Hello. I'm known by the more well-known members of this community as "sticky", but many people will refer to me by different names. This is a comprehensive surf and propkill training guide that will go into depth regarding, well, the way I and others surf, mostly.

You also may qualify for admin on my sandbox server if you learn this gamemode to basic proficiency and also play on my server regularly. This is, for the record, my most lazy attempt at reviving this gamemode to date.


*DO NOT ADD ME FOR INQUIRIES REGARDING ADMIN FOR PROPKILL*



I'm sure this is all a bit overwhelming, but the video above will give you a pretty solid illustration of the general gist of this gamemode. You will be able to do all of this to some degree by the end of this guide.


If you're curious about the visuals that allow you to see both props and players through walls, it's apart of the gamemode and isn't generally considered cheating or hacking by anyone that frequents the gamemode.

• The competitive part of propkill was co-invented by (FPtje) Falco, the CREATOR of DarkRP. The DarkRP gamemode, in fact, never would've progressed past it's now forgotten primitive form without it. If you don't believe me, he is literally the owner of one of the most well-known and, well, known propkill steam groups, if this means anything :
  
  https://gtm.you1.cn/groups/poki
  
  
• DarkRP, to this very day, is finely tuned, optimized and suited specifically for said advanced forms of propkill but more surf. Proof of this, of course, is the ability to load clientside lua (such as a propkill script), sv_airaccelerate being at 100 by default (this makes it easier to strafe in the air while propsurfing) and the prop physics being a great deal slower than Sandbox is (propkill server physics). Said settings, of course, could've just been the global defaults at the time and enforced when they became not default. this is just observation.
  
  Specifically regarding falco though, I actually have a video of him fighting another propkiller if you're curious about what he looks like in action (although it's over a decade old) :
  
  
  
  again, the video itself is nearly a decade old and hardly reflects the more modernized version of propkill that you may see today, but I personally see it as quite the spectacle.
  
  

That isn't a terrible question, but I do just want to make one thing clear :

You do NOT necessarily HAVE to be a minge to be a propkiller. Yes, competitive propkill never would've evolved to the point it did without it, but thinking that a prop combat gamemode by itself is "inherently mingy" is just stupid.

So in order to actually survive on a propkill server, I'm PRETTY sure we're going to need, well, PROPS to do the whole propkilling thing, so we're going to be binding certain, specific props to keys our of choosing.

You will, of course, need to open what's known as the developer's console before you can actually begin binding the stuff you need.


To access said developer's console, you will need to press the ` key (next to 1) or below TAB. You will need to enter the commands below into the console.

To bind a command to the key of your choosing, you will need to follow the syntax below :


I'm sure it's obvious, but this is the actual "command" we'll be using :
"gm_spawn <MODEL PATH>"

Originally posted by lenn:

BUT WHAT IS A GOOD ♥♥♥♥♥♥ PROP MODEL?? WILL A BREENSDESK WORK???

sorry, no, a breensdesk unfortunately will not work unless you want to be put at a major disadvantage and also risk social suicide, sadly.

you will need to set aside 4-5 keys for different kill/surf props that, ideally, should be CLOSE to your WASD keys. Ignoring this very important advice will put you at a very MAJOR disadvantage.

(You can actually safely ignore the 4-5 prop tip and technically just use this prop only for everything) )


This is the prop you will be using to kill for 90% of the time. Yes, I know, it's big, but trust me, its massive size is why the game is so fast paced to begin with. Lots of movement needed to dodge this thing.



I recommend binding this prop to G :




This prop CAN be used as a main kill prop and is used EXCLUSIVELY by a lot of top players, but generally isn't by the majority simply because, against american propkillers specifically, is too small to effectively combat the american surfing style without the extreme, absolute peak and top of your game kind of skills. Because of this, fridgers just play with other fridgers.




