NO SPOILARZ - THE GTA IV THREAD

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-05-05 07:40pm

I had a good stand-off in a recent free mode match. Found a great area in the north end of Jersey with lots of cover and where the cops had to come single-file up a long stairway and their vehicles up a parking ramp. Goddamn slaughterhouse. Especially as the choppers couldn't get an angle on us. Sadly, my connection dropped just as we were about to try and make a break for it.

I also had another fun moment when I was messing around trying to get the hang of the HtH. I walked up and popped a guy on the chin, he drops straight away, but cracks his head on the kerb as he falls and dies. I'm not sure if it was a "glass chin" or king-hit or just a happy coincidence with the Euphoria engine that led to him dropping in one shot.

And does anyone else feel strangle more "restrained" in this game due to the enhanced realism?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-05-05 07:46pm

weemadando wrote:
And does anyone else feel strangle more "restrained" in this game due to the enhanced realism?

Yes. I have to admit, there are times when, unlike in GTA and its sequels prior to this one, that I'd go out of my way to be a cunt. Now, I see a guy pleading for his life and he looks real and it totally ruins the buzz you'd get in the past. The more human they seem, the less able I am to go out of my way driving like a maniac or shooting openly. That's likely why Niko is also more real and likeable because it's no longer just a cartoony shooter full of satire. It's got real moral choices in some missions which, although not altering the story too much in most instances, do tell the world what kind of person you are.

That said, I had fun kneecapping a hooker and watching the squad car nearby bang on the sirens, do a U-turn and ram right through her. Twas amusing.

Normally, though, I just point the gun at the windscreen of a car and force people out that way, unless they're the kind to try their luck, then I fire a shot into an empty seat. They usually get the message.

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-05-05 07:50pm

I have actually been really restrained in that I haven't killed quite a few of the "execution choices". Mainly because the combination of the graphics, animation and writing makes it a more difficult decision than in the past.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-05-05 07:55pm

That's true. I almost didn't do Vlad (I mean, that's my name, according to the illiterate here), but then I remembered he called me a YOKEL. Fuckin' A, but he's going down. Oh and something about a girl and Roman, blah, blah.

Later on, though, other choices with third parties who've overstepped their mark get me thinking whether I want to do them like a good hitman, or restrain myself from sinking to the level of those in power. It's quite gritty stuff, and I see this as being a big factor in mitigating the "LOL, violent videogames MAKE MURDERERS!" bullshit we have in the press. Sorry, but the more real the game, the less likely the non-sociopaths are going to become violent dicks, even virtually.

SylasGaunt · Post by **SylasGaunt** » 2008-05-05 07:56pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote: Normally, though, I just point the gun at the windscreen of a car and force people out that way, unless they're the kind to try their luck, then I fire a shot into an empty seat. They usually get the message.

Friend of mine did that once. They hit the gas, knocked him down, then the passenger got out and started blasting him with a shotgun while he was down.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-05-05 07:58pm

SylasGaunt wrote:
Friend of mine did that once. They hit the gas, knocked him down, then the passenger got out and started blasting him with a shotgun while he was down.

That's why I'm ready to jump on the bonnet (hood, I mean) if they hit the gas. On that note, I used to love standing on the roof of a cop car as it patrolled. I tried that a few days ago and, to my HORROR, saw the cops took offence to my standing, and dragged me off. The cheek.

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-05-05 08:47pm

Also, on auto-aim, is it really that hard to use it and, gasp, shift to another target instantly? It's meant to target people in-front of you, not necessarily threats, which'd be too easy. I have no problem in switching from free-aim over to auto and quickly popping a couple shot burst into several targets in succession. Maybe it's just easier on the PS3.

I'm playing on a PS3. Don't you remember those threads where my PS3 fucking broke?

The problem is not targeting threats per se - the problem is if a target gets close to you (say you're beside a doorway and a cop comes round the corner) Niko goes from trying to shoot them to a spastic, ineffective bout of pushing and gun-tickling. Try and reposition yourself to shoot the fucker, and you're guaranteed to lose a lot of health.

chitoryu12 · Post by **chitoryu12** » 2008-05-05 09:09pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:That's true. I almost didn't do Vlad (I mean, that's my name, according to the illiterate here), but then I remembered he called me a YOKEL. Fuckin' A, but he's going down. Oh and something about a girl and Roman, blah, blah.

Later on, though, other choices with third parties who've overstepped their mark get me thinking whether I want to do them like a good hitman, or restrain myself from sinking to the level of those in power. It's quite gritty stuff, and I see this as being a big factor in mitigating the "LOL, violent videogames MAKE MURDERERS!" bullshit we have in the press. Sorry, but the more real the game, the less likely the non-sociopaths are going to become violent dicks, even virtually.

I had no trouble with Vlad. The guy was a fucking warthog of a man too stupid to realize when he's in over his head. He could have realized that Niko was one dangerous motherfucker, but he kept pushing it with the "yokel" bit. Finally, when I heard about him and Mallorie, it made me want nothing more than to rip his heart out. With the new realism of this game, if you want to kill someone, you really want to kill someone.

That said, I felt sorry for Playboy X, though. It was so depressing with the look on his face before he got shot right through the chin.

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-05-05 09:15pm

Personally I think the Roman/Mallorie/Vlad angle was weak - I had no real indication that Roman was even going out with Mallorie - I thought it was all in his head. The part in the cab depot where Roman's talking to her made it seem like he was making an ineffectual play on her, not that it was actually togehter - in that way, Niko's wanting to kill Vlad seemed entirely out of proportion.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-05-06 03:03am

I think a part of it was simply Niko wanting to take the guy out of the picture for being dangerous. It's not like a principled guy like him can't see Vlad being a threat to his family and friends later on with that attitude. The allegations from Roman just sent him over the edge.

