Mapping Los Santos! Building/landmark analysis

[SCLASS]

Dont think R* will give you anything more than the bare minimum. I do beleive that LS is a laughably small 'miniature golf course' version of the real thing as most of its fans would lack the patience for anything realistically sized.

 

Although an awful game, true crime streets of LA had a 240 sq mile version of LA with satellite mapped roads, not well modelled but it was great taking 20 minutes at high speed from one end to the other.

 

How the hell can R* model Los Santos at maybe 4 miles across ?..dont fall into the belief it will be any bigger ! - LS in SA was only about 1.75 miles across, the size of a town holsing maybe 10k ppl irl. It will take another generation or 2 of consoles to implement some kind of procedural city maker. V will be disapointing in size - just like IV was.

[Edward-Is-A-Flunky45]

Dont think R* will give you anything more than the bare minimum. I do beleive that LS is a laughably small 'miniature golf course' version of the real thing as most of its fans would lack the patience for anything realistically sized.

 

Although an awful game, true crime streets of LA had a 240 sq mile version of LA with satellite mapped roads, not well modelled but it was great taking 20 minutes at high speed from one end to the other.

 

How the hell can R* model Los Santos at maybe 4 miles across ?..dont fall into the belief it will be any bigger ! - LS in SA was only about 1.75 miles across, the size of a town holsing maybe 10k ppl irl. It will take another generation or 2 of consoles to implement some kind of procedural city maker. V will be disapointing in size - just like IV was.

Someone have the press release of the game, and what Dan Houser told to GameInformer Please??/

The map will be huge, and have to be huge... Red Dead Map Was biiiiiig very big. And is from this gen...

GTA V will have a large map YES! And shut up

[DS 17]

Dont think R* will give you anything more than the bare minimum. I do beleive that LS is a laughably small 'miniature golf course' version of the real thing as most of its fans would lack the patience for anything realistically sized.

 

Although an awful game, true crime streets of LA had a 240 sq mile version of LA with satellite mapped roads, not well modelled but it was great taking 20 minutes at high speed from one end to the other.

 

How the hell can R* model Los Santos at maybe 4 miles across ?..dont fall into the belief it will be any bigger ! - LS in SA was only about 1.75 miles across, the size of a town holsing maybe 10k ppl irl. It will take another generation or 2 of consoles to implement some kind of procedural city maker. V will be disapointing in size - just like IV was.

Hope you re wrong, although I doubt a real big LA size GTA map. Liberty City in IV was ridiculous compared to real NYC.

[SCLASS]

Put it this way - with the amount of data used for terrain, radio stations, lines of dialogue and mission data/scripts LS will only be so big.

 

R* dont like to include suburbs of identikit houses, this is a shame as it would contribute to urban sprawl - a hallmark of American cities.

 

I want to get lost, to experience the sheer size of LA/LS - not feel that Im in this parody version of LA.

[Death2Drugs]

Put it this way - with the amount of data used for terrain, radio stations, lines of dialogue and mission data/scripts LS will only be so big.

 

R* dont like to include suburbs of identikit houses, this is a shame as it would contribute to urban sprawl - a hallmark of American cities.

 

I want to get lost, to experience the sheer size of LA/LS - not feel that Im in this parody version of LA.

And this was one of the problems with Los Santos in GTA: San Andreas. It lacked middle class suburbs.

[Fido_le_muet]

R* has always aimed for the athmosphere more than the exact replica of the city.

 

In IV, you felt like in NYC, even though the map was clearly ultra condensed.

I believe it will be the same thing with V. And that's fine by me

[SCLASS]

Fido - the thing is, were 'over' just having the atmosphere of a city. The series should mature and try to 'emulate real life' as R* themselves state in a recent interview and incorporate a more realistically sized city. I dont care if a lot of the houses look the same, but I want suburbs with rows upon rows of grid streets.

 

What I suggest is not an 'exact copy', just a city thats design pays more than lip service to the original.

 

 

Don't get me started on the sparse CBD either, not enough buildings, but I already mentioned that in a thread 5 months ago.

[FCM]

Put it this way - with the amount of data used for terrain, radio stations, lines of dialogue and mission data/scripts LS will only be so big.

 

R* dont like to include suburbs of identikit houses, this is a shame as it would contribute to urban sprawl - a hallmark of American cities.

 

I want to get lost, to experience the sheer size of LA/LS - not feel that Im in this parody version of LA.

I'm sorry but it's not Los Angeles, it's Los Santos. You won't feel Los Angeles, you'll feel Los Santos, which is a parody of Los Angeles.

[Honest Bill]

Some nice work you guys have done.. You have a lot of patience to try to figure all that out from the limited information.

 

They said it was their largest game yet. So if it's bigger than San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption, then i will be happy enough. The size of the city in IV was ok to be fair, it just lacked the diversity of SA. I'm very glad that the countryside will be returning.

[Death2Drugs]

Put it this way - with the amount of data used for terrain, radio stations, lines of dialogue and mission data/scripts LS will only be so big.

