Grand Theft Auto: Chasing The Dragon

Information found in the Steam/PS Store/Xbox Marketplace/Rockstar Launcher game description. The title does not require GTA: Borders to play, and can be purchased digitally as a standalone game.

$20 million at stake, two tons of heroin all sitting in different places. A Triad group from up north is ready to cut a deal with anyone with enough influence and resources to make up for their time.

It’s the mid-90s in the midst of an American real estate boom, and every career criminal in Southern San Andreas wants a piece of the action. Two powerful West Coast crime families, the Zapatas and the Axelrods, are first in line to cut said deal.

Two men, newcomers to the West Coast criminal underworld, however, intend to cut that line. Outcasts of a different world, the men are filled with ambition and prospect at the thought of getting the deal through, to finally put their pasts behind them and lead their new lives as respected figures of this world, a goal long denied to them.

This is their one chance at the big time, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s now or never.

Featuring a tale of two men on the prowl, engage in an six-act action comedy and crime drama story that takes the best of over-the-top action films from the 80s and 90s into one continuous, explosive gaming experience.

Featuring a considerably larger familiar urban playground with an emphasis on city life, explore a revised reimagining of 1990s Southern California that encompasses pastiches of Los Angeles, San Diego and even Tijuana across the border, as you slowly build up your criminal empire with time.

A staple of the South San Andrean criminal life. Engage in an endless turf war against other prospective street gangs across the region, taking over gang strongholds while cutting yourself a fat slice of the criminal deals in the process!

In true Grand Theft Auto spirit, engage in a ballet of anarchy and ultraviolence with a wide variety of exciting side missions to earn yourself some extra cash!

Lead the life of a criminal real estate developer during the heyday of a pre-9/11 American economic miracle, making money off property on acquired turf! Invest, buy and sell properties, negotiate contracts, engage in price manipulation and lower or improve real estate prices in the area! Suffer the pain of a bankruptcy and asset liquidation when things go south!

Turn your ventures into reality with your very own construction company! Turn empty plots of land into profitable businesses that help spread your reputation across the West Coast.

Featuring over 350 licensed music tracks from over five decades, split across 12 different radio stations, experience some of the finest music to grace American and world radio during the mid-90s, while you go out and explore the vast expense of the splendor that is Southern San Andreas.

Like Borders, the game takes place in an expanded version of Southern San Andreas, as well as Northern Mexico via a border zone, ‘about two-to-three years after the riots’ during the 1990s United States boom. The map is updated from Borders, featuring a number of new locales for the players to visit, including Isla Castillo (Catalina Island). Three principal cities exist in the map, which are Los Santos, Santo Domingo and Ciudad Vizcaino, and the four present counties are Los Santos County, Red County, Santo Domingo County and the Sierra Municipality.

The game also briefly takes place in Vice City during the prologue and fourth act of the storyline, taking place in the southern Ocean Beach area of the city during the first third of the act, complete with its own map and businesses, though this arc of the chapter would strictly be on-foot.

Part of a new canon and a separate story from Borders, Chasing The Dragon takes place entirely in its own retconned continuity, making no references to the former concept, and instead forging its own set of characters and storylines to better fit in with the darkly-humorous, albeit mostly-optimistic tone found originally in GTA: San Andreas.

A more in-depth view of the map is covered in Part 2, along with potential things to do in the region.

Perhaps the most exciting part of this concept as a whole. The expansion pack updates 10 existing stations from GTA: Borders, as well as include two new stations, which are Santo Domingo Roots Radio, a country station, and Mint Jams Radio, a Japanese jazz fusion and city pop station.

A new original score by both Thundercat and Kamasi Washington is featured in this expansion, featuring dynamic music done in a style similar to 80s-to-90s jazz fusion.

The game also features a number of licensed smooth jazz tracks, used in a variety of scenarios, such as being played as background music in malls and elevators or as incidental music during activities.

More on this will be covered in Part 3 and Part 9.

The player assumes control of two protagonists, Tarnell “T” Bridges and Javier Madrazo. Both have been underdogged by their former employers and families, and long for that sweet taste of success promised to prospective thugs in the underworld, assuming they don’t get booked in or killed. Like in GTA V, the player is able to switch between the two characters at will, save for certain storyline missions.

Tarnell “T” Bridges:

An ex-detective from Vice City, formerly of the infamously corrupt Vice Squad. A dirty cop down to a T, everything from planting evidence on suspects to fill quotas to working directly with drug lords, you name it, he’s done it. His mentor, his partner Saul Alvarez, was key in helping T get a leg up in the squad, influencing his philosophy as a criminal.

Unfortunately for T, the 80s ran out of gas as soon as he made it big, and one night in 1988, he responds to a call from Alvarez to visit a certain location to arrange a drug deal, only to discover his absence on-location, instead being the site of an IA sting. Busted by a clean NOOSE team, it was said that T ‘paid through the ass’ for his freedom, and was promptly fired from the squad, with the good word of the FIB, not long after the incident.

Travelling to the West Coast with little to no pocket, T works odd jobs for various members of the San Andreas underworld before scraping enough to buy a cheap house near Anselmo Beach in Red County, in a neighborhood dominated by illegals and local Mexican-Americans. As of the mid-90s, he works as a bounty hunter for a bail bonds firm in Emerald Lake, Los Santos, rounding up fugitives and troublemakers across the city.

The good life had been ripped from him suddenly, and he wants to return to that, badly, and also getting his vengeance on Alvarez. A long wait ensues, and he finally gets another shot at the life when, on a chance meeting on the same job he runs into...

Javier Madrazo:

Illegitimate son of Angel Madrazo, the now-deceased brother of cartel leader Alejandro Madrazo, and a barmaid, exiled from the Tex-Mex Madrazo Cartel in the late-80s for trying to one-up his cousin, Martin, in becoming leader of the crew, forcing him into the city of Los Santos not long after that, where he, and a group of other disgruntled Madrazo goons loyal to him, work small jobs and protection across the city.

His illegitimacy as the heir of the cartel brings him a great deal of shame and insecurity, which he makes up for with a larger-than-life and faux-psychotic personality, making him seem more capable and unhinged than he really is.

His plan? If he can’t one-up Marty, he might as well start a crew of his own that blows them out of the water. Get the props he really deserves for his efforts rather than work his fingers to the bone for nothing. The smack deal with the SF Triads, which he quickly hears word about, is the ultimate goal for Javier, which he sees as being the defining moment to finally receive Martin’s respect, and fear.

More on the other characters and gangs in Part 7.

Contrary to the store description, the story is split into 8 different acts (including the prologue and epilogue), functioning somewhat similar to the chapters seen in games like Bully and Yakuza.

Acts 1-3 introduces players to the basic elements of gameplay in Chasing The Dragon, giving them a headstart in side missions and activities such as Real Estate Management, Construction, Strongholds and Gang Wars, while exploring the growth of the partnership between Javier and T.

Tonally, this part of the storyline is considerably more comedic, and predominantly takes place in Los Santos, Red County and Santo Domingo. The border, at this point of the storyline, is still closed to Americans due to an ‘ongoing investigation’ involving an unnamed cartel, meaning the Sierra Municipality is inaccessible during this time.

Acts 4-6, on the other hand, is much more story-driven, with both protagonists more-or-less becoming established criminal figures in the region, with enough money and influence to make their bones in the underworld. Mexico is unlocked, and more territories and business opportunities are open to the player to expand the Madrazo empire.

This second half of the storyline is noticeably darker than the first, involving much more dramatic and less over-the-top elements than before, though the signature Rockstar sort of dark humor can still be found here, along with more light-hearted moments of situational/satirical comedy.

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The story begins during an ill-fated meeting between T and Javier at a bookies in Monroe, Los Santos. T's out on a job for Ollie, and Javier's just popping by with his crew to take whatever's available. Guns are pointed, but this later proves to be a spark of opportunity for both parties.

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The word about the missing heroin gets out on the streets, but in order to show the San Fierro Triads who really runs the state, T and Javier begin building up their empire and influence across Los Santos, beginning with wiping out the weaker gangs in town such as The Pack, as well as breaking existing gang alliances, such as the ones between the Ballas and the Families.

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Hearing word of a feud between the Zapatas and Axelrods, both T and Javier go all in and work with the Zapatas, collaborating against their shared adversaries, the Axelrods. The duo also begin their gradual takeover of the city of Santo Domingo, where they run into members of both the Vagos and Aztecas, also harboring intentions to consolidate the heroin for the triads.

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Madrazo Construction and Dynasty 8 Real Estate are established by T and Javier, owing to their newfound wealth and growing sphere of influence, coming in to take advantage of the real estate boom during the 1990s. The war is also out on the Axelrods, as both the Madrazos and Zapatas take the fight directly to the Axelrod residence in Park Heights.

T also finally finds out what his former Vice Squad partner, Saul, is up to after all these years.

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As a favor for the Zapatas, T and Javier embark on a journey back to Vice City to escort a high-ranking member of the Triads, Fat Chin, back to San Andreas, visiting the neighborhood of Ocean Beach, where they run into several street gangs, currently engaged in a turf war over the iconic thoroughfare district.

The Madrazos also begin their hostile takeover of Ciudad Vizcaino, Northern Mexico, but soon comes to realize that the Zapatas aren't exactly trustworthy.

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In true GTA fashion, the Zapatas betray the Madrazos, wiping out most of Madrazo's crew, leaving Chico alive long enough to notify Javier and T of the betrayal. Agatha is also kidnapped by the Zapatas, and is currently held up at the Zapata villa in Isla Castilla.

As they gain leads of Agatha's whereabouts, the duo, along with Ollie, Donnie, the rest of the company managers and Madrazo goons, fight tooth and nail to defend their businesses from Zapata enforcers. The rest of the heroin is also gathered.

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The Zapatas are greatly weakened by the Madrazos during the gang war, and now take the fight directly to Ricky on Isla Castilla. They also cut a deal under the table with the Triads after they themselves are attacked by the Zapatas, in an attempt to steal the deal money, liaising with both Fat Chin as well as one of their enforcers, Miranda Lin. The climax begins.

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T and Javier enjoy the fruits of their labor, throwing a party at Javier's property, La Fuente Blanca in Vinewood Hills. There a surprise visit from Martin happens, and the rest is history...

More on the plot and missions in Part 6 of this concept.

Other than the aforementioned key activities, Chasing The Dragon introduces other new side missions, minigames and activities to do, which are not limited to; Yacht Club, Tank Rampage, Smuggler’s Run, Celebrity Escort, Bounty Hunting and a Lucky & Wild-inspired side mission known as Cassie & Bridges.

Many leisure and cosmetic activities are also introduced or improved upon from both Borders and GTA V, which help to bring life into the fresh, expansive in-game world. Atmospheric and life simulation mechanics from RDR 2, as seen in Borders, are also brought over to this expansion, such as sitting, smoking, mugging and eating, though the animations used are noticeably more slick to fit in more with the aesthetic of the GTA world. Rentable properties such as motels still exist here, though they are not as prevalent as in Borders, as players now have a greater opportunity to purchase properties.

Combat-wise, Chasing The Dragon plays like somewhat of a mix between GTA V, RDR 2, Max Payne 3 and True Crime: Streets of New York. True to the older GTAs, gunplay is frantic and erratic, and the player is able to duel-wield, for example, and though sliding and rolling are not as intricate as seen in MP3, it exists somewhat as a way to make combat more engaging. Exiting a moving vehicle while at low or decreasing speeds will also result in a special rolling animation that causes minimal to no damage to the player.

And much more.

More on this in Parts 8 to 10 of this concept.

Edited June 19, 2023 by kobeni

December 2, 2021

You've got some real artistic talent when it comes to presentation. The photos of the city and surroundings are beautiful, but I really dig the protagonist sketches, it gives me this real nostalgia of doodling in my notebooks in class as a youngin. I'm not at all familiar with the protagonist from GTA V; had to find him on the wiki. He seems to have been a really minor character. Since this takes place over a decade prior why just make your cartel protagonist a new person? Honestly I couldn't stand the Madrazo cartel, but that's chocked up to terrible writing. Martin Madrazo had no venerable qualities other than being an annoying rich dick.

December 3, 2021

9 hours ago, Akaviri said:

I'm not at all familiar with the protagonist from GTA V; had to find him on the wiki. He seems to have been a really minor character. Since this takes place over a decade prior why just make your cartel protagonist a new person? Honestly I couldn't stand the Madrazo cartel, but that's chocked up to terrible writing. Martin Madrazo had no venerable qualities other than being an annoying rich dick.

So was Vic in Vice City, and look how his story turned out in VCS. This concept to me is more-or-less a HDU tribute to both Vanilla San Andreas and VCS as far as story, atmosphere and gameplay goes so I think Javier, despite being killed in his only appearance in V, has potential to receive the same sort of Vic Vance treatment here.

I personally didn't find Martin to be a terribly-written character, per say, but he was definitely lost potential, a character that needed more appearances in V to flesh out his character and his influence over the region. I originally written a bit about him in Borders but I've decided to retcon that concept altogether and make his personality a lot more analogous to his appearance in V due to the less serious tone of this concept. In this case he takes somewhat of a similar role to Ma Cipriani in that he does not physically appear throughout much of the main storyline, but his impact on Javier's decisions throughout this game is paramount. He's essentially the Vic to Javier's Lance, in other words, except he's an incredibly inept version of him whose success is a direct byproduct of nepotism.

I'll write more on that in the characters section when it's out. Right now I'm still working on the map for part 2, so it'll unfortunately be a while before this thread gets bumped again.

Edited December 3, 2021 by sabitsuki

December 3, 2021

2 hours ago, sabitsuki said:

So was Vic in Vice City, and look how his story turned out in VCS.=

You have a poiint, my friend! Ha ha ha!

December 3, 2021

pretty cool way of tying Javier Madrazo, a pretty much faceless character, to his own backstory! as you say, an ode to Vic Vance going from hunchbacked half-dominican brother of Lance to soldier turned criminal in his own story. I like that link, it's small enough to not warrant entire mission strands dedicated to showing off how badly Martin was written in V but still grounds us in a familiar canon. the other thing I very much like is the idea of the sections set in a small portion of Vice City, whenever I read about that kinda thing with the on-foot action it reminds me of games like The Warriors and conjures up the image of the action sequences taking place in back alleys (Back Alley Brawl anyone?) with melee weapons and the occasional wheelgun or 9mm coming out to play, maybe an Uzi or cut down Mossberg stuffed in a jacket but these kind of on-foot only sections ground us back into the gritty and low-down side of being criminal, shaking down store owners, laying a beating on someone for not paying their dealer. the idea of being becoming a construction magnate is great too, a cool reference to VCS's empire building system I guess? a nice little bit of story and gameplay blending too; it makes sense for our protagonists to have a semi-legit source of income and adds the possibly of less than legal side missions too! looking forward to keeping up with this one, thats for sure.

December 7, 2021

Really glad to see this posted. Also appreciate the way you've given us just enough to keep us going.

I always kind of figured Javier was a young guy in his twenties in GTA V, but I don't think there's anything to really indicate that as such. So I'm looking forward to seeing you fleshing him out.

March 12, 2022

(this section is still a WIP. More will be updated soon.)

Part 2: The West Coast

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Maps

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(Vice City map is still WIP.)

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Los Santos County

“A desert-turned-gigantic settlement resting on the banks of the American Southwest. What was formerly a drained out floodplain inhabited by the outlaws, opportunists and the detritus of the Civil War soon became a place of civilization, caught up in an endless pursuit of fame and fortune.

As if imploding a mountain inside out for mere nuggets of gold wasn't enough, the Santosians felt bold enough to turn a desert, bordello-filled wasteland into the singular cultural center of America, injecting finances from the banana republics of South America straight into the jugular of the hills and plateaus of Vinewood, where a legacy of fame-chasing and an unprecedented display of depravity, even by British standards, persists to this day.

Such is the tale of the city of Los Santos, or more broadly, the tale of the American Dream. A city where stars of the night are shrouded in secrecy by the smog and pollution of the Interstates and Freeways, viewings only available to the select privileged few, a toxic sludge pool disguised as a Shangri-La, much like the bubbling tar pits of El Hoyo.

And despite it all, for all its awfulness and hedonism, there is no other place in the world quite like it.”

- Milton Gillespie, Los Santos, Awful America: A Guide to the Landmarks of San Andreas, 1956. London Press.

Consisting of the City of Los Santos itself and its surrounding City Outskirts, Los Santos County is the lifeline and cultural epicenter of Southern San Andreas, and by large the United States. The county is more or less familiar territory to most returning players to Chasing The Dragon, albeit featuring a larger assortment of neighborhoods and areas previously unseen in GTA V. With middle-class and lower-class neighborhoods and suburban areas taking up a greater presence in the city itself, there is a reduced ‘theme park’ feel for the city, exchanging with it instead for elements of realism and slice-of-life.

The City Outskirts
Pipelines, trailer parks and miles of unspoiled natural scenery and clear night skies untouched by pollution, the Outskirts of Los Santos each exhibit a different flavor of Southern San Andreas. From the hippies in the Great Chapparal to the mega-rich in Chumash, the gamut of weirdness in these outskirts can run from stuck-up weird to psychotic and unpredictable weird.

Western Outskirts
Chumash, Pacific Bluffs, Fort Zancudo, Tongva Hills, Tongva Valley, Banham Canyon

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Red County

“Red County, a community-oriented suburban paradise for Americans to live in.

A mere half-an-hour drive takes you to the famous Glory Hole Theme Park, and another 45-minute long route takes you to the Red County Country Club in Sultana Cliffs. A boat ride from the nearby surf town of Playa del Rifa across the Pacific ferries you to the beautiful shores of the island retreat of Isla Castillo, where you can spend the summer tanning and volleyballing on the beaches of Conte.

The best public schools stateside, with some of the most well-equipped sports facilities and nature walks in the country, and a greater opportunity for a healthy San Andrean work-life balance. Did you know the average life expectancy of the average Sultana Cliffs resident is 94 years old?

Every block of suburb is built to a tried-and-tested blueprint of success, constructed to the most ideal of proportions, a benchmark of modern, multi-generational living.

Red County, where everyone, even the family dog, can put on a smile for the community. The best part of it? You can too, and you’d definitely want to once you move in here!

Move in today!”

- Red County Promotional Flyer, Esther Development, 1964.

East Arcadia
Malick River Banks, San Augusto, Sultana Cliffs

West Arcadia

Anselmo Beach, Nocando Hills, Wendell, Hitchcock

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Santo Domingo County

“The cracked skull of a bull long deceased perched on the rocks of the Nocando Hills marks the end of our traumatic Los Santos tour, as we ride southbound into further uncharted territory.

Within a short four hour drive across the clogged I-7, we arrive at the suburbs of the city of Santo Domingo, no relation to the capital of the Dominican Republic of the same name. A city distinguished by the distinctive stench of yacht petroleum and sailor vomit and the raucous sounds of bearing arms and marching, you can be easily forgiven for mistaking the place for that of an authoritarian police state as seen in one of Britain’s many dystopian novels.

In all-American military tradition, in the absence of others, Britons can finally heave a sigh of relief for the fact that the metric system has been finally adopted to some degree by these yankee savages, used mostly in everyday speech and commerce. Divided into districts of warship-turned-museums, army training zones, seaports and yacht clubs, the atmosphere and layout in the city can be easily described as like San Fierro, but greener and hotter.

A barbaric creole of sorts has formed native to the city, owing to its close proximity to the uncivilized land of Mexico, resembling Standard American English for the most part, peppered with various loan expressions taken directly from the incomprehensible dialect of Spanish spoken south of the border; I am immediately reminded of a similarly-crude Franco-Spanglish patois spoken in the state of Louisiana. An attack on the English language, and on the ears, one must maintain full alertness to their surroundings and remind locals sternly of this disgraceful bastardisation of our wonderful language.

The underdog of the greater city of Los Santos, Santo Domingo is, thankfully enough, a refuge from the Darwinist hellscape of the city up north. Just remember to order a plate of fish tacos and an export-only bottle of ‘lager beer’, while you’re strolling along the boardwalks and taking in the sights of La Arruga.”

