GTA V - General Thread

[Grand Prix]

You need some kind of story, but at the end of GTA4's story it felt to me that there was nothing to do. There was no real point to shooting all the pigeons, for instance. Sure, you get a helicopter after killing all 200 pigeons, but nothing really to keep you going until then. The fact you could get a wanted level just for firing your gun at a pigeon didn't help.

I'd like them to go back to GTA3 and Vice City's hidden package system, where you get rewarded with a weapon at your safe house after every 10 or 20 packages you obtain. That was the real fun part of exploring the map to me. It doesn't even have to be packages, but you should be continuously rewarded as you collect more of them.

I'm intrigued by what they say about there being something to buy other than properties.

 

[I Am Yellow]

You need some kind of story, but at the end of GTA4's story it felt to me that there was nothing to do. There was no real point to shooting all the pigeons, for instance. Sure, you get a helicopter after killing all 200 pigeons, but nothing really to keep you going until then. The fact you could get a wanted level just for firing your gun at a pigeon didn't help.

That was annoying, especially when you have 19 pigeons left to kill and don't know where are they. However, I loved GTA IV's story, I connected with Niko and by the last missions I was thinking "I want to kill all those 🤬!"

 

[Slash]

You need some kind of story, but at the end of GTA4's story it felt to me that there was nothing to do. There was no real point to shooting all the pigeons, for instance. Sure, you get a helicopter after killing all 200 pigeons, but nothing really to keep you going until then. The fact you could get a wanted level just for firing your gun at a pigeon didn't help.

I'd like them to go back to GTA3 and Vice City's hidden package system, where you get rewarded with a weapon at your safe house after every 10 or 20 packages you obtain. That was the real fun part of exploring the map to me. It doesn't even have to be packages, but you should be continuously rewarded as you collect more of them.

I'm intrigued by what they say about there being something to buy other than properties.

Horseshoes and Oysters as well.

 

[Skuh]

The pigeons were a nightmare. It was the first time in a GTA game I had to use a map to find all the items. I even managed to find everything in SA without a guide but those pigeons. Some were in a place you perhaps went to once in the whole time you played. If you missed it there wwas virtually no chance of randomly finding them.

 

[Spacegoat]

Agreed. The awesome cheats need to return as well.

Agreed. The "Pedestrians have weapon's" and "Pedestrian's riot" cheats from GTA III, VC & SA, were the best. I think, I spent more time playing with those cheats on, than I did the actual story. I was bitterly disappointed that they were both missing from IV.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

you managed to find something incredibly boring about something as awesome as San Andreas

Incredibly boring?

It's only the conflict that drives the entire narrative, which sets the entire story in motion and in turn sets Rockstar apart as one of the industry's best game developers. They are able to tell a sprawling story with genuinely-interesting characters, redefining the potential of video games as a medium.

 

[Slash]

Agreed. The "Pedestrians have weapon's" and "Pedestrian's riot" cheats from GTA III, VC & SA, were the best. I think, I spent more time playing with those cheats on, than I did the actual story. I was bitterly disappointed that they were both missing from IV.

Combine that with infinite health and ammo with a tank...... When 4 didn't have them I was angry. The army needs to return as well as the police chopper pilots talking.

"This is aerial support!"
"I think he knows that by now"

"Stay down asshole"
"Oh, you're so dominating"

"I'll kill him"
"Make sure it's the right guy this time!"

"Hey! I can see my house from up her!"
"Will you shut the 🤬 up?"

"If I shoot him, do I get a medal?"
"You get two!"

 

[Tornado]

San Andreas' story fell apart the second Toreno got involved with it. The main narrative had been pretty shaky after leaving Los Santos regardless, but Toreno's influence starting around when CJ arrived in Venturas (as entertaining as it was) kicked the entire thing down. The GTA IV titles suffered for a similar reason (though their main problem was more along the lines of how they were so needlessly cynical and depressing that you simply stopped caring), though only Lost and Damned went into outright "so long as you don't think about it at all it makes sense" territory like San Andreas did towards the end.


