Could GTA work in a small town?

[Zello]

Like the title says could GTA work in a small town setting? or at least have most of the story take place in one. There would still be a large city nearby but the main focus would be on the town. Think about Fargo both the movie and the first two seasons of the show how most of the story took place in a small town but it was close to a large city.

 

In order to make it work there would have to be a larger focus on crime. Maybe other gangs and groups are interested in the small town and do a lot of their activities there. The protagonist starts messing with their income and one of the pissed off gangs sends someone down to investigate.

 

 

What do you think?

Edited July 13, 2017 by Zello

[Payne Killer]

Maybe if they improved upon the empire building in VCS but with just burglary, arms dealing, and drug running. It would be fun having to drive a van loaded with coke, deliver to a warehouse and leave with the money, or a rival gang shows up and you have to fight your way out. Sell some guns to local gangs, corrupt police could play a role with the cocaine and heroin, so many ways it could work.

[Jimmy]

Small Town? Pretty sure it could. I always imagined how would a GTA Game would in a small setup like Angel Pine and the surrounding Countryside Area only and no involvement of any big cities nearby cause they would eliminate the whole point of having a small town. A Countryside setup would be just the interesting thing to drive people away from the whole Modern/Big City theme. It'd be neat for sure. This could happen if they are able to make somewhat of a detailed map like Blaine County or better version of North Yankton.

[Osho]

I don't think so.

The story can take place in small town and countryside setting but making it the central focus of the story that keep us less into the city, sounds.. uhm..not interesting to me.

 

I usually find the areas surrounding the large cities as an extension for side distractions and change of scenery for exploring beautiful areas to escape from all the noise and concrete jungle, which is why I couldn't play GTA IV for long.

 

It can work as a DLC to the base game with a short storyline.

[PhillBellic]

I don;t see any reason it wouldn't work. The Map could be designed with multiple Small Towns instead of half the Map comprising of a city, and the other half being Country/Rural Ares.

[ClaudeSpeed1911]

It could work and I would like them to look at the awesome Deadly Premonition if they do it.

That game has a routine system for everyone in the town and you could see them go to and out of work, go to bars or do other activities.

 

However they might need to make the game like GTA4 expantion packs.You know with the different characters having different stories and makes use of the areas that doesn't get used in the other protagonist story.

 

I would like the story to be a blend of Twin Peaks and Fargo. With you getting to know everyone in the town and maybe finding out the ones pulling the string (Twin Peaks) Along with the more brutal nature of Fargo. I want to dump bodies in ice or get rid of them using the wood shredder.

 

Gameplay wise they have to make it both action and realistic, make the town a peacefull one until you get closer to getting rid of the mafia/gang/antagonist and taking over. What I mean is start by pulling off "stealthy" crime until later on the town goes from peacefull to full of crime

[combustion]

Nope, unless the map has a rural setting with 4-6 small towns with a suitable countryside; though that probably wouldn't happen.

 

I'd just say that the next GTA would continue having a city and a large countryside map.

[Algonquin Assassin]

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. Another example is Cop Land that takes place mostly in a New Jersey town, but has NYC as a backdrop.

 

The town would have to be of a reasonable size of course, but it would be a nice change up to things.

[Femme Fatale]

Sure, Bully is watered down version of GTA, and it was still fun despite that it took place in a small town.

[GTA-Biker]

I think a GTA game set in a town instead of a city could probably work well.It would be on a smaller scale and there would probably be less shootouts and killing (since most people in a small town know each other,you couldn't just gun down a few thugs on the street with maybe a dozen of people who know you watching,killing would probably have to be more discreet),but it could be an interesting change.

Just imagine Bullworth a decade after the story of Bully,with clique members grown up.The townies could become something like a street gang,maybe the bullies could also become a street gang and keep harassing civilians and doing small time crime,the greasers could just switch their bicycles for motorcycles and become a biker gang,the preppies could grow up to become corrupt politicians and businessmen...

[universetwisters]

This game took place in a small town and it worked pretty fine for what it was.

