Playing as Two Characters at Once - Your Thoughts?

[REXX]

Mainly for those who have two GTA Online characters, but feel free to share your thoughts anyway! Thought is would be nice to have a little chat about this and see what others think of it. And just to make things clear, it's not a wishlist!

 

During Storymode, there are several missions that allow us to switch from one character to another instantaneously, allowing us to take control why the game takes care of the other one (or two). So, I have been thinking (for a few months actually) how something like this could work online and if it would even be possible. Now, I know it is very unlikely something like this will ever happen, but it would be nice to get some opinions on the subject

 

I personally reckon it could be implemented, but solely for contact missions (or maybe a session designed specifically for the use of two characters), similar to the "Solo Session", where there are no players or PvP job coronas but is still possible to do VIP work, gang attacks, etc. As well as that, it also allows to actually have both of our characters together at once!

 

So, the question. Do you think it could work, or even be possible? If so, how? And would you like to see something like this implemented?

 

If anything pops into my mind, I'll edit. I'm half asleep

 

 

 

Community Suggestions

Here I'll add most of the suggestions/additions by members regarding the use of two characters.

 

- Ability to control/command the character that isn't being controlled by the player through options in the Interaction Menu.

 

- Allowing players to choose which character they'd like to play as during a mission before starting.

 

- Option to load both characters simultaneously into GTA V's Director Mode.

 

- Be able to access all properties, businesses and vehicles owned by both characters.

Edited February 6, 2017 by REXX

[Happy Hunter]

I'd like AI homies like San Andreas. Which could loosely work with this - could have the second character roaming around doing stuff under AI control (and they could be given different orders too, like roaming around, or sticking close to you, etc.).

 

Combine that with the ability to switch between them, could be pretty cool.

 

Doubt it'll happen though - I think they've got their sights set lower than stuff like that.

[Sagrawa]

I would definitely love to see something like this.

Maybe if both chars were to be loaded in when you start Online, you have the option to pick the one you want to use when doing a mission or changing sessions. Could even set your fixed char to use for certain jobs.

Don't see a real option to have both of them running around in the same session at the same time.

[REXX]

Don't see a real option to have both of them running around in the same session at the same time.

This is exactly what I thought. Then a name popped straight into my head; Stanley.

 

If the character we aren't using had the same kind of properties Stanley has during the No Hay Bronca contact mission (follows, and shoots) I reckon it could work.

[Silencer555]

I'd like AI homies like San Andreas. Which could loosely work with this - could have the second character roaming around doing stuff under AI control (and they could be given different orders too, like roaming around, or sticking close to you, etc.).

 

Combine that with the ability to switch between them, could be pretty cool.

 

Doubt it'll happen though - I think they've got their sights set lower than stuff like that.

I would have so much fun having my 2nd character following me around in his own Personal Vehicle while I drive mine around. Cruising around Los Santos in custom sports cars would be a dream come true. He'd assist me if we had cops on our tails, jump in the gunner seat of a turreted vehicle to help, fly a hydra with me, ect.

 

Holy hell that would be a dream come true.

[Happy Hunter]

I would have so much fun having my 2nd character following me around in his own Personal Vehicle while I drive mine around. Cruising around Los Santos in custom sports cars would be a dream come true. He'd assist me if we had cops on our tails, jump in the gunner seat of a turreted vehicle to help, fly a hydra with me, ect.

Holy hell that would be a dream come true.

That's what I'm thinking. Would make a good Valkyrie co-pilot, and I could have a duo of Savages (with the AI one flying behind me, kind of like how they fly in pairs in reality).

 

And that's just from my ideal stuff - there'd be plenty more opportunities on the ground. Would get more use out the Insurgent, that's for sure.

[Silencer555]

 

That's what I'm thinking. Would make a good Valkyrie co-pilot, and I could have a duo of Savages (with the AI one flying behind me, kind of like how they fly in pairs in reality).

 

And that's just from my ideal stuff - there'd be plenty more opportunities on the ground. Would get more use out the Insurgent, that's for sure.

 

I'd love it if I could get an AI savage to give me support during contact missions. I'd end up roleplaying as a badass soldier with chopper support on hand.

 

Oh my god...imagine grabbing a Lazer with your 2nd character and then flipping back to your 1st character. Now you have an allied jet to help. Freaking yes, a more badass version of MerryWeather's airstrike is what I see happening from that point on

[AUScowboy]

I would love this.

 

I play 3 characters on two accounts. White male/Black female on my first, and an old grey haired white man as my third character on my second PSN. My first account gets the most play time while my third character gets built up slowly.

 

I started new characters because i was getting bored and wanted to experience the progression again, might even end up with a fourth character sooner than later. None are modded and each one has their own story/continuity. Thank god i did make them too, because if i didn't my main character would be a legitimate level 1000 lol, even with 3 characters my main is still pushing lvl 800... yeah, i play a lot lol!

