Can I tank without backpeddle?

I only use my mouse to move. I haven't actually keyboard turned in 6 or 7 years. I would like to try tanking but I could never go back to using those keys. I actually keybound them to abilities.

I know you can't block or parry if the mob is behind you, but I would only not face the mob if I had to kite it. Will it be impossible to tank this way?

I never backpeddle. Ever.

Will be fine you may need a strafe left/right keys unless they are bound to extra mouse buttons. Back peddling is a good way to eat unneeded dmg.

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Originally Posted by Nuclayer

Will it be possible to tank this way?

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Without backpeddle ? Yeah, sure, backpeddle is so slow, there is no need for it except when you feel lazy about turning around and have only to move inches backward.

Without strafing ? I don't think so , you would be gimping you a lot i think. You didn't mention straf in your post, so i don't know if you kept those or not, but i would advise against removing these.

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Originally Posted by Nuclayer

I only use my mouse to move. I haven't actually keyboard turned in 6 or 7 years. I would like to try tanking but I could never go back to using those keys. I actually keybound them to abilities.

I know you can't block or parry if the mob is behind you, but I would only not face the mob if I had to kite it. Will it be impossible to tank this way?

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Backpedalling is one thing. I never backpedal either.

If you're coming from playing a Healer (particularly a Conjurer whose can't really cast whilst moving) you're going to need to be be a lot more mobile if you're planning on tanking.

Occasionally you'll need to make the mob(s) move by kiting them, but much more regularly you'll need to dodge or sidestep out of AoEs and Cones whilst spamming abilities. Picture a group of 3-4 mobs, all with Cone abilities. It can become a bit of a mad dance to get your character in and out of the red AoE areas but still stay in melee range of the mobs, and ideally still be facing them all to raise your Parry chance (all whilst naturally marking enemies, trying to get + hold aggro on all of them, timing cooldowns and stuns appropriately and carefully positioning the fight to allow your melee DD teammates to use their positional buffs + attacks)

Can you reliably dodge regular AoEs and Cones using just the mouse?
If the answer's yes, then you're good to go and I'd not worry too much about packpedalling :)

Change your camera mode from camera based to character based. It will make your backward button turn your character around and save a lot of time.

Otherwise turning the camera and strafing is effective, but often not fast enough to avoid faster aoes like Repelling Cannons reliably in my experience.

I never backpeddle either. I have a Logitch G3 mouse and I have my strafe keys macroed to them so I can strafe and move with the mouse only.

I am so against backpeddling that I actually remove my "S" key while in game. Don't do it, ever.

Sorry if this is a dumb question then, but how do you re-position without backpedal? Example; move forward to grab Titan, but want to get back to edge; if you turn your back, don't you risk taking extra damage?

Press esc.

Character configuration.

Press legacy movement.

Problem solved.

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Originally Posted by Semont

Press esc.

Character configuration.

Press legacy movement.

Problem solved.

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Thanks for that reply; but I want to know WHY that's the better option compared to backpedaling; not how to make it easier.

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Originally Posted by catfish01

Thanks for that reply; but I want to know WHY that's the better option compared to backpedaling; not how to make it easier.

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Backpedal is really slow in comparison and it takes time to move around. For luring a boss into a position, it could be useful if you want to maintain attacks the whole way. But since you'll be in the habit of using the "backpedal" as a movement key, you'll be trying to use it for avoiding cones and PBAoEs - which is a horrid habits since its slower than dry glue. Switching to Legacy mode so pressing the "back" key will actually make him -run- in the direction instead of -slowstep- will give you faster and more efficient maneuverability when avoiding one or multiple cones/AOEs/PBAoEs. This is excellent with FATEs or Boss fights that have multiple enemies with cones.

Also, when you have to run away from a target (boss?) that has a large AOE arounds himself (PBAoE - Point Blank AOE) Its quicker to press the key to run backward than it is to rotate your mouse to run, and obviously better than running between his legs since you would have to cover more ground to get out of the AOE. Strafing works for running sideways to get out of AOEs but still not quite as quick as running backward - even if its a split second difference.

