Concept LIGHT & SHADOW [2022]

[Akaviri]

Awesome mission. I really dig the banner images. Adds a lot to the imagination when reading.

 

Bye-bye Vadim.

 

I had almost forgot Andriy Maximov was from GTA IV and the Russians in Catch the Wave. Wasn't he just a name mentioned in a newspaper article? Awesome to see him come to life in this.

 

It's a damn shame they ended the mysterious Sonny Bottino as a witsec in GTA V. Another great Vice City loose end, wasted. He could have been great for this concept.

Edited November 11, 2022 by Akaviri

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Akaviri said:

I had almost forgot Andriy Maximov was from GTA IV and the Russians in Catch the Wave. Wasn't he just a name mentioned in a newspaper article? Awesome to see him come to life in this.

Yes, he's mentioned in the Weazel news as an associate of Dimitri who was arrested in Humboldt River for transporting coke from VC. An unseen character, but couple of concepts (Family Ties and most recent Russian Roulette for examples) have provided their own pictures of his business in LC.

 

No picture of what his life in VC looks like yet. A missed opportunity to not add that picture here.

 

And thanks for the comment, always appreciate.

[Guest]

The last few days, I'm trying to deliver what could be the last major update before the end of year: replacing the individual music links in radio stations with a single playlist in each; updating graphics, descriptions of characters and confidence tricks section. Too much to list, these updates honestly halt the writing for the next mission, but it's worth it.

 

With consultation from @The Made Man, the gang database ('The Players' section) have been overhauled to reflect the underworld of Vice City more accurately to real-life Miami (only missing out the last 'Law & Order' puzzle piece). Also filling the same purpose is some heavily-summarized descriptions of Vice City's neighborhoods, which replace the old list-in-a-table format. At one point, I probably can complete the full area-to-area compendium in the wiki, but seems very unlikely with current rl stuffs; and I feel these five-paragraphs narrating the city, Vice Beach, and the outskirts are already helpful enough for both me and you to imagine the setting.

 

Mr.Korean has also helped alot with his side mission ideas in the wiki, which are now included under each protagonist's section in 'Gameplay' section.

 

Seeing how different this looks like from back in April feels special. Been around for eight months, damn, time flies.

[Akaviri]

Quote

The last few days, I'm trying to deliver what could be the last major update before the end of year: replacing the individual music links in radio stations with a single playlist in each.

"I see you're using an old style... I wondered where you learned it from!" 

 

You're right about the improvements. This concept is super well done and you've updated it with vigorous consistency. It may well be voted best concept of '22!

[Guest]

Just realized that my next post will be the 1000th post. Why not post that achievement here, in my first ever topic?

 

Six days ago (30th December) also mark the fourth anniversary of L&S ever since it was uploaded in the wiki.

 

Kind of missed opportunity that I don't have anything special for this one. Been like two months since the last mission posted, and I'm still working on the sixth: one where I'll display Cesar's non-lethal intimidation methods to next level. For a trivia, the plan for L&S is to feature around 30-36 con games in total (15/18 in The Artists first-half and 15/18 in The Opportunist second-half). Already got many exciting ideas in my head, such as one joint con involving high-stake poker game influenced by Casino Royale, Hustle's Old Acquintance, and RDR2's A Fine Night of Debauchery. I have this internal temptation of skipping straight there to more interesting bits, but I'm aware that I must start slow. This is basically my first shots in writing detailed missions.

 

Currently entering my last year in college's education. Aside from that, I'm also moving most gears toward the next concept project. More about this soon in the lounge, but it's going to be a period piece. And this time, I'll give it a sweet time before actually making a thread  In the meantime, feel free to ask anything. Which characters catch your attention the most? Why I cast this actor for this guy?

Edited February 3, 2023 by wise_man
Removing teaser

[The Coconut Kid]

I need to pay due respect to your gang database! It's a well-hidden gem, but wow - what a great read.

 

I've been following along yours and @The Made Man posts about modern Vice City gangs in the GTAVI section. I have enjoyed seeing them be brought together here.

 

What can you tell us about the Politics, Government Agencies and Police Departments? I see you're planning to update them. You do intrigue and trickery so well so I want to hear about your plans!

[Guest]

On 1/29/2023 at 2:01 PM, The Coconut Kid said:

What can you tell us about the Politics, Government Agencies and Police Departments? I see you're planning to update them. You do intrigue and trickery so well so I want to hear about your plans!

There are lot to cover in the last two players sections, hence why I leave it last. I'll post them alongside the next mission, gonna keep the description brief and let the story unfolds more. Also keep an eye for more about the story's second-half, The Opportunist. It's miles away from today, but I have some interesting stuffs to show right away.

 

And for extra contexts...

 

Real-life modern Miami is pretty corrupt. From controversial politician winning a GOP primary to Opa Locka's city officials spending money for luxury amenities. The idea of a Cuban's organized crime, in this case the Reyes Family, becomes the main controller of the city's law and order sceneries come from two curious cases. First, there's a police chief who was terminated from the department for accusing Miami to be managed by "Cuban Mafia". Second, Raonel Valdez (the basis of Oscar Barrueco's character), a Cuban criminal with lengthy records that include $2.8 million gold heist in 2012. But his case was never taken seriously, to quote the article: 

 

Instead of connecting Valdez to the larger organization suggested by his ties to grow houses, human trafficking, and Mexican conspiracies, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office assigned the gold heist case to the crime victims unit.
 

Reports of Cuban syndicate post-Battle Jr. arrest and The Corporation's downfall are difficult, very difficult to find. I then interpret all these informations to design the Reyes, a long standing crime family that has strong influence over Vice City, through its politicians and corrupt law enforcements, so they can do whatever the f*ck they want.

 

Maybe @The Made Man or @JStarr31 can share more about this topic. They know the city more than I do 

Edited February 5, 2023 by wise_man

[The Coconut Kid]

18 hours ago, wise_man said:

And for extra contexts...

First of all, I love your method of citing contemporary Miami investigations as a foundation for Light & Shadow. It's a great opportunity to fill in the blanks, if you like, and go where journalists and investigators will be discouraged from going. It also provides some fantastic material.

 

Second, because it's better to reply to it here (!):

 

17 hours ago, wise_man said:

The Exile's story inspires me to write more backstory to Don Valerio. A gloomy past of being treated inhumanely upon the boats arrival can be the thing that's responsible for his ruthless personality by 2017.

I really like the idea of this. There is so much background you can draw from.

 

Cuban migration to Miami really happened in three-waves:

• The 1960s. These are professional, liberal, middle and upper-class Cubans. There are ex-political figures and corrupt lawmen also in the mix, but they are honest, hardworking people who come to Miami, take factory jobs and wash dishes, and make new lives for themselves.
• The Mariel Refugees. Anyone who wants to leave Cuba is free to do so, proclaims Fidel Castro - so they do leave. The first Mariel refugees are also honest people, but they're the outcasts - as many as 30,000-40,000 are gay Cubans with experience of being rounded up in labour camps through the 1960s. Many more are artists and poets who've lived with the stigma of being labelled as 'different.' The average Mariel migrants are males from poor backgrounds.
• The Mariel Criminals. They arrive much later in the Boatlift. It is estimated that 5,000 of those Castro turns loose from jail are hardened criminals - contract killers, thieves, gangsters and rapists. But 'criminal,' in the context of Cuba then also includes the mentally-ill, those jailed for homosexual crimes and petty thieves (shoplifters, for example). Castro really exaggerates how terrible they are to terrify the United States and embarrass them on the international stage.

