Expresso 2 Go and Grand Theft Aero

[Toni.Cipriani]

Well, after much experimenting and demise I decided to post how to get past them. Many many people get stuck on either Expresso, or GTA.

 

I know, I know, there may be hundreds of these topics laying around. But I just wanted to make this. I'm stubborn... hehe.

 

Check for spoilers. Dont read if you didnt get to one of these missions.

 

Grand Theft Aero

 

Things you're gonna need

 

1. A Sniper Rifle

 

2. An AK-47. Or an M-16. Though the m-16 trembles too much, and you cant auto aim on it. Get a shotgun too.

 

3. Armor, and full health (if health is gone up to 125, even better.)

 

4. A fast car that isn't easily beat up. I prefer the Sentinel (If you have a Mafia Sentinel, it's faster).

 

5. Patience.

 

Upon arrival on Donald Love's penthouse, you should have everything already settled so you dont waste much of your time. Head onto the airport, and park your car behind the panlantic van, or next to it. Get a good vantage point, and grab your sniper rifle. Take out all the colombian cocksuckers, and get on the plane. It'll have nothing on it. Go to the panlantic van, and it will indicate that the package is actually on the construction yard near Liberty Campus.

 

If your health decreased at least just a bit, get a quick stop on ammunation for armor and on the hospital for health. Enter the yard by it's right side, facing portland. Grab your car and park it in front of a blue complex that will have colombian soldiers with m-16 ready to pop. An easy way to pass through them is to get up on a dumpster left of the complex entry, and you'll have to pop less colombians. Use the Shotgun as a weapon of choice.

 

Enter the elevator and a cutscene will appear. Catalina is there, but she escapes. For your surprise, the yakuza are there just after catalina's escape, and a cutscene with you and Asuka will happen. You have Catalina's Right Hand man as your hostage, and after some beatings by Asuka, he later reveals Cartel secrets.

 

Mission Completed.

 

Expresso 2 Go (or Espresso-2-Go! on older GTA3 versions.)

 

Things you'll need

 

1. A Fast Car that is strong. Fortunately, there's a Yakuza Stinger conveniently parked in the construction yard. But it may not come in handy, as you'll have to blast through the stands with your car. The most durable fast car is the Banshee.

 

2. Driving ability. Braking with R1 is prefered to do this duty.

 

Miguel reveals that the Cartel have coffee stands all around town that serve as a front. Asuka has you destroy them all. Although, you'll have to destroy em all before the Cartel warn their providers.

 

Grab your car and start your quest in Shoreside Vale. You'll have tons of time to get into the first stand. There'll be two stands in Shoreside. The First one is in the Shoreside Vale Hospital, the second is in the Subway exit on Escobar Intl. Make your way back to Staunton, and drive to the church. Then onto one almost next to it. There's one more near Kenji's Casino. Keep going to the stand you'll encounter that is next to the multi story car park. After that you'll have two more left. They're in portland.

 

The first portland stand is on the road directly in front of the callahan bridge, so keep driving on it until you reach the front of the portland docks' entrance. Look left and you'll see the stand. By then, if you didn't swap cars, your car should be totally trashed. If not in flames already. The next and last stand is on the edge of Saint Mark's almost in front of the Leone Mansion, on a small car park. Crash your car, onto it, and Mission Completed. The guy on the stand will try to shot the living hell out of you after that, and so will the Leones (that by this point will want you dead) so yeah. Make haste out of Saint Marks with a hefty wad of money.

 

 

This is the end of this post I guess. Post another ways to pass these missions too, would be really appreciated

[Demarest]

Though the m-16 trembles too much, and you cant auto aim on it. Get a shotgun

You're talking about Classic controls. Users of Standard controls enjoy a steady, incredibly lethal rifle.

 

 

3. Armor, and full health (if health is gone up to 125, even better.)

If you do this mission properly, you should never even be shot at. Your health won't matter.

 

 

4. A fast car that isn't easily beat up. I prefer the Sentinel (If you have a Mafia Sentinel, it's faster).

Your conveyance is of no issue in this mission.

