Would you prefer a more 'grounded' GTAO experience?

[ninjaontour]

Hey guys, I was just thinking about the evolution of how we as players interact with one another in the GTAO world.

 

Last year, when GTAO was fresh and new, and everyone was running around in crappy cars with the basest of weaponry, no bulletproof tires or sticky bombs to be seen... It was great, it felt like a challenge, but most importantly in my opinion, it felt authentic. Over the course of the last year, the majority of us have watched our little avatars become graduated kingpins of the Los Santos underworld... but I feel like something is missing... or more to the point, we may have gone too far.

 

I started a new character a little while ago, and I found that when I wasn't being unnecessarily molested by outranking finger-sniffers, the game was actually a lot more fun to play than it was with my level 200 character. Police battles seem more intense, the map feels larger because it takes longer to traverse, finding a Buzzard at an airfield is exciting when you can't call one in. Gunfights amongst players are also more fun at low levels, especially against other low level players. When you're a hundred percent sure you're having an honest pistol fight, and the guy you're facing isn't going to RPG you while you're in cover, this game is a frickin' blast. Car chases are made more intense by non-bulletproof tires, too.

 

Now, before anyone decides they need their nappy changed, I'm not suggesting that GTAO be "nerfed" or any such nonsense. What I mean by this post is that in GTAO we're supposed to be gangsters, low level gangsters at that. It massively spoils the illusion of a "living, breathing city" when you have tanks and attack aircraft blitzing the sh*t out of pedestrians at the beach. It spoils the illusion that Joe Bloggs can be walking down the street armed with a selection of weapons so large he could open his own damn gun show.

 

I'd love it if we were able to have a lobby settings menu at some stage in the future, where a host could limit certain aspects, like banning certain weapons, and other accouterments. Imagine a 30 player Free-Roam populated by a few crews, none of whom can use weapons outside of Sawn off, Combat Pistol, Micro-SMG, Molotovs, and Knives. Obviously this would lead to other types of lobby like "Snipers Only" etc, but I'm trying to keep focused on the low-level crime stuff.

 

I'm just spitballing here, but what do you guys think? Would this make GTAO more immersive? Do you think that we have been given too many liberties in Los Santos? Am I alone in feeling that low-level gun battles are more fun? What restrictions would you consider making yourselves?

 

Tl;dr - We have too extensive an arsenal for GTAO to feel authentic anymore, do you think it's more fun at lower levels?

Edited October 8, 2014 by ninjaontour

[Ayylien]

I just posted something similar in a different thread. Just remove the K/D stat from Free Roam or have a no stats effected lobby, would cut down the killing and would allow players to have fun with having to worry about protecting their life K/D ratio.

[ninjaontour]

I just posted something similar in a different thread. Just remove the K/D stat from Free Roam or have a no stats effected lobby, would cut down the killing and would allow players to have fun with having to worry about protecting their life K/D ratio.

 

Haha, great minds think alike?

 

I dunno man, I feel like the statistical progression is what keeps a lot of people coming back. Maybe have sandbox lobbies without ranks alongside the ranked aspect?

[Judicious 7]

I support this, OP. I too have thought back to the "bad ol' days" when Online launched. I personally remember sleeping in my car while scraping up cash to buy a crappy apartment.

 

I remember getting into cop chases and dreaming about the days when I could afford bulletproof tires. Not only that, but you do have a point about how our characters are kinda like, gangster/low level criminals. I kinda miss the grimy feeling of wearing bummy clothes, driving a hooptie, and having a low-tier arsenal. (that kinda reminds me of GTA IV's freemode in a way.)

 

Nowadays, everyone is rich, and the incentive to work towards a goal is fading away.

[ninjaontour]

I support this, OP. I too have thought back to the "bad ol' days" when Online launched. I personally remember sleeping in my car while scraping up cash to buy a crappy apartment.

 

I remember getting into cop chases and dreaming about the days when I could afford bulletproof tires. Not only that, but you do have a point about how our characters are kinda like, gangster/low level criminals. I kinda miss the grimy feeling of wearing bummy clothes, driving a hooptie, and having a low-tier arsenal. (that kinda reminds me of GTA IV's freemode in a way.)