I prefer strafe to avoid cones and run backward to avoid the AOEs. Strafing is also more efficient when you lock-on to the target. It performs the circular move for you to quickly evade the cone. This is only useful for single target fights since it can only lock on to one target. If you use it, you'll see its built for 1v1.

I back-pedal for micro-adjustments all the time, the slower speed lets you sit your char in spots would otherwise me a little more difficult to line up without having to face your char away. It serves a very specific purpose for me.

The bulk of my repositioning is done by strafing or double mouse click when I'm eating :P

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Originally Posted by RapBreon

I back-pedal for micro-adjustments all the time, the slower speed lets you sit your char in spots would otherwise me a little more difficult to line up without having to face your char away. It serves a very specific purpose for me.

The bulk of my repositioning is done by strafing or double mouse click when I'm eating :P

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Perfect example of play style preference :) People manage with both settings so you'll have to try both sides to see which you like. Plus and minuses to each given certain situations.

I have a tendency to switch back and forth between the settings. When I get irritated and wish I had the other option, I switch. I prefer legacy though since I can't from city of heroes to this and I like freedom of movement :o

ITT tanks trying to tell people back-pedalling is useless.

http://hippobrigade.com/wp-content/u...-chan-meme.png

Please don't turn your back to a mob when making small adjustments to it's positioning.

I make small adjustments using strafe or with lock-on if needed. -Not- using backpedal doesn't mean you have to show your back in a mob. Avoiding AOEs and cones doesn't apply to this since the enemies trying to apply cones/aoes can't attack until its finished.

Sort of an amateur question here, I suppose, but does giving your back up prevent you from block/parry etc.. or have any negative impact your mitigation?

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Originally Posted by Cerith

Sort of an amateur question here, I suppose, but does giving your back up prevent you from block/parry etc.. or have any negative impact your mitigation?

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It might affect block or parry but honestly it doesn't matter a whole lot because anything your running from usually doesn't attack due to casting/charging Spells/TP Moves, you end up running out of range of their attack, or it can't be blocked anyways. You can pretty much time their attacks and turn around for a split second before the mob strikes anyways if you're feeling vulnerable.

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Originally Posted by Semont

Press esc.
Character configuration.
Press legacy movement.
Problem solved.

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This. Backpedal is the fast-track to death as tank. You will never avoid any aoe using that slow backpedal. If facing a mob is a problem for you, then just enable the option that auto-faces your target when you use an attack.

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Originally Posted by catfish01

Thanks for that reply; but I want to know WHY that's the better option compared to backpedaling; not how to make it easier.

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It's a little bit of a mixed blessing. It will get you out of the way faster (unless you strafe, which works just as well), but you can't block or parry while you're doing it. I just find it easier to use, especially running around in the open world so that I can just turn around on the spot instead of either walking backwards or rotating.

Backpedalling is great for microadjustments, or when I am lazy in ifrit and dont feel like moving for first plumes and back up for second. Never used it for dodging. I find it better to tank close quarters and run through the mob for most things.

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Originally Posted by Jahaudant

Please don't turn your back to a mob when making small adjustments to it's positioning.

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This is why I keep back pedal bound as a tank. I can still use strafe to get out of aoe.

Never use back pedal for dodging stuff. Use it for small positioning adjustments.

... I thought back pedaling was just something cosmetic MMO developers created to entertain children. Micro adjustments be damned, tapping both mouse buttons in a given direction are about as micro as they get!

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Originally Posted by Exrage

... I thought back pedaling was just something cosmetic MMO developers created to entertain children. Micro adjustments be damned, tapping both mouse buttons in a given direction are about as micro as they get!

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Sure, you can do that. If you like exposing your back to monsters. That's always the sign of an good tank (and an adult) :P.

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Originally Posted by Rin_Kuroi

Sure, you can do that. If you like exposing your back to monsters. That's always the sign of an good tank (and an adult) :P.

