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Backpedaling...Do you do it?


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So the major critique I get is backpedaling. Do any of you out there ever actually find it useful? Do you do it? Do you unbind your 'S' key?

 

Discuss

Yes, "S" is now my interrupt skill button on all toons.

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Backpedalling is subpar compared to strafing and such but there are some times you may need it, I know I use it occasionally when tanking Fabricator just to nudge myself back slightly for safety without having the jack *** boss fling wildly off to the side for no reason.
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I only backpedal when i need to move to cover + watch an objective at the same time (Never take your eyes off the price hehe).

- Defending doors in Voidstar and LOSing the insane amount of sages throwing pebbles at me, while keeping eyes on the doors is a specific example.

 

Generally I dont think you can call backpedalling a sign of a bad players, or strafing a sign of a good one. Strafing is just familiar to me, and has been since DaoC, im sure someone can backpedal to godhood :)

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I try all kinds of techniques and some work at some moments and don't work at some other moments. Anybody who says NEVER do this is a bad player.

 

Even standing in the fire is usefull if you pull the right person in with you. :)

 

So... mister "I'm so hip that I can find a use for backpedaling, and anyone who says backpedaling is bad is clearly bad themselves"... name a scenario where merely backpedaling is better than strafing in the direction where you want to go?

 

Pros to backpedaling:

-You keep your target in front of you 100% of the time

-???

Cons to backpedaling:

-Your movement speed is reduced significantly

 

pros to strafing in the direction you may backpedal:

-Full movement speed

Cons to strafing:

-sometimeSOMETIMES the opponent may enter your blindspot and you wont be able to fire on him for about one universal cooldown.

 

 

Don't get me wrong... if backpedaling works for you, it works, but I just want to know why someone who never backpedals is bad.

 

I'm a powertech BH, so I have to remain mobile at all times, but I've unbound my S key and used it for jet charge (if I'm tankspecced) or hydraulic overrides (if i'm AP) and have yet to NEED backpedaling. strafing in the same direction gets the job done, and it gets it done faster.

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As a tank player for 6 years in WoW, backpedaling served a purpose. It is slower than strafing, and as such is nice for carefully repositioning bosses without causing them to move in a jerky motion. Sometimes due to lag the boss will overcompensate, move too close to you, and then turn around to move back a few steps. This screws up dps with positional requirements and can also get people behind the boss cleaved or people in other areas tail-whipped if the boss has one. However if the boss needs to be moved quickly it should be strafed, not backpedaled. It's a judgement call.

 

Otherwise I can't think of any situation where backpedaling is useful, in PvE or PvP. In PvE time spent running for casting classes is time not spent dpsing, so moving as quickly as possible out of the hazard or where you are supposed to go and getting back to dpsing is important. Same with healers. For melee keeping up with boss movement will almost always be a forward motion so backpedaling is irrelevant there.

 

The only people that can and do benefit from backpedaling are clickers, and I've never seen any evidence that clicking is an efficient style of gameplay. I've only ever seen situations where the gameplay is not intense enough to penalize someone for clicking, and as such they can click without failure. Until I see otherwise, I am of the opinion that clicking is sub-optimal and therefore is not an excuse for backpedaling.

 

Backpedaling serves very niche purposes but the vast majority of the time that people in this thread are ridiculed for it, it is not the optimal time to use it.

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pros to strafing in the direction you may backpedal:

-Full movement speed

Cons to strafing:

-sometimeSOMETIMES the opponent may enter your blindspot and you wont be able to fire on him for about one universal cooldown.

 

That con is directly correlated with player ability and can be minimized to the point where it basically does not happen.

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There is a time and place where backpeddaling is actualy very efficient,

 

the fact that you actualy move faster while strafing, and mastering strafing will not only improve how fast you move is ok. but it is generally better for your overall view and you will get alot more perspective, specially in pvp.

 

If you are for example tanking mobs in PVE, then backpeddaling will get you a long way, mobs position themself easyer, and u have more control than when you force mobs to move sideways.

 

and one of the most awesome things to do vs feral druids or rogues in wow, and generally backstabbing classes in swtor, (attacks that can only be used behind your target) is backpeddaling.

alot of people dont realise that when you backpeddal, the player desperately trying to backstab you will have no chance at all to do it unless he is fast enough to constantly run around you while moving. and this actualy decreases the effective DPS the backstabber will do.

