- 2,451
- Spuds725
Besides T. Vercetti (who only makes sporadic appearances on this forum), I beilieve I have the most experience on doing Brown Thunder--I've done approximately 15,000 levels total. Obviously the biggest problem with Brown thunder is getting the criminals to spawn in the runway area of the airport. Through a lot of trial and error, I have found ways to improve your odds of getting the runway area spawn--I can usually get it about 1/3 of the time now. This post will show you ways to "direct" where the next level criminals will spawn.
I know some of this is common knowledge and has been discussed on here before, but please bear with me as some readers may not have heard this before (warning...I can be long winded)--also, I cannot verify any of this will work on any platform other then PS2.
It was brought up last summer that the next level of vigilante will not spawn if you are over the water on the west side of the airport--this isn't entirely true. You can actually move over the road that goes along the water and into the tunnel that goes parallel to the water and it won't spawn either--(this is important if you read on) -- So if you are over the water (or over this road) when you complete level 11, stay over the water and head south along the shore, when you get near where the runways intersect, cut back over land and you will get a spawning point at the airport in the runway area--all these spots are good (200-300 levels per hour) but some are great (300-400 levels per hour). The best spots I have found are:
* any near the spinning radar tower near where the runways intersect (I've had them spawn north and south side-- on the south side I've had them spawn on either side of the runway near the tower all are great)
*On the west side of the west jet way between the planes but toward the runway that heads north-south
You will spend most of your time hovering near these spots firing your minigun and blowing them up as they spawn. These spots will (on average) let you complete about 15-20 levels before you have to chase down the 3rd car-- I had the second one listed above let me go over 50 before without having to chase down a car.
It seems to me that the closer you are to the water to your west, the better the spawn point (more criminal cars destroy themselves).
Anyway, back to the method— (I’m going to number the paragraphs so I can refer to them easier)
Also when I say “chopper pointed in ____ direction” the chopper should be pointed in that direction and you should also be moving in that direction (pushing joystick in that direction) as you complete the level. Read on to find out why you do this.
1. I usually start vigilante while over the water directly west of the small terminal--
I will then cut over land but I do it a certain way and it seems to help-- come in low just to the south of the small terminal heading south east and as you go past the corner cut to your left a little--
it seems like, whichever way your joystick is pointed when the level spawns, the criminals will spawn in that general direction (but it does not always seem to work)– doing the above they will alot of the time spawn on the road that goes past fort Baxter heading west– if so simply turn around and go back over the water and wait–as they drive past blow them up and repeat.
2. If they spawn somewhere else it gets a little trickier–I usually fly to them and follow them–If you get real close to them they drive faster which is important if the vigilante clock becomes an issue (don’t follow them too hard or they will drive psycho and wreck their car you don’t want them to get out of the car)–hopefully they will drive around the airport and back to the road that goes along the water–simply blow them up again and repeat.
3. I found it is possible to blow them up if they drive on either of the other 2 short roads that go parallel to the main road along the water, and not have the next level spawn – you can’t be too high and you have to move over the main road to reach the eastern short road– so if you get them to drive so they will end up on these roads–circle around them (don’t fly over them or they will drive faster) and get in position to blow them up– don’t hover too low with a wanted level either as you can get busted in the this spot (the cops that spawn here seem to have long arms)—anyway after you blow them up, back up out over the water again, get over west of the small terminal again and repeat step 1.
4. As long as you are over the water and head back over land—I have never had them spawn outside the Fort Baxter/airport area. But that doesn’t mean they won’t drive out of the airport. If they do your best bet is to follow them (unless the clock is an issue)—if you have to blow them up on the road leaving the airport, do it right away.
Note: —when you get multiple cars (especially outside the airport), if you can do so, blow up all but the lead car—try not to damage the lead car when you do—a few quick burst with the minigun will usually damage the closest car to you---after it falls back a little blow it up—the reason for this is that when you get in position to finish the level, you want to only have to blow up one car quickly so you can have the Hunter pointed in the correct direction and not have to mess with hovering and blowing up multiple cars—sometimes one will get past you.
If you blow them up on the road leaving the airport, the next level seems to almost always spawn near sunshine autos or in Little Havana—if so start following them. If you don’t blow them up just follow them and depending on where they go do one of the following:
a. If they head toward viceport follow them and try to blow them up with the hunter pointed back toward the runway area (west) and with them on the airport side of viceport (on or near the western road).
