Should future titles have greater simulation aspects?

[Dlee13]

The GTA series has often been acknowledged for its living and breathing open worlds, but is it possible for Rockstar to take it even further?

 

Most NPC's are seen going about their daily activities and random quick time events do make the world seem alive, but they get repetitive over time and could be a lot better. If GTA had more of a simulation aspect then NPC's could actually have daily schedules (for example construction workers are shown walking out of the house and heading to the job site, then could be seen heading back to the same home at the end of the day).

 

This could make each area seem more alive and would bring exploring the map to a whole new level (gang wars in the ghetto areas, hikers and serial killers hiding out in the woods). I understand this would be very hardware intensive but if we had a smaller map such as the size of V (without the wasted space like mountains), it could still be very entertaining.

 

So what does everyone think, would this kind of game be possible?

[Osho]

Of course, it's possible.

But like you rightly pointed, it's -

1. Hardware intensive

2. Smaller the map size ( in comparison to V ), the best overall quality of the game, in terms of - details, and a lot more variety and depth for making the living, and breathing open world, full of unpredictable things to watch, play and explore!

[lastmanonearth]

Of course, it's possible.

But like you rightly pointed, it's -

1. Hardware intensive

2. Smaller the map size ( in comparison to V ), the best overall quality of the game, in terms of - details, and a lot more variety and depth for making the living, and breathing open world, full of unpredictable things to watch, play and explore!

Every NPC in Skyrim for example has a work routine and sleep time. Can`t be that hard! What`s more you can enter every structure of any kind in Skyrim, every nook and cranny and kill the sleeping NPCs in their sleep, or wake them up and they`ll yell at you and try to call the guards. Now THAT`s truly a living, breathing, not only city but a country as in a NATION. Other games are so far ahead of GTA while Rockstar are busy introducing yoga and shark cards. Even in SA you could rob so many different residences, albeit there were a but a few repeating interiors I can`t believe that the series is going backwards, my favorite games...

[RedDagger]

Considering the type of game GTA is, having a set life for each NPC seems fairly pointless, however generating a random appropriate one for each one that spawns in makes sense to me - so NPCs that spawn in poorer areas in the morning have a higher chance of driving a van to a low-end job, for example. A lot less intensive but gives the same illusion as simulating every individual NPC, only 'broken' if you go to the same house at the same time and seeing it's a different NPC going to a different low-end job.

 

Overall I like the general idea - it's not really beneficial to people who just go on rampages and drive buses off of skyscrapers, but it would really accommodate the more roleplay-y playstyles.

 

 

Every NPC in Skyrim for example has a work routine and sleep time. Can`t be that hard! What`s more you can enter every structure of any kind in Skyrim, every nook and cranny and kill the sleeping NPCs in their sleep, or wake them up and they`ll yell at you and try to call the guards. Now THAT`s truly a living, breathing, not only city but a country as in a NATION. Other games are so far ahead of GTA while Rockstar are busy introducing yoga and shark cards. Even in SA you could rob so many different residences, albeit there were a but a few repeating interiors I can`t believe that the series is going backwards, my favorite games...

That's because even the largest city in the game has about a dozen people living in it, and the map is tiny so it can have every structure enterable, not to mention the amount of copy-pasting going on for their interiors - all the houses and dungeons are practically the same. This wouldn't work in GTA, because in the modern world there's a huge amount of diversity to buildings, even amongst the same type of building.

 

The nation of Skyrim as it's shown in TES:V has about the same amount of people living in it as would fit in small single section of V; if they were to go to the levels of how it 'actually' is instead of how it's represented (think Daggerfall) there's no way that would be feasible.

Edited April 22, 2015 by RedDagger

[lastmanonearth]

Considering the type of game GTA is, having a set life for each NPC seems fairly pointless, however generating a random appropriate one for each one that spawns in makes sense to me - so NPCs that spawn in poorer areas in the morning have a higher chance of driving a van to a low-end job, for example. A lot less intensive but gives the same illusion as simulating every individual NPC, only 'broken' if you go to the same house at the same time and seeing it's a different NPC going to a different low-end job.

 

Overall I like the general idea - it's not really beneficial to people who just go on rampages and drive buses off of skyscrapers, but it would really accommodate the more roleplay-y playstyles.

 

Every NPC in Skyrim for example has a work routine and sleep time. Can`t be that hard! What`s more you can enter every structure of any kind in Skyrim, every nook and cranny and kill the sleeping NPCs in their sleep, or wake them up and they`ll yell at you and try to call the guards. Now THAT`s truly a living, breathing, not only city but a country as in a NATION. Other games are so far ahead of GTA while Rockstar are busy introducing yoga and shark cards. Even in SA you could rob so many different residences, albeit there were a but a few repeating interiors I can`t believe that the series is going backwards, my favorite games...

That's because even the largest city in the game has about a dozen people living in it, and the map is tiny so it can have every structure enterable, not to mention the amount of copy-pasting going on for their interiors - all the houses and dungeons are practically the same. This wouldn't work in GTA, because in the modern world there's a huge amount of diversity to buildings, even amongst the same type of building.