There is an important timeline of events following the Boatlift (which is, for the most part, over by June 1980):

• September 1980: The INS are instructed to prepare Cubans without sponsors for transfer to a detention centre in Puerto Rico. Cubans without sponsors are primarily black and gay - the refugees nobody wants. They also conduct "sweeps" of Miami streets and use vagrancy laws to detain refugees for transfer to PR.
• November 1980: The government prepare to transfer Cuban and Haitian refugees to Puerto Rico. The Cuban community protests and no Cubans are transferred. But the Haitians are transferred and are detained in Puerto Rico indefinitely.
• 1981-onwards: The sponsorless Cubans are transferred to detention centres and prisons. The main facilities are Fort Chaffee and USP Atlanta. They are joined by Mariel refugees who have been convicted of crimes since arriving in America. They are also detained indefinitely. There are negotiations ongoing to 1987 for some Cuban refugees to be repatriated back to Cuba.
• November 1987: Hundreds of Mariel detainees violently riot for eleven days at USP Atlanta. Over 100 hostages are taken. The prison is set on fire. They only cease when the U.S. government agrees to individually review their immigration status.

There are so many potential avenues for you to adapt this timeline to Valerio Reyes!

 

It occurs to me that he could have been a ringleader in the eventual 1987 riot, having been detained in one of the worst prisons in America for most of the 1980s, and he attains somewhat of a hero status among Cuban criminals as a result. Kind of like Battle, SR and his Bay of Pigs background. He might carry his cane not because of age but because of injuries sustained in the prison system. He might develop a fascination with Cosa Nostra from being celled with the Italian mobsters who frequently populated USP Atlanta. The possibilities are endless!

 

Finally, one suggestion I would like to make for your gang database - is it possible for you to relocate it to this post? I'm a huge fan of it... but it is really easy to overlook.

[Guest]

On 1/30/2023 at 4:09 PM, The Coconut Kid said:

It occurs to me that he could have been a ringleader in the eventual 1987 riot, having been detained in one of the worst prisons in America for most of the 1980s, and he attains somewhat of a hero status among Cuban criminals as a result. Kind of like Battle, SR and his Bay of Pigs background. He might carry his cane not because of age but because of injuries sustained in the prison system. He might develop a fascination with Cosa Nostra from being celled with the Italian mobsters who frequently populated USP Atlanta. The possibilities are endless!

I'm first thinking of making Valerio's obsession to Italian Mafia as result of stories he listened in Havana. The Cuban capital was a gambling haven for American mobs, such as the Trafficante, by the 1950s. He was too young to understand everything that time, but he'll be lucky enough to learn their histories from his grandfather/father.

 

Man, your ideas add so many depths for the character, I'll surely expand that later.

 

On 1/30/2023 at 4:09 PM, The Coconut Kid said:

Finally, one suggestion I would like to make for your gang database - is it possible for you to relocate it to this post? I'm a huge fan of it... but it is really easy to overlook.

Done. I take a step further to split the main post into four eight separate posts, each replacing old posts that I use merely for informing updates. They may not be posted in consecutive order, not as consistent as your Vice City Origins or Akaviri's Liberty 78, but at least it's gonna be easier to navigate the concept now. 

 

Readers are welcomed:

1. Introduction All you need to know
2. The Negotiator Making the world go around
3. The Seductress Practicing the oldest trick in the book
4. The Intimidator Embracing the big bad ways
5. Confidence Tricks How the arts work
6. Soundtrack Original score and radio stations
7. Settings More than just Vice City
8. The Players Underworld and Factions
9. Gameplay Features and Contents
10. Vehicles & Weapons It's Grand Theft Auto after all
11. Story & Missions Summary and con games
12. History & Timeline In-game lore and related discussions

 

EDIT: Radio stations and Vice City's areas of interest are also free from their spoiler boxes now. No contents are hidden for readers from now on.

Edited November 24, 2023 by wise_man

[The Coconut Kid]

3 hours ago, wise_man said:

Done. I take a step further to split the main post into four separate posts, each replacing old posts that I use merely for informing updates. They may not be posted in consecutive order, not as consistent as your Vice City Origins or Akaviri's Liberty 78, but at least it's gonna be easier to navigate the concept now. 

WOW. You work FAST!  I was not expecting to log back in and see the topic completely transformed. 

 

It's super easy to navigate. I really appreciate this.

 

3 hours ago, wise_man said:

EDIT: Radio stations and Vice City's areas of interest are also free from their spoiler boxes now. No contents are hidden for readers from now on.

And so much better for it!

 

The radio stations are something I completely neglected until now. I'd like to give a quick thumbs up on them - especially Golden Age. I really like how you've chosen lesser known and more obscure eighties songs - and I'm extra impressed with the inclusion of Spanish language tracks. It feels like, as with London Underground, that you've established your own sound here. You're not just regurgitating Top 40 hits.

 

4 hours ago, wise_man said:

I'm first thinking of making Valerio's obsession to Italian Mafia as result of stories he listened in Havana. The Cuban capital was a gambling haven for American mobs, such as the Trafficante, by the 1950s. He was too young to understand everything that time, but he'll be lucky enough to learn their histories from his grandfather/father.

Bonus points for the Cuba-Trafficante connection.

 

Also: I'd like to take you up on this -

 

On 1/5/2023 at 9:34 AM, wise_man said:

Which characters catch your attention the most?

Right now, what can you tell us about these two:

• Walt O'Donnell
• Hernan Ruiz

And if we can extend to gangs: Byzantium Construction. This might be the first time I've seen Armenians.

[Guest]

On 1/30/2023 at 9:52 PM, The Coconut Kid said:

WOW. You work FAST!  I was not expecting to log back in and see the topic completely transformed.

All I need is to open the concept in two tabs. One for editing the main post, the second is for editing other posts. Cut the contents from the first tab and paste it in the second tab without removing the format (keep it as rich text). Graphics, font colors, and links stay on, so it can be finished in like ten minutes.

 

I will tell more about the characters and gang later. A new mission is just ahead, and spoiler alert, it features Walt.

[The Coconut Kid]

15 hours ago, wise_man said:

A new mission is just ahead, and spoiler alert, it features Walt.

Wicked!

 

I'll quickly preface that I'm really interested to learn more about how Walt fulfills his important role for the Barattieris as a non-Italian. Given how tricky your characters are, I wasn't entirely convinced that it wasn't an alias.

[Guest]

NOTE: THIS IS A PIECE OF THE DISCONTINUED OLD STORYLINE

Credit to @Datalvarezguy for the Spanish dialogues.

 

PREVIOUSLY:

A Warning Before Sunrise

 

4 PM, Ciudad Belleza

 

A small crew of Reyes Family throws a gathering in the “exclusive” basement of Belvedere building. An almost hundred-years old mediterranean architecture used for a foreign South American bank that launders the syndicate’s money. It’s not far from their primary plaza, Valerio’s estate, but there are reasons why they decide to hold the little party here, and not in the don’s mansion. It’s a personal celebration.

 

The attendees: underboss Epifanio Montoya, his soldiers, and a few invited local crooked cops. Donning suits, mostly black, standing up, glass of wine in hand. Eagerly waiting for the main guest.

 

The main guest arrives late. He stands out the most in the plainlest outfit straight from SubUrban. Everyone looks, half are smiling, half are scowling. 

 

“Bienvenido, pequeño rufián,” Epifanio opens the gathering, "Estábamos esperándote.”

Welcome, little rascal / We’ve been expecting you.

 

 

“¿Vaís de broma/coña?" Oscar, more irritated than puzzled, “No es mi cumpleaños.”

Is this a joke? / This is not my birthday.

 

“Venga, Oscar. Es tu séptimo. Número de la suerte,” Epifanio clarifies, sarcastically referring to the amount of time the little rascal was arrested and freed.

C’mon Oscar, this is your seventh, the lucky number.

 

Oscar is not into this, “No estoy orgulloso. Además, no tengo ni un segundo para vestirme guapo a lo Brandon Roberts o para atender esta infantil celebración.”

I’m ain’t proud. Plus, I don’t have the slightest time to dress pretty as Brandon Roberts nor to attend this childish celebration.

 

“El don manda un saludo. Todavía te quiere, al igual que nosotros.”

The don bids his greeting, He still loves you, and so do us.

 

“Tonterias.”

Nonsense.

 

“Ahora en serio.,” Epifanio walks closer to Oscar's personal space, now intensely face-to-face, “The world is not your fantasy land, better grow up.”

For real, though.

