Adding an extra dimension!

Okay, so I had used the search button on "flying" but I didn't really find anything like this, so here it goes...

A while back there were some posts in the Riverside forum on how GW chapter 2 might be "more of the same" and that it'd feel boring. There is definite some truth there. So I thought of a suggestion for expanding the game greatly would be to, literally, adding an extra dimension to GW.

If you really think about it, GW is very two dimensional -- most of the gameplay, whether it be PvE or PvP is earth-bound. Sure, there are a few things based on terrain height, but really, the gameplay is fairly 2D.

But, let's say we were suddenly able to add two degrees of vertical movement -
1) Levitate / Hover: a slightly higher vertical position that enables one to receive height advantage but still be within earth-bound melee range
2) Fly: an even higher vertical position that enables one to be beyond earth-bound melee range

A WHOLE world of gameplay is now available: since you will have skills that enable you to traverse / exploit those 2 vertical steps as well skills that counter them.

Just some examples off the top of my head:

Warrior: leap related skills: enable you to jump over obstacles, strike while leaping for added penetration, hit targets in mid-air, closing distance despite being slowed, etc. Blows that cause enemies to fall.

Ranger: height related skills, spirits that increase your penetration if your opponent is on lower ground, faster arrows, etc. skills that cause the enemies to fall and suffer falling damage as well as arrow damage.

Elementalist: increase the range of spells by being on higher ground, levitate out of the range of melee attackers. Meteor strikes that knocks flying enemies down to the ground, etc.

Suddenly, the imps with wings can now fly, the gryphons can swoop down from the air, your elementalists could fly high up to avoid having to run around dodging melee creatures (unless they have the great leap skill)...

Granted, this is still really not quite 3D (you can't fly really really high up) but I think it would add alot to the game...

When I first saw this post I was thinking "What? Adding a fourth dimension is downright impossible, unless some non-Euclidian computer was invented."

Then I realized you were talking about flying.

I'm all for it visually, and perhaps in gameplay as well. Maybe there will be a new condition like "In air", where if it ends prematurely, you are knocked down. It certainly would add a new dimension to gameplay. Both literally and figuratively.

Ho ho. My sides are splitting.

dont need this in GW

How about a jump button?

Jumping would be awesome! You can climb onto the highest ledge/cliff, and skydive! I've always wanted to do that...

Seriously though... it's a nice idea... though Anet would have to rework many of the maps to take into account that you can, in fact, cross a cliff wall. I think it may be more trouble than it's worth, considering the benefits are minimal...

I don't think the engine supports it. It already has trouble with bridges, you can get stuck from the collision of an enemy who is under the bridge when you are on it. If they added flying, you would have a lot of collision errors. Not to mention it would feel very restrictive, because very often you can't walk over some parts of the map, because there's a cliff, or a sand dune, if you could fly you couldn't pass that obstacle either, even though it looks like you could.

ANet does know 'vertical axis'. arrows do more damage from higher ground.
skills based from 'attacking from air' are interesting, but not sure if it will fit in the Guild setting of GuildWars.