CowOnCrack's CS/KZ Workshop Blog

Hello there,

I am a big KZ fan who enjoys writing about CS topics. I've made a lot of posts in the LJ help thread and have made some other informative posts in the past, such as a list of KZ/Bhop maps by difficulty in the Maps forum.

I've decided recently to create a blog which consolidates my ideas together in one area. I recently made a large post which breaks down the long jump technique, and it will be the first of many more to come. The blog is here:

http://cowoncrackscskzworkshop.blogspot.com/

This is just an attempt to share my writing. The blog is not monetized and never will be, and this is in no way an advertisement. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Some topics I plan on covering in the future are:

Long jumping - rest of the techniques
Long jumping - learning methods
Long jumping - physical techniques (i.e. biomechanics)
Beating and recording maps - basics
Beating and recording maps - learning techniques

There are four posts prior to this one which are a lengthy introduction into some of the concepts and theories which I will use in these posts. Probably not many people would be interested in this stuff but it's there to read if you want to.

I am a decent KZ player (about middle/late intermediate level) but I am by no means a pro. My main strengths are 12 years of experience with CS, decent analytic writing skills, and a curiosity/knack for figuring things out.

I started KZ much later than most players (around late 2008) and played it very infrequently on and off, and never exclusively as my main game. Also, I am getting a bit older so my skills are not at the level of the pros and maybe never will be. However, I started CS guns much earlier than almost everyone else (when it came out in June 1999) and used to be one of the best players in my region of the USA before age and losing interest took its toll.

I will leave it to better KZ players to constructively criticize what I have written and hopefully share some of their own ideas.

Thanks for reading, and thanks ahead of time for any comments.

-CoC

edit: **** IMPORTANT NEW POST ****

CS:GO is being put together and there is a big debate taking place on CS websites, especially on the USA website ESEA News and the international website hltv.org. I've decided to add my own contribution here:

http://cowoncrackscskzworkshop.blogspot.com/2012/03/saving-kreedz-preserving-movement-that.html

Elements of the game like how the recoil should be have gotten a great deal of discussion, but not enough people are taking about preserving the movement that made CS1.6 great. So I wrote this article to bring up that point. Feel free to comment in this thread or on the blog. I will also try to get my article hot-linked to other websites. For CS:GO, save KZ!

You're like wikipedia in kreedz world! Text was really nice to read and I learned a lot. Keep it up, brillant work! :first:

As you already know - this is totally awesome and covers almost everything a novice or advanced player needs to know. Even some pros will sure learn something or will suddenly understand why this and that technique is working so well.

Keep it up, cowey :)

If you are interested in starting a KZ wiki here on XJ, please let me know via PM :)

Very well written dude, its like and extended tutorial for new players :)

Originally posted by Grrr

Nice work there, dunno if I missed but u could add info about CJ and JB, also there are some little details like u writed about the first strafe is most important - its not rly true, and about the landing - its possible to calculate the distance with / without the ducking more correctly with simple math.

Originally posted by CowOnCrack

Originally posted by Grrr

Nice work there, dunno if I missed but u could add info about CJ and JB, also there are some little details like u writed about the first strafe is most important - its not rly true, and about the landing - its possible to calculate the distance with / without the ducking more correctly with simple math.

I'm not an expert in coding our the engine, I just go by what I've learned through experimentation. If you can help me with correcting some of the stuff and adding more info that'd be awesome.

As far as calculating the bonus for ducking, I was under the impression that you can press duck too early / late which effects the bonus you get. If it doesn't matter then that's news to me. From what you've written you are saying that ducking always has the same effect? What if you duck but then release the duck key too early? What if you duck too early and it interferes with your last strafe?

Also, I'd love to know how to calculate the duck bonus as well. Thanks for correcting this stuff and helping me improve this article :)

Originally posted by SUBWAYZ

Originally posted by Grrr

Originally posted by CowOnCrack

Originally posted by Grrr

Nice work there, dunno if I missed but u could add info about CJ and JB, also there are some little details like u writed about the first strafe is most important - its not rly true, and about the landing - its possible to calculate the distance with / without the ducking more correctly with simple math.

I'm not an expert in coding our the engine, I just go by what I've learned through experimentation. If you can help me with correcting some of the stuff and adding more info that'd be awesome.