 

Nowadays, everyone is rich, and the incentive to work towards a goal is fading away.

 

Yeah man, you get it lol. You just reminded me about street-spawning from being flat f*cking broke having nowhere to live lol, good times.

[ryan_J]

I just posted something similar in a different thread. Just remove the K/D stat from Free Roam or have a no stats effected lobby, would cut down the killing and would allow players to have fun with having to worry about protecting their life K/D ratio.

 

I agree this would work to an extent but I don't think people who put a stat before fun are the type of people to let such a change effect how they play the game.

[garyharry]

Whilst I agree its not as fun now as it was at lower levels, i dont agree with making more lobbies and options for lobbies.

 

I for one am looking forward to starting again on next gen, just bought myself a new console and cannot wait to play GTAO on it. Hope its what we hoped it would be on current gen. maybe even heists? nah ha

[fw3]

I started a new character a little while ago, and I found that when I wasn't being unnecessarily molested by outranking finger-sniffers...

It's clear that you were being molested by outranking finger-sniffers, otherwise, you'd likely never have developed the concept your discussing.

 

I'd guess that every player who creates a new character goes through the OMGWTF ritual, thinking in ways much aligned to your thinking.

 

Everyone's idea of "more immersive" is different. One person may want the whole weight-gain aspect of GTASA back, while another person may want legitimate traffic jams. I see both as fruitless, as my overweight character would get stuck in traffic when he has to poop. That'd be my luck.

 

Sure, I would gladly welcome the inception of lobby settings, but wouldn't that mean I'd have to join somebody else's pre-set lobby? Or how would it work: matched settings play together? "Cops off, tanks off, but jets on!" vs. "Cops on, tanks on, but jets off!"

 

I dunno. Perhaps fleshing the idea out and molding it into a more vibrant concept would be good. To me, you're thinking is in the right direction, though it's difficult to imagine the company wishing to deviate that far from the product landscape they've already released.

 

As someone else said in another thread, "the current gen game was merely a beta for the next gen release." I suspect there's truth in that and I suspect that while your ideas are sound, they just remain silent to Rockstar.

 

My 2¢ and I dig your post.

 

[ninjaontour]

Whilst I agree its not as fun now as it was at lower levels, i dont agree with making more lobbies and options for lobbies.

 

I for one am looking forward to starting again on next gen, just bought myself a new console and cannot wait to play GTAO on it. Hope its what we hoped it would be on current gen. maybe even heists? nah ha

 

Honestly, I feel that the division wouldn't have too much of an effect on the long-term player count. It may put some people off, but it may also bring back people who left because of what the game's become, as well as attract new blood who weren't really interested before.

 

Other AAA games do this very successfully, I don't see why GTA should be any different.

 

I started a new character a little while ago, and I found that when I wasn't being unnecessarily molested by outranking finger-sniffers...

Sure, I would gladly welcome the inception of lobby settings, but wouldn't that mean I'd have to join somebody else's pre-set lobby? Or how would it work: matched settings play together? "Cops off, tanks off, but jets on!" vs. "Cops on, tanks on, but jets off!"

 

 

 

At this point I'm just bouncing ideas around, we'll see whether the noodles here can come up with a decent formula for it to work.

 

Naturally for something like this to be implemented there'd have to be a bit of a redesign in terms of the lobby selection etc, but for argument's sake just say "Vanilla GTAO" is what we have and "Unranked" is what we'd be opening. Then I guess either "Random" or have a browser where you could look at server stats etc.

 

I would actually pay for a dedicated PC server if I were able to have persistent settings on it.

[MrAssClap]

I agree with this post Yes

[Expatriate]

Having a lobby you can set the rules would be awesome. I think having us flock to the game-type we want to play works better than what is going on right now. My lobby would definitely be for over 30 year olds. My reflexes are not that crisp anymore and I like mature players not trash talkers.

[dead goon]

Ranking up was too easy. Should have been more drawn out. Weapons that came with said rank-ups should have been more spread out in hindsight.

