Credits
This guide is loosely based on what Dr_kazza wrote at the Wireplay TFC forum around the year 2000.
Keys used for bunny hopping
How exactly you bunny hop is explained later in this guide, this section is just to clarify which keys you need to use.
You can start off using the forward key to gain initial speed, but it’s not important and may be confusing. The forward key is NOT used when bunny hopping (unless you want to bhop sideways), so let it go after the first jump (or don’t use it all).
You only need strafe left (A), strafe right (D), and either a jump script (e.g. bound to space bar) or if you have a mouse wheel you can assign its rotation to “Jump” (no script needed then).
The basic idea
Bunny hopping consists of two parts which you can learn independently and later use both together.
Practice 1: Strafe and turn
Go to the TFC main menu, create a server. Now use the console to change gravity to zero, the command is:
sv_gravity 0
Seek an open space, stand still, and jump. You will float up to the sky.
Now, press D (right strafe) and also move the mouse slightly to the right. If you’re doing it right, you will describe a circle.
Then do the opposite, press A (left strafe) and move the mouse slightly to the left. You should again end up describing a circle, but the other way round.
Finally, alternate between above as you see fit, doing a figure describing an 8.
Jumping theory
The goal is to barely touch the ground at all, stay in the air at 99,9% of the time in order to avoid ground friction. This can’t be done with a conventional jump using the space bar. You either have to bind the space bar (or whichever key you prefer for jumping) to a jump script, or you can bind the mouse wheel rotation to “Jump” and spin the mouse wheel as far as possible for each jump. Personally I prefer to have a wait command in between, and I use both the space bar (with script) and the mouse wheel for jumping. For scripted jumps the number of jump commands you should use depends on your FPS (frame rate).
Scripting
You will most likely need to edit a configuration file. The only exception is if you can bunny hop fine using the mouse wheel rotation without adding a wait command. For editing TFC’s configuration files any plain text editor like Notepad or Wordpad works. Though if you create a new file, you need to make sure that your editor doesn’t add “.txt” to the file name. The best place for scripts is the file “userconfig.cfg” in the tfc folder. This file needs to be created if it doesn’t exist yet. Also very common is using two other configuration files instead, “config.cfg” for binds and “autoexec.cfg” for aliases.
Here’s the default path to this folder on Windows:
C:Program Files (x86)SteamSteamAppscommonHalf-Lifetfc
If you installed Steam elsewhere or if you use multiple Steam library folders:
- Go to the Steam library, right click on Team Fortress Classic, select “Properties”.
- Click on the “Local files” tab.
- Click on the “Search local files…” button.
- Your “tfc” folder should be in there, enter it by double clicking on it.
// bunny hop
// 100 fps : 8 jump commands
// alias +hop “jumper;jumper;jumper;jumper;jumper;jumper;jumper;+jump”
// 60 fps : 5 jump commands
alias +hop “jumper;jumper;jumper;jumper;+jump”
alias -hop “-jump”
alias jumper “+jump;wait;-jump;wait”
bind “MWHEELDOWN” “+jump;wait”
bind “MWHEELUP” “+jump;wait”
bind “SPACE” “+hop”
Practice 2: Jumping
Load up the map rock2 and try crossing the yard only by jumping, starting off with a small (!) push caused by a concussion grenade (conc). To make sure you aren’t propelled across the yard, stay close to the conc. With the default jump (bind space +jump) you will probably come to a halt after the second jump or so. With a scripted jump using above, or using the mouse wheel rotation for jumping, you should be able to bounce more often, crossing the whole rock2 yard. Remember that if you use the mouse wheel, you have to spin it as far as possible for each jump.
Speed limit
The old guides about bunny hopping were written before Valve introduced a speed limit. So it’s not possible any more to keep up extreme speeds when jumping, unless the server specifically allows it (needs a server side modification). The limit is 1,7 times of the default speed of the class you play (scout, medic etc). If you surpass this limit, your speed will be bumped back to 1,1 times of the default speed when jumping.
Combining the two practice lessons
Continuing the rock2 practice, try to steer your bounces into a direction, using the technique you learned in zero gravity.
Hold down one of the strafe keys (A or D) and keep jumping. To steer into a direction, move the mouse slowly (e.g. to the left when you strafe left). If you’re doing it correctly, you should be jumping in a circle.
Once you are able to do this, change direction after a few jumps (other strafe key and move the mouse into the other direction, too). By doing this, you are able to zig-zag jump into any direction, instead of jumping around in a circle. You can for example bunny hop through the corridors.
Fortress Forever
Another thing you can do, install Fortress Forever. It has a training course which also teaches you how to bunny hop.
[link]