Rocket jumping was kept as an intentional mechanic for the leading games in the Quake series. By exploiting the physics of the Quake engine, many advanced movement techniques were spawned such as circle jumping, strafing, bunny hopping, and explosive jumping. While using explosives to propel oneself was first seen in Doom, the modern technique became a core mechanic in Quake. However, ejection seats from an aircraft are, in effect, a combination of a seated rocket jump and a parachute. Rocket jumping from standing is impractical in real life, and would be certainly fatal if attempted.
This effect makes the technique less useful in games where the damage from the blast and/or fall is high, or where health is difficult to replenish. However, a potential consequence of rocket jumping is that it can injure the player, either from the blast or from fall damage. Rocket jumping is used often in competitive play, where it can allow the player to gain quick bursts of speed, reach normally unobtainable heights, secure positional advantages, or in speedrunning. Although the origin of rocket jumping is unclear, its usage was popularized by Quake. The aim of this technique is to reach heights and distances that standard character movement cannot achieve. In first-person shooter games, rocket jumping is the technique of using the explosion of an explosive weapon, most often a rocket launcher, to launch the shooter.
