The attention to details is simply outstanding

[Cormeh]

You know, as I relax back into my chair whilst thoughtfully taking a long draught from my pipe, my mind truly revels in the wonderous detail that Rockstar lovingly craft into their games.

Take GTA IV, despite the problems I had with being the games absolute bitch for the first few hours, every step you take opens new and stunning details. Easy to miss but when you catch them, your own eyes widen in awe.

For example, I was merrily driving along the other day, when my cellular telephone contraption began to ring. But I caught something before the buzzing technology registered. The interference with the cars radio was bang on. You all know that sound that's sent through the speakers before your phone rings, well it's there in GTA IV.

Another thing I love although as a detail it's not as small and unassuming - when Niko goes to fire a gun out of a moving car, he smashes the window and you see every little bit of glass flying behind you as you speed on. Everything is just so well crafted.

Have you spiffing chaps noticed another other seemingly insignificant details, but yet amaze you at the same time?

 

[PvtRyan]

Lots. More than I can remember right now.

One thing that springs to mind is that people throw things out of the window when driving, you see people throwing coffee cups out, or sigaret buds.

EDIT: Heh, just now I received a free hotdog from a vendor, "it's on the house" to which Niko replied "Oh, thank you".

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

Lots. More than I can remember right now.

One thing that springs to mind is that people throw things out of the window when driving, you see people throwing coffee cups out, or sigaret buds.

EDIT: Heh, just now I received a free hotdog from a vendor, "it's on the house" to which Niko replied "Oh, thank you".

uhm... you should probably have watched him more careful...they give you free hotdogs when they've dropped them on the ground:imu:

 

[Tyguy]

For example, I was merrily driving along the other day, when my cellular telephone contraption began to ring. But I caught something before the buzzing technology registered. The interference with the cars radio was bang on. You all know that sound that's sent through the speakers before your phone rings, well it's there in GTA IV.

I actually heard that for the first time yesterday, i almost thought it was my phone interfering with something...

I had a funny moment when I was watching some dude get arrested. He took off and the cops couldn't catch him, so i side swiped him with my car causing him to fall over and they got him. I expected the cops to just start going after me and was pleasantly surprised it worked out the right way.

 

[knut]

uhm... you should probably have watched him more careful...they give you free hotdogs when they've dropped them on the ground:imu:

That is fantastic.

 

[Dynasty]

I heard the cell interferance with the radio earlier today and SERIOUSLY thought it was my own phone causing it, I looked over at my phone and it wasnt vibrating at all.

Ive seen cops arrest other people.

Going on a boat is awesome, feels so well done. Oh and when I got to the pier, there were bottles and stuff floating in the water, I couldnt believe it.

Umbrellas when it rains.

People talking on their own phones, in proper full conversations, not the same lines of dialogue over and over from the same models.

The list just goes on

 

[VictimOfScience]

Yeah, I like bumping into people making them drop their beverages just to see the different reactions. The umbrellas is cool too. Lots of insane detail.

 

[Stormy]

I found out that if you need health you can dial 911 on your cell and call over an ambulance. You have to pay a small fee but it made me feel raelly involved in the world

 

[PvtRyan]

When it's raining, the camera gets wet. But only if it's looking up at the sky. Niko's idle animations are different too.

If you kill someone or are killed and they're holding a gun, they go off if they fall on their back.

Also, not necessarily small details, but awesome regardless:

- Car crashes can now kill people, and I mean crashes between cars. If you hit someone hard enough, they die outright in their car, or they try to get out and collapse on the floor.
- Bullet decals appear to have paralax maps, making them look amazing and very 3D.

 

[Dynasty]

Yeah I had a full blown 5-star shootout with the cops at the end of an alleyway and was using my taxi (lol) as cover. I span the camera around and saw the whole right side was riddled with bulletholes, one of the windows smashed in and holes riddling the right side of the windscreen, front right tire blown out etc.

