Playing GTA IV realistically?

[ocd]

I'm considering to do a playthrough of Grand Theft Auto IV but I wanted to try something new, my plan is to play the game as realistically as possible. What I mean by that is to embrace Liberty City as if it was real life, you know? Ride the subway, save cars outside your safehouse, steal as little cars as possible, never kill pedestrians, the list goes on forever, man.

 

If you have any suggestions to help me make this the most realistic playthrough of this game feel free to speak your mind.

[fefenc]

Use taxis

[kipakolonyasi]

don't avoid stealing cars man it's a game about stealing cars think of as a part of the story

[ocd]

don't avoid stealing cars man it's a game about stealing cars think of as a part of the story

Once in awhile maybe but I'll use the cars you get in missions and save them and try to keep them for as long as possible or ride the subway like stated before.

[fefenc]

Then you'll steal your friends' cars

[ocd]

Then you'll steal your friends' cars

You're right but I wanna try to keep the Cars Stolen at zero.

[fefenc]

 

Then you'll steal your friends' cars

You're right but I wanna try to keep the Cars Stolen at zero.

 

then do some work for roman and keep his car, Niko is his cousin and occasionally help him.

 

Some missions will require you to steal some random car to escape from cops or picking up a friend

[ocd]

 

 

Then you'll steal your friends' cars

You're right but I wanna try to keep the Cars Stolen at zero.

 

then do some work for roman and keep his car, Niko is his cousin and occasionally help him.

 

Some missions will require you to steal some random car to escape from cops or picking up a friend

 

Yeah, I'm gonna walk or take the subway if I don't have a car until I play a mission where I'm given one.

[Carmen!]

Use taxis, call Roman's cab service, walk to destinations, meet up with friends more often, obey traffic laws, pay tolls, change clothes everyday, use the internet frequently, make sure to refill body armor and refill guns, use a pistol most of the time, and some other things. But that's all I can think of realistically.

[ocd]

Use taxis, call Roman's cab service, walk to destinations, meet up with friends more often, obey traffic laws, pay tolls, change clothes everyday, use the internet frequently, make sure to refill body armor and refill guns, use a pistol most of the time, and some other things. But that's all I can think of realistically.

I'm basically gonna try to play as an NPC.

[ddyoung]

Play most missions, especially large shoot out ones at night.

[Canes21]

I did this with The Ballad of Gay Tony. It took me over 20 hours to beat that, which is good in my mind. It already is a short story(being a DLC I expected such), but I got more than my fair share of playing time from it. I never stole cars, I always took taxis or the subway or straight up walked. I never ran, I only jogged across the street when a light was close to changing or a car was coming. I never skipped subway/taxi rides. Never told them to hurry. When driving I followed every traffic law I could think of unless of course the mission was timed or a chase. It takes some dedication at first, but then it becomes second nature and you start to just play that way without thinking.

 

You really get to know Liberty City in a very detailed manner. You notice things you'd never see before. You see NPC's doing things that will just breathe life into the game 6 years later. You'll learn subway stations, street names, etc. If you really want to make it ever more fun(in my opinion it was) then turn off the map and only use blips. You will learn the city a lot better. I thought I knew LC like the back of my hand until I did this. A few streets, especially in Alderney, threw me off.

[Sean O'God]

Don't use auto aim and turn off your HUD is what I would do. Also try to use taxis, hot dog stands and vending machines. I would also change clothes frequently and dress accordingly to the weather (you can check the weather on the internet.) I would also tune in to radio stations to hear news reports about previous missions you've done as well as read news articles on the internet that are also posted as a result of actions done in missions.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Inbred Walrus

[Trademark]

Definitely going to try and play this way on my next play-through which will hopefully be very soon.

[Goldn-Bayse]

I tried to do this in January but gave up. I'm probably going to do it next time though. Good luck!

 

Also if you turn off the HUD, make sure you have the GPS voice on.

[ocd]

I'm also gonna try to keep a little "diary" of my playthrough, you know? Give you the latest updates of the Liberty City Underworld.

[MyDog]

1. Walk everywhere.

 

2. Use taxis and subways.

 

3. Don't pull out guns in the middle of the street.

 

4. Have a real life sleeping pattern.

 

5. Obey the traffic laws and don't crash cars.

 

6. Change clothes everyday depending on the weather.

 

7. Eat regularly, not just when you need to heal up.

 

8. Turn off the HUD.

 

As for super realistic:

 

1. Have a weapon inventory consisting only of a pistol, a melee weapon, some grenades and maybe an SMG.

 

2. When you die, you die. That means restarting the entire game.

 

3. If you're arrested after a serious crime, restart the game (life in prison).

[ocd]

1. Walk everywhere.

 

2. Use taxis and subways.

 

3. Don't pull out guns in the middle of the street.

 

4. Have a real life sleeping pattern.

 

5. Obey the traffic laws and don't crash cars.

 

6. Change clothes everyday depending on the weather.

 

7. Eat regularly, not just when you need to heal up.

 

8. Turn off the HUD.

 

As for super realistic:

 

1. Have a weapon inventory consisting only of a pistol, a melee weapon, some grenades and maybe an SMG.

 

2. When you die, you die. That means restarting the entire game.

 

3. If you're arrested after a serious crime, restart the game (life in prison).

Good tips, I'm thinking about starting my playthrough tonight.