 

 

5. Patience.

This is not a difficult mission.

 

 

Upon arrival on Donald Love's penthouse, you should have everything already settled so you dont waste much of your time. Head onto the airport, and park your car behind the panlantic van, or next to it.

You didn't mention that as you approach the PAIR of Panlantic vans, one will begin to move. It's not coming for you and you don't need to destroy it either.

 

 

If your health decreased at least just a bit, get a quick stop on ammunation for armor and on the hospital for health.

More comprehensive item locations can be found here (as well as more concise mission approaches).

 

 

Enter the yard by it's right side, facing portland.

You shouldn't enter the yard at all just yet. Between the street level dirt running the length of the south edge of the construction yard and using a Sniper Rifle and some form of explosives, the Columbians should be completely eliminated before you even approach the "inner sanctum" of the compound.

 

 

1. A Fast Car that is strong. Fortunately, there's a Yakuza Stinger conveniently parked in the construction yard. But it may not come in handy, as you'll have to blast through the stands with your car.

It is up to the user HOW to destroy the stands. Saying it MUST be done with a car is misleading. And if that is their choice, a Patriot is a superior choice, if only because the front edge of it is flat. And since a good way to approach this mission is by starting in Portland AND cutting through the Supa Save, one can just grab the Patriot AT the Supa Save if they need to.

 

 

2. Driving ability.

One's driving ability irrelevant. Those without it can rely on Grenades/Rocket Launcher instead.

 

 

Grab your car and start your quest in Shoreside Vale.

I respectfully disagree. I agree that one should start on an outside island. But with Cartel instigators present in SSV, that should be the last targets so that you only have to deal with them half as much.

 

 

There'll be two stands in Shoreside. The First one is...

Rather than text descriptions, people can just as easily use the map provided with the strategy on my site. The map is also conveniently numbered in the fastest order to approach them in.

[Toni.Cipriani]

 

There'll be two stands in Shoreside. The First one is...

Rather than text descriptions, people can just as easily use the map provided with the strategy on my site. The map is also conveniently numbered in the fastest order to approach them in.

I think that kind of qualifies as advertising. Anyways, I didn't elaborate a map indicating the locations of the spots, which in my opinion could really easily be found given the text descriptions.

 

 

Though the m-16 trembles too much, and you cant auto aim on it. Get a shotgun

You're talking about Classic controls. Users of Standard controls enjoy a steady, incredibly lethal rifle.

 

For those using PS2, there arent Classic or Standard controls. At least in my copy. You're talking about the PC version of GTA3.

 

 

3. Armor, and full health (if health is gone up to 125, even better.)

If you do this mission properly, you should never even be shot at. Your health won't matter.

 

I highly doubt if you hadn't a lengthy knowledge of the game, or cheating, that you wouldn't get shot at least once.

 

 

4. A fast car that isn't easily beat up. I prefer the Sentinel (If you have a Mafia Sentinel, it's faster).

Your conveyance is of no issue in this mission.

 

Convenience has nothing to do with getting a fast vehicle.

 

 

5. Patience.

This is not a difficult mission.

 

It isn't for those who are used to making the mission over and over again. It was hard for me, so I would use my time to do it to perform the mission the most correct as possible.

 

 

Upon arrival on Donald Love's penthouse, you should have everything already settled so you dont waste much of your time. Head onto the airport, and park your car behind the panlantic van, or next to it.

You didn't mention that as you approach the PAIR of Panlantic vans, one will begin to move. It's not coming for you and you don't need to destroy it either.

 

I didnt mention you had to destroy any of the vans. I just stated it would be more comfortable to park your car behind the one that isnt moving.

 

 

 

If your health decreased at least just a bit, get a quick stop on ammunation for armor and on the hospital for health.

More comprehensive item locations can be found here (as well as more concise mission approaches).

 

Like people are gonna go on a health icon, and armor hunt.

 

 

Enter the yard by it's right side, facing portland.

You shouldn't enter the yard at all just yet. Between the street level dirt running the length of the south edge of the construction yard and using a Sniper Rifle and some form of explosives, the Columbians should be completely eliminated before you even approach the "inner sanctum" of the compound.