 

The nation of Skyrim as it's shown in TES:V has about the same amount of people living in it as would fit in small single section of V; if they were to go to the levels of how it 'actually' is instead of how it's represented (think Daggerfall) there's no way that would be feasible.

 

You make many valid points but Skyrim is only slightly smaller than V and it has many cities, the smallest of which probably has more than a dozen people. I think some towns might have fewer than a dozen. You`re not quite right about every dungeon being the same, although they LOOK the same and maybe that`s what you meant. Still the idea of having dynamically generating daily routines for NPCs is better than what we have now - walk 500 laps around the same block, get hit by a car.

[Dlee13]

I'm liking the ideas I see so far

 

Considering the type of game GTA is, having a set life for each NPC seems fairly pointless, however generating a random appropriate one for each one that spawns in makes sense to me - so NPCs that spawn in poorer areas in the morning have a higher chance of driving a van to a low-end job, for example. A lot less intensive but gives the same illusion as simulating every individual NPC, only 'broken' if you go to the same house at the same time and seeing it's a different NPC going to a different low-end job.

Overall I like the general idea - it's not really beneficial to people who just go on rampages and drive buses off of skyscrapers, but it would really accommodate the more roleplay-y playstyles.

 

Yes that sounds like a much better idea. GTA has always liked to say they have a living breathing world so it's about time they really made it true!

 

Better simulation could help with Rampages too. More gangs around the ghetto areas means you could create a gigantic gang war (for example one CGF member gets attacked by ballas and calls for backup) that you could be a part of, and instead of the streets being empty after a small wave, more and more cars could pull up to join the fight (within reason). Police response times and patrols could be more realistic as well. So they could be seen on patrol so you could time all your crimes to get away easily.

 

Right now in GTA you could see a whole load of cars and stuff happening, turn around then look back and everything has re spawned (not to mention your vehicle gone). I just want the ambient life in the game to be a lot more realistic and if they go heavier on the simulation I reckon that can be possible!

[lastmanonearth]

^ And do missions for one gang and kill other gangs` members to gain maximum respect with one gang, like in GTA 2, so you can call them on the phone anytime anywhere to assist you. The further you are from their hood though the longer it`d take them to get to you.

[Dlee13]

^ And do missions for one gang and kill other gangs` members to gain maximum respect with one gang, like in GTA 2, so you can call them on the phone anytime anywhere to assist you. The further you are from their hood though the longer it`d take them to get to you.

 

Also be able to get gang members to follow you like in SA. GTA and many games have so much potential for growth but instead we wait 5 years between titles that end up to be let downs in the end.

[PhillBellic]

Considering the type of game GTA is, having a set life for each NPC seems fairly pointless, however generating a random appropriate one for each one that spawns in makes sense to me - so NPCs that spawn in poorer areas in the morning have a higher chance of driving a van to a low-end job, for example. A lot less intensive but gives the same illusion as simulating every individual NPC, only 'broken' if you go to the same house at the same time and seeing it's a different NPC going to a different low-end job.

 

Overall I like the general idea - it's not really beneficial to people who just go on rampages and drive buses off of skyscrapers, but it would really accommodate the more roleplay-y playstyles.

 

Every NPC in Skyrim for example has a work routine and sleep time. Can`t be that hard! What`s more you can enter every structure of any kind in Skyrim, every nook and cranny and kill the sleeping NPCs in their sleep, or wake them up and they`ll yell at you and try to call the guards. Now THAT`s truly a living, breathing, not only city but a country as in a NATION. Other games are so far ahead of GTA while Rockstar are busy introducing yoga and shark cards. Even in SA you could rob so many different residences, albeit there were a but a few repeating interiors I can`t believe that the series is going backwards, my favorite games...

Regarding routines, it would be great is there were proper bus routes (and you could follow the bus making a complete route cycle), with pedestrians lining up at the bus stops.

[Osho]

GTA 2 already has a bus route set to pick up and drop off the passengers at the bus stops, and can be found in all the three districts.

I want Rockstar to focus more like how they started during the 2D era, i.e., "gameplay over graphics" in the upcoming games, in fact, GTA VI should improve the core game drastically, and review many of these fan suggestions that fans so desperately crave to experience.

I believe with the arrival of NG the time is right to put more attention and focus on new features, bring back and upgrade the old ones, than just f*ckin' waste the time and extra efforts on boring details/graphics.

[PhillBellic]

GTA 2 already has a bus route set to pick up and drop off the passengers at the bus stops, and can be found in all the three districts.

I want Rockstar to focus more like how they started during the 2D era, i.e., "gameplay over graphics" in the upcoming games, in fact, GTA VI should improve the core game drastically, and review many of these fan suggestions that fans so desperately crave to experience.

I believe with the arrival of NG the time is right to put more attention and focus on new features, bring back and upgrade the old ones, than just f*ckin' waste the time and extra efforts on boring details/graphics.

Yes, that feature was in the PC version, alongside a fully functioning train system.