Edited February 6, 2017 by AUScowboy

[Sagrawa]

 

Don't see a real option to have both of them running around in the same session at the same time.

This is exactly what I thought. Then a name popped straight into my head; Stanley.

 

If the character we aren't using had the same kind of properties Stanley has during the No Hay Bronca contact mission (follows, and shoots) I reckon it could work.

 

 

 

 

I would have so much fun having my 2nd character following me around in his own Personal Vehicle while I drive mine around. Cruising around Los Santos in custom sports cars would be a dream come true. He'd assist me if we had cops on our tails, jump in the gunner seat of a turreted vehicle to help, fly a hydra with me, ect.

Holy hell that would be a dream come true.

That's what I'm thinking. Would make a good Valkyrie co-pilot, and I could have a duo of Savages (with the AI one flying behind me, kind of like how they fly in pairs in reality).

 

And that's just from my ideal stuff - there'd be plenty more opportunities on the ground. Would get more use out the Insurgent, that's for sure.

 

 

Doubt that this would be that hard to implement. At least with just the physical characteristics.

Though it would be extra nice if we could set some preferences to them as well.

[LincolnClay]

NEEDS to be a feature in GTA Online 2.0

Good idea, REXX.

[Silencer555]

@Sagrawa:
^I think it would be really easy to do. We already have a "Bodyguard" type AI in Single Player with any of the Protagonists following and assisting you when you call to hang out with them. Just use that AI and slightly improve on it to allow your 2nd character to fly and drive vehicles at their maximum potential(As in driving/flying at top speed to catch up to you) whenever you make them hop into any vehicle.

Then BAM, a good AI character to help you out in many situations.

[FlacidJack]

How would it work though? I like the idea I just don't know how you'd implement it. Could you just place a marker on your map then spawn as another character in a contact mission? Also, would the character you left (in cover if you're wise) contribute? Or would they just sit there or despawn once you switch to the other character?

 

And most of all... Could this other character be used as a partner to avoid needing 4 human players for heists? That way two players could potentially do 4 player heists, right?

[Dust]

That's a very interesting idea REXX.

Sadly Rockstar hates anything that provides convenience to players. I'm just poking fun here because R* always leaves out the best ideas that might be useful. Playing something like contact missions with two online characters would be twice as fun I think!

Hell, imagine playing a heist that required four players to use their two characters for eight players in total!?

Two characters would introduce a whole new type of roll-play element!

Edited February 6, 2017 by The_Dust_69

[REXX]

How would it work though? I like the idea I just don't know how you'd implement it. Could you just place a marker on your map then spawn as another character in a contact mission? Also, would the character you left (in cover if you're wise) contribute? Or would they just sit there or despawn once you switch to the other character?

 

And most of all... Could this other character be used as a partner to avoid needing 4 human players for heists? That way two players could potentially do 4 player heists, right?

After a bit of thinking, I recon it may be a little complicated during missions but still possible. If it weren't possible, some kind of option in the Contact Mission lobby that allows us to choose the character we wish to play with before starting. Simply selecting the name of our character should be good enough. For example, if I want to play as my main character who's name is Rexx, I'll scroll to his name. If I want to play as Alexa, my secondary, I'll scroll to her name. Once the mission is complete, you spawn back into the session and the character you didn't use will be there waiting. I'm probably making it sound more complicated than it is

 

Heists, I think it's quite safe to say it would be impossible.

 

But in general, the idea is to have both characters in the same session without the need to go through loading screens. But yeah like mentioned above. The character we aren't playing as would act like an ordinary friendly NPC such as Stanley. Basically allowing the character to take cover, shoot and follow. Basic stuff, but still quite dynamic.

Edited February 6, 2017 by REXX

[Silencer555]

@REXX

For Contact Missions, I was thinking if your other character would just spawn with you and would do what ever priority choice you gave it via interaction menu.

The choices being:
-Play the objective (Stealing vehicle, object, eliminate key targets, ect.)
-Aggressive (Go after any and all hostiles regardless of distance)
-Bodyguard/Defensive (Just follow you around and protect you)
-Distant Defense/Offense (Will use long range weaponry such as Snipers and RPGs to either Support you or kill all hostiles)

Those are just really simple AIs that can easily be tweaked to be available for your other character to have.

[Sagrawa]

^

Yeah, REXX, this would be how I would think it could work as well.

Being able to switch to the char you want to use when partaking in a job and having your other char follow you as a simple helpful npc everywhere.

[REXX]

@REXX

 

For Contact Missions, I was thinking if your other character would just spawn with you and would do what ever priority choice you gave it via interaction menu.

 

The choices being:

-Play the objective (Stealing vehicle, object, eliminate key targets, ect.)