 

In reality, the underboss is more than pissed off with Oscar's "full-liberty" behaviors. This gathering is a personal celebration for everyone who hates the little rascal: Reyes lieutenant, decent professional but nine out ten times, gets himself in repeated troubles with cops. Lot of expenses have already been wasted in bribing his freedom. Don Valerio still has faith, but for others like Epifanio, doubt his capability. Colombians and Russians will never keep this fool membership, Mr. Montoya thinks.

 

“I’m not an escape artist," Oscar defends himself.

 

"Of course, because you are the entire comedy circus!" 

 

The rest of the guests are either smiling in silence or laughing to their banters. One man observes the heated talk seriously. Who's this intruder? nobody realized this new face.

 

Meanwhile, the beef doesn't end there. Epifanio brings up again the reason behind Oscar's latest arrest: beating up his ex. That has no benefit for the family at all, so Epifanio accuses Oscar of 'only serving his own plate'.

 

Understandably, Oscar can't stand and leaves the room coldly, "Keep on eating sh*t. Congrats, I'm not even ashamed."

 

"¡Muestra respeto!”

Show respect!

 

 

                                                      

 

Cutscene ends, the control of Cesar is on your hand again. He slowly walks away from the partygoers as Epifanio raises his glass and everyone cheers. When everyone is distracted, Cesar takes the exit with no one noticing. The objective now is to Follow Oscar. He's heading to the underground parking lot for his car. You can sneak all the way through the empty corridors. Or walk casually and (SQUARE) to greet. Or, chase straight away if you prefer high-adrenaline GTA gameplay. The following happens in case you greet him in the parking lot.

 

“Who are you?” Oscar asks.

 

 

“Gustavo Tevez, VCPD," Cesar answers with his disguised alias and shows a badge.

 

Speaking of police badge, Cesar may have left the department. But it's obtainable through other methods. Stealing or looting one from police officers. Buying an imitation through forgery services like Rodri Sandoval for a not-so-cheap cost. Special discount if Cesar has a close relationship. Badge grants access to police stations, restricted crime scenes, and private properties. People will trust more, but gang members will be scared or turn hostile when shown. Remember, you drop it somewhere, it's lost forever.

 

"Go back to your party," Oscar warns.

 

"I make an excuse to leave early, chill out."

 

Oscar has experienced many variations of police stings. His mind quickly learns that this stalking policeman smells fishy. His survival instinct kicks in, he attempts to rush into his car. But you can catch him easily by sprinting (hold (X)), grabbing his arm (tap then hold (O) when close), and then pushing him to a parked car (release the (O)).

 

He squawks, cursing without looking at the lawman, "Oh, ¿una rata encubierta? Grito y te violarán en masa-"

Oh, an undercover rat? I scream and you'll be gangbanged-

 

"Niñato cobarde. No les importará un carajo.”

They're too busy drunk, coward rascal.

 

"What would you arrest me for this time? Dress code violation? Or do you guys decide to take my gold score seriously just now? Too late."

 

A black-silver Meridian, driven by Freddie Newman, enters the scene and stops nearby. Your buddy Fred plays the role of a shill in this scenario: Gustavo's partner who will help in intimidating the mark with convincing languages. Cesar harshly pushes Oscar into the backseat, "None of that matters, better move your ass."

 

 

"Two minutes, much impressive," Freddie remarks.

 

"He’s not a trophy," Cesar joins Oscar in the backseat and closes the door, "Let’s get the hell out of here."

 

Freddie steers the car away from the hotel. Oscar won’t shut his mouth throughout the drive. Complaining and demanding explanations.

 

"Which station would be our stop huh? Downtown?"

 

"We're not delivering."

 

"So you're here just to f*ck with my patience?!"

 

It’s recommended to discipline a difficult-to-compromise mark, that’s first and then jumping in for the bait. You can grab his shirt or point a baton/taser/gun. Don’t be overly violent and the mark won’t respond with violence.

 

Show the evidences

 

Pick it via the item's wheel. Cesar pulls out a brown envelope from his suit jacket. Oscar takes and opens it. What’s inside are photographs of Oscar and his goons. They beat the sh*t of different shopkeepers around the city, from brawling with them to smashing the shop’s windows with bat.

 

“I look so ugly," Oscar comments.

 

"Pues si,” Cesar says, “From all angles.”

You do.

 

"What’s the point?!”

 

"You know who you’re stepping into?"

 

Cesar reveals the rackets that Oscar attempted to extort are the Italians. It’s the best income that the dying Barattieri Family can afford. As an agent of their manager, Walt O’Donnel, Cesar (or Gustavo) has the right to confront Oscar.

 

But a revelation alone isn’t enough to blackmail Oscar. He knows about Walt and his business, but he doesn’t care, “That fatass had a decade, and no progress other than his weight. Not the person to be afraid of. And what are you gonna do with that?”

 

Handing it to Don Valerio

Handing it to Mr. Montoya

Handing it to the police

We'll do an auction

 

“Time for the don to know more, pal,” Cesar taps Oscar’s shoulder.

 

“Meh, he won’t believe that easy,” Oscar belittles.

 

“You think this is the only gold we have? We have King Solomon's mine in our office. The don would look you as nothing but his gators' happy meal.”

 

"Plus connection,” Freddie adds, “He'll be the one contacting the don.”

 

"What connection? Your fatass boss?"

 

"The Clerk," Cesar answers, "The Italian owns those places after all. We know Don Valerio values them alot. He’ll trust that old chum.”

 

"Bloody hell."

 

"Please don't piss the seat, all we need is you, pay us compensations, thirty grand, and promise to never come back. We get the money, you get these hot stuff. Clear?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Tomorrow, at seven right here,” Cesar points at the photo Oscar’s currently holding, a small souvenir store in Little Cuba.

 

"And do it alone!” Freddie glances back at Oscar, giving a warning, “No one else is invited!"

 

“Okay! Okay! Can I leave now?”

 

Without saying anything, the car stops. Cesar recollects the photos and pushes Oscar out of the car. Leaving him in an eerily calm Broadway’s hoods. With the two cops out of picture, Oscar takes out his phone, calling his underlings for an ambush plan. He cannot be defeated like this.

 

“They think I’m dumb? Let me show…”

 

                                                      

 

7AM in the morning, Little Cuba.

 

The sun has shone. Cesar and Freddie waiting next to the painted wall of the souvenir shop. Damages from Oscar’s extortion attempt are visible with the broken windows, store sign, and door. Awaiting a recovery fund from Oscar himself.

 

Oscar arrives alone, walking in with a holdall bag in right hand.

 

“Where’s the envelope?” Oscar demands, dropping the bag, “Gustavo?”

 

[Show the evidence]

[Check the money]
 

“Lemme check the bargain first,” Cesar counters,

 

Oscar takes the dropped bag again, unzipping it. Yes, it’s full of cash, “Thirty thousand as ordered, right?”

 

“Good,” Cesar nods, “Give it to me.”

 

“You lazy motherf*cker.”

 

A cream Pinnacle Classic speeds up from right. Two of Oscar’s goons inside, armed with Yuli, ready to target Cesar in a drive-by shooting.

 

Freddie has been tasked to watch around if anything goes wrong. As Freddie realizes that a car is heading toward them at full speed, he pulls out the slinged Gotham .223 pump shotgun on his back. He shoots the wheel, causing it to steer uncontrollably and hit a lamp post. The goons exit the vehicle and fire back at Freddie.

 

Meanwhile, Oscar pushes Cesar against the wall, trying to beat him up and retrieve the envelope.

 

“You rascal,” Cesar pushes back.

 

Freddie is busy shooting the ambushers down, using the wooden fence as cover. He can handle it alone, trust him. You focus on taking out Oscar in a melee brawl. 

 

Beat up Oscar

 

Hand-to-hand combat plays out like in RDR II. Earlier, we’ve seen a more defensive stance in Maria’s mission. Cesar, being a more hardened fighter, plays more offensively. Use a combination of (O) for attack and (TRIANGLE) for grapple/escape. Remember to block with (SQUARE).

