DeFRaG

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For Microsoft Windows computer program, see Defrag.

DeFRaG is a free modification (mod) for id Software's seminal first-person shooter computer game Quake 3 Arena (Q3A). The mod is dedicated to player movements and trickjumping in a broad sense. It aims at providing a convenient platform for self-training, competition, online tricking, machinima making, and more generally for the fun of trickjumping. Hence DeFRaG constitutes a significant exception among the plethora of Q3A-mods. (Sotamaa 2003: 9) The mod includes a wide variety of features from timers and meters to ghost mode, cheat prevention and learning tools. Specially crafted maps are provided that will rely on the player's movement abilities to be completed up to the finish line, while standard Q3A maps and Capture the Flag (CTF) fast captures are supported as well. Furthermore gamespace physics from both the original Q3A and the Challenge ProMode Arena (CPMA) mod are supported.

Contents

[edit] Overview

DeFRaG was initially designed for making possible a new kind of competition based on timed runs. Those competitions called "DeFRaG runs" differ from common speedruns in several ways. Unlike speedruns, DeFRaG runs are not done in maps stemming from an out-of-the-box original game, but in specially designed and customed DeFRaG maps, and there are no opponents to be vanquished during the run. Because of their design by far the most of this maps can not be completed by normal player skills, rather trickjumping skills are indispensable. Furthermore start-, checkpoints-, and stop-triggers are built into the maps and the runs can be timed with an accuracy of 1/125 second. As proof of the accomplishment the mod automatically records a demo of every map completed successfully. Along with the demo the precise time in which the map was completed is stored.

[edit] Competition and community

The new game's competitive edge is lent to it by an online infrastructure which has triggered the formation of a transnational community. Players download player-designed maps (until late 2006 there were close to 2500 maps available online for free download) and aim to complete the map's objectives in the shortest time possible. Outstanding times can be submitted to online high score tables, which are keeping track of the fastest times for particular maps. These online scoreboards can be global or encompass certain regions only. Earning a place on a global record table is highly prestigious in the DeFRaG community, as it is a demonstration of literally world-class skill. During the heydays of the mod's popularity the DeFRaG development team periodically released new map packs, containing a number of officially sanctioned maps. These are generally the only maps on which times will be accepted for the high score tables. There is also a great variety of 'unofficial' maps, which are often sought after by expert players, those seeking to make game movies and those looking for something different from the official map packs. In consequence the DeFraG community's individual members engage and specialize in one or more different practices: Trickjumping itself, movie making, map making, coding, maintaining websites, portals (for interaction and as archives for maps and movies), and online scoreboards.

[edit] Violence

The DeFRaG mod is especially notable for completely taking out violence from a first-person shooter. The gameplay mode or discipline called "deathmatch" came of age with Doom and was perfected in Q3A, the latter being solely dedicated to multiplayer competition. (John Carmack in Kent 2004: 171) From this very games electronic sports, and particularly its professional variant emerged. Alas, the same games drove the computer games and violence controversy to unprecedented heights. While the Doom series was heavily criticized for its gorey content, the problem with Q3A was seen to be its focus on deathmatch, because in this discipline the ultimate objective is to kill, or "frag", as many other players as possible. But in DeFRaG's [sic!] gameplay modes killing opponents has no place whatsoever. DeFRaG gameplay is all about honing your skills to exploit the peculiarities of the physics of Q3A-gamespace in order to become able to move faster, to navigate along courses through the map topographies formerly deemed to be impossible, or to perform moves as yet unseen for purely aesthetical ends. In consequence the ingame weapons are no more seen as instruments of destruction. DeFRaG players reinterpreted them as tools for moving around gamespace by virtuously using the force vectors of their recoil. This transformation of a first-person shooter into a vehicle for "virtual gymnastics" (Lowood 2006) meanwhile has gradually been recognized by mainstream media. It is thrown into the public discourse as a counterweight to the stereotype of computer games fostering violent behaviour. The DeFRaG mod stars prominently in this. (see Kringiel 2006a, b)

