Reverse Dropshoot (RDS)

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*Main articles:* Fancy Flying, Dropshoot (DS)
**Reverse Dropshoot** (often abbreviated as **RDS** by fancy flyers) is an advanced flying technique that involves performing Dropshoot using reversed controls (camera to the sky, running backwards). It creates a more powerful boost compared to the base version of it.

### Introduction

Reverse Dropshoot (RDS) is one of the harder-to-learn techniques, but it **gives an incredible boost** as you are basically running with a more stable and vertically angled camera than for a normal DS.

Getting into a reverse dive position works exactly like for a Reverse Dive Boost (RDB), with the only difference being what happens next (running on the sand for RDS instead of diving in the air). And just like RDB, the RDS can't be performed without **first building up some boost energy and use it to transition into a reverse dive** position.

 Unlike the Drophoot and many of its variations, the RDS is perfectly functionnal for **mouse and keyboard** players, due to not requiring flicking the camera left and right to maintain its angle. It is actually even easier/quicker to transition into a reverse dive position due to the higher sensitivity from a mouse !

Feel free to **remap your controller's buttons**, if using one, to have chirp and jump on a shoulder button (RDS requires a good handling of both sticks + holding jump and chirping to slow down). Or find another way to hold your controller somehow, as you don't have 3 or 4 thumbs ! (Note: avoid using RT/R2 button on PC as it has been reported to make the game crash)

*The "reverse dive" instructions below are the same as in the RDB article*

### Instructions for a reverse dive

There are a few common ways to charge "boost energy" and use it to transition into a reverse dive, mainly used for Reverse Dive Boost (RDB) or an upcoming **Reverse Dropshoot (RDS)**. See examples in the Tutorial Videos section.

* First method: after a Dropshoot
* Second method: after a dive
* Third method: during a boost

### First method: after a Dropshoot

1. Start with a **Dropshoot**.
	* Preferably on a **big and flat ground surface for RDS** (many levels OOB are great for practice such as CS, BB, UG, Tower, or Snow)
	* Or a **perched platform for RDB** (such as the top bridge section from Broken Bridge with the shrine on it).
	* Possibly do medium/big chirps to slow down during the DS if on a small surface.
2. After about **2 robe flaps** (or more), you can fully **invert both the camera angle and wayfarer movement** at the same time.
	* This combined motion will make you boost very shortly (using a small portion of the boost power you had built up with the DS), and then dive in reverse.
3. **Release the jump button** the moment you lift from the floor (to keep the scarf charged for after the transition).
	* In case you miss the timing by releasing "jump" too early without lifting, just tap the jump button once the camera is raised: hopefully you will still have enough remaining boost power to reverse dive (or you can start over with a new DS).

This method is the most commonly used one for **RDS**.

Make sure you managed a correct camera orientation for a RDB transition, or you might hit the platform you were performing a Dropshoot on.

### Second method: after a dive

1. **Dive for about 1-2 seconds**, or as long as you want (Dive Boost, Level Boost, Slow Boost, Flap Boost or Infinite Boost position).
2. Just like with the first method, **push the camera to the sky and make the wayfarer move toward the camera** around the same time, to get into a reverse dive.
	* On a controller you would just flick both sticks in their opposite directions compared to when dive boosting.

This method is usually the way to go for **reverse flyer boosting** ! (also shown in the Tutorial Videos section below)

Speedrunners also often tend to start RDS with this method upon entering the Broken Bridge level, though the camera has to be placed sideways before transitionning to a reverse dive in order to keep on moving forward. This makes the transition a bit harder ; see hints from player *aravshetikolava*:

*\*From a diving position\**

* "when transitioning to rds, try turning camera first and only then lifting the wayfarer
* that way you will have a more seamless transition and will not lose your boost
* look at yourself from the side, and then transition from looking from below with minimum left stick motion
* try to make the camera do most of the work"
* **Twitch clip, showing the transition**

### Third method: during a boost

* An other way to start a reverse dive would be to just **change the wayfarer direction** during a boost with camera pointed to the sky (on a controller: just aim the left stick toward yourself).
	+ This could allow completing a weaker boost charge for example, however you would need to **start the reverse dive before running out of boost**.

This more unusual method is also commonly used by speedrunners (Any% White Robe Glitched category), to perform a second RDS in the Tower level upon entering the whale room (following the first RDS performed after a dropshoot at the bottom).