 

Good idea, I didn't think about that.

 

 

1. A Fast Car that is strong. Fortunately, there's a Yakuza Stinger conveniently parked in the construction yard. But it may not come in handy, as you'll have to blast through the stands with your car.

It is up to the user HOW to destroy the stands. Saying it MUST be done with a car is misleading. And if that is their choice, a Patriot is a superior choice, if only because the front edge of it is flat. And since a good way to approach this mission is by starting in Portland AND cutting through the Supa Save, one can just grab the Patriot AT the Supa Save if they need to.

 

I'm not saying a user must crash into the stand. It was my option. But it wouldn't be so good to enter/exit your car everytime. It wastes time. And where should you encounter a rocket launcher if you don't buy it from Phil? But yeah, I haven't thought about the patriot. Now come to think of it, either that, or a Cartel Cruiser as well would serve better.

 

 

2. Driving ability.

One's driving ability irrelevant. Those without it can rely on Grenades/Rocket Launcher instead.

 

Carrying a rocket launcher has nothing related to driving. You'd have to swift through traffic with at least some kind of ability to do all those stands within nine minutes. thus my opinion.

 

 

 

Grab your car and start your quest in Shoreside Vale.

I respectfully disagree. I agree that one should start on an outside island. But with Cartel instigators present in SSV, that should be the last targets so that you only have to deal with them half as much.

 

I didn't encounter with any Cartels in SSV at all.

 

Thanks for replying, Demarest.

[edscoble]

Thought crashing the stand with the cars is much easier and quicker, granted the health of the car will get low, by the time you react Portland, it'll blow up and the Mafia Sentinel is around which make it easier (as long the bloody Leonie don't have shotgun to shot at me), and frankly you'd probably get shot at between changing car, but not very devastating enoughh.

 

it is a hard mission because of the time limit, 30 second extra time and it be easy.

[Demarest]

Cipriani, I sincerely question your cognitive skills...

 

 

I think that kind of qualifies as advertising.

So report my post. Even the staffers that hate me understand that when it comes to GTA3, I host one of THE most comprehensive collection of assistance around. Not to mention that other users seem to recommend my site for GTA3 assistance more than all others combined. So ask yourself if you're interested in players having the best/easiest time with their game or if you're interested in trying to control other people just because you can. If you choose the latter, report my post. Let them know that I'm advertising just the same as I do any other day

 

 

Anyways, I didn't elaborate a map indicating the locations of the spots, which in my opinion could really easily be found given the text descriptions.

A picture says a thousand words. It's also a universal language.

 

 

For those using PS2, there arent Classic or Standard controls. At least in my copy. You're talking about the PC version of GTA3.

*ahem* YOU were talking about ONE platform. I made a counterpoint that disproved your approach by exposing it for only working on consoles. Advice that is platform nonspecific is superior because your audience is larger.

 

 

I highly doubt if you hadn't a lengthy knowledge of the game, or cheating, that you wouldn't get shot at least once.

With the exception of a couple that you can pick off with a Sniper Rifle at a distance, they're all behind a wall. Grenades and Rocket Launchers cause explosions. These are proximity attacks. Lob a few grenades over the wall. Hear them yelp as they're blown to bits. Then suddenly, there's no more sounds of Columbians taunting you. Where's the getting shot at part?

 

 

4. A fast car that isn't easily beat up. I prefer the Sentinel (If you have a Mafia Sentinel, it's faster).

Your conveyance is of no issue in this mission.

Convenience has nothing to do with getting a fast vehicle.Well it can, but nobody was talking about convenience. I said conveyance. And I said it in response to you misstating that one needs a fast vehicle.

 

 

I didnt mention you had to destroy any of the vans.

I didn't say you did. What I said was that you didn't point out that one of them will move. Since you're making this mission sound harder than it is, I think it's reasonable to expect that anybody going off of your instructions would be spooked by a van suddenly moving and thought it would be beneficial that newer people be told that you don't have to concern yourself with that van despite the appearance at first that it's coming for you.