 

R* dont like to include suburbs of identikit houses, this is a shame as it would contribute to urban sprawl - a hallmark of American cities.

 

I want to get lost, to experience the sheer size of LA/LS - not feel that Im in this parody version of LA.

I'm sorry but it's not Los Angeles, it's Los Santos. You won't feel Los Angeles, you'll feel Los Santos, which is a parody of Los Angeles.

No, Los Santos is directly based on Los Angeles, therefore I should get that vibe of Los Angeles. Sure, it's a smaller version of the real-thing, but the geography, landmarks, vibe, and general layout should follow that of real-life Los Angeles, but not a direct copy of it. Los Santos barely felt like Los Angeles in GTA: San Andreas, so I hope the L.A. vibe is better captured.

[SCLASS]

I live in the UK and we simply do not have the expansive , open streets that you find in the US. You only have too look at LA on street view, particularly on the 110 leading up to downtown to get a feel for the SPRAWL . Quite overwhelming. I went on hols there in 2002 and stayed in the LAX Hilton , overlooking the runway and watching planes land every 60 or so seconds. The view over to downtown was unbelievable - the size of LA is mind boggling - this one day will be conveyed in a videogame.

 

Films like Collateral and HEAT are really examples of the 'vibe' that I want , it will happen one day, at the mo tho, technology is just not their to convey that epicness of the real thing. Much the same as how IV was not a patch on real life NYC - its all bout the scale baby.

 

 

 

[DS 17]

I live in the UK and we simply do not have the expansive , open streets that you find in the US. You only have too look at LA on street view, particularly on the 110 leading up to downtown to get a feel for the SPRAWL . Quite overwhelming. I went on hols there in 2002 and stayed in the LAX Hilton , overlooking the runway and watching planes land every 60 or so seconds. The view over to downtown was unbelievable - the size of LA is mind boggling - this one day will be conveyed in a videogame.

 

Films like Collateral and HEAT are really examples of the 'vibe' that I want , it will happen one day, at the mo tho, technology is just not their to convey that epicness of the real thing. Much the same as how IV was not a patch on real life NYC - its all bout the scale baby.

You said what I was thinking. I was in LAX Hilton in 2009 and I absolutely know what you mean. The atmosphere is unbelievable, but at least they gonna try improving their sounds like hearing a sirene somewhere in the city. In San Andreas there were only sounds of the near environment, but nothing else.

 

[GTAgamersquirrel]

 

Dont think R* will give you anything more than the bare minimum. I do beleive that LS is a laughably small 'miniature golf course' version of the real thing as most of its fans would lack the patience for anything realistically sized.

 

Although an awful game, true crime streets of LA had a 240 sq mile version of LA with satellite mapped roads, not well modelled but it was great taking 20 minutes at high speed from one end to the other.

 

How the hell can R* model Los Santos at maybe 4 miles across ?..dont fall into the belief it will be any bigger ! - LS in SA was only about 1.75 miles across, the size of a town holsing maybe 10k ppl irl. It will take another generation or 2 of consoles to implement some kind of procedural city maker. V will be disapointing in size - just like IV was.

 

Looking at this picture alone you can already tell that the map will be at least 3X bigger than GTAIV. Now, I don't know about you, but I am still discovering things in GTAIV and I have been playing it pretty fluently for 3 years.

[SCLASS]

I understand - but certain things just make me facepalm - downtown should NOT be that close to the beach.

 

I dont doubt that R* want the same things that I do but are constrained by technology and time. GTA VI on the PS4/720 circa 2016 WILL be another level.

[œaœa]

 

Dont think R* will give you anything more than the bare minimum. I do beleive that LS is a laughably small 'miniature golf course' version of the real thing as most of its fans would lack the patience for anything realistically sized.

 

Although an awful game, true crime streets of LA had a 240 sq mile version of LA with satellite mapped roads, not well modelled but it was great taking 20 minutes at high speed from one end to the other.

 

How the hell can R* model Los Santos at maybe 4 miles across ?..dont fall into the belief it will be any bigger ! - LS in SA was only about 1.75 miles across, the size of a town holsing maybe 10k ppl irl. It will take another generation or 2 of consoles to implement some kind of procedural city maker. V will be disapointing in size - just like IV was.

 

Looking at this picture alone you can already tell that the map will be at least 3X bigger than GTAIV. Now, I don't know about you, but I am still discovering things in GTAIV and I have been playing it pretty fluently for 3 years.

While that part looks huge, I think this shot is on the other side of those buildings... freakin huge..

 

[Death2Drugs]

I understand - but certain things just make me facepalm - downtown should NOT be that close to the beach.

 

I dont doubt that R* want the same things that I do but are constrained by technology and time. GTA VI on the PS4/720 circa 2016 WILL be another level.

What tells you Downtown Los Santos will be close to the beach? That "beach" in the last shot looks more like it's north of some sort of suburban area, based on South Central Los Angeles.

