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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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Don't be such a negative nancy, dess.
Also, finally got my internets back! Turns out my network card got fried to hell and back, but my brother-in-law had a few to spare so I'm good to go again. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome back!!! The internet hasn't been the same without you.
Did your brother in law also give you a new microphone?! _________________
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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i'm not being negative!
just sort of baffled. _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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Cycle wrote: | Did your brother in law also give you a new microphone?! |
No, sadly.
dessgeega wrote: | just sort of baffled. |
Well, it is a 14 page article with no real new information so I suppose you have a right to be baffled. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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dhex Breeder
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 6319 Location: brooklyn, Nev Yiork
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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i like their fonts.
i look forward to seeing a demo movie of this on gametrailers. _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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Some new details from the Italian OPM!
Quote: | *During the demo, Niko was seen approaching a bus stop. When he reached it, an icon appeared on-screen that enabled him to control the bus schedule. Is it possible to use the bus service similar to how you can with trains?
* When Niko pulls out a weapon, the camera positions itself above his shoulder, and a view-finder appears at the centre of the screen. It's possible to lock a target and move laterally to avoid incoming shots.
* Stealing a car can no longer be done simply by opening the door and driving off. Now it involves Niko approaching the car sneakily, breaking the glass with his elbow, using the injection cables to start the car, and only then can he use it.
* Niko can freely climb wherever possible (telephone poles, fire escapes etc.)
* The graphical improvements are clearly evident when walking over a grating on the sidewalk. You can see what is underneath it, and the light trickles realistically around the iron bars.
* Philip Glass, the author of the Grand Theft Auto 4 trailer music, will be involved in the production of GTA IV's soundtrack.
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Bus schedules! Over the shoulder view when aiming! Climbing! Philip Glass! All sounds good.
Seems Rockstar has taken some pages from Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War with the aiming system. I know dhex doesn't like the over the shoulder third person view for aiming but I say it's about damn time. Also of note is that car jacking seems a bit more involved, not so easy at least. Not enough information to make a judgement one way or the other right now but so far I like the sound of it. The more information that trickles out the more I'm becoming convinced that Rockstar aren't just going through the motions with this game. Whether they succeed in doing things "different" or not will be another story but for now I at least like that they seem to be trying.
You can read a translation of the article in question here. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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kirkjerk .
Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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Well, technically that's not carjacking, that's hotwiring.
I always have reservations when GTA tries to get "more realistic", since such a big part of the appeal is the ability to do mayhem in an environment fake enough to not hassle you for certain crap (say, running red lights) but realistic enough to feel like some kind of real world.
I'm not sure how delicate that balance is. I know I started to get annoyed by the RPG-ish "character building" in GTA:SA. Everyone just wants to max out everything and get on with the interesting bits. _________________ =/ \(<D)_/
==/\/ >_ kirkjerk.com |
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Scratchmonkey .
Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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if they can pull in more Parkour-esque urban adventuring, which was the best thing about that Mark Ecko game, this could be something really special.
I mean, I'm pretty nervous about this because they're pretty much hitting everything that I've wanted GTA to do, aside from persistence and consequences, which is admittedly pretty large. |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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I'm also a bit worried about how realistic they are trying to make the world. That's one of the things that ruined Mafia, the world was a little bit too real and became a pain in the ass. Plus you'd get cops after you for running a red light, who will ignore the fact that there is another car speeding behind you with guns blaring out the windows.
It should be interesting to see how the pull it off, though. Sounds like they've grown some... more mature balls.
Speaking of parkour games, I was at the movie rental store and saw a new game called Free Running which is all about that jumping around buildings and all that jazz. I've wanted a game to actually pull it off well (American Wasteland didn't do a very good job of it and it was clearly an after-thought) so I'm going to hire it and see if it's actually any good. Probably not. _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 10:22 am Post subject: |
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Few more details, this time from Australian OPM.
Quote: | * During the demo, when Niko passed an ATM machine a message appeared on the screen indicating a button to press in order to access his funds. Nothing more official is discussed about this, though it would appear that you'll likely be able to deposit and withdraw money from the various ATM machines across the game.
* As part of GTA IV's new physics, you'll be able to hear/feel the base of vehicles passing by with their radio turned on.