 

 

If your health decreased at least just a bit, get a quick stop on ammunation for armor and on the hospital for health.

More comprehensive item locations can be found here (as well as more concise mission approaches).

Like people are gonna go on a health icon, and armor hunt.That's not for you to decide. You're saying there's one place only, which might be out of the way. I'm saying here's where everything is, go with what works for you. And your answer is to scoff at my assistance as if options are bad?

 

 

1. A Fast Car that is strong. Fortunately, there's a Yakuza Stinger conveniently parked in the construction yard. But it may not come in handy, as you'll have to blast through the stands with your car.

It is up to the user HOW to destroy the stands. Saying it MUST be done with a car is misleading. And if that is their choice, a Patriot is a superior choice, if only because the front edge of it is flat. And since a good way to approach this mission is by starting in Portland AND cutting through the Supa Save, one can just grab the Patriot AT the Supa Save if they need to.

I'm not saying a user must crash into the stand.Actually, that's EXACTLY what you said: "you'll have to blast through the stands with your car."

 

 

But it wouldn't be so good to enter/exit your car everytime. It wastes time.

This mission gives you plenty of time if you plan right. Isn't that what this topic is about? Planning ahead? If you've got the map and know to start in Portland, you could use a Manana (despite your insistance that a fast car is used) and get out to Rocket the stands from afar, and even take a couple detours to pickup Bribes and still have time left. But that's not the point. The point was that you made it sound like you HAVE to smash into them with your car, which is false.

 

 

And where should you encounter a rocket launcher if you don't buy it from Phil?

You're trying to make it sound impossible while pointing out how it's possible? To answer your question, there's one in Cedar Grove (I have a map and a video that shows it) or a user can grab 100 packages from the beginning of the game and have it available always if he'd like. Or, as you said, buy them from Phil.

 

 

But yeah, I haven't thought about the patriot. Now come to think of it, either that, or a Cartel Cruiser as well would serve better.

With the Cartel Cruiser, when you smash into the stand, your car almost flips and gets spun around. It's certainly sturdy enough. But even a Firetruck or Barracks would be a better choice.

 

 

Carrying a rocket launcher has nothing related to driving.

Nobody said they were related. However, YOU spoke as if driving was a necessity. I pointed out that that's not true because those who don't have the driving skill and therefore are going to be going through cars can rely instead on blowing them up. Which makes them related inversely.

 

 

I didn't encounter with any Cartels in SSV at all.

Congratulations. But I was stating a fact, not your experience. Maybe others won't be so lucky, which makes my point stand.

 

 

Thanks for replying, Demarest.

My pleasure. I love GTA3

[CCPD]

When it come to GTA 3 Demarest is the best person I know to ask absolutely anything. I don’t see any point arguing with him as he knows the best anyway. As for his site I personally always advertise it as it's the best resource for GTA 3 I know, it helped me a lot when I was replaying GTA 3.

[Toni.Cipriani]

Alright Dem, you win. Whatever.

 

I just wanted to post my way of doing it. But forget about it. Nevermind. I'm always wrong.

[Demarest]

You can recognize the possibility to learn or you can just throw a fit

[Lioshenka]

Demarest is right again. You will not be shot at at GTAero mission. The easiest way is to use flamethrower (through the walls) or grenades. Though i used the machine gun (the one with bigger targeting circle) and shot their heads off. Passed the mission from the first time, but lost 150 healths when the last colombian used his shotgun

[stef_92]

Grand Theft Aero was easy for me even the first time I done it! But Espresso 2 Go was hard ! First few times I always falied it! And I decided to use the rocket launcher to destroy the stands!

[Lindbergh]

I've found for Grand Theft Aero that the Dodo can help make finishing the mission very easy. After sniping the Cartel at the airport, I drive the Panlantic van into the hangar, enter the plane, step back out for the cutscene then reenter the plane. I fly it to the construction site and "land" it by the crane (more of a crash landing than anything else), exit the plane and step into the mission marker. I play the PS2 version of the game, I don't know if the Cartel are set up the same on the PC. There aren't any M16 toting Cartel in the "landing" area, so I've never been gunned down using this method.