For that reason, I'm interested to see if they can strike the balance that the early San Andreas story had compared to the "hope the player isn't paying attention" stuff of the latter half of San Andreas. Though Ballad of Gay Tony did a pretty good job of keeping things upbeat and nice as things went along.

 

[Skuh]

I think the best missions in SA were the James Woods missions, which were ridiculous but very entertaining. Then the last few missions, when it was coming to a head with Sam Jackson. Much preferred the later missions to the early ones.

 

[Pagey279]

Incredibly boring?

It's only the conflict that drives the entire narrative, which sets the entire story in motion and in turn sets Rockstar apart as one of the industry's best game developers. They are able to tell a sprawling story with genuinely-interesting characters, redefining the potential of video games as a medium.

Yeah I just run around shooting stuff.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

San Andreas' story fell apart the second Toreno got involved with it.

I wouldn't say it fell apart ... it just got a bit shaky. The problem was that Rockstar tried to introduce him as a new villain to replace Tenpenny, and running errands for him felt like a waste of time. It would have been a lot better if Toreno was trying to take down Tenpenny and saw CJ as an ally, but his methods were even more questionable than Tenpenny's.

The main narrative had been pretty shaky after leaving Los Santos regardless, but Toreno's influence starting around when CJ arrived in Venturas (as entertaining as it was) kicked the entire thing down.

I think the departure from Los Santos worked quite well. When telling stories, you have to be careful not to over-use your villain. I felt that taking Tenpenny out of the equation and having CJ move to San Fiero to build up his empire so that he would actually have a chance when it came time to take the fight to Tenpenny worked quite well. But the overall flow of the narrative slowed down because this was where all the tertiary characters - like the guy in the RC shop - with the sub-games and side-quests. The main thread of the narrative dried up to allow the player to explore a little bit, but since there was no real direction, it was very easy to get distracted and it was never clear when you rejoined the main narrative.

 

[Tornado]

The justification for Tenpenny being able to get Carl to do things was never that strong. A "you killed on guy, so kill hundreds for me over the course of the beginning of our interactions or I'll turn you in" story was always a stretch, but it was ignorable for the most part. The "your brother is in jail" one worked much better, so as soon as that came up the story got back on track. It meandered in and out of believability (as did Carl being a sympathetic character) during the San Fierro section, but it generally worked considering what the game was.

Then Toreno came into the story. In that instant, everything Tenpenny had on Carl was moot. His brother was no longer in danger because Toreno made it blatant that Tenpenny couldn't do anything. The cop murder frame up was irrelevant, both because it pales in comparison to the state treason and terrorism Toreno was making him do and because Toreno would quash that too.
Now, Toreno kept making him do things, sure; so that still drove the story along (as did the Venturas mob subplot) until he stopped about half a dozen missions before CJ returned to Los Santos. But as soon as Toreno said he didn't need Carl to work for him anymore after stealing the Hydra for him, there was no real reason for the story to keep happening. But then he went right back to acting as if Tenpenny had total control over his actions for several story missions, even acting as a literal punching bag at one point rather than just shooting him and being rid of it.




San Andreas had a down to earth story to start with. By the midway point it had blown up to a massive fracas involving multiple government agencies and criminal organizations with far more power and influence than any of the people in the first act. But then it tried to go back to acting as if CJ could still be plausibly pushed around by the people from the first act, and it just doesn't work. GTA IV Vanilla did the same thing, but for all of its problems it kept it plausible for reasoning why Niko would keep working with these people.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The reason Tenpenny was able to get Carl to do things was never that strong. A "you killed on guy, so kill hundres for me over the course of the story or I'll turn you in" story was always a stretch, but it was ignorable for the most part.

