Why do "pros" always drive backwards?

[LaserShark 2,095]

I'm not "pro", that would involve making money...

 

...but I do drive backwards a lot because its faster than turning your tank around to drive the right way all the time. I don't have to waste time orienting the tank the right way before i start moving.

Edited May 18, 2015 by LaserShark

[zatch_bell 3]

Actually i ve heard it in a v log video that hornet and rail users do it mostly. It helps them to focus their aims. Cuz hornet is light and i can flif easily by rail guns impact force either of its own or its enemy. So its effective when u use it either straight or backward.

[stanzhang 3,291]

Because of the m3 hornet beautiful light!!!!!

[Amagi 1,728]

Because of the m3 hornet beautiful light!!!!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[chikkinhei 5]

cause they want to save time from u turning

[Zakintosh 39]

Imagine playing the Mosquito combo(not the ******ed kit)

A wasp facing forward needs time to recover from railguns recoil.

Backwards the recoil gets unloaded into the tracks.

[stanzhang 3,291]

@Stinger -_-'

[PlasmaRock 48]

In my experiences, backwards driving started when I used the peek-a-boo tactic with railgun

[U.N.E.X.P.E.C.T.E.D 118]

I do it automatically with every hull except Mammoth, I have no idea why. Of course when driving forwards makes more sense I will drive forwards (instead of making a 180 degree turn and drive backwards, that would be just plain stupid). I guess because Wasp with Railgun was my main combo for a long, long time. When I started using other combo's I simply copied my tactic.

Edited June 14, 2015 by U.N.E.X.P.E.C.T.E.D

[Yisroel.Rabin 16,224]

Instead of turn the tank all the way around, they just drive backwards. Takes less time.

[kostas604 106]

In the wiki you can see that the forward rotation speed of a hull differs from the backward.same with top speed.

[kostas604 106]

I started to use it on my previous account (which got hacked) where my main combo was hornet-rail and now I can't drive forwards(except with heavy hulls), it looks so weird.

[viratno2 146]

1. Because it looks kewl

2. Because you waste valuable time always turning your hull.

3. Because it looks kewl.

4. Many hulls have their turret located at the back of the hull, making driving backwards more convenient for peek-a-boo tactics.

5. Because driving backwards on a Nitro Hornet then turning in circles before shooting an enemy into the air with a well timed Rail shot is pure kewlness.

PRETTY KEWL BRUH

[c-o-n-q-u-e-s-t 1,918]

In all the videos on You Tube and in V-logs and such, the high ranking players always drive backwards. Why? I would like the pro's reasons and speculations.

 

For some reason it looks cooler than driving frontwards. For example, you tell me which one is cooler:

 

Or:

 

 

 

Well, that's just my opinion.

 

 

Also, it can give you an advantage if you're playing BP as the turret's located in the back of the tank so if you're driving backwards and and you want to shoot from a corner you don't have to fully show up your tank, just the back of it. Which minimizes the possibility of you getting hit by enemy fire.

When driving backwards:

 

When driving frontwards:

 

Notice how exposed I am more than I was in the first picture

 

[WGNpro74 19]

Reason 1:I'm not really a pro yet but I drive backwards because of keyboard problems (if I drive forward and turn it doesn't work and I keep moving forward)(but when I drive backwards with this keyboard I can turn fine)

Reason 2: wen poking out walls it exposed less of your tank (making you a harder to hit target)

Reason 3: Because it is SWAG jk =p

[Meowmix56 174]

In the wiki you can see that the forward rotation speed of a hull differs from the backward.same with top speed.

I do not believe the wiki says that.  It is actually how fast you can slow down when pressing a button opposite of the direction of movement.

 

Reverse acceleration (m/sec²) — anti-inertial acceleration that comes into force when a tank is moving in one direction and a player presses the button of moving to other direction. It works until speed gets to zero. After that, usual acceleration starts working.