- Milton Gillespie, Santo Domingo, Awful America: A Guide to the Landmarks of San Andreas, 1956. London Press.

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Sierra Municipality

“The oft-forgotten upper west coast of the Mexican peninsula, frequented mostly by affluent college students during summer break. Home to cheap doctors, plastic surgeons, hot market bargains, red light districts and plenty of gunfights between warring cartels. If the homicide rate is of any indication, the Wild West has never quite died out in Vizcaino City.

To the south is a resort town known as Los Oriones, or the waters, and to the east is the tiny beer town of Maiz, an enclave of poker parlors, small-time casinos and breweries. Cop a seat in a rustic old bar and ask the bartender for a shot of watered-down rum, and try not to show anyone your passport.”

- The Weary American Traveler, Sierra Municipality, 1992.

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Isla Castillo
"Shelled away from the hustle and bustle of the two major Southern San Andrean metropolitan areas, right across the ocean lies Isla Castillo, or Castle Island for the less globally-inclined.

For those wishing to experience an island getaway without making the eastward trip over to the Caribbean or an expensive air trip further westward into the Micronesian islands, Hawaii or god forbid Australia, Isla Castillo remains the traditional vacation destination for many of SoSA's overworked and underpaid denizens, with its rustic, Mediterranean-inspired beaches and the overpriced open-air marketplaces, restaurants and cafes of Conte, perhaps one of the biggest tourist traps this side of the West Coast. Serviced by the Conte Police Department, you may be relieved to know that the town has among the lowest rates of robbery and pickpocketing in the state.

The southern and western ends of the island are home to a number of private villas, mansions and estates, owned by notable celebrities, businessmen and drug barons. Nothing particularly suspicious happens there, just don't ask about the passenger ships full of attractive women that dock there every two or three times a month from the mainland."

- The Weary American Traveler, Isla Castillo, 1992.

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Ocean Beach, Vice City

“Is Vice City still Paradise Lost? The current epidemic of drive-by shootings and public slayings might unfortunately still prove that mantra true.

The drug wars still run rampant on the iconic southern end of the island of Vice Beach, staining the pearly white beaches in varying shades of blood red, though instead of being fought between Latin American and Caribbean cartels, they are now fought between several predominantly ethnic-based yet endemically American street gangs with no known formal hierarchy.

Following a string of large-scale drug busts and high-profile arrests in the late-1980s and early-1990s, these street gangs, originally subordinate and hired guns for said cartels, are now picking up the pieces left behind by their former employers, filling up the now-heavily contested power vacuum of the Vice City Underworld, exhibiting equal, if not more brutal, levels of violence than their now-deceased, deported and/or incarcerated predecessors.

Ocean Beach, where a recent shootout at a booked party within the La Libertad Cuban Bar & Restaurant has left 6 people dead and several injured, is stated to be one of the city’s biggest crime hotspots, as outlined by VCPD Chief Commissioner Nathan Trujillo in a press conference this week. It is believed that three major street gangs now rule the district entirely, free of any intervention from the law.

The three principle gangs are Los Cabrones, a gang from Little Havana consisting of naturalized Cuban Marielitos and second-generation Cuban-Americans ruling the neon-drenched, historic Art Deco east end of the district, the Loa Boys, a Haitian-American syndicate from the fringes of Little Haiti ruling the northern end of the district mostly occupied by mom-and-pop stores, hotels and cafes, and the Sharks, a mixed-race gang of hoodlums and street thugs from the poorer areas of the Vice City Mainland running the western docks and bay fronts of the district.

All three gangs are believed to be sworn enemies against one another, with skirmishes happening frequently over turf, and it is only a matter of time before we observe another onslaught of violence in Ocean Beach not unlike those seen in the early-to-mid-1980s, among other equally-volatile neighborhoods.

Though with the completion of the new Ocean Beach Police Station, and with vows made by the VCPD to reduce crime and violence in the city, we over at Vice City Daily advise our readers to continue exercising their second-amendment rights whenever possible, to keep the option of purchasing a firearm open when the opportunity arises. You’ll never know when you’ll need it.”

- Manuela Ortiz, “The City of Vice & Violence”, Issue #127, Vice City Daily, March 1995.

Edited June 9, 2022 by sabitsuki

March 12, 2022

(This section is still WIP.)

Part 3: Media & Entertainment
Radio
TV Shows
Films
Magazines
Karaoke

“Touchdown, and you’re stepping into the new cornerstone of Western civilization. One occupied by copious amounts of quick dopamine hits in the form of film produced by the immoral elite, TV shows made on a shoestring budget and too much music being churned out by one of many studios in this massive section of desert on the lower West Coast.

It is physically impossible to not discuss elements of pop culture over here without turning a collective of suspicious heads.”

- David Richards, Vinewood Producer and founder of Richards Majestic Productions, 1984 Interview.

Virtual in-game media in Chasing The Dragon comes in the form of the five categories listed above, serving as a slice of life of the culture present in Mexico and Southern San Andreas during the metaphorical gold rush of the mid-90s.

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Radio

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“First thing you notice in town is how much music fills the airwaves at any second. If this was Italy in the 14th Century, the Pope would need to do more than just repent for all the sinning happening here.”
- Alan Sutherland, Blob Music Founder, 1987 Interview.

Like all Grand Theft Auto games, licensed music plays a massive role in giving the game its iconic feel, and this DLC is no exception. Ask anyone who’s played the games, and they will tell you the music is half the experience.

Chasing The Dragon features a total of 12 radio stations, the vast majority returning from GTA: Borders, while also featuring 2 new stations. Over 350 new licensed tracks are present across the stations. If one owns a copy of Borders, the stations will be immediately updated in the base game.

As the main playable map itself is very large, each individual station features on average about 35 tracks to allow for less repetition of tracks in each listening session, as was the case for GTA V.

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Radio Wheel

The radio wheel returns from GTA V, functioning in a similar fashion as well, showcasing the track title, the artist and the year the track was released in the center of the wheel. The radio wheel itself can be edited in the pause menu to only include stations you enjoy.

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Purchasing Music

Individual tracks can be purchased in the form of vinyl records from any music store across the map, though certain tracks are either radio-exclusive or come in the form of collectible vinyls, and are listenable at any music player in any safehouse/office. They can also be used in the crafting of mixtapes.

Key music stores in-game include the iconic Blob Music store in West Vinewood, The Crooner in Anselmo Beach, Vinyl Freaks in Barrio Santana and Marcello's in Revolucion.

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Mixtapes

Mixtapes can be created using a tape recorder at any safehouse or temporary lodging in the game, which functions as its own radio slot in the radio wheel (as Mixtape) or can be played via an on-foot MP3 Player, which is purchasable at any music store for $350 ($225 in Mexico). If the player takes too much damage while listening to an MP3 Player, it may eventually be rendered unusable and they would have to purchase a new one.

Mixtape creation is intuitive and simple to use, and functions almost identically to the systems seen in other open world crime games such as Saints Row and True Crime. Up to 10 mixtapes can be stored on the player, and up to 150 can be stored as part of the safehouse collection. The player begins with 5 tapes in their safehouse inventory, with additional tapes purchasable at any music store for $5.50 a tape ($2.50 in Mexico) or $20 ($10 in Mexico) for a bundle of 5.

The player can also choose to play their own music via the syncing of a Spotify/Apple Music/Mixcloud playlist on consoles, or through the User Files on PC. The resulting playlist will be featured in a dedicated station, Self Radio.

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Vinyl Countdown

There are a total of 45 Collectible Vinyls that can be collected across the map. The collectibles are tracks featured across the radio stations that are not available for purchase in music stores.

Collecting all vinyls unlocks the Blob Music Tee and the Blob Music Snapback for both Tarnell and Javier, as well as a unique Vapid Festival Bus with Blob Music livery spawning outside of Blob Music in West Vinewood.

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The Request Line

"Sage: It's time to take in some requests! I'm gonna head over to the phones for a while. Meanwhile the rest of you can take the time off to read some poetry, watch the news, hit the pipe, whatever. Ain't my business what you do.
(A short moment of idle signal transfer ensues)
Sage: This is Sage on Tequi-La-La Radio. Hello?
Javier: Oye, guapa. There's this song I really liked that I heard on your station the other day. I think it was called uh… Black Sunshine by White Zombie, I think? That sh*t banging, yo.
Sage: Can't go wrong with Rob Zombie! Here's Black Sunshine by White Zombie to get the primal rage brewing up! Make those assholes pay!"

One possible dialogue of how a request may be made by the player.

“Teri: This is Teri, totally not on the verge of a mental breakdown! What’s the request for today?
Javier: Oye chica, where’d you find all this good sh*t? Mira, I’ve been riding around listening to this station for some time and everything has been nothing but fuego, yo.”
One possible praise dialogue.

“Uncle Otis: Hold that motherf*ckin’ revolution for one minute, and let’s hit up the request line! Good day, fellow Libyan! Speak your piece!
Tarnell: Yeah, the piece is, you gotta lay off the motherf*ckin’ chronic, oldhead! I like the tunes and all, but with all due respect, padre, can we just leave that uppity revolutionary stuff back in the 70s? Sh*t is irritating. One moment, I’m bumpin’ a good ass Marvin Gaye joint, and the next? I gotta hear your bitchin’!”
One possible heckle dialogue.

“Percy: No requests? Aye, it’s a bummer. Oh well, at least I get to pick something that isn’t absolute sh*te, now!”
One possible no requests dialogue.

New to the series, the player is now able to phone in to the respective stations (excluding Deepness 92) to either Request A Song, Praise or Heckle the host in question. The phone numbers are not available by default, and are dialed in once the player discovers it, much like ZiT in GTA IV. Request lines can usually be found either on posters across the three cities or advertised on billboards and on TV.

To enter a request line, the player would have to either be in a vehicle or at a safehouse with the radio on to properly hear the dialogue in full. The host would typically mention the opportunity for the listeners to access the requests, and there would be a 10 second buffer period, usually signified by an idle signal transfer, for the player to quickly phone in. Failure to do so would either get an NPC to put forth the request or occasionally result in no requests, with the host making a jab at the lack of requests to the station.

Requesting A Song gives the player the opportunity to select the next song that will be played on a station, with a selection of 10 randomly-selectable tracks, including radio-exclusive songs, for the player to request. A short conversation between the host and the protagonist will ensue, before it is played.

Praising and Heckling are self-explanatory. Don't worry too much about heckling. The DJs won’t sic a hit squad on you if you make fun of them.

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Radio List
Below is a summary of the stations featured in Chasing The Dragon, and their associated genres.

Non Stop Pop FM - Dance-pop, Pop Rock, R&B, House
Deepness 92 - Deep House, Soulful House
Los Santos Rock Radio - Classic Rock, Driving Rock
The Lowdown - Classic Soul, Funk, Disco
Space 103.2FM - Post-Disco, Jazz-Funk, Early House
Radio X - West Coast Punk Rock
Tequi-La-La Radio - Alternative Rock, Glam Metal
Radio Los Santos - West Coast Hip Hop, Gangsta Rap
Ragga Rakkas Radio - Reggae Fusion, Dancehall, Dub, Ragga Jungle
WCTR - Public Talk Radio

Malacopa FM - Freestyle, Latin House
Santo Domingo Roots Radio - Country
Mint Jams Radio - City Pop, Jazz Fusion

Vehicles often come with preset radio stations. Pedestrian types also generally have specific preferences when it comes to the type of station they tune to. A categorization system similar to the one seen in San Andreas, IV and V is present within the coding of the game, which can be seen below, where stations are divided into general genres.

Dance Radio - Non Stop Pop FM, Deepness 92
Rock Radio - Los Santos Rock Radio, Tequi-La-La Radio
Rap Radio - Radio Los Santos
Soul-Funk Radio - The Lowdown, Space 103.2FM, Mint Jams Radio
Ska Punk Radio - Ragga Rakkas Radio, Radio X
Country Radio - Santo Domingo Roots Radio
Talk Radio - WCTR

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The Music

+- Indicates Radio-exclusive track.
*- Indicates Collectible Vinyl track.

Non-Stop Pop FM
“The sound of this summer! Playing chart-topping billboard hits from an eclectic variety of genres for the commute of Southern San Andreas since 1979!”

Genres:
Pop music, Rave, House, Sophisto-pop, Pop Rock, Alternative Dance, Downtempo, R&B, Acid Jazz, Hip Hop, Synthpop, Hi-NRG, Freestyle, Techno, New Age

Host:

Teri W, a 30-something valley-accented party girl washout from Vice City, Los Santos native and former host of Flash FM during the early-80s.

Description:
The one and only premier pop station in the region, playing popular hits from a variety of genres 24/7. Non-Stop Pop in the mid-90s takes a much more dance pop-oriented route in its playlist, paying tribute to the rave scene of the era, though it also features music from other scenes such as acid jazz, new jack swing, ‘clean’ hip hop, rock, R&B and a number of throwbacks to the 1980s.

Teri, formerly a DJ at Flash FM in Vice City, now takes the helm as host of this incarnation of NSP. Long past her glory days and pushing middle age, it appears that merely bringing up the concept of age is enough to push her into a massive tirade. That said, she maintains the optimistic hedonism present in VCS, for the most part. Her old co-host, Toni, occasionally chimes in as a caller to the station. The feeling is less than mutual.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“Teri: It’s almost the end of the millennium, oh goody! And I’m not getting any younger! It’s time for another flashback! Here’s some Pet Shop Boys to get your nostalgia gears running on overdrive!”

“Teri: Here’s one from Cardiff in the UK! This is Karl Hyde and Underworld! Can you believe these guys used to play synthpop? Me neither!”

“Teri: Got super f*cked up to this one at a warehouse party in San Fierro back in ‘89! Killer by Adamski, featuring Seal on the vocals!”

“Teri: Some new R&B tracks for the commute on the I-1! This is Raja-Nee, with her new track, Turn It Up!”

“Teri: Hope you’re all having a great summer out there! Don’t be a loser! Go out there and try something new, try that new Korean BBQ place in Rockford Hills, hit up Portola and get yourself a new pair of shoes, or even break your fermur bungee jumping! And when it’s all said and done and your credit score hits a negative, always remember to tune back to NSP! Aunt Teri will always be there to make your day!”

“Teri: Everyone wants to own a cute dog these days! An adorable, drooling genetic abomination that craps itself after every dog show, that waddles around aimlessly like a headless chicken on matchsticks! I’ll take twenty of them!”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:
The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

2 Bad Mice - Gone Too Soon
Foul Play - Ricochet (No Stopping The Remix)
Rhythm Section - Dreamworld
LFO - Mentok 1
Opus III - Flow
DJ Trax - High Time (Nookie Remix)
Manix - Alright Wid Me
Johnny Jungle - Killa Sound
Tek 9 - Slow Down (Nookie Remix)
Awesome 3 - Headstrong

LINK

Playlist:

PM Dawn - Set Adrift On Memory Bliss (1991) *
Suzanne Vega - Tony's Diner (DNA Mix) (1992)
Swing Out Sister - Twilight World (1987)
Curiosity Killed The Cat - Down To Earth (1987)
Love & Money - Strange Kind of Love (1989)
Then Jerico - What Does It Take (1989)
Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy (1989)
Miami Sound Machine - Dr. Beat (1984) +
Pet Shop Boys - Two Divided By Zero (1986)
Depeche Mode - Strangelove (1987) *
INXS - Suicide Blonde (1990)
Natalie Cole - Pink Cadillac (1987)
Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation (1989)
Eternal - Stay (1993)
Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (1993)
Enigma - Sadeness (1990) *
Soul II Soul - Back To Life (1992)
Us3 - Tukka Yoot's Riddim (1993)
Jhelisa - Friendly Pressure (1994)
The Brand New Heavies - Never Stop (1991)
Jamiroquai - Space Cowboy (1994) *
Ace of Base - The Sign (1994)

Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (1991)
Bizarre Inc. (feat. Angie Brown) - Took My Love (1992) *
2 Unlimited - No Limit (Rap Version) (1993)
Inner City - Good Life (1990) +
SNAP! - Rhythm Is A Dancer (1993)
Haddaway - What Is Love (1993)

T99 - Anasthasia (Valentine Boys Rip Mix - Chapter One) (1991)
Adamski (feat. Seal) - Killer (1989)

DSK - What Would We Do (1991)
Livin’ Joy - Dreamer (Janice Robinson Vocal Mix) (1995)
Rozalla - Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good) (1991)

Captain Hollywood Project - More & More (1992)
Xpansions 95 - Move Your Body (1995)
SL2 - DJs Take Control (1992) +
The KLF - 3AM Eternal (1989)
Single Gun Theory - Fall (1994) *
Baby D - I Need Your Loving (1995)
Opus III - I Talk To The Wind (1992)
Underworld - Dark And Long (Dark Train) (1995) *
EMF - Unbelievable (1992)
The Shamen - Move Any Mountain (1990)
L’Trimm - Cars With The Boom (1988) *
90 Lovers - I Know You Got Soul (Snap Club Mix) (1991) +
Neneh Cherry - Manchild (1989)
Kylie Minogue - Automatic Love (1994)
Massive Attack - Sly (1995) *
Raja-Nee - Turn It Up (1994)
Zhane - Sending My Love (1994)

Groove Theory - Tell Me (1995)

Sade - Hang On To Your Love (1984)
Tony! Toni! Tone! - It Never Rains (In Southern California) (1989)
SWV - Right Here (Human Nature Mix) (1992)

Total Collectibles: 9
Radio-exclusive tracks: 4

Deepness 92

Genres:
Deep House, Soulful House, Garage House

Host:

Boy Trouble, a duo of DJs from the East Coast with clashing personalities.

Description:
Hosted by Boy Trouble, a duo of DJs consisting of DJ Trouble and Boy Sanchez, both hailing from Algonquin, Liberty City. A pair of DJs historically known for their garage house mixes, Boy Trouble has opted for a more soulful, less intense approach to house music in Los Santos, owing to its Mediterranean-esque landscape.

It appears that both men are under the influence of unknown narcotics, taking an overly casual approach to answering calls and responding to shoutouts from around the US. That said, however, it is heavily implied that the two DJs, as laid back as they might appear, are not on good terms, with Boy Sanchez himself hinting at a breakup sometime in the future, much to Trouble’s annoyance.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“DJT: From the Rust Belt, this is Ten City.”

“BS: 95 North, classic garage tune straight out of Alderney, for you silly ones out there seeing red on the freeway.”

“DJT: Some Loleatta Holloway for the road, keep it boppin’, people.
BS: And always remember to keep a spare key of the good stuff somewhere.”

"DJT: Closing the set with a huge shout out to the garage scene in England! Grant and Simon, the 24 Hour Experience, Together!

BS: England's cold."

“BS: You ever notice how mad folks here get when you cut ‘em off on the road?
DJT: Man, the weather is somethin’ else, huh? All that smog and heat and botox fumes is bound to get people funny in the head. We’d never have nothin’ like this back east.
BS: Yeah, that’s why we had to Flintstone the RV across the skyway and track down all four of our tires, plus our DJ equipment, to some weirdo Russian pawnbroker in East Hook right after you flipped that guy off in Tudor. Reeeal people person, aren't ya Trouble?
DJT: Hey c’mon, you gotta admit that guy was kind of an asshole.
BS: Suuuure...”

“BS: Man, I am so over these drugs here. These pills barely have any kick to them.
DJT: I ain't feeling it too, I gotta change my dealer.
BS: Isn’t he from like a gang around here, like the Ballads? The Ballast? The Billiards or something?
DJT: Didn't catch it. Anyway, spare a fin? Could use one right now.
BS: No."