* Rockstar says that the usual GTA driving controls have been tremendously tweaked and enhanced.
* When selecting a contact on your mobile phone, a list of several commands are made available to the player, such as "meet me here" etc.
* Playing the single player game through co-operative mode is not possible, however there will be a co-op mode in addition to all the other unknown multiplayer modes.
* According to Dan Houser, VP of Creative for Rockstar Games, they haven't yet figured out if GTA IV is going to spark off another set of GTA games connected to it, and they're currently just focusing on this single game. He does say he "would have a certain confidence" setting GTA outside the United States, such as England in the future.
* When asked about a San Andreas Stories for the PSP, he replies saying that they don't have any plans for that at the moment, suggesting that they likely haven't started at all on another GTA PSP title.
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So co-op of some sort is in, enhanced/tweaked driving, future game perhaps set outside the US. I also like the way it sounds like money will be handled through ATMs and such, and the more we hear about the cell phone the more it seems to be an integral part of the overall design. Also no more GTA spinoff games as yet, which is fine by me considering how well the last two went. Much as I enjoyed them for giving me one last chance to dink around in a familiar space, they really just showed how far the current design model for GTA can be stretched.
Forum thread with scans and more relevant quotes from the article.
Quote: | A big part of the gameplay will be on the rooftops, aparently. |
I like the sound of that! _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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dhex Breeder
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 6319 Location: brooklyn, Nev Yiork
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 11:56 am Post subject: |
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so is that caption joking about "ny's near arctic climate" or do Australians live in some kinda microwave oven? _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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I'm thinking it was really late and nearly everyone had already left the office, leaving behind a single copy editor and a newbie intern to put the finishing touches on stuff. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Cycle Mac daddy
Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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dhex wrote: | so is that caption joking about "ny's near arctic climate" or do Australians live in some kinda microwave oven? |
hey.
shut up. _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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Man, I don't know how I missed this other preview. From Official Xbox Magazine UK.
Quote: | * According to the magazine, GTA IV is currently 66% complete.
* When Niko pulls out a pistol, a crosshair with a simple black cross within a circle shows up on the screen. This could be an indication of manual aiming being available in the game.
* Rockstar's humorous take on the number 69 makes an appearance yet again in GTA IV, the editors of the magazine saw a sign for a "69th Street Diner". Another building called "Twitchins", the GTA version of Brooklyn's Domino's Sugar Factory, is in the game.
* Niko will be able to climb and descend exterior fire escapes and some meetings will take place high in the office buildings of skyscrapers. It's said that from on top of them you'll be able to throw people off.
* Hand to hand combat is also being reworked on for GTA IV, and will feel "much more natural" than before.
* One of the radio stations includes an "Eastern European-sounding" dancing station.
* Players will be able to change their camera views whilst in a car according to their needs. This however is said to still being experimented on, and that Rockstar want to give better control and "immediacy" to players.
* For confirmation, boats will be making a return and the handling is "really nice".
* When selecting your mobile phone, a zoomed-in version of the mobile screen pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, where you can use its address book to pitch for "jobs" with gang contacts among other things.
* One of the things that makes it easier for Rockstar setting GTA in a fictional New York is that they sometimes get a call from the developers at Rockstar North in Scotland, wanting to know more about a specific building or traffic flow in a certain area, for instance, and using their in-house researchers in NYC they can easily assist the guys back at R* North.
* Dan Houser is quoted saying that the Liberty City in GTA IV is bigger than any single city they've done before, giving a more clear indication of the physical size of the game. He continues saying that the "detail" of the game is the big thing.
* He also confirms Central Park to be in the game, though it's fictional name is still unknown to us.
* Dan says that they're "certainly evolving the way the radio works". He says the same for police behaviour and their reaction to crimes. Nothing further is said about this...
* "Fun ridiculous" weapons is said to be in the game, because R* is not going too "naturalistic". |
More dribbles mostly, but hey kirkjerk, Cycle and whoever else was worrying about it being too realistic rest assured it won't be too much so, apparently. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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dhex Breeder
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 6319 Location: brooklyn, Nev Yiork
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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but we're entering sweaty sticky summer and it seems like a cruel joke to call the climate acrtic. _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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First digital screenshot.
http://files.gtanet.com/images/3285.jpg
Not as big as I'd like but it's clearer and sharper than the magazine scans. It's also a different view of the same area of skyline that we've seen a lot of so far. Froth, etc.