 

The one problem with it is controlling the Dodo. If you don't approach just right it's really hard to guide it into the correct area. Actually, it's a challenge no matter how you approach, but it can go from hard to impossibly hard based on how you set yourself up.

 

 

As for Espresso 2 Go, I switch between ramming and the RPG. The stand by the casino I always RPG, that stand is more dangerous than the others. I think the guy that mans it has a shotgun. I find there is plenty of time just starting on the stand closest to the construction site, then working my way through Staunton, Portland, then taking the tunnel to SSV.

[Toni.Cipriani]

The one problem with it is controlling the Dodo. If you don't approach just right it's really hard to guide it into the correct area. Actually, it's a challenge no matter how you approach, but it can go from hard to impossibly hard based on how you set yourself up.

My thought exactly. I really liked your theory until up to that point. Those who dont fly the dodo often, or never though about it (it's not that hard, but it isn't easy.) find it disturbing.

 

Well, the most useful way to fly it, that I found, was banking it up and down to catch both speed and stability. That is key to find Ghost Town in Liberty City, and visiting the observatory.

 

Although, it'll be a challenge to climb into the Dodo inside the hangar by driving the panlantic van and not getting it destroyed.

 

It's easier to take out all the colombians first, by rocket launcher or otherwise. Makes life much easier, and it isn't that hard at all.

[Lindbergh]

 

Although, it'll be a challenge to climb into the Dodo inside the hangar by driving the panlantic van and not getting it destroyed.

 

It's easier to take out all the colombians first, by rocket launcher or otherwise. Makes life much easier, and it isn't that hard at all.

 

I didn't mean that you should drive in the van without taking out the Colombians first. The three AK's by themselves would take out the van, but the M16 added in ensures you would be wiped out. Of course kill them off first. Once they are down, grab the Panlantic van, jump out, get in the plane, step back out for the cutscene, then back into the plane and get airborne. If you want to see this mission done almost right (they mess up the van step) check out speeddemosarchive.com, look up their videos for GTA3. I timed the missions they have up, mine is just a couple of seconds faster. I just have to get motivated and submit my tape.

[rebel_36]

you beat my 1:22:31?

 

why is it faster to get into the van first, and then into the dodo?

[Lindbergh]

you beat my 1:22:31?

 

why is it faster to get into the van first, and then into the dodo?

I have the exact same time as you for the GT Aero mission ( I count from when you get control after the mission is assigned to the start of the next mission, so for GT Aero, my timer starts at the beginning of that mission and ends when you get control at the start of espresso2go) but definetly not for the overall speedrun. I have a single segment run completed at 1:32:45, I don't think I'll ever approach your overall time. I play on the PS2 anyway, so I will be submitting in that category.

 

I have finished your first segment one minute faster though. "Sayonara Salvatore" is a time cutoff mission. If you start it any time between, say, 1400 to 1459, the guards start leaving the club at 1730. If you start the mission from 1500 to 1559, it's 1830 and so on. You started that mission in the 1500 hour, I've been able to do it starting in the 1400 hour a couple of times, but since it's part of a single segment run I obviously can't directly compare it to your first segment.

 

By the way, I really enjoyed watching your speedrun, Rebel. The way you did the final mission was very ballsy. I was able to duplicate it on the PS2 (you can't manually aim the pistol or Uzi, so no shooting the barrels after landing by the dam) though I'm about 50/50 finishing/getting wasted. I would hate to ruin a great run by dying, but I think I'll chance it from here on out.

 

Oh, about getting in the van first, if you drive the van into the hangar, you can get into the plane then right back out to trigger the cutscene, then hop into the plane again and go. The way you did it in your video, you drive the plane out, stop it, get out, then get back in and go. The stopping and starting in the plane costs a second or two. Not much of a difference, but every second counts.

 

[rebel_36]

in the 14th hour? thats awesome, i guess van heist really ruined my first segment :E

 

about the hangar, im doing 4 enter/exit vehicle animations, your way id have to do 6 and i think thatd take longer than de-and-accellerating the dodo, plus id also have to de-and-accellerate the van which would add up too (hope my math is right here, havent used my head in a while )

 

im really looking forward to see your run!