### Once in RDS position

1. **Press and hold the jump button** down the moment you hit the ground to start the reverse dropshoot. **Keep on pushing the camera up continuously** (flicking the camera left and right like for a Dropshoot won't help).
2. When in position, make sure the **camera gets below the wayfarer's head/body quickly**. If it stays far away ahead for a while, you won't be able to charge a lot of boost energy: the maximum amount of boost is directly related to your camera angle (the more vertical it gets, the more boost you can gain if diving long enough).
	* To force the camera below, doing a **few big chirps** repeatedly can help a lot (especially when running on **irregular terrain**, to slow down and reduce the bad effect sand bumps and other obstacles can have on the camera stability).
	* Also make sure to **run directly toward the camera** and not sideways as much as possible (see further tips)
3. Keep on running until you charge a good amount of energy (the maximum boost is reached after **26 seconds of dive**, if successful all along).
	* Feel free to continue doing big chirps continuously for better control, and making sure the camera doesn't flatten due to irregularities on the terrain (reducing the charge a little everytime...)
	* You can push the camera sideways a little to make turns.
4. **Boost** by moving forward, and release the jump button when taking off.
	* Of course you can flip the camera around when lifting, to end up facing the camera if you prefer (camera to the ground).

The hard part with RDS is to guess where you are going ; even if slowing down with big chirps it's very easy to hit your head onto rocks, walls...

A good way to prevent this is to **RDS in small circles** on a flat surface:

* In RDS position, start by doing **big chirps repeatedly** until the camera angle looks good, then start **turning the camera to either side**, and you will run in circles.
	+ On a controller with default x/y axis you would push the right stick up-right or up-left instead of fully up (don't push too much sideways though or it can drift the camera away from your body again).
	+ Keep the left stick fully down when doing this too, or there is a risk of reducing the maximum amount of charge possible to get.
	+ Just after releasing the chirp button, hold it down again quickly to really slow down a lot, and so on... (RIP ears)

### Tutorial Videos

A tutorial showing a few different ways to get in a reverse dive position, and how to perform RDS and RDB (with flyers):

A video showing how an RDS is performed in small circles with **keyboard and mouse** on PC, after a DS:

A tutorial explaining how to perform RDS in Snow level OOB after a dropshoot:

One RDS to get up the Tower level (which ends up a Reverse Charge Boost at the end due to the little pillars around the bottom of the tower which can tolerate RCB against them sometimes):

### Common Mistakes

* **In case you don't stick to the ground** immediately in RDS, due to rolling when landing (usually caused by a bad timing to press jump): just like you would recover from a failed dropshoot, release the jump button the moment the wayfarer jumps in the air again, and prepare to time the second landing better (press + hold jump once again, right upon making contact with the ground).
	+ If you simply continue holding the jump button down after the first failed landing, it can take a while before the wayfarer decides to stick to the ground again (and it increases the risk of losing all scarf power without being able to make it work ; see next tip).
* You can **"save" a failed RDS when bunny hopping around** because of an **empty scarf** after the transition to RDS. For this, stop pressing jump a short moment to allow your scarf to recharge against the ground a little, then tap jump a second later to get in the air and prepare to hold jump again when making contact with the floor a second time.
	+ In case you end up not diving in reverse anymore due to only charging a weaker boost before getting in RDS position, you will have to start all over again. Recognizing this situation can be tricky at first.
* Like for many FF techniques, a nearby companion can mess up your camera behavior a bit and make it harder to RDS properly.

### Further tips

* You can **jump to trigger the boost** if you don't rise up at the end, when moving forward again.
* If you have **residual boost energy** from previous fancy flying tricks, you can simply jump towards the camera to start RDS.
* Mouse and keyboard players can start an RDS with very few boost power beforehand: due to how fast a mouse makes the camera move, swiching from a dive to a reverse dive position is quicker than with a controller or keyboard only.
* **Slow RDS** doesn't work out great, as it makes it easy to lift off the floor unwillingly. Prefer loud chirping to slow down.
* **Two RDS running animations exist** (they both exist for Dropshoot too, but do not seem to affect anything performance-wise): either the wayfarer is rolling on themself in the sand, or they are running without spinning.
	+ The first situation is bad for RDS as it makes the wayfarer run faster, a bit uncontrollably: you won't be able to place the camera completely under the wayfarer like this and will end up with a weaker boost because of the bad camera angle ! It can change to the good animation by itself after a while sometimes, but when this happens:
		- you can just **do two big chirps** after landing to get the correct running animation instead.
		- or **jump once in the air to make contact with the ground again later on** with the good animation this time (Stop pressing jump for a split of a second to be able to jump in the air). Most RDS will get the "bad" running animation when first landing, which is why some fancy flyers immediately jump once again in the air after their first contact with the sand in RDS position.
* Even though it can be really tempting to **turn with a left stick sideways** on a controller, please avoid it as it can reduce the maximum boost the more sideways you push it, also depending on the camera angle.
	+ This means you really should avoid it especially when the camera isn't fully placed under the wayfarer yet, or when you are about to finish charging a powerful boost. But it can be ok to push the left stick a bit sideways in the early stages of the RDS without affecting the charge, as long as the camera is nicely positionned aiming up. The RDS giving a 60° camera angle versus 52° at best for most "non reverse" techniques it makes RDS more tolerant to light left stick adjustments in the early stages of it.