[edit] Movie making

The learning curve in playing DeFRaG is steep, which can be offputting to beginners. Skills must be developed to a high level before even the simplest of maps can be completed, and in general, a large amount of practice is required before a competitive map time can be achieved. The game does not generally aim to provide an enjoyable experience to beginners. The high-skill requirement of the game and the often impressive spectacle it creates, along with the blistering pace, means that highly entertaining game movies are often made using content created by playing DeFRaG game modes. Within the community's tradition, especially impressive runs or pieces of trickjumping are included in sequence, usually in synchronisation with suitable music, although this depends on the preference of the movie editor. The DeFRaG demo-playback system includes settings to view the action from various angles and perspectives, and in the hands of a skilled producer, even a demo of mediocre skill can be turned into a compelling movie.[1] This is in line with the history of the machinima-phenomenon which stems from the speedrun community of Quake, the first game in the series. (Lowood 2005, 2006) By following the argumentation of Stanford historian of science and technology Henry E. Lowood (2006), DeFRaG can be called an instance of transformative high-performance play.

[edit] Gameplay

[edit] Maps and objectives

All maps share the common objective of finishing in the fastest time possible, but there are variations on how this is achieved.

  • Run—a flat-out race to the finish using whatever means necessary. The majority of maps are of this type.
  • Accuracy—where the map is completed after a certain number of targets have been hit with the railgun.
  • Level—similar to run maps, but provide a number of alternative ways of reaching the finish line.
  • Fast caps—measures the time taken to 'capture the flag' with no opposition.
  • Training—usually requires the successful usage of a particular technique in order to complete the level.

The type of map can usually be seen in its name, although some do not follow this convention.

[edit] Techniques

To complete a DeFRaG map requires making use of a variety of trickjumping techniques. Most Training maps involve only one or two methods, but some more complicated Run and Level maps can require any number. Various map sections can require quick timing, combination, and flawless execution of several techniques. Trickjumping is not limited to Q3A or DeFRaG, but the richness of techniques, sub-techniques and variants, developed and discussed in-depth by the Q3A-trickjumping and DeFRaG community is exceptional:

[edit] Jumping techniques

  • Strafe-jumping—This technique is necessary to complete the majority of DeFRaG-maps, and is considered to be the most fundamental technique in trickjumping. It is only possible because of a peculiarity of the game's physics unintentionally allowing moving-vectors to add up to ever greater acceleration. Basically, no matter if the player's character is moving on the ground (running) or is airborn (jumping), the game engine always strives to limit its speed to 320ups. However, already in the original Quake it was discovered that by non-trivial timed sequences of striking the direction keys (involving moving sideways, "strafing" in gamer language—hence the name of the technique) and movements of the mouse, this limitation of speed could be overcome. As the Quake engines are the basis of many games, the possibility of strafe-jumping is existing within other games, too. But Q3A's trickjumping community has done the most thorough research on strafejumping (see "Strafing theory"), and has developed several distinct sub-techniques:
    • Single-beat strafe-jumping—The most common variant, providing best acceleration. The player runs forward, jumps off the ground, in addition to the forward-key immediately presses and holds one of the sideways-movement keys, and, by moving the mouse, looks into the same direction as the initiated sideways movement. Very shortly before hitting the ground again, the player once more hits the jump-button (this way contact with the ground is minimized and friction can't set in) and immediately strafes and looks into the other direction. By flawlessly repeating this sequence, acceleration can be increased. But with gaining velocity, the angle of the mouselook has not only to be adjusted, but has also to be ever more precise, which makes strafe-jumping a demanding task. The DeFRaG mod includes a helping tool, the CGazHUD, which provides conveniently graphically formatted realtime feedback on acceleration and angles involved. This feature can help to flatten the learning curve, but is discussed controversially within the community.
    • Single-beat strafe-jumping with airchange—Essentially the same as single-beat strafe-jumping with the difference that the direction of the sideways movement and of the mouselook is turned to the opposite side in the middle of the second jump after takeoff instead of immediately turning after the first jump. After those first two jumps, the players usually do not apply this technique anymore.
    • Double-beat strafe-jumping—Essentially the same as single-beat strafe-jumping with the difference that the direction of the sideways movement and of the mouselook is turned to the opposite side not every, but only every second jump.
    • Half-beat strafe-jumping—Since acceleration only depends on the vectors of input, there are alternate ways to strafe-jump. The basic idea of half-beat is to reduce the mouse movement by starting with a normal strafe-jump and then continue by only pressing the sideway movement key of the other direction. The vector (and thus the place where to point the mouse) is very close to the vector of the first normal strafe-jump. Hence the name half-beat.
    • Inverted strafe-jumping—Inverted strafe-jumping is, since all strafing techniques are one kin, just another way to use the acceleration vectors. The idea is to only use the sideways movement keys, which will result in the exactly inverted movement of normal single-beat strafe-jumping.
  • Circle-jumping—Based on the same principles as strafe-jumping, circle-jumping more often than not is used as the starting technique for a strafe-jumping run. The player starts by facing at an angle of 90° to the direction she/he intends to go. Then she/he starts going forward, adds sideways movement into the intended direction, and simultaneously turns the mouselook into the same direction. When facing into the intended direction she/he hits the jump button, keeps pressing forward and strafe, and goes on turning the mouselook. When flawlessly executed speeds of more than 500ups can be achieved.

