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Six Ways to Win in 1v1  by Dr.Gibbs July 17, 2003

Out of all the modes of play that Quake 3 offers, 1v1 continues to be the most popular of them all. Rather than being a giant frag-fest, 1v1 (also called Tournament) pits one player against another in a true test of personal skill. Every time someone gets fragged, it's either going to be you or your opponent -- and, if he's the better player, you're going to be the one that loses.

This makes for an interesting game, but it also means that you have to have quite a bit of skill if you're going to win. This article doesn't cover everything you need to know, of course, but these six pointers should help you out a lot the next time you decide to challenge someone to a Quake-style duel. Remember, it's impossible to say that any one skill will work every time -- it's up to you to use your judgment to decide which tactics you're going to employ in a given situation.

1. Change Your Video Settings

You might find that you want to change some of your video settings before taking the plunge into the arena. Quake 3 may look pretty, but those darker colors and complex lighting hinders your ability to see your opponents clearly. If you don't mind seeing some uglier graphics, you'll find that it's much easier to play with the following settings:

/r_picmip "3" (texture quality)
/r_vertexLight "1" (vertex lighting)
/r_customheight "600" (resolution height)
/r_customwidth "800" (resolution width)
/cg_drawTimer "1" (in-game timer)

Lowering the texture quality will make the players stand out more, as the level becomes less detailed and a little brighter. Using vertex light will eliminate shadows and make the level's light more uniform. Lowering your resolution will give you a higher FPS (frames per second), giving you more control over your player. You can play around with these settings until you find a config you actually like. The timer, of course, will help you monitor the spawn times of items.

Now that you've got your game set up, lets talk about how you should be playing!

2. Control the Map

It would be hard to write a good strategy guide for 1v1 without covering this critical strategy. Map control is simply the act of picking up items in order to keep them from your opponent. Almost any item -- ammo, health, powerups, and so on -- can be controlled. You usually can't control weapons because of their short respawn times, but depending on the server, this may not be true. Most players consider it unfair to use powerups like the Quad or the Battlesuit, so you don't usually have to worry about these (you won't be using them much online).

The concept behind map control is that you need to pick up as many items as you possibly can within a few seconds of their respawning, denying your opponent the opportunity to get them. Ammo, of course, is the easiest item to control -- after all, you can always pick those packs up. Items like health and armor aren't always so easy, since you have to be hurting in order to grab them. If you see a health bubble and you have a convenient way of hurting yourself (such as the rocket launcher or the chance to take a long plunge), you should deal yourself some damage so you can pick it up. It's a good idea to pick up armor and health items in order from smallest to largest, as this will allow you to control a greater number of them. For example, if you notice that a map has both a red and a yellow armor, you'll want to pick up the yellow one first. Since the red armor gives you 200 points, you won't be able to get the yellow after picking it up. The yellow armor will only give you 100 points, though, so you can still pick up the red armor after grabbing it. By doing this, you'll gain control of both. Health works the same way -- if you're at 70, grab the +25 first, then the +50 bubble. If you grab the larger one first, you won't be able to get the smaller one.

The concepts are simple. Really, learning how to control a specific map is the hardest part of the whole process. The first thing you need to do is start learning the spawn times for items. Ammo and special items usually takes around 45 seconds to respawn. Health and armor both take about 30 seconds. These can vary depending on the map or the server, so pay close attention while you're playing. Once you know the spawn times of the items you want to control, you can start your own server, load up a few different maps, and start developing some patterns. It's not really all that difficult to learn a path through a map that will allow you access to the best items -- you just have to remember that, in a real match, you'll be distracted by your opponent along the way. In addition, if you're not careful, your opponent might start to learn your pattern, and it can quickly become a disadvantage for you.

3. Study Patterns

Just as your opponent can learn your patterns of movement, you can learn his. The great thing about 1v1 is that you're only fighting one person, so you can more easily learn his playing habits -- especially if you're playing many rounds with the same person. While it's possible to learn a player's habits while actually playing against them, there's no better way than simply spectating them while you're waiting for your turn. During breaks, make it a point to spectate the player you think you're going to be facing later on. Everyone, no matter how good they may be, has recognizable patterns that can be used against them.

So, what should you be looking for? For starters, see if there's anything the player does more than once. For example, on Q3DM17, watch what he does when he teleports to the red armor on the catwalk. Some players won't follow the same path from here, and others will. If the player you're spectating always goes to the right after getting the armor, then you can pretty much guess that whenever you see him teleport to that spot, launching a few rockets to his right will inflict some damage. There are a lot of places on maps where players will repeatedly take the same path of movement, either purposely or just out of habit.

Movement isn't everything... you should also take careful note of your opponent's use of weapons. You'll soon start to see that he has favorites, such as the railgun or the rocket launcher. Knowing what your opponent is using the most can help you avoid his attacks. As you observe, try to also see which weapons he's good at using, and which ones he's not so good with. If he seems terrible with the lighting gun, then you know that as long as he has that weapon, you can concentrate more on attacking him than defending yourself. If he does exceptionally well with the railgun, then you'll probably want to do everything in your power to keep it out of his hands.

4. Think Before You Act

Tournament play is a whole new case of bananas when it comes to fighting. Since you're the only adversary your opponent has, he's going to be after you constantly. In FFA, you might be able to get away with running away from a battle when you're hurt, but in 1v1 this just isn't going to work. Every move you make becomes more costly -- whenever you die, no matter how it happens, you're going to give your opponent an advantage over you. Falling into the void or taking a plunge into a pool of lava suddenly means a lot more than it did in other games.