This will normally make them spawn on the runway somewhere. Follow them around the runway and they will eventually go on the west side of the west jetway—blow them up as they turn around with the chopper pointed to the north
and this will usually get them back in the airport area (outside the runway area)—try to get them back near the water and repeat step 1.
b. If they end up in Little Havana or Little Haiti, follow them around until they get near the west sides of these areas (closer to the water the better) and blow them up with the hunter pointed to the west (back toward fort Baxter)—this will normally make the next level spawn back at the airport or near For Baxter—if in Little Haiti it is best to let them get toward the southern end of little Haiti before blowing them up. If you are too far north they might not spawn back at the airport.
c. If they end up on the main road heading toward downtown—pray that they turn—if they get past the last road in Little Haiti— (its best to do this with only one criminal car left)—fire a few shots at the car until it starts to smoke—it will usually stop soon after this—when it does fly off to the north a bit and wait- some of the time they will get in another car heading back south (which is what you want)- if they get in another car heading north repeat until they head back south—follow them closely to get them to drive fast (be sure to keep an eye on your clock). They should eventually end up in Little Haiti, Little Havana, Viceport, or back toward the airport road —if so either blow them up where I’ve already indicated you should or just follow them back to the airport until they end up back by the water.
** a note on this step—when you damage a car and they switch cars, before you start following them, go the place where you damaged the car and kill any criminals in the area (they should be the ones shooting at you)—sometimes they ALL don’t always get into the new car and the map will only show the car that at least one of them got into.
That’s pretty much the method with just a few other minor things.
Ideally you will end up on level 11 in the airport area--
If you end up on level 11 outside the airport area—your best bet is to try and get them to vice port or the airport itself--follow and do the damage car trick if they are heading the wrong way.
If you end up on level 11 in the runway area—try to blow them up near the west side of the runway area pointed either west or south—most of the time the next level will spawn in the runway area.
If they start to cross one of the bridges (fairly rare)—blow them up while facing west to try and get the next level to spawn back on the west island.
If the cars get caught in a loop that they keep repeating
a. Around the little turnaround at the entrance to the main terminal, blow them up facing south when they are at the southern part of their loop—this will usually spawn the next level in the runway area.
b. Around the rectangular area that encloses the big sign in front of the airport—blow them up in the southwest corner facing the southwest or west—this will usually spawn the next level in the runway area or elsewhere at the airport.
I’m open to any questions—sorry this is so long but I had a lot of wisdom to impart.
I know some of this is common knowledge and has been discussed on here before, but please bear with me as some readers may not have heard this before (warning...I can be long winded)--also, I cannot verify any of this will work on any platform other then PS2.
It was brought up last summer that the next level of vigilante will not spawn if you are over the water on the west side of the airport--this isn't entirely true. You can actually move over the road that goes along the water and into the tunnel that goes parallel to the water and it won't spawn either--(this is important if you read on) -- So if you are over the water (or over this road) when you complete level 11, stay over the water and head south along the shore, when you get near where the runways intersect, cut back over land and you will get a spawning point at the airport in the runway area--all these spots are good (200-300 levels per hour) but some are great (300-400 levels per hour). The best spots I have found are:
* any near the spinning radar tower near where the runways intersect (I've had them spawn north and south side-- on the south side I've had them spawn on either side of the runway near the tower all are great)
*On the west side of the west jet way between the planes but toward the runway that heads north-south
You will spend most of your time hovering near these spots firing your minigun and blowing them up as they spawn. These spots will (on average) let you complete about 15-20 levels before you have to chase down the 3rd car-- I had the second one listed above let me go over 50 before without having to chase down a car.
It seems to me that the closer you are to the water to your west, the better the spawn point (more criminal cars destroy themselves).
Anyway, back to the method— (I’m going to number the paragraphs so I can refer to them easier)
Also when I say “chopper pointed in ____ direction” the chopper should be pointed in that direction and you should also be moving in that direction (pushing joystick in that direction) as you complete the level. Read on to find out why you do this.
1. I usually start vigilante while over the water directly west of the small terminal--
I will then cut over land but I do it a certain way and it seems to help-- come in low just to the south of the small terminal heading south east and as you go past the corner cut to your left a little--
it seems like, whichever way your joystick is pointed when the level spawns, the criminals will spawn in that general direction (but it does not always seem to work)– doing the above they will alot of the time spawn on the road that goes past fort Baxter heading west– if so simply turn around and go back over the water and wait–as they drive past blow them up and repeat.