 

Do a special haymaker move at the right moment when Oscar’s about to deliver a punch. Tap (SQUARE) and instantly tap (O) afterwards, that deals hella ton of damage. If you have a melee weapon in Cesar’s inventory, pull it out! Knive, nightstick, or hammer. You can also take a wood plank nearby. It’s unfair, but it gives advantage (and there’s no rule in such street fights anyway).

 

Eventually, Freddie finishes up the attackers, and Oscar falls into the ground.

 

 

“Get the f*ck up!” Cesar threatens.

 

“You win! Satisfied?!” Oscar admits his defeat, standing up.

 

“Podrás ser tonto, pero nosotros no.”

You can be dumb, but we’re not dumber

 

The deal is nearly botched thanks to Oscar; maybe teaching him an extra lesson would help. You decide the final decision.

 

[Exchange the evidences]

[Keep the evidences]
[Destroy the evidences]

 

“Has sido más travieso de lo que pensé,” Cesar says, taking the holdall but keeping the photographs envelop in his jacket, “Nos lo quedaremos.”

You’ve been naughtier than I thought / We’ll keep it.

 

“¡Oh, genial!” Oscar cries out in frustration.

Oh Great!

 

“At least you pay enough so we won’t show it, okay, unless you act out again.” Cesar threatens the mark one last time, “Siempre estamos observando. No seas estúpido.”
We’ll always be watching, don’t be a dumbass.

 

Cesar and Freddie leave Oscar behind and walk to the former’s car, a silver Pierre parked across the shop.

 

“Glad we anticipate the sh*tshow,” Freddie says, “Now what?”

 

“Gotta give this to Walt, I’ll transfer your reward later.”

 

“Anyway, breakfast?”

 

“Don’t know, man, but I can take you there. Let’s go.”

 

As the pair get in the car, however, a maroon Eudora with three armed men pursue from behind. It’s a last attempt by Oscar to destroy them and the evidence.

 

“This guy is not giving up?!” Freddie grumbles.

 

Lose Oscar’s goons

 

Cesar sighs, “Guess I’m angering him too much for his limit.”

 

“Lose em,” Freddie loads up his shotgun, “Watch the road!”

 

Drive carefully, you know that Cesar’s driving works closer to GTA IV’s boat-like experience. Watch the traffic, don’t crash to avoid heavy gunfire. 

 

Drive badly, and you’ll receive a “unique” insult from Freddie, “If you were born in Los Santos, I bet you’d be a less worse driver.”

 

Complete the objective by either escaping them or letting Freddie waste them out.

 

After losing them, the instruction is to Take Freddie to any restaurant. The choice is yours, though, in similar fashion to friends and girlfriends features in previous games, he has preferences that you can identify from conversations. Drops him to a favorite place for bonus point, and tells (not promises) him you'll return.

 

Deliver the money to Walt

 

                                                      

 

Walt’s always in Campanili Island, in a Venetian-styled mansion. The last bastion of Barattieri Family’s division in Vice City lives. The family’s main office is on second floor, where guests will discuss their Italian businesses in the city. The room’s wall is furnished with bookshelves, portraits of old Cosa Nostra members, and paintings; and all chocolate-colored furnitures, including a couch that faces the desk. On its left is the door to the stairs; on its right: open terrace with oceanic buena vista.

 

Sitting on the sofa is a gray-haired glasses. Eyes and fingers on the laptop on his lap. 

 

Walking around the room is another guy. Barely clothed, only in his underpants and untied red robe. A white mug of hot coffee in his hand.

 

Cesar walks in.

 

 

“Walt?” Cesar gives a weirded out look at Walt’s scantily clad figure.

 

Giancarlo speaks up to a stoned Cesar, “I assure you he’s not drunk this morning”.

 

“Welcome, Cesar,” Walt greets, “Want a coffee?”

 

“No, thanks. I had enough sleep last night,” Cesar’s reasoning, lying.

 

“Always healthy, I see…” Walt sips the caffeine, “You know I ain’t a weirdo, the housemaster never formalizes a dress code.”

 

“You’re kidding?” Giancarlo stops typing, mildly annoyed, “I used to this, but the Commission? As I said, they can throw surprise guests here anytime they want, and their first impression of Vice City is not beach babes’ midriff, but some naked junkie’s fat belly.”

 

Walt laughs, “I’m curious to see.”

 

Giancarlo mumbles while continuing his work, “Sammy would’ve had a heart attack if he was here.”

 

“That snake? Lucky he only bashed his Gambetti in court, no bad words about us.”

 

“He’s never that kind, maybe our positions are so insignificant to him that he forgot to say it. I hate it too.”

 

“And his daughter, she would’ve been hornier here.”

 

“You stray too far, Walt.”

 

“When we last see her? Ten years ago? She’ll be legal.”

 

“Shut it.”

 

"Can't take a joke?"

 

“Walt,” Cesar pauses the conversation, handing him the money holdall, “His compensation. He won’t piss on your places ever again.”

 

Walt unzips the bag, chuckling, “You’re the best at teaching naughty boys some lessons. He’s delusional, thinking I won’t stop him. I know Don Valerio would never waste resources on cheap sweatshops.”

 

Walt gives Cesar a stack, five hundred dollars. Cesar excuses himself to leave in a hurry as Walt invites him for more talk.

 

Exiting the mansion, you’re free to choose between heading back to Freddie, initiating a friend activity, or ignore him and mind your own business. The latter won’t tragically break your friendship, but he’ll be a little annoyed at the next meeting.

 

 

NEXT:

Haitian Hospitality

Edited February 17 by One of Wisemen

[Guest]

Now for the follow-up post.

 

The politicians, government agencies, and police departments entries in The Player have been added. Second-half of the story is expanded.

 

The Opportunist story is closer to GTA V, with the protagonists working together. Inspired by GTA V's heists mechanic, Mickey's team in Hustle, and the theoretical pragmatic-romantic feature found in GTA VI leaks. I like to think how we can possibly determine the direction of Jason-Lucia relationship, whether you want them to be close romantic partners or just business partners for money.

 

And to answer @The Coconut Kid curiosity. Some things I mention here are new ideas I recently got, that I think sound better than the already-established lores. So maybe I'll update some information soon).

 

In this universe, in similar vein as real-world, the Barattieri experienced a huge blow with the loss of Sandro in late 80s. The new boss (should be based on Vincent LoSalzo, but no idea yet), with the suggestion from Sammy Bottino, decided to give more freedom for the LC's five families in Tequesta, basically to keep the family alive. Though this is just, let's say, a shady plan by the five families so they can overshadow the Barattieri's interest over Tequesta, including in Vice City. Now the Barattieri's branch in VC is quite minor, becoming a servant of the five families. With the central base in Tampa (or Cottonmouth) becoming weaker, less funding are received by the VC branch.

 

One way to fill in their bank, is the good old' protection racket. Not wanting to waste much time of establishing the network from ground-up, they partnered with Walt O'Donnell. He's been running one for years, and it's big enough to sustain their balance. The idea of Walt is simple, I like to think what if some Florida man decide to make his own racketeering business? I design him as a comic-relief, inspired by the actor's role in Queen of the South as King George. He gives me the impression of a man who doesn't care about the rules, just want to feel happy from money/influence of his business.

 

Now, Hernan Ruiz is a character I'm instantly think when watching this documentary: Two Sides of Miami: Super-Rich vs Super Poor. Top-stuff, recommended for people with interest two modern Miami. Influences also come from Vice City's own Avery Carrington and current Miami mayor, Francis X. Suarez. Suarez is ambitious, wanting to transform Miami into tech center ala Sillicon Valley. So I come up with the idea of an ambitious magnate who hates the ghetto neighborhoods, wanting to gentrify it into something for a shinnier Vice City. That's what motivate him to be a mayor. His bad side? He refuses to acknowledge that his ambition would mean a higher living cost, and would sacrifice the poorer citizens.

 

Lastly, Byzantium Construction and their owner: Ruben Kotcharyan. The basis of these two is Vadim Gataullin, one of the first Russian investors of Trump's real estate projects. He has a construction company "StroyFederatsiya" and is known for raider operations. I get to know him from this wonderful article: "Miami is Ours" Why Russian businessmen and bandits settle in Trump Towers; many of the Russian mobs characters in this concept are influenced by individuals in that article. To quote the raider operation:

 

But in their homeland, the communist millionaire is better known for raider operations, the nature of which is more like an organized criminal group.

