Freeways

[mubd]

One of the few things that I didn't like in GTA IV was the inability to get around the map without coming across at least one intersection where a car would, of course, come out of nowhere and you would smash into them. Longer expressways in Broker and Dukes had traffic at speeds nowhere near what you would expect from a road of a similar standard, and the only fast expressway, on the east side of Algonquin, was very short and usually ended up with pile ups at the traffic lights at the ends.

 

I've stated before that I would like to be able to travel as far as I can around the map without ever coming across a traffic light. With GTA V, it's pretty clear that freeways will play a major role in the game.

 

What I want improved, in order, are:

 

-Coverage: I don't want to dodge cars on the local streets. I want to move to my next mission without worrying about cars coming out of nowhere.

-Speed: The AI cars need to be moving faster. The next worst thing to T-boning a car at an intersection is rear ending a car on a highway.

-Design: There needs to be a few changes in the design of the freeways - there need to be freeways with more than 2 lanes in each direction, and the fast lanes/carpool lanes should have less traffic than the other lanes.

 

Any other opinions?

[Meezarawcks]

A lot of what you are asking for is reasonable and do-able. I hope they do bring things like that into the game.

[GourangaMaster]

agree with all your points. I would love to really have some long stretches of freeway to just strap an moto or a lambo without being interrupted by a traffic light or waves of turtle peds doing 60 on a fkn highway.

[JoshGTAfreak]

Isn't dodging the traffic part of the fun? You sound like one of those people who suck at driving, so you blame the game.

 

If you can't drive fast without crashing, don't do it...

[hambones]

sounds like you need to learn how to dodge cars. the only thing they really need to fix is cars randomly spawning after i look behind me, that's the worst. flying down the bridge, click the right stick, let go of it and there's 4 new cars in front of you that weren't there before like wtf

[visionist]

I seriously agree on the number of lanes. I understand the need to economise on traffic volumes but a large, empty freeway is still more fun than a small, crowded one.

[Gouranga Dan]

A lot of getting around in V takes place on freeways, mainly the Los Puerta Fwy. to the west and the Imperial Midlands Highway to the east, so yes.

 

There are wider freeways than any previous gta and highway navigation AI has improved a lot since San Andreas. You're never going to see a dozen-car pileup happen inadvertently every time you try to get from on city to the next and motorcyclists will occasionally split lanes.

[visionist]

Didn't realise you were a Houser.

 

So, tell us some more about the game

[sparky66]

(I'm from England so I am trying hard to resist calling freeways motorways )

 

My main annoyance with the freeways was the entry/exit slips. They just came out of nowhere with no room to accelerate and filter in to the faster traffic. In fact the AI seemed to drive out onto the freeway and just stop for no reason, causing crashes and big traffic jams. Try driving down (e.g. southbound) on that freeway on the western side of alderney (e.g. the one along the coast, not the huge high one) there is a slip road in tudor where all the traffic constantly does stupid things and just stops and crashes. What also annoys me is that the slip only accesable from one direction (northbound).

They also need to sort out AI speeds. In some places they are too slow (again, on that freeway on alderneys west coast), sometimes they are way too fast (e.g. on the road along the broker coast between firefly island and the airport, where they constantly skip lights and crash into any cars that do manage to stop).

 

Some slip roads join the freeway at stupidly tight angles (e.g. the ones on the broker side of the broker bridge, and one on thr right just before entering the airport travelling from algonquin).

 

The AI also seems to only be able to cope with two lanes (e.g. look at star junction, where the only roads with more than two lanes exist. Watching the AI behaviour at traffic lights etc. you can see that the AI treat the four lane road as two two lane roads running parralel (e.g. they turn from the wrong lane etc.)

 

I would also like better roadworks. The ones on the high alderney freeway with no warning and only a few cones to close the road were just unrealistic, they need warning signs, flashing warning beacons etc.

 

I also want them to be busy! No paoint having all those lanes if they are going to be empty! Driving fast and dodging through traffic and/or causing huge crashes is part ot the fun!