“Caller 1: Salut, zis is DJ Joan Le Arc calling from Paris. Vive la France, where ze red wine runs like water and where ze filter house scene iz as powerful and bass 'eavy az ever. Shoutout to Boy Zrouble in zis zroublin' times, vraiment bon le son!
Caller 2: What up? This ya man Black Meridian straight from G-Town, baby. We got the whole ghetto house movement locked down in Southside Guzie, the Breezy City. Plenty of booty-shaking and twerking going off at historical levels here, and ain't nobody getting shot... yet. Shout out to my niggas in the east, Boy Trouble from the motherland of house.
Caller 3: This is DJ Claudia Van Dyke calling from Amsterdam, in the land of the windmills and sunflowers. My head is still hurting from all the headbanging and drugs at the last gabber rave, I don't know which came first, it's a chicken and egg thing, I suppose. Anyway, shoutout to my favorite duo from the other side of the pond, Boy Trouble, a real lekker setlist you got there.
Caller 4: Mad ting, mad ting! Big up, this ya boy MC Crisps straight from the ends of London, yeah? Mandem got the whole jungle, drum n' bass an' 'ardcore scene on lockdown in these ends, yeah? 'Arder than a Brown Bess, faster than an SMLE, you get me? Shoutout to Boy Trouble, a pair of the maddest madmen over in Los Santos, keep them tunes coming, iya. Booyaka!"

LINK

Playlist:

Joi Cardwell - Trouble (UBQ Project Club Dub Remix) (1994)
Ten City - Goin' Up In Smoke (LP Mix) (1994) *
Club 69 - Take A Ride (Original Album Mix) (1994)
636 (feat. Arnold Jarvis) - Rain (80 Proof Garage Mix) (1994)
K-Klass - Don't Stop (K-Klass Remix) (1994)

Kerri 'Kaoz' Chandler Presents Arnold Jarvis – Inspiration (1994)

Masters At Work (feat. India) - When You Touch Me (1993)
Loleatta Holloway - Hit & Run (94 Komix Club Remix) (1994) *
Jamiroquai - Light Years (True Power Mix) (1994)
95 North (feat. Sabrynaah Pope) - Hold On ('Little' Louie Vega MAW Club Remix) (1994)
Spiritual Experience - Stretch My Hand (Tribal Mix) (1994) +
Groove Collective - Watchugot ('Little' Louie Vega Alternate Vocal Remix) (1994)
Joe T. Vannelli (feat. Csilla) - Voices In Harmony (Frankie Feliciano Unreleased Main Remix) (1994) *
Seal - Newborn Friend (David Morales Club Remix) (1994)
Daphne - Change (Danny Tenaglia Lite & Sweet Club Mix) (1994)
Zhane - Vibe (Maurice Joshua Clubvibe Remix) (1994)

Joey Musaphia - Cover Ups Vol. 1 - Untitled A2 (1994)

24 Hour Experience - Together (1994)

Total Collectibles: 3
Radio-exclusive tracks: 2

Los Santos Rock Radio
"500 miles of open country road ready to be driven. Let’s bring out the rock classics.”

Genres:
Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Folk Rock, Soft Rock, Driving Rock, Power Pop, New Wave, Two-tone

Host:

Percy, former member of Love Fist-turned-reality TV star.

Description:
Giving Santosians their fix of classic rock since hippie days, Los Santos Rock Radio is the region’s flagship rock station, and the go-to for drivers looking for music that is mellower and more oldschool than its much newer and Gen-X oriented sister station, Tequi-La-La Radio. Compared to V, the playlist in Chasing The Dragon is much more hard-edged, resembling a cross between KDST, Flash FM and Liberty Rock Radio, style-wise.

Ex-Love Fist member and naturalized Scottish-American Percy, who left the band on less-than-amicable terms after the release of their 1992 album, Clear The Custard, is the current DJ of LSRR. Clear The Custard, which marked the departure from the glam metal sound of Love Fist’s earlier era and into a hybrid of grunge and gothic metal, is an album that Percy openly despises, declaring it “sh*te in stereo”. Hired by the LSRR studio shortly after leaving the band, Percy, now a highly-paid DJ and an implied family man, intends to go reality TV at some point, though this is met with skepticism by not just Love Fist fans, but regular listeners as well.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“Percy: Another brilliant track by the bodacious Duran Duran off their latest album. The Fist had a new album around that time too, but let’s not talk about that, aye?”

“Percy: I’m ‘avin’ me some Bad Company here with me tonight. I’ll glass every single one of those spazzes if I had tae!”

“Percy: Dai Bowie mate, ye can’t get better n’ that. This one’s called Young Americans.”

“Percy: This one's a percy! From Australia, this one’s by Billy Thorpe. The titular track from his 1979 space opera rock album, Children Of The Sun.”

“Percy: So the other day I was over n’ me car n’ a fat bastard the size of Jupiter, with a larger pair of tits on 'im than on any bird I’ve ever seen, came strollin’ towards me, all cool-like and dressed in a fancy get-up with the sweaty Love Fist shirt and short pants. Couldn’t be arsed, get plenty of those all the time so I says why not. Then, this mad lad gets his pants down, ‘ands me a sharpie n’ then tells me to do the deed, n’ the middle of the day, no less! I wouldae kicked his arse over his thumb for a head, and I bet the soppy twat would still thank me!”

“Percy: The most brilliant show of our lives we had was back in ‘86, Vice City. Our phallus-shaped Temple of Rock had finished construction, and we had flame spitters in every third crenellation of the structure and a troupe of 50 transvestite go-go dancers on the go while we were performing “Fist Fury” live to an audience of 50,000. We had crossdressing poofters tryin’ tae kill us and we had to race against the clock in our limo just to get the bloody bomb defused by a swampy nutcase with a toolbox and a bucket of nails. It was wild, I tell ye. Too bad all good things have to come tae an end, aye?”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:
The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

Pretenders - Space Invaders
The Rolling Stones - Dancing With Mr. D
Rainbow - Danger Zone (Instrumental Outtake)
Def Leppard - Switch 625
The Smiths - The Draize Train
Grand Funk Railroad - Got This Thing On The Move

LINK

Playlist:

Aldo Nova - Fantasy (1981) *
Triumph - Lay It On The Line (1982)
Foreigner - Hot Blooded (1979)
38 Special - Breaking Loose (1981)
Bad Company - Bad Company (1973)
Boston - Don’t Look Back (1976)
Molly Hatchet - Flirtin’ With Disaster (1978)
The Doors - LA Woman (1971) *
Eagles - On The Border (1981)
Dire Straits - Southbound Again (1982) +
Montrose - Rock Candy (1973)
Foghat - I Just Want To Make Love To You (1972)
Queen - Dragon Attack (1980)
Aerosmith - Lightning Strikes (1982)
The Police - Next To You (1981)

The English Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom (1980)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Pump It Up (1978)

The Bangles - If She Knew What She Wants (1985)
Eddie Money - Shakin’ (1982)
Billy Thorpe - Children Of The Sun (1979) *
Head East - If You Knew Me Better (1978) +
David Bowie - Young Americans (1975) *
Average White Band - Soul Searching (1978) +
Gino Vannelli - Seek And You Will Find (1978)
Marilyn Martin - Sorcerer (1984) *
The Firm - Satisfaction Guaranteed (1985)
KISS - Sure Know Something (1976)
TOTO - Gift With A Golden Gun (1979)
Free - All Right Now (1972)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - On The Hunt (1975)
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Dirty Deeds (1990)
Concrete Blonde - Caroline (1990) *
The Smithereens - A Girl Like You (1989)
Donnie Iris - Ah! Leah! (1980)
Honeymoon Suite - New Girl Now (1984)
Fastway - Easy Livin’ (1983)
Point Blank - Nicole (1981)
Mother’s Finest - Niggizz Can’t Sang Rock N’ Roll (1976) +
Moxy - Sail On Sail Away (1975)
Sweet - Fox On The Run (1974) *
The Runaways - I Love Playing With Fire (1977) *
Rick Springfield - Love Is Alright Tonight (1981)
Martin Briley - Salt In My Tears (1983)
Jackson Browne - Boulevard (1984)
Michael Schenker Group - On & On (1980)
Great White - Stick It (1984)
Duran Duran - Too Much Information (1993) *
The Cult - Lil’ Devil (1987)
Judas Priest - Heading Out To The Highway (1981)
Bon Jovi - Let It Rock (1985)
The Heights - How Do You Talk To An Angel? (1992) +

Total collectibles: 9
Radio-exclusive tracks: 5

The Lowdown
“Mellow, mellow, right on. You’re on the soulful side of San Andreas.”

Genres:
Soul, Funk, R&B, Oldies, Disco

Host:

Uncle Otis, former black revolutionary turned retiree, an oldhead who still thinks he’s in a 70s blaxploitation film.

Description:
Music for cookouts, lowrider challenges or for just plain kicking back on the porch and having a cold one. The Lowdown offers San Andreans and Sierrans a slice of 60s, 70s and early-80s funk and soul beats and music, a number of which was sampled in hip hop tracks. Not much repetitive groove like on Space 103.2, just a mellow playlist of the classics with a jazzy touch to the funkiness.

Uncle Otis, of Breitbart, is the host of the station. The man is a self-proclaimed “African militant, soldier, scholar, revolutionary”, and often peppers his intros and dialogue with bits of civil rights commentary, albeit in an extremely over-the-top, theatrical fashion.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“Uncle Otis: You're listenin' to Uncle Otis on the Lowdown! Put on some motherf*ckin’ airs with this one! This Stevie Wonder joint gone get the whole hood on they goddamn feet!”

“Uncle Otis: All them young bucks is going haywire in this motherf*ckin’ town! All that aggression and talks of turf wars and gangsta rap and sh*t! The only real gangsta I'm seein' these days is the man in the dark suit takin' us for all we have! Don’t Let It all Go To Your Head now!”

“Uncle Otis: Get funky, Southern San Andreas! We spinnin’ Roy Ayers in this joint! Get yo’ kicks up to The Golden Rod!"

“Uncle Otis: Don’t let a woman or man ruin ya life, chil’ren! This song a prophetical warning to all you mother lovers out there! Something About That Girl by Lakeside!”

“Uncle Otis: Man, I am sick and tired of hearing about another gangland shooting happening in South Central! When will you young uns ever learn to aim them guns away from one another, and point them instead towards the direction of the motherf*ckin’ institution? This community used to have bonds and all that good sh*t, now I just see baby gangstas runnin’ around with saggy pants and a .45 tucked in they underwear, guaranteed to go off any motherf*ckin’ time, stirrin’ up nothin’ but trouble on the mornin’ news! Where’s the dignity in that, son?!”

“Uncle Otis: Here's the lowdown, listeners! When you aim at the king, you best not miss. This station is dedicated to all the black kings and queens out there! Can you dig what I'm saying, brothers and sisters?! We spin nothin’ but the sound of our peoples 24/7, 365 days a week! We used to rule the pyramids and the niles and sh*t, now it’s about time for us to return the favor, show whitey what us black folk are really made of! This message was brought to you by Jemimah’s Soul Food Bar in Davis, shoutout to their Weekday-only $12 Senior Citizens’ discount! Mmm-mmm, all that preaching is getting me hungry!”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:
The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

Roy Ayers - King George
Donald Byrd - Street Lady
Bobbi Humphrey - Harlem River Drive
Ronnie Foster - Midnight Plane

LINK

Playlist:

Chairmen Of The Board - I’m On My Way To A Better Place (1973)
Freda Payne - The Unhooked Generation (1972) *
Leon Ware - Why I Came To California (1982)
Quincy Jones - Summer In The City (1975) +
Minnie Riperton - Les Fleurs (1970)
Aalon - Rock N’ Roll Gangster (1977) *
The Brothers Johnson - Dancin’ And Prancin’ (1980)
Willie Hutch - Theme Of Foxy Brown (1974)
Brick - Southern Sunset (1976) +

Ripple - A Funky Song (1973)
Donald Byrd - Miss Kane (1973)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity - The Golden Rod (1976) *
The Mighty Ryeders - Evil Vibrations (1976)
Blackbyrds - Hash And Eggs (1976)
Edwin Starr - Twenty Five Miles (1969)
James Brown - Sexmachine (1972)
Gwen McCrae - 90% Of Me Is You (1973)
Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye - You’re A Special Part Of Me (1973)
The Main Ingredient - Work To Do (1972)
Donny Hathaway - The Ghetto (1970) *
The Isley Brothers - The Pride (1976)
War - Slippin’ Into Darkness (1972)
Grover Washington Jr. - Mister Magic (1978) +
The Jones Girls - You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else (1979)
The Crusaders - My Lady (1979)
The Pointer Sisters - Don’t It Drive You Crazy (1977)
Timmy Thomas - Why Can’t We Live Together? (1971) +
Jean Carn - Don’t Let It Go To Your Head (1978)
Stevie Wonder - Light My Fire (1969) *
The Ebonys - Life In The Country (1972)
Ronn Matlock - Feeling Something (1982)
Gil-Scott Heron - Legend In His Own Mind (1980)
Nancy Wilson - I’m In Love (1973)
Lonnie Liston Smith - Bridge Through Time (1982)
The Reality Band and Show - Gangsterboy (1977)
Aquarian Dream - Do You Realize (1978)
Les McCann - Go On And Cry (1974)
Tom Scott - Today (1967)
Lakeside - Something About That Lady (1981)

Total collectibles: 5
Radio-exclusive tracks: 3

Space 103.2FM
“Funk that will send you straight into outer space! Get the groove on, San Andreas.”

Genres:
Jazz-Funk, Post-Disco, Boogie

Host:

Milly Martini, former 80s professional rollerblader-turned-DJ, reminiscing about simpler times at the roller rink.

Description:
A foil to the oldies format in the Lowdown, Space 103.2FM plays predominantly disco music from the early-to-mid-1980s, though rather than the mostly electro-funk style found in V, the station opts for a more analogue, strings-and-horns-based style of disco found in other existing disco stations in the series such as Fever 105, Paradise and K109.

Milly Martini, a joyful, if not overly-patronizing former rollerblader residing in Bandero Heights. Plenty of anecdotes of better days in Los Santos from the apocryphal Rollerblading Queen of San Andreas, where arcades were everywhere and the rink was always popping and filled with people. These days, she relives it through her broadcasts and her selection of music, which attempts to bring that nostalgic element of Los Santos back to life.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“Milly: It’s time to get it on on the rink on Space 103.2, with a bit of some of that good ass disco! This one’s a rare cut from Liberty, Sure Shot by Tracy Weber!”

“Milly: Tomorrow’s gonna be a good day once the night clouds part! Ronnie Laws, boy that tenor is really rockin’ the rink down tonight!”

“Milly: We used to rollerblade to this joint back in the day! Actually, everything on this playlist used to be played! The one and only Teena Marie!”

“Milly: More funk for your ass! Some jazz-funk groove from England, this one’s called Summer Grooves by Mirage!”

“Milly: You’re listening to Space 103.2FM! I’m Milly Martini and everybody is welcome at the rink! Don't matter you black, white, Chinese or orange, it don’t matter much to me! We all can hop in and have a good time, and maybe have a little sumpin’ sumpin’ in the parking lot if you know what I mean. Anyway, get on the motherfunkin’ rink, and let the disco ball go round and round!”

“Milly: Mm-hmm! The party never ends on Space 102.3FM! We spin only the finest disco and R&B in the city and state, and if you ain’t tuned in to Space 102.3FM, you wished you’d been there! That’s what I told that motherfunkin’ pig ass copper when he done pulled me over for a drink-driving charge! It was only a bit of motherfunkin’ Sprunk, punk! So lemme back in the rink, you jive ass dink!”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:
The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

Komiko - Feel Alright (Instrumental)
Midnight Star - Midas Touch (Instrumental)
Michael Lovesmith - Ain’t Nothing Like It

LINK

Playlist:

Stacy Lattisaw - Sneakin’ Out (1982)
Orlando Johnson & Trance - Turn The Music On (1980) +
George Duke - Brazilian Love Affair (1980) *
Atlantic Starr - Circles (1986)
T-Connection - Girl Watching (1982)
Teena Marie - Square Biz (1983)
Mtume - Green Light (1983)
Roy Ayers - Everybody (1980)
Shalamar - A Night To Remember (1982)
Heatwave - Lettin’ It Loose (1982)
9th Creation - Maybe (1986) +
Aurra - Make Up Your Mind (1982)
The Emotions - Turn It Out (1981)
Ronnie Laws - Tomorrow (1980)
Crown Heights Affair - Use Your Body & Soul (1980)
Tom Browne - Come For The Ride (1981)
The SOS Band - SOS (1980)
Tracy Weber - Sure Shot (1982)
BT Express - Does It Feel Good (1980)
Glen Adams Affair - Just A Groove (1981)
TS Monk - Candidate For Love (1980)
Narada Michael Walden - I’m Ready (1982)
Attitude - Love Me Tonight (1983)
Eighties Ladies - Ladies of the Eighties (1980) *
Yarbrough & Peoples - Guilty (1985)
Homegrown Syndrome - Confrontation (1981) *
Mirage - Summer Grooves (1980)
Leroy Hutson - Classy Lady (1982)
Gene Dunlap - Party In Me (1981) +
Unlimited Touch - In The MIddle (1981)
Melba Moore - Mind Up Tonight (1982)
Gayle Adams - Stretchin’ Out (1982)

Stephanie Mills - Something In The Way (You Make Me Feel) (1989)
George Benson - Give Me The Night (1980)
Patrice Rushen - Feels So Good (1982)
Gwen McCrae - Funky Sensation (1979) *

Total collectibles: 4
Radio-exclusive tracks: 3

Radio X
“Pure unbridled anarchy and anti-establishment, until it’s time to clear the merch. This is Radio X, home of the West Coast punk scene.”

Genres:
Hardcore Punk, Deathrock, Thrash

Host:

El Perro, former lead vocalist of a now defunct first-wave punk rock band The Skitters, now involved in a number of local Los Santos and Santo Domingo-based art installations and music production.

Description:
Radio X returns, albeit not as an alternative rock station; Let Sage and her band of misfits at Tequi-La-La get in charge of that. Now playing a mixture of different styles of punk rock, ranging from the Los Santos-based deathrock scene, the thrash scene up in San Fierro and even some bands from the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and East Coast, Radio X aims to please the gatekeeping crowd.

El Perro, local Mexican-American and born-and-bred Santosian, was once a punk rocker himself, heading a straight edge hardcore band known simply as the Skitters, notorious for their violent and often indecent live shows, until an undisclosed incident at Tequi-La-La in 1985 destroyed the band and left several maimed and dead. Now an art curator for a number of up-and-coming visual artists in the Southern San Andreas area, and a music advisor and producer for a number of low-budget films and pilots, El Perro currently works full-time as a DJ for Radio X, in the absence of any work opportunities in film and television.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“El Perro: This is El Perro, or The Dog, if you will, and you’re listening to Radio X, the station that appeals to the people-who-just-wanna-have-fun crowd! Up next, a cover of a classic surf rock tune, this is Miserlou by Agent Orange!”

“El Perro: Used to play with them at the Vespucci Canals late at night, and the neighbors would chase us with shotguns! This is Wild Thing by X!”

“El Perro: Welcome to Los Santos! Consumption’s our forte, and what better way to consume mindlessly than with the aid of cable? Let’s all have a TV Party tonight!”

“El Perro: From Liberty City, this is Minor Threat!”

“El Perro: You don’t need drugs to act like a complete dunce in this town! Just look at our Mayor, man! Former member of the board of directors at Up-N-Atom Burger, and now he’s telling us he wants to run for Chief Director at the FDA? F*ck outta here!”

