Quake has become a internet game for the masses, attracting new players every day. Wanna kick butt with your online buddies, but you just don't "get it?" I'm here to help ya, giving you everything you need to play some Deathmatch. First off…..

Quake 2

GameSpy

Now, in order to effectively play the multitude of servers out there, you need this program. This lets you look for the lowest ping server with the highest number of people. Cool, eh?

Now, install the software. It is really pretty easy. After you get through with that, simply open GameSpy (you might have to configure the software for Quake 2) and make your character. Now, pick a server and double click on it. Make sure you have a low ping server. The lower the better.

First, before you do anything, make sure you use the mouse and the keyboard. The mouse people have a few distinct advantages.

• The mouse people can turn at lightning speeds. The reason for this is because the left and right arrow keys are set for 1 turning speed. The mouse, on the other hand, lets you spin around as fast as you move the mouse.
• The A and Z buttons are incredibly inaccurate. In play, it takes about 10 to 20 seconds to aim at something with your keyboard. In deathmatch, the target would have left by that time. With the mouse, aiming is almost instantaneous. Also, the keyboard can't aim very well at ducking deathmatchers.
• The Strafe buttons (The , and . keys) are not connected to your turn buttons, unlike the keyboard's arrow keys. This makes Circle strafing possible.

The way I set up my keyboard is I use the , and . keys to Strafe, the Alt key to backpedal, the M key to duck, and I set the second mouse button to run, and the first mouse button to fire. It takes a little bit to practice, but it's much worth it.

Also, make sure you get some music playing! =) This might not be very important, but it seems to me that anything with an upbeat tempo rocks any DM game. My personal favorite CD to play during Quake is Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Another good CD is Gregorian Chants. These set an eriee mood, similar to what the first Quake did.

Another thing, when you start playing, never stop moving, NO MATTER WHAT! I've killed the most people simply by strafing their fire while aiming at them, unloading all of my ammo into them. Most newbies don't remember this, and they simply duck and fire. Anyone playing with a mouse can his you almost as easy as if you were standing, and we all know that when you are standing, you can move at double the speed.

Another note of interest is being higher/lower than your target. If you are higher than them, you have a advantage. It is generally easier to hit people because of the angle. You can use the ledge for cover if you need to. Also, the splash damage from the Rocket Launcher and the BFG 10k will hit them, where as when they fire a Rocket Launcher, they'd almost have to hit the ledge when you're really close to it.

Make sure you know your way around at least a few of the maps. This way, you'll know where to get Quad Damage, Invulnerability, and the BFG. Also know where do get the Megahealth. This is especially important if you use any exploding weapons, where you take splash damage. Many of these items are either on ledges (hard to grab on a lagged server) or in a secret. Sometimes, instead of killing someone, especially if they are moving fast, and see where they go to get the items they use.

Speaking of health, never forget that you need to get Medikits every once and a while. The difference in a low powered fight is probably just a few health points. Armor is also very important. It's just like health! Only if you havemore armor than you have health, then it's a problem. See, it splits the damage up in half; half to you, half to your armor. So if you have 50% health and 75% armor, the 25% armor left won't do you any good.

Since having a different weapon is like having a different character, I'll take each weapon and show what to do when your holding one in your grubby little hands, or when your facing someone who has that coveted Railgun!

Blaster: This weapon is the weapon you'll use the most. No doubt about it, you start with it and it sucks, but it does have its good points. First, you'll never run out of ammo. In heated battles with someone of equal skill, your gonna end up using this, especially if you can't find any ammo. Second, the weapon fires much like a rocket, so what you can do is fire a few shots at something and run. Hopefully, you'll damage them with the shots.

With the Blaster: RUN! You are going to suck major! Simply run until you find another weapon. Only bullet and shell weapons will even scratch you when you are running at full speed. When you do reach for that weapon, see the appropriate section. One mistake everyone makes is running into someone. This gives them ample time to press the fire button. If you do have to fight, or you can't stop yourself from shooting at a newbie, make sure you dodge and weave, even though the newbie might not be aiming very good, but the person behind you might. It takes about 9 to 12 shots with this thing.

Against the Blaster: This is a prime target. Simply shoot them as many times as you need to and move on. If they are running, try and corner them with your fire. Then you may have your way with them. =)

Shotgun: This weapon is pretty good, but if you can take another weapon, go for it. The best thing this has going for it is it's instantaneous damage. Whenever you fire, it has almost light speed bullets, so you almost never have to lead off with this baby. It also fires as fast as the Blaster. The bad thing is that you have to get real close with it to deal some deadly damage.

