Mapping Los Santos! Building/landmark analysis

[GTAgamersquirrel]

Not that it means much, but here it is:

 

[LTA1992]

The new stuff pretty much confirms the map will be an island.

Dude, it's GTA. Was there even a doubt?

[JOSEPH X]

The new stuff pretty much confirms the map will be an island.

Dude, it's GTA. Was there even a doubt?

After Red Dead Redemption, yes.

[LTA1992]

 

The new stuff pretty much confirms the map will be an island.

Dude, it's GTA. Was there even a doubt?

After Red Dead Redemption, yes.

Red Deads a different story. It didn't have flying contraptions.

Edited April 22, 2013 by LTA1992

[uJhatafart00]

Mountains border is pretty much impossible in my opinion. You know, that's never happened in GTA Franchise and never will. GTAV Map will be the classic island (or islands) sorrounded by sea/ocean. For those of you comparing with RDR, usually in GTA games you are able to fly, so a mountain border looks very unlikely to me, how they can force you to not exceed mountains?

[InternetKillTV]

The new stuff pretty much confirms the map will be an island.

Dude, it's GTA. Was there even a doubt?

After Red Dead Redemption, yes.

Red Deads a different story. It didn't have flying contraptions.

And finally Red Dead was an recreation made to be as accurate as possible. The world of V is fictionalised. Los Angeles may be bordered by more land but it doesn't mean Los Santos is. Same for every other GTA city

[LibertyKing]

Mountains border is pretty much impossible in my opinion. You know, that's never happened in GTA Franchise and never will. GTAV Map will be the classic island (or islands) sorrounded by sea/ocean. For those of you comparing with RDR, usually in GTA games you are able to fly, so a mountain border looks very unlikely to me, how they can force you to not exceed mountains?

It's easy, the mountains will be the border of the island, much like Las Venturas of GTA SA.

[The_Majestic]

I think we will see endless sea to the south/southwest and endless desert to the north/northwest.

 

But it could also be an island. It just wouldn't be realistic.

[uJhatafart00]

Mountains border is pretty much impossible in my opinion. You know, that's never happened in GTA Franchise and never will. GTAV Map will be the classic island (or islands) sorrounded by sea/ocean. For those of you comparing with RDR, usually in GTA games you are able to fly, so a mountain border looks very unlikely to me, how they can force you to not exceed mountains?

It's easy, the mountains will be the border of the island, much like Las Venturas of GTA SA.

In this case, mountains won't be the border though.

I think even endless desert it's very unlikely, actually I can't see any other possibility than the island map.

[LibertyKing]

Mountains border is pretty much impossible in my opinion. You know, that's never happened in GTA Franchise and never will. GTAV Map will be the classic island (or islands) sorrounded by sea/ocean. For those of you comparing with RDR, usually in GTA games you are able to fly, so a mountain border looks very unlikely to me, how they can force you to not exceed mountains?

It's easy, the mountains will be the border of the island, much like Las Venturas of GTA SA.

In this case, mountains won't be the border though.

I think even endless desert it's very unlikely, actually I can't see any other possibility than the island map.

That's what I was trying to say.

[JOSEPH X]

...how they can force you to not exceed mountains?

Invisible walls?

[Boss7dm]

is that Gta 5?

[Zulu412]

...how they can force you to not exceed mountains?

Invisible walls?

very easily. when you hit a certain point something alerts you that plane is low/out of fuel. So your forced to either ditch or crash

[initium]

...how they can force you to not exceed mountains?

Invisible walls?

very easily. when you hit a certain point something alerts you that plane is low/out of fuel. So your forced to either ditch or crash

As if you want this to happen.

 

ISLAND

[Zulu412]

...how they can force you to not exceed mountains?

Invisible walls?

very easily. when you hit a certain point something alerts you that plane is low/out of fuel. So your forced to either ditch or crash

As if you want this to happen.

 

ISLAND

So you'd rather just fly over endless ocean instead. I'd rather have them do this.

Parts could be over ocean, mountain, or dessert.

Better than just flying straight forever.

[Miss Darko]

 

And finally Red Dead was an recreation made to be as accurate as possible. The world of V is fictionalised. Los Angeles may be bordered by more land but it doesn't mean Los Santos is. Same for every other GTA city

Well that goes for RDR's world as well. RDR's world is completely fictionalized, it's a fictional state that's based on the general American Southwest geography but otherwise not based on any specific location. So I don't really get the whole "recreation made to be as accurate as possible" thing. It's even more fictionalized than GTA V is.