The source of the screen is of course the New York Times website. Because Rockstar is classy like that and all, I guess. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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dhex Breeder
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 6319 Location: brooklyn, Nev Yiork
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 8:08 am Post subject: |
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ok there's no way to adequately describe via text someone bitching about staten island being left out of the game.
is "LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL" a word? _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Mr Mustache .
Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Queens
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 10:54 am Post subject: |
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Are the models in these new screens significantly shinier than they were before? _________________ Straight up |
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JamesE .
Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 168 Location: Straight Up, Straight Down
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 11:37 am Post subject: |
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dhex wrote: | wes: it looked hot, pulls some koyanisquatti bullshit out of its ass but well and wasn't like hookers hoookers hooooooooookers. perhaps i'm easily led.
it's not like i'm going to buy a ps3 but a non dx10 pc version would find its way into my house eventually.
also: i call total bullshit on the top down gtas beyond their hilarious hari krishna line slaughters. the design is horrible and it's basically impossible to play. it's the "i only listen to vinyl" of games. |
Yeah man, I fucking hated Gauntlet too. What?
Which is to say in a free clue stance: I really liked GTA 2 "back in the day" when 3D cities weren't viable. _________________
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Scratchmonkey .
Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 1439
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 11:44 am Post subject: |
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You can't really go back though, or at least I had large difficulties doing so, having heard so many good things about them. The view distance is just ridiculously short, making it hard to plan what you're going to do next beyond the immediate. |
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JamesE .
Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 168 Location: Straight Up, Straight Down
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 11:52 am Post subject: |
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It's kinda like a threesome between Micro Machines, Gauntlet Zelda and Robotron, though. That shit is hot. _________________
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dessgeega loves your favorite videogame
Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 6563 Location: bohan
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 11:54 am Post subject: |
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there are plenty of problems with the fixed-perspective gtas, but i was never able to really get into a gta title after they added cutscenes and elaborate scripting. it's hard to play gta2 well - because of the draw distance and the controls - but it's easy to play it as a whimsical celebration of badly-guided chaos. i can still turn it on, play to the second stage, and giggle a lot. _________________
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JamesE .
Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 168 Location: Straight Up, Straight Down
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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I really gotta disagree with the idea that GTA3-on suffers from a lack of chaos - it's when the emergent shit rubs up against the scrit that some of the most hysterical gameplay occurs. Trying to finish a goal while three swat teams barrel after you is just awesome. _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:19 am Post subject: |
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So, according to this transcript of a coference call on Take-Two's financial earnings for the second quarter of 2007, Microsoft secured exclusivity with the two episodic downloadable content packs for GTA IV by ponying up $50 million.
Wow. I don't really know what more can be said on that. That's five times more than was spent on Gears of War, and that's just for downloadable content over Live.
There was also a neat little detail in a UK games magazine on the thefting of autos and the degree of realism present in GTA IV:
Quote: | Rockstar promised us that other cars would prove far more difficult to penetrate and that the police would be far savvier when it came to spotting stolen vehicles. Broken windows will get you noticed in Liberty City. |
This makes me both nervous and excited at the same time. Mostly excited.
Also the second trailer for the game is just nine days away! _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:09 am Post subject: |
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Man, it just occured to me: What if during the supposed co-op mode the only way to talk to your buddy playing with you is through the cell phone in the game? Like, if you're both at different ends of the city and one you wants to talk you have pull out the cell phone and call them? Or if you're both close enough to each other in the game you can just speak and hear each other via the proximity voice system like you see in the Halo games. I mean, I doubt Rockstar will really go that far with the realism or whatever but it'd be neat. Though just being able to chat with someone in Crackdown while you're both off doing different things is pretty nice too and having to call your friend up in the game would be kind of a hassle if neither of you were really that deep into playing out your respective "roles".
Also, if there really is co-op like most are assuming will both players have their own wanted status? Like, say you've got a wanted level and your buddy doesn't, how would that work. Would the cops just chase you and would their wanted level go up if they jumped into the car with you while you were on the run? Man, just thinking about co-op in general with GTA is really making me froth for some more details on all this. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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fish .
Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 113 Location: montreal
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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i think after playing SO MUCH crackdown, i will miss the verticality.
jumping around on rooftops to get around > car _________________ you cant spell selfish without fish |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, and Rockstar is already saying that "a big part of the game will take place on the rooftops as well as the streets" and such. They seem to have a feel for the competition so here's hoping, eh. Plus your character will be able to climb on and over anything so who knows, IV might have its own little slice of vertical heaven going on. Doubt it'll be as awesome as Crackdown, though. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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fish .
Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Posts: 113 Location: montreal
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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steal a jetpack again? _________________ you cant spell selfish without fish |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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Game Informer wrote: | There is only one city. There may be motorcycles, but there will be no planes, rollerblades or unicycles, and I wouldn't expect jetpacks or Harriers. Rockstar wants the city to feel realistic and fit the style of the character. |
Yeah, probably no jetpacks this time around either. There'll be helicopters though! I hope they bring back the parachute. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 1:47 am Post subject: |
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From Xbox 360 UK again:
Quote: |
• A Near Collision between two cars caused a pedestrian to proclaim loudly "That was f***ed up"
• As Niko approached several people milling in a large group, he sort weaved in and out of them. At one point, he even pushed a pedestrian gently out of his way.
• As Niko continued descending a small hill further down the road, we noticed the way his weight seemed to shift backwards a little, as though he was saving himself from just pitching forwards and setting off into a run. He looked exactly like someone walking down a hill does.
• Another example of the wight shifting was shown later, when Niko began running - looking much like a normal person does instead of some unrealistic video game representation. He leaned a little to the left and right, depending on which direction Rockstar took him, rather than his top half staying stationary and only his legs moving, as per previous GTA games.
• The sight of Niko just walking up some steps managed to impress too.
• The Rockstar team did inform us that that fire escapes and other stuff can be used within the game. We saw a ton of these around Broker and we're sure they'll come in handy, at least in terms of roof access for sniping missions in the finished game, if sniper missions remain, of course.
• Rather than the rags to riches story of old games, GTA IV looks more like a rags to better rags story. The idea is ostensibly for Niko Bellic to keep afloat in Liberty City, rather than walking the streets with tons of cash dripping out of every pocket. After all, if Niko had accumulated over half a million dollars, it's a little far fetched for him to want to carry out other missions. He'd be set for life from that point on and could provide for both himself and his brother. We therefore imagine GTA IV will have a much more realistic approach to funds and how much you'll ultimately have to spend them throughout the game.
• Little focus on building business empires this time - it makes no sense to continue living a criminal life if you're pulling in lucrative results at your pizza parlor, nightclub or taxi rank.
• Unlike other GTAs, IV will have a lesser known voice cast and music that isn't distinctly popular or obvious to the 2007 settings. Expect many unsigned bands or indies to show up. |
_________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 11:47 am Post subject: |
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Quote: | • Getting arrested will have far greater consequences than before, bearing in mind Niko's criminal past and illegal immigrant status. Broker is the tough district
• GTA Sense of Humour remains
• There are dirty Kitchens
• Graffiti is scrawled across the city's walls
• Broker feels run-down and oppressive
• More consequences to everything you do in the game
• Building relationships will be vital in the game
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• Broken Beer Bottles and Trash litter the floor
• There will be a sizeable amount of loading at the beginning of the game so that the game will never load again
• Rockstar North is currently working to implement something new based on the radio system.
• Changing Niko's clothes is confirmed
• Property Ladder aspects from Vice City and San Andreas DENIED in GTA IV
• GTA IV map is confirmed to be the same size as San Andreas and probably slightly bigger
• Rampages, Unique Jumps and Rhinos MIGHT be cut from the game
• Four different ways of jacking a vehicle
• Gangs are CONFIRMED for the game.