 

The traffic needs to be constant, not appearing in blocks as it did it GTA4

 

So basically:

 

1. BETTER AI: stop AI cars crashing at slip roads all the time so they filter into traffic properly and make them look more than a couple of meters in front of them so they don't crash all the time (although it should still be possible to cause pile ups! )

 

2. BETTER ROAD DESIGN: Proper slip roads that have space to accelerate and filter in to traffic properly. No sharp bends! Better thought out slip roads e.g. no slip roads with access from only one direction for no good reason.

 

3. MORE APPROPRIATE SPEED: Freeways are fast. Make the AI drive at proper freeway speeds. But also make the AI slow down where appropriate (approacing junctions/traffic lights/roadworks etc.

 

4. MORE LANES: More than two lanes please! Although it looks they they have achieved this in the trailer.

 

5. BETTER ROADWORKS: Advance warning signs, flashing diversion arrows, orange hazard beacons on codes etc. These objects are already in GTA4. Use them rockstar!

 

6. BETTER TRAFFIC DENSITY: Traffic should be constant rather than appearing in 'blocks'. The roads should be realistically busy, and even more busy during rush hour.

 

Whilst the freeways are no longer the complete deathtraps they were in san andreas, they still have a long way to go! From the trailer it looks like a lot of improvements have already been made

Edited December 1, 2011 by sparky66

[Gouranga Dan]

Didn't realise you were a Houser.

 

So, tell us some more about the game

Okay, what abouts?

[x kgSully x]

Don't forget the shoulder :]

[gmcb007]

I did miss the high speed freeways that where absent from IV. So yeah, I agree with the OP's requirements.

[GroomLake51]

A lot of getting around in V takes place on freeways, mainly the Los Puerta Fwy. to the west and the Imperial Midlands Highway to the east, so yes.

 

There are wider freeways than any previous gta and highway navigation AI has improved a lot since San Andreas. You're never going to see a dozen-car pileup happen inadvertently every time you try to get from on city to the next and motorcyclists will occasionally split lanes.

You're not convincing anyone that you have detailed information on this game.

[Jesse92]

sounds like you need to learn how to dodge cars. the only thing they really need to fix is cars randomly spawning after i look behind me, that's the worst. flying down the bridge, click the right stick, let go of it and there's 4 new cars in front of you that weren't there before like wtf

lol I hate that when that happens! I really hope R* sort this out in GTA V. I'm sure they will some how.

 

And I think they will almost certainly improve the cars for off road trekking, especially 4x4 vehicles a they should be able to handle soft and bumpy terrains better. Can't see why they wouldn't though as people will have high expectations for the vehicles when they go off road... Can't wait to get the game and just go exploring!

[jdbug28]

id like at least 3 lanes both ways and a hard shoulder. Better slip roads not too tight, long enough in length to gain acceleration. Traffic travelling at about 70mph instead of 30mph or less. More traffic density at peak times and also that vehicles dont crash during congestion they queue like civilised drivers do even if its you in front of them, the same at red traffic lights too

[DS 17]

And if a driver crashes he should get out of his car and talk to the other one. Maybe they should call a police and wait. Not drive away like nobody cares about body damage.

[Outraged12]

I would like it if they made the highway signes easier to read. It would be nice you can tell what exit is yours without looking at the map.

[Screewdriver]

I want big freeways and giant Interchanges!

[Shotgunfan345]

i wish the cars in v can go faster than 178 mph

[jdbug28]

 

And if a driver crashes he should get out of his car and talk to the other one. Maybe they should call a police and wait. Not drive away like nobody cares about body damage.

This i like. And also as well as the police a recovery truck/s should arrive once the the police have finished investigating the cause of the crash and the driver should load the involved vehicles on to the flatbed. If the PS3/xbox 360 could handle it along with everything else, id like the fire service to rescue trapped occupants and extinguish fires and the ambulance paramedics to deal with the occupants or take them to hospital. This probably wont happen but it would be cool to watch it all going on. And the freeway get closed and traffic is diverted. (ok im dreaming and rambling now i better stop) And a air ambulance helicopter

[Gouranga Dan]

 

A lot of getting around in V takes place on freeways, mainly the Los Puerta Fwy. to the west and the Imperial Midlands Highway to the east, so yes.