I recommend binding the small prop of your choosing to x :






Generally, smaller circle-like objects are used and preferred for what is known as boosting, which most will recommend you use over more "edged" or large props. To start, we'll be binding our BOOST prop to a key, which is the prop we'll be using to get ourselves into the air :




There's many to choose from, but we'll be starting off with the sawblade :



I recommend binding this specific prop to T :


Alternatively, if the sawblade doesn't appeal to you enough, you can use the moped tire. It's best for the most velocity and height possible :


I also recommend binding this prop to T :



We'll be using this coaster prop to keep ourselves in the air, but it not a requirement :



I recommend binding this prop to F :


We'll also be using this big circular prop to stay in the air as well. I recommend binding this to E (THIS PROP COULD BE YOUR ONLY SURF PROP ) :

So because this isn't a tutorial that's strictly centered on propsurf, we're obviously going to need some "visual aid" to even out the playing field a bit against our competitors for the propkill part. And yes, I'm talking about propkill scripts :



This, again, does not give you any major advantage over anyone in the game. There is no such thing as "no script" propkill. Ignoring something so utterly essential is an unwise choice and will only put you at a disadvantage and dramatically lengthen your overall learning time.


There is, unfortunately, not a lot to choose from when it comes to propkill scripts on the workshop. I wouldn't suggest this to a beginner solely because it is a nightmare to setup, unless you know weegee.



If you want scripts, which I know you do, subscribe to the thing below.

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=104808533

you must then assign a key to activate this script. I recommend using some absolutely worthless garbage braindead autism key like o, k, l, p, m, n or u to do this :


This will activate falco's scripts. You can type "falcop_xray" in console to enable the script.

And if you see ugly ♥♥♥♥, enter the command below to cleanse your poor eyes of default falcos scripts.


Now we're finally set and ready to learn the very basics of surf and prop combat. May lenn be with ya.

Sorry, I lied. more setup. lmfao.


So before we FINALLY get to the actual prop stuff, we're going to need to type in a couple of cool commands and unbind some dumb, annoying ♥♥♥♥ before we can proceed with learning how to actually surf.



we're going to need to open up the good o'l developer's console once again. I want you to type in the following commands into console. preferably, copy paste :) :



The first command will set your physgun's scroll speed to a higher value than the default. It's not recommended to use anything higher than 120 if you don't want to make things harder for yourself.

The second command will unbind your scrollwheel. This will prevent that pesky weapon's select from randomly enabling on as you're trying to manipulate your prop. This is very important.


さてと、そろそろサーフィンに行こうか。

This portion of the guide will teach you the very basics of propsurf. I will be going over only the manual variant of surf rather than clicking and pressing ♥♥♥♥ to do it for you.

Probably the hardest to learn for a beginner, but once you solidify the muscle memory for this, everything else will suddenly become much easier, as most of the most common surfing techniques share characteristics with the boost.



so uh, yeah, boosting. First, hold down your physgun and spawn your prop in the exact same place and angle as the picture illustrates. so on the GROUND away from your feet.


then, I want you to turn the complete opposite way as fast as you possibly can and scroll the prop inwards or into you.

You also must look more upwards as you're turning yourself or "180ing". Just think of it as noclipping to the top of a building. you obviously won't look straight up to the sky to do so, but you will be looking upwards, likely at an angle, regardless.


****** PLEASE also take note of the use of my A and D keys and how I'm NOT pressing W at all while surfing. This is essential to maintaining any form of control while in the air. Pressing w will not give you this control. Just think of your A and D keys as an extension of your mouse's ability to turn left and right. Obviously if you press A, you should probably move your mouse right. If you press d, you should also probably move your mouse to the left. Make sense?

Used in combination with boosting, coastering is one method of extending your airtime after boosting.


1. spawn coaster where you feel you will most likely land.

2. freeze coaster.

3. profit??


Spidering is essentially just a boost while in the air and not on the ground.


1. look down.

2. jump to put space between you and the prop.

3. scroll the prop into you until it pushes you upwards

4. look forwards as i do and do a 180 as if you're boosting normally. It's literally just an air boost.

It's that simple and it's very good for evasion against less skilled players or if you time it right against a significantly scarier player.

This is the advanced portion of the surfing guide which will teach you all of the evasive and also cool surfing tricks professional players actively utilize to their advantage!

Reversing is essentially just another means of extending your airtime apart from what you've learned so far. To do this, you must:


1. spawn prop in the direction you are heading.

2. grab prop.

3. scroll prop towards you and do a 180 while utilizing strafe keys.

It's THAt simple.

A forwards reverse is essentially just a reverse that you don't have to do a full 180 to do. To perform this, you must :


1. spawn the prop slightly to the side of you or perhaps infront of you.

2. scroll the prop inwards and flick your mouse sideways.

This will yank/slide the prop behind you if done right. Thus, pushing you from behind.