 

 

[Snesgamer83]

I think a GTA game set in a town instead of a city could probably work well.It would be on a smaller scale and there would probably be less shootouts and killing (since most people in a small town know each other,you couldn't just gun down a few thugs on the street with maybe a dozen of people who know you watching,killing would probably have to be more discreet),but it could be an interesting change.

Just imagine Bullworth a decade after the story of Bully,with clique members grown up.The townies could become something like a street gang,maybe the bullies could also become a street gang and keep harassing civilians and doing small time crime,the greasers could just switch their bicycles for motorcycles and become a biker gang,the preppies could grow up to become corrupt politicians and businessmen...

Trevor seemed to do alright all around Blaine County - and I'm sure a character like him is well-known in several small towns in the area.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Snesgamer83

[The Time Ranger]

Could be a nice change, a small densely packed town with lots of interiors and activities to do. With a town there could be a hinterland too, residential areas like neighbourhoods, which imo should have more prominence in future Gta's and further out into the country isolated farmhouses and shacks.

[Cheatz/Trickz]

A single small town? As in smaller than all the previous maps? No way would that work. Cramming the content of a GTA game into a small town type map would affect both the gameplay and the immersion. Races around the block? Losing the cops by driving to the other side of the town square?

 

GTA only "works" because it takes place in a large urban area (mainly) and that setting is required for all the themes and features in GTA.

[universetwisters]

Losing the cops by driving to the other side of the town square?

 

How about losing cops by either driving so far out into the middle of nowhere that the cops give up or calling up the police chief and bribing him to get some cops off you? Use your imagination!

[Lancerator]

Of course it would work, the missions would be just like 5, lol.

[Cheatz/Trickz]

 

Losing the cops by driving to the other side of the town square?

 

How about losing cops by either driving so far out into the middle of nowhere that the cops give up or calling up the police chief and bribing him to get some cops off you? Use your imagination!

The OP said small town. If it's possible to drive out into the "middle of nowhere", then the map is not just a small town now is it?

[Official General]

Whether it would work or not, is not the question. Technically of course it can work, GTA is GTA, and organized crime activity can happen wherever there is human settlement, not just in the big cities.

The question that should be asked is, would it be a good idea ? Of course not, no way. A GTA set in only a single small town would be extremely limiting and restricting to the nature of the series trademark free-roaming, multi-activity, and open-world gameplay structure. There is only so much to realistically see and do in a small town, and that would of course have a negative impact on many aspects of the gameplay. There would not be enough room for an exciting amount of variety and exploration within the game, and these are qualities that a city alone can effectively deliver, just not a small town.

I love the idea of small towns in GTA though, I always have done since playing San Andreas, exploring places like Blueberry and Palomino Creek. I'd always want small towns to surround the big city on the map. What I'd like to see is a significant part of the main story take place in the small towns and have a break away from the big cities for a change, not just a few missions or story sections.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Official General

[Snesgamer83]

You would need a LOT of small towns scattered around the map to avoid players feeling they got shortchanged on the amount of map usage. I think you would still need a major urban center for real mayhem and large-scale heists, though.

 

So... maybe like GTA V's map setup, but with more small towns instead of just Sandy Shores and Grapeseed?

[ClaudeSpeed1911]

Whether it would work or not, is not the question. Of course it can work, GTA is GTA, and organized crime activity can happen wherever there is human settlement, not just in the big cities.

 

The question that should be asked is, would it be a good idea ? Of course not, no way. A GTA set in only a single small town would be very limiting and restricting to the nature of it's trademark free-roaming, multi-activity, and open-world gameplay structure. There is only so much to realistically see and do in a small town, and that would of course have a negative impact on many aspects of the gameplay. There would not be enough room for an exciting amount of variety and exploration within the game, and these are qualities that a city alone can effectively deliver, just not a small town.

 

I love the idea of small towns in GTA though, I always have done since playing San Andreas, exploring places like Blueberry and Palomino Creek. I'd always want small towns to surround the big city on the map. What I'd like to see is a significant part of the main story take place in the small towns and have a break away from the big cities for a change, not just a few missions or story sections.

