Welcome to Quake Live!
Your Beginner's Guide by Quakeaholics
I. Getting Started with Quake Live
What is Quake Live?
Quake Live is a fast-paced arena first-person shooter (FPS) steeped in the legacy of the legendary Quake III Arena.
It's known for its high skill ceiling, demanding precision aim, and incredibly fluid movement mechanics. If you're looking for
a pure, competitive shooter experience, you've come to the right place!
How to Play Quake Live
- Get the Game: Quake Live is available on Steam. It often goes on sale or is very affordably priced.
- System Requirements: Good news! Quake Live is very well optimized and can run on a wide range of PCs, even older ones. Check the Steam page for specifics.
- Initial Setup:
- Mouse Sensitivity: This is crucial. You'll want to find a sensitivity that allows you to make quick 180-degree turns but also aim precisely. Experiment! Many players use lower sensitivities with larger mousepads.
- Graphics: While it can look good, many competitive players prioritize performance. Consider lowering some settings for maximum frames per second (FPS). Key settings include resolution, texture quality, and disabling demanding effects.
- Field of View (FOV): Default is usually 90. Many players increase this to 100-120 to see more on screen. You can change this in the game settings or via the console (`/cg_fov 110`).
Understanding the HUD (Heads-Up Display)
Your HUD is your lifeline. Key elements include:
- Health: Your life. Reaches 0, you're fragged! Starts at 100 (or 125 in some modes).
- Armor: Extra protection. Absorbs a percentage of incoming damage.
- Ammo: How much ammunition you have for your current weapon.
- Score & Timer: Tracks game progress.
- Powerup Icons: Shows if you're carrying Quad Damage, Battle Suit, etc.
Tip: Familiarize yourself with the HUD quickly. Knowing your health, armor, and ammo at a glance is vital.
II. The Fundamentals: Movement & Aim
Basic Movement
Standard FPS controls apply (WASD for movement, mouse for looking). Jumping is your friend!
Introduction to Strafe Jumping
This is the cornerstone of Quake movement. By holding forward (W), a strafe key (A or D), and smoothly moving your mouse in the direction of the strafe, you gain speed. It takes practice, but it's essential for traversing maps quickly and outmaneuvering opponents.
Practice Tip: Find an empty server or use local practice mode (`/devmap mapname`) and just practice strafe jumping around. There are many great video tutorials online – search for "Quake Live Strafe Jump Tutorial".
Aiming
- Sensitivity: As mentioned, find what's comfortable. There's no "best" sensitivity; it's personal.
- Crosshair: Customize your crosshair's shape, size, and color in the game settings. A clear, visible crosshair helps.
- Leading Targets: For projectile weapons (like rockets, grenades, plasma), you need to aim where your opponent *will be*, not where they *are*.
- Hitscan vs. Projectile:
- Hitscan: Weapons like the Machine Gun, Shotgun, and Railgun hit instantly where you're aiming.
- Projectile: Weapons like the Rocket Launcher and Grenade Launcher fire projectiles that have travel time.
III. Know Your Weapons!
Quake Live features a diverse arsenal. Here's a quick rundown (more details in specific weapon guides!):
Gauntlet
Your melee weapon. Humiliating to get a kill with, and equally humiliating to die to!
Machine Gun (MG)
Your starting hitscan weapon. Good for harassing enemies at range or finishing off weakened foes.
More weapon details coming soon!
IV. Understanding Game Modes
Quake Live offers many ways to play:
Game mode explanations coming soon!
V. Essential Items & Powerups
Map control often revolves around these!
Item and powerup details coming soon!
VI. Quake Live Lingo & Common Terms
Get to know the slang!
Glossary coming soon!
VIII. Useful External Resources & Further Learning
Expand your knowledge with these great resources:
Links to external tutorials and communities coming soon!