[Versous]

Dont think R* will give you anything more than the bare minimum. I do beleive that LS is a laughably small 'miniature golf course' version of the real thing as most of its fans would lack the patience for anything realistically sized.

 

Although an awful game, true crime streets of LA had a 240 sq mile version of LA with satellite mapped roads, not well modelled but it was great taking 20 minutes at high speed from one end to the other.

 

How the hell can R* model Los Santos at maybe 4 miles across ?..dont fall into the belief it will be any bigger ! - LS in SA was only about 1.75 miles across, the size of a town holsing maybe 10k ppl irl. It will take another generation or 2 of consoles to implement some kind of procedural city maker. V will be disapointing in size - just like IV was.

Let me ask you something:

 

When the developer of the Most famous&Most important franchise in the industry is telling you that the map will be "Very big", What do you expect?

 

If it wouldn't be the case, Nobody from R* would have mentioned it because they'd risk to not be taken serious by the fans anymore. And you can be 100% sure that they did compare the size with other big Open World Games(Just cause2 ?) to make this Statement.

[Magic_Al]

Let me ask you something:

 

When the developer of the Most famous&Most important franchise in the industry is telling you that the map will be "Very big", What do you expect?

 

If it wouldn't be the case, Nobody from R* would have mentioned it because they'd risk to not be taken serious by the fans anymore. And you can be 100% sure that they did compare the size with other big Open World Games(Just cause2 ?) to make this Statement.

Before, when they've created a map that objectively measures larger than their past games', they've bragged about an objective measurement. GTA SA is "36 million square meters" and is their biggest map, period. L.A. Noire is "8 square miles" and is their biggest city.

 

When a new game's map actually has smaller surface area than achieved in the past, Rockstar uses subjective descriptions so people don't focus on a number. GTA IV was compared to GTA SA in terms of "scale". Red Dead Redemption is more "ambitious" than GTA IV.

 

Rockstar has called GTA V the largest "game" they've ever created and described the map as "very big". I classify those characterizations as subjective and non-commital. "Game" is not "map" and "very big" is not "biggest".

[inflamedeyeball]

Magic_Al is right (again). Best case scenario; V is going to be roughly the same size as San Andreas, with Los Santos being three times the size it was in San Andreas (the same size as Liberty City was in IV), and a countryside the size of Red Dead Redemption's accessible map.

[GTAViscool1]

it will be bigger than SA+Vice city+IV

[DS 17]

it will be bigger than SA+Vice city+IV

Says who?

[Isuck100%]

it will be bigger than SA+Vice city+IV

Says who?

His friend's English professor's cousin works at Rockstar... duh.

[GreatGig]

I have a question about this map:

 

(Click here to zoom)

 

Is it just me or does that blimp seem out of place? Looking at the screenshot that sibs44 posted, the blimp is in front of the Mile High club and the U.S. Bank but on the map it's to the left of those buildings.

 

If I'm wrong then I'm sure there's a good reason as to why the blimp seems off. I'm not trying to have a go or anything, by the way. I think the map is brilliant. I only noticed it because I was trying to figure out a few things.

[skullking1234]

I have a question about this map:

 

(Click here to zoom)

 

Is it just me or does that blimp seem out of place? Looking at the screenshot that sibs44 posted, the blimp is in front of the Mile High club and the U.S. Bank but on the map it's to the left of those buildings.

 

If I'm wrong then I'm sure there's a good reason as to why the blimp seems off. I'm not trying to have a go or anything, by the way. I think the map is brilliant. I only noticed it because I was trying to figure out a few things.

Looks fine to me

[GreatGig]

I have a question about this map:

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7080/7110833219_e8e3123490_z.jpg

 

Is it just me or does that blimp seem out of place? Looking at the screenshot that sibs44 posted, the blimp is in front of the Mile High club and the U.S. Bank but on the map it's to the left of those buildings.

 

If I'm wrong then I'm sure there's a good reason as to why the blimp seems off. I'm not trying to have a go or anything, by the way. I think the map is brilliant. I only noticed it because I was trying to figure out a few things.

Looks fine to me

Can you at least explain why it looks out of place?

[Pilotmonkey]

Does everybody remember this motel from GTA:SA, Cant remember what its called.

Yeah, its the Jefferson Motel:

Thank you.I have been waiting for soo long for someone to post that

[zielo]

 

I understand - but certain things just make me facepalm - downtown should NOT be that close to the beach.

 

I dont doubt that R* want the same things that I do but are constrained by technology and time. GTA VI on the PS4/720 circa 2016 WILL be another level.

this image here is a view from the beach to downtown, as in an older analysis of this image someone named the blue building in the bottom left hand corner and said it was on the shoreline of the beach, downtown doesnt look too close to the beach in that image

Edited May 2, 2012 by zielo

[skullking1234]

77 pages omg Doing well guys

[Fido_le_muet]

First post slightly updated

[Diesel311]

The is, hands down, the best thread in the V forum. I applaud everyone who contributed, great work!