By Interman

One thing a lot of people aren't aware of in many first person shooter games is the fact that explosives, along with a

jump can result in a much higher jump than normal. When you come to think about it, it's all quite logical; when you fire a rocket

at an enemy in lets say Quake 3, it is pushed backwards, or simply dies. It is logical that the same force that pushes an enemy

backwards can be used to make you jump higher, if used differently. Trickjumping, or jumping in an extraordinary was nowadays is

usually centred around Quake 3, simply because of its gameplay, weaponry and the simplicity to record demos that are used to show

the world your skills. But trickjumping isn't just used to get to new heights, and that way impress people - it is very effective

in actual matches not just to get the megahealth you just barely couldn't reach, but also to confuse the enemy and therefore be

more likely to earn the frag you need to win the match.

Here is a guide to the most commonly used weapons in this art form (well, some may consider it an art form):


The Gauntlet

In fact the use of this weapons in trickjumping has been very little, until recently when some guys showed the world what

it can do. For example, if someone you know is using this weapon directly upwards and you jump on top of him, you will get a pretty

impressive jump.

The Plasma Gun

This weapon is not used for jumping at great lengths or heights (well, not normally), but rather for climbing walls.

"Plasma Climbing" is done by standing by a wall and continuing running towards it when you're at it, aiming just above the ground

with the plasma gun, then jumping and firing the desired amount of plasma a nanosecond later. The more plasma you shoot, the higher

you will climb and the more health you will loose (!). If you do this the right way you can climb a lot higher than you could ever

imagine jumping. But, be sure to grab a megahealth and a red armour if you need a lot of height.

Another usage of this weapon is when you have quad damage. You simply do as you would in a rocket jump (will be explained later

on), and this will give you a pretty decent jump.

The Grenade Launcher

I must admit that this is my favourite weapon to do trickjumping with. It is done easiest by shooting a grenade directly

downwards, and when it is at the top of its second bounce, you jump up and in the direction you wish to fly.

Of course you can learn to time the jump, so that you can shoot the grenade forward and jumping accordingly.

The Rocket Launcher

A favourite among many - this badass is also easy to use, and can get you up to heights you didn't think you could


The usage is similar to the plasma climb, but here you can just forget about the wall. You simply run in the desired direction, aim

directly down, jumping and shooting a rocket at the ground a nanosecond later.

The BFG (Big F*C*ING Gun)

Identical to the alternative use of the plasma gun, but is more powerful - giving you a better flight. Experiment with

the quad as well, but be sure to have A LOT of health.

Combinations, and the more advanced stuff For starters you can try starting a grenade jump, but instead of normally jumping, and if

you want height you can do a rocket jump, and for length you can do a plasma/BFG jump.

There is A LOT of other neat tricks to pull off, and just your imagination can hold you back (along with the gravity).

To make everything easier you can put the following in your q3config.cfg file:

Bind the_button_you_wish "vstr rj"

And the following in your autoexec.cfg file:

Cl_pitchspeed 9999 Set rj "weapon 5;+lookdown;+attack;+moveup;wait;wait;-moveup;-lookdown;wait;wait;centerview"

Bind the_letter_you_wish "vstr rj"

Many thanks to DrPD.

Also keep in mind that watching demos of other players can be a great source of inspiration, so here are some links to

pages you should have in your bookmark list:







Trickjumping can certainly spice up the gaming experience, and raise your skill level considerably. And besides,

it’s actually really fun when you get half-decent at it.

Good luck, and may the "updraft" be with you!