[ninjaontour]

Ranking up was too easy. Should have been more drawn out. Weapons that came with said rank-ups should have been more spread out in hindsight.

 

I agree. I also think it's stupid that low levels now have access to sweet enough guns as soon as they start because of the DLC packs insisting on "including everyone". It's nonsense.

[dead goon]

Agreed, as well.

[GG14876]

So how would this effect those without the right equipment? Would they be banned from those lobbies?

How would anyone get to these lobbies? Would there be a "search for lobbies with these settings" and then automatically put you in one that fits the settings?

How would this effect those who have BP tires on their vehicles (or anything along those lines)? Would the BP tires be removed just for the session or would you need a new car?

 

One thing I think may happen is that it will split everyone up way too much. That friend of yours who just loves using the Broken Bottle? He'll stay in a lobby that just uses that from now on... Crews which focus on certain subsets of weapons (sawn off shotgun + pistols or assault rifles + snipers) won't do battle as much... Besides, don't you get a better rush when you cap that guy with a minigun while using an SNS pistol?

 

How would you feel about, instead of this specific idea, similar stuff was done? For instance:

Limited carrying capacity; you're now only able to carry 2~4 weapons (same or better ammo capacity) but can swap them out at a gun locker in your apartment/hotel/Ammunation.

(T)DMs get more settings you can change; ranging from Police activity to what can spawn/be called for/messages that pop up/icons used/stealth effects...

[Ayylien]

 

I just posted something similar in a different thread. Just remove the K/D stat from Free Roam or have a no stats effected lobby, would cut down the killing and would allow players to have fun with having to worry about protecting their life K/D ratio.

 

I agree this would work to an extent but I don't think people who put a stat before fun are the type of people to let such a change effect how they play the game.

 

Yeah maybe, but it would change the mentality of a lot of players. Even the people who don't care about their K/D try to keep it at a decent number. Deathmatches and other PvP modes should add to your K/D ratio, not Free Roam. There's just to many variables for it to even mean anything, yet people people still go on and on about it.

 

 

Ranking up was too easy. Should have been more drawn out. Weapons that came with said rank-ups should have been more spread out in hindsight.

Maybe, but when game came out it was challenging to go through missions at Rank 3 using just a pistol and little ammo. You would start unlocking decent weapons at around rank 30. However, you're given access to the best weapons in the game from the start now. It's not challenging and it makes the game easy. If anything, they should just remove the entire rank unlocks system altogether since it's useless now. People can complain about being killed by a level 6 with an Special Carbine all they want, but the truth of the matter is, this game requires very little skill to play and kill people regardless of rank. Experience does play a part however, this game is simple to grasp. Literally a child can play it and be good at it.

[ugotsmoked]

I am rank 406 and I stay on foot. The only thing different for me is better weapons.

[MikeyBelic]

If they were private lobbies. There's no point restricting what a player can do in the public lobbies as the complaint about grievers that vanishes would be replaced by complaints by grievers of how it's take away the fun.

[GE0_B1SHOP]

...in GTAO we're supposed to be gangsters, low level gangsters at that. It massively spoils the illusion of a "living, breathing city" when you have tanks and attack aircraft blitzing the sh*t out of pedestrians at the beach. It spoils the illusion that Joe Bloggs can be walking down the street armed with a selection of weapons so large he could open his own damn gun show.

 

Spot on. This will only worsen with the addition of the Hydra and Hunter too.

 

I'd like to see lobbies with player blips removed entirely or where use of military/armed vehicles incurrs the full wrath of the army until death. Anything to get this game back to something reminiscent of it's 'gritty' beginnings

[ZakeBudek]

Simply put, they need Passive Public sessions, that allow all typical activity, guns, tasks, kill NPC, except PvP violence: player weapons can't harm other players or vehicles. You'd have to allow flight passenger deaths maybe.

 

In the session types, put:

PvP Public

Passive Public

 

And I bet the Passive would have more players and be generally more fun. PvP would be more fun as well, because then it's basically a free roam death match and you know why the players are there. Only griefers and trolls would hate this idea.