I always interpreted Tenpenny's personal interest in CJ as being down to resenting the way CJ had made something of himself. Tenpenny was powerful, and he hated the idea that any - particularly someone from Grove Street - could amass just as much (if not more) personal power. In Tenpenny's mind, he was the law, and anyone who challenged that had to be put down by whatever means necessary. Especially if they came from a background that Tenpenny considered to be beneath him. And it didn't help that his entire plan for himself and the city was founded on the idea that everyone would stay in "their place", meaning that anyone who even tried to make something of themselves was a threat to him.

Then Toreno came into the story. In that instant, everything Tenpenny had on Carl was moot. His brother was no longer in danger because Toreno made it blatant that Tenpenny couldn't do anything. The cop murder frame up was irrelevant, both because it pales in comparison to the state treason and terrorism Toreno was making him to and because Toreno would quash that too.

Perhaps, but Toreno is something of an unreliable narrator. We only had his word for it that he had the power to get Sweet out of prison, make Tenpenny go away and absolve CJ of his role in anything he did. Toreno's character works better if he is unable to keep his word, but CJ has no choice but to believe him.

 

[Slash]

Interesting take on how switching characters might work.

 

[Joie de vivre!]

yep, something like that. but maybe the switch won't be so blury and slowly

but very nice presentation indeed

 

[Nessy]

I wonder whether.. let's say you're playing a single player mission and find yourself coming under major heat, will you be able to freeze the scenario and zoom out (TDU style), to another character miles away, and drive towards the other character to back them up?...
I think that could work quite well with a roadblock situation or something, though i'm not sure we'll be able to do this, as i don't remember being able to save mid-mission, so maybe that would be the same as freezing a character scenario.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I doubt you'd be able to swap mid-mission like that unless more than one character started the mission.

 

[Joie de vivre!]

 

[Slash]

Was that a VW Beetle 4x4 I saw?

Just saw a screen confirming frieght trains are back. I'm on my PS3 so I can't link ya, but do a Google search for gta v screens and it's the first result. The train was on a canyon bridge about to enter a mountain tunnel and someone was in a parachute in the distance.

Inside Gamber has a few of cars racing as well.

 

[Samus]

That third one reminded me of something, I hope there will be a way to steal a car that doesn't involve smashing the window.

 

[Slash]

Yup those are the ones. Looking great so far. Can't wait.

We haven't seen much desert though....




EDIT


Just saw 2 more, Michael talking on his phone, and Franlkin sitting on a green motorcycle

 

[Samus]

#

I think that completes a set of 20 including a few included in gameinformer.

 

[Slash]

Yup, I'm really excited for tomorrows trailer...just hope theres no actual gameplay, that ruins it for me. You know, when the camera is behind the characters. I'd like to see that when I put the disc in for the first time, not from a trailer...

 

[I Am Yellow]

Looks really great, I can't wait too.

Yup, I'm really excited for tomorrows trailer...just hope theres no actual gameplay, that ruins it for me. You know, when the camera is behind the characters. I'd like to see that when I put the disc in for the first time, not from a trailer...

I think the opposite. I really hope there is gameplay on the new trailer. Won't be disappointed if there isn't though.

 

[Slash]

Looks really great, I can't wait too.



I think the opposite. I really hope there is gameplay on the new trailer. Won't be disappointed if there isn't though.

Well I like to wait for the shock/surprise for that first impression. It won't bother me if it's in though.

 

[Skuh]

Man I am too old to be this excited.....again!
We're still months off. I may have to stop visiting this thread.

 

[Slash]

I'm soooooooo pre-ordering this with my Christmas money.

 

[CodeRedR51]

And the countdown begins.

 

[Slash]

Yessssssss

 

[Carbonox]

I'll be really disappointed if there's no buyable properties. That would be just like GTA IV, having too few places to save the game in a huge map. (and with no useable safehouse in the entire Broker/Dukes area after the first chapter is over)