[edit] Weapon techniques

  • Rocket-jumping—This technique is possible in other games as well, and it is the only tricking-technique using a weapon which can be observed in Q3A-deathmatch competition—despite of the resulting cost in health with self inflicting splash damage enabled in this game mode. To execute the technique, the player jumps off the ground and, by using the rocket-launcher, immediately afterwards fires a rocket onto the spot on the floor exactly beneath her/him. The shockwave of the resulting blast delivers momentum to the player's character and propells her/him higher into the air than possible by regular jumping. The gain in momentum can be used for vertical, horicontal, and diagonal movement. Depending on the size and topography of the map, and, above all, the player's skills, two, three (double- and triple-rocket-jump), and even a larger number of rockets can be timed to impact on the very same spot a fraction of a second after the player arrives there. Thus the player can capitalize on the added momentum furnished by the detonation of multiple projectiles, accelerate substantially and travel long distances airborn. When playing in DeFRaG's multiplayer mode, projectiles fired by other players can be used as well.
  • Grenade-jumping—This technique rests on the same principle as rocket-jumping—and can be combined with it—but demands more exacting timing, because the grenade-launcher's projectile ricochets after it is launched, and its detonation is delayed.
  • BFG-jumping—This technique is also kin to rocket-jumping, and only insofar different as the BFG has a higher rate of fire.
  • Plasma-climbing—Using the plasma-gun this technique allows to climb along walls. The vertical climb is the most basic variant: The player stands close to a wall, faces it, and "leans into it" by holding the forward-key pressed, aims the weapon a little bit above where wall and floor meet, jumps and immediately hits the fire-button. The successive recoil of the gun's rapid fire then lifts the player up the wall. By various combinations of direction-keys and mouselook horicontal and diagonal paths are possible as well. Expert performers can change the directions of travel en-route, climb down and up again, climb along curved walls, and hit walls high above ground, out of midair-travel, just to continue with a plasma-climb into any direction.
  • Gauntlet-jumping—This technique, sometimes called punch-jumping, requires two players. One player pulls the gauntlet out, crouches near a ledge, and looks up. The second player runs and jumps on top of the first player, then jumps again right as the first player punches him or her into the air, about as high as by means of a standard rocket-jump.
  • Rail-jumping—Like gauntlet-jumping a team tricking technique. When one player is in mid-air or standing on top of another player, the second player fires at the first with the rail-gun, delivering significant momentum.

[edit] Techniques exploiting bugs

This techniques capitalize on flaws in the game engine which in some maps lend special qualities to certain locations resulting in Q3A-physics anomalies.

