I write a general overview, and you can ask for more details later.

I think the first step for every quaker is to put together a clean setup that allows for improving.

Specifically, you need to:
- Have good equipment (a mousepad big enough for comfortable movements, a mouse that does not skip/jitter over that mousepad and does not go crazy when you move it fast, headphones, and possibly a low latency monitor like CRT or the 120 hz TFT)
- Set up the space properly (enough space on the desk, place keyboard and mousepad so that the desk cuts both your forearms at the same point, near the wrist for high sens, near the elbow for low sens)
- Configure the game (sensitivity/accel that allow you to quickly do 180 deg and slowly do 1 deg)

Once things are properly setup, you have to focus on your own movement. Aiming strongly depends on that.

Playing with bots can help, but you have to doing it right. If you just stand still next to a jump pad and hit 60% lg, that won't help much. Instead, if you set as goal to maximize the damage given vs the damage taken, then you can learn something.

You have to focus on aiming WHILE dodging and moving around the map.

Finally, consider that aiming is mostly being at the right place, with the right weapon, expecting the enemy to do the right thing (right for you).

This works in the reverse too. If you are at the wrong place, with the wrong weapon, you will hit crap and probably die against the opponent doing the right thing (right for him).

lemme break it down for ya:
1. pidgey
2. bulbasaur
3. pikachu
4. staryuuuuuuuuuuu!

Ok now for the real shit:
- Focus on what ur bad at, if your aim is bad. Practise on certain guns, clanarena is good area to practise certain weapons since you spawn with all of them.

- Work on your movement, you can do this in a practise server, just run around the map as fast as u can, try (rocket)jumps and whatever.

- I'd say learn 1 mode first, so either ctf or tdm. try and find some low number public servers. try and work out some tactics, perhaps watch a stream or download some demo's to start u off with. Once you got the basics down try your luck in a pickup game.

- More of the same.

- ???

- Profit

What about pikachu?

I moved this to QL forum.

Basically what Memento and eXo said above:

- Sort out your PC (Monitor, Mouse, Mousepad, Keyboard, Sound)
- Sort out your Gamesettings
- Start playing concentrated when on pubs
- Work on your movement/mapknowledge and aim
- Start watching Streams and Demos
- Play Pickups
- Find a Team

you should post a demo.

Everything has been said but here is what I would advise as a noob trying to improve :

Spend some time learning about config : create your own .cfg file, modify everything you want, make some tests until your cfg / hud suits you best (take a look at pro's config, they use a lot of different graphics, and if you like something try it out).

Sensitivity, good mouse, good mousepad. Once you set up your sensitivity, don't change it. Change it only if you feel really uncomfortable or can't hit shit, but sensitivity is all about practice and experience, you have to get used to it so if you think you got one where you are comfortable keep it and you'll improve slowly.



Practice your movements : Strafe jumps, circle jumps : very important, try to understand how you have to synchronise your movements.

Dodge : Learn to dodge against different weapons, quick strafe vs lg, mg, long 3D movements vs rockets / plasma. Try not to jump when you are dodging, it often helps your opponent to predict your movement easily. Ask some good player about this because dodge is complex and I can't really explain everything here because it would take much space and because I'm not the best dodger.

Timing : Learn about timing armors and megahealth : try to time one item at a time first, learn the tables by heart, and try to remember the times.

Map knowledge : TDM and CTF : you have to know maps by heart, every items, especially in TDM you have to know where ammunitions are and every weapons and health bubbles.



Find some good people to play with, and ask theim why they own you easily, play some pickups and expect to be crushed and mocked, but try harder and ask yourself what bad decisions you made etc.

Quake is all about surviving and do damage without taking some, keep in mind your opponents positions, and don't rush all the time towards weapons and items or you'll fall into every trap. Think safe.

P.S : I'm saying all that but I suck, it takes time to improve, you just have to know what are your weaknesses to get better.

quick strafe vs lg, mg, long 3D movements vs rockets / plasma.

That's wrong, make long dodges against lg and never move forward/backward unless enemy will lose track on you, and short movements against rockets, '3D' helps more then just left-right.

dl a pro cfg and see how it feels. take what u like and change what you dont like. resave as ur own "cfg" with writeconfig xyz because I assume u dont know most of the cmd commands - but luckily in ql u can change quite a lot via the menu.

It takes discipline, you have to "behave" and not go +forward balls-in shit-deep no-aim obliteration, especially in TDM or in duel against someone with better aim/positioning.

I normally do this +forward and get raeped, but when I am able to get "in the zone" my decision making is done by a calmer part of my brain and the results are good, and coollers "know when to be aggressive" protocol really kicks in the way it's supposed to.

Also, the rails go automatically. It's great. Weed helps.

#playquake
#tdmpickup

ca is also really unhelpful. tdm or ctf give you the option to time items, use powerups, manage your health and armor. ca also tends to make you reliant on certain weapons and neglect others - defending your base for an incoming flag runner when all you've got is a pg for example makes you learn the weapon a lot better as you can't cop out and pull out your rl/lg/rg. in tdm or ctf rocket jumps are much more reserved and situtaion dependent, it's generally less manic which will probably help your aim if anything and you'll enjoy it a lot more imo.

try to take the game seriously even if you down/up for 10+ frags.
watch pros povdemos (only pov) + your owns
spawn a practice game, kick the bot and just run around the map trying to collect every single item (even shards)

Emulate your play after me. Win.

step 1: whine for an hour
step 2: promise to not play quake anymore
step 3: start playing within a week of quitting
step 4: get owned
step 5: go to step 1

Get irc, join #playquake and #tdmpickup and start getting some game sense.

If you want to improve you should also find a clan and play some higher div games once you're good enough.

You should also get a sensitivty that feels comfortable (not too low, not too high) and don't get in caught in the trap of changing it every few weeks, like I did (and many others do).

Watch your own demos back, and find places where you could've been more proactive in getting items rather than playing too safe. It's a good habit to be cautious, but can also be a mistake that most beginners make, because they don't have any confidence.

Most important thing is not to overcomplicate things. Just practise and feel out what works best for you.

First advice: low your sens!

you should be able to play with 25cm/360 and 0 accel, at least.
then adjust if needed