 

Turning him into Armenian, however, is merely a diversification. The Kirikov Bratva would feel bland if everyone involve within are just Russians and Ukrainians. I want to give justice for Armenian organized crime after they're underrepresented in GTA V, and Russian mob in Miami has tie with them too: 

 

In February, 13 South Florida members and associates of an alleged Armenian crime organisation were rounded up by authorities. They were charged with extortion and other offences as part of a series of indictments against over 100 suspects from Miami to Los Angeles. The main extortion charge accused ringleader Aram Khranyan, 41, of Sunny Isles Beach, and others of threatening 'physical violence' against a man if he did not pay a $12,000 debt to a member of Khranyan’s organisation.
(from Dailymail)

[The Coconut Kid]

There are so many decisions to be made and each one matters.

 

This is what I enjoy about your missions – endless possibilities! It begins with the gameplay and comes to life through the storyline.

 

I found myself considering who I would threaten to pass the evidence off to. Each option has the potential to provoke a wildly different reaction.

 

Handing to Don Valerio is surprisingly low key on the face of things - two goons and a backup car. Mr. Montoya might be more serious – Oscar knows this guy hates his guts. He might recruit an entire army of goons and plan to flee the city entirely.

 

And if the police are involved, he might not bring anyone at all. The threat to initiate a bidding war might make him think you’re a total bullsh*tter. Possibilities!

 

Other things:

 

On 2/5/2023 at 8:44 PM, wise_man said:

As the pair get in the car, however, a maroon Eudora with three armed men pursue from behind. It’s a last attempt by Oscar to destroy them and the evidence.

You are quick. Has this thing even been released on GTAO yet?

 

On 2/5/2023 at 8:44 PM, wise_man said:

Speaking of police badge, Cesar may have left the department. But it's obtainable through other methods. Stealing or looting one from police officers. Buying an imitation through forgery services like Rodri Sandoval for a not-so-cheap cost. Special discount if Cesar has a close relationship. Badge grants access to police stations, restricted crime scenes, and private properties. People will trust more, but gang members will be scared or turn hostile when shown. Remember, you drop it somewhere, it's lost forever.

I like this feature. It reminds me of the movie Miami Blues. Has it been an influence to you at all?

 

On 2/5/2023 at 8:44 PM, wise_man said:

Their dynamic almost makes me think of Nino and Bernie in Drive.

 

I appreciate the detail about their relationship with The Commission too - and the Bottino references!

 

Only thing - this line seemed off to me:

 

On 2/5/2023 at 8:44 PM, wise_man said:

“He’s never that kind, our positions are so insignificant that he forgot to say it.”

I know they're losers. You know they're losers. But these guys run their own business. They should always be talking themselves up rather than down.

 

On 2/5/2023 at 8:44 PM, wise_man said:

A cream Pinnacle Classic speeds up from right. Two of Oscar’s goons inside, armed with Micro SMG, ready to target Cesar in a drive-by shooting.

Weird aside: I'm pretty sure I cast Thug #1 as an Havana desk sergeant. Great minds think alike.

 

I like that you distinguished between them. They're not just Oscar's goons. Everyone is important.

 

Good job. And thanks @Datalvarezguy for the translations.

[Guest]

56 minutes ago, The Coconut Kid said:

I found myself considering who I would threaten to pass the evidence off to. Each option has the potential to provoke a wildly different reaction.

 

Handing to Don Valerio is surprisingly low key on the face of things - two goons and a backup car. Mr. Montoya might be more serious – Oscar knows this guy hates his guts. He might recruit an entire army of goons and plan to flee the city entirely.

I like that you elaborate your own choice here.

I design these missions in a way so that readers feel like they're watching playthrough of a game they'll never play. They can only see what the player (in this case, me, the author) has decided, satisfied or not, they can't alter it and can only think the alternate scenario in their head.

 

From a technical standpoint, con games would run like chapters in Detroit: Become Human. Each game features choices, which are arranged in an unseen flowchart, so there are choices that make you complete or fail the mission faster/longer than usual.

 

56 minutes ago, The Coconut Kid said:

You are quick. Has this thing even been released on GTAO yet?

The one in GTAO is based on 1970's version of the same model, so I simply borrow the same name.

 

56 minutes ago, The Coconut Kid said:

It reminds me of the movie Miami Blues. Has it been an influence to you at all?

Haven't knew the movie till you mention it. The feature is actually inspired by your own police badge mechanic in the original VI: Vice - Police Badge Badge and warrant card looted from bodies of police officers. Allows you to jack vehicles without gaining police attention and allows you access to property.

 

56 minutes ago, The Coconut Kid said:

They should always be talking themselves up rather than down.

Thanks for this one advice my friend!

 

All these six missions are my first attempts of writing detailed stories with dialogues (I've never done it to this extent back in wiki days) so I definitely need more constructive advices like this to improve my dialogue writing. I won't be the type who write all a-z dialogues from the story, but writing them is lotta fun, and some people surely enjoy reading them too.

Edited February 6, 2023 by wise_man

[almightyvasi]

Honestly these stories should be either implemented through standalone mods or might as well send it to some scripts writer for some $$$ don't think there are many GTA-like series out there 

[The Coconut Kid]

On 2/7/2023 at 1:08 AM, wise_man said:

I design these missions in a way so that readers feel like they're watching playthrough of a game they'll never play. They can only see what the player (in this case, me, the author) has decided, satisfied or not, they can't alter it and can only think the alternate scenario in their head.

It's been a great direction for you to take.

 

I know I was really dissatisfied with the more linear direction Rockstar has taken across their recent titles. It's been frustrating to be confined to a strict set of objectives and silly mission failures for straying even the slightest from how we're supposed to complete the mission.

 

Light & Shadow is a fantastic advertisement for player choice and the consequences of those choices. And I'm glad to say, you don't need to write out all four scenarios to convince me.

 

On 2/7/2023 at 1:08 AM, wise_man said:

The feature is actually inspired by your own police badge mechanic in the original VI: Vice - Police Badge Badge and warrant card looted from bodies of police officers. Allows you to jack vehicles without gaining police attention and allows you access to property.

Oh wow. Well, I'll cop to Miami Blues actually being the origins of this for me. Fun little movie.

 

On 2/7/2023 at 1:08 AM, wise_man said:

All these six missions are my first attempts of writing detailed stories with dialogues (I've never done it to this extent back in wiki days) so I definitely need more constructive advices like this to improve my dialogue writing. I won't be the type who write all a-z dialogues from the story, but writing them is lotta fun, and some people surely enjoy reading them too.

No way!

 

I'm not going to impose advice on you that I don't think you need. But the one thing that helped me overcome my aversion to writing dialogue was to write the conversations first and then to wrap the descriptions and gameplay around them second. Like so:

 

Spoiler

"Did you read the new Light & Shadow mission last night?"

 

"You better believe I did. I read every one of those things."

 

"I've been following it since the start," "They just get better and better."

 

"Six missions, all written like that, and he's new to dialogue?" "I don't buy it."

 

"The guy is good."

 

"Too good."

I can go in after around maybe the second line and describe who the conversation is between and the environment where they're having their discussion. I can use the gaps between lines to elaborate on their mannerisms and their little quirks - give them props like cigarettes. Those are the easy parts - dialogue is hard!

 

I'm glad to hear you're having fun with them. And I can confirm they are enjoyed. Keep at it.

[Guest]

@The Coconut Kid. Back in 2019-2020, during the early days of Light & Shadow in Wiki, I used to write missions already. But they were descriptions with few/no dialogues. This is an example from Jan 2019. Most articles had been deleted on my own request to admin, however. L&S was still a direction-less concept back then, and I struggled with overthinking my own creative choices. I was a game dev who constantly changing ideas because he thinks the established ones aren't good enough.