• The HUD was a streamlined version which just displays the area of the city you are in (for a second or two) and the weapons you are holding
• Exclusive GTA IV Preview in Play UK Issue 155 - Out 12th July 2007
• You will be able to open/close your windows and to look outside of the car
• Looking beyond the window dressings, you saw car passengers craning their necks to look at buildings or flicking cigarette butts out of their window
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• Drawing a gun will see crowds scatter
• Grass grows through the concrete paving stones
• You're not going to feel good 'accidentally' ruuning over pedestrians anymore
• Niko wears vinyl shoes
• Mobile phone allows you to co-ordinate with other characters to tackle problems
• There isn't anything new at all, and they've already covered the demo and trailer footage, so EGM made an interesting editorial where they compared GTAIV shots to actual NYC shots. Thing is, they hired a photographer to make shots that have the same camera angles that are present in the GTAIV screenshots to have the best results. It's pretty interesting to say the least, to see how much detail R* has put into the game. I think I found one new piece, but I'll just copy the entire paragraph. In this section they are using this image as a comparison. It's a startling comparison if you've seen the feature, because the GTAIV version looks almost just like the NYC version.
• Under the Tracks
If you've been following our GTA4 coverage (both in EGM and on 1up.com), you know we love the little touches. Like when Niko breaks a car window with his elbow in order to unlock it. Or the way he takes a big step up and shifts his weight when he approaches a curb while walking. Or pedestrians taking a drag, chatting on a pay phone, or just leaning against a wall. In these particular shots, LC doesn't feature as many storefronts as this packed NYC strip, yet it has just as much going on: folks minding their own business, faded bills on the foreground pillar, trash on the sidewalk. You'd better believe we'd love to see more shops along the street....all the better to rob and escape out the back, something Rockstar tells us is indeed possible.
• The ability to rob a store and escape through the back? What do they mean, a back door in the store or running out of the front and then behind the store in an alley or something? It would be nice to have some clarification because I do not recall any other source saying this.
• Either way, if it's possible to rob stores without instantly making the cops come, that says a lot about the new direction they're going in already. It seems that when you pull off crimes, depending on how crafty you are, you may or may not have to deal with the fuzz at all.
• Peds chatting on mobile phones, clutching grocery bags, chatting in groups and throwing a few cautious glances in Niko's direction.
• With the lighting and soft shadows that RAGE throws around with ease, a casual walk from "A" to "B" looks like a scene from a movie.
• After a slick hotwiring job, Niko cruises around Broker while R* manipulates the camera to show off the re-modelled driving engine. The vehicle suspension now reacts to every bump in the road, the light reflects and refracts faultlessly over the chassis. It's like watching a movie. And this was while driving at 20 MPH. We can only imagine how incredible a spectacle GTA IV will be when neck deep in a high-speed police chase.
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Sources
Whoaaaaa... This is all a bit much to really digest right now but just skim it and I think you will agree with me when I say that I really like where this all seems to be heading. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Quick Shot II Turbo .
Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 23 Location: harry potter
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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Mr. Mechanical wrote: | Whoaaaaa... This is all a bit much to really digest right now but just skim it and I think you will agree with me when I say that I really like where this all seems to be heading. |
Most definitely. I can't recall the last time I was so hyped about a game that I ate up every little piece of information that I could get my hands on (MGS games are an exception). I'm going to start saving some of those hard-earned Estonian kroons to get myself a 360 and this game at launch.
In the most recent 1UP Yours podcast John Davison (editorial director of the whole network) said some nice things about the game, having seen a build of it a week ago. Some of the more interesting points:
- as mentioned before, not all houses can be entered, but those that can be entered aren't built like "cardboard boxes with holes in them" like in the previous games -- they are complete buildings, full of rooms that you can, but don't really need to enter. And the level of detail was unexpectedly good in these rooms
- the game never feels like a compilation of setpieces; rather, it's as if an artist has gone over every nook and cranny to make it look just right.
- as in Mech's post above, a lot of good words on how natural movement looks and feels.
- there will be a total of three trailers, so there's one more to wait for after the one that's coming out a few days from now.
Do keep in mind that it was still a preview shown by Rockstar, not him playing it, so he obviously saw the nicer bits, I assume. But I'm keeping my skepticism under wrap for this one, just to have this strange feeling of anticipation linger a little longer. _________________ I love how all of a sudden there are all these "newbies" starting threads about all the problems with the PS3 that they're having. Seems like a conspiracy to me. |
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Ethoscapade .