With the Shotgun: Dodge everything and look for someone that has their back turned. Kill them and hope that they had a decent weapon. Otherwise, repeat as often as you need to. If your fighting someone head on, avoid their shots as you run towards them and unload as much as you can into them before they run or die. It takes 5 to 6 shots

Against the Shotgun: Keep your distance, and use the strafe keys like crazy. It's very hard to hit someone when they are moving sporadically. Also, if you have an instant kill weapon, make sure you don't wait your shots.

Double Barrel Shotgun: This thing rocks! It has such a wide spread, you could hit almost anything you are seeing, but you'll only tag them if they are far away. They are best close in, where all of the shells can hit. Trust me, if you can surprise someone, you'll only need another decent shot to put them away. The worst thing about them is that they are very slow to reload. Reloading takes a good half second, much like the Railgun.

With the Double Barreled Shotgun: Get in there and make it messy. Just 2 shots will take out someone. Use that to your advantage and ambush someone with it. Even if you have horrible aim, you still take off a hefty chunk of their life. After the initial shot, you can either hide, or dodge them. Then administer the coup de grace. Also, make sure that you fire carefully, because you are vulnerable during the reload for a second.

Against the Double Barreled Shotgun: Stay far away and make potshots. If you get in close, you'll probably lose, unless you have a stronger weapon, but if you do, make sure you don't miss. One good shot is better than a thousand bad shots.

Machine Gun: One thing about this weapon is it's speed! This is not like a lot of the other weapons, it should be used through the entire time you are fighting. It is about as accurate as the shotgun, but twice as weak. This weapon isn't preferred than some of the other weapons, but it will get the job done in about 3 to 5 seconds of fire. The closer you get with it, the better, but I could say that about every weapon.

With the Machine Gun: This is an optimal weapon for hallways! Lure your opponent there and you'll have plenty of time to mow them down if they don't run. If your out in the open, try to make sure that there is a place to run if they have a stronger weapon.

Against the Machine Gun: You can either run and get a stronger weapon, or ambush them. Either way, move about very quickly, because that weapon has a tendency to run out of ammo quickly.

Hand Grenades: These babies are just like a grenade launcher, but there are two major drawbacks; slower, and harder for newbies to aim. These things explode on impact with someone, and they have a decent blast radius. One thing that is extremely cool is that you can "time" the grenade. You see, with the sound on high, you can hear the grenade ticking away, after you hold in the fire button. So if you waited about 3 seconds, it would probably fly about 200 feet and explode in the air. Also, unlike the Shotgun, this weapon only takes 1 hit to kill.

With the Grenade: Throw these things frequently and often. You'll take out one or two baddies before you die. These are especially good for killing off someone with a stronger weapon than yours. Just make sure they're occupied with someone else before throwing the grenade.

Against the Grenade: You won't know they are throwing grenades until it's too late, but if you see someone throw a ticking grenade, run up to them and fill them full of lead, if you can. If you don't kill them in 2 to 3 shots, get ready to dodge another grenade.

Chaingun: This is what the Machine Gun should have been! This thing can kill in 2 to 3 seconds! This is one of the two "pray and spray" weapons in Quake 2. What you do is find someone at a distance and pull the trigger. Then, they die! That simple. They might run, so you wave the ChainGun after them! You'll have to aim a little ahead of the guy, because the ChainGun is a little slow on turning. If you find a giant room full of guys, you can kill or injure most of them if you have good aim.

With the ChainGun: the closer you are, the better. You can tack a few seconds of fire on to the time it takes if you are far away. Also, try to get a Quad Damage. This makes things much easier.

Against the Chaingun: Run away, and try to ambush them after they try to run after you. If they are a newbie, and they are standing around with it, throw a grenade and run, or use some sort of strong weapon and take them out.

Grenade Launcher: This is like a mix between your blaster and a Grenade. If you are good with a blaster, I'd suggest you use the techniques with the blaster. If you are good with a grenade, I'd suggest you take your time and plan your shots. It takes about 1 grenade to kill, but it takes about 2 to 3 indirect shots (blast damage) to kill. Whatever you do, do not run after someone with the grenade launcher. You've probably threw a few grenades ahead of you and you'll probably get blown up if you chase. However, do throw at least three grenades at a time. This insures that you kill them.