-Aggressive (Go after any and all hostiles regardless of distance)

-Bodyguard/Defensive (Just follow you around and protect you)

-Distant Defense/Offense (Will use long range weaponry such as Snipers and RPGs to either Support you or kill all hostiles)

 

Those are just really simple AIs that can easily be tweaked to be available for your other character to have.

That would pretty much be the best option, using the interaction menu.

 

At the end of the day, really all it is - is scripting.

[Gleeman Vox]

Stupid AI > randumbs

[AndreasDuke]

That would be a great way to play if we could have the other character tag along and switch when we need to, I would love that. I've also been thinking it would be awesome if at a certain level you unlocked an AI bodyguard who you could style however you wanted and that tag along when you want and you level them up and kit them out as they progress, so that eventually they are a fantastic sidekick and can play a support role in contact missions and other scenarios.

[FlacidJack]

 

 

How would it work though? I like the idea I just don't know how you'd implement it. Could you just place a marker on your map then spawn as another character in a contact mission? Also, would the character you left (in cover if you're wise) contribute? Or would they just sit there or despawn once you switch to the other character?

And most of all... Could this other character be used as a partner to avoid needing 4 human players for heists? That way two players could potentially do 4 player heists, right?

 

After a bit of thinking, I recon it may be a little complicated during missions but still possible. If it weren't possible, some kind of option in the Contact Mission lobby that allows us to choose the character we wish to play with before starting. Simply selecting the name of our character should be good enough. For example, if I want to play as my main character who's name is Rexx, I'll scroll to his name. If I want to play as Alexa, my secondary, I'll scroll to her name. Once the mission is complete, you spawn back into the session and the character you didn't use will be there waiting. I'm probably making it sound more complicated than it is

Heists, I think it's quite safe to say it would be impossible.

But in general, the idea is to have both characters in the same session without the need to go through loading screens. But yeah like mentioned above. The character we aren't playing as would act like an ordinary friendly NPC such as Stanley. Basically allowing the character to take cover, shoot and follow. Basic stuff, but still quite dynamic.

i think I get it, would be quite handy. thanks!

[CaptainMental]

That would be a great way to play if we could have the other character tag along and switch when we need to, I would love that. I've also been thinking it would be awesome if at a certain level you unlocked an AI bodyguard who you could style however you wanted and that tag along when you want and you level them up and kit them out as they progress, so that eventually they are a fantastic sidekick and can play a support role in contact missions and other scenarios.

Your'e feeling lonely huh?

[DarkSavageDeathlyCloud]

I just want access to both chars their properties

[HKM87]

At least we should have the option in director mode to fully control one and give orders to the other.

 

For movie making purposes.

Edited February 6, 2017 by HKM87

[The Wandering Hunter]

they'd just get murdered by players though

[evd]

they'd just get murdered by players though

 

lets say every called 2nd character has 3 lives, and the whole arsenal. its invisible on the map. their violence towards other players is driven by their contact with A.I. or preferences chosen by the person who called for help.

 

while switching to passive, 2nd character is in passive either.

 

calling the partner should costs nothing, last 24 minutes, and have another 24 minutes cooldown.

[LL Cool L]

I dnt think it would work imho opinion

 

I hate games where you have to either follow or lead AI (last of us the just about the only exception)

 

A SP style switch character in game would be cool but I can see how that would be exploited.....really easily

 

 

 

 

the ability to load both in to Director mode tho, Im all for that

[Silencer555]

they'd just get murdered by players though

This whole idea was not meant for public lobbies. Only solo sessions and contact missions.

[HamwithCheese]

Like...It should work, but I feel like there's way too many variables at work. Like, Stanley operates in a bit of a controlled environment. No cops, no attacking player, that sort of thing. And I feel like your buddy would be either op or useless like Stanley. Oh, but a man can dream...

[V4S]

One character is enough for me, unless the 2nd playable character was me controlling the back-up heli by Merryweather for a brief period. Stuff like that. I wouldn't want to be addicted to leveling up and making another person rich in the game!

 

On the side note, a friend of mines took playing two characters simultaneously to a whole other level completing the ELITE CHALLENGES as two characters on separate consoles at the same time for the prison heist, humane labs heist, series a heist, and the pac standard heist. See link below for videos.

 

http://gtaforums.com/topic/802104-the-elite-challenges-grand-leaderboard-v2/?p=1069215576

[REXX]

At least we should have the option in director mode to fully control one and give orders to the other.

 

For movie making purposes.

I agree. This is something I think Rockstar should have considered when Director Mode was in the works.

 

I don't have a PC, but I know there is an SP mod that allows you to load both characters up at the same time. Now, I've never done this, like I said, I don't have a PC. But based on that, if a mod can do it, I'd like to think Rockstar would be able to do it too.

 

Then of course, all the scripting and stuff.