t u t o r i a l s

Quake II Monsters
by CaSaN0va



Light Guard
monster_soldier_light
health: very little

    This bad-boy just ain't so bad, he's got a puny laser, and not a lot of life. He's noisey, and not to bright. But oh, the possibilities!
    If you place light guards above the player, in packs, they can amount to something, at first the player might shrug it off as tho it were just a mosquito bite, but as each blaster bolt fries his skin, it starts to wear on him. This can also be used to distract him from hidden or approaching enemies, that are elsewhere.
    Add a barrel, or explosive crate near the light guards for an easy, and dazzling kill, or to save playing time. Or you could just leave them there, for the player to have to pick off.

Shotgun Guard
monster_soldier
health: very little

    Bigger gun, bigger life, same size brain. Having the same smarts as the light guard the shotgun guard can be applied in the same manner as his weaker cousin. However, his weapon is twice as big as he is, so he can tear you up! Without the protection of armor shotgun guards will kill you in a matter of moments, if they are given the advantage of height, or cover, or simply in large numbers. As stated, he's not to bright, so give him room to maneuver, and a friend or two.

Machinegun Guard
monster_soldier_ss
health: very little

    Even bigger gun, even smaller intellect. But what a nasty, this guy is the "king of sting." Nothing hurts more than having a machinegun guard behind you whittling away at your armor, and all that time you thought it was the gunner dishing out twice the damage! These guys are a pain in the butt, so use them sparingly or in groups for a challenge, they go splat with explosives, so to add to the tension equip player with a shotgun, or machinegun and watch the cursing start! ^_^

Enforcer
monster_infantry
health: Enough to be taken out with a sshotgun

    Bald head, beady eyes, a chaingun that's gotta be cocked before firing. This guy is even trained in martial arts! What more could you ask for in an enemy? These guys are my personal favorite enemy; they go down from one double-barreled shotgun blast, at close range of course, and have several deaths, the flip being the most exciting! They boys are useful in waves, and effective as prison guards, they have about the iq of the gun they are carrying, and know how to duck rockets at a distance. A final note is that up close they always use they karate chop, so keep them at a distance, and let the berserkers do the chopping and mangling!

Gunner
monster_gunner
health: 175

    This is the ultimate Strogg. He has a gun that takes a while to open a rapid-fire grenade launcher, and an attitude! If other enemies get in his path of destruction he is indifferent to it, and will keep firing until either you or him is dead. When placed above the player on cat-walks he is effective at causing a rain of grenades, when in a room full of explosive crates, explosive barrels, or just little room to move, this is probably his most lethal use. His gun is a little slow, but if put out of sight, not totally, just until the player looks around a bit, he can be rather devastating without the use of armor.

Berserker
monster_berserk
health: more than 50

    Knives. Hammers. This is the Strogg equivalent of the handy-man! Useless at a distance, unless you want the player to be distracted, he's better to come from behind, the side, or suddenly in the player's face, forcing them to react! Good for use on cat-walks, since he can fling you off, to a bloody death, or a sizzle in the lava, or a swim back to the nearest ladder/elevator. The Berserker is a bit of a dolt tho, and doesn't realize to stop swinging if you've backed off, so you might want to put one in an enclosed room, so the player has little room to dodge around. This however defeats the purpose of his hyper-fast legs! So use him is both situations. The second being in a large room, so he has room to gain on you, but keep the player's arsenal to a low, other-wise, he's not good for much except a place to put all that lead the player carries around in.

Iron Maiden
monster_chick
health: 175

Sugar and spice, and everything not nice. This is one bad girl, but you probably don't wanna be spanking her titanium ass! She's a little dull at a distance, since she hasn't quite figured out what the rockets in her launcher are for... ^_^ So use her with a distraction, so she can launch a few of those bad boys up the player's ass, where they belong. After all, isn't it about killing him/her? Her claws are razor sharp, but again, she prefers to slap you with them if you get close enough for a kiss, so keep her above you to have some nice rocket bombardment. For inexperianced players, her voice can be misleading, so hide her well, and spring her when they least expect her... hehehe...

Gladiator
monster_gladiator
health: lots, about 3 sshotgun blasts

    This is the ugly one. With a face not even a mother could love, and a pair of legs which make him look like a certain hooved menace with a rocket launcher we all loved to hate, the Gladiator is one of the nasty ones. Usually I play the game thru, and only death, or a rail-shot to the head can make me quick-load. He's a little slow, but fast enough to scare you. Keep him at a distance, so he makes good use of his shoulder mounted railgun. Up close his melee attack does the most damage, save for the Berserker, but his railgun does far more. Good for guarding keys, and exits, also useful when below you, or above, and picks you off as you ride the elevator. On the other end of a bridge is a nice touch since he's not gonna be asking three questions before he launches the player's sorry ass off the bridge.