As far as calculating the bonus for ducking, I was under the impression that you can press duck too early / late which effects the bonus you get. If it doesn't matter then that's news to me. From what you've written you are saying that ducking always has the same effect? What if you duck but then release the duck key too early? What if you duck too early and it interferes with your last strafe?

Also, I'd love to know how to calculate the duck bonus as well. Thanks for correcting this stuff and helping me improve this article :)

I know that u'r not expert, netheir I am - just sometimes I get mad when ppl talk about that 20 units difference with duck-noduck, although u have very good experience.

The point is that - imagine if u jump with MCJ and u reach like 365 maxspeed, ofcourse in the end of the jump u'r forced to duck so u must have atleast 7 frames to do complete duck - that would be the perfect duck timing and ofc this is extremely rarely for people to do it - so lets take 10 frames of u'r complete jump where u hold duck (at the end). Also we will ignore the factor where u gain speed while ducking.
So the math says: 10 frames = 0.1 seconds (for 100fps)
which makes: (0.1)x(365)= 36.5 units travelled while ducked.
Lets calculate the same thing with 330 maxspeed:
(0.1)x(330)= 33 units travelled while ducked.
So it makes 3.5 units difference between 365 and 330 maxspeed.
Ofcourse it doesn't mean that u'r difference with duck and no duck will be so big like 36.5 and that 3.5 is not the constant correct distance between jumps with 330 and 365 maxspeed - but u still will have the difference.
While u'r ducked in air your airaccelerate value affects u'r ducked distance and also the friction value(when u hit the ground - its like sliding on it and each frame u loose 4% of ur total speed) - this means that 36.5 will be reduced to like 19-21 units travelled distance, and 33 will be reduced to 17-18 distance (those values are rude examples).

Another example is when u try to lj with holding W key only, without strafes - u'r jumping with 250 prestrafe(which means 250 maxspeed) and u jump noduck with like 200 units and when ducked like 215 units - which makes 15 units difference (because u'r maxspeed is lower) - try it. So it makes sence that these 15 units to increase as u increase maxspeed in u'r longjumps - and if u have exactly 20 units difference with/without ducking with 335 maxspeed u wont have the same difference with 365 maxspeed. Also those 20 units difference can be for 360 maxspeed so the all ordinary longjumps could have w/without duck like 17 units difference. Also for example with 380 maxspeed the difference is like 24 units.
This is the most affecting factor of the duck/noduck lj difference, the other is u'r trajectory while ducked(if u change u'r trajectory while ducking - which means doing strafe - it will affect that difference too). So in theory if when u finnish strafing and u'r trajectory is straight to the block's edge the best way is to hold duck(no duckstrafes), otherwise if it isn't straight u must do little duckstrafe to correct it. I won't bother u with complete full theory - which affects only lj scripting.

Also DO NOT COMPARE LONGJUMPING ON BLOCK OR FAILSTATS BETWEEN LONGJUMPING ON GROUND - theres a big difference in airtiming and u will have more advantage longjumping on blocks instead on ground, heres an explanation pic about ducking on blocks and ducking on ground: http://imageshack.us/f/818/ducking.jpg/
As u see u can duck later while jumping on blocks and depending on the landing edge u'r jump will have from 66 to 72 frames (where u'r in air) - the reason is that space above u'r player and the ground. While jumping on block u have additional air space, so if u stay non-ducked u are not forced to duck earlier(because u stay in air) but while jumping on ground u don't have that additional air space so if u stay noducked (the red rectangle) the HL engine will think that u must hit the ground - so u must duck earlier there.Of my scripting expirence I got max 72 or 73 frames in air for block jumps and 65-66 for ground jumps(I can't remember how much they were exactly) but it doesn't matter for u - u must only know that theres a big difference and I hope that picture explains it.
Thats some part of my knowledge in lj-ducking in CS.
Feel free to steal my information and ask if u don't understand something. ;)

EDIT: Oh sry I forgot the mathematical calculation:
250 maxspeed -> 15 units difference duck/noduck
15/250 = 0.06 => 250x0.06=15 which means
(MAXSPEED)x(0.06)=(DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NODUCK AND DUCK LJ DISTANCE)
and thats the explanation 380x0.06=22.8 how I got such difference and this proportion proves my scripts when lj with/without duck :P

[blockquote] so u must have atleast 7 frames to do complete duck - that would be the perfect duck timing and ofc this is extremely rarely for people to do it - so lets take 10 frames of u'r complete jump where u hold duck (at the end).[/blockquote]
[blockquote]THESE DEMOS ARE NOT LEGAL
I DO NOT CLAIM THEM TO LEGAL[/blockquote]
I recorded two demos:

first one called "2" is ducked 2 frames before the landing DL
second one called "7" is ducked 7 frames before the landing DL

Both demos are having same movements and the only factor effecting to the distance between two demos is the FPS.