[Vercetti42]

- Do missions once a day. Lay low after a big mission (say three leaf clover/roman's sorrow) and don't do missions on weekends.

 

- If you're on PC download a realism mod. (not fully sure about this, only know it exists)

 

- Don't use RPG's

 

- Save any car you get from missions. (such as the banshee from No.1) since you can't steal cars in a realistic playthrough.

 

- Don't use the replay missions feature, just reload.

[Alpha Demigod]

Ride the subway, save cars outside your safehouse, steal as little cars as possible, never kill pedestrians, the list goes on forever, man.

 

I do that by default, on every playthrough. Maybe I'm just to mature to run around mowing people over. To me, it's just an immersion breaker. Niko would never run a man over in a car and just drive away like nothing happened.

 

Keep ammo for guns low. Realistically, Niko should only be carrying 4-5 mags for each gun at a time. During firefights, reply on picking up weapons. Imagine it as Niko refilling his ammo from the ammo of the deceased.

 

I only use heavy weapons in a mission that involves driving or the use of a vehicle. I write it in as "Niko had the AK47 in his car"

 

Only use weapons that you would realistically have in a situation. Don't use "magic pockets" in their literal sense. When Playboy ambushes you in "the holland play" do the entire mission with a pistol or a MAC-10 that was in Niko's jacket. Don't pull out an M4.

 

For missions like "hostile negotiation" I storm the place with an M4 because I drove there and walked with my M4 straight to the firefight.

[ocd]

 

Ride the subway, save cars outside your safehouse, steal as little cars as possible, never kill pedestrians, the list goes on forever, man.

 

I do that by default, on every playthrough. Maybe I'm just to mature to run around mowing people over. To me, it's just an immersion breaker. Niko would never run a man over in a car and just drive away like nothing happened.

 

Keep ammo for guns low. Realistically, Niko should only be carrying 4-5 mags for each gun at a time. During firefights, reply on picking up weapons. Imagine it as Niko refilling his ammo from the ammo of the deceased.

 

I only use heavy weapons in a mission that involves driving or the use of a vehicle. I write it in as "Niko had the AK47 in his car"

 

Only use weapons that you would realistically have in a situation. Don't use "magic pockets" in their literal sense. When Playboy ambushes you in "the holland play" do the entire mission with a pistol or a MAC-10 that was in Niko's jacket. Don't pull out an M4.

 

For missions like "hostile negotiation" I storm the place with an M4 because I drove there and walked with my M4 straight to the firefight.

 

Missions where there is an execution cutscene I'm gonna play the whole mission with a pistol, feels weird to switch from an Rocket Launcher to a pistol just to shoot somebody in face, also if I start a mission with a shotgun I'm gonna use that for the whole mission.

[WandererNiko]

What I do is to put some realistic scripts in my game, without changing GTA IV essence, what I mean:

I've TrafficFelony script, RagdollBullets, VehicularInjuries, Fuel, and BleedHeal script, and I'm currently trying to play the game together with First Person Mod and Big City Life Mod.

Also, in the first missions I used to walk to my destinations, it takes a while to walk to Jacob's house, but you FEEL yourself like a guy in a city, that feeling of "havoc everytime omg cheat rpg omg kill as many ppz as possible" is gone. I actually felt like I was in a 20 hours movie, and I was the protagonist. Feels amazing, try if you want, you won't regret it.

P.S.: I took away the radar, I just keep the HUD to know if I'm about to die or if I'm wanted by police.

[ocd]

I'm actually not gonna change my clothes since my plan is to blend in more with the NPC's.

[PhillBellic]

I can add,

 

Don't resist arrest.

 

Drive lawfully (if you are on PC install the Less Overtake script).

 

Eat/drink four to five times a day.

 

Only do missions between the hours of 0900 to 1700 hours.

 

Cheers.

[ocd]

I can add,

 

Don't resist arrest.

 

Drive lawfully (if you are on PC install the Less Overtake script).

 

Eat/drink four to five times a day.

 

Only do missions between the hours of 0900 to 1700 hours.

 

Cheers.

Yeah, helpful tips. If I die I'm just gonna reload my latest Manual Save.