“El Perro: You’re on Radio X, quite possibly the angriest goddamned station to ever exist in this state! Grrrrr… I’m righteously f*cking pissed off! And you should be too, you f*ckin’ asshole, or tune right back to NSP, real f*cking slowly! We ain’t pussies, and we sure as f*ck ain’t politically correct up in here! I hate everybody, and I especially f*cking hate you! This message was brought to you by E-Cola! Deliciously infectious with every drop, and guess what? F*ck their sponsorship, and f*ck them too!”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:
The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

Black Flag - Damaged II
Sex Pistols - Bodies
Adolescents - Kids of the Black Hole
Ramones - I Don’t Wanna Go Down To The Basement

MIXCLOUD COMING SOON

Playlist:

MDC - Millions of Dead Cops (1991)
Wasted Youth - Problem Child (1981)
Battalion of Saints - My Mind’s Diseased (1984)
Poison Idea - The Badge (1990)
Zero Boys - High Time (1981)
The Alley Cats - Nothing Means Nothing Anymore (1981)
The Weirdos - Solitary Confinement (1979)
The Controllers - (The Original) Neutron Bomb (1977)
The Crowd - Trix Are For Kids (1978) +
Simpletones - Kirsty Q (1978)
Simpletones - California (1978) *
Wipers - D-7 (1980)
Channel 3 - I Got A Gun (1982)
Angry Samoans - Gas Chamber (1982)
Agent Orange - Miserlou (1981)
Agent Orange - Pipeline (1981)
Social Distortion - Another State of Mind (1982)
Fear - I Love Livin’ In The City (1981)
Circle Jerks - Stars & Stripes (1982) +
Black Randy & The Metrosquad - Marlon Brando (1978)
Black Flag - TV Party (1981)
X - Wild Thing (1983) *
Dead Kennedys - Police Truck (1987)

The Avengers - Car Crash (1983)
Minor Threat - I Don’t Wanna Hear It (1984) *
Suicidal Tendencies - Send Me Your Money (1991)
DRI - Beneath The Wheel (1989)
Hirax - Bombs of Death (1987)
Final Conflict - Apocalypse Now! (1987)
Voodoo Church - Rest In Peace (1982)
Super Heroines - Children Of The Light (1984)
Screams For Tina - Eleven Eleven (1994)
The Flesh Eaters - Eyes Without A Face (1983)
Flipper - Ha Ha Ha (1979)
DOA - I Wish I Was In El Salvador (1989)

Total collectibles: 3
Radio-exclusive tracks: 2

Tequi-La-La Radio
“Home of the loudest live bands on record. Presenting the next wave of divas, this is Tequi-La-La Radio, Vinewood's very own flagship station broadcasting straight from the namesake venue.”

Genres:
Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, Glam Metal, Funk Metal, Ska Punk, Stoner Rock

Host:

Sage, proud Gen Xer and slacker girl, and avid misanthrope with a sick sense of humor.

Description:
Broadcast straight from the Tequi-La-La nightclub in East Vinewood, the station is a spiritual successor to Radio X from GTA San Andreas, and a predecessor to its modern day equivalent, Vinewood Boulevard Radio. Similar in style to Radio X previously, albeit with a stronger emphasis on glam metal, industrial and ska punk, Tequi-La-La pays tribute to the prevalent scenes of Los Santos’s Gen X subculture during the mid-90s.

Sage, returning from San Andreas, is the current DJ for the station. After the old Radio X studio got burned down in a ‘freak sticky icky incident’, the station was later bought out by a punk rock record label, and Sage was forced to seek greener pastures. She settles down in Tequi-La-La not long after that, with ‘more Help Wanted ads pasted on its front windows than band promos’, and promptly goes back to DJing full-time. Maintaining her hedonistic, holier-than-thou and sociopathic demeanor, Sage’s sultry voice continues to reverberate across radios in San Andreas, often taking the backdrop of sleazy house parties, skateparks and the needle-scattered beaches of the state.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“Sage: I got my Rocks off over at the back of the Redondo Drive-In Theater the other day. They were screening some old B-movie horror flick from the 50s. It was terrible. The sex was even worse! Never screw philosophy majors, people.”

“Sage: Nothing more definitively San Andreas than an old beater, socks and sandals, a pair of broken aviators and a 40 ounce in a paper bag on a hot smoggy day in this godforsaken town! This is Sublime, and sublime’s what I’m feeling today!”

“Sage: I was an extra for this one Gothic Horror movie up in Carcer City, where I played one of the dope fiends that gets shot in the crossfire while this Love Fist-looking guy dual wields a pair of 9s and guns down like, 50 trenchcoat guys in slow motion? Good times, but the music, man, that was some great sh*t. This band, Machines of Loving Grace, played live during and after the shooting. They were named after some poem, I think? I banged them all during the aftershow, by the way.”

“Sage: Kurt’s no longer with us, but his music is here to stay! This one’s called Breed!”

“Sage: Here's an anecdote for you. Back when I was hosting Radio X, before these anarcho-punk guys with bad haircuts took over and played their own brand of unlistenable garbage? We had a tip jar that doubled as a penalty jar for whoever sparks up the first blunt. Naturally, we kept breaking the rule because we were such absolute morons, and the money kept piling up. After the studio burnt down, we hauled the jar outta the wreck and we figured we split it, had to be at least half a million in there, right? Dave blew it on coke and whiskey, Diane paid off the mortgage, and Johnny bought a used Coquette. Me? Sh*t. I was trippin’ bad at the time and it was getting cold that night in Los Santos. I went to one of those burn barrels along the bridges towards Downtown and I impulsively threw my cut in there to get the fire burning up. You should have seen the look on everyone's faces when I did that!”

“Sage: Nearing the end of the century and we’re all still here, still breathing, still commuting in the middle of a desert oasis. Quite the existence if you think about it. In this booming economy where the numbers keep piling up and money keeps flowing in, you’d figure the good times never end! It’s peacetime in the US of A, and somewhere, deep down inside of us, we all know it’s bound to end sometime! Non Stop Pop plays tunes for the boom, I dish out the tunes for the impending apocalypse. This is Sage, and you’re listening to Tequi-La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo Radio! Seize the day, run over everyone standing in the way!”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:
The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

Garbage - Stupid Girl
White Zombie - Thunder Kiss ‘65
Foo Fighters - Good Grief
Ash - Girl From Mars
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Ratt - Way Cool Jr.
NOFX - The Brews
Love & Rockets - Saudade

MIXCLOUD COMING SOON

Playlist:
Ratt - Nobody Rides For Free (1991)
Winger - Can’t Get Enough (1990) +
Bang Tango - Someone Like You (1990)
Bad Religion - 21st Century Boy (1990) *
Sublime - 40oz To Freedom (1992)
NOFX - Kill All The White Men (1992)
Millencolin - Mr. Clean (1994)
Sugar Ray - Mean Machine (1995)
Jane’s Addiction - Stop! (1992)
White Zombie (feat. Iggy Pop) - Black Sunshine (1992)
Alice In Chains - Man In The Box (1990)
Filter - Hey Man Nice Shot (1995)
L7 - Wargasm (1992)
Babes In Toyland - Sweet 69 (1995)
Psi Com - Xiola (1985) *
Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole (1990)
Stabbing Westward - Violent Mood Swings (1994)
Curve - Fait Accompli (1992)
Lush - Tiny Smiles (1992)
Lush - Laura (1992)
Love & Rockets - No Big Deal (1989)
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Far Gone and Out (1992)
Primal Scream - Rocks (1994) *
The Jesus Lizard - Nub (1993)
Nirvana - Breed (1994)
Fu Manchu - Ojo Rojo (1995)
Kyuss - N.O. (1994)
Machines of Loving Grace - Butterfly Wings (1993)
Acumen Nation - Gun Lover (1995) +
Pop Will Eat Itself - Kick To Kill (1994)
Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod (1992)
Faith No More - Epic (1989) *
Butthole Surfers - Who Was In My Room Last Night? (1993)
Living Colour - New Jack Theme (1990)
Slaughter - The Wild Life (1992)
Love/Hate - Blackout In The Red Room (1990)
Britny Fox - Girlschool (1988)
Poison - Come Hell Or High Water (1990)
Guns N’ Roses - Paradise City (1987)
The Cult - Wild Hearted Son (1991)
311 - Omaha Stylee (1994)
Fishbone - Sunless Saturday (1991)
Stone Temple Pilots - Wicked Garden (1992)
Monster Magnet - Negasonic Teenage Warhead (1995) +

Total collectibles: 4
Radio-exclusive tracks: 3

Radio Los Santos
“Bonafide gangster rap and G-funk straight from South Central, this is Radio Los Santos with presiding DJ, Jeffrey “OG Loc” Cross.”

Genres:

West Coast Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop, Gangster Rap, G-Funk

Host:

OG Loc, washed-out rapper from Davis, looking to score back what’s left of his street cred DJing for a local rap station.

Description:
Home of all-things rap in the West Coast, Radio Los Santos in its early years was, and still is, a major powerhouse for up-and-coming artists from across the West Coast, having been there since the first acts were signed by unscrupulous record labels in the mid-to-late 80s.

The station presents a playlist curated entirely by one Jeffrey “OG Loc” Cross, a now-creatively bankrupt rapper seeking to return to his glory days. Often referred to by his real name, or worse, phonetically by his performing name, OG Loc remains the laughing stock of the San Andreas rap community, though he seems to still be living in his own fantasy world.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“OG Loc: Ay yo yo yo! This is OG Loc an’ you tuned in to Radio Los Santos! I’m still at the top of this Doggy Dog World, so best believe it, bitches! Or I’ll bust a cap in your ass!”

“OG Loc: Still bustin’ rhymes, still a motherf*ckin’ OG! I’m the one and only Neighborhood Sniper up in this bitch! Some good ol’ Eazy E!”

“OG Loc: If I catch one more honky callin’ me Og Loc one more time and I’m committing a genocide up in here, fool! You’re in the jungle now, whiteboy! Spice 1 with Welcome To The Ghetto! Them snowbunnies can stay, though.”

“OG Loc: Rare sh*t from Paris! Whatcha See! I'll tell you what I see! I see plenty of punk ass bitches commutin’ the freeway to Burger Shot everyday for the 9-5 paycheck! Now you know me, I flip phones, not burgers!”

“OG Loc: Madd Dogg?! He’s a punk! That nigga dun stole my motherf*ckin’ rhymes! He a two-bit, two-faced, no-dick motherf*cker who don’t deserve no motherf*cking greatest hits album! His ‘greatest’ hit was a feature! Ask anyone that hung around him in Davis, they’ll tell you! Right? 102-bedroom mansion? Mothef*cker, who even needs that many rooms?!”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:
The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

Eazy-E - Neighborhood Sniper (Instrumental)
2Pac - California Love (Instrumental)
Lil ½ Dead - Cavvy Sounds (Instrumental)
Luniz - I Got 5 On It (Instrumental)
NWA - Straight Outta Compton (Instrumental)
Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain (Instrumental)

Playlist:

2Pac - If I Die 2Nite (1995) *
Eazy-E - Neighborhood Sniper (1987)
Eazy-E - Any Last Werdz (1993)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (feat. Eazy-E) - Foe Tha Love Of $ (1994) *
DJ Quik - Loked Out Hood (1991)
Snoop Dogg (feat. Tha Dogg Pound, The Dramatics) - Doggy Dog World (1993)

Warren G (feat. The Twinz) - Recognize (1994)
E-40 - Dusted ‘N’ Disgusted (1995)
The DOC - Mind Blowin’ (1989)
MIsta Grimm - Indo Smoke (1993)
Ice Cube - Friday (1995)
Tha Dogg Pound - Smooth (1992)
MC Breed - Seven Years (1994)
Kausion - Bounce, Rock, Skate (1995)

Ice Cube - Good Cop, Bad Cop (1991)
Twinz - Good Times (1995)
South Central Cartel - Gang Stories (1994)
Lil1/2 Dead - Eastside, Westside (1994)
Mac Mall - Ghetto Theme (1995)
Luniz - Playa Hata (1995)
Kam - Pull Ya Hoe Card (1995)
Compton’s Most Wanted - Hit The Floor (1992)
Ant Banks (feat. Goldy) - Parlayin’ (1994)
New Breed of Hustlas - The Boone Docks (1995) +
Da Lench Mob - Environmental Terrorist (1994)
The West Coast All-Rap Stars - We’re All In The Same Gang (1990)
Dr. Dre (feat. Daz, Snoop Dogg) - Lil’ Ghetto Boy (1991) *
2Pac - Me Against The World (1995)
WC And The Maad Circle - The One (1995)
Compton’s Most Wanted - Can I Kill It? (1991)
The Conscious Daughters - Somethin’ To Ride To (Fonky Expedition) (1993)
Spice 1 - Welcome To The Ghetto (1992)
Spice 1 - Face Of A Desperate Man (1991)
Too $hort - We Do This (1995)
Kokane - Aftermath (1994)
Paris - Whatcha See? (1994) +
Blac Monks - Buddha Nature (1995) +
Frost - Smooth & Easy (1994) +

Total collectibles: 3
Radio-exclusive tracks: 4

Ragga Rakkas Radio
“Jamaican sounds, reggae, dancehall, dub. It’s all at Ragga Rakkas.”

Genres:
Dub, Reggae Fusion, Dub, Dancehall, Two-Tone, Hardcore, Reggae

Host:

Tory Barrington, a chilled-out retired reggae producer of Jamaican descent, taking life easy with ties back to the dub scene in Kingston.

Description:
Replacing Blue Ark Radio in GTA V, as the former station was named and hosted after the late-Lee Perry’s record label and studio, Ragga Rakkas Radio now takes the helm of the region’s flagship Jamaican music station.

Tory Barrington, a retired producer from Kingston, Jamaica, is the current host of RRR. Compared to the other DJs in San Andreas, Tory is notably more down-to-earth and level-headed.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“Tory: "A lickle something from de rudeboys in England. Wicked choon by de one an’ only Aswad. Don’t Turn Around.”

“Tory: Baddest lass in all of dancehall. Hardcore by Lady Saw.”

"Tory: Yah man, take a likkle listen to dis one. Real badman choon dis, My Weapon by Ninjaman."

“Tory: De sky is his blessing to us today. De rooster calls, and de day begins. Time fe a game of beach volleyball an ting. Look at de pretty ladies and get frassed at de bar, smoke a lickle 'erb an' ting. Enjoy life, enjoy the sun, my youth. Be free of all de shackles life entrusts on every man, iya. Because we neva know when de rain will come again, seen?”

“Tory: Dem television soaps be unwatchable an full of foolishness an ting. 500 episodes of endless fighting, swordplay an gun duels, only for de show to end with a commercial sponsorship for erection pills, followed by anotha 500 episodes of de same bumbaclot ting. Never a resolution in these shows, iya. Vinewood, get ya act together! Embarrassing.”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:
The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

Scientist - Dance of the Vampires

Scientist - The Corpse Rises

Scientist - Plague of Zombies

LINK

Playlist:
Eek-A-Mouse - Ganja Smuggling (1983)
Tenor Saw - Roll Saw (1987)

King Tubby - Jah Jah Dub (1975)
The English Beat - Can’t Get Used To Losing You (1980) *
The Specials - Ghost Town (1982)
Aswad - Don’t Turn Around (1988)
Inner Circle - Bad Boys (1989) *
Steel Pulse - Not King James Version (1985)

Prince Jammy - Jammys A Shine (1978)
Super Cat - Don Dada (1993)

Shabba Ranks - Bedroom Bully (1992)
Ninjaman - My Weapon (1992)
Lady Saw - Hardcore (1993)
Sister Nancy - Bam Bam (1983)

Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking (1978)
Yellowman - Zungguzungguguzungguzeng (1983)
Culture - Tell Me Where You Get It (1990)
Israel Vibration - Soldiers of the Jah Army (1991)
Half Pint - Greetings (1985)
Pinchers - Bandelero (1991)
Wailing Souls (feat. Alborosie) - Shark Attack (1992)

Scientist - Drum Song Dub (1981)
Small World - Livin’ Dub (1995) +
Dual Tone - Atom (Dub Massacre 2) (1995) +
Mad Lion - Shoot To Kill (1995)
Spragga Benz - Gang Rival (1995)
Born Jamericans - Ain't No Stoppin' (1994)

Tonto Irie - It A Ring (1992)
Frankie Paul - I Know The Score (1987)
Patra - Queen Of The Pack (1993)
Shaggy - Boombastic (1995)
Cocoa Tea (feat. Home T, Shabba Ranks) - Pirate’s Anthem (1994)
Shabba Ranks - Respect (1991)

John Wayne - Call The Police (1985)
Louie Rankin - Typewriter (1992)
Black Uhuru - Sinsemilla (1980)
Ini Kamoze - Wings With Me (1984)

Total collectibles: 3
Radio-exclusive tracks: 2

WCTR

Genres: Talk Radio

Host: N/A

Shows:

Developers United

Fast Cars

Vinewood Fury

Malacopa FM

"All your favorite freestyle and house hits mixed and baked to perfection, all in one place! For the barrio, by the barrio!"

Genres: Latin House, Freestyle

Playlist:

Lil Suzy

The Cover Girls

Pretty Poison

TKA

Alisha

Santo Domingo Roots Radio

“Country music in the southernmost end of the West Coast. This is Roots Radio.”

Genres:

Country Pop, Nashville Country, Bakersfield Country, Outlaw Country, Novelty, Southern Rock, Rockabilly

Host: Suzie G, a country girl and car freak with a raspy voice from somewhere west of the Mississippi River, stopping over in San Andreas after a very long road trip.

Description:

Lighter in tone, and less outlaw than Rebel Radio, Santo Domingo Roots Radio replaces it in Chasing The Dragon, playing softer country songs that are much more comparable to K-Rose in San Andreas.

Coming from a family of ‘gator hunters and cousin lovers’, it is widely believed that Suzie G is in possession of at least 50 automobiles, more-than-half which are unregistered and without pink slips. Taking the wrong detour off Las Venturas during an illegal race ‘spanning five states and 23 townships’, Suzie ends up in Santo Domingo, and is quickly hired by a ‘broke as hell’ country radio station, which she continues to be the host of to this day.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“Suzie G: She’s Got You by Patsy Cline. What a fine pair of lungs she’s got!”

“Suzie G: The son of a preacher man from back where I live got booked in for pederasty! That made state news! Grew up with the feller, but I just knew he was wired up all wrong in the head the moment I laid my eyes on him! Loretta Lynn, Saint To A Sinner!”

“Suzie G: Bobby Gentry, nobody knows where she is, even now! Fancy was her name!”

“Suzie G: If you grew up in a Southern household, you know better than to finish whatever’s on your plate! You wouldn’t wanna get a hiding, and even then. I mean, you can’t hide from the inevitable! Here’s The Judds to getcha picturing that in your head!”

“Suzie G: Nothin’ like the sound of a V8 runnin’ across the interstate like there’s no tomorrow! Yee-haw! You can complain about how we like keeping our guns to ourselves and how we shouldn’t ruin the sanctity of the neighborhood with our ‘peckerwood’ kind, but you cain’t deny us the right to a good ol’ American automobile! Keep it 2nd Amendment, and keep the needle at 160 miles an hour! Yeah!”

“Suzie G: This is Suzie G and you’re listenin’ to Roots Radio! Time for a lil’ get together on this thing I’ve been thinking about. This metal music thingamajig is just… vile! I cain’t understand why you city folk like that drivel so much! Why would you want to distort a keey-tar? A keey-tar sounds great on its own, it don’t need no distortion! And what’s with all the screaming? Last time I hollered like that, I was fighting for a good number on a custom ‘76 Lycan at the hog auction in Memphis! Some asshole carpetbagger got the deal that day, I snuck outside the bordello and slashed all his tires!”