 

additionally i've gotta say that because bioware made the huge mistake of not allowing players to toggle off smart camera. which is a pain in the *** to deal with in pvp, some times its just easyer to backpeddal if you want to move just a little bit, while casting something ahead of you, than to move to the side, because you simply cannot run 1 way and look the other, which is simply stupid and should be fixed.

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I actually believe people who backpeddle do it to troll me. Its just really frustrating to play a scoundrel or Shadow that way lol.... well it used to. Now I just snare them, strafe around them and backpeddle their backpeddling while still pressing my abilities lol!
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I like coming up behind a ding dong backpedaling IMP who's fighting a rep and backpedal with him while i'm shadow striking him. Good stuff.

 

I like coming up behind pubs who are backpedaling to do this and smack them around a bit myself.

 

 

cwutididthar?

 

 

On Topic: I don't really back pedal ever, maybe once in a great while when on my tank if the boss isn't positioning well, otherwise I don't, BUT.... WHO CARES?!?!?!?!?

 

People criticizing other people for how they play video games is a level of immaturity mostly found in kindergarten and first grade.

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I do whatever I feel like. This isn't work, it's not a job, it's not a test, it's not a contest, I don't win PCH if I am better than others, I don't even get a cup of coffee. I play to have fun. I already have a job that pays me. I don't need something else to stress and worry over. I need something to relax.

 

So, if someone want to call me a bad player for backpeddling, fine. They can go play with like minded players.

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The only time it is ever a good idea to backpedal is if you're tank and you're repositioning a boss slightly (ie against a wall).

 

In all other situations, PVE and PVP, strafing is superior. Moving at full speed is better than moving at half speed, I'm sure you'd all agree.

 

Try this:

 

Put your middle finger on the S key. Now try to hit your 1-5 abilities. Pretty hard, isn't it? The limitations of backpedaling aren't just in game, but they also hurt your ability to effectively press your skills in a timely manner.

 

Now, put your ring finger on the Q key, or your index finger on the E key. Not nearly as hard to press the 1-5 while pressing those, is it? Not to mention your character is moving faster.

 

Backpedal if you want. I don't really care. But just know that it is not as efficient as strafing.

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I backpedal ALL the time when I am playing a melee class. Specially against almost all operatives, assassins, shadows or scoundrels.

 

It's easy just ensnare them, backpedal and laugh at them trying to get to your back to do their high damage attacks.

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Backpedalling is one of those things that marks you as a not-so-great player if you do it when you're under pressure. No one cares if you backpedal to reposition yourself on a ledge or something like that, but if someone's attacking you and you're backpedalling, it's going to get noted. Edited by Mannic
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A serious issue indeed. I once backpedaled without even knowing how to call it, so i think i am a natural of some sort. I was a cold winter of 2012, i looked by the window, a bird just landed on the balcony. Startled and intrigued i threw bread crumbs, soon we became friends and i learned how his wife threw him out. He has a restrain order from her and lost the guard of his children. In a desperate tone, as only a bird can do, he said that sometimes he doesn't want to live anymore. Then i pressed the s key by accident, not even looking at the screen, and made lil step back. Mr Pebbles, my balcony quittance all impressed vigorously shrieked : "Sweet batman on a stick, you just backpedalled bro. Nice job there buddy. "

And then he flew away. I like to think that he is all right... but somethings tells me he came home and butchered his family, I dunno it was his eyes.

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This is absurdly hilarious of a topic & yes I backpedal while I take a lightsaber to the knee & perish in 5 seconds on Illium because I have PvE gear and not PvP gear. Do I judge? No. Historically speaking, the best armor was the front plate/front facing side of an armor wearing person alla medival europe.
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Yep, for minor positioning adjustments, especially in PvE.

 

And while backpeddling is slow, even the best players do it occasionally as it gives you the ability to adjust your position slightly without having to turn your camera/mouse.

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I seriously had no idea this was even an issue or anything abnormal. I'm also really surprised something like this has such a deep discussion (no offense of course.) Had no idea people would ever unbind the S key either.

 

Sometimes you just need to take a few steps back. I can't recall when I use it or how often but using it with the mouse to move the camera it works well for me when turning around quickly. Guess i'll have to pay attention more to when or if I even use it that much.

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The only time that it is acceptable to backpedal is if you are tanking.

In SWTOR you can Block and Defend with your back to the target, unlike in WoW, so the only reasons to backpedal while tanking is force of habit and threat.

 

That said, 95% of the time there is absolutely no reason to backpedal.

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