Longjump stats are not 100 % correct, but still it gives you nice opportunity to compare these two demos.

2 units before landing: 257.688842
7 units before landing: 257.653869

The difference is so little that I can almost certainly tell you that there is no "optimal ducking timing". The playback movements are made with worst timing so the 2 unit ducking doesn't gain much since strafing is not continues all way to the landing.
[blockquote]THESE DEMOS ARE NOT LEGAL
I DO NOT CLAIM THEM TO LEGAL[/blockquote]
That's all about it
[blockquote]So the math says: 10 frames = 0.1 seconds (for 100fps)
which makes: (0.1)x(365)= 36.5 units travelled while ducked.[/blockquote]
Dear sir, show me your constant stable 100 fps
[blockquote]While u'r ducked in air your airaccelerate value affects u'r ducked distance and also the friction value(when u hit the ground - its like sliding on it and each frame u loose 4% of ur total speed) - this means that 36.5 will be reduced to like 19-21 units travelled distance, and 33 will be reduced to 17-18 distance (those values are rude examples).[/blockquote]
Here is the landing speeds from the demo mentioned above (7.dem)

[blockquote]341.4046630859 (landing frame)
292.2345275 (-49,17) (14,40 % loss)
250.6165161 (-41,61) (14,24 % loss)
215.4312896 (-35,18) (14,03 % loss)
185,5553284 (-29,87) (13,86 % loss)
159,9877014 (-25,56) (13,77 % loss)
138,0095673 (-21,97) (13,73 % loss)
[/blockquote]

[blockquote]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/ducking.jpg/[/blockquote]

Non-sense, when jumping on the flat ground and ducking normally the airtime in frames is something between 72 and 73.

Airtime close to 72 on flat

I may edit this post later.

Originally posted by SUBWAYZ

[blockquote]Also I didn't mean 2 or 7 frames before landing, I wanted to say that u must have atleast 7 frames ducked to make a full duck - this means that if u hold duck less than 7 frames, u won't be able to duck completely. But maybe I shouldn't writed about it anyways cuz its for jumping to higher directions and for improving SBJ, SCJ etc. prestrafe.
And ofcourse u can duck in the last frame before landing, but the question I was talking about is to get maximum noduck frames - which means strafes, gaining speed frames[/blockquote]
Scrolling allows you to land a jump by ducking one frame (+duck;-duck)

And later you hit the duck, more time you have to gain speed and maintain the speed. Best possible ducking time is 1unit before landing so you get full airtime to control the jump.
Also you don't land on frame.
And about the fps: Your average fps may be close to 99 but you have frames where your fps is under 80.

[blockquote]65-66 frames noduck and after that u'r forced to duck (the pic explains it[/blockquote]
When I get home I'll do a demo.

EDIT
Demo jumping on flat-ground landing by scrolling, airtime something between 72 and 73 frames. Landing duck appears to be on previous frame from landing. (0-1 frames before landing)
[blockquote](even u'r demo won't be accepted)[/blockquote]
257_LJ_kabeN: lowest fps is like 30 (on one frame)
EDIT: sorry the lowest one is actually 4.

IMO you are expecting things to work like you say but you have no proof to carry the arguments.

Anyway good job for writing such a long discription on reply!

I bet soon comes the all mighty — and proofs us both wrong!

I was talking about the lastest demo - jumping on flat ground by scrolling.
About the landing ducks u didn't understood me - I'm talking about frames where u hold duck not frames before landing, I can send u demo where I start duck on 73th or 74th frame - which means the frame before landing - ofcourse the jump is performed on blocks.
I've checked your demos and u perform the ljs on blocks too.
If u read more carefully my 2nd post u'll see that I wrote that u'r forced to duck earlier(few frames before landing) when u jump on flat ground, while jumping on blocks u can duck much later(lastest frame before landing).