I think little things like that are what make games, the sense of realism in a virtual world.

And yeah, Niko shakes himself dry when it rains and youre standing still.

 

[knut]

Speaking of umbrellas, during rain storms the cops are wearing those long rain coats and have the protective covers pulled around the brim of their hats. At first I thought they were some elite white-hatted cops but then I saw them up close during a storm once.

Cool.

 

[PvtRyan]

An old, wreck of a car just passed me and his exhaust made a loud bang and a big, thick puff of smoke came out

EDIT: Haha, when cops chase you on foot and you get out of there by car, they try to find a car to get into.

 

[Xendance]

The old bumper view from the other GTA games has been replaced with the dashboard view. Driving along in a police car makes it look like Traffic Cops

Also, when looking behind in my dashboard view, I saw someone throw something out of the window.

 

[knut]

I always drive in the dashboard view. Except for motorbikers. Things get to confusing in them as you're swaying a lot around corners.

 

[Xendance]

I always use to drive in bumper view for trucks, but now I'm using dashboard view for everything except chases and motorbikes.

 

[Cormeh]

I just sat for half an hour and watched TV. Republican Space Rangers was awesome.

I really want to catch the tail end of "What to do when there's a suitcase nuke on your train" but I have to go to bed. D:

 

[Minister]

When you do a burn out your two rear tyres eventually shred off

 

[Tyguy]

i love the "subtle" references to the united states in republican space rangers

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

When boats speed along or you jump into the water , you see ripples and waves. It seems a little unrealistic when you jump in, what with the jellylike behavior, but I love it. The smoke coming out of your car when Little Jacob steps out is also very nice.

 

[Bad^Hat]

There is no end to euphoria's awesomeness. On a mission before, I was in a car as two guys with baseball bats were coming at me. I nudge into one just hard enough to knock him onto the front of my car while also collecting the guy behind him, so that they're both on the hood of my car, one on top of the other. As I apply the brakes they both topple backwards, but the guy behind somehow uses the guy in front as a counter-balance and manages to regain his footing while his buddy slumps to the pavement. Awesome.

I had a funny moment when I was watching some dude get arrested. He took off and the cops couldn't catch him, so i side swiped him with my car causing him to fall over and they got him. I expected the cops to just start going after me and was pleasantly surprised it worked out the right way.

I did that and the cop immediately busted me. ;(

Whether or not the cops give chase seems to be slightly random at times. I could have sworn I ran someone down right next to a cop only to see him casually shrug at me and sip his coffee.

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

coffee+donuts= more important than fighting crime...you should know that.

 

[djstoker]

I did that and the cop immediately busted me. ;(

.

I think it depends on how hard you hit the pedestrian. I saw a fat cop chasing a criminal, and getting left behind, so i gave the dude running away a little nudge with my car, the cop caught up and arrrested him and said "thanks - i wish we had more people like you in this city"

Also, I got mashed with Roman at comrades bar and whilst we were stumbling around i repeatedly fell into some sort of gang, so 3 of them start attacking me, and i am too drunk to fight back, so we stumble into the middle of the street, but being so pissed both Roman and I are falling over cars and all sorts of nonsense.

Anyway the gang catches up and starts kicking Roman who is lying pissed in the middle of the street. Soon some texts pops up saying 'your friend has been injured' (hes lying there knocked out). So the gang turns on me, and like I said, I am too drunk to fight back, and just as I think I am about to die both a police car and ambulance turn up. They arrest the thungs and put Roman in the ambulance! Few minutes later I get a call from Roman asking me to pick him up at the hospital. VERY COOL.

Another random little thing: in Bohan and Broker you get cheapo traffic lights which like hang over the street on cables. When its stormy they sway in the wind!

So much effort has gone into this game...

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

aaaargh...stop tempting me!

 

[Dog--]

How many of you guys played Saints Row?