I think the best thing would be to make it a map like GTA5 however make towns much more bigger and expansive. Add a big city (by that I mean bigger than GTA5 LS, much bigger) and a big enough town (as big as the cities in San Andreas would be best). And they should give us good reasons about not leaving the town. San Andreas for example was good at this. After leaving LS because of the story, I never came back to LS because it doesn't feel right abd the cities was big enough with enough activities to make me stay in the city until the story moves forward.

 

I think they would also have to make the game longer and with different protagonists. Unlike GTA5 and more like EFLC with one of the stories taking place in the town.

 

 

But as of now I don't see rockstar doing it or not screwing it up.

[Zello]

Small Town? Pretty sure it could. I always imagined how would a GTA Game would in a small setup like Angel Pine and the surrounding Countryside Area only and no involvement of any big cities nearby cause they would eliminate the whole point of having a small town. A Countryside setup would be just the interesting thing to drive people away from the whole Modern/Big City theme. It'd be neat for sure. This could happen if they are able to make somewhat of a detailed map like Blaine County or better version of North Yankton.

I'd like to see them expand on North Yankton or give us something similar to that. I don't think R* will ever abandon having a big city on the map though and I wouldn't like to see that either.

[PhillBellic]

 

Small Town? Pretty sure it could. I always imagined how would a GTA Game would in a small setup like Angel Pine and the surrounding Countryside Area only and no involvement of any big cities nearby cause they would eliminate the whole point of having a small town. A Countryside setup would be just the interesting thing to drive people away from the whole Modern/Big City theme. It'd be neat for sure. This could happen if they are able to make somewhat of a detailed map like Blaine County or better version of North Yankton.

I'd like to see them expand on North Yankton or give us something similar to that. I don't think R* will ever abandon having a big city on the map though and I wouldn't like to see that either.

 

Good Idea. Also they could expand on this by having an extended set of Prologue Missions, perhaps having them be based on a few Small Towns, Then after these Missions are completed, have the Main Game be based on a more Traditional Map Structure.

[meson1]

Okay. Playing devil's advocate here.

 

Cities tend to be scaled down to the size of a small town anyway. So what we'd end up getting is a small town that's needed less scaling down to produce an urban/suburban area of roughly the same size.

 

What you'd end up with is the same thing as they've been doing so far, except without quite as many (or as high) high rise structures.

[PhillBellic]

Okay. Playing devil's advocate here.

 

Cities tend to be scaled down to the size of a small town anyway. So what we'd end up getting is a small town that's needed less scaling down to produce an urban/suburban area of roughly the same size.

 

What you'd end up with is the same thing as they've been doing so far, except without quite as many (or as high) high rise structures.

There's nothing stopping then from making much larger Maps in the next Game, and having one such Small Town being half the size of LS...

[Zello]

I think a GTA game set in a town instead of a city could probably work well.It would be on a smaller scale and there would probably be less shootouts and killing (since most people in a small town know each other,you couldn't just gun down a few thugs on the street with maybe a dozen of people who know you watching,killing would probably have to be more discreet),but it could be an interesting change.

They kinda did something like that in SA in LS some of the cops would know CJ by name and even the Barber would ask about Sweet

[AnimalFather]

well if you compare LS to the real LA its a very very very small town..

[Zello]

Good Idea. Also they could expand on this by having an extended set of Prologue Missions, perhaps having them be based on a few Small Towns, Then after these Missions are completed, have the Main Game be based on a more Traditional Map Structure.

I've thought of the opposite instead of starting in the small town you start off in a city and eventually the bosses that you work for decide to send you to the small town to setup your own operation kinda like Tommy Vercetti but instead of Vice city it's a small town they let you loose in.

[Gettin up]

I wouldn't buy a GTA without a big city ingame.

[theGTAking101]

I'd actually like this. Just 1 small town and nothing else wouldn't work, but I'd like a setting where there are a few small-medium sized towns scattered across the map.

 

I'd like the journey through the story to be similar to SA, where you spend some time in one area of the map, then move onto another.

[MojoGamer]

A small town already worked for GTA Vice City, so yes.