases slightly with consecutive jumps. Another way to increase jump speed in Quake III is a circle-jump where the player gets over 500 units/sec (standard runspeed is 320 units/sec).
To use this technique while getting around narrow curves, one has to release the forward key while turning into the new direction. This keeps the speed, where one normally would have to either stop jumping or run into the wall.
In some games based on the Quake 3 engine, such as Call of Duty and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, fractional increases in jump height can be achieved by playing the game at higher frame rate
s.
The movements are as follows:
In any first person shooter with jumping a player who jumps up and down to avoid being shot is sometimes called a bunny hopper. This is a very basic technique that only works against inexperienced opponents.
More advanced techniques known as bunny hopping use game physics to move faster than the base movement speed, combined with air-control (the ability to change movement direction significantly without losing speed while in the air). Techniques that gain speed without the ability to significantly change direction are often called Strafe-jumping. The methods used to achieve bunny hopping varies from game to game.
Bunny hopping is implemented in QuakeWorld
, DeFRaG
, Challenge ProMode Arena
, OSP
(only with cpm physics) mods for Quake III Arena
, Team Fortress Classic
, Half-Life Mod Natural Selection, Warsow, Enemy Territory Fortress (a mod for Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
), Painkiller, Kingpin: Life of Crime
, Dystopia and Nexuiz
.
Quake engine
The Quake engine is the game engine that was written to power 1996's Quake, written by id Software. It featured true 3D real-time rendering and is now licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License ....
and now the Doom 3 engine. The technique is common in Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
, QuakeWorld
QuakeWorld
QuakeWorld is an update to id Software's seminal multiplayer deathmatch game, Quake, that enhances the game's multiplayer features to allow people with dial-up modems to achieve greatly improved responsiveness when playing on Internet game servers...
, Quake II
Quake II
Quake II, released on December 9, 1997, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Id Software and distributed by Activision. It is not a sequel to Quake; it merely uses the name of the former game due to Id's difficulties in coming up with alternative names.The soundtrack for Quake II...
, Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
, Quake 4
Quake 4
Quake 4 is the fourth title in the series of Quake first-person shooter computer games. The game was developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. Raven Software has collaborated with id Software, the creators and historical developers of preceding Quake games...
, QuakeLive, CodeRED: Alien Arena
CodeRED: Alien Arena
Alien Arena is a free, stand-alone first-person shooter computer game based on source code released by id Software. Begun by COR Entertainment in 2004, the game combines a 1950s-era sci-fi atmosphere with gameplay similar to the Quake, Doom, and Unreal Tournament series...
, Nexuiz
Nexuiz
Nexuiz is a free first-person shooter video game developed and published by Alientrap Software. It is free and open-source software and is distributed under the GNU General Public License . Version 1.0 of the game was released on May 31, 2005. The current version, 2.5.2, was released on October 1,...
, Cube, Jedi Knight II
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, often abbreviated JK2 or JO, is a first- and third-person action game developed by Raven Software and published by LucasArts and Activision. The PC version was released in March and the Mac OS X, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube versions were released in November...
, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a first and third-person shooter action game set in the Star Wars universe. It was developed by Raven Software and published, distributed and marketed by LucasArts in North America and by Activision in the rest of the world. Jedi Academy was released in...
, Soldier of Fortune II
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix
Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix is a video game created by Raven Software, a sequel to Soldier of Fortune. It was developed using the Quake III: Team Arena engine. Once again, Raven hired John Mullins to act as a consultant on the game...
, Doom 3
Doom 3
Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...
, War§ow, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a free and open source multiplayer first-person shooter video game set during World War II...
and Tremulous
Tremulous
Tremulous is a free and open source team-based first-person shooter with real-time strategy elements.The game features two opposing teams: humans and aliens. Each team must attack the enemy's base and team members, while defending their own base...
. It is widely accepted as being part of the game.
It had started as a bug in the Quake code base, but it was later decided to be kept intact, as it has become a canonical method used by the player base.
Strafe-jumping
Strafe-jumping requires a very specific combination of mouse and keyboard input. The exact technique involved depends on the game itself; however, most games follow a certain pattern of user actions. In several games, there are entire maps devoted to this, much like obstacle courses.The movements are usually as follows:
- The player presses the forward key, preparing to make the first jump.