 

But there's different needs for each game. RDR's world wouldn't feel right as an island, because there needs to be a sense of endless expanse in a western. After all, you never see the ocean in a western. And without planes or helicopters, it's easier to control the borders without having to have obvious invisible walls.

 

GTA on the other hand requires a sense of 'completeness'. So even though the real location it's based on isn't an island, you want to create a sense of true freedom of movement, that the player can go anywhere they can see. This is why R* hasn't done invisible walls since GTA III, and that game didn't technically have any controllable flying vehicles, so the player wasn't supposed to come across said invisible walls. So you have two choices: endless ocean on all sides, or endless ocean on one side and endless land on the other. I don't really see the latter happening, as endless procedurally-generating terrain isn't really R*s thing, either.

 

Most likely they'll create an illusion of land continuing with the use of hills on the eastern border, then a fictional coast behind them.

[epicluca]

I'd like Endless desert, would make fun for driving on. And as someone said, there could easily be workarounds for mountains such as low fuel and sh*t. But knowing R* they'll have a trick up their sleeves

[GTAKiwi]

 

I see what you mean GTAkiwi, with P actually hidden by B making the mountain just infront being the range behind A (the observatory mountain)?

Yeah that's right. Wish I had of realized that before I made the map. Oh well, the rest of the map should still be good, just the city

and the vinewood/observatory hills are not quite correct. If I fixed it, I don't think it would change the look of the map that much.

[InternetKillTV]

Okay, if it's a mountain edge there's no way they'd be stupid enough to do anything other than make your plane turn around like in Saints Row 2.

 

Endless desert would work I guess.

 

When you apply logic, endless ocean.

[DarkDayz]

 

The new stuff pretty much confirms the map will be an island.

Im felling an island now after seeing this, as this is a change in climate as it looks very cold and frosty, possibly snowy. Which suggests it's very far away from anything we've seen as of yet.

 

Although, San Andreas is a state, it can't be a state if Los Santos is a separate island to San Fierro/Las Venturas? They would have to be connected by road right?

[USAPatriot]

This landscape looks pretty devoid of vegetation.... doesn't look like Southern California.

 

The rock types and colors make me think more of heading up into the Pacific Northwest such as Washington State or Oregon. I know the creators said a "re-imagined SoCal" but this looks like it could be the northern California border with Oregon... minus the lush trees...

 

Also the weather lighting probably has something to do with it. The tunnels in the pictures remind me the area of Whetstone County as you head south from San Fierro to Angel Pine.

[GrandMaster Smith]

 

 

Maybe this is an island that is a recreation of Catalina Island which is right off the coast of LA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Epsilon images reminded me more of an island than mainland.

[Miss Darko]

It's just a filter. That stuff won't be blue in the game. It's grassy and rocky just like the rest of the game and, particularly in the freeway part of the screensaver, looks perfectly SoCal-like.

[USAPatriot]

 

Maybe this is an island that is a recreation of Catalina Island which is right off the coast of LA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Epsilon images reminded me more of an island than mainland.

That is highly likely too. Nice point.

[LTA1992]

You know, you might be correct. That structure along the shoreline matches the building in the picture.

[InternetKillTV]

 

Maybe this is an island that is a recreation of Catalina Island which is right off the coast of LA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Epsilon images reminded me more of an island than mainland.

Eeee I don't agree, I think it's the end of the mountain range which I posted earlier.

[GrandMaster Smith]

Eeee I don't agree, I think it's the end of the mountain range which I posted earlier.

I know it's possible, but I think it'd be strange to have the ocean as the water source for the Salton Sea. Since LS and the Salton Sea are all practically at sea level it would make sense that the water source is coming from a spring in a mountain.

 

 

[VLongo92]

It obviously has to be the US Route 101 (Pacific highway).

No

[zombie elvis]

BRIDGE

Well spotted.

So Zancudo could pop out there even..

[Fido_le_muet]

I believe this area is right between the two rivers surrounding Mt Zancudo, as seen on the west on Kiwi's map.

My opinion on this is that the road bridge visible on the motorcycle scene in trailer 2 is right behind the tunnel

on this new Epsilon screen.

And the mouth of the Zancudo river is behind us on that shot, behind the camera.

Looks like we have our first look at the western shore of the map.

And that road on the right may very well be a recreation of the Pacific Coast Highway.

May I remind you that the bridge in the dirtbike scene is a look alike of the Bixby Bridge which is located

right between LA and San Francisco in real life. Which is more or less in the middle of the Californian Coast.

Hence the (maybe) change of scenery and colder feel of the climate.