 

The early writing format was influenced by Raniero R (with The After Dark Scene) and Loopiz (with King of The Hill). Two veteran contributors of the wiki since 2014, no longer active today. The aforementioned concepts have couple of well-written missions, like this one from TADS. Raniero in particular, is who motivated me to pursue concept writing in the first place. Great guy, wish you two can talk.

 

At first, it felt "strange" to write more dialogues than usual, because I was so invested in this summary-centric format. Reading other concepts' missions as ghost reader definitely help. One example is @Naughtius Maximus' A Mexico Al Inferno that I found awhile after materializing this thread.

Edited May 22, 2023 by wise_man

[E Revere]

Where's Thomas originally from? Is he Bahamian or just used to live in Nassau?

[Guest]

7 hours ago, E Revere said:

Where's Thomas originally from? Is he Bahamian or just used to live in Nassau?

To clarify, Nassau here is actually a Philadelphia-inspired city made by inactive author TheDriver111 (@Niko Montana) on GTAFanon Wiki. It's the setting of his unfinished concept called Blood Money. When I write Thomas' background, I thought it would be nice to reference other concepts from Wiki.

 

There were times where I wanted to change the city's name, perhaps borrowing the Lenapia name from here or coming up with an entirely new name. But the same time, I don't want to cut the initial connection with what's been established in Wiki before my arrival, they deserve some shots too.

[LowTierDude]

6 hours ago, wise_man said:

To clarify, Nassau here is actually a Philadelphia-inspired city made by inactive author TheDriver111 (@Niko Montana) on GTAFanon Wiki. It's the setting of his unfinished concept called Blood Money. When I write Thomas' background, I thought it would be nice to reference other concepts from Wiki.

 

There were times where I wanted to change the city's name, perhaps borrowing the Lenapia name from here or coming up with an entirely new name. But the same time, I don't want to cut the initial connection with what's been established in Wiki before my arrival, they deserve some shots too.

That's cool. I like it when concepts do shoutouts and references to other concepts.

[E Revere]

Does Light & Shadow have a map or are you just going by real-life Miami when location references are necessary?

 

From reading Cesar's angle. Freddie seems fishy. It feels like he doesn't really want Cesar but is stuck with him. Is that the case?

[Guest]

15 hours ago, E Revere said:

Does Light & Shadow have a map or are you just going by real-life Miami when location references are necessary?

The latter, mainly because I can't draw one very well, lack the skills like scaling areas correctly. I had been experimenting with Paint.net in the past, but the map never finished. Now that you mentioned it, I have to unearth its current state. Obviously you can notice familiar areas such as Evergreen in west, the Keys in south, and Vice City in east. The red lines are main road networks.

 

 

By the time we know GTA VI entire map, I won't rewrite the setting entirely to synchronize L&S with Rockstar's canon. But I won't rule out the idea of borrowing some map features like names of streets, bussinesses, buildings, or even neighborhoods/areas if GTA VI manages to have better fictionalized name. On the other side, I already like some of made-up names here like Evergreen (Everglades) and Gleason Beach (South Beach), as well as alternate names for places that maintained their real names in original Vice City: Little Cuba (Havana), Little Gonave (Haiti), or Versace Boulevard (Ocean Drive).

 

15 hours ago, E Revere said:

It feels like he doesn't really want Cesar but is stuck with him. Is that the case?

Technically a yes. While Freddie is confident that his corruption record is untouched on its own, he believes that if Cesar attracts too much attentions, he'll be under scrutiny too due to their known close ties.

[E Revere]

Have you considered using somebody else's map on GTA Mapmaking? (with permission of course)

[LowTierDude]

1 hour ago, wise_man said:

The latter, mainly because I can't draw one very well, lack the skills like scaling areas correctly. I had been experimenting with Paint.net in the past, but the map never finished. Now that you mentioned it, I have to unearth its current state. Obviously you can notice familiar areas such as Evergreen in west, the Keys in south, and Vice City in east. The red lines are main road networks.

 

 

By the time we know GTA VI entire map, I won't rewrite the setting entirely to synchronize L&S with Rockstar's canon. But I won't rule out the idea of borrowing some map features like names of streets, bussinesses, buildings, or even neighborhoods/areas if GTA VI manages to have better fictionalized name. On the other side, I already like some of made-up names here like Evergreen (Everglades) and Gleason Beach (South Beach), as well as alternate names for places that maintained their real names in original Vice City: Little Cuba (Havana), Little Gonave (Haiti), or Versace Boulevard (Ocean Drive).

 

Technically a yes. While Freddie is confident that his corruption record is untouched on its own, he believes that if Cesar attracts too much attentions, he'll be under scrutiny too due to their known close ties.

Looks sick mate. You can actually just post the unfinished then post the finished one when you feel like it, a lot of concepts including my Chasing The Dragon concept and Cosa Nostra do that.

Edited March 26, 2023 by kobeni

[Guest]

On 3/26/2023 at 5:59 PM, E Revere said:

Have you considered using somebody else's map on GTA Mapmaking? (with permission of course)

I have checked couple of Vice City fanmaps in the mapmaking thread. I like many of them, but none so far fits with Light & Shadow vision. It's either they're too small, only covering Vice City's urban area; or too big, including multiple Florida cities and Caribbean locations alongside VC.

 

On 3/26/2023 at 6:38 PM, kobeni said:

Looks sick mate. You can actually just post the unfinished then post the finished one when you feel like it, a lot of concepts including my Chasing The Dragon concept and Cosa Nostra do that.

I might redo the map in the future, this time more loosely-based on real-life geography. I really like this Vice City map from @SammiiDoogles' old Vice City concept. It looked very distinctive and avant-garde, with odd district placements, like Everglades moved to Vice Beach area. You can only view it from web archive after Tinypic being closed.

 

I definitely won't go this extreme like when designing my map, though. It still needs to be recognizable enough that you know it's based on South Florida. I'm also going to make it minimal, like your neighborhoods map in CTD, without complicating myself by drawing perfect road networks.

 

Credit to SammiiDoogles for the map:

 

Spoiler

[Guest]

Putting the link to Bloodsales. I have actually expanded the confidence tricks and gameplay sections here, but never publicly tell about it. Bloodsales doesn't mark the end of Light & Shadow, our Vice City's adventure will continue till the end, it's just I have other priorities. Also thank you for everyone who's voting L&S for "Best Presentation" category, definitely motivating me.

[Guest]

NOTE: THIS IS A PIECE OF THE DISCONTINUED OLD STORYLINE

 

PREVIOUSLY:

Angel In Disguise

 

Maria looks for another life, away from the current hustle.

 

While the con on Vadim plays out behind, the Irish hitman introduces Maria to his go-to for ballistic equipment: an old arms dealer by the name Manuel Ortega. When Brandon is out of the picture, she offers her service to him under another less Russian-sounding alias of "July". It takes some convincing to make this new client understand that she had records in her homeland, and she'll do anything in one condition: no Brandon or other Russians.

 

The firsts are simple recons against Manuel's European business contacts. Like Evan and Vadim, they just involve her eavesdropping or squeezing intel from the targets from a simple meeting at a gunstore and a poolside. He's yet to entrust her for a direct hit contract. That task is given to another employee of his: Solo.

 

Solo has been a middleman between Manuel and Maria when the former is too busy oiling up his guns.

 

In their meetings, she feels like Solo keeps advancing on her. He's not flirting, he wants to answer questions like how this random lady ends up here?

 

They're not lovers nor close friends. Not yet.

 

He doesn’t even know her real name yet. He only has an idea that she's a professional from Europe.

 

A day after the apartment ambush where she finally got rid of Vadim, Solo messages Maria for another meeting. 

 

/ Meet in St. Vitus Bazaar, Perseus y'know. Not the usual place for reasons. /

 

2 PM.

 

The marketplace is in Downtown, next to the ocean. From the front gate, go deep into the main hallway of the bazaar building: food courts, souvenirs, boutiques, and more small shops. In front of said fashion store, the man is waiting in front of the display window.

 

 

“Anything new yet?”

 

“Nah, the same Desert Eagle if you will,” Solo mumbles.

 

“Nevermind,” Maria wraps her arms, “What I’m into now?”