Edited June 2, 2007 by rebel_36

[Lindbergh]

I'll give a mission time breakdown, but I think it would probably be better to do so over at the speedrun site. I don't think there is much interest in that sort of thing here.

[Demarest]

I'll give a mission time breakdown, but I think it would probably be better to do so over at the speedrun site. I don't think there is much interest in that sort of thing here.

I've complete GTAIII 100% in 7h 52m. I'm VERY interested in speed strategies, ways to shave off time, etc.

[Lindbergh]

If you have a full video of it, Dem, you should submit it. There are longer speedruns out there (the storyline speedrun for San Andreas is about 8 hours). For GTA 3 the storyline speedrun is 80 to 95 minutes which I find a lot more manageable. I also don't have the patience to do the package collection, taxi and ambulance missions over and over. I speedrun the storyline about once per day, both to stay in practice and to see if the "magical" run comes together. For me that would mean finishing in about 1h26m.

 

One negative side effect of the storyline speedrun is that it's a subset of the overall missions. None of the side missions and quite a few of the missions from bosses aren't included.

[Demarest]

I don't have a video. I was going to at one point. I found this one speedrun community and everything. Not only did they treat me like a joke, but you should've seen the way they handled the judging. It was VERY slanted to protect their own. I walked away.

[Lindbergh]

I'm not active in any speedrun community, I just like this game a lot and saw ways to beat the current record (for the PS2). I wouldn't put up with that kind of garbage either. I'll let you know how I get treated by the two places I plan to submit video to, speeddemosarchive.com and twingalaxies.com. I hope that TG will offer a bounty on GTA3 again sometime soon, for a while they offered to pay $100 to anyone that could beat the current record there, which was an hour fourty something.

 

[rebel_36]

you know where to look Demarest

 

just a few days/weeks ago a gta3 100% run was posted

[Demarest]

SDA is the place I was talking about. They were talking about shaving times off that shouldn't be shaved because everybody encounters it. Mostly the saving. At the same time, they wouldn't allow me to use Time Walk, which tracks your in game time for you because it was a mod. Even though it only impacts gameplay if you use its save anywhere feature.

 

I know how hard I've worked to attain 7h 52m and that while there were some ways I could speed it up, that nobody else seemed willing to try so I was comfy. When I saw Mr. Burns's was 7h 37m, I was astounded. And greatly appreciative for his kind words. I'm proud to know that somebody else finds the Smartlist valuable and that if I'm beaten, I helped do it.

 

That said, our times aren't comparable. Reading over his text explanation, it would seem that he wasn't timid about using F1 to auto-pass Firefighter and the PC pause menu trick to force criminals out of their cars. These were things I didn't engage in as I viewed them as unfair since only PC has these benefits. Frankly, I'm surprised the site was going to deny me use of an addon that would accurately display ingame time down to the microsecond, but WOULD allow such platform-specific shortcuts. Multiply that times 60 PER OBJECTIVE and I think it's safe to say that my time is still the best. Though I don't have video, I had intentions at the time of writing an efficiency walkthrough. I was even going to evolve the Smartlist to be a choose your own adventure style interface that would direct you what would be best to do next. I abandoned those because A) the difficulty would be astronomical and B) I didn't think there'd be ANY interest and if so, terribly limited.

 

I'll still watch his run and see if I can incoporate some shortcuts into my game. Don't know if I'll record one because I don't have a working VCR now and my machine isn't beefy enough to use a framedumper with compression on the fly. Though I must admit that now that somebody else has something posted, the temptation is far greater.

[rebel_36]

whoops my last post came 2 posts too late..

 

yeah not glitching through FF and vigilant is quite a difference

 

and um, i never knew TG put up a bounty, might have to take a look myself even though itd mean ps2 for me

[Lindbergh]

I checked today, the last bounties offered ended in 2005 as far as I can tell.

[brucewayne909]

Speedrun communities? What is this world coming to?

 

It's too bad Demarest couldn't join the SDA community. Their loss.