Parasite
monster_parasite
health: 175

    Here poochy-poochy-poochy! PLAY DEAD! This is probably the most foul enemy in the game, he literally sucks the life out of you, and he sniffs other Strogg's butts! (j/k) But seriously, with a personality of a dog, what could you expect, he's even got fleas. Useful around corners, such as crates, or pipes. He works well from the hidden cubby-hole in the wall to your left/right. Takes a bit of a pounding, and moves pretty fast. His clicking sounds can be mistaken for mechanical ambience. Again, useless at a distance, works well in narrow halls, with little room to dodge, but gives the player a straigh line-of-sight. Works well with the distraction technique, but gives his presence away with that un-Godly bark.

Medic
monster_medic
health: 300

    Stroggs have this amazing talent of coming back from the dead! Their secret had been revealed, the Medic. Not too useful as a stand-alone warrior, but beautiful as a mortician. Hehehe... He doesn't get around in a herse tho, instead, two metal, goat-like legs, which flop nicely when he's killed. The Medic pumps life literally into dead Stroggs, and is pretty efficient at it.
    If sent into the fray the Medic can be somewhat useful, but is better sent in after a huge battle, to pick up the pieces, so to speak... ^_^

Brain
monster_brain
health: 300 +Power-Screen

    Probably the stupidest, yet coolest enemy in Quake II. The brain is slow as hell, has a stupid method of attack, but if used correctly can be a rather effective enemy. First, try not to think of the Brain as an attacker, he works better as a computer technician or scientist trying to get you out of his lab, or distract you from the other Strogg soldiers sneaking up on you. They have a Power-Screen to keep them alive. Brains have a lot of life, and take a pounding, so in swarms they can produce some very gratifying situations, in one map I was stuck on a table, surrounded by 4 or 5 Brains, very creepy, because they just slowly edge towards you, snapping out the tentacles when they get close enough. Brains are useful in the dark, since their attack has a decent range.

Barracuda Shark
monster_flipper
health: very little, about 2 shotgun shots

    Ever see the movie Jaws? No relation here! These sardines don't pose TOO much threat, unless in huge swarms. Their best attribute is their speed and the fact that they are hard to hit. Best used to suprise a player, unleash them behind him, and watch the water fill with blood!

Technician
monster_float
health: plenty

    These are probably THE most annoying enemy in Quake 2! They take forever to kill, they fly, their weapons are devastating, and they're rather stealthly. So let's have some fun with them! Like the Brains, Technicians are NOT soldiers! They belong in computer places, pipes or just about anywhere that maintenence might be required. They attack best when from above, in front of the player makes them an easier target, but at the end of a hall can be quite deadly, as their hyper-blaster stings like hell! The Technicians have a snapping claw, not very useful. A tazer, not quite as useless, and then they have their blaster. Technicians are good for dropping items such as key-cards and CD's.... But it's best that they simply hover around and make like they're repairing stuff.

Mutant
monster_mutant
health: plenty

    These bastards are EVIL! They move faster, and farther than the Demon in Quake 1, and have this eerie sound they make when they stalk around! Great for hiding behind walls and such, or in hidden cages, to be released when the player gets to a certain area. The Mutants have plenty of life, but a hyper-blaster or chaingun will take them out fairly efficiently. Mutants work well in sewers and mines, but not in base areas, unless they came from the sewers, in which case it's best to show where they came from.

Flyer
monster_flyer
health: 50

    Sorta like vultures with laster cannons, Flyers can be rather annoying, best used in groups of 3, as Id Software showed, these little mutha's can be a pain in the ass if not taken care of. Good for distraction and as a security measure. Make these little buggers fly over roof-tops to make them a little more surreal!

Icarus
monster_hover
health: 240

    His ass must get hot from those two jets mounted on his shoulders.... The Icarus is a rather distinctive enemy, useful for patrol of areas with high ceilings, or the outdoors areas. The Icarus is a type of enemy that can perch, since he seems to have a standing motion, how to get it used, I have NO idea, but it's there.... maybe the guy's just confused. These guys are a little stealthly, but their jet ambience gives 'em away so use them wisely, for best impact.

Tank
monster_tank
health: 750

    The BIG mother, this guy is huge, taller than the Gunners, and twice as lethal. The tank utilizes 3 weapons, a hyper-blaster, a chaingun and a rocket launcher. The Tank is slow as hell, so be careful where you place him. In confined areas he is useful, but only if the player has no room to maneuver. At a distance is good, but again, makes him an easy target. The Tank is a hard enemy to get good placement with. His menacing walk is enough to strike fear into a poorly armed player, so keep them on their toes by throwing one of these bastards near the beginning, and there's no way around except to find a bigger gun.

Tank Commander
monster_tank_commander
health: 750

    Just a fancied up Tank, I have found no differences, perhaps a little more aggressive? This guy can be used as a leader of several tanks, or just in a palace level, since he is kinda like a Tank with ROYAL armor, instead of chamo-combat armor.

