So You Want To Make A DLC?

[Akavari]

Akavari112's Guide To DLC Concepts

 

Before reading this topic, I highly suggest reading this guide first.

 

1. Your Protagonist

This is the most important part of your idea. If you look at The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad Of Gay Tony, you'd notice that both Johnny Klebitz and Luis Lopez were seen in GTA IV. When the DLCs were revealed, most people said "Oh, I remember that guy; I'd like to see GTA IV from his point of view." For your concept, you want to pick a character who was seen or at least mentioned in the previous games. That way, when people read about your character, they can make a connection with it and will become interested in learning more about them. Don't make up a brand new character, because even though it can be done, it seriously detracts from the purpose of a DLC and people won't be as interested in your idea. You also want to avoid using any characters who are mission givers, random encounters, or active friends, such as Little Jacob or Roman. This creates an inconsistency with the stories they are involved in and it just gets sloppy.

 

Below is a list of characters I and other members have compiled. They are the cream of the crop for possible protagonists, so it is highly advised that you use one! If you found a character who should be on this list, tell me and I will add it to the list.

 

 

Seen Characters (highly recommended.)
Gordon Sargent
Jermaine Andrews
Mikhail's bodyguard aka Sergei
Sergei from Comrade's Bar
Papi aka the unnamed dealer
Unnamed dealer from Shifting Weight
Unseen Characters (from LCPD Database.)
Rami Yalon
Willy Valerio
Sammy Bottino

 

2. Theme

In TLAD we witnessed the politics and workings of outlaw motorcycle gangs, which was something we hadn't done before. In TBOGT we saw the glamorous nightclub side of Liberty City, which was also new to us. Try to establish a theme for your concept, whether it be oriented around a gang or subculture is all up to you, but it should infect everything about your DLC. The weapons, vehicles, and missions should be a product of the theme you established with your story. For example, in TLAD we were given new, gritty weapons and motorcycles to reflect the theme of a bikers tale. In TBOGT, the missions, weapons and vehicles were ridiculous and over-the-top to manifest the theme of the DLC.

 

 

3. Crossovers

This is what makes a DLC topic interesting to follow. In TLAD and TBOGT there were crossover missions where the protagonists from each story actually met in person more-or-less, like the diamond deal. Your story should have at least a few well thought-out crossovers. The objective with a crossover is to explain unanswered questions or see an important event from another perspective. You want to avoid crossovers that are far-fetched or don't accomplish anything. If you force a crossover that isn't very plausible, your story loses a lot of its credibility. Just build your story in the right direction, and if you see the opportunity for a good crossover then try and make it happen. Not every mission should be a crossover; that just shows that you lack the creativity to build your own story and you have make your missions off of the backs of others.

 

Some DLC concepts actually cross over with each other, such as Code Of The Streets and Blood And A Four Leaf Clover. If you and another member are interested in connecting your stories, PM each other and establish some cross overs. Make sure the other person is willing to cross over with your story before you start putting their characters in your story! You can even make it official and create a topic akin to Episodes From Liberty City, only it involves both of your concepts.

 

 

4. Plot Devices

You don't want your whole story to be about your protagonist merely doing jobs for money. He should have some sort of goal along the course of the story. You can include things like the diamonds or the heroin, which were both used as tools to bring different characters together under certain circumstances. There are a lot of things mentioned in the story that could be used as plot devices, and you can even make your own. In my DLC topic, Blood And A Four Leaf Clover, I fabricated a plot device in the form of a priceless painting that shifts hands throughout the story and is involved in several missions. Things like this help give you a direction for the story, and often provides you with ideas for missions that can involve them.

 

 

5. Missions

DLC topics may seem easier than full-game concepts because they don't require a lot of the same content. All you really need is a story, weapons, vehicles, etc. to make it happen. However, you should at least take the responsibility to describe how the whole story unfolds by posting individual missions. Your missions should be detailed and well written, regardless of your writing skill. Take the time to make sure the grammar is all perfect and the cutscenes can be visualized by other people. Try to include some dialogue that helps develop your characters, and some humor here and there for that GTA-touch.