Non-Purchasable Tracks:

The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

The Highwaymen - The Highwaymen (Instrumental)

Sons of the Pioneers - Forgive & Forget

Charlie LeDoux - Call Of The Wild

MIXCLOUD

Playlist:

Patsy Cline - She’s Got You (1962)

Loretta Lynn - Saint To A Sinner (1974)

Sons of the Pioneers - Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1947) *

Johnny Paycheck - I’m The Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised) (1971)

Webb Pierce - There Stands The Glass (1954)

KItty Wells - Making Believe (1957)

The Highwaymen - American Remains (1990)

Waylon Jennings - Luckenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics of Love) (1977)

Ernest Tubb - Pass The Booze (1965)

Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger (1975)

Barbara Mandrell - Sleeping Single In A Double Bed (1978)

The Kendalls - Pittsburgh Stealers (1976)

Cowboy Junkies - Murder, Tonight In The Trailer Park (1992)

Connie Smith - Once A Day (1965)

The Bellamy Brothers - Old Hippie (1985)

Del Reeves - Girl On The Billboard (1964) *

Merle Haggard - Big City (1981)

Asleep At The Wheel - Hot Rod Lincoln (1988)

Highway 101 - The Bed You Made For Me (1987)

Southern Pacific - Perfect Stranger (1985)

The Judds - Mama He’s Crazy (1984)

Marty Robbins - El Paso City (1976)

Lefty Frizzell - Long Black Veil (1959)

Henson Cargill - Skip A Rope (1968)

Tammy Wynette - My Arms Stay Open At Night (1968)

Linda Ronstadt - I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You) (1974)

Bobby Gentry - Fancy (1970)

Tanya Tucker - Delta Dawn (1972) *

Johnny Cash - (Ghost) Riders In The Sky (1979)

Buck Owens - Streets Of Bakersfield (1973)

Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen - Willin’ (1975)

Mel Tillis - Coca Cola Cowboy (1978)

Charlie Rich - Rollin’ With The Flow (1977)

Total collectibles: 3

Radio-exclusive tracks: 0

Mint Jams Radio

“The sound of economic miracles, the kind we’re going through right now. Presenting city pop and Japanese jazz fusion vibes.”

Genres:

J-Pop, City Pop, Jazz Fusion, Boogie, AOR, Smooth Jazz, Exotica, Disco, Jazz

Host: Kimiko Chanpuru-chan, former soapland employee and Japanese expat hailing from Naha, Okinawa. Hyperactive, neutral and depressed, all at the same time, probably on drugs.

Description:

Named after a Casiopea live album, Mint Jams Radio plays music produced during Japan’s economic heyday in the 80s, broadcasting across Southern San Andreas and Mexico during a similarly booming period in the mid-90s. The range of genres present on the station typically lie in the jazz fusion and city pop genres, with music mostly taken from the late-70s and early-80s, itself influenced by quiet storm, boogie and AOR stateside.

Kimiko Chanpuru-Chan is the current host of Mint Jams Radio. A Japanese expatriate from Okinawa, Chanpuru-Chan speaks mostly Japanese during much of her dialogue on the station, though she occasionally peppers her speech with heavily-accented English, not unlike Teriyaki-Chan in GTA 2. She describes her anecdotes living in the United States in humorous detail, something non-Japanese-speaking players would probably be unable to catch during her more heavy-handed moments.

DJ Dialogue:

Spoiler

“KCC: 1986 Omega Tribe、君は1000%! うわー、これらの人は彼らの全盛期に本当に素晴らしかったです！”

(1986 Omega Tribe, You Are 1000%! Wow! These guys were awesome back in the day!)

“KCC: 大貫妙子はすごいです。日本のポップミュージックは素晴らしいだけではありませんか？おれ... f*cking amazing singer, yes?”

(Taeko Ohnuki is just great. Isn't Japanese pop music just brilliant? A…f*cking amazing singer, yes?)

“KCC: 私は日本が恋しいですが、同時に、私は恋しくありません。アメリカの人たちは太っていて運動もしていませんが、ここの音楽は素晴らしいです。この曲は山下達郎によるもので、アメリカの影響が聞こえてきます。”

(I miss Japan, but at the same time, I don't. The people in America, they're fat and don't exercise, but the music here is great. This song is by Tatsuro Yamash*ta, you can hear the American influence in it.)

“KCC: 私たちのよりあいまいなシティポップシンガーの一人、阿川泰子による素敵な曲。とにかく、この「LA」の場所はどこにありますか？”

(Nice song by one of our more obscure pop singers, Yasuko Agawa. Just where is this "LA" place, anyway?)

“KCC: このような経済の奇跡に生きることは本当に満足ですよね。日本は過去10年間に1つを経験していました！今、私たちが今いる場所を見てください！終末のカルトがテロセルを兼ねており、上司が従業員に朝の早朝まで飲みに出かけるように強制し、老人が地下鉄に乗って女子学生を虐待しようとしています！さて、私たちがまだ昔の記録を残しているのは良いことです！私はあなたがすべて同じことをすることをお勧めします！これが「ミントジャムラジオ」です！経済が決して失敗しないところ！米国、頑張ってください!”

(It’s truly satisfying to be situated in an economic miracle such as this one, don’t you think, San Andreas? Japan used to go through one the previous decade! Now look where we are now! We have doomsday cults doubling as terror cells, bosses forcing employees to go out drinking with them till the wee hours of the morning and old men trying to cop a feel at the schoolgirls aboard the subway! Well, good thing we still keep a record of the old days! I suggest you all do the same! This is Mint Jams Radio! Where the bubble never bursts! Do your worst, America!)

“KCC: 今日ピザキッチンで働いているかわいい男を見ました、彼は新しいレジ係でした。私が英語を上手に話せないことに気づいたとき、彼は面白がっているようでした。彼は私にメニューを説明しようとしましたが、私もそれをよく読むことができませんでした。彼は私に何が欲しいかと尋ねました、そしてすぐにフロイト的失言が私の口から出てきました、それは映画からのものだったと思います。「Get me a motherf*ckin’ Hawaiian, playa!」私はその男に真っ直ぐな顔で言った。みんなびっくりしました！！困惑してすぐに出発！あああああくそ野郎!”

(I saw a cute guy working at the pizza kitchen today, he was a cashier, very new to the job from the look of it. He seemed amused when he noticed I couldn’t speak English too well. He tried explaining the menu to me, but I couldn’t read it too well either. He asked me what I wanted, and immediately a Freudian slip came out of my mouth. I think I heard it in a gangster movie once. “Get me a motherf*ckin’ Hawaiian, playa!” I told the man with a straight face. Everyone in the restaurant froze! I left immediately in embarrassment! Well f*ck me sideways!)

Special thanks: Google Translate

Non-Purchasable Tracks:

The following tracks are only heard during DJ in-betweeners, and are not available for sale in record stores.

Mariya Takeuchi - Plastic Love

Casiopea - Coast To Coast

T-Square - Night Cruise

MIXCLOUD

Playlist:

1986 Omega Tribe - 君は1000% (1986)

Anri - Cat’s Eye (1983)

Casiopea - Midnight Rendezvous (1979)

Casiopea - Swallow (1979)

Casiopea - Dream Hill (1979)

Casiopea - Galactic Funk (Live) (1985)

Casiopea - Asayake (Live) (1982)

Casiopea - Tears Of The Stars (Live) (1982)

Casiopea - Domino Line (Live) (1980)

Jun Fukamachi - On The Move (1978)

Makoto Matsush*ta - September Rain (1982)

Masaki Matsubara - Silly Crush (1983)

Seaside Lovers - Lovers Paradise (1983)

Masayoshi Takanaka - Blue Curacao (1978)

Eri Ohno - Skyfire (1981)

Minako Yoshida - Midnight Driver (1980)

Naniwa Express - Inside Of You (1984)

Prism - Dancing Moon (1977)

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kazumi Watanabe - I’ll Be There (1978)

Yellow Magic Orchestra - Firecracker (1978)

Sadao Watanabe - Safari (1978)

Shigeru Suzuki - Coral Reef (1978)

Taeko Ohnuki - Summer Connection (1977)

Tatsuro Yamash*ta - Magic Ways (1984)

T-Square - Prime (1985)

T-Square - Truth (1987)

T-Square - Breeze And You (1987)

T-Square - Control (Live) (1990)

Miho Fujiwara - Streets Are Hot (1986)

Miho Fujiwara - Heartbeat (1986)

Yasuko Agawa - LA Night (1986)

Yukiko Okada - Summer Beach (1985)

Yumi Matsutoya - Kage Ni Natte (1979)

Akira Wada with Friends - Now And Forever (1984)

Total collectibles: 0

Radio-exclusive tracks: 0

Edited February 15 by LowTierDude

March 12, 2022

(This section is still WIP.)

Part 4: Vehicles

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Car Value
A new feature in Chasing The Dragon, Car Value refers to the inherent value of an owned vehicle which is graphically represented by statistics, functioning somewhat similarly to the Stock Market in GTA V.

The statistics can be accessed at any dealership, in the player’s vehicle inventory or at any office building owned by the player.

Car Value statistics come in two forms, Demand and Value.

Demand stats are visualized by a running line graph similar to a typical stock market graph, and greatly influence the sell value of the vehicle, as well as the likelihood of an Auction House accepting the player’s offer. It is not necessarily true that an exotic vehicle would always be in high demand, and vice versa.

Newspapers will report instances of high demand such as the release of a new movie or an ongoing minivan craze, thus it is advisable for the player to keep up-to-date on auto trends.

Value stats, on the other hand, are represented by a running bar graph, which determines the current market value of the vehicle, and its speculative value in the coming hours, days or even weeks.

These stats indicate the popularity, rarity and value of the player’s owned vehicles, and can influence the value of modifications, the sell value at any paint shop, the probability of auctioning and even pedestrian reactions to the vehicle.

Typically, used vehicles or heavily modified exotic and rare vehicles will incur a ‘Used Car’ penalty, which causes the vehicle to depreciate much more quickly or appreciate much more slowly. Conversely, designated modified ‘tuner’ and ‘lowrider’ vehicles as well as exotic and rare vehicles with little to no modifications will net a ‘Premium’ bonus, which rewards the vehicle with a higher appreciation rate and a lower depreciation rate. These bonuses and penalties will often be rated on a scale of -10 to 10.

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Dealerships
There are five principal types of dealerships that can be found across the map, each catering to a certain clientele. They are each signified by the color of the outer ring of each icon. The types are:

1. Economical (Low-end vehicles, mostly cheap sedans, coupes, hatchbacks from the 80s and 90s)
2. Mid-tier (Mid-tier vehicles and sports cars, may also offer sports and cruiser classic vehicles and some lower-tier executive vehicles)
3. Exotic (Exotic performance cars, rarer sports vehicles and muscles, sports and exotic classics and executive vehicles)
4. Used Cars (Second-hand vehicles of the cheaper to mid-tier variety, station wagons, minivans, RVs are much more common here, some classic muscles and cruisers)
5. Premium Used Cars (Used performance and executive vehicles, cruiser classics, muscle classics and exotic classics)

All dealerships give the player the opportunity to Test Drive vehicles before purchase, and the option to use a circuit is also provided, though the player would have to pay a $100 fee. Time Trials can be performed as well in a circuit.

While used cars are often cheaper to purchase and may come with pre-existing modifications and paint jobs, it is generally not recommended for players to purchase them for the value or for car collection as the value of the car typically depreciates more and appreciates less compared to a ‘mint’ vehicle. These vehicles are instead advised to be used as racing vehicles or vehicles used for gang activities.

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Auction Houses
Other than scrapping the vehicle or selling it for parts at any paint shop or used car dealership, the player can choose to sell their vehicle at an Auction House, most of which can be found near Exotic or Mid-tier dealerships. Auction Houses are denoted by a pink slip icon.

The player can either purchase or sell vehicles at an Auction House, both which are done through different processes. A list of supply/demand statistics are available for all vehicles as a third option on the Auction House menu to let the player decide whether or not they should sell it, as well as indicate the current vehicle’s actual value and calculate the potential profit/loss.

Purchased Auction vehicles are considered ‘mint’ and therefore will not incur the used car penalty.

If the player wishes to Sell a vehicle, they would first have to choose a price for their vehicle, though they would have to take into account the demand and current value of the vehicle. An auction would take place, and the player would sell the vehicle to the highest bidder, cutting themselves a profit in the process. Depending on the demand and value set, some auctions will not happen at all, thus forcing the player to either reclaim the vehicle or reduce its value.

The player will be notified through pager if an Auction takes place, giving the player an in-game two days time limit to reach the Auction House before the vehicle is forfeit and returned to the auction car lot for the player to either store for the next auction or reclaim.

If the player wishes to Buy a vehicle, they will attend a live auctioning session, and the player will have three options.

Bid Higher (Bid a higher value on the vehicle)
Bargain (Debate with another buyer over the vehicle’s value)
Leave (Leave the auction)

“Tarnell: Come on! Does that jalopy look like a pot o’ gold to you? You need your f*ckin’ eyes examined, chief!”
- One of the possible dialogues when bargaining.

Bargaining involves a quick reflex minigame where the player has to choose the best line from the dialogue tree to negotiate with another buyer over the vehicle’s value, often humorously and sarcastically. A successful attempt will stagnate the auctioned value, while an unsuccessful attempt will result in the player being forced to bid higher or forgo the auction.

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Modding Garages
Returning from GTA V in a bigger way, modding garages make a return in Chasing The Dragon as San Andreas Customs (in the USA) or Ramon’s Customs (in Mexico).

The player is able to improve, adjust and/or fine tune any feature on their vehicles such as suspension, acceleration or braking on their vehicles, or opt for a number of extensions and cosmetic features on the vehicle such as tailgates and hood scoops. Unlike GTA Online, the interior color for any vehicle can be changed along with decorations such as fuzzy dice, rear neon lightwork or a dashboard-mounted bobblehead figure, as well as interior dashboard lighting. They can also purchase defensive modifications such as protective front guards, bulletproof glass and tires, deployable spikestrips and car armor.

Color and rim-wise, the game offers ‘factory’ rims and body color options on top of custom ones. Factory colors will generally maintain the vehicle’s original value, and cause minimal-to-no negative changes in the car rating system. The exception for this is of course the tuner and lowrider vehicles. Too many modifications on conventional and exotic vehicles, however, and the value of the car will eventually plummet. The exception to this is when bulletproof glass and tires are purchased.

As such, the player is encouraged to spend money on their modifications wisely, to get the best value for their car.

Vehicles can also be sold in a garage for their current street value, though an auction house would generally be a much more financially-viable option to take.

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Vehicles List
Chasing The Dragon features a whopping 800-plus vehicles including aircraft and watercraft, owing to its gigantic map. Featuring pastiches based on actual vehicles from the 30s to the 90s, there is a noticeably large emphasis on vehicles made during the 1973-1995 period, due to its locale and time period, thus resembling a cross between the roster seen in Vice City and San Andreas, with a touch of Liberty City Stories.

Depending on the city, country, terrain and district, the traffic variety will be different in each. For example, vehicles in the Los Santos and upper Santo Domingo area will mostly be late-80s and early-mid-90s models, whereas vehicles in Mexico and American small towns will appear to be predominantly from the 70s to mid-80s, with Santo Domingo being somewhere in between.

Unlike GTA V, where exotic vehicles are rarer to get by, they are relatively more common in traffic here, with certain models having fixed spawn periods during different times and days at certain districts for the player to track and steal.

Sedan Class

Karin Medina - Toyota Mark II (X60)
Declasse Oryx - 7th Gen Chevrolet Impala SS
Vapid Privateer - 4th Gen Ford LTD
Annis Durant - Nissan Maxima (J30)
Imponte Sunrise - 9th Gen Pontiac Bonneville
Annis Twilight - Mazda Sentia
Imponte Tahoma - 7th Gen Pontiac Bonneville
Declasse Esperanto - 4th Gen Chevrolet Malibu
Willard Willard - 6th Gen Buick LeSabre
Albany Primo - 4th Gen Cadillac Seville
Dundreary Opus - Eagle Vision
Classique Fresno - 9th Gen Oldsmobile Delta 88
Bravado ExSess - 1st Gen Dodge Intrepid
Dinka Montreal - Honda Accord Series SJ-SM
Karin Gnostic - 4th Gen Isuzu Gemini
Declasse Patron - Geo Metro
Willard Orion X1 - Buick Park Avenue Essence
Imponte Hudson - Pontiac 3rd Gen Pontiac Sunbird LE
Declasse Exeter - 4th Gen Chevrolet Caprice Classic
Classique Snide - 2nd Gen Oldsmobile Omega sedan
Vapid Marbelle - 1st Gen Ford Granada
Willard Monaghan - 4th Gen Buick Century
Karin Asterope FE - Toyota Camry (V40)
Karin Zondia - Datsun 1600
Lampadati 23C - Fiat 130 saloon
Karin Serena - Toyota Carina ED (ST200 Series)
Vapid Tempest - 1st Gen Ford Taurus SHO

Coupe Class

Declasse Cadrona T - 2nd Gen Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 Convertible
Willard Talbot - 7th Gen Buick Riviera
Ubermacht Pampas - BMW Z1
Vapid Apollo E - Ford Escort EXP
Dundreary Mildred - 2nd Gen Ford Tempo coupe
Annis Hatsume - Mazda 626 (CB) coupe
Karin Quartz - Nissan NX2000
Ocelot Motley- Lotus Elan M100
Albany Crest - 12th Generation Cadillac Eldorado
Annis Caspia - Mazda Cosmo Series HB
Bravado Bravura - Dodge Shadow
Willard Faction - Buick GNX
Vapid Fortune - 10th Gen Ford Thunderbird
Classique Scimitar - Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais coupe
Dinka Hakumai - Honda Prelude Si
Dinka Dispera - Acura Integra (DA3)
Dewbauchee Webster - Aston Martin Virage
Lampadati GE600 - Maserati Biturbo
Obey Rouge - Audi Cabriolet (Typ 8G)
Vapid Lebanon - 5th Gen Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Grotti Pannacotta - Ferrari 412

Compact Class

Declasse Leper - AMC Gremlin
Declasse Rhapsody - AMC Pacer
BF Club Erste - Volkswagen Golf GTI
XIV Mahajari GT - Citroen AX GT
Karin Dolemite - Mitsubishi Colt Turbo
Annis Costa - Daihatsu Charade GTti
Lampadati Bonaventura - Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC
BF Weevil - Volkswagen Beetle
XIV Dewdrop - Renault 5 GT Turbo
Dinka Atsui - Honda Civic (ED) hatchback
Vulcar Borracho - Fiat Uno (Type 146)
Grotti Brioso 300 - Fiat 500
Vapid Serenade - Ford Fiesta XR2i
BF Barcel GTi - SEAT Ibiza Mk2 (6K)

Station Wagon Class

Obey Argento LE - Audi RS 2 Avant
Ubermacht Pfeiffer SW-85 - BMW E34 M5
Willard Goby - Buick Skyhawk station wagon
Vapid Parishioner - Ford LTD Country Squire
Dundreary Solair - 1st Gen Mercury Sable station wagon
Classique Jeronimo - Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser
Dundreary Regina - 5th Gen Chrysler Town & Country
Declasse Klondike - 4th Gen Plymouth Sport Suburban
Karin Zondia 1600SC - Datsun Bluebird
Schyster Polo - Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country Turbo
Vulcar Ingot - Volvo 850 Estate
XIV Tenpin - Renault Sportwagon

Minivan Class

Classique Enterprise - 1st Gen Oldsmobile Silhouette
Vapid Minivan - 1st Gen Ford Windstar
Annis Drive-E - Nissan Caravan (E24)
Declasse Moonbeam - Chevrolet Astro
Karin Aubergine - Toyota Previa
Dinka Perennial - Honda Odyssey
Vapid Typo - Ford Econoline E100
BF Mothership - Volkswagen T2 MIcrovan
BF Wannager NT - Volkswagen Vanagon (T3)

Crossover Class

Albany Cavalcade - Chevrolet Escalade
Canis Seminole - Jeep Cherokee Sport (XJ)
Canis Yamasee - Jeep Cherokee (SJ)
Declasse Granger - Chevrolet Suburban
Vapid Appaloosa - Ford Bronco
Canis Bickham - International Scout II
Gallivanter Huntley - Range Rover Classic
Gallivanter Belico - Land Rover Defender 90/110
Maibatsu Mountaineer - Mitsubishi Pajero
Benefactor Dubsta - Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon
Annis Navi - Nissan Pathfinder
Annis Hellion - Nissan Patrol Safari
Annis Meiji - Suzuki Samurai
BF Wannager Sport - Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro
Vapid Condor - AMC Eagle
Karin Rolla 4x4 - Toyota Land Cruiser (FJ80)