[lilchris131]

Drive recklessly but don't crash or run anyone over. Stop at traffic lights if a cop car is around. The reason I go through traffic lights is because other pedestrians just act like you're blocking the road and that isn't realistic.

 

Take a friend out for a meal each day and buy hotdogs. Watch TV occasionally until you've watched all the shows.

 

Do missions more in the day but some are definitely more suited to night so do them at night. Rarely play a mission on a weekend and think about when a mission boss will be at his mission giving place (for example everyone will be asleep at 4am and most businesses will not be open after 5pm. However you can see people at their house past that time).

 

EDIT: Like others have said just use pistol or Micro-Uzi. Use other weapons if you pick them up but don't use them again if you put them away (I think you catch my meaning).

Edited June 21, 2014 by lilchris131

[ocd]

Drive recklessly but don't crash or run anyone over. Stop at traffic lights if a cop car is around. The reason I go through traffic lights is because other pedestrians just act like you're blocking the road and that isn't realistic.

 

Take a friend out for a meal each day and buy hotdogs. Watch TV occasionally until you've watched all the shows.

 

Do missions more in the day but some are definitely more suited to night so do them at night. Rarely play a mission on a weekend and think about when a mission boss will be at his mission giving place (for example everyone will be asleep at 4am and most businesses will not be open after 5pm. However you can see people at their house past that time).

 

EDIT: Like others have said just use pistol or Micro-Uzi. Use other weapons if you pick them up but don't use them again if you put them away (I think you catch my meaning).

I'm only gonna drive "recklessly" when I'm wanted or when I have to be at a place at a certain time otherwise it's gonna kill the realistic/NPC vibe.

[The Byzantine Empire]

I'm considering to do a playthrough of Grand Theft Auto IV but I wanted to try something new, my plan is to play the game as realistically as possible. What I mean by that is to embrace Liberty City as if it was real life, you know? Ride the subway, save cars outside your safehouse, steal as little cars as possible, never kill pedestrians, the list goes on forever, man.

 

If you have any suggestions to help me make this the most realistic playthrough of this game feel free to speak your mind.

Don't crush your car and drive the same car everytime until you lose it in a mission. This is the most realistic GTA IV experience you had. And don't forget to walk, do not run

[lilchris131]

 

Drive recklessly but don't crash or run anyone over. Stop at traffic lights if a cop car is around. The reason I go through traffic lights is because other pedestrians just act like you're blocking the road and that isn't realistic.

 

Take a friend out for a meal each day and buy hotdogs. Watch TV occasionally until you've watched all the shows.

 

Do missions more in the day but some are definitely more suited to night so do them at night. Rarely play a mission on a weekend and think about when a mission boss will be at his mission giving place (for example everyone will be asleep at 4am and most businesses will not be open after 5pm. However you can see people at their house past that time).

 

EDIT: Like others have said just use pistol or Micro-Uzi. Use other weapons if you pick them up but don't use them again if you put them away (I think you catch my meaning).

I'm only gonna drive "recklessly" when I'm wanted or when I have to be at a place at a certain time otherwise it's gonna kill the realistic/NPC vibe.

 

Early in the game I always obey traffic laws, however later in the game, by the time Niko has "licensed" himself to crime I tend to drive more recklessly. The reason for this is I feel the game clock moves too fast. This is just my way though and I guess yours is different. (Y)

 

Then you'll steal your friends' cars

 

I noticed that, so after I dropped the friend off I always left the car instead of driving off in it (for example Little Jacob's car in Concrete Jungle).

Edited June 21, 2014 by lilchris131

[XXVIII]

I will gladly assist. Pertaining to the driving element, to really enhance the caliber of realism, you might consider maintaining two to three car lengths from other motorists, and actually utilizing the parking spaces for parking as well as parallel parking.

 

Moreover, if a vehicle has entered a four-way intersection before you have, allow that vehicle to proceed first, avoid tailing other vehicles. Maintain a 500 foot distance from a fire engine.

 

Also, if you would like to emulate New York driving realism, activate your headlights one half-hour after sunset and one half-hour prior to sunrise. This is a driving protocol that is mandated in most states, however. Activate your high-beam headlights at no less than 500 feet from an oncoming vehicle, and at 200 feet when the vehicle is driving in the same direction as you.

 

You can also adhere to the New York "Right Turn on Red" law, which decrees that in New York City (Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Manhattan), you must make a complete stop at a red light and wait for the change to green before turning. Grand Theft Auto: IV encompasses four of the five New York boroughs, so be sure to stop at all red lights, excluding those in Alderney, which emulates Northern New Jersey.

 

As a final suggestions, use the crosswalks, particularly in Star Junction, turn your analog stick to the left and right to check both ways before crossing.