 

More importantly, make sure each mission is innovative in terms of gameplay. One of the flaws of GTA IV was that fact that nearly all the missions were "Go here, kill these guys, chase this car, etc." Try to give each mission some kind of gimmick that it will revolve around. For example, you could introduce a new weapon and the mission would involve using that weapon's certain abilities. Don't just create a sea of missions where you are just senselessly assassinating people and crashing drug deals between gangs; bring something new and interesting to the table with each mission.

 

 

6. Presentation

A clean visual presentation is what will make your topic one of the best. No one likes to see, let alone read, a boring wall of text. Use tables and graphics to spice up your topic. See here for creating tables and put in a request in the GFX section for a logo, headings, etc. Another great perk of a DLC concept is the fact that you can get in-game screenshots from the original game. If you don't have the resources to take screenshots, you can ask someone who has the game to capture some screenshots for you like The Lolwut Pear. But remember, all the graphics in the world won't matter if you don't have some quality content in between it.

 

 

My hands hurt from typing so I'm going to post this as it is

Tell me what you guys think of this guide so far. What I should add to it?

Edited January 12, 2012 by akavari112

[IvoryX]

Man this will be very helpful for newbies... what about adding some characters from III Era they should have DLC? You could make another table with it. Or are you focused just on GTAIV/EFLC characters?

[The Lolwut Pear]

Nice, but you took Jon Gravelli's bodyguard from my list.

 

It's excellent.

[Akavari]

Man this will be very helpful for newbies... what about adding some characters from III Era they should have DLC? You could make another table with it. Or are you focused just on GTAIV/EFLC characters?

I'm not really a fan of III-era DLC concepts so I completely forgot to include them. If you give me a list of characters from the III-era I'll add them.

[Tyla]

Brilliant job. Thank you for taking the time to do this after all the discussion in the other topic earlier.

 

Are you able to cover Prequels here, mate? If so, could you list Gerald McReary for me? I could also provide a bunch of other characters who could be interesting to explore before the direct events of IV.

[Akavari]

Brilliant job. Thank you for taking the time to do this after all the discussion in the other topic earlier.

 

Are you able to cover Prequels here, mate? If so, could you list Gerald McReary for me? I could also provide a bunch of other characters who could be interesting to explore before the direct events of IV.

I wouldn't consider that a DLC concept, but regardless this topic is aimed at DLCs that happen concurrently with GTA IV like TLAD and TBOGT. Anything farther in the future or past could just be considered a normal GTA concept, you get me?

[Mati]

Hey man, My character Marko was mentioned in the main game. Do you think its a good DLC if the character is only mentioned?

[LuisBellic]

I know maybe one of the triads in "This Sh*t's Cursed".

[Akavari]

 

Hey man, My character Marko was mentioned in the main game. Do you think its a good DLC if the character is only mentioned?

Who mentions Marko? I don't recall that ever.

 

But yeah, I wouldn't consider it the best idea although it is better than making up a brand new character with no direct ties to the previous stories.

 

@Luisbellic: That Triad leader? He seems interesting, but he seems more like a boss or mission giver. Plus Luis Lopez breaks his nose and leaves him in a pile of shame during the mission Chinese Takeout. Do you guys think I should bother adding him?

[The Lolwut Pear]

Hey man, My character Marko was mentioned in the main game. Do you think its a good DLC if the character is only mentioned?

Who mentions Marko? I don't recall that ever.

Niko, during a friend activity with Roman.

[LuisBellic]

@Luisbellic: That Triad leader? He seems interesting, but he seems more like a boss or mission giver. Plus Luis Lopez breaks his nose and leaves him in a pile of shame during the mission Chinese Takeout. Do you guys think I should bother adding him?

Im not talking about just the leader but one of the triads in This Sh*t's Cursed.

[Akavari]

Hey man, My character Marko was mentioned in the main game. Do you think its a good DLC if the character is only mentioned?

Who mentions Marko? I don't recall that ever.

Niko, during a friend activity with Roman.