Rebirding is, yet again, just another means of extending your airtime. To do this, you must:



1. Look down but not completely.

2. Spawn your prop and scroll it into you.

3. Push it up by yanking your mouse up. doing this in COMBINATION with scrolling it into you will smack it into ya. THUS, more air.

profit?? watch video

I've seen quite a few older players do this and appears to be the unintentional result of experimental prop placement for rebirding (on roofs/buildings, mostly).

By spawning, specifically, your rebird prop to the side of you on the nearest surface and timing it correctly, you can gain tremendous bursts of momentary speed that far exceed the server's maxvelocity, which is very hard to do.

To actually get a proper and effective kill, you must first figure out how to spawn kill props correctly. First, spawn it as close to your opponent as physically possible, so preferably at their feet. yes, yes, aim crosshair and spawn at feet. This will give your opponent significantly less time to react than if you had spawned it infront of you. Less travel time equals ezier kill.

Because of their very small and compact size, these kinds of props are very useful for turning any small space into a very regrettable kind of moment for your, uh, opponent (help) :


Now this is something you don't see people doing everyday. sure, you've got yourself a lot of roof spawning and ground spawning, but the very ground and walls that surround you and your opponent will forever be an untapped goldmine of effortless, smooth antibirding action.

Mastering this will give you the level of flexibility to consistently hit your opponents in virtually any possible scenario that involves close quarter combat. take my word. The best do this way more than they realize.

This is also probably better left unsaid and obvious, but prediction, map knowledge, strategy and timing play quite the part in how flexible you can be, which isn't helpful to mention since this is all done on the subconscious level anyway. in short, play game.


now this may not even really seem to belong here, but this will enable you to become, mostly, completely unhittible by a tides gate. By mostly, of course, I mean there are ways to counter crouch evasion, but requires a bit of concentrated effort to pull off, so do so unpredictably and you will survive. Video demonstration below :


This one and very simple change, as you just witnessed, can dramatically reduce your chances of being instakilled the second you're grounded for more than 2 seconds against a tide player.

Antibirding is essentially just sniping people out of the air with props. The simplest way to perform the most basic antibird is to just spawn your prop INFRONT of your target's surf path (on the roof and infront of them, yes), scroll the prop towards your target (at them) AS the prop hugs the skybox and then LET go.

This is to compensate for the speed they are HEADING towards you at. If you spawn it too close, they may pass your kill prop before you can do anything with it, so it's best to put some distance between the two. :)


Longshotting is not something that can be taught and is acquired through lots of repetition (meaning there isn't a specific technique involved since it requires map knowledge and flexibility to do well). The best advice I can give you is to just move your prop though as much open space as possible, as it travels to ur opponent.

This guide is merely INTRODUCING you to the necessary techniques and skills that will guide you to the oh-so-desired basic proficiency through repetition. Now it all comes down to practicing and getting an ACTUAL feel for the gamemode.

Originally posted by lenn:

UM UM BUT WHERE TF DO I EVEN PRACTICE ANYWAY????

Well, there's a few servers still up, but not an overwhelming amount. There may even be no servers at all, sadly, by the time you read this. Even if there are, there'll most likely be zero players on them, so it's best to get to know the few remaining that are willing to play if you want to practice.

My server is a good way to go about this B)

As I'm writing this, there's actually quite a few servers still up and running. All of the servers listed below are reliable and trustworthy... unless you're a schizophrenic like a certain someone.
Australia:

• Almighty Laxz's Propkill -- type connect 139.99.192.232 in console to join!

Europe:

• EUROPE | COMPETITIVE PROPKILL -- type connect 145.239.62.206:27021 into console!

United States :

• Banksy's Chicago Propkill -- type connect 69.39.225.6:27015 in console to join!
  
• UNNAMED Libby's PK server -- type connect 104.153.105.70:27019 in console to join!
  
• Dummy's NY Propkill -- type connect 104.140.242.243:30123 in console to join!

Consider joining my sandbox server, too, if you want some barely supplemental target practice. You will find a lot of old retired or new-gen propkillers occasionally stopping by to do whatever they need to do, if that appeals to you. You can even ask them to 1v1, if you want. The server also has practically no rules.

• Libby's Sandbox/Playground 3 -- type connect 103.163.186.107 into console!

or you can try our EU server

• [EU] Libby's Sandbox/Playground -- type connect 185.107.96.138 into console!