Scores in 1v1 matches are rarely ever close, even if the players are equally matched. Even a slight advantage can mean the difference between winning or losing, because if you find yourself on a streak, your abilities are going to change. If you're on the losing end, frustration and anger is going to set in, and you're going to lose your concentration. If you're lucky enough to be on the winning side, you'll find your confidence building. Without the distraction of trying to take the lead, you can concentrate more on your game. The key to using this emotional aspect of the game to your advantage is to ignore it when you're losing, and to savor it while you're not. Don't let losing bother you, because if you do, then you're never going to be able to turn a game around. If you get frustrated, you'll find yourself on a one-way trip to the bottom from the first time you lose the lead. While you're in the lead, though, try to remain confident -- don't worry about your score, because all you need to do is stop your opponent from killing you, and you'll win. You can go straight for defense, because there's no pressure for you to make a frag.

5. Use the Right Weapons

If you've read The Deathmatch Zone's guide on playing in crowded servers, you probably already know that different scenarios call for different choices of weapons. What follows is a list of Quake 3's weapons, along with some pointers on using them in a 1v1 match.

Gauntlet -- This is, quite obviously, a weapon to avoid at all possible costs. There is no way you're going to be able to frag someone who has another weapon, because with only one player to fight with, any chance that someone might be distracted and not notice you is completely removed. If you run out of ammo, do your best to find some more -- don't ever use the gauntlet, even out of desperation.

Machinegun -- This can actually be a very useful weapon in 1v1, especially when it comes to distance fighting. Unless you have the railgun, the machinegun is the best weapon to use while trying to hit a far-away opponent. In close combat, though, you'd be better off using something else. The machinegun may be good for attacking groups of people, but when it comes to fighting a single opponent, you'll find that it isn't nearly as effective as most other weapons. It's not something you want to avoid altogether, but you probably don't want to use if you have an alternative.

Shotgun -- This is a great one to use in close-combat situations. It deals a load of damage, and it's relatively quick to reload, so you can take down a player in a fairly short amount of time. When you can concentrate your efforts on one person, it's a very effective weapon.

Grenade Launcher -- This is an absolute no-no. Unless your enemy is in an unreachable location, such as hiding behind a ledge or under you, there is absolutely no reason for you to be using this weapon. It's not effective enough in head-to-head combat, because just about every other weapon (including the machinegun) can easily beat it. Keep it for special cases only, such as when your opponent is chasing after you.

Rocket Launcher -- This is one of the best weapons you can use. With some good prediction, you can effectively hit your opponent from all the way across a map. Rockets deal a ton of damage when hitting directly, but they can also hurt a lot if you miss and hit a nearby wall or the floor below. Because of the splash damage, this is the easiest weapon to aim, and it's by far the best all-around choice for 1v1 play. There are better weapons for distance shooting, but in most situations the rocket launcher is your best choice. Just be careful not to hurt yourself.

Lightning Gun -- It's better than it used to be, but it's still not a very good weapon to use in games like this. It's effective, but not as easily used as other weapons. Lag can take a big hit on your accuracy, and the bolt is highly visible and easy for your opponents to avoid.

Railgun -- This is a close second to the rocket launcher, only hindered by its painfully slow reloading time. It's extremely effective on space maps, and you'll find that it's often the deciding factor in a match. It's not that great for close-range, mostly because of its reload time. Just about every other weapon can beat it in damage-per-second -- but, of course, at distances, it's the most effective choice. When you hit the player with the railgun once or twice, switch to another weapon (such as the machinegun) to finish them off. You want to conserve your ammo, and you don't want to take the chance of having your opponent pick up a health pack or fight back while you try to hit them a third time. Most of the time, getting hit once is enough to send someone into a spastic dance of defense, so hitting them again might be difficult. It's easiest while they're falling or following the path of a jump pad, as their path won't be so erratic while they're in the air.

Plasma Rifle -- This is a good close-range weapon, although there are definitely better alternatives. It's powerful against groups of players, but the fact that the plasma moves makes it difficult to use against one person. If you can get a good lock on an opponent, a lot of damage can be done -- unfortunately, while trying to get that lock, you might make a fatal mistake. You'll also find that the appearance of the plasma makes it difficult for you to see your opponent and get a good idea of what he's doing while you're attacking him. This makes learning his defense patterns tougher, and it also means you might miss him doing something important, such as picking up a health pack. You should probably stick to weapons that aren't quite so distracting to use.

BFG -- Obviously, this is the best weapon you could possibly choose in any situation. Unfortunately, you have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than you do of finding a BFG on any 1v1 server. Don't bet on being able to use it.

6. Practice, Practice, Practice

As with any game, there's no better way to improve your score than by practicing. If you're just starting out, try playing against a nightmare bot on some different maps. Even if you're a seasoned FFA player, you might find that playing a single bot is a challenge. Try the more basic maps like Q3DM1 and the five tournament maps, as these smaller playing areas will give you more of a feel for what 1v1 is really like. With larger maps, things like item control don't really come into play, and you end up in more of a hunt than a match.

Once you're pretty confident that you can beat a tough bot on the basic maps, the next step for you to take is to try playing Xaero on all the space maps -- especially Q3DM17. Xaero, as you may have already discovered, is probably the most difficult bot to beat on a space map. He isn't all that good on other types of maps, but his railgun usage is wicked, and you'll get a pretty good taste of what it's like to play a well-seasoned player on a server.

Until you've beaten Xearo, you probably shouldn't even try to play on a public server. You'll find that most players are even better than these bots, so if you can't beat the bot, you won't stand a chance in a real game. Once you can beat him consistently, though, you're ready to start playing for real. From here on, all you can really do is start playing on servers and trying your best to win. Just remember the other five pointers above, and you'll soon find that you can stay on top in most of the games you play.

Good luck!

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