Karin Everest - Toyota 4Runner (VZN130)
Karin Castel 2.0L - Toyota RAV4 (XA10)
Canis Mesa Chiquita - Jeep CJ-7
Canis Mesa Grande - Jeep Wrangler Renegade
Maibatsu Navajo - Isuzu VehiCROSS

Van Class

Bravado Paradise - Ford E-Series beach camper van
Bravado Rumpo - Ford E-Series
Brute Pony - 3rd Gen GMC Vandura
Declasse Burrito - 2nd Gen Dodge Ram Van
Declasse Gang Burrito - 2nd Gen Dodge Ram Van

Brute Boxville - Chevrolet Step Van
Bravado Youga - 3rd Gen Dodge Ram Van
BF Surfer - Volkswagen T1 (Type 2)
Bravado Cordair - 1st Gen Ford E-Series
Zirconium Journey - Vogue 26 Villa Grand
Brute Camper - Chevrolet Winnebago Class C

Pickup Class

Pegassi Tiranno - Lamborghini LM002
Mammoth Patriot Mil-Spec - Hummer H1
Vapid Champlain - GMC Syclone
Declasse Yosemite - 2nd Gen Chevrolet C/K
Vapid Slamvan - Ford F-Series Rat Rod
Declasse Bobcat - 3rd Gen Chevrolet C/K
Declasse Bobcat Alpha - Chevrolet 454 SS
Cheval Picador - Chevrolet El Camino
Karin Rebel - 5th Gen Toyota Hilux
Declasse Walton - Chevrolet Task Force
Annis Xanadu - Nissan D21
Karin 320DC - Datsun 520
Bravado Gallant - Dodge Ram (D100)
Bravado Campbell - Rod Hall Signature Edition Dodge
Bravado Rat Loader - Dodge Power Wagon
Bravado Pillager - Dodge Shelby Dakota
Bravado Bison - Dodge Ram
Benefactor Nützlich - Mercedes Unimog pickup
Vapid Kimmler - Ford Lightning
Declasse Rancher - 1st Gen Dodge RamCharger
Canis Arlingbrooke - Jeep FC-150

Luxury Class

Dundreary Muskat - Eagle Premier ES
Lampadati Cinquemila MV - Maserati Quattroporte Royale
Ubermacht Sentinel - BMW E32 750i
Enus Drop Diamond - Bentley Mulsanne
Benefactor Schafter - Mercedes-Benz W126 Second Series
Lampadati Monterrey - Monteverdi Tiara
Emperor Vilkus - Lexus LS (XF10)
Albany Washington - 2nd Gen Lincoln Town Car
Albany Emperor - 5th Gen Cadillac Sedan Deville
Enus Elitus - Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph
Obey Tailgater - Audi A8 (D2/4D)
Obey Tailgater V8 - Audi V8
Willard Marbelle - 2nd Gen Ford Grenada
Ocelot Jackal S3 - Jaguar XJ Series III

Sports Classics Class

Vulcar Warrener - Datsun Skyline 240K GT
Karin 190z - Datsun 240z
Vapid Ellie - Ford Mustang
Schyster Streetwalker - Chrysler 300D (LC3-S)
Vapid Tarsal - 1963-64 Plymouth Sport Fury 426 ‘Max Wedge’
Bravado Dominator GTT -
Imponte Phoenix - Pontiac Trans-Am
Vapid Blade - 2nd Gen Ford Falcon
Voodoo -
Vapid Rattlesnake - Ford Gran Torino
Imponte Dukes - 1966 Dodge Charger
Bravado Gauntlet
Albany Hermes
Hustler
Stallion
Deviant
Clique
Vamos
Tulip
Buccaneer
Imperator
Sabre Turbo
Tampa
Lampadati Idaho - Facel Vega FVS
Lampadati Iroquois - Lancia Fulvia Sport 1600 Zagato
Classique Sinclair - Plymouth Special DeLuxe Club Coupe

Cruiser Classics Class

Bravado Vitruvian - 4th Gen Dodge Polara
Declasse Impaler - 4th Gen Chevrolet Impala
Albany Virgo - 1977 Lincoln Mark V
Albany Virgo Classic - 8th Gen Cadillac Eldorado
Albany Manana
Vapid Chino - 4th Gen Lincoln Continental
Savanna
Albany Remington - Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
Classique Valorant - DeSoto Fireflite
Declasse Tornado - 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air
Bravado Oceanic - Rambler Ambassador Super
Declasse Broadway - Cadillac Series 62
Vapid Leotard - Rambler Rebel SST
Bravado Meteorite - Dodge Coronet
Vapid Fortuna - Ford Galaxie 500
Classique Derringer - Oldsmobile Toronado
Schyster Gartooth - 2nd Gen Plymouth Barracuda
Declasse Cashmere - 4th Gen Cadillac Sixty Special
Declasse Simmons - Chevrolet Corvair Monza
Willard Messine - Buick Electra 225 Coupe
Declasse Fulham A/M - Cadillac Jacqueline Brougham Coupe

Exotic Classics Class

Benefactor Wilhelm 300C - Mercedes-Benz 500K
Vapid Bullet - Ford GT40
Grotti Stinger GT - Ferrari 250 GTO
Grotti Stinger - Ferrari Daytona
Grotti Modesto - Ferrari 365 California
Benefactor Stirling - Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster
Declasse Mamba - AC Cobra
Lampadati Casco - Maserati 3500 GT
Lampadati Gharial - De Tomaso Mangusta
Lampadati Rivetta - Maserati A6 1500
Lampadati Arnaud 506 - Cisitalia 202 Coupe
Invetero Coquette Blackfin - Chevrolet Corvette (C1)
Ubermacht Schlotter - BMW 507
Ubermacht Ventura - BMW 503
Grotti Vento Forte – Dino 206 GT
Evelyn Symbiote - Tucker Torpedo
Pegassi Torero - Lamborghini Countach
Pegassi Monroe - Lamborghini Miura
Rowlands G1 - McLaren M6GT
Rowlands K12 - Allard K1
Declasse Enigma - Kaiser-Frazer Darrin

Sports Class

Willard Mayne - Buick Reatta
BF Bliksem - Volkswagen Corrado
Grotti Uditore - Ferrari 328 GTS
Ubermacht Trevelyan - BMW Z3 (E36/7)
Lampadati Piacenza - Alfa Romeo SZ
Imponte Dillinger - Pontiac Grand Prix Turbo
Annis Harimau - Nissan 300ZX
Karin Kuruma - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (EVO 3)
Dinka Harlot - Honda DC2 Integra Type R
Karin Kasai - Dodge Stealth
Maibatsu Penumbra - Mitsubishi Eclipse (D21A) GS-T
Karin Futo GTX - Toyota Corolla Sprinter Trueno AE86
Karin Futo - Toyota Corolla Levin
Vapid Uranus - 3rd Gen Ford Mustang
Annis ZR200 - Mazda RX-7 (FC)
Annis Yamato GT - Nissan Pulsar GTi-R
Annis Remus - Nissan Silvia (S13)
Annis Elegy - Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)
Karin Sultan - Subaru Impreza (GM)
Karin Hallucinogen - Toyota MR-2
Benefactor Schwartzer S12E - AMG Hammer Coupe
Obey Bava - Audi Quattro
Imponte Nightshade BR-II - Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
Imponte Ruiner -3rd Gen Pontiac Firebird
Imponte Insurrection - Pontiac Fiero
Dinka Blista Compact - Honda CRX
Annis Treblan - Mazda 323 GTX
Maibatsu Centauri - Mitsubishi Starion
Pfister Manx - Porsche 944 Turbo
Pfister Marielito - Porsche 928
Annis Skygazer - Mazda MX-5 Miata
Annis Veltra - Mazda Autozam AZ-1
Vapid Apollo Sport - Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Dundreary Monoko SV - 1st Gen Eagle Talon
Karin Solaci - Toyota Celica Supra
Benefactor Feltzer - Mercedes-Benz R107
Ubermacht Zion - BMW E30 325iX

Exotic Class

Ubermacht SC - BMW M1
Ocelot Ardent - Lotus Esprit X180
Imponte Deluxo - DeLorean DMC-12
XIV Boudoir - Renault Alpine A610
Dinka Hayaku - Honda NSX-R
Grotti Turismo - Ferrari F40
Grotti Deimos - Ferrari F50
Grotti Elara - Ferrari 348
Grotti Cheetah - Ferrari Testarossa 512 TR
Imponte Coquette Phobos - Chevrolet Corvette (C3) Collector's Edition
Vapid GB200 - Ford RS200
Pegassi Infernus - Lamborghini Diablo
Ocelot Penetrator - Jaguar XJ220
Ocelot LeMarr - Jaguar XJR-15
Progen GP1 - McLaren F1
Truffade Iris - Bugatti EB 110 Super Sport
Factor S01 - Vector W8
Factor S02 - Vector M12

Grotti Ghiaccio - Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina
Dewbauchee Zephyr - Lister Storm
Pfister Bacchus - Dauer 962 Le Mans
Pfister Comet - Porsche 964 Turbo
Bravado Banshee - Dodge Viper (SR I)
Lampadati Viseris - De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S
Invetero Coquette - Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (C4)
Pegassi DeTerazzo - Cizeta-Moroder V16T
XIV Bolide - Aixam Mega Track
Dewbauchee Rapid Le Bonnes - Aston Martin Vantage Le Mans

Emergency Class

Ambulance (American Variant)

Ambulance (Mexican Variant)

Firetruck (American Variant)

Firetruck (Mexican Variant)

LSPD Police Cruiser

SDPD Police Cruiser

CVPD Police Cruiser

Meat Wagon

NOOSE Enforcer

Federales Enforcer

FIB Rancher

Federales Rancher

Border Patrol Cruiser

Park Ranger

Police Wintergreen

Police Wayfarer

Services Class

Taco Truck

Mr. Whoopee

Campaign Rumpo

Romero

Taxi (American Variant)

Taxi (Mexican Variant)

Caddie

News Van
Laundromat

Utility Class

Benson

Mule

Phantom

Linerunner

Utility Truck

Biff

Packer

Stockade

Cement Mixer

Bicycles

Motorcycles

Dinka Wayfarer - Honda Goldwing (GL1500)

Western Company WinterGreen - Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic

Western Company Angel - Harley-Davidson FXSTSB Bad Boy

Western Company Freeway - Harley-Davidson FXDWG Wide Glide

Western Company Diabolus - Harley-Davidson FXDB Glide Sturgis

Dinka Vega - Honda Hornet 900

Pegassi FCR-900 - Ducati 600 SS

Pegassi Fandango - Bimota DB3 Mantra

Sh*tzu PCJ-900 - Honda CB400-Super Four

Sh*tzu NRG-500 - Honda NSR500

Sh*tzu F-Zero - Yamaha FZ-750

Sh*tzu Hakuchou - Honda CBR900RR Fireblade

Maibatsu Sanchez - Honda CRM250R

Dinka Enduro - Honda XLR250R

Principe Faggio - Vespa Piaggio 150

Off-Road Class

BF Dune Buggy - Custom dune buggy
BF Injection - VW Fusca Buggy
BF Bifta - VW Beach Buggy
Canis Kalahari - Citroen Mehari
Nagasaki Blazer - Can-Am Outlander
Vapid Liberator - Ford F-250 Monster Truck
Vapid Sandking Sport - Bowler Wildcat
Vapid Winky - Willys MB
Canis Bodhi - Kaiser Jeep M715

Helicopter Class

Maverick

Sparrow

Swift

Cargobob

Hunter

Plane Class

Mammoth Dodo - de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter

Buckingham Shamal - Learjet 55

Mammoth Volcanic - McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle

Mammoth Cerebos - Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

Boat Class

Tropic

Rio

Violator

Speeder

Dinghy

Tug

Seashark

Jetmax

Marquis

Yola

Toro

Suntrap

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Hidden Vehicles

A random encounter at any payphone will allow either T or Javier to obtain the contact details of an elusive member of the Vinewood elite with a penchant for rare vehicles, whose number is written on a sticky note pasted on said phone booth. Referring to himself as ‘The Collector’, the man offers the two protagonists a reward for successfully delivering each vehicle to any of his lockups in either Vinewood Hills, Nocando Hills, La Arruga or Los Oriones.

There are 25 hidden vehicles located across the entire map which are based mostly on concept or one-off vehicles from the 1980s or 1990s, a number of which are test-driven in the in-game TV show, Gearhead. Delivering the vehicles successfully to the lockups makes them available for purchase at any exotic dealership in the map, albeit at an extremely high price.

Car Value-wise, Hidden Cars have a fixed value, and as such no matter what modifications are applied, the value will neither depreciate nor appreciate. A double-edged sword, this means that you will likely sell the vehicle either for the same or a lesser amount than what you have initially paid for.

In short, it is inadvisable to sell hidden vehicles as you will likely only make a loss.

Hidden Vehicles

Enus Harem - Bentley Dominator
Invetero Coquette XW3 Targa - Chevrolet Corvette Indy
Zirconium Galaxion - Oldsmobile Aerotech
Albany Minotaur - GMC Centaur
Imponte Biobhan GPRS III - Pontiac Banshee IV
Bravado Banshee GT-Re - Dodge Viper RT/10 Concept
Vapid Tolita - Ford Maya
Imponte Cerra - Pontiac Stinger
Annis Inoue - Nissan NX-21
Declasse Atoma - Chevrolet Express Concept
Schyster A-Type - Chrysler Atlantic
Obey 7F-P - Audi Avus Quattro
Grotti Lamberto - Ferrari Conciso
Vapid Dominator VLR - Mustang Mach III Concept
Schyster Utopia - Chrysler Aviat
Schyster Odyssey - Plymouth Voyager 3
Benefactor S12C - Mercedes-Benz C112
Ubermacht SCX - BMW Nazca M12
Maibatsu FT9 - Yamaha OX99-11
Classique Candor - Oldsmobile Expression
Grotti Canaan - Ferrari Mythos
Ocelot Simile - Lotus Emotion
Sh*tzu Yobi - Suzuki Noda

Schyster Caspere - Chrysler Thunderbolt

Imponte Delphinus - Chevrolet Aerovette

“I'd like to congratulate you on all 25 jobs well done, kindred spirit of mine.

Under regular circumstances, I would have eagerly invited you over to the mansion for some drinks and the company of nubile starlets fresh off the coach crossing the transcontinental highway. A taste of the forbidden fruit, but we both know that would raise eyebrows, don’t we?

Believe me when I say that I am more than just grateful for all the work you have done. There is a man in a red suit waiting in the main lobby of The Jetty in Pacific Bluffs. Upon seeing you, he will hand you, or your associate, keys to two of my former properties, two soon-to-be designated architectural landmarks, I might add. Consider this a personal token of gratitude from me. All the best in your future endeavors, my friend.”

- THE COLLECTOR, upon successfully delivering all hidden cars.

Upon completion, a special, hyper-rare vehicle, the Pegassi Fortissimo (based on the Italdesign Cala), is gifted to the player, and two special 3-storey vehicle garages, The Pacific Bluffs Showroom, and The La Arruga Showroom, are unlocked.

Edited June 28, 2023 by kobeni

March 19, 2022

I'm really waiting to see your creative juices flowing on this one. It looks great so far and I'm eager to see what's in store when it's fleshed out more. You mentioned the setting of Southern San Andreas being a dead horse setting. It absolutely isn't. At least not for me. Maybe that's becuase I just love the setting, or I'm just so familiar with it. I mean, we have been in San Andreas since 2013 for God's sake. LOL! But I love it. Out of all the concepts on the forums, I have to say your Borders concept is by far my favorite concept of all time so far. Even though you said it wasn't fleshed out, I absolutely fell in love with that concept. The story and atmosphere was simply magnificent. So when I saw this one was going to be a prequel of sorts, I couldn't have been happier. Keep up the great work man. Your Southern San Andreas concepts are awesome!

March 19, 2022

Agreed. This is a fantastic piece of work. One of your best.

Your map work deserves a special mention. They're so easy on the eye and ridiculously thorough at the same time. Great stuff.

March 19, 2022

Thanks for the kind words guys.

I didn't want to forget about this concept and let the whole thing rot in Docs, hence the massive updates and information on radios and cars and mapping. Just don't like seeing writing go to waste is all. Apologies if the current state of the graphics, at least for the newer posts, aren't up to standard.

I'll work on them whenever I get the time, I suppose.

April 7, 2022

I'm loving the music section so far. Especially the inclusion of a Japanese jazz fusion and city pop station. I love Vaporwave so I'm pretty sure it's laden with tons of music sampled by Vaporwave artists. I also like the idea of the 80s and 90s jazz fusion original score. That will do wonders for the atmosphere. I do however have a slight gripe. With this being set in Southern San Andreas and Mexico, I was quite surprised that there was no radio station dedicated to Latin music. That even felt weird in GTA San Andreas. I couldn't believe they didn't have a Latin station seeing as how SoSa is so deeply rooted with Mexican culture. GTA Vice City got it all the way right with Radio Espantoso. I couldn't imagine that game with it's Miami influenced setting without those Latin hits on the radio.

April 7, 2022

2 hours ago, HangTheDj said:

I was quite surprised that there was no radio station dedicated to Latin music.

I gotta admit, I'm not exactly the greatest fan of Latin music pre-2000, particularly corridos. I had a couple of stations dedicated to that in Borders but you could kind of tell that they were half-heartedly pieced together compared to the others.

Since this concept is technically a "DLC" to Borders, you can just assume that the existing stations would be brought over to this one much like the episodes were to GTA IV.

90s Latin house seems pretty cool, however. I might just do some research on that if I have time. So far the only song that I'm familiar that was commercially popular at the was the house remix of Macarena by Los Del Rios (which I originally wanted to include in NSP), but there's definitely more like it that I haven't yet discovered.

Edited April 7, 2022 by sabitsuki

April 7, 2022

Well, Spanish is my second language so I happen to LOVE Latin music/culture and I loved a lot of the Latin songs in Borders. I don't make concepts here because I don't know how and I know that the creation of the radio stations is probably the most complicated thing to do in these concepts because you want to find music that perfectly fits the atmosphere you're going for. So I'm linking you to a website that would make anyone's music research easier. It only compiles the most popular songs of the eras and genres based on the music charts and rankings. This way you don't have to sift through a ton of music and you don't risk putting songs in a list that may not be that popular. I don't know if any concept creators are already using this site, but if I was creating concepts I would definitely be using this to save time. Let me know what you think. They have a whole Latin section and pretty much any other genre of music you might be looking for.

https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/music0.html

April 8, 2022

20 hours ago, HangTheDj said:

I don't make concepts here because I don't know how and I know that the creation of the radio stations is probably the most complicated thing to do in these concepts because you want to find music that perfectly fits the atmosphere you're going for.

Come and see us over at The Creators Lounge. We can help you get started.

All you need to bring along is an idea. We can help you structure that into a concept and you're good to go from there. If you're looking for graphics or anything else, there are people who can set them up for you.

They might not be as flash looking as Sabitsuki here, but we'll give it a damn good go.

And take it from me, compiling a soundtrack is the most fun part of creating a concept. I still have all of my playlists on rotation to this day!

May 4, 2022

Part 5: Weapons

(To be updated...)

May 4, 2022

Part 6: The People & Gangs of SoSA (WIP)

Allies
Friends, amigos, compadres. Guys and girls that T and Javier associate with and are close to.

Personal Acquaintances
Folks with close ties to the protagonists before the game’s events, be it employers who cut their checks or family members that send them on the westward trail straight into the former Golden State.

Ollie Doherty:
A former member of the Angels of Death, believed to have been involved in security for Stikki Fingers at the ill-fated Beaumont Peace n’ Love Concert near Fierro back in ‘70. He’s done his time for half beating some hippie to death during the aforementioned concert, spending 10-years for aggravated assault and, can you believe it? Racketeering.

An ex-biker who has long since burnt his patches in a flaming oil drum, Ollie now runs Fandango Bail Bonds in Emerald Lake, Los Santos, and maintains a good relationship with the ex-cop, letting him work the bounties to pay what little bills he has.