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Timing is the key to victory. Just like you can time the AOE to move out of it, you can time the auto-attack to properly position without worry about getting hit but I wonder why strafing from wherever the monster was to where it should be wasn't achieved off the first pull... You do know you can strafe the full 180 degrees and it still counts as being in "front" of your character even though the back technically faces the mob... right?

People in this thread that actually use back pedaling will never clear content past Garuda hard mode. These same people live and die by keyboard turning. Take their advice if you want, but it will only make you a crappier tank.

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Originally Posted by HeiZei

People in this thread that actually use back pedaling will never clear content past Garuda hard mode. These same people live and die by keyboard turning. Take their advice if you want, but it will only make you a crappier tank.

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I use KB/M without legacy controls, so I backpedal. I don't keyboard turn, no sane KB/M player does. Backpedaling has its uses, the only people I really see that want to throw it under the bus are people who have mostly played games with controllers.

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Originally Posted by ispano

Backpedaling has its uses, the only people I really see that want to throw it under the bus are people who have mostly played games with controllers.

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Cosmetically I'm sure it does, but logically in what way can you justify 50% movement speed without seeing where you're going (unless you hold V simultaneously) over 100% movement speed with precision movement in half the time and not turning your back toward the boss?

Can you back pedal? Sure. As a 5th turn coil tank and former top .5% of all PVPers on the World of Warcraft (where you must move behind and keep your target- a thinking PLAYER trying to prevent you from doing so- to stop them from using abilities or die) I would merely ask SHOULD you back pedal?

I use a controller, I do back pedal for small adjustments but if I need to get out of dodge, I just drop my lock on and run, then simply lock back on as I run back. Literally just uses one button... as for avoiding cones, strafing all the way... even if against multiple targets, crazy fun dance moving to the gap in the cone, though I'm still not against simply running depending on the situation. Unless the monster's AoE is absurdly small, never back pedal. You're just dooming yourself for no reason.

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Originally Posted by Exrage

Cosmetically I'm sure it does, but logically in what way can you justify 50% movement speed without seeing where you're going (unless you hold V simultaneously) over 100% movement speed with precision movement in half the time and not turning your back toward the boss?

Can you back pedal? Sure. As a 5th turn coil tank and former top .5% of all PVPers on the World of Warcraft (where you must move behind and keep your target- a thinking PLAYER trying to prevent you from doing so- to stop them from using abilities or die) I would merely ask SHOULD you back pedal?

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I am both of these things as well and I use back-pedal, the decreased movement speed has its uses. They're limited, but I'd gain literally nothing (an awkward as fuck extra hot-key I guess) by rebinding S as I can swivel and strafe out of almost anything to begin with anyway.

I use it to counter launch mechanics in MMO PvP all the time. S+A/D can move you diagonally and slowly in a direction by tiny margins (we're talking tippity taps) so that when they do knock-back they'll fling me into a flag-post or something silly (good example would be the lamp-posts in Huttball [SWOTR]). Attempting that by turning would put me a at a disadvantage as I may overshoot and fall off the ramp, miss a global or an auto. So in this circumstance I should.

I'm sure another person would feel entirely uncomfortable with this and prefer a different way. Is it better? For the specific situations I do it in? Maybe, I'd need proof and even then completely re-gearing the way I play games (more than just MMOs) might not be worth the minuscule performance increase.

Edit: if you can't see where you're going, your camera is way too close!

TL;DR: Back-pedalling can be justified in certain circumstances; bads who do it in PvP 24/7 gave it a stigma that envelopes anybody who hasn't unbound S to this day.

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Originally Posted by Exrage

Can you back pedal? Sure. As a 5th turn coil tank and former top .5% of all PVPers on the World of Warcraft (where you must move behind and keep your target- a thinking PLAYER trying to prevent you from doing so- to stop them from using abilities or die) I would merely ask SHOULD you back pedal?

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Hahaha thank you Sir you just made my day:D