With the Grenade Launcher: Treat this weapon as you would a Double Barreled Shotgun with more kick. With this, you have a chance killing off anything close range, including those pesky Railgun users. Just throw a few grenades at them and watch the gibs fly. Just make sure you hit them or they'll have a chance to hit you back. Also, watch you don't blow yourself up with them, either.

Against the Grenade Launcher: Get as far away as you can, then fire at them. Grenades can only fly so far, where most other weapons have infinite range.

Rocket Launcher: This is a poor man's Railgun. One shot will kill any player, including yourself. The best thing you can do is be careful. Don't fire in enclosed spaces. When you do fire, aim at the player's feet! The blast damage will deal more damage than a missed rocket aimed at their head. Also, there is the cool thing called a "Rocket Jump". You can jump twice as high if you fire at your own feet with a Rocket Launcher after you jump.

With the Rocket Launcher: Practice aiming. This is a precision weapon. If you can't hit a moving target very well, you might want to switch to the Chaingun or the Grenade Launcher. Also, this is a camping weapon. Find a place where people like to go a lot (the BFG spot works) and wait for people to go there, then when they reach for the weapon, kill them. This is extremely cheesy, and I don't recommend doing this.

Against the Rocket Launcher: Run into a tight corridor and hope they follow you. This will cause them to blow themselves up or be extremely careful. Then a few well placed shots will do them in.

HyperBlaster: This is one mean weapon! It is basically a mix between the shots of a Blaster and the speed of a Chaingun. The first thing you have to remember is that the weapon spins after you fire it for a few shots. Hide while the barrel is spinning. The second thing you should remember is to get someone in a corridor before firing. It's easier to miss completely when you are firing in the open. The final thing you should remember is that it only takes a second to kill someone with full concentrated fire.

With the HyperBlaster: You are going to need a lot of cells to power this thing, so be prepared to lose all of the cells if you fire too long. Remember, if you know were to get to BFG, go after the BFG then the HyperBlaster, to get more cells. Also, you might have to retreat into a corridor to lessen your line of fire. Also, keep a spare weapon handy, in case you run out of cells.

Against the HyperBlaster: Stay out in the open. Since the HyperBlaster runs low on ammo and it's shots are perforated, you can dodge the shots easier, and take less damage. Actually, anything to make it hard someone to aim at you is better. Duck for split seconds, jump around, that sort of thing. And don't chase people into places where you can't dodge.

Railgun: This is a very unique weapon, comparable to a Sniper's Rifle! It only takes one shot to kill someone, no matter what armor or weaponry they have. It is rather slow, and you have to have pinpoint accuracy to use it though. I don't use it much because of this, but if you have low ping, this is the perfect weapon for you! Also, this is a great weapon to go camping killing with. Hide in a spot and take pot shots at guys. Whenever you get the Railgun, you'll probably find another guy with a Railgun, since it is a popular weapon. If this is the case, see below.

With the Railgun: Unless your fighting a fast moving guy, make sure you aim correctly, because they'll run like crazy if you miss! Also, this weapon is a great weapon for aiming at something stationary. Most newbies will die because of this.

Against the Railgun: Always keep moving! If you stop, you're dead, it's that simple. Other than that, simply either stay far away if you have a precision weapon, or get up close and finish him if you have a short range weapon. It is also advisable to not fight someone Railgun if you have a Railgun. This turns into a elongated blaster battle, making you easy targets for anyone walking by.

BFG 10k: This is probably the single most dangerous weapon of the game! It goes through several points during firing. First, anything that hits the ball will die, no doubt about it. In fact check out your life after you get hit on the frag list screen. Secondly, there is a considerable blast radius from the impact spot. This means you'll take damage if you fire close range, as well as anyone around the ball when it lands. Finally, the ball itself shoots beams at anyone in it's range dealing about 50% of your total life. You've got to plan ahead, though, because it takes a good half second to fire it.

With the BFG: Look for cells! This weapon only comes with one shot, so if you know where to pick up more, do so. Other than that, find an open place to fire it, that way you'll hit more people and you won't easily damage yourself.

Against the BFG: Stay out of sight until he runs out of cells, then you can clean his clock. Easy enough, but surviving till then is the challenge.