One unusual day, however, he unknowingly fingers Tarnell off on a target that leads to his chance meeting with Javier, a moment that would change his life in the West Coast forever.

Saul Alvarez:
The guy who possibly set T up in Vice City back in ‘89. The former partner of one Detective Bridges, Saul is a man who brought the then 26-year old detective right into the dark side in the Vice Squad, working with him and mentoring him to get familiar with the criminal underworld, crossing paths with some notable crime figures in the beachfront city during its glitzy, neon-drenched heyday throughout the 1980s.

It somewhat paid off. Bridges got out of his old grungy apartment near the docks and bought himself a penthouse in Ocean Beach, got a new Cheetah off the Grotti dealership and had it converted into a squad car, and when it was all said and done, he was loaded in all that moolah, and showered with all the attention and women that he ever wanted, becoming as big of a celebrity cop as Saul was.

Then the sting operation happened, and after a lengthy payoff, T moves out and goes back to right where he started, dirt poor. Resentful is probably the lightest way to describe T’s feelings towards his brother detective after the events that have since transpired.

What became of Alvarez, remains a mystery, but word is, he’s active in the lower West Coast, working a big job someplace.

Martin Madrazo:
The cousin of Javier, currently engaged in more than just a mere sibling rivalry. He actively demonizes his cousin and develops some sort of twisted superiority complex over him, believing the man to be incapable of running a criminal organization, and not being a ‘True Madrazo’, as their heated phone calls to one another suggests.

With Javier’s biological dad getting whacked and Alejandro running the show back in Texas, Martin has since then gone out of his way to frequently lambast Javier whenever something horrible involving him or his organization hits the front page news, and expresses jealousy during his more successful ventures. He intends to visit Javier someday, once he can finally prove his cousin wrong.

Company People
The key personnel involved with T’s and Javier’s more legitimate business ventures. Secretaries, foremen, chauffeurs, they are the bread and butter of the Madrazo Gang, even if they don’t actively take part in criminal activities.

Agatha Baker:
23 years old, and recent MBA graduate from ULSA, currently working dead-end for the Dynasty 8 realty company. God knows why she hasn’t left for greener pastures. Maybe she knew the Colombian personally? That’s anyone’s guess at this point.

Due to the potentially negative connotations of Madrazo’s name being plastered over every Dynasty 8 business card, T takes the helm. After all, who could you trust more as a realty company CEO than an ex-cop with a history of debauchery, corruption and hedonism? With this, Agatha gets another shot in the business world as T’s personal assistant, notifying him of any deals and investments and detailing company spendings over fax, through phone calls or directly in the office, whichever is convenient.

Donald “Donnie” Scaggs:
49 years old, ex-Vietnam veteran who served during the Battle of Hue in ‘68, currently the de facto foreman of CBT Construction, and a lazy pot-smoking and alcoholic slacker still stuck in his post-war hippie phase. Immediately taken off the streets by the Axelrods, Donnie wasn’t exactly hired for his business prowess and youthful looks, merely just a name to launder money through, while he sits on his ass in the company tent drinking his 20th paper bag 40oz for the week.

Hidden depths of a previously capable army officer and tactician in Vietnam remain unnoticed by the Axelrods, which Javier attempts to unveil once he takes over the business. After some hesitation, Javier gives Donnie his job back, and makes him useful for the now-renamed Madrazo Construction, with a number of initial hiccups, of course.

Wendell Iannelli:
The resident car valet for both T and Javier and a former B-List Vinewood Star. Struggling to find work in an industry now-rapidly transitioning to Direct-To-DVD, he resorts to working valet for both Madrazo Construction and Dynasty 8 through a third party, Billiards Valet. He is available 24/7 either on call, or through any Billiards Valet Parking Garage in the city after the second act.

He voices his resentment for the entertainment industry at every parking garage booth, and soon becomes friends with both T and Javier, with each passing conversation.

Mickey Maldonado:
The personal driver of both Javier and T once their real estate and construction businesses kick off. Can be activated either on call or directly through doing company missions, saving the player’s time by giving the two men a trip skip directly to the mission location.

Not much is known about Mickey, other than the fact that he was once a troop truck driver during the Gulf War, an experience that proves to be underwhelming during conversations.

Javier’s Crew
A crew of three that tagged along with Javier after his exile from the Madrazo Cartel back in Texas. No matter the situation, these guys will always have Javier’s back.

Chico Contreras:
A portly man who was once a very fit individual, but fell victim to the narcotic known as fast food upon arriving in SoSA. A little slow and not too intelligent, but loyal to Javier, regardless. Soto likes to bust his balls, but the bastard isn’t the gentle giant most make him out to be. A Madrazo is still a Madrazo, after all.

Hirving “Guapo” Soto:
The resident joker of the crew. A short and lanky man, believed to have been the fastest catcaller in Texas prior to moving to San Andreas. Heavy competition kills a man’s pride, indeed. His grin will make anyone’s day, except when he’s packing heat, of course.

Ginger Beckett:
The only gringo in Javier’s crew. He has many reasons for sticking around with the Madrazos, but the biggest is perhaps so that cops can look the other way once his face peeps out in a car populated by three other chicanos.

The Gangs
LOS SANTOS, SANTA DOMINGO & VIZCAINO

Street Gangs
Weazel News didn’t call the region “The World Capital of Street Thuggery” for nothing. Look around, and you will find that crime reeks in every lime-eroded corner and crevice throughout the hot urban sprawl and faux-Mediterranean landscape of Southern San Andreas.

Tagging up streets, blasting hip hop from subwoofers and splattering each other's brains across the sidewalk, street gangs are a part and parcel of life in the big city, letting natural selection take a front row seat and giving cops another good reason to have their pensions raised.

The Pack
Ethnicity: Mostly White, some Black, Samoan and Hispanic members
Gang color: Turquoise
Radio of choice: Tequi-La-La Radio, Non-Stop Pop

THE LOWDOWN

Bunch of ragtag surfer goons, drug addicts and adrenaline junkies that gather around beaches or skate parks, skate, surf and occasionally get into fights and gang up on outsiders and tourists, with a penchant for extreme sports such as bungee jumping, skydiving and downing Jägerbombs at tiki bars until they throw up.

Dig deeper, and you will find a connection to the crack dealers in South Central, the smugglers from the Axelrods and Zapatas to even the cartels down in May-hico. They aren’t all just strung-out roid ragers, insufferable gatekeepers and lazy pot smokers, that’s for damn sure, but there is definitely an overlap.

THE MEMBERS

Patrick “Pat” Morrison:
The leader, or at least one of the more notorious chieftains of The Pack. Runs most of the street-level drugs and protection rackets in the westside of Los Santos and other beachside locations around Southern San Andreas through his very large crew of white trash hoodlums.

Despite seemingly having loose cells all over the west side, Pat’s true base of operations is located at the seemingly-abandoned Kuehn Movie Ranch in the Grand Chaparral, far from any beach or coastline. The ranch, formerly a Desert Family hangout in the 60s-to-80s, has now been appropriated for drug production and packing, after a gang war between both gangs around the late-80s ends with the hippies dropping out, for good.

Molly Dillinger*:
Born-and-bred Santos surfer girl and the ex-girl of Pat. Clearly she thinks very fondly of their relationship, as the bruises on her face and arms suggest. Currently shacked up and living alone at a beach house in the bad part of Vespucci, not too far away from one of Pat’s hangouts.

Elizabeth "Lizzy" Gerhardt:
Apparently Pat’s new girl. Stoner chick who’s more strung out on damp cabbage than a newborn pony on high-speed chicken feed. Doesn’t seem to notice in the slightest that their set of The Pack is in great danger of falling apart.

Hunter Cirincione:
One of Pat’s street dealers, caught at a house party early in the story. Does his thing at the parties and gets at the girls whenever he gets a chance to, after selling bags of the stuff. Seems to like that new electronic rave sound on Non-Stop Pop.

The Families
Ethnicity: Black
Gang Color: Green
Radio of choice: Radio Los Santos, The Lowdown

THE LOWDOWN

Money isn’t the only thing that’s green. The Families are based in the incorporated cities of Strawberry, Chamberlain Hills and Montero Heights, with smaller sets of the gang reaching as far up as Vinewood. There are talks of a truce between the two gangs, however, to put an end to the bloodshed, and more importantly, prepare themselves for the deal with the Triads. Talk of the town is, they’re planning the meetup at the Jefferson Motel in Montero Heights, the sort with a lot of OGs from both The Families and Ballas taking part in it. Let’s hope nobody crashes it, huh?

THE MEMBERS

Sean “Lil’ Sean” DeLuca:
New leader of the infamous Grove Street Families, after the previous OG got murked in a drive-by shooting near Davis. Initially reluctant to organize a truce with the Ballas after an almost ill-fated one in ‘94, Lil’ Sean gives in at the behest of Loc-Down Larry, and prepares an entourage for the meet. Word is, he’s done some crazy sh*t in ‘92 and before that would make Jack Howitzer films look like a Saturday morning picnic in comparison.

Lawrence “Loc-Down Larry” Porterson:
Another Families OG, this time a member of the Chamberlain Hills Families. Did business with the Ballas during the crack epidemic, and was close to one of their OGs as well as CRASH at the time, so it's a wonder that he hasn’t received a bullet to the back of the head yet. That said, Loc-Down Larry has his uses, and uses his connections with the Ballas to smoothen the organization of the upcoming truce.

Ballas
Ethnicity: Black
Gang color: Purple
Radio of choice: Radio Los Santos, Space 103.2FM

THE LOWDOWN

Biggest black street gang in the region with notable presence in the incorporated city of Davis. What was formerly the official color of inbred royals in Europe is now worn as part of gang insignia by these friendly neighborhood gangsters that hang out in most of South Central. After beefing with The Families from the mid-80s to the early-90s, the Ballas wised up at the prospect of a truce with their adversaries in green after taking a hard look at all the blood spilled, while also coming to terms with the new deal with the Orientals. After all, who wouldn’t want $20 million, almost completely risk-free?

THE MEMBERS

Pharrell “Big Rig ‘Rell” Montrose:
The leader of the Hammer Street Ballas, the most powerful set of the Ballas in Los Santos County. He is a truck aficionado, and owns a custom-made armored purple Phantom with a ‘special trailer’ in the back for gang wars, hence the nickname. He spearheads the truce along with Loc-Down Larry in an attempt to sow peace between the Ballas and Families, in preparation for the heroin deal with the Triads.

Bunifa “Bunny” Tyrese:
An OG of the Rolling Heights Ballas, and one of the only female leaders in the street gang as a whole. The stuff that she did to get to leader of the set, it wasn’t pretty. Never seen without her shades, and plays it cool during meetings.

Kanye “Hi-Top” Guerrero:
Afro-Latino OG of the Ballas. Runs the Cleveland Drive Ballas out of Breitbart. Apparently, he had the makings of a varsity athlete, but gave up his scholarship at Vespucci University to roll with a gang. He succeeded and gained the trust of his new comrades, at a cost, of course.

Julian “Jules” Curtis:
The leader of the Portland Court Ballas out of Davis, with a very uncreative street name. A oldhead OG in his late-50s, he appears to have an old-fashioned way of thinking, believing he’s the protagonist of a blaxploitation film complete with all the outdated jive talking and black power chanting and having the affirmation that the Ballas are somehow the Robin Hoods of South Central. He can’t be more wrong.

Gilles “Bear” Perlman*:
A Ballas OG with a personal score against Big Rig ‘Rell following a betrayal sometime in the late-80s. Bear is a man with plenty of information on the Ballas-Families feud, both outside and in, and a former acquaintance of Javier during his arrival in the city in the early-90s.

He knows about the upcoming Ballas-Families meeting, and he’d rather they not make that truce at all.

Los Vagos
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gang Color: Yellow
Radio of Choice: Tequi-La-La Radio, Radio Los Santos

THE LOWDOWN

Biggest Hispanic gang in Los Santos, and probably the West Coast. They aren’t too big elsewhere though. Splitting off from the Aztecas back in the 50s, they have surpassed their parent gang, who have now grown to resent them. A gang war ensues sometime back then, and reignites once again during the crack epidemic of the 80s and 90s, with the Vagos running much of East LS and the Aztecas running Santo Domingo, though the latter appears to have since reclaimed some of their former territories after a number of events in the early-90s.

THE MEMBERS

Jose Apolado*:
A Vagos OG who knows where the other half of the heroin is. He runs into Carlito at an old-fashioned Googie-style diner near LSIA called the Buckhorn Grill, the sort with plenty of movies shot within it and outside of it. An uneasy partnership begins, and soon Jose and Carlito, men on opposite sides of the fence, begin compiling the brown to split it up for their buyers.

One of the older OGs, Jose is a man on the brink of retirement, growing progressively disillusioned of the gangbanging lifestyle. He intends to cut his losses, and make the best out of this deal, before leaving for good.

Varrio Los Aztecas
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gang Color: Baby Blue
Radio of Choice: Radio X, Ragga Rackas Radio

THE LOWDOWN

Relatively small gang in Los Santos, but a large gang in Santo Domingo. They are arguably the oldest street gang in the state of San Andreas still active today, with roots going as far back as the Zoot Suit Attacks during the early-40s. After a series of wars against the Vagos, and a brief collaboration with the Families, the Aztecas have since reclaimed some of their former territories, though many still reside in the bayside city down south.

THE MEMBERS

Carlito Delgado:
A man who leads a crew of Aztecas in Rorschach Quarter, Santo Domingo, ready to work with Jose of the Vagos in procuring the brown and secretly making the deal with the Chinese. He knows he can’t get all $20 million in one shot without painting a big target on his back, so he gets the bright idea of getting paid in increments, something the Chinese even considers, briefly putting him on the top spot of potential buyers. Currently, he owns 50 keys of the stuff, packed in the back of a Landstalker, ready to split it up even more into bite-sized pieces for the Chinese.

A young, hot-blooded gangbanger, Carlito wishes to rise above the regular punch-clock eses that he normally associates with, with ambitions to make himself a rich man in Los Santos.

Kkangpae
Ethnicity: Korean, Korean-American
Gang color: Navy
Radio of Choice: Deepness 92, Non Stop Pop

THE LOWDOWN

A gang of Koreans forming part of a new wave of immigrants following the Gwangju Uprising in 1980. Military-trained, the Kkangpae, a legacy of the street gangs in the neon-lit streets of Gangnam, took arms during the ‘92 Riots in Los Santos, defending Korean businesses from armed thugs and gangsters from South Central and East Los Santos. Following it, they’ve recently made a foray into criminal ventures and organized crime upon discovering a large market for it. The American Dream is right there, just so that someone needs to go get it.

Today, the Kkangpae is present in locations with large Asian diasporas, such as in Red County, Little Seoul and Chinatown, engaging in activities such as money laundering, illegal street races, protection rackets and loan sharking. Bloodthirsty is a light way of describing their gang tactics.

Angels of Death
Ethnicity: White
Gang Color: Grey
Radio of choice: Los Santos Rock Radio, Radio X

THE LOWDOWN

1% OMG, founded originally in San Fierro in the 1940s. Painted by the media, and their rivals, as a white supremacist gang, but the truth is far more complicated than that, though not too far. They run crank and coke out of their clubhouses in eastern Los Santos and Santo Domingo, as well as do a fair amount of security, pimping and protection racket work.

Turf-wise, they run mostly the outskirts and eastern ends of the two American cities, with bikers in red and grey peddling dope, meth and coke to the masses and running brothels along the plains and hills of Southern San Andreas, occasionally moving into Mexico when the situation deems it.

The Desert Family
Ethnicity: Mostly White, some Black and Hispanic members
Gang Color: Pink, Beige
Radio of choice: Ragga Rackas Radio, Los Santos Rock Radio

THE LOWDOWN

A group of opioid-addicted psychos, cultists and hippies with roots dating back to the mid-60s, believed to have been involved in a series of high-profile celebrity murders since then.

While not available as enemies in the standalone DLC, if the Burning Wheel pack is downloaded, they will appear as an enemy faction during Gang Wars in the small towns of eastern Los Santos County and eastern Santo Domingo County as well as certain areas of the Ayahuasca Desert close to Ciudad Vizcaino, occasionally getting into conflicts with either Calle 13 or the AOD.

Calle 13
Ethnicity: Mexican
Gang Color: Maroon
Radio of choice: Deepness 92, Non Stop Pop

THE LOWDOWN

A local street gang based in Ciudad Vizcaino, looking a lot more like regular joes wearing maroon rather than the more colorful cholos and cholas seen in the two cities up north. Running drugs, fraud and protection schemes in the tourist town frequented by Americans, it is heavily implied that the members are associated with the cartels inland, though they also feud against them, particularly with members of the unnamed cartel in town. In short, their reputation precedes them, and for good reason.

Organized Crime Syndicates

Gangs that are more well-organized and well-financed with greater 'finesse' than your everyday two-bit friendly neighborhood gangbangers, but gangs nonetheless.

Madrazo Gang
Radio of choice: Space 103.2FM, The Lowdown, WCTR

THE LOWDOWN

The newfound gang founded in Los Santos by Javier Madrazo, as part of a partnership with Tavell Bridges. A way of sticking it to his family back home, Javier starts from scratch, and with T’s help over the course of the storyline, they manage to transform the gang into a binational crime syndicate, with legitimate real estate and construction businesses and many properties to their name, while taking turf from the street gangs by the blockload.

Zapata Crime Family
Radio of choice: Los Santos Rock Radio, WCTR

THE LOWDOWN

Hispanic-American crime syndicate based in Los Santos, currently butting heads with another unit, The Axelrods. Founded by former Los Santos Crime Family associate, Gael Zapata, in 1979, in partnership with the Axelrods, the relationship has progressively soured as years go by, with the new leader of the group, Ricky, planning to make a move on them once they drop their guard.

THE MEMBERS

Ricardo “Ricky” Zapata:
The leader of the Zapata Crime Family. Young, entrepreneurial and ambitious, he represents the new face of organized crime in Los Santos. Taking over from his father, killed in a hit, he quickly proves to be a more competent leader of his gang than the Axelrods, becoming a force to be reckoned with and a more favorable candidate for the deal with the Chinese.

Serena Cromwell-Zapata:
The buxom, spoiled, spaghetti strap-loving trophy wife of Ricky, at least 20 years younger than the big man himself. A current A-List model for various swimsuit magazines, she now leads the life of an overly-entitled and pampered housewife on Ricky’s island villa on Isla Castillo, going to the mainland only to shop at Portola Drive and Rockford Hills and attend galas, fundraisers and parties in Vinewood.

Axelrod Crime Family
Radio of choice: The Lowdown, WCTR
Gang Color: Red-Brown

THE LOWDOWN

The older of the two outfits in Los Santos and Santo Domingo, founded in ‘76 with roots going as far back to the former Los Santos Crime Family in the 40s and 50s. Their leader, Bryan, was present at the ill-fated Carraways Summit as a teenage associate in 1951, which resulted in numerous arrests of mafioso, and the eventual dissolution of the LSCF.

The gang is currently based in Santo Domingo, and they are one of the two criminal organizations among street gangs that can be fought against during Gang Wars.

THE MEMBERS

Bryan Axelrod:
The patriarch of the Axelrod Crime Family. He thinks it's still the 60s and 70s and that he can keep strong arming mom-and-pop stores and pay off the cops, while disrespecting everyone else. His stubbornness stirs the ire of even his son, who is too filial to turn against his old man. He looks down on the Chinese, who he believes to be untrustworthy businessmen, a statement which later proves partially true in their experience in the heroin deal.

Jerry Barr:
The lawyer for the Axelrods, functioning sort of as a family therapist for the Axelrods, a middleman for the arguments between Bryan and Ronald. He is the voice of reason in a dysfunctional pop-and-son criminal organization, and attempts to keep the gang together and their relationship with the Zapatas intact long enough before the Chinese arrive in the city.

Ronald Axelrod:
The only son of Bryan, a man who argues with his old man a lot, but ultimately stays loyal to him, even when his decisions prove to be awry. A lot of his decisions are based on instinct rather than experience, a trait his father despises.

