User:Shai Halud/ Weight and Size Classes

This is to propose that all creatures and playable races in the game be assigned a weight/size rating. At the core of my proposed system is the fact that there seems to be a direct correlation between the size and weight of creatures from GW1. What I mean is that you could almost always tell a thing's weight be how big it was. This means one rating could be used for both size and weight. There would be seven weight classes in the game as listed below from lightest to heaviest.

1) Lighter

2) Asura

3) Sylvari

4) Humans

5) Charr

6) Norn

7) Heavier

Classes 1 and 7 are for monsters heavier or lighter than any playable race.

Grabbing and Stealth

You may, of course, be wondering what we would need a weight/size system for GW2. From what we've been told about the game so far, we won't. However, if they intend to incorporate grabbing and/or stealth into the game, this system will come in handy. In grabbing, enemies below your weight rating, you can grab, slowly drag around, and/or throw over short distances. Enemies at your weight rating, you can hold stationary but not throw or drag around. Enemies above your weight rating can slowly drag you around and cannot be thrown, dragged, or held stationary. In any case, only certain skills can be executed during a grab. This goes for both you and your enemy, so grabbing an enemy, even one heavier than yourself, still prevents them from using most of their skills and totally prevents them from using their weapon. This can be especially useful against nukers and brawlers. Unfortunately, a grabbed enemy can continue casting any spell that was initiated before the grab. Also, grabbed enemies can still be damaged by party members, and those of equal or lesser weight absorb a percentage of the damage dealt to you.

The great thing about this is that the same system can be used for stealth. Here, smaller size gives players the advantage. First, you must be crawling, not walking, in order to utilize your stealth abilities. Also crawling over bare rock won't work; you need to be on some sort of terrain that can hide your presence (boggy swamp, tall grasses, heavy snow etc). These will be reasonably common so you don't need to worry. That handled, once you are crawling, your aggro bubble will shrink. How small your character's race is determines how much the bubble shrinks. A Norn's bubble barely shrinks while an Auran's bubble will be almost nonexistent. This allows you to sneak around or up on enemies before attacking. In this way, heavier races are given an advantage in grabbing and lighter races gain an advantage in stealth. Also, when you are crawling, other players cannot pick you up on their radar. This makes them dependent on seeing you in PvP, and in the tall grasses, it will be much easier to spot a Norn than an Asura.

Why this is a good idea

• Grabbing adds another range of options in combat
• Stealth offers advantages both in and out of combat
• More realistic than having an asura being able to toss norns left and right

Why it may not work out

• It would be simpler (though less interesting) to simply not include gabbing or stealth in GW2
• Some GW fans are against racial advantages entirely