Oh wow. I didn't realize he was actually referred to, I thought Mati thought up the whole character out of thin air. I will add him since Mati has a topic about him.

[Mati]

Hey man, My character Marko was mentioned in the main game. Do you think its a good DLC if the character is only mentioned?

Who mentions Marko? I don't recall that ever.

Niko, during a friend activity with Roman.

Oh wow. I didn't realize he was actually referred to, I thought Mati thought up the whole character out of thin air. I will add him since Mati has a topic about him.

Thanks.

[Akavari]

@Luisbellic: That Triad leader? He seems interesting, but he seems more like a boss or mission giver. Plus Luis Lopez breaks his nose and leaves him in a pile of shame during the mission Chinese Takeout. Do you guys think I should bother adding him?

Im not talking about just the leader but one of the triads in This Sh*t's Cursed.

I think the triads with the leader were just pedestrian model triad goons, nothing really special about them.

[Claude4Catalina]

can I call dibs on 'unamed dealer from Shifting Weights'?

 

I've been toying around with the idea of creating a DLC topic, now that I've got 3 weeks off college, I should be able to get something substantial done, I started working on a seperate project, a book based in the LC of 2006 with very few refences to anybody from GTAIV, I'm thinking of making a DLC as a tie in, featuring my characters and using the dealer from SW as a basis for one of the protagonists friends in my book. obviously there will be a few differences, but my DLC will be a spiritual sequel to my book, set a few years after.

 

also, my DLC wont be a tie in with any current concepts/DLC topics, so I'll be using GTAIV characters mainly, and some of my own characters.

[Akavari]

 

can I call dibs on 'unamed dealer from Shifting Weights'?

 

I've been toying around with the idea of creating a DLC topic, now that I've got 3 weeks off college, I should be able to get something substantial done, I started working on a seperate project, a book based in the LC of 2006 with very few refences to anybody from GTAIV, I'm thinking of making a DLC as a tie in, featuring my characters and using the dealer from SW as a basis for one of the protagonists friends in my book.  obviously there will be a few differences, but my DLC will be a spiritual sequel to my book, set a few years after.

 

also, my DLC wont be a tie in with any current concepts/DLC topics, so I'll be using GTAIV characters mainly, and some of my own characters.

But you're not using him as the main character, just a friend of the protagonist. That's fine and dandy but I think the dealer from SW should still be available for someone to use as a protagonist. I mean I used the papi character in my DLC as a major character, but he's still on this list for someone else to use as a protagonist...

 

Go ahead and use him but I won't mark him as "Taken".

[Claude4Catalina]

maybe I didnt word it how I meant it.

 

my DLC would feature the unamed dealer as the protagonist, whereas in the book, the dealer is more of a side character.

think of it this way:

in Mafia 2, Vito is the main character (in my book, Tyler is the main character), and Joe is his closest friend (unamed dealer is an assosciate of Tyler)

Joe's Adventures, you play as Joe, and in my DLC, you would play as the unamed dealer, crossing paths with mainly GTA IV's characters, but a few characters from my book would make an apperance.

so in short, I'd be using the unamed dealer for my DLC.

sorry for any confusion mate.

[Sanjeem]

Hey man, My character Marko was mentioned in the main game. Do you think its a good DLC if the character is only mentioned?

Who mentions Marko? I don't recall that ever.

Niko, during a friend activity with Roman.

Oh wow. I didn't realize he was actually referred to, I thought Mati thought up the whole character out of thin air. I will add him since Mati has a topic about him.

Thanks.

sh*t! I thought he was made up too, Heh!

[Akavari]

maybe I didnt word it how I meant it.

 

my DLC would feature the unamed dealer as the protagonist, whereas in the book, the dealer is more of a side character.

think of it this way:

in Mafia 2, Vito is the main character (in my book, Tyler is the main character), and Joe is his closest friend (unamed dealer is an assosciate of Tyler)

Joe's Adventures, you play as Joe, and in my DLC, you would play as the unamed dealer, crossing paths with mainly GTA IV's characters, but a few characters from my book would make an apperance.

so in short, I'd be using the unamed dealer for my DLC.

sorry for any confusion mate.