The Cartel
Ethnicity: Mexican
Gang Color: Red-Violet
Radio of choice: Santo Domingo Roots Radio, Los Santos Rock Radio

THE LOWDOWN

An unnamed cartel that operates out in the Ciudad Vizcaino area, sharing territories and feuding with Calle 13. It is unclear if they are part of a local cartel or simply the West Coast cell of a larger cartel that operates in the greater Mexican mainland. Drugs are a major source of income, though they have recently made a foray into legitimate ventures.

Evidently, the brick-and-mortar and turf wars business isn’t a priority for them, judging by the fewer territories they own compared to the street gang and with its on-field members consisting of mostly low level street thugs hired as protection for said territories.

The real leaders and crews hide in anonymity, working elsewhere in Mexico and the USA in the cocaine trade, though this part of their story isn’t really covered in Chasing The Dragon. They, along with the Axelrods, are the only two named criminal organizations that can be fought against in Gang Wars.

San Fierro Triads
The buyers of heroin, with $20 million in cold, hard cash sitting under lock and key in a steel briefcase. They appear to be one sect of the various Tongs in San Fierro, though they seem to be one of the more powerful ones at that.

In spite of their fancy-pants, elegant presentation, there’s some filthy sh*t going on behind that seemingly clean exterior. After all, just why the hell would they, or anyone, want to give up 20 mil to buy something they can easily produce back home?

THE MEMBERS

The Dai Lo:
The unnamed leader of the San Fierro Triads. A ruthless crime lord, he runs the streets of San Fierro like a playground, though he is conscious of appearances. He hears word that two tons of heroin from an earlier botched shipment is located in Los Santos, and hastily scrapes together $20 million to buy it back from the dealers in an attempt to save face, bringing his entourage along with him to oversee the deal, which gets the ear of just about every lowlife in the lower West Coast.

Because needs someone he can trust to do the deal, every gang in Los Santos and below wises up and tries to play nice, fighting a gang war behind the scenes to gather all the heroin into one place, and making partnerships and truces whenever necessary. That doesn’t happen, of course. After all, it is Los Santos; Murphy’s Law is the law of the land.

Fat Chin:
A red pole of the Triad, and the second-in-command to the Dai Lo. An ambitious, yet greedy middle-aged man who wants to take over the crew. Hiding beneath a thinly-veiled veneer of Confucian values and patriarchal tradition, it is soon revealed that Fat Chin didn’t get his moniker out of thin air, and has proven to be, time and time again, a hedonistic, perverted weasel and a sex addict who uses his power as an excuse to fulfill his deviant fantasies.

He volunteers to oversee the deal for the Dai Lo as soon as he first hears about it, believing this to be the moment he can finally step out and prove his worth.

Miranda Tsu:
The first bodyguard of the Dai Lo. A San Fierro native and hailing from an all-Tong upbringing, she quickly cements herself as a top contract killer and enforcer for the Triad, in spite of her young age, background and gender.

Despite the rampant sexism and racism for her West Coast upbringing within the Triad, she remains loyal to the Dai Lo and Fat Chin, which will prove to be her undoing.

Eric Lang:
The second bodyguard of the Dai Lo, and far more cynical of Triad values and customs than the far-greener and more irritable Miranda. It is believed that he and the bruiser chick have a thing for each other, which proves a possibility as they procure that 10 out of that 20 mil from a rival Triad for the deal while in Fierro.

While still somewhat respecting the Dai Lo for at least keeping true to his convictions, he holds a great disdain towards Fat Chin, believing him to be a spineless hypocrite only in it to get his fill, and his dick wet. In other words, he isn’t having any of that Lao Tzu, Taoist crap, and he isn’t buying it, either.

Strangers

Unlike previous GTAs in the HD Universe, where strangers are normally met on the street, random character missions also take place via doing a set number of side missions in Chasing The Dragon.

Strangers, more often than not, are more of an asset now than simply a means of padding out the game length, as completing their side quests will now allow either Javier or T to earn their trust and friendship.

Once the missions are completed, the stranger will call the protagonist over the cellular and ask for a job, to which either protagonist will accept their offer. Their names will be added to the managerial roster at Dynasty 8, to which they can be employed to any district at the player's will.

Of all strangers, only Barbara’s stranger mission lacks a potential employee for T’s and Javier’s managerial positions.

Barbara and Sabrina Rubio:

Random encounter at: T’s Anselmo Beach bungalow safehouse, after Act 2.

T’s neighbors at his bungalow court safehouse in Anselmo Beach, Red County, consisting of Barbara, the mom, and Sabrina, a cute, bubbly 11-year old girl with a penchant for punk rock and heavy metal. The breadwinner of the Rubio household, Henrique, is a Master Sergeant at Camp Roosevelt, and as such rarely has time to return home to spend time with the family.

To help the Rubios pass the time, T offers the pair his company, taking them out on various activities in Los Santos, oblivious to the fact that the Axelrods/Zapatas are on his tail.

Stefano "Stefan" Sorrentino:

Unlocked after: Finishing a game of golf under 10 points at the Los Santos Country Club, as T.

A former capo of the Messina Crime Family in Liberty City and a man with plenty of interesting stories to tell, who due to tensions back east over a supposed rat within the organization, decides to head out to the West Coast, where he settles down and works security for various groups and clubs in the Los Santos area. He becomes something of a golf expert and aficionado in the club, after first playing a few rounds of the game, with his passion for the game growing with each round.

He observes T's prowess in golf, and is impressed, offering to play a few rounds with the man. As they play the game, Stefan slowly opens up to T about his mafioso past, putting great emphasis on two of the other mobsters, the Volpe brothers, during his anecdotes, albeit with pseudonyms in place.

Ksenia “Cinny” Tarkova:

Unlocked after: Beating 5 Tennis Games at the Vespucci Beach Tennis Courts, as Javier.

Ex-Soviet KGB operative with experience in covert espionage operations and murder-for-hire, now-retired and routinely plays tennis during her spare time. Formerly a sleeper agent going incognito as a travel agent in the Los Santos area since the mid-70s, the dissolution of the Union allows her to fully embrace her Americanisms, following a lengthy plea deal with the FIB. As for her contacts across the Pacific, however, things aren't exactly smooth sailing.

After Javier wins a fair number of tennis matches, Cinny offers to go against him at the Vespucci Beach Tennis Courts. She immediately takes a liking to the man, offering to play a number of rounds with him. Over the conversations during the games, however, Javier soon realizes that the lady might have some blood on her hands before, literally.

Artie Calhoun:

Unlocked after: Doing 20 "Car 15" Vigilante missions at any Santo Domingo police station as Javier.

An LSPD radio dispatcher at the Vinewood Station, who also does a fair amount of dispatching for the SDPD. He is assigned under a publicly undisclosed unit that collaborates with vigilantes to handle gang crime across the region, a joint venture between both departments as a replacement for the now-dissolved CRASH unit.

Believing Javier to be the sort of man he can put his trust in after successfully pulling off a number of vigilante jobs, Arnold arranges to meet him in-person at a coffee stand in Valencia Center.

Upon meeting him, Javier soon discovers that the seemingly-stoic radio dispatcher is in fact, struggling with a wide myriad of personal issues, ranging from a marriage in shambles to an IA investigation courtesy of a number of corrupt officers and detectives. In short, the man needs help, and what other man can help a cop other than the guy he's supposed to lock up?

Dino Farraday:

Unlocked after: Purchasing the Ayahuasca Hangar and doing 5 Smuggling Runs as Javier. Only available if Burning Wheel is installed or downloaded as part of the Stories from Southern San Andreas double pack.

A former coke smuggler who was active in the 70s and 80s, now working as a freelance marijuana smuggler and illicit radio tower controller in Santo Domingo County.

Gregory "Spider" Cunningham:

Unlocked after: Doing 5 Celebrity Escort missions as T.

Former OG of the Grove Street Families, now full-time chauffeur for the Vinewood rich and famous. He knows about T's involvement at Jefferson Motel, but knows it's all just business.

After T successfully does a number of celebrity escort jobs, he meets Spider during a smoke break near Portola Drive. They have a short discussion about going straight, before Spider fills T in on some personal work. Turns out, plenty of people back in Strawberry want him gone from the face of the earth after the departure, and Spider isn’t having any of that.

Hipolito “Hippo” Gutierrez:

Unlocked after: Coming in first place in the Santo Domingo Yacht Festival, as T.

Former Vice City hitman for the Del Negro Drug Cartel, now retired and a yacht owner in Santo Domingo Bay, owning a dockfront property in Los Regalos.

Clancy Duggan:

Unlocked after: Getting five-star ratings for at least 3 owned Madrazo Construction-developed properties, as Javier.

Texan ex-military businessman who was exiled from his family following a number of financial disagreements. An ex-Vietnam War veteran with a terrible relationship with his brother, he moves to Los Santos, and becomes a small-time investor of various real estate properties around Santo Domingo and Los Santos.

Clancy, a small-time investor in Madrazo Construction following their relatively healthy track record, soon runs into Javier at a bar in Rorschach Quarter, and quickly has a chat. Surprised by the close parallels in their backstories, the two men quickly click and soon, Javier offers his help in some of Clancy’s more pressing family problems.

Jack Howitzer:

Unlocked after: Finishing all Backlot City Stunt Challenges, as T. Only available if Burning Wheel is installed or downloaded as part of the Stories from Southern San Andreas double pack.

Crazed, but washed-out movie star who accidentally murdered a radio host on-air back in ‘92. Temporarily out on the streets of LS on parole, he hears about a certain stuntman making rounds among the Vinewood elite, and heads straight to Backlot City.

He runs into T, the stuntman everyone’s talking about near the Majestic Productions building, and the rest is history.

Chef Iglesias:

Unlocked after: Doing 50 deals with the Taco Van at Mariposa Taqueria, as Javier.

Nina Cassel

Unlocked after: Finishing Act 1.

A former acquaintance of T, and a former Homicide Detective from Vice City.

Edited March 24, 2023 by kobeni

May 4, 2022

Centered everything and made some of the headers bigger as well as the text so it's all easier to read. Also included the characters page to provide better context of the storyline and what entails. Also included the three other stations that I was working on. Mixcloud links will come soon.

That said, the headers are placeholders so I might make actual stylized headers at some point.

Edited May 4, 2022 by sabitsuki

May 5, 2022

You've described South San Andreas and Mexico so vividly it's easy to let the imagination run off when you describe the cosmopolitan suburbia of LS county, the affluence of Red County, the port city of Santo Domingo, the rawness of Sierra. Not only is the world varied in terms of landscape but the criminal scene looks more exciting than it does in GTA V. I like the backstories you've given for some of the gangs like the Kkangpae starting out taking arms to protect Korean businesses during the 92 riots, small touches like that make the world feel more realised and interesting.

My favorite part is the whole thing over the cars. It is really interesting and props to you if you thought it up by yourself. I now want auctions and dealerships to be in the next GTA lol. Is car boosting/repo stuff a big part of CTD? Because it will be a bit funny imo if a hypothetical player decides to just ignore all the car values and stats and just steals whatever they want.

Another thing that will be interesting to see is how property building and the real estate thing comes to play. I saw I think it was Coconut Kid who was talking about how it'll be nice to see a GTA protagonist become a big player in the city by shaping it. By getting involved in real estate and construction businesses of the city, and as the city grows in time the protagonists construction projects grow and shapes the city and the protagonist becomes something larger than life himself. I don't think CTD spans too long a timeline but looks as if something like this could play out here too is what I'm feeling lol, it'll be nice to see how the construction feature plays out.

Tarnell seems the more interesting protagonist to me. I'm getting a Damien-Aiden from Watch dogs vibe with Saul-Tarnell lol. The Vice Squad sounds mysterious af to me.

May 6, 2022

22 hours ago, AkshayKumar said:

Is car boosting/repo stuff a big part of CTD?

Nope, I just thought it was something cool to add as a side activity in this, kinda like how all the side missions in Yakuza 0 are unnecessarily detailed and packed with a surprising amount of fun things to do. That's sort of why I penned the concept. Pretty much just ideating potential activities that give purpose to the player and game mechanics while staying true to a certain vibe or aesthetic.

It's also good motivator to make money to help with the replay value of this hypothetical game. One big criticism I had of the side missions in GTA in general was that they all felt repetitive, low-brow and menial across the board, with a few exceptions like drug dealing in CTW and probably Import/Export and Slasher in GTA Online. There's not much incentive to finish any side mission other than to hit 100% in a playthrough, and plus, money is pretty much useless once you've finished the storyline. Auctions/Dealership minigames was one way I thought of how a fun side mission that utilizes both in-game money and financial strategy could potentially work in a GTA game.

Edited May 6, 2022 by sabitsuki

May 6, 2022

I hear you on side missions being tedious I'm currently playing VCS and starting out the Empire building thing and doing those set of 15 missions was duller than I thought lol. I like the auction/dealership idea it's like an infinite way to make money while not being risk free as well so there's an exciting element to it.

Another nice touch is the whole mixtape and being able to play music on foot it's something I feel should have been in GTA since IV atleast. I feel buying music to play it in your safe house could be redundant since you could just as easily play music on your MP3 in the safe house lol and no need to spend much that way. Maybe it's more immersive to be able to have it play on the speaker system or just buying it with a collector's mindset.

It's a neat idea to have the protagonists interact with the radio DJs. It's like how cool would it be if CJ could interact with Hulio G and Tommy Smith lol. The praising/heckling feature sounds hilarious, I wish the DJ did sent out a hit squad if you heckled them

Be interesting to see how that Karaoke feature plays out I heard it was popular in Sleeping Dogs(?, I didn't play it myself)

I'm admittedly really really lazy and normally don't check out concepts beyond the first post but I enjoyed going through CTD, really cool ideas with the cars and the music and the way the world feels so rich. Maybe when I'm not being too lazy I should do this more often and check out more concepts but no commitments lmao. You've said you have even bigger plans for your final swansong concept so if this is any indication then looking forward to more interesting ideas

Edited May 6, 2022 by AkshayKumar

June 9, 2022

I might add a latin house/freestyle station as per request by @HangTheDj at some point in future. Still gotta make the mixcloud mixes for the stations and the headers for everything, and maybe changes to the map layout if I got time.

Meanwhile, I'll link my other concepts as well here.

January 15, 2023

I feel Radio X should be like how it was in San Andreas, the Primary rock station with Sage as the host. Tequi-La-La radio is fine but just something I'd thought I share cause I imagine Radio X was the modern rock station until around the late 2000s when it became Vinewood Boulevard Radio, and your new version of Radio X is just Channel X which I headcanon is a seperate station that was called something else before Radio X changed it's name. Oh and also there should be no Glam Metal songs. This story is set in the mid 90s right? There should absolutely be no Glam Metal, what the hell are Winger, Ratt and Poison doing here? Here's some songs I'd think would fit well for Radio X or Tequi-la-la radio as you call the modern rock station now

Soundgarden - The Day I Tried To Live (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Alice In Chains - Grind (Official Video) - YouTube

Everything Zen - YouTube

Green Day - Brain Stew/Jaded [Official Music Video] - YouTube

Weezer - Say It Ain't So (Official Video) - YouTube

Pearl Jam - Corduroy - YouTube

Oasis - Champagne Supernova (Official Video) - YouTube

The Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings - YouTube

Hole - Violet (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Veruca Salt - Seether (Official Video) - YouTube

Everclear - Santa Monica (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees - YouTube

Collective Soul - Shine (Official Video) - YouTube

Korn - Blind (Official HD Video) - YouTube

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away [Official Music Video] - YouTube

Silverchair - Tomorrow (US Version) (Official Video) - YouTube

No Doubt - Just A Girl - YouTube

Edited January 19, 2023 by RamsaySaint77

January 16, 2023

5 hours ago, RamsaySaint77 said:

This story is set in the mid 90s right? There should absolutely be no Glam Metal, what the hell are Winger, Ratt and Poison doing here?

Point Break is one of the biggest influences in this concept and that film had a lot of glam/hair metal. California is sort of a hair metal mecca with bands like Ratt and Motley Crue and Whiskey-A-Go-Go is known for hosting a lot of hair metal bands like the one's you've mentioned so I think it's fair to have those bands included along with the grunge stuff.

The original Radio X had Welcome To The Jungle which was arguably a hair metal track so a bit more wouldn't hurt.

5 hours ago, RamsaySaint77 said:

Radio X is just Channel X which I headcanon is a seperate station that was called something else before Radio X changed it's name

Well what can I say man, I really liked Pro Skater Underground 2. I don't know if I wanna include another grunge/alternative station considering I've had several in the Carcer City concept already.

Edited January 16, 2023 by kobeni

January 16, 2023

28 minutes ago, kobeni said:

Point Break is one of the biggest influences in this concept and that film had a lot of glam/hair metal. California is sort of a hair metal mecca with bands like Ratt and Motley Crue and Whiskey-A-Go-Go is known for hosting a lot of hair metal bands like the one's you've mentioned so I think it's fair to have those bands included along with the grunge stuff.

The original Radio X had Welcome To The Jungle which was arguably a hair metal track so a bit more wouldn't hurt.

Well what can I say man, I really liked Pro Skater Underground 2. I don't know if I wanna include another grunge/alternative station considering I've had several in the Carcer City concept already.

Your Carcer City concept leaned more on the underground and less mainstream stuff as you were going for a gritty direction with that one with some exceptions, With this concept being more traditional it can allow for more popular music of the time and I understand your point about Hair Metal I guess, LA was a hot spot for that stuff. I just felt for the Mid 90s it was kinda out of place especially in the era of Alternative, but you can still def include it

I also got some comments about the car choices but I'll spare you from that

Edited January 16, 2023 by RamsaySaint77

January 16, 2023

'Deleted'

Edited January 21, 2023 by VanHostell97

March 23, 2023

On 1/16/2023 at 10:46 AM, RamsaySaint77 said:

With this concept being more traditional it can allow for more popular music of the time and I understand your point about Hair Metal I guess, LA was a hot spot for that stuff. I just felt for the Mid 90s it was kinda out of place especially in the era of Alternative, but you can still def include it

A bit of a late reply, but you can still hear a lot of those types of tracks on the local rock radio if you visit SoCal today (LA-San Diego area), so it's nothing too out of the ordinary with what Tequi-La-La (which I based on KROQ) is going for.

On 1/16/2023 at 5:28 AM, RamsaySaint77 said:

I feel Radio X should be like how it was in San Andreas, the Primary rock station with Sage as the host. Tequi-La-La radio is fine but just something I'd thought I share cause I imagine Radio X was the modern rock station until around the late 2000s when it became Vinewood Boulevard Radio, and your new version of Radio X is just Channel X which I headcanon is a seperate station that was called something else before Radio X changed it's name.

Well I got my own headcannon then. I just personally feel like having two alternative rock stations would be too much of the same thing, which I try to avoid in my radio listings, so I decided to pay tribute to the general Californian hardcore scene instead with Radio X, which is heavily implied to follow the format you mentioned prior to the new buyout.

I also feel like Tequi-La-La was an incredibly underutilized area in GTA V especially considering music's such a big part of the game and how influential Whiskey was in real life to the aforementioned scenes, so I thought I'd call the rock station that.

Edited March 23, 2023 by kobeni

March 23, 2023

I read this. Awesome mechanics at display. I'd love being able to call radio DJs and have the protag spout stupid nonsense at them lol. A dew things though. What that one tour guide describes is a mixed language, not a creole. A creole os a different thing. Also, I noticed Baja California is referred to as "The Mexican Peninsula" Is that intentional?

March 24, 2023

1 hour ago, E Revere said:

I read this. Awesome mechanics at display. I'd love being able to call radio DJs and have the protag spout stupid nonsense at them lol. A dew things though. What that one tour guide describes is a mixed language, not a creole. A creole os a different thing. Also, I noticed Baja California is referred to as "The Mexican Peninsula" Is that intentional?

Yeah. The whole diatribe is meant to be ignorant.

Grand Theft Auto: Chasing The Dragon

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