  • Overbouncing—If at particular spots the player falls from a certain height to the ground, she/he will be catapulted up again, although no jumppad is present. Overbounces can be combined with weapon techniques. The DeFRaG mod includes an "overbounce detector", a tool helping the player to identify locations in maps where an overbounce is possible. A variety of overbounce-opportunities has been discovered, made into techniques, and have been named accordingly:
    • Vertical overbounce (VOB)—The player falls from a certain height, without any sideways movement whatsoever, and is propelled up vertically again.
    • Horizontal overbounce (HOB)—The player falls and has lateral movement. When hitting the ground she/he will receive substantial momentund and be catapulted in the direction of the prior lateral movement.
    • Diagonal overbounce (DOB)—Also called "weird overbounce" (WOB). As with the horizontal overbounce, the player falls and has lateral movement. When hitting the ground she/he taps the backward-key and is propelled diagonally into the air.
    • Sticky overbounce (SOB)—The gamephysic allows the players to have tiny offsets from the ground. These height changes occasionally produce new overbounce heights. Usually the sticky offset also produces an ob height to the ground the player is standing on, which can be used for small speed gains.
    • Zero-ups diagonal overbounce (ZDOB)—Also called "Zero-ups weird overbounce" (ZWOB). An overbounce very similar to the dob, just that it occures if the player hits the ground with zero X- and Y-axis speed and adds a very small movement at that very frame. This will result in a propelling comparable to the DOB, but more efficient.
    • Slippery diagonal overbounce (SDOB)—When the player hits a slippery surface out of an overbounce height with a small speed from 1 to 6 Quake units, he/she will be proppeled diagonally into the air, basically behaving like a dob or a zwob.
  • Wall bugs—Also called "sticky walls". At certain locations when a player steps near a wall and jumps to it she/he will end up "sticking" to the wall in mid-air. Now the player can perform a speed-gaining technique like strafejumping without her/his character moving from the spot, but "accelerating" nevertheless. This is a real anomaly as the player character does not move in gamespace, but the game engine ascribes ever higher speed to it. The player then can "unstick" from the wall by firing a splash damage weapon into it, and subsequently will move with the speed gained "on the spot".

[edit] Features

  • Special mapping features enabling the placement of specific start and finish zones.
  • Accurate automatic stopwatch counter, enabling easy comparison of times.
  • Automatic recording of demo of completed maps.
  • 'Ghost' system, in which a shadow of a player on their previous best time accompanies the active player, letting the player know instantaneously whether they are on track for a record or not.
  • Trick-mode, with all weapons enabled and unlimited health, for the purpose of either trickjumping or exploration of levels.
  • Multiplay generally involves a number of players either trickjumping or racing on 'Run' maps. With the 'interference' setting enabled, players can interact with each other, throwing one another off course with well placed weapon shots in an effort to finish first, or cooperating in order to perform collaborative stunts and tricks.
  • Diversity of meters and a Head-Up Display (HUD). This tools give both realtime and delayed feedback of various kinds in order to help the player in learning trickjumping techniques.

[edit] DeFRaG Developers

  • Programming
    • Cyril "cgg" Gantin
    • Cliff "m00m1n" Rowley
    • John "Ozon-Junkie" Mason
  • Levels
    • Alexandre "Acid" B.
    • Matthieu "DonPichol" Simon
    • KJ "Gambit" Hegerty
    • Medvedev "Genosh" Roman
    • Gwendal "Gwen" Le Coguic
    • Tobias "Hitm4n" Gries
    • Octave "Instazz" Boussaton
    • Nicolas "Noskey" Martin
    • Daniel "Space" Lundgren
  • Additional code
    • Challenge Promode
    • Piotr "Camping Gaz" Z.
    • Firestarter
    • Ian McGinnis

[edit] Version history

  • 1.91.08, released 02 October 2005
  • 1.91.02 beta, released 30 Mar 2005
  • 1.91 beta, released 04 Apr 2004
  • 1.90, released 11 July 2003
  • 1.80, released 19 October 2002
  • 1.70, released 10 August 2002
  • 1.50, released 19 March 2002
  • 1.43, released 04 January 2002

[edit] External links

[edit] Community

[edit] Regional

[edit] Tricking teams

[edit] DeFRaG maps

[edit] Tricking movies

[edit] Tricking tutorials

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Machinima-making by means of DeFRaG meanwhile has spilled over the confines of the community and into the realm of more established visual arts. The 2005 art-house short movie "defragged" by Margit Nobis, an instance of Q3A-machinima, even borrowed its name from the DeFRaG mod and was shown at numerous prestigious festivals, the Vienna Independent Shorts festival among them. (Independent Cinema 2006: 21)

[edit] References

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