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Embarrassing Q3A notes

21:06 Tue 21 Feb 2006. Updated: 17:42 27 Feb 2006
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While cleaning out old stuff in my apartment, I came across some notes I wrote while bored at a user interface conference way back in early 2000. The notes are about (cringe) how to beat *bots* in the single-player mode of *Quake 3 Arena*. Essentially, this reminds me of just how appalling I was at the game back then, if beating those bots required any real effort.

So, the notes, for no particular reason:

>###Q3DM2
>- Control the Haste.
>- Keep armored up.
>- Control outside area / use outside as premier botkilling zone.
>
>Choice for primary weapon here is between the Plasma Gun and the Rocket Launcher. I’d choose Rocket Launcher but this is personal preference. Ideally use both—Rocket Launcher for initial strikes and Plasma Gun for mopping up.
>
>Bot is very good with the Plasma Gun.
>
>Listen for water sounds and take bot as it exits to the outside area.
>
>Be careful not to get stuck in inner pool with bot above you.
>
>Keep bot away from Plasma Gun and Haste?
>
>Be aggressive but controlled when you have the Haste. The Plasma Gun is good with Haste.
>
>###Q3DM3
>- Control area at top of stairs.
>- Try to pick off weakened bots.
>- Try to always be aware of where the second bot is.
>
>The Red Armor is important but not as important as the Rocket Launcher/Plasma Gun area.
>
>Bots are very good with the Shotgun—try to keep them at long range.
>
>If you have the Lightning Gun, move in and attack
>
>Using the Grenade Launcher could be a worthwhile strategy.
>
>Run for Health as often as possible, with two bots it’s even more important to avoid having low health.
>
>###Q3Tourney1
>- Use Rocket Launcher (and Shotgun—mainly Rocket launcher).
>- Control power-ups.
>- Get Yellow Armor.
>
>It is imperative to keep the bot from the power-ups.
>
>Keep the bot from the Rocket Launcher if possible.
>
>Hit Sarge coming around corners.
>
>Sarge is excellent with the Shotgun.
>
>Stay at mid-long range if possible, make battles all about around-the-corner prediction Rocket Launcher shots if possible.

Wow. I mean, not that the advice above is *bad* per se, but it seems so basic and banal.

Looking at it again, I can’t figure out whether it’s something I wrote or notes I was taking down from somewhere (which would be even worse, really). But I think it’s mine; I think I started writing a guide to *Q3A* single-player at some point, which I didn’t finish, instead moving on to a brief stint of writing about multiplayer. Anyway, the thing is that I had played *Q3test* since it came out, and I played it against humans, online, so there’s no way that beating the bots in single-player should have required the amount of thought I was evidently putting into it, and that’s why I find these notes somewhat embarrassing. But I wanted to record them (rather than throw them away) nonetheless.

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