 

There are wider freeways than any previous gta and highway navigation AI has improved a lot since San Andreas. You're never going to see a dozen-car pileup happen inadvertently every time you try to get from on city to the next and motorcyclists will occasionally split lanes.

You're not convincing anyone that you have detailed information on this game.

I know this, I just don't really care. I've released a lot of detailed information already if you bothered to look.

[BlademanX]

Wow some great ideas to be honest. But you need a big map to necessesitate the need for long 4 lane freeways like in Midnight club LA

[Jeeebuuus]

I've liked most of what I've read. I hope the cars on the freeway all go at slightly different speeds, while occasionally a reckless driver, like ourselves, tries to weave through everyone else and speed off. That would be a subtle change that would enhance the games realism.

[GroomLake51]

A lot of getting around in V takes place on freeways, mainly the Los Puerta Fwy. to the west and the Imperial Midlands Highway to the east, so yes.

 

There are wider freeways than any previous gta and highway navigation AI has improved a lot since San Andreas. You're never going to see a dozen-car pileup happen inadvertently every time you try to get from on city to the next and motorcyclists will occasionally split lanes.

You're not convincing anyone that you have detailed information on this game.

I know this, I just don't really care. I've released a lot of detailed information already if you bothered to look.

I didn't bother to look for obvious reasons.

 

Back on topic: I think freeways have been just awful in previous GTAs. I don't know if Rockstar implements crazy drivers on purpose or if it's just the best they could do.

 

Traffic in LA is terrible, so I wonder how Rockstar is going to handle this...

[TrialzGTAS]

The freewyas were sexy in SA. Hopefully we get something similar =]

[Carbine23]

The freewyas were sexy in SA. Hopefully we get something similar =]

I seriously hope that was sarcastic haha

 

[Death2Drugs]

Thank god! A highway thread! Personally, I strongly agree with this. In Southern California (and in the urban West Coast in general), highways are a way of life. Travel would be impossible without highways. I hope that R* uses this fact, since most highways in California don't end with a traffic light. I just want pure highway. Midnight Club LA had some good major highways.

[scorcher93]

Ring roads, like we saw on San Andreas, would be a pleasant feature. Drive around in a loop for hours if you want to, and take the exit when you're done. A freeway going through various parts of the map would be cool (through the CBD, then through suburban areas, and then into the empty land/forest.

[Chukkles]

 

agree with all your points. I would love to really have some long stretches of freeway to just strap an moto or a lambo without being interrupted by a traffic light or waves of turtle peds doing 60 on a fkn highway.

If your English (it's OK I am too) maybe you don't know that American highway speed limit is 50 MPH.

 

I would love 4 lane freeways, I think thats the standard in US. I was actually expecting it in SA, but only 2 lanes, same for IV actually (i'm thinking of the raised freeway), so maybe we shouldn't be too hopeful of it.

Edited December 2, 2011 by Chukkles

[MrcTOtheJ]

Well I agree with allot of your posts OP, but one thing I want to stare, Freeways within the city limits of a city, like the ones in IV aren't as fast as outside of it, so it was reasonable that they weren't that fast.

 

I agree though, the freeways, and well traffic as a whole need allot of work, but I do think that smaller roads and highways should be an option, I really prefer dodging and weaving though city roads for the most part, though I do use the freeways quite a bit when just wanting to get somewhere quick or wanting to let loose on a long stretch of wide road.

 

I also hope for nice long stretches of low traffic country roads and smaller highways out in the country side too. I'd be nice to go out in some nice windy roads in the forest, or a straight two lane old highway route that died with the advent of the freeway (like route 66) in the desert, just to get some fast car and just drive with reckless abandon.