Post by Wolfeye on Jul 23, 2015 0:34:01 GMT
This will be another short post for anyone interested in wallgrab mechanics. It is meant to be a beginner's guide, but even some older guys might learn something from it.
Section 1: What is a wallgrab?
A wallgrab is what occurs when you are in the air and hold the directional key that is toward the wall (i.e. wall is on the left, hold A; wall is in front of you, hold W; etc.) and press your jump key (default space. I feel I have to include this now that I have been told some people like to bind jump to mouse2). *Holding space will allow you to jump off the wall in one of three ways, depending on the circumstances. Releasing space will cause you to release to wall and fall like a rock.
*The exception to this rule is on some JA+ servers and when debug melee is active on a server. In those cases, holding space will result in you clinging to the wall unmoving until you release the jump key, where you will then fall like a rock. However, in the default game, you will automatically jump off the wall if you hold space.
Section 2: What are the three circumstances?
The point of origin is, basically, where you jump from. In other words, in the picture below, "A" is our point of origin. In circumstance one, if you are above the point of origin, in this case going from A to B, then you will jump off the wall a very short distance with a glide before falling again. In circumstance two, if you are below the point of origin (A to C) then you will do what I call a "flip jump." This flip jump will allow you to basically have another full jump from where ever you wallgrab at. Circumstance three is referred to as a lockup. A lock up will occur any time you enter the glide animation and travel a specific distance above the glide's start point. While there is no easy way to explain exactly how high is "too high," it is a specific amount above point B that you must travel in order to be locked up from a glide based off a wallgrab.
This is what a lockup looks like:
You'll know it when it happens to you. Trust me, you can't move, and you suddenly drop.
Section 3: Speeds & Wallgrabs
So you're strafing at 4000ups, and you suddenly strafe clean off of whatever you're strafing on. Suddenly, you're falling at approximately the same speed. Can you wallgrab to save your life? Weeeell, the answer is probably no.
In the quake3 engine, you gain speed almost indefinitely as you fall. I say almost, because I cant really confirm, considering at the fastest falling speeds, your camera stops keeping up with your character because he's moving too fast and you can no longer see yourself falling. Back on topic though, when you fall, you have a limited amount of time to wallgrab. While I cannot give you the exact speed at which you lose the ability, there comes a point where you are falling at too fast of a rate for it to allow you to grab onto a wall. This means that you cant fall 500 meters into a pit and wallgrab at the last second to prevent yourself from going *Splat* if fall damage is on. You would have to wallgrab in intervals so that you would never pick up enough speed to prevent wallgrabbing.
Section 4: Why, oh why, do I care?
Well, in some instances, a flip grab that is slightly below the point of origin can actually get you higher than a normal jump would be able to do. It is also good to note so that you don't, say, get to the last jump on A-mountain and accidentally get locked up and suddenly fall from the sky like a humming bird with an anvil attached to it.. *Cough* because that never happened...
More importantly, it helps you understand why things happen when they happen, and if you're an acrobatics nut like me, it is imperative that you understand these concepts, or you risk making wrong calls on when to wallgrab and when not to wallgrab. It can help to get down from places without taking damage (assuming there is fall damage), it can help to reach places you otherwise may be unable to, and it can help to get around numerous obstacles.
As usual, if anyone has questions, comments, or concerns, post below! Feedback helps make these posts as accurate, helpful, and reader-friendly as possible!
Section 1: What is a wallgrab?
A wallgrab is what occurs when you are in the air and hold the directional key that is toward the wall (i.e. wall is on the left, hold A; wall is in front of you, hold W; etc.) and press your jump key (default space. I feel I have to include this now that I have been told some people like to bind jump to mouse2). *Holding space will allow you to jump off the wall in one of three ways, depending on the circumstances. Releasing space will cause you to release to wall and fall like a rock.
*The exception to this rule is on some JA+ servers and when debug melee is active on a server. In those cases, holding space will result in you clinging to the wall unmoving until you release the jump key, where you will then fall like a rock. However, in the default game, you will automatically jump off the wall if you hold space.
Section 2: What are the three circumstances?
The point of origin is, basically, where you jump from. In other words, in the picture below, "A" is our point of origin. In circumstance one, if you are above the point of origin, in this case going from A to B, then you will jump off the wall a very short distance with a glide before falling again. In circumstance two, if you are below the point of origin (A to C) then you will do what I call a "flip jump." This flip jump will allow you to basically have another full jump from where ever you wallgrab at. Circumstance three is referred to as a lockup. A lock up will occur any time you enter the glide animation and travel a specific distance above the glide's start point. While there is no easy way to explain exactly how high is "too high," it is a specific amount above point B that you must travel in order to be locked up from a glide based off a wallgrab.
This is what a lockup looks like:
You'll know it when it happens to you. Trust me, you can't move, and you suddenly drop.
Section 3: Speeds & Wallgrabs
So you're strafing at 4000ups, and you suddenly strafe clean off of whatever you're strafing on. Suddenly, you're falling at approximately the same speed. Can you wallgrab to save your life? Weeeell, the answer is probably no.
In the quake3 engine, you gain speed almost indefinitely as you fall. I say almost, because I cant really confirm, considering at the fastest falling speeds, your camera stops keeping up with your character because he's moving too fast and you can no longer see yourself falling. Back on topic though, when you fall, you have a limited amount of time to wallgrab. While I cannot give you the exact speed at which you lose the ability, there comes a point where you are falling at too fast of a rate for it to allow you to grab onto a wall. This means that you cant fall 500 meters into a pit and wallgrab at the last second to prevent yourself from going *Splat* if fall damage is on. You would have to wallgrab in intervals so that you would never pick up enough speed to prevent wallgrabbing.
Section 4: Why, oh why, do I care?
Well, in some instances, a flip grab that is slightly below the point of origin can actually get you higher than a normal jump would be able to do. It is also good to note so that you don't, say, get to the last jump on A-mountain and accidentally get locked up and suddenly fall from the sky like a humming bird with an anvil attached to it.. *Cough* because that never happened...
More importantly, it helps you understand why things happen when they happen, and if you're an acrobatics nut like me, it is imperative that you understand these concepts, or you risk making wrong calls on when to wallgrab and when not to wallgrab. It can help to get down from places without taking damage (assuming there is fall damage), it can help to reach places you otherwise may be unable to, and it can help to get around numerous obstacles.
As usual, if anyone has questions, comments, or concerns, post below! Feedback helps make these posts as accurate, helpful, and reader-friendly as possible!
