Guild Wars 2

Why? Are our heroes really incapable of running backwards? Or at least backpedaling faster than at a snail’s pace?

Everyone has died far too many times because of this and it’s seriously annoying when you’re out of endurance and can’t back out of range or out of AoE because it’s so painfully slow. Personally, I’d rather not have to turn my back to what’s attacking me to move fast enough to avoid being hit.

Would increasing backward movement speed be game-breaking? I hardly think so… In fact, it’d make sense.

Kiting would be too easy if you could run normal speed backward, and wouldn’t make sense (if you wana bring RL into this). Maybe ever so slightly increase the movement of running back by just a hair but I don’t see anything wrong with it atm. This isn’t a car chase, can’t be shooting back at the enemy while maintaining full speed ahead. Traps, wells, pressing the “Face” button to turn 180 degrees and press a retreat skill, all these things already are capable of hitting the chasing enemy or avoiding them further.

I always thought that was the reason dodges default was to roll backwards unless you give it a direction.

It’s included in order to cut down on the standard videogame strategy of “walk backwards while shooting enemy until it dies.” Backpedaling allows you to use your normal offensive skills, so it’s balanced by putting you at greater risk. The developers want to encourage more diverse playstyles, such as:

• shoot the enemy until it gets close, then use knockback or a leap/shadowstep/teleport power to maintain distance
• immobilize or cripple the enemy, then turn and run away briefly before starting another volley
• switch to a melee weapon when the enemy gets close
• get the enemy to focus on something else (e.g. clone, minion, elemental, pet) while you autoattack it to death
• choose weapons, utilities, traits, party members, etc… which will provide Vigor and Swiftness (so that your backpedal/dodge strategy will be more effective)

If your problem is AoE fields, then don’t rely purely on backpedaling and dodging. You should be willing to turn aside (which will probably prevent you from attacking) and run forwards (at full speed) for a few seconds, in order to avoid getting killed.

• Unbind backwards (S), you don’t want to use it (or bind they key to about face)
• Bind the turns (A/D) to strafe instead
• Strafe and turn the camera (with mouse 2) towards your target

You will now move away from your target at regular speed and retain offensive capabilities

Note: it’s not really necessary to rebind (A/D) since mouse 2 will make them strafe anyway, but handy if you need to let go the mouse shortly

Zorby.8236:

• Unbind backwards (S), you don’t want to use it (or bind they key to about face)
• Bind the turns (A/D) to strafe instead
• Strafe and turn the camera (with mouse 2) towards your target

You will now move away from your target at regular speed and retain offensive capabilities

Note: it’s not really necessary to rebind (A/D) since mouse 2 will make them strafe anyway, but handy if you need to let go the mouse shortly

So many people would probably press S and unintentionally turn around. I wouldn’t advise changing s with anything. Just strafe or teleport/retreat/be on your toes. You should be looking where you’re going not walking blind anyways.