2. If they spawn somewhere else it gets a little trickier–I usually fly to them and follow them–If you get real close to them they drive faster which is important if the vigilante clock becomes an issue (don’t follow them too hard or they will drive psycho and wreck their car you don’t want them to get out of the car)–hopefully they will drive around the airport and back to the road that goes along the water–simply blow them up again and repeat.
3. I found it is possible to blow them up if they drive on either of the other 2 short roads that go parallel to the main road along the water, and not have the next level spawn – you can’t be too high and you have to move over the main road to reach the eastern short road– so if you get them to drive so they will end up on these roads–circle around them (don’t fly over them or they will drive faster) and get in position to blow them up– don’t hover too low with a wanted level either as you can get busted in the this spot (the cops that spawn here seem to have long arms)—anyway after you blow them up, back up out over the water again, get over west of the small terminal again and repeat step 1.
4. As long as you are over the water and head back over land—I have never had them spawn outside the Fort Baxter/airport area. But that doesn’t mean they won’t drive out of the airport. If they do your best bet is to follow them (unless the clock is an issue)—if you have to blow them up on the road leaving the airport, do it right away.
Note: —when you get multiple cars (especially outside the airport), if you can do so, blow up all but the lead car—try not to damage the lead car when you do—a few quick burst with the minigun will usually damage the closest car to you---after it falls back a little blow it up—the reason for this is that when you get in position to finish the level, you want to only have to blow up one car quickly so you can have the Hunter pointed in the correct direction and not have to mess with hovering and blowing up multiple cars—sometimes one will get past you.
If you blow them up on the road leaving the airport, the next level seems to almost always spawn near sunshine autos or in Little Havana—if so start following them. If you don’t blow them up just follow them and depending on where they go do one of the following:
a. If they head toward viceport follow them and try to blow them up with the hunter pointed back toward the runway area (west) and with them on the airport side of viceport (on or near the western road).
This will normally make them spawn on the runway somewhere. Follow them around the runway and they will eventually go on the west side of the west jetway—blow them up as they turn around with the chopper pointed to the north
and this will usually get them back in the airport area (outside the runway area)—try to get them back near the water and repeat step 1.
b. If they end up in Little Havana or Little Haiti, follow them around until they get near the west sides of these areas (closer to the water the better) and blow them up with the hunter pointed to the west (back toward fort Baxter)—this will normally make the next level spawn back at the airport or near For Baxter—if in Little Haiti it is best to let them get toward the southern end of little Haiti before blowing them up. If you are too far north they might not spawn back at the airport.
c. If they end up on the main road heading toward downtown—pray that they turn—if they get past the last road in Little Haiti— (its best to do this with only one criminal car left)—fire a few shots at the car until it starts to smoke—it will usually stop soon after this—when it does fly off to the north a bit and wait- some of the time they will get in another car heading back south (which is what you want)- if they get in another car heading north repeat until they head back south—follow them closely to get them to drive fast (be sure to keep an eye on your clock). They should eventually end up in Little Haiti, Little Havana, Viceport, or back toward the airport road —if so either blow them up where I’ve already indicated you should or just follow them back to the airport until they end up back by the water.
** a note on this step—when you damage a car and they switch cars, before you start following them, go the place where you damaged the car and kill any criminals in the area (they should be the ones shooting at you)—sometimes they ALL don’t always get into the new car and the map will only show the car that at least one of them got into.
That’s pretty much the method with just a few other minor things.
Ideally you will end up on level 11 in the airport area--
If you end up on level 11 outside the airport area—your best bet is to try and get them to vice port or the airport itself--follow and do the damage car trick if they are heading the wrong way.
If you end up on level 11 in the runway area—try to blow them up near the west side of the runway area pointed either west or south—most of the time the next level will spawn in the runway area.
If they start to cross one of the bridges (fairly rare)—blow them up while facing west to try and get the next level to spawn back on the west island.
If the cars get caught in a loop that they keep repeating
a. Around the little turnaround at the entrance to the main terminal, blow them up facing south when they are at the southern part of their loop—this will usually spawn the next level in the runway area.
b. Around the rectangular area that encloses the big sign in front of the airport—blow them up in the southwest corner facing the southwest or west—this will usually spawn the next level in the runway area or elsewhere at the airport.
I’m open to any questions—sorry this is so long but I had a lot of wisdom to impart.
