Guild Wars 2

Can anyone explain why strafing is so slow? Is there a reasoning for it? It is such a bad mechanic to have. The combat and movement feels terrible because of it.

I didn’t get this a whole lot either. Is it some sort of balance mechanic? It kind of feels like it encourages holding W down for most of the time.

Most MMOs seem to do this, too. I wish there was an option to ‘run forward’ in any direction you press. I like how Cryptic’s been doing it with their MMOs.

Trying to be realistic. At one point, they even had a charge up phase, where you’d basically go from walking to running when you first started moving. Since it was hated and felt weird, it was short lived.

Strafing at a forward angle is full speed though, while strafing at a backwards angle is like walking backwards.

Just a part of the characters being slow and sluggish when moving, sadly, instead of moving at a reasonable speed.

You can’t sprint sideways.

JDGumby.7685:

Just a part of the characters being slow and sluggish when moving, sadly, instead of moving at a reasonable speed.

Reasonable? As in able to run sideways and backwards as fast as forward?

What’s reasonable about that?

Not sure if I remember it right, but can’t you run at an angle at the exact same speed as running straight forward?

We can’t really argue reasonable or logical when talking about a heroic character who can do the things our characters can

That said, a huge part of the AI of the mobs are assumptions about player character mobility. If the latter changed, the combat AI for all the mobs would have to be changed. Now that I think about it, so would AoE radii (radiuses?), since they are also designed on such assumptions.

I don’t PvP, but I can see an argument there in that it’d make for a more exciting combat “feel”, but not in PvE.

Draco.2806:

Not sure if I remember it right, but can’t you run at an angle at the exact same speed as running straight forward?

Forward yes, backward no. Our characters haven’t eaten enough crawfish

I speculate it is to make circle strafing less effective, by making it take longer time to leave the opponents arc of attack.

You CAN dodgeroll to the sides.

If you need to be quick, there’s a price.

I think it makes perfect sense.

Healix.5819:

Trying to be realistic. At one point, they even had a charge up phase, where you’d basically go from walking to running when you first started moving. Since it was hated and felt weird, it was short lived.

Strafing at a forward angle is full speed though, while strafing at a backwards angle is like walking backwards.

Why is my character trying to strafe backwards though? That is what always bothered me. I can strafe right ok, but if I strafe left, instead of turning and strafing forward to the left you go backwards!

forward in combat = 210 in/sec
strafing in combat = 180 in/sec (85.7% as much)
noticeable, but just barely. I’m very content with the speeds for these. I don’t even have a key mapped for backpedaling, so that helps with not having to deal with slow

Mystic.5934:

forward in combat = 210 in/sec
strafing in combat = 180 in/sec (85.7% as much)
noticeable, but just barely. I’m very content with the speeds for these. I don’t even have a key mapped for backpedaling, so that helps with not having to deal with slow

^ this

If you could strafe at the same speed as somebody running at you, you could kite with a ranged weapon, never losing the ability to shoot at your target while running away at their speed.

So why can I strafe faster going right and I backpedal trying to strafe left? it makes no sense. They should both be the same speed.

Why is it so slow? Because this game hasn’t transformed itself into an Asian MMO yet

hockaloogie.1408:

So why can I strafe faster going right and I backpedal trying to strafe left? it makes no sense. They should both be the same speed.

You don’t, strafing left and right are the same speed, they’re just mirrored character animations…

emikochan.8504:

You can’t sprint sideways.

You can’t shoot fireballs out of your hands either.

Player Character.9467:

hockaloogie.1408:

So why can I strafe faster going right and I backpedal trying to strafe left? it makes no sense. They should both be the same speed.

You don’t, strafing left and right are the same speed, they’re just mirrored character animations…

I’ve noticed that the animations sometimes look odd actually.
It doesn’t bother me but sometimes the character seems to run diagonally backwards, other times forwards. (I don’t have the ‘backpedal’ key bound either so it’s not that.)

Now I always thought the strafing was ok, the running is pathetically slow though.

Wait, we’re sprinting?

I thought that was jogging. /shrug

It is especially bad if you got a Charr or a Norm the strafing is terrible and feels like it is slow motion.

I believe some people here were crabs in their past lives. Can’t blame them for feeling that moving sideways should be as fast as moving forward.

Why is strafing in ‘other games’ so fast? Have you ever tried running in real life? Furthermore, it does theoretically help make combat more balanced, whether intended or not.

Celtus.8456:

Why is strafing in ‘other games’ so fast? Have you ever tried running in real life? Furthermore, it does theoretically help make combat more balanced, whether intended or not.

Stop with the real life comparisons. I play a Charr that makes clones of himself. While shooting pink projectiles at enemies.

Why would it make it more “balanced”?

I hate this mechanic. It makes combat feel very sluggish and clunky.

Xcom.1926:

It is especially bad if you got a Charr or a Norm the strafing is terrible and feels like it is slow motion.

If you watch, it looks like their feet are noodles and kind of jumble together as they strafe. I’ve seen it and wondered what the kitten many times.