 

“We,” Solo corrects, “We’re teaming up.”

 

“Interesting.”

 

“Uugh, can you help me first?” Solo asks, clumsily, then stares at the store “Well, this is such an odd request, but I need the right suit,”

 

“So that’s why we meet here,” Maria smiles.

 

Solo smiles back, “This is for my girl.”

 

“You have a date?”

 

“The last time we talked in my hood, some homies of mine thought I was cheating. Now before she gets misguided, I need to, you know, take her out and talk.”

 

“Am I that weird?”

 

“July, not everyday my hood gets white, foreign visitors like you. Let alone ladies.”

 

Maria chuckles, “Actually, maybe I can help you with her.”

 

“This is me and she. You wanna be a relationship guru or something?”

 

Afterwards, you’re instructed to Pick an Outfit for Solo as the pair enter the shop. This plays out like in Friend Request from GTA V. The prices may look exorbitant, but Solo’s wallet gets it covered and you don’t need to pay, unless you want to use the chance to buy a new dress yourself. Listen to Solo’s comments to know his preferences. Eventually, Maria picks up a gray and purple combo.

 

Solo also asks Maria to change if she wants. And for now, she simply picks a red lace dress, the same outfit she wore during her first encounter with Vadim at Gostinaya.

 

Leaving the store, Solo explains that Manuel looks to sabotage an endeavor of his market competitor, Jamal “Genie” Noble. He sells high-grade arms, bragging about its finest quality when its not, at cheap price so nobody’s feel robbed. All transactions are done with the Broadway gangsters while hanging at Stratosphere, a bar in this bazaar every noon till night. He probably believes that the probability of getting his day ruined is lower when he’s out in public.

 

The order: kill everyone involved in the deal. Discreetly if possible.

 

Solo thinks they can watchover the deal and when it’s done, split up. Maria takes Jamal out, while Solo goes after the buyers.

 

“Boss said you’re good at this matter,” Solo says, “Anything in mind?”

 

“I’d say we hook Jamal before the meeting instead.”

 

The man realizes, staring sharply, giving an unsure look, “You such a dangerous woman.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Maria calmly assures him, scratching her hair, “I’ll handle Jamal, you his friends.”

 

“You know how often it can go wrong? These buyers… they’re hot heads. He might think he’s invincible there.”

 

                                                      

 

Stratosphere, two hours later.

 

4 PM is the time Jamal hangs around this open air bar right outside the bazaar’s main building, before it gets packed by tourists, depressed brokers, and drinkers like other night out spots in Vice City. The bar is for drinking and enjoying the scenery only. No wild dancing. No latest generic EDM hits. “Rue vieille du temple” plays in the background.

 

Maria and Solo enter the bar, pretending to be barely-related patrons. 

 

Maria only carries the same Desert Eagle beneath the dress. Solo has one too, plus a Cobra in his pocket. Unless you interact or act weird, nobody is distracted by their first appearances here.

 

They look around for the mark. He is easy to find.

 

“There,” Solo whispers, “I’ll watch from here.”

 

 

Jamal is the African-American man with a “duke” hairstyle, thin facial hair, and a black suit that blends him well with the higher society around. He’s sitting alone at the bartender's table. Who would suspect him as an arms dealer? The seat left to him is vacant for you. While still on distance from him, activate the observation mode and notice the three details:

 

The way the bartender talks with him, chill and more friendly. Apparently it’s true that he’s a frequent drinker here.

 

The way his right hand covers up his left hand. Almost all the time. Implying he hides a wedding ring, a disloyal husband.

 

The brown leather briefcase down below the seat on his feet. Knowing his profile, it most likely contains the merchandise he’s about to bargain today.

 

After a short talk, Jamal plainly requests, “As usual.”

 

The bartender gives a knowing smile, “Glass of whiskey?”

 

“You know better.”

 

That's a signal.

 

Approach Jamal

 

[Greet politely]

[Greet seductively]

[Ignore, make an order]

 

Jamal gets his drink as Maria walks toward the table. Acting to be unbothered by him, she only looks at the bartender and orders, “Glass of whiskey, too.”

 

The same drink, intentionally to grab the mark’s attention.

 

“With pleasure, miss.”

 

Maria sits down next to Jamal. She’s not glancing at him yet, knowing that he’ll be the one doing it first. He turns his head at her while drinking.

 

 

When Maria turns around, making eye contact with him blankly, he almost pukes.

 

Now she gives a concerned look,“Anything wrong?"

 

He swallows the rest of the drink down his throat, placing the half-empty whiskey glass back to the table, “Sorry.”

 

The mark readjusts himself, "Not everyday I see new faces."

 

"Me? I never know you too,” Maria responds, “I come here for a lone break.”

 

“I’m waiting for some pals, then.. same as you.”

 

“You mean enjoying the night alone?”

 

The man smiles.

 

“I’m Jamal,” he introduces himself.

 

“Call me Anna.”

 

This gonna be easy, won’t it? Maria thinks.

 

Afterwards, he asks about your life. You can make up the profile of a typical, classy office girl; or a typical, party girl with different preferences. Not too detailed, just the surface. Regardless, Jamal can quickly deduct that Maria is a foreigner. Still got that recognizable accent, eh?

 

“I guess you’re not from here, right?”

 

“I’m Russian.”

 

“Yeah, I heard many people from there moved here,” his face lights up.

 

“We like to move anywhere sunnier.”

 

While finishing up his glass, Jamal gazes at Maria’s figure from head to toe. Her dress doesn’t reveal much skin aside for her legs below, but it’s tight enough to accentuate her curve. 

 

She’s aware, it's getting sensual.

 

 

Do you like the dress?

Excuse me?

[Do nothing]

 

“You like my dress?” Maria curves a teasing smile.

 

Jamal quickly looks back at her eyes, “Sh*t, sorry miss, well...”

 

“I’m asking you. I’m not wearing this without purpose.”

 

“Okay, I’m guilty, but real, you look so lovely.”

 

At this point, he figures this ‘Anna’ girl might not be as innocent as she looks.

 

“I broke up recently, that’s why I’m all alone.”

 

“And now… looking for new special someone,” Jamal smirks, “Make me.”

 

“You’re kidding,” Maria laughs softly.

 

“Hot and warm, you know why we are staring.”

 

Jamal looks around, still no sign of the ‘friends’ he’s waiting for. He suggests something else to kill the time.

 

“How about a game?”

 

“What game?”

 

“Drinking bet. If I can guess something trivial about you, you drink. If I'm wrong, then I’ll drink.”

 

“You want to get me drunk?”

 

“Let me prove I can beat a Russian,” Jamal pokes.

 

Maria giggles.

 

“Funny man,” she mutters playfully.

 

Jamal then orders eight shots of Tequila. The bartender lines up the eight glasses on the table, as if he’s already familiar with Jamal’s game. 

 

The two share laughs before starting.

 

Survive the drinking game

 

His turn is first. 

 

The question is randomized. When it’s your turn, you choose the prompt as usual.

 

You can pretend whether he gets it right or wrong. Keep in mind, though, six is the limit. Too much right, you’re in high bliss. Too much wrong, he’s finished.

 

This is more of a mind game.

 

Three drinks after. Maria’s second turn.

 

“Now from my guess, you’re married.”

 

Throughout the conversation and game, Jamal hides his left hand down on his pants pocket. His response is quite predictable, with a slight shake of head, “Na-ah. I’m on a grind.”

 

Maria sighs and drinks another.

 

The sun has completely gone down at this point.

 

After the next drink, Jamal's long-awaited companies come to the table. Two men. One in a casual short-sleeved, striped shirt. One in a navy jacket. 

 

“Genie, any good?” The former greets.

 

He stands right to Jamal. The other man stands behind him.

 

“Lee? Tank? I’m waiting for like ages, n*gga,” Jamal grumbles, disappointed, “Lucky I got a friend to drink with for good.”

 

They speak in thick “hood” languages and slang words. These two “friends” are obviously Jamal’s buyers and some Broadway gangsters that Solo has talked about.

