Freeroaming/Rampaging with the characters

[SDBred619]

One of my favorite things coming out of the previews is the character switching during missions. My favorite example is the FIB and IAA mission. Particularly the escape portion. One character hanging on the side of the chopper firing at the pursuers while the other is tasked with piloting it. I'll get to why a bit later.

 

One possibility I haven't seen discussed is if this squad like play style could carry over to non mission play as well and how that could be incorporated. It seems a waste to develop this really intricate squadplay AI and only make it accessible during missions. Imagine being able to control all the characters with the goal being to get into the military base and hijack a B52. Not because the script calls for it but because you want to. One character lays cover fire while the others charge in with you switching back and forth all the while.

 

Now the reason the ending sequence of the FIB witness mission is my favorite example is because it opens up the possibility of multi-piloted vehicles. Planes, Helis, boats, cars and tanks. That B52 you're going after? All three characters have a role on it. One pilots, one mans the guns while the other controls the bombs. This could extend to tanks or warships, humvees with 50 cals, fighter planes. I want to jump out of a B52 on fire with all three characters in a humvee and that mission gives me hope.

 

What better way to improve freeroam than allowing you to do so with all three characters simultaneously?

 

[Polish_Trucker]

So.. whats the point of 3 characters then with that way of thinking?

[SDBred619]

More guns on target, more mayhem, more options, more fun.

[jameznash]

Its a good point you make though about none mission based character switching.

 

Say you want to get one to shoot at some guards while you run around the side to get over a wall out of site.

 

How would you get that person to keep shooting if you are playing somebody else?

Or if you want one person to fly a Helicopter while You shoot - how does the character know where to fly to?

 

 

[SDBred619]

Its a good point you make though about none mission based character switching.

 

Say you want to get one to shoot at some guards while you run around the side to get over a wall out of site.

 

How would you get that person to keep shooting if you are playing somebody else?

Or if you want one person to fly a Helicopter while You shoot - how does the character know where to fly to?

I'd imagine it could be controlled through map markers if you don't want to actively switch to the pilot. Otherwise it would probably be contextual. No danger - simple commands: hover, follow, random. Danger - Evade or attack.

 

Something like that.

[Quackerz Gamerz]

I really want to wreak havoc with all 3 protagonists at once, but how do we get them all together, and what will the AI controlled ones do?

[THEREALRIK]

I really want to wreak havoc with all 3 protagonists at once, but how do we get them all together, and what will the AI controlled ones do?

Use the ifruit and call them to you im betting.

[Stoic Intrusion]

if the previews are right we know that won't be possible since we can't switch characters when having a wanted level.

[visionist]

I've thought long & hard about this. I hope R* has too.

 

I just wanna freeroam with all three characters together.

[Andriese]

I just need to be able to simply go around the map with all three characters together, for example michael driving, trevor forward to fire and franklin watching the girls (LOL). Well, now while I check michael, I want to take control of trevor and shoot, so I'll shoot and michael and continues to driving to where he wants. enough to me something.

[Guest]

I touched on this very subject in my "better friend system" thread.

 

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=551468&hl=

 

Basically, I suggested we should be able to free roam with multiple friends at once and do random side missions like the hitman missions from IV (LC).

 

In V we will be able to hire ppl to help us with the heists. My question is will we only be able to call them up for the heists or can we call up to free roam? Hopefully we can call up anytime like we could with Dwaynes backup in IV. If we can I will hire a cheap crew and free roam to build their skills then rob banks when they're good.

Edited June 8, 2013 by BumpyJohnson

[MrcTOtheJ]

I've been wondering about the same thing as well.

 

They mentioned being able to switch to Michael and see him shoping with his Wife, and then being able to swap back and then go save him from it pretty much and hang out but nothing about being able to get all three of them in the same area and then work together on general mayham.

 

I'd love it if we could, go pick up Trevor, then Franklin then go out and about, the no swaping with the Wanted level could be removed if all three or even just two of them are in the same chase together/in the same general area when it happens (As in all three are robing the same liqure store at once and the cops come) or whatnot.

 

I'm also hopeing we can call them as back up as well and get them involved that way, depending on where you are from the map, and where they are, the long it'd take them to get to you. It'd mark them on the map and you can meet them half way if you want to or just hunker down hold off the cops, and when the other guy gets there to get involved (Since he being there and geting inolved with it should let you swap to him) swap over and then hit the pigs from the back as well as the front. So much Chaos so little time.

[SDBred619]

Of we've thought about it I'm sure R* has as well hopefully it's one of the larger features they're holding back.

[AKalashnikov]

Hopefully there'll be some kind of option to recruit the other protagonists so they're hostile when you're not controlling them in free roam. If there isn't you could be getting into a car as Michael, then switching to Franklin and getting in as a passenger, then ditching the vehicle and starting to shoot at police as Michael. Meanwhile as you're not controlling Franklin he's just sitting in the car twiddling his thumbs while Michael is taking more shots than Tony Montana in Scarface, haha.

Edited June 8, 2013 by AKalashnikov

[SDBred619]

The newest batch of screen shows a stunt plane with two seats lending credence to my theory that there will be vehicles in the game that are multi-piloted lending credence to my theory that we will be able to free roam as a team.

[Monty Mantis]

OP was correct.

 

Good job