Joined: 30 Oct 2005 Posts: 276
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2007 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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i wonder if the eventual PC port will work on SM 2 =/ |
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kirkjerk .
Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:15 am Post subject: |
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I'm excited about this game, but I don't know if I'm 100% in favor of the realism.
GTA (which for me started with GTA:VC, then back to GTA 3 and forward to GTA:SA) has, for me, always been an interesting balance of faux realism and over-the-top psychopathness. The physics are real enough to be vsicerally grabbing, but still loose enough to make for fewer constraints. The city has laws to the point where you can get cops to chase you, but not so much where there's any compulsion to follow any traffic laws. At all.
So I dunno. I want enough reality that it feels more visceral, but not so much that I start to get constrained in the same ways I am in real life... _________________ =/ \(<D)_/
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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kirkjerk wrote: | So I dunno. I want enough reality that it feels more visceral, but not so much that I start to get constrained in the same ways I am in real life... |
Yeah, I can see what you mean. But people had this same worry with San Andreas and it still turned out to be just the right amount of realism. Then again, "things will be different" with this one and we still haven't heard much about anything gameplay-wise so no one really knows at this point how much tweaking/etc is being done to the basic GTA formula.
I mean, if a busted window where you broke into a car gets you noticed by the cops then what does that mean? Gets you noticed how? Do you have the option of letting the cops pull you over and give you a ticket? Does the star-based wanted level system remain intact from the previous games? So many questions right now. I hope some of them can be answered this week when the new trailer drops and all the websites and magazines have previews out with new information. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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kirkjerk .
Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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Mr. Mechanical wrote: | kirkjerk wrote: | So I dunno. I want enough reality that it feels more visceral, but not so much that I start to get constrained in the same ways I am in real life... |
Yeah, I can see what you mean. But people had this same worry with San Andreas and it still turned out to be just the right amount of realism. Then again, "things will be different" with this one and we still haven't heard much about anything gameplay-wise so no one really knows at this point how much tweaking/etc is being done to the basic GTA formula.
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But see, I can think of some times when San Andreas got it wrong.
I don't think the "you have to eat and exercise" mechanic added much to the game. People went, maxed out their stats ASAP, and then just maintained from there. And shooting tires to build up aiming skills etc... something I liked in 3 and VC was that, much like Mario, and unlike Samus or Link, my guy was pretty much the same guy he was at the outset. There wasn't a ton of leveling up, just a growing knowledge of where cool weapons were stashed, where cool cars tended to drive, and a bank account to pay for anything else. (modulo some armor and health building mingames)
I dunno. Maybe my vision of the series is too static... I mean I got the PSP->PS2 ports just because I like the general mission structure, story, and worlds. I'd be fine if the series was just more of the same, but more detailed and with more things to do. Getting a realistic taste of immigrant life... well, it better be more fun than I make it sound in this sentence. _________________ =/ \(<D)_/
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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kirkjerk wrote: | I don't think the "you have to eat and exercise" mechanic added much to the game. People went, maxed out their stats ASAP, and then just maintained from there. And shooting tires to build up aiming skills etc... something I liked in 3 and VC was that, much like Mario, and unlike Samus or Link, my guy was pretty much the same guy he was at the outset. There wasn't a ton of leveling up, just a growing knowledge of where cool weapons were stashed, where cool cars tended to drive, and a bank account to pay for anything else. (modulo some armor and health building mingames) |
Maybe the rpg-lite elements didn't add much to the game, sure, but they were easy enough to just ignore. I never did any eating or exercising except when I wanted to and things were still GTA. Likewise with the weapon skill levels, those just went up naturally as I played through the story and such. I can only recall one instance where you had to have a certain skill at a certain level before you could progress the story and that was a mission in San Fierro where you had to sneak aboard a tanker off shore, if your lung capacity was too low you had to dive under the water several times for a few minutes until it went up a few levels. Other than that there weren't any other times that I can recall where that sort of thing held the game back. So yeah, they didn't really add much and that's probably why the option to change your physique is not present in part 4. I imagaine you'll still be able to eat something to regain health though, unless they're doing something different with how health is handled.
