Help using springs properly?

[Radical Rat]

So, I'm fairly new to this game, and it is a LOT of fun, and pretty amazing that it's all done with an FPS engine.

However, I seem to be having a lot of trouble with springs, particularly spring series, in that I can see where they're SUPPOSED to take me, but they always seem to over or undershoot the next spring, sometimes leading to death.

I realize this is a byproduct of how the physics work with regards to momentum and all, but is there some sort of technique for landing on springs so that I don't have to spend lives figuring out the exact angle and speed I need to hit each spring at?

 

[Lat']

If you're talking about springs from Vanilla levels, simply let go off the controls after being sprung, else you'll affect your trajectory away from the intended one and miss the other spring in the chain.

 

[Chimes]

If you're talking about springs from Vanilla levels, simply let go off the controls after being sprung, else you'll affect your trajectory away from the intended one and miss the other spring in the chain.

It's just like Sonic 2;
If you hold right as you go to a diagonal spring, your speed will be reduced.

 

[gregory_house]

I can't think of any spring chain that is deadly if failed off the top of my head, not in the vanilla maps at least, although I know for sure there are some in various mods...

That said, there seem to be many issues with spring chains in general in this game, and I never quite understood why.
Vanilla maps themselves have at least three broken ones, in GFZ2, DSZ1 and ERZ1, but there's no real risk in taking those anyway, the worst that can happen is you landing near the next spring and losing a second or two of your time (it's really more of an annoyance than anything else, please fix them, devs). Add-on mods are created by different authors so you're going to find spring chains having different behaviors: some might be slightly broken due to lack of thorough testing, some might be purposefully designed to over- or undershoot the next spring (or landing point) to pose more of a challenge, some might even require you to change the general direction you're flying in, in mid-air.

As for vanilla maps and I'd say 80% of mods out there, just keep a single rule in mind: if it's a vertical spring, you'll have to apply movement in mid-air to get where it requires you to go, usually forward (there are some exceptions); if it's a diagonal spring just release the movement keys a moment before you hit it, let your momentum carry you to it, and let it do its work.

Eventually you'll learn where exceptions to this rule are, or when you can once again take control of your character after hitting the last spring in a chain, to start giving yourself the desired direction even before landing.

 

[amperbee]

I personally never had any problems with diagonal spring chains (except when in CEZ2 and ERZ1 where geometry blocks me from the last spring in some chains for some reason).
All you have to do is stop pressing any movement keys when touching a diagonal spring so it launches you properly where it is aiming.
It's more effective when you jump on the spring while not pressing anything else so your momentum does the spring touching job.

 

[Radical Rat]

Thanks for the replies, and yeah I'm doing vanilla levels.

The one particular spring chain that got me to make this thread was in CEZ2, where the second spring sends me into the wall below the third, causing me to fall into the void.

I'll give it a few more tries and see if I can't get it working.