ALIAS ZigZag "ECHO Please do it for me... please...";

So why can't you write a little alias (or a combination of aliases that implement a macro) that zigzags automatically?

Well, the main problem is that Quake processes console commands (including the movement ones to which keys are usually bound) in the order that it receives them. A complicated alias just performs many console commands in sequence, and whilst it is running, other commands - including those coming from the keyboard - have to wait their turn. Since an alias to zigzag would seem to require the use of a few WAIT commands (which let a little time pass), this means that even an alias to zigzag for a short while will block other input whilst it is active. Including, perhaps, the movement commands you are issuing in order to get out of the way of that ogre's grenade, or fire at the zombie who is in your way. Ouch.

The other problem is that WAIT commands are dependent on the framerate that your machine is running at, and that this rate changes as you progress through a level and different numbers of brushes come into view. Anyone who has tried to make an alias to do a 180 degree turn will know how inconsistent these aliases can be. Since zigzagging requires a precise rhythm and hence a fairly consistent delay between strafes, aliases do the job fairly poorly. In practice, I haven't found they offer more than a 10% speed-up, and you can do that well with very little key-pounding. Add the inconvenience of loss of control and it begins to look like macros are a bit of a bad idea.

Of course some bright spark may solve these problems and manage to provide automatic zigzagging in some way. But to be honest, I'd as sooner that they didn't. Maybe things are best the way they are, where skill and practice are required to make the best use of this technique. Just a thought.