Version 1.00 January 7 1996

This FAQ, Manual & Tutorial is written by Thomas Ytterberg (thomas.ytterberg@mailbox.swipnet.se). Comments, suggestions etc are very welcome.

About

These files were made by me as I realized that there was many out there who had no clue whatsoever how to grenade jump (or even what that means). So instead of all the half-hearted attempts on alt.games.marathon, I decided it was time to compile my knowledge of the issue, as well as making a small tutorial of it.

If any of you have think you have more to discuss about Grenade Jumping (GJ) and it's virtues, feel free to mail me at thomas.ytterberg@mailbox.swipnet.se

This package includes one Map for training grenade jumping, this Read Me and six Marathon Films showing different aspects of grenade jumping. The Map and the Films do not work with Marathon II Durandal. A version that will work with both releases of Marathon is planned as soon as possible.

Thanks to; Bungie, Steve I, The Marathon Map Makers Guild and everybody else that maintains Marathon FAQs and/or Marathon sites.

This work can be distrubited in any way by any computerized media as long as it remains unchanged, free to the public and outside any Microsoft owned corporation, including Microsoft itself.

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What is Grenade Jumping (GJ) ?

Simply: Grenade jumping is when you use the explosive effect of a grenade to propell yourself into the air, reaching areas that otherwise are difficult/impossible to reach. 

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Units

When I talk about units, I talk about the internal measurement used by the Marathon engine. A full texture is 1024 units wide and 1024 units high. The biggest step you can take is ~340 units. Yourself is about 850 units high and ~340 wide. The ceiling in the tutorial map is 3072 units above the floor, showing exactly 3 full textures in the y-plane. The appendix with the recharger is 1024x1024 hole in the wall and 2048 units long. The wall to the right is totally 12 288 units long. 

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General instructions about grenade jumping

Run: To get the most of a grenade jump you must use the Run key. Really, I can't recall any situation where a GJ could be accomplished without running (except the #1 obstacle). You usually need a take-off as well. Tip: Assign the Run key to Caps Lock. This way you won't have to care about yet-another-key-to-press.

Aim at your feet: Use the Look Down key (default C) to lower your view as much as possible. This way the grenade will impact just in front of your feet, giving you a push upwards (and backwards) at a 45 (?) degree angle. 
When you GJ hold down this key all the time!

Full shields: Grenades gives you plenty of damage. About 60% of a full shield is destroyed, thus 1x only allows one jump; 2x gives you three GJs; 3x gives you five GJs. So make sure your have at least a full 1x shield.

Keys: You need to (1) run,  (2) look down, (3) move forward/backward and (4) launch a grenade. That is four keys to manage. Assigning the Run key to Caps Lock will lower that number to three. You may want to adjust your keyboard layout to something more suitable.

Assault Rifle: You do need at least one AR loaded with grenades. But you already knew that, didn't you?   ;-)

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Grenade Climbing (GC)

GC is the solution for reaching places that are more than ~1000 units higher than the floor.
Grenade climbing is a lot more difficult than GJ:ing. In fact, it is *very* difficult. To make a GC you need (1) a wall adjacent to where you want to reach. (2) Several thousands of units of free space alongside the wall. (3) at least 2 grenades (full clip recommended). (4) at least full 2x shields (an invincibility power-up recommended). (5) Practice (good luck recommended).

First place your shoulder directly towards the wall, facing the desired place you want to reach. Aim at your feet facing about 30 degrees into the wall. Then run, making sure you gain speed until you launch your first grenade. Before you lose your hight, launch another grenade. This way you'll reach higher and higher. Repeat until finished. 

Don't understand? It's easier when you see it; film #7 Hard Climb.

This is the way to get out of the Deprivation Chamber on Never Burn Money.

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The individual obstacles in the Map

#1 The easiest

This is easy. Just move towards it until you can't walk further (it's too high to be stepped upon). Turn 180 degrees. Aim at your feet. Fire. KABOOM!. Now you're standing on the obstacle and you havn't suffered any damage.

Really no grenade jump. More like a grenade push. (Actually it's the recoil thats bringing you upwards)

Hight: 350 units

#2 The Ledge

The easiest of the grenade jumps. Aim at your feet. Run towards it and fire. You may fire at varying distances from the ledge and still get up there. Your excess forward motion is stopped by the wall as well.

This is probably the most common type of grenade jump.

Hight: 850 units

#3 The enclosed (Backwards GJ:ing)

A somewhat more difficult grenade jump since it requires that you use a the wall to grenade yourself backwards. This is supposed to be done from The Ledge. When you do it use the map mode to make sure your back is pointing towards where you want to jump. Stand as close to the wall as possible, aim at your feet (make sure though that your weapon is still pointing at the wall), RUN backwards and immediately (not more than half a second) after that you should fire.