## See also

 Fancy Flying TECHNIQUES

Beaming Down • Cave Boost • Charge Boost (CB) • Coasting • Dive Boost (DB) • Dropshoot (DS) • Dry Boost • Fancy Flying • Flap Boost • Flyer Boost • Goo Boost • Infinite Boost (IB) • Infinite Flight (IF) on PC • Infinite Flight (IF) on PS4 • Level/Speed Boost • Reverse Charge Boost (RCB) • Reverse Dive Boost (RDB) • Slow Boost • Steam Infinite Flight Tricks • Super Boost • Tandem Flying
 FANCY FLYING BASICS
Fancy Flying is when you control the character and camera together in order to gather energy with a dive and release it in the form of a boost, to gain lots of height, distance and/or speed.

Refer to the main article for general information and tips.

**Basic FF-techniques**, recommended to learn first:
**With Companion:** Tandem Flying. **Solo:**
Dive Boost (DB), Dropshoot (DS), Charge Boost (CB)

Expert Mode
**Expert Mode** introduction article to everything beyond the most basic gameplay.

See also: Glitches, Out of Bounds (OOB), Tricks, Challenges, Category:Expert Mode Glossary.

**Robins Guide for Newcomers** . 26 Minutes, full of tips, tricks, dos and don'ts.

Expert Mode

Carpet (Glitched) • Carpet Warp • Challenges • Crash Zones • Disco Wayfarer • Disco Zones and other Disco Stuff • Dune settings and PC glitches • Expert Mode • Expert Mode on iOS without Controller • Faceplant (FP) • Faceplant Jump (FPJ) • Fancy Flying • Glitches • Glossary • Guide to arranging a meetup • History Lesson Banner (HL Banner) • How to find Nick • Infinite Flight (IF) on PC • Infinite Flight (IF) on PS4 • Naked Wayfarer • Off-sync • Out of Bounds (OOB) • Peeling Grounds and Sanded Wayfarer • Sky Painting • Steam Infinite Flight Tricks • Surfing, Slides and Drops • The Difficulty Meter • Tricks • War Machine (Glitched) • Wayfarers (Glitched)

 Fancy Flying TECHNIQUES

Beaming Down • Cave Boost • Charge Boost (CB) • Coasting • Dive Boost (DB) • Dropshoot (DS) • Dry Boost • Fancy Flying • Flap Boost • Flyer Boost • Goo Boost • Infinite Boost (IB) • Infinite Flight (IF) on PC • Infinite Flight (IF) on PS4 • Level/Speed Boost • Reverse Charge Boost (RCB) • Reverse Dive Boost (RDB) • Slow Boost • Steam Infinite Flight Tricks • Super Boost • Tandem Flying
 FANCY FLYING BASICS
Fancy Flying is when you control the character and camera together in order to gather energy with a dive and release it in the form of a boost, to gain lots of height, distance and/or speed.

Refer to the main article for general information and tips.

**Basic FF-techniques**, recommended to learn first:
**With Companion:** Tandem Flying. **Solo:**
Dive Boost (DB), Dropshoot (DS), Charge Boost (CB)

Expert Mode
**Expert Mode** introduction article to everything beyond the most basic gameplay.

See also: Glitches, Out of Bounds (OOB), Tricks, Challenges, Category:Expert Mode Glossary.

**Robins Guide for Newcomers** . 26 Minutes, full of tips, tricks, dos and don'ts.

Expert Mode

Carpet (Glitched) • Carpet Warp • Challenges • Crash Zones • Disco Wayfarer • Disco Zones and other Disco Stuff • Dune settings and PC glitches • Expert Mode • Expert Mode on iOS without Controller • Faceplant (FP) • Faceplant Jump (FPJ) • Fancy Flying • Glitches • Glossary • Guide to arranging a meetup • History Lesson Banner (HL Banner) • How to find Nick • Infinite Flight (IF) on PC • Infinite Flight (IF) on PS4 • Naked Wayfarer • Off-sync • Out of Bounds (OOB) • Peeling Grounds and Sanded Wayfarer • Sky Painting • Steam Infinite Flight Tricks • Surfing, Slides and Drops • The Difficulty Meter • Tricks • War Machine (Glitched) • Wayfarers (Glitched)

## References

. . .

1. ↑ 2020-02-21 **aravshetikolava**