Winning a Half-Life deathmatch on the Zone is not about twitch alone -- it is about knowing the ground. Here is the Internet Gaming Zone team's per-map playbook for three of the most-played arenas on the server. Make sure everyone in your room is running the same version (v1.1.1.0 is the final WON build); see the Downloads page for the patch.

crossfire -- the callable nuke. This map's signature is the tactical nuclear strike. Three players must stand on the buttons in the underground bunker to arm it, and when it fires the entire open surface is scorched. The lesson is simple: the surface is a death trap on a timer.

• When the siren sounds and the sky goes bright, sprint for the reinforced bunker or the tunnels -- open ground is a coffin.
• Camping the RPG or Gauss on the cliff ledges is strong for kills, but you are exposed when the nuke lands. Grab, frag, and drop below.
• The central courtyard is the main choke. Toss hand grenades or seed the doorways with tripmines to control who crosses.

boot_camp -- verticality and trampolines. This is a vertical fragfest built around bounce pads that fling you skyward. Fights happen in three dimensions, so always check above and below you.

• The trampolines are a fast route to the upper walkways and the good pickups, but you are a slow, floating target at the top of the arc. Fire on anyone mid-bounce -- they cannot dodge.
• The crossbow and .357 Magnum shine here for picking bouncers out of the air.
• Snarks and tripmines placed at pad landing zones catch the greedy. The catwalks are prime camping spots but easily flanked from the pads.

stalkyard -- the crane and open sightlines. A scrapyard of long, open lanes dominated by the crane structure. Distance is king, so the crossbow rules this map.

• The crane and elevated platforms give commanding sightlines -- perfect for a crossbow sniper, but you will draw the whole room's fire. Relocate after two or three frags.
• Stacks of containers make the safe routes between cover. Never sprint the open middle without a reason.
• Watch the corners for satchel charges and tripmines around the choke gaps between the scrap piles.

Learn the item spawns, control the chokes, and never stand still on open ground. We will see you in the arena. -- The Internet Gaming Zone Team