- Still keeping the forward key pressed, the player jumps, adding either the move left or the move right key (ergo the strafeStrafingStrafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
in the term, strafe-jumping). The strafe and jump keys must be pressed at the same time. - To gain maximum speed, the player must now move the mouse smoothly to around a 45 degree (i.e., turn) in the direction of the strafe, while still holding down the two aforementioned keys. This part is called airstrafing, which is responsible for increase in speed during the jump.
- For successive strafejumps, the player immediately jumps again on landing, swapping the direction of strafe as well as mouse motion.
Done correctly, this will dramatically increase the player's velocity with successive jumps. The only way to learn this technique is by practice. Sequential strafejumping is mainly a matter of muscle memory, as the maximum angle of mouse motion increases slightly with consecutive jumps. Another way to increase jump speed in Quake III is a circle-jump where the player gets over 500 units/sec (standard runspeed is 320 units/sec).
To use this technique while getting around narrow curves, one has to release the forward key while turning into the new direction. This keeps the speed, where one normally would have to either stop jumping or run into the wall.
In some games based on the Quake 3 engine, such as Call of Duty and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, fractional increases in jump height can be achieved by playing the game at higher frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
s.
Circle jump start
The circle jump start is the action performed by the player at the start of the strafe jumping, this gives a sudden burst of speed as opposed to gaining speed with regular strafe jumping. This technique is found to have worked best in Quake 3 engine based games.The movements are as follows:
- The player stands about 90 degrees from the direction he intends to move in.
- The player then holds forward, the left or right strafe key (depending on which direction he or she intends to take), and turn to face 45 degrees the opposite way. (The player will have turned 135 degrees from his or her original position)
- The player now continues into strafe jumping.
Bunny hopping
Bunny hopping is a term used for different kinds of movement in games. There are two major usages of the term:In any first person shooter with jumping a player who jumps up and down to avoid being shot is sometimes called a bunny hopper. This is a very basic technique that only works against inexperienced opponents.
More advanced techniques known as bunny hopping use game physics to move faster than the base movement speed, combined with air-control (the ability to change movement direction significantly without losing speed while in the air). Techniques that gain speed without the ability to significantly change direction are often called Strafe-jumping. The methods used to achieve bunny hopping varies from game to game.
Bunny hopping is implemented in QuakeWorld
QuakeWorld
QuakeWorld is an update to id Software's seminal multiplayer deathmatch game, Quake, that enhances the game's multiplayer features to allow people with dial-up modems to achieve greatly improved responsiveness when playing on Internet game servers...
, DeFRaG
DeFRaG
DeFRaG is a free software modification for id Software's first-person shooter computer game Quake III Arena . The mod is dedicated to player movements and trickjumping.Trickjumping is an integral part of the game allowing a player to jump higher, farther and move faster...
, Challenge ProMode Arena
Challenge ProMode Arena
Challenge ProMode Arena is a freeware modification for id Software's first-person shooter computer game Quake III Arena . CPMA includes modified gameplays that feature air-control, rebalanced weapons, instant weapon switching and additional jumping techniques...
, OSP
Orange Smoothie Productions
Orange Smoothie Productions is a PC game mod team which started programming modifications in February 1998 at the University of Kansas by releasing a mod called King of the Hill for Quake II. Although first created for Quake II, OSP is probably best known for modding games based on id Tech 3...
(only with cpm physics) mods for Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
, Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic, also known as Team Fortress 1.5 or simply TFC, is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a remake of the Team Fortress modification for Quake. Team Fortress Classic was originally released for Windows on April 7, 1999 as...
, Half-Life Mod Natural Selection, Warsow, Enemy Territory Fortress (a mod for Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a free and open source multiplayer first-person shooter video game set during World War II...
), Painkiller, Kingpin: Life of Crime
Kingpin: Life of Crime
Kingpin: Life of Crime is a first-person shooter developed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay Entertainment in June 1999. The game begins with the player character wounded and beaten up by the Kingpin's henchmen, and the story follows his thirst for revenge...
, Dystopia and Nexuiz
Nexuiz
Nexuiz is a free first-person shooter video game developed and published by Alientrap Software. It is free and open-source software and is distributed under the GNU General Public License . Version 1.0 of the game was released on May 31, 2005. The current version, 2.5.2, was released on October 1,...
.
External links
- Strafe Tutorial (Quake III ArenaQuake III ArenaQuake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
) - Strafe jumping theory (Why and how it works.)
- Circle jumping theory
- A Trickjump related community with much information on the subject, including practical examples and tutorials.
- The largest Call of Duty series strafe jumping site, with examples and tutorials.