I hear you about the character being the same guy he was in the beginning, with instead of making some numbers (invisible or otherwise) go up somewhere the only way you could get better at the game was by casing the areas and figuring out the things you mention like where the guns, health, armor, etc. all are. I hope GTA IV is like that as well, where if you can build up a good knowledge of the general area you're in, such as the best routes through back alleys and such, then you'll have an easy time evading the police or anyone else chasing you. Things like that.
kirkjerk wrote: | I dunno. Maybe my vision of the series is too static... I mean I got the PSP->PS2 ports just because I like the general mission structure, story, and worlds. I'd be fine if the series was just more of the same, but more detailed and with more things to do. Getting a realistic taste of immigrant life... well, it better be more fun than I make it sound in this sentence. |
I'm not even really sure if it's "realism" that Rockstar and Co. are shooting for with this game, but just more immediacy to the characters and the world around them. Not just "here's a guy in a city making bank and killing people" but something a bit more tangible to latch onto in a sort of humanistic way. Here we have this fish out of water type story with Niko and some rough streets and the question of will he even be able to just survive in this city, let alone make a little scratch on the side, and that's already way more intriguing than the previous stories in the series.
Likewise with all the little details and tweaks they seem to be adding to the gameplay. They're using Euphoria, which means that every character has their own weight and physical sense to them, their animations are no longer canned but determined by algorithm so that transitioning between actions is more fluid and smooth and natural. They're pulling the camera angles in closer than ever too so things will be "there", more right in front of you. Since people actually move like people, with weight and all the physical sense attached, then what does that mean for hand to hand combat? We've heard mention of being able to throw people off buildings, but does that mean we'll be able to just grab people and throw them in general combat? Can we shove someone in a crowd and knock them off balance, perhaps cause them to stumble into another group of people? It's these little details that intrigue me because of what they seem to suggest. I mean, crap, you can open up the trunk of your car and roll down the windows? If that's true then that is surely indicative of the overall level of detail they're adding to things and it's just mind boggling when you think about it. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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dhex Breeder
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 6319 Location: brooklyn, Nev Yiork
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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if a pc port presents i will probably peep it, pardners. _________________
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kirkjerk .
Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 1227
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | Maybe the rpg-lite elements didn't add much to the game, sure, but they were easy enough to just ignore. |
Yeah, for now, but it's the start of a direction I dislike, and worried will be over-pursued.
Quote: | I'm not even really sure if it's "realism" that Rockstar and Co. are shooting for with this game, but just more immediacy to the characters and the world around them. Not just "here's a guy in a city making bank and killing people" but something a bit more tangible to latch onto in a sort of humanistic way. Here we have this fish out of water type story with Niko and some rough streets and the question of will he even be able to just survive in this city, let alone make a little scratch on the side, and that's already way more intriguing than the previous stories in the series. |
There's a tension here for me. On the one hand, I like the stories and cut scenes, and find the drama more compelling than I think mere assignments via phonecalls would be. On the other hand, (at the risk of sounding like a bleeding heart) even with GTA:SA, I started feeling a little guilty about turning this underpriveleged youth into a homocidal, stereotype-reinforcing maniac. But yet, that "maniac in a pseduorealistic setting" is certainly a big part of the appeal.
I agree the level of detail should be way cool...even more than the local details, I have high hopes for the "living breathing city" aspect that is a crucial part of making the pseudorealism meaningful.
It reminds me of how I like arcade-y flight combat (Wing Commander, Rogue Squadron) games over realistic ones. I mean, pilots spend years in flightschool. I don't like these games THAT much to expend that kind of time, or even time reflecting a fraction of that kind of effort. Similarly, it's a tightrope GTA walks, and I hope they maintain that balance to maximize the visceral fun. _________________ =/ \(<D)_/
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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dhex wrote: | if a pc port presents i will probably peep it, pardners. |
It is possible, a year or two off from now though I'm sure. Unless R* is doing some sort of cross development but I don't really see it happening right now since they seem busy with 360/PS3 and such.
It woud be tragic if you weren't able to play this eventually, dhex. Broker (Brooklyn) is the "tough district" and Alderney (New Jersey) is supposedly the largest of the four or so areas that make up the game. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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Some new details emerge from Yahoo! Games...
Quote: | You'll be able to run through the streets without tiring, unlike previous games, and each step will be reflected in a slight controller vibration, at least on the Xbox 360.
