Frequently Asked Questions

Question

It seems that all I do is spawn and die. Any advice for the new player?

Answer

Introduction: This brief document is meant to give players who are just starting out some basic tactical ideas. If you are reading this, you should have some understanding of how to use Half-Life, but would like some help improving your play. One-on-One Close Combat: The most important thing to remember is Do Not Stand Still. It is a common error by new players and makes you easy prey for the regulars around here. Of course, in addition to not getting shot, you must shoot the other guy. Aim for the head. You can kill even a well-armed player with a pistol if you move quickly and put four bullets in his head. Good weapons to use for close combat are the shotgun and the machine gun. The shotgun on our servers is "enhanced." You will find that it loads quicker, holds more, and does more damage. Remember to use the right-click to fire both barrels, particularly when very close to your opponent. Having the Long Jump module and using it in close combat is also a good idea. Distant Combat/Sniping: If you find a nice spot perched up on a ledge, perhaps, or on the side of a building and it is overlooking a large area or a high-traffic corridor (basically any "target-rich" area), grab an RPG or the crossbow and climb up there and hide. Wait for prey. Heat, and serve :) When using the RPG, remember to turn off the red "guide dot" (you turn it on and off by clicking on the right mouse button) when running as it will slow down your framerates and possible give your position away to others. Turn it on only when about to fire at a target. When using the crossbow, note that there are two modes -- click on the right mouse button to switch between "zoom" and "regular" modes. When in zoom, one shot to the head will almost always kill a target. This makes this weapon very powerful if you can master the aiming (which is not easy). Remember to lead your targets (i.e., if the target is moving, don't shoot where his head is now, shoot where you think it will be in 1/2 second), just like one would do in real life. Note that it is easy to hit someone who runs in straight line (or even a predictable pattern) -- remember that when you are pinned down by a sniper too! Underwater: Only three weapons work while you are underwater: pistol, crossbow, and crowbar. The crossbow is the most deadly if the body of water is fairly large. Players move fairly slowly through water, and they usually move in more predicatable ways than when on dry land -- and as we learned above, this makes fore excellent sniping opportunities. Just swich to zoom and aim for the head. Camping: Camping refers to hiding out in one spot and picking off players as they enter a room or walk by. Many players whine about camping, but it's OK here as long as you don't camp at spawn points. Mining: Using mines can be a very effective tactic. In a large map, I tend to mine at every free opportunity. When placing the mines, find a location where the player is unlikely to see it until it is too late. I like just around a sharp corner and as low to the ground as I can get it, or at the top of stairs or elevator shafts. Also think of using mines in conjunction with another weapon. For instance, you could hide high up on a ledge with an RPG, having mined all the places below where someone might find cover. When they run into the area, you know you will get them either way. Never mine a spawn point, it is against the rules.