[MikeyBelic]

Simply put, they need Passive Public sessions, that allow all typical activity, guns, tasks, kill NPC, except PvP violence: player weapons can't harm other players or vehicles. You'd have to allow flight passenger deaths maybe.

 

In the session types, put:

PvP Public

Passive Public

 

And I bet the Passive would have more players and be generally more fun. PvP would be more fun as well, because then it's basically a free roam death match and you know why the players are there. Only griefers and trolls would hate this idea.

 

That's simply impossible I would think. There's many ways a player can kill another player. Trying to patch something like that would without a doubt causes major glitches elsewhere. It'd be cool.. but I just don't think given the amount of things that GTAO requires to go right it's possible.

[Shabazz916]

A equal split between air, ground & sea would be nice

[ugotsmoked]

Stay on foot. You will live longer.

[V HoneyBadger V]

I am very glad you called it a userbase. This is because many of the players on GTA Online and this forum are not actually fans. They jumped on the bandwagon last September, and they came from Call of Duty. The very same people drive chrome super cars and think the only thing to do in this game is grief other players in tanks and jets.

 

The only way those lobbies can work is if you get rid of the option for making and spending money in those lobbies. Anything that has anything to do with money and rank in GTA Online has to be prohibited. This will only open up problems with being able to get things out of the normal playing of the game.

They have to be completely separate to the rest of the game.

[CarimboHanky]

lobby options, thats all this game need.

 

whike creating a LTS i notice all the options there like weather, peds, weapons, wanted level(cops), etc you have the chance of adjusting those things, add that to freeroam!

 

thats it!

 

I just posted something similar in a different thread. Just remove the K/D stat from Free Roam or have a no stats effected lobby, would cut down the killing and would allow players to have fun with having to worry about protecting their life K/D ratio.

i dont think this is true at all.

 

you can eliminate all the stats and aimless killing would continue!

 

people kill for fun!

[blackindia]

Im with OP and think getting rid of the magic pockets would make a great deal

 

http://gtaforums.com/topic/721171-magic-pockets/

[Colognenigguh]

I would be pleased if jets the buzzard and tanks were taken out. Just destroy the experience for me comeon nobody would drive a tank through L.A its just straight up pure unrealism.

[SimpleJack_420]

It seems A LOT of you never played GTAIV. You could of, instead of writing a book, just said, give us the lobby hosting options from IV.

[ryan_J]

Custom free mode settings didn't stop IV's online from being absolute chaos!!

[SimpleJack_420]

 

 

Whilst I agree its not as fun now as it was at lower levels, i dont agree with making more lobbies and options for lobbies.

 

I for one am looking forward to starting again on next gen, just bought myself a new console and cannot wait to play GTAO on it. Hope its what we hoped it would be on current gen. maybe even heists? nah ha

Honestly, I feel that the division wouldn't have too much of an effect on the long-term player count. It may put some people off, but it may also bring back people who left because of what the game's become, as well as attract new blood who weren't really interested before.

 

Other AAA games do this very successfully, I don't see why GTA should be any different.

 

 

I started a new character a little while ago, and I found that when I wasn't being unnecessarily molested by outranking finger-sniffers...

Sure, I would gladly welcome the inception of lobby settings, but wouldn't that mean I'd have to join somebody else's pre-set lobby? Or how would it work: matched settings play together? "Cops off, tanks off, but jets on!" vs. "Cops on, tanks on, but jets off!"

 

 

At this point I'm just bouncing ideas around, we'll see whether the noodles here can come up with a decent formula for it to work.

 

Naturally for something like this to be implemented there'd have to be a bit of a redesign in terms of the lobby selection etc, but for argument's sake just say "Vanilla GTAO" is what we have and "Unranked" is what we'd be opening. Then I guess either "Random" or have a browser where you could look at server stats etc.

 

I would actually pay for a dedicated PC server if I were able to have persistent settings on it.

OR... Once again. Take the Preference Option from GTAIV. Did any of you play any other R* game?