[Vlad-The-Impaler 1]

Well in real life tanks generally have a heavier armor on the front section of the tank. So they go in reverse so they are less vulnerable. And in the game here its too much time sometimes in battle to turn your entire hull around to fall back.

[Ninja 10,468]

Personally I find it easier to control the tank that way cos all my fingers are on a straight line on the keyboard & it adds to the tanks stability + it feels like a 'PRO'.  :P 

[1stsuperwhitedragon 408]

I prefer driving backwards, it looks nicer. Lots of high rankers do it, it's a lot more common than facing forwards. I tried it when I was a low rank and got addicted :D

same (started when I was a master sergeant though)

[Pallidium 17]

Well in real life tanks generally have a heavier armor on the front section of the tank. So they go in reverse so they are less vulnerable. And in the game here its too much time sometimes in battle to turn your entire hull around to fall back.

Wouldn't exposing the side that has less protection make you more vulnerable? Wouldn't it make more sense to show the heavily armored front by driving forward?

[ATTANKER 35]

Lots of reasons to point the turret in the opposite direction than to the position we assume to be the default one that we not only start any battle in, but continually respawn in to.

I didn't start off driving with my turret facing the back off the tank, and than driving forward in that position, definitely something that took a while to get a grasp of, but lots of battles at Seruphov played no small part in that.

Anyways lots of the reasons have already been mentioned above, and as a smoky most of the time (now that's a versatile turret), getting used to swinging 360°/720°+ etc with my turret i learned that in some situations i had to follow my turret first whichever way its pointed and thereafter the hull became just a means to and end for the turret of use, though this doesn't apply to all turrets of course. The timing between each successive shot was perfect, and im constantly swinging between backwards forwards swing right swing left and so on and so on. If i could master this technique with ricochet than that will be the day.

Now there is no backwards or forwards, and if necessary will drive in reverse with hull and turret pointing forwards, everything goes. Obviously its not as easy as im saying it, and mistakes and missed shots happen due to complicating my approach but its good fun and a challenge to do what you and your opponents don't expect.

 

Now to answer the question, from my own experience. I find the most important reason bar none to driving your hull forward while back to front with the turret pointed to the back of the hull as follows. I very rarely on this account use firebird or freeze, however its imperative that for firebird and freeze to be at their most effective and reach their full potential, the turret has to be mounted facing the back. These turrets depend upon a tanker who has good skills with his hull in harmony with his turret to reach the optimum performance for these turrets. Weaving, circling and zigzagging at close proximity to opponents doesn't need me to tell anyone how to use these turrets, thats obvious, and that they depend alot on the movement of the tank to get the kill/s and keep your own health.

Finally and this really is all it comes down to, but when manoeuvring your hull while turret is in the so called normal direction "front to back" and your going forward simultaneously while using your firebird or freeze you will find that while discharging weapon, the hull locks and you can only move straight or back or right and you cannot move left especially while rotating your turret, this is a big problem. But if your hull is "backwards" you will see how much extra freely the tank moves as you can simultaneously use your turret rotating front, back, left, right, in, out shake it all about, while at the same time your wheel spinning is making them dizzy

HTH

Edited July 1, 2015 by ATTANKER

[Zenyth 6,494]

I learnt to drive backwards from table-toppers at lower ranks. It was difficult to master at first but, now it feels like nothing. I also learnt how to hold an advantage with Smoky and Railgun shots behind cover while driving backwards..it is natural now.

I guess it also makes you look a bit intimidating and skilful.

[Remaine 4,687]

It isn't about looking cooler - driving backwards enable you to execute tactics much easier.

[NXS_Almighty 1,212]

Its simple, if your turret is more distant from front than back , then upon getting hit you will have a bigger deflection than in case of being less distant turret . 

In simple words, the more lose you let your hull be the more harder it is to control, thats what I think atleast . 

[AbsoluteZero 3,729]

I don't drive backwards, rather, I drive forwards but in a negative direction. B)