Ah, ok. Well when do you plan to have this DLC posted?

[Claude4Catalina]

seeing as I started storyboarding it this morning, this being my first day off since I had this planned, I'll probably get the topic up within the next few days, with some character profiles and a general introduction to get the ball rolling, I'll make an *attempt* at anything graphic once I decide a definite title. all in all, within the next week or so, there should be something up here more then me talking about it.

[Akavari]

seeing as I started storyboarding it this morning, this being my first day off since I had this planned, I'll probably get the topic up within the next few days, with some character profiles and a general introduction to get the ball rolling, I'll make an *attempt* at anything graphic once I decide a definite title. all in all, within the next week or so, there should be something up here more then me talking about it.

Ok. I guess I'll label him as taken then. Good luck

[LuisBellic]

Can I use Willy Valerio? I wanna make a DLC about him after getting done with all TKOTC missions.

[Akavari]

Can I use Willy Valerio? I wanna make a DLC about him after getting done with all TKOTC missions.

I'll only let people claim a character if their topic is on the horizon...so when you are finished with TKOTC and are ready to post your topic about Willy then I'll mark it as taken.

 

Why make a new DLC? I think you should just make Willy the protagonist of TKOTC since Jason is a made up character anyway. It'd be killing two birds with one stone if you ask me.

[LuisBellic]

Can I use Willy Valerio? I wanna make a DLC about him after getting done with all TKOTC missions.

I'll only let people claim a character if their topic is on the horizon...so when you are finished with TKOTC and are ready to post your topic about Willy then I'll mark it as taken.

 

Why make a new DLC? I think you should just make Willy the protagonist of TKOTC since Jason is a made up character anyway. It'd be killing two birds with one stone if you ask me.

I don't really feel like changing it since im done with half of the story.

[Akavari]

Can I use Willy Valerio? I wanna make a DLC about him after getting done with all TKOTC missions.

I'll only let people claim a character if their topic is on the horizon...so when you are finished with TKOTC and are ready to post your topic about Willy then I'll mark it as taken.

 

Why make a new DLC? I think you should just make Willy the protagonist of TKOTC since Jason is a made up character anyway. It'd be killing two birds with one stone if you ask me.

I don't really feel like changing it since im done with half of the story.

Eh, I think you'd be making more work for yourself by making a completely new topic. It'd pretty much be the same as TKOTC too

[Mokrie Dela]

one thing's confusing me, why is there an apparent rule that you can't use a character that's "taken" ?

Tbh anyone can make a concept with the protag being anyone - whether or not he's "taken" is irrelevant...

[LuisBellic]

 

one thing's confusing me, why is there an apparent rule that you can't use a character that's "taken" ?

Tbh anyone can make a concept with the protag being anyone - whether or not he's "taken" is irrelevant...

I agree on this a little bit. I don't really care if someone uses my protag as long as they don't make the story too similar.

[Akavari]

one thing's confusing me, why is there an apparent rule that you can't use a character that's "taken" ?

Tbh anyone can make a concept with the protag being anyone - whether or not he's "taken" is irrelevant...

Well why would you want to spend time making a story about someone when it has already been done by someone else?

[Mokrie Dela]

Exactly. no one here can say your can't use anything in GTA - A gta concept is a fictitious idea based on the series that ROCKSTAR GAMES made. By the op's logic no one can use Liberty City as that's already in use...

 

 

@akavari: Why would anyone feel the need to "create" a game that will never exist?

 

The concept creators can make a story/concept about whatever - and whoever - they like. No one can say to anyone you can't use XXX because soeone else did.

 

I've written a story about Niko - therefore no one else can. Ever.

 

How does that work?

Edited December 18, 2010 by Mokrie Dela

[Akavari]

 

no one can use Liberty City as that's already in use....

BY GOD, YOU'RE RIGHT.

jk

 

I guess if it makes you feel better I'll get rid of that aspect, no big deal

 

@Mokrie Dela, dude you need to f*cking chill out. I changed it now stop going into debate mode

Edited December 18, 2010 by akavari112