Rockstar claims both a more intricate, important storyline is in place, but also that there's more choice than ever before.
There are also hints that the strict mission sequence of previous games might be more fluidly integrated into the plentiful side missions
And while the game's HUD is largely gone, you'll see armor and bulletproof vests actually worn by Niko, and you'll watch them deteriorate when shot during combat. In a similar manner, damage and gore will be represented to a far greater visual degree than before; expect some of the game's more extreme violence to be far more disturbing than ever.
The combat, previously a sticking point in the series, has been rebuilt. Melee entanglements are said to be more natural and fluid, while drawing a gun brings up a simple crosshair targeting system. But that's just a basic detail. Rockstar has created a new system to communicate Niko's physical mass, and expect that to play into the totally overhauled combat systems. |
Mostly a puff piece since the real burrito is coming tomorrow in the form of an interview with Dan Houser, Executive Producer and other imortant sounding titled things for R*. Still managed to have a few details there that I haven't spotted anywhere else on the internet so far. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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D-A-I-S .
Joined: 26 Nov 2006 Posts: 123
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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Mr. Mechanical wrote: | Quote: | GTA IV map is confirmed to be the same size as San Andreas and probably slightly bigger |
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I can't be the only one who winced when they read this....can I? |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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D-A-I-S wrote: | Mr. Mechanical wrote: | Quote: | GTA IV map is confirmed to be the same size as San Andreas and probably slightly bigger |
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I can't be the only one who winced when they read this....can I? |
The jury is still out on that one though, since I keep reading conflcting reports that it's slightly smaller/bigger. Everyone seems to agree that it's more dense and packed with details and such though. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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So if you want to drop $90 on the Limited Edition here's what you can expect to receive.
The art book might be neat, I don't care much about the selected soundtrack cd, and the deposit box is a nice idea if a bit silly. The duffel bag might prove useful someday but not $90 useful. I will most likely just get the game and save myself the $30. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Harveyjames the meteor kid
Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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It's a shame they're keeping the 'GTA Sense of Humour' though (boob and 69 jokes, and lumpen-handed satire) |
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Six .
Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 313 Location: montreal
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, I kind of winced when I read that, especially since they seem to be taking the game in a more serious direction otherwise.
Oh look, a jewellery store called Secretions. Ha ha ha ha! |
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dhex Breeder
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 6319 Location: brooklyn, Nev Yiork
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:42 am Post subject: |
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that's actually pretty funny. _________________
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:11 am Post subject: |
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So the Yahoo Dan Houser interview didn't exactly have a lot of new information either, how surprising. A couple tidbits popped up though that are worth repeating here.
Quote: | The song to be featured in this trailer is titled "Arm In Arm (Shy Child Remix)" by The Boggs, a band based in New York.
The new trailer indicates in subtle ways how the passage of time might affect the game, and there are clues that indicate some missions, or mission elements, might be time-specific. And if that's the case, then can multiple outcomes and branching storylines be far behind? |
That second bit of info is pretty juicy sounding. The new trailer drops today a couple hours from now, and it'll be on Xbox Live a little while after that. Can't wait to see how it looks on an HD set. There are three new pieces of GTA IV art on Live right now, and two new screenshots popped up yesterday, presumably taken from the new trailer. _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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Mr. Mechanical Friendly Stranger
Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:20 am Post subject: |
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There's a crappy low res version of the trailer at Yahoo: http://grandtheftauto.yahoo.com/
I just watched it, it's a minute six seconds long. Lots of talking, a car chase, a badass helicopter, and an explosion, among other things. The song was good too, reminded me of the lesser known tracks from GTA III and how they sort of gave the ambiance of the game a life of it's own. I'm going to watch it some more and see if I can't find a higher res version.
Even at low res though the little details stand out. There's a part where Niko is grabbing onto the back of a truck that's speeding off around a corner. His body flails realistically and stuff, as it does in another shot where he's hanging from the skids of a helicopter. During the chase sequence you can briefly see a cop car hit a curb at just the right angle and flip. This is going to be pretty awesome.
Looks like gametrailers.com will have it in about a half hour, hopefully in HD.
HD version! http://rapidshare.com/files/39874985/1280x720.wmv _________________ Mr. Mechanical |
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