Super Tank Boss 1
monster_supertank
health: about 2500 - 3000

    Did I say the Tank was the BIG mother? This guy is HUGE!! Taller than Gunners, taller than Tanks and 3 times as lethal! This guy sports the MOTHER-OF-ALL-CHAINGUNS and will mow you down in a second with it, his rockets are similar to the Tank's, but I think they move faster, or do more damage or something. He has lasers, but rarely uses them. The Tank Boss is a little slow however, and with the proper armament can be taken down rather easily. For best challenge, don't give the player a Quad or any HEAVY weaponry, then use him as a doorblock. Give this guy room to maneuver, or he'll be useless.

Hornet
monster_boss2
health: About 2500 - 3000

    It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's.... oh crap! This guy is about as rutheless as the Tank Boss, but he flies! Did I mention he has TWO chainguns? AND fires 4 rockets AT THE SAME TIME? This bastard is lethal and good at a distance. His rockets are fairly easy to dodge, but can KILL the player if he hits... In theory you could use two, but it could be considered unfair, or an overkill. But these guys work as a team, honestly 4 chainguns, 8 rockets, the player'll never know what hit 'em!

Makron
monster_jorg
health: around 5000 + the amount of Makron life, say another 2500

    This is THE BIG BOSS. He sports 2 ASS-KICKING CHAIN-CANNONS and a FREAKING BFG 10K!!! Yipes! The Jorg makes a lot of noise when moving about, and I'm pretty sure he makes this creepy laugh as he goes about his business of mopping the floor with you! If the player has a Quad or Invulnerability or BOTH then the Jorg is screwed. Also it's passenger is pretty much eff'd. So try to deny the player these things. When the Jorg is killed the Makron leaps from it's body and proceeds to kick yer ass with a Railgun, a HYPER-BLASTER and another freaking BFG10K!! Actually, it's the same one as the Jorg had, since the Jorg would raise its torso and let's the Makron fire it. When knocked won Makron says stuff like "Not Good Enough!" or "Weakling!"Needless to say, he's a pretty creepy character. I don't recommend using this thing UNLESS it is a Return of the Makron MOD! Makron got killed at the end of the game, so try and keep faithful to that.

Makron who Teleports ^_^ (!bonus!)
monster_boss3_stand

    This is the Jorg and Makron, the perfect killing pair, they will KICK your ass, but.....
    This version of them is a little near sighted, and won't do anything, he just stands there and taunts you! Have a blast.

FINAL NOTES :

    - All enemies can be made to drop something when killed it is best that they drop something THEY WOULD BE CARRYING! A guard dropping a shotgun is NOT possible, since it's a PROSTHETIC GUN! And is grown out of his arm, so to speak. A gladiator should NOT drop a rocket launcher, or a BFG. They can drop keys tho, and this works. Armor is okay, but you just killed the guy, so why would his armor be of any use?

    - Enemies should be placed with their habitats in mind. Don't stick an Icarus in a cramped hallway, unless he's STUCK there, which is dumb.

    - Enemies are HYDROPHOBIC!! I have found that none of the monsters will readily enter water, they must be PLACED in the water for them to move around in it. I haven't found a way to force them into the water.

    - Put monsters in TEAMS, guards should be used in different combinations, Enforcers should accompany Technicians or Brains! Think like a Strogg; "If I were a Gunner, where would I be?"

    - Don't make the enemies TOO easy to kill OR TOO hard! Space it out, give the player a few easy-queasy kills, so they get confident. Then WHAM!!! Throw a Tank in their face! Remember, you're trying to kill the player! Don't think about passing the level, make it HARD!!

    - Tank Commanders can DROP key_commander_head. Only use this if you have the player GIB the guy. Such as drop a boulder, or crate on him, or zap him with a laser. Otherwise, he's got TWO heads!!

    - Be sneaky, don't be afraid to put a monster or two behind the player, most attacks come from the 90 degree field of view that he or she has, but they don't usually expect them from behind, since they move FORWARD thru the map!

    - Use the trigger_monsterjump carefully, an Enforcer DOESN'T look like he'd be practicing Jumping Jacks at you. Use with flying enemies, or to launch a monster off a ledge, behind the player. But don't make it LOOK fake, unless you have a Wind-Tunnel, Trampolene or Jet Engine under the enemy, monst Stroggs don't look like they got a lot of jump in them, so be nice.

THANKS :

    - Id Software for making Quake 2, and all of the BEST 3D shoot-em-ups!

    - You for taking the time to Read this, and see what I have to say about how to PROPERLY use the enemies. Please don't mind my STRONG OPPINIONS on usage, I just like to keep the enemies working believably, I'm not a afraid of new stuff, I just prefer to have it believable!

    - All the Guys at RUST, "I've learned so much in the past few days!"

    - Robert A. Duffy, for putting together QERadient, so us MORTALS can too build Quake 2 maps! w00

    - My girlfriend! (heh, I gotta stick her in here somewhere!)

    - Mike Warren for making an enemies Tips section, where I got some of the health amounts. He prefers IE4, but I SUPPOSE that's okay.... >)

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