 

 

Looking at the Tequila glasses, Lee pats on Jamal’s shoulder “Still a Mr. Dipso wannabe, Genie?”

 

“Just chilling with the company of tonight,” Jamal says, “This is Anna,”

 

Tank looks at Maria, then Jamal, “Man, I’m jealous, you got new shone like every night, and you got an Aphrodite for tonight.”

 

“Shut up, Tank,” Jamal tries to defend, “Don’t treat her rude like that.”

 

“Such a gentleman,” Maria teases.

 

Jamal gets serious now. He lightly kicks his shoes at the briefcase below him. Lee glances down, he understands. Meanwhile, Maria doesn’t notice that Tank circles around to her back.

 

The dealer asks, annoyed, “What about the deal? I ain’t waiting more time to waste.” 

 

“There’s some issues I need to talk,” Lee answers bluntly.

 

“You crazy? Try to set me up after this long, huh?!” Jamal raises his voice. 

 

“No, sh*t.”

 

“You make me scared, man.”

 

These two don’t look fun, things get more heated and can only go wrong. Jamal is cautiously nervous. Lee still insists. Tank remains silent.

 

“You ain’t got guts like real men.”

 

“Can’t you talk it here and now?”

 

“Yo, I got the other boys out there to round you down. They want a talk too.”

 

“What about no.”

 

At this moment, Solo notices that Tank is about to grab Maria from behind. These bad boys gonna use her as leverage? hell nah.

 

Solo pulls out his arms, shoot straight at Tank before he gets the chance. 

 

Tank’s fall to the floor, fresh blood streams from his head.

 

The patrons are panicking. Covering their heads. Hiding under the table. Running away to the exit, Screaming. Jamal, and Lee are in shock. Maria is surprised, staring at Solo, who has taken cover behind a table.

 

“F*ck you!” Lee thinks that was from Jamal’s underling. He reaches out his firearm from his belt.

 

“I’m outta this beef!” Jamal is quicker, grabbing an empty tequila glass and throws it to Lee’s face.

 

Both buyers are killed.

 

“Пиздец!”

Damn it!

 

Maria hates to break her character, but no way she’d let Jamal escape. When he reaches to grab the gun suitcase, Maria quickly pushes him.

 

Jamal slips, dropping the suitcase, but quickly stands up before Maria grabs him.

 

“F*ck is wrong with you?!” he curses.

 

He doesn’t look back, sprinting away into the bazaar with his suitcase. Maria and Solo separately chase behind.

 

Chase and Kill Jamal

 

At night, the bazaar is more flooded by civilians than hours ago. Be careful not to miss a bullet or bump against strangers. You two aren’t the only two pursuing the gunrunner as he runs through the corridor. One of Lee’s boys comes out with a Yuli Submachine, attempting to fire at Jamal. Jamal looks through his shoulder and quickly duck down as the pursuer hits a shop’s glass window instead. Before he empties his mags, however, Solo neutralizes him, ironically giving Jamal extra time to stand up and find an exit.

 

Two more boys join the chase behind. Let Solo focus on Jamal this time. You repel the new attackers. One appears smart enough to chase from the second floor, managing to injure Jamal’s knee with his Vest Pocket. But the target forces himself to continue despite losing speed. Take this shooter down first, he vulnerablely exposes himself without cover. The second shooter is using a vendor as cover, but he’s not as efficient marksman as his partner. It won’t take long.

 

Meanwhile, Jamal no longer can endure the pain, falling and writhing. Solo approaches, raises his gun and pulls the trigger. Job’s done.

 

“Now we outta here!” Solo orders.

 

Leave the bazaar quickly with Solo, who opts to hide in the parking lot. Don’t worry about the slower securities behind.

 

                                                      

 

"You fire too early,” Maria points her finger at Solo.

 

The two have an argument while hiding in a janitor room they’ve found when navigating through the dark parking lot. A good spot to catch a break.

 

"Well, he's trying to grope you into a human shield from behind,” Solo counters, “Call me a madman."

 

“I know the risk, I know it can go wrong-”

 

“Or more f*cked up. Men like Jamal don’t care about losing you, and they do worse on women. Should've moved your ass when there's a red flag."

 

Silence.

 

Only breathing noises inside.

 

Solo defuses himself, "Sorry. It’s my instinct that kicks in to save you first… I was too soon"

 

"No, no, nothing wrong,” Maria frowns, bowing her head, “I don’t expect the situation.”

 

"That's culture shock for you.”

 

Another silence.

 

Broken by Solo’s question, "How you ended up in this sh*thole, July?"

 

Maria raises her head, "Is that so important for you?" 

 

"I'm not making enemies,” Solo confesses, “Honestly, I really respect you. Seems like you’re real professional in this cursed business for years. I just need to know.”

 

“For what?”

 

“Cause I want to be like you. A pro, slick, paid good. Right now I’m a square one.”

 

“You want to be me?” Maria asks again.

 

“Hell, that’s why I got this suit. Not just for my girl, but so I can look cool like you. Sounds childish, but you really got the style I like. C’mon, I need serious money for living, I need to develop.”

 

“You probably won’t believe my stories anyway.”

 

“Spit it out, I’m cool,” Solo sounds more relaxed now “I'll shut my mouth if you wish."

 

Maria is twisted. Maybe she can finally trust this man, who has saved her and genuinely admired her as a role model. If she keeps burying the truth, then she may lose his trust forever. This mission has taught her that there’s no way to survive this literal Vice City without making a partner like Solo.

 

She spills everything, well, not everything yet. How she indeed comes from Russia, how she has indeed tricked hot-blooded men with empty love promises for mobs there, and why she ends up in America.

 

The story sounds unreal for Solo.

 

“I thought you were weird, but you’re one real deal. That's some real deep sh*ts."

 

"I leave it to you to believe."

 

"Nah, it all makes sense now,” Solo says, “I have my own story for other days, but, looks like we’re even now, July”.

 

Maria isn’t sure if it’s right for another revelation. But no better time than right now.

 

"Call me Maria,” Maria clarifies, almost whispering even when nobody else can listen, “That’s my real name.”

 

“That's such a cooler name than July.”

 

"Keep this between us two, okay."

 

"I'm a man of my words, Maria."

 

After peeking through the keyhole and making sure they’re safe, the two leave their hiding spot and head for the exit. Some more walk to leave the area, and they’re safer. The bazaar’s area will be marked in red shade on the map from now on. This means whenever Maria goes there, there's a higher chance of people remembering the incident and feeling suspicious of her. Best to not visit there for a few in-game days. Let the heat die down.

 

"Hey, don't be so afraid to call me if you need something, see you."

 

He parts away.

 

“See you.”

 

 

Your phone rings. Pick it up. A call from another partner-in-crime. Brandon.

 

“You there?”

 

“Anything, Brandon?”

 

“Can’t find you at home today, where are you?”

 

“I just cruising around and shopping. Girl’s day out if you know.”

 

"For real?” The Irish is slightly pissed, “Boss asking me about our progress, have you gone for Andriy? or the Prince?”

 

“Not yet, let me decide.”

 

“You have time for shoes, but not this.“

 

“I need the right look to attract them.”

 

“Whatever. Be quick, Maria, can’t make him more anxious.”

 

“See you later."

 

Call ends.

 

NEXT:

The Final Thrill

Edited February 17 by One of Wisemen

[Guest]

This is not an update post, see that in the lounge.

 

But I have a short genuine question: any recommendation of who should I cast as Jerry Kapowitz?

 

Yes, it's the same homeless lads from EFLC. He's indeed making it to Vice City with the diamond money in this concept. He opens up Gun n' Wine in Gleason Beach, a combination of both gun shop and liquor store, with fellow Vietnam vets. He's also seen salvaging dumpsters around his place every morning in hope he can find diamonds again. He won't be a star character in story missions, but he'll be an interactable shopkeeper.

 

Jerry will roughly be at least 70 years or older by 2017. Making him 61 years old during GTA IV events.

 

I'm trying to find an actor with a close resemblance to the original ped model. At first I thought of Philip Rosch, but his looks doesn't click well to me. I need an idea.

Edited September 14, 2023 by wise_man