Storyline choices

[Algonquin Assassin]

One of my favourite additions to the series were the story choices in GTA IV. However most of them were life or death decisions without carrying major consequences. The choice between "Deal" or "Revenge" was a good one because it had me questioning myself which I should take.

 

Still keep the run of the mill "choose to let X live or die" decisions, but more of them that are contemplating. Since the game is centered around heists maybe each has its own choices attached? For example if we break into a Vinewood star's mansion we can choose to steal money from the vault or other valuables such as jewellry, paintings etc.

 

Perhaps each heist has its wrong and right decision. In this instance the money could have those exploding dye packs which in turn trips the alarm and we get an instant 6 star wanted level or by going to other route it yeilds a clean and swift getaway with a nice score.

 

Any other suggestions are welcome.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Miamivicecity

[Miss Darko]

I think it would be nice to have some choices that are neither wrong nor right, but simply yield different results in the mission and perhaps in the overarching story. This could include morality choices that don't involve "Good" choices and "Evil" choices but, again, have no true right or wrong answer. In IV, there's a couple choices between killing two characters where the morality is quite obvious: one of them is a pretty despicable person (who is offering a lot) who has betrayed a more sympathetic character (who has less to offer, at least from what you'd be able to tell), who is in a bad place in their life. One could justify the death of the more sympathetic character by saying that they were slowly killing themselves or near-suicidally depressed anyways, but it's pretty clear who is meant to be more sympathetic to the character regardless.

 

So in V, choices like these should be much more difficult. You're not a good guy in GTA games, and particularly in Mike and Trevor's cases, they've accepted that they're criminals at heart and can't live like "normal" people. Michael is even described as being especially willing to compromise his morals, even if at first he appears to be a more moral character than Trevor. So it wouldn't make sense for them to make "Good" or "Evil" choices. They will make choices between what two people would benefit them the most. And of course that just's an example of a "who to kill" decision. I agree that the missions, especially the major heist missions, should involve a lot of choices just from being free-form in nature, and those choices should affect the progression and outcome of the mission.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Mr. Darko

[renav89]

yes, nice idea, would be cool

Edited February 20, 2013 by renav89

[Algonquin Assassin]

disagreed

You know you could actually give a reason why you disagree.

 

@Mr Darko: I agree that more often than not the choices in GTA IV were often obvious especially between two characters. That's why I think there should be more based on logic rather than morality.

[renav89]

disagreed

You know you could actually give a reason why you disagree.

 

@Mr Darko: I agree that more often than not the choices in GTA IV were often obvious especially between two characters. That's why I think there should be more based on logic rather than morality.

I'm sorry, actually, I agree

[Miss Darko]

On the subject of morality, I think it would be interesting to set Franklin apart in this way, at first. One preview said that Franklin saw Michael and Trevor as "anti-rolemodels," sort of in that he's learning from them, and rising in his ambition, but does not at first consider them to be respectable people. He used to be a gang member, which often has a bit of an honor system to it, brotherhood and whatnot.

 

This didn't fit Franklin because he is too ambitious, but maybe he isn't quite ready to compromise his morals yet. He works for the car dealership because it makes him money, but he doesn't respect those people either, because they're slimy and dishonest. Perhaps Franklin can make some parallels between those people and Michael, when he's pissed off and is wondering why he's listening to these old lunatics. But again, something about this new, exciting way of crime hooks him in, and his ambition overtakes him, making him far more willing to make brutally pragmatic decisions. He might become even more defensive towards Michael in response to this, because he sees what it takes to lead a person to this and he may become more and more suspicious of the fact that he's being manipulated... and being horrified that he's starting to think of ways to use this to his advantage, becoming manipulative himself.

 

Franklin's ambitious personality is probably quite obvious from the beginning of the game, with the way he berates Lamar for thinking too inside the box. But I think the dark side of this personality will be foreshadowed early in the game, like perhaps Lamar will lament how Franklin sort of pushed away the people he was once close to, because he felt trapped in a world that didn't seem to be going anywhere or providing any kind of big reward, which will serve as a warning to what Franklin may end up becoming by the end of the game due to his ambition.

 

I bring this up because I think it would be sort of interesting for the player to have some kind of ability to shape Franklin's progression, because the other two characters are more or less set in their ways as far as morality goes. Forcing the player to make these difficult, grey or grey morality decisions as a character who at first doesn't want to make them might be rather interesting.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Mr. Darko

[Algonquin Assassin]

 

disagreed

You know you could actually give a reason why you disagree.

 

@Mr Darko: I agree that more often than not the choices in GTA IV were often obvious especially between two characters. That's why I think there should be more based on logic rather than morality.

I'm sorry, actually, I agree

No need for an apology. It's cool.

 

@Mr Darko: I see Franklin like that too. I think as the game progresses he'll come out of his shell which may in turn have repercussions if he starts developing a sort of bitterness towards Michael and Trevor.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Miamivicecity

[Red XIII]

I think choices this time round, will have a much bigger impact on the story and possibly even emotions. Multiple characters give rockstar such a diverse playground when it comes to character interactions and choices.