Big Orange · Post by **Big Orange** » 2008-05-06 07:13am

I loved the wide open spaces in San Andreas, jet aircraft were more suited to a region like that instead of a very compressed urban area like Liberty City, I'm glad they (mostly) retained the more sensible RPG feature of customising your clothes and I always found it hilariously OTT that the Army National Guard mobilizes just to get you, and I like to see that again in some compacity (although instead of a Rhino tank you either have a eight wheeled AFV with a water cannon or a IFV that is similar to the M3 Bradley that instead of just ramming you moves relatively slowly and cautiously, turning you into Swiss cheese with it's 50. machine guns).

CaptHawkeye · Post by **CaptHawkeye** » 2008-05-06 08:31am

Vympel wrote:Personally I think the Roman/Mallorie/Vlad angle was weak - I had no real indication that Roman was even going out with Mallorie - I thought it was all in his head. The part in the cab depot where Roman's talking to her made it seem like he was making an ineffectual play on her, not that it was actually togehter - in that way, Niko's wanting to kill Vlad seemed entirely out of proportion.

I got the same impression. Roman was all like "Dude he might be sleepin wit ma girl!" Wait a sec, she didn't seem to be all that interested in you when I was around. She seemed to actually LIKE Vlad. Imagine my surprise in later missions when Mallorie suddenly turned around and started worrying about Roman. To quote Mal, "Is HE ok?!"

Vald, Roman had better just be happy the plot line made me protect him. I wanted to kill him 5 minutes after meeting him. Roman starts off as a REAL jackass.

Vlad was just business, and Vlad's insanity was nothing compared to Faustin's.

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-05-06 10:06am

Hilarious small detail - anyone notice that your car fills up with smoke that goes trailing out the windows when you go out for a night on the town with Little Jacob?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-05-06 11:14am

What can you say? The man loves his ganja.

chitoryu12 · Post by **chitoryu12** » 2008-05-06 01:43pm

I like how I sometimes get the feeling that my in-game actions are just standard fare for Liberty. I was leaving my Broker safehouse right as a car got rear-ended, killing the driver. Whenever I start fights, it often goes from just me punching out an irate taxi driver to a full-blown four-person street fight before the cops arrive. One guy at gtaforums.com described how he shot one guy who pissed him off and it became a ten-way gunfight on the street between him, the cops, and various pedestrians.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-05-06 04:34pm

Random fights are fun. I had one just before where I was getting chased by the cops and two Mercedes like saloons at high speed. Whenever I stopped to return fire and change vehicle, these cars unloaded four guys with SMGs and pistols. At first I thought it was the Feds or something, like the Miami Vice homage at five stars in GTA: VC, but then I saw it must've been a gang or something.

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-05-06 04:49pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Random fights are fun. I had one just before where I was getting chased by the cops and two Mercedes like saloons at high speed. Whenever I stopped to return fire and change vehicle, these cars unloaded four guys with SMGs and pistols. At first I thought it was the Feds or something, like the Miami Vice homage at five stars in GTA: VC, but then I saw it must've been a gang or something.

Messing about in Freemode with Stark yesterday a cop apparently had jacked an Infernus and was using that to chase us...

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2008-05-06 06:16pm

weemadando wrote:
Messing about in Freemode with Stark yesterday a cop apparently had jacked an Infernus and was using that to chase us...

Badass. We need more cops who aren't scared to do that shit even with two days to retirement.

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-05-06 07:48pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
weemadando wrote:
Messing about in Freemode with Stark yesterday a cop apparently had jacked an Infernus and was using that to chase us...
Badass. We need more cops who aren't scared to do that shit even with two days to retirement.

One glaring omission for me is the lack of motorcycle cops. It could be a nice addition, especially if they could reliably chase you down some of the alley ways and staircases that the cars won't.

And also I want a SWAT team that rolls like this:

I'd also like the UN building and compounds (either that or I'm yet to spot it). Though that may be a DLC thing.

And I met Eddie Low last night. Has anyone else encountered this "friend"? Dude is fucked up. I'm surprised Niko didn't just kill him straight away.

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-05-06 07:55pm

I've only met four random people so far -the asshole who gives you $100, the guy from Comrades (IIRC) who asks you to go with him to pay off a debt (results in a firefight), the guy who you drive to a place to buy a huge rock of crack, and the guy in Algonquin who pushes his music on you, and who you then help by killing the assholes dissing him.

Jade Falcon · Post by **Jade Falcon** » 2008-05-06 08:03pm

I think some of the random guys are only around after certain missions are completed.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2008-05-07 01:29am

Jade Falcon wrote:I think some of the random guys are only around after certain missions are completed.

I've had two people show up on my mini-map at the same time, so I don't think that's the case. Furthermore, if that was the case, then it would be impossible to 100% the game if you didn't do them at a certain time.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2008-05-07 02:01am

I'm in a situation where I think I've done all of them except whoever you meet under the bridge by AutoEroticar, and there's never anyone there. Since I also broke the scripting on girlfriends, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm in an untenable place there. However, achievement-wise it seems to be profile-wide, so I can do it on an earlier save and get it.

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-05-07 02:02am

How do you break the scripting?

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2008-05-07 02:04am

I forgot about the website, didn't check my mail for ages, and the dates I'd agreed to were in the past and instantly failed. I was able to get one back on board, but the other has broken. I imagine this means it's impossible to get the 4 girlfriend achievement in this game; but I've got 7 saves throughout the story and I can easily go back.