Whenever there is a limited amount of space for a adequate take-off, this method might do it.

If you try this from the north part of the ledge (jumping southeast) your motion will be stopped by the wall. Do it from the other way and it will be much more difficult to accomplish since there is nothing there to stop your motion.

This is the way you must GJ if you want to reach the ledge with the invisible Compilers on Bigger Guns Nearby.

Hight: 1360 units (512 from the ledge)

#4 The Hard Jump

A more difficul obstacle. First, you need to know at what moment you should launch the grenade. Second, there is nothing that stops your motion so you must stop yourself by using the Backwards or Sidestep keys. The general rule when to launch the grenade is as soon as the obstacle appears in sight.

Hight: 950 units

#5 The follow up

Virtually impossible to reach from other places than #4. The added difficulties are the lack of something to stop your motion and that you'll have a limited area to GJ from, resulting in either a prematurely launched grenade or a grenade that miss the floor you're standing on, accomplishing nothing.

Hight: 1800 (750 from #4) units

#6 Easy Climb

The easiest kind of GC. Point your gun to the wall, aim down, start running (you need a good take-off), fire and immediately launch another grenade before you start to fall down. The best way to see how it is done is to watch the film.

Hight: 1024 units

#7 Hard climb

Do it the same way as #6, with the exception that you (of course) do need to launch more grenades. Very, very difficult to accomplish. You'll need full 3x shields or invincibility power-up as well as at least 5 grenades in the gun.

This is about the highest you can GC without the invincibility power-up.

Hight: 2048 units

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Other Issues

Recoil Jumping or Air Jumping is an easy and safe way to reach ledges that are a bit far away or somwhat higher. By launching a grenade into the space between the ledges while in the air, the recoil slightly adds to the distance and hight you can get. The grenade lands somewhere below you, between the ledges, without doing any damage.

Low Gravity makes you GJ higher and longer, but it is much easier to loose control and land in a goo pit or something.

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The Films

#2 The Ledge

This is a short one shoving how to GJ to the ledge.

#3 Backwards

Shows how to use the wall to GJ backwards.

Air Jump

How to use the recoil of the grenade launching to let you move longer distances when jumping ledge to ledge, even if there is a difference in hights. Film shows a jump from #2 to #6 (where #6 is 174 units higher than #2).

#4 the Hard Jump

Shows both a failed and a succesful attempt to reach and stay on obstacle #4.

#6 Easy Climb

The way to do an easy (2 grenade GC).

#7 Hard Climb

Shows the difficult way to GC. Funny thing is that I actually planned to mention that anyone who can make an GC like this, please do make one and mail me the film, because I never, ever, managed to do one myself... When I tried to make the #6 Easy Climb-film and had failed my 33:rd attempt or so, I did in pure frustration try one on #7 and for the first time I actually did it! The sound of my jaw hitting my desk must have alarmed the neighbours :)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I aim at my feets and launch the grenade but I only hops backwards. What am I doing wrong?
A: You must move, *RUN*, in some direction. Forward is the most common and easiest way to accomplish a GJ. Backwards works if there is a wall in front of you to reflect the blast.

Q: Ok. I'm running forward, pointing down, launches the grenade and still cannot reach where I want to. What should I do?
A: Make sure there is enough take-off. If not,try to do the GJ backwards as described in #3.

Q: Alright. I have a good take-off. I'm just about there but still can't make it!
A: (1) you're not launching the grenade at the right moment. If it's too near you won't reach high enough. If you're too far away you'll reach maximum hight to early and drop down. (2) the place you want to reach is to high for a GJ. You must either GC or use some other method.

Q: I'm trying to Grenade Climb but I only bumps across the floor.
A: Practice. You aren't aiming into the wall at the right angle (~30 ) or you havn't learned how to time your grenade launches. Did you get a good take-off? And, hrrm... Practice again.

Q: I'm GC:ing to this place but I die/run out of grenades before I reach it.
A: You're starting to far away. Practice where to begin the climb. Make sure the AR is full of grenades.

Q: How do I GJ or GC with the SPNKR?
A: You can't. It's backward motion is more powerful than your forward motion so it sends you flying backwards. And if you try to GJ backwards, it surely sends you flying like a dish-cloth across the room.

Q: So the SPNKR is entirely useless in this case?
A: No. But it is a good substitute for Grenade Climbing. Be aware that it punishes you a *lot*, so use it with caution. There is a SPNKR in the tutorial Map. Try to figure out how it works.

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 Thomas Ytterberg 1996