Alot of the stuff you are mentioning is there in Saints Row (like the ambulance for health). Obviously GTA4 is tons better in every way, but there are some things that would have been cool to have in GTA from SR, like when you knock over a newspaper stands in SR you can pick up the change, which is cool if you want to go buy a burger or booze or drugs. There is another thing - you have inventory for food/booze/drugs in SR, in GTA you can only go to where it is and buy it, then you're done. Not a big deal, but some things would have been cool to have.


BTW, did anyone watch that TV show where they made fun of Halo? It was like a cartoon, pretty funny. First TV show I watched all the way through.

Also - did anyone ever try to smash up someones car with fists/baseball bat/etc? In this one you can smash the windows with melee, it's pretty fun.

I also noticed that, for example, you're having a shootout, and you shoot the guy in his gun-arm, he can't shoot at you, and if you shoot a guy in the leg, he'll limp away. If you injure them enough they just lay on the ground still alive, perfect time for an execution.

 

[Qonfused]

I think it depends on how hard you hit the pedestrian. I saw a fat cop chasing a criminal, and getting left behind, so i gave the dude running away a little nudge with my car, the cop caught up and arrrested him and said "thanks - i wish we had more people like you in this city"

Also, I got mashed with Roman at comrades bar and whilst we were stumbling around i repeatedly fell into some sort of gang, so 3 of them start attacking me, and i am too drunk to fight back, so we stumble into the middle of the street, but being so pissed both Roman and I are falling over cars and all sorts of nonsense.

Anyway the gang catches up and starts kicking Roman who is lying pissed in the middle of the street. Soon some texts pops up saying 'your friend has been injured' (hes lying there knocked out). So the gang turns on me, and like I said, I am too drunk to fight back, and just as I think I am about to die both a police car and ambulance turn up. They arrest the thungs and put Roman in the ambulance! Few minutes later I get a call from Roman asking me to pick him up at the hospital. VERY COOL.

Another random little thing: in Bohan and Broker you get cheapo traffic lights which like hang over the street on cables. When its stormy they sway in the wind!

So much effort has gone into this game...

That sounds really ****ing awesome.

 

[Raziaar]

like when you knock over a newspaper stands in SR you can pick up the change, which is cool if you want to go buy a burger or booze or drugs.

I don't think criminals have time for filling coin rolls.

And yes I love how when a friend gets injured, they call you later asking for a pickup from a hospital. I've had that happen several times now. Once was when I shot Jacob up after tailing his car as I posted in the stories thread.


Oh... and on a random note... I haven't been arrested yet. Not once.

Only died once. Evaded both a 4 star and 6 star wanted level. Though the 6 star was easy... as I was on a boat and accidentally went into restricted waters around some sort of naval station or something.

 

[Xendance]

I think I heard someone on the radio say something about how someone killed someone, and how it was those violent video games which caused it.

It made me laugh as it reminded me off Jack Thompson etc.

 

[MFD00M]

Where can you watch TV?

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

In your safehouse.

 

[Kakashi]

So I'm driving down the road in a cop car, and as I'm driving I see another cop car parked on the side of the road with its lights on. I pull next to it to see whats going on. The cop wasn't in his car, but instead he was searching a vehicle in front of him, looking through his trunk and backseats which I thought was amazing.

He then approaches the driver's door and says to him "You were driving awfully fast, watch it. Alright, get out of here your clean." I was just purely amazed that a cop made a traffic stop and begun searching his vehicle. Awesome details. A minute after the vehicle drives off, the cop car begins patrolling the area again, when all of a sudden this other white car just starts to weave in and out of traffic, ultimately hitting his car. He gets out and starts yelling. Amazed. Simply awesome.

 

[PvtRyan]

Heh, I'm not sure if I saw this right but I think I saw a bum stealing stuff from a parked car's trunk. Then he ran off.

 

[Cormeh]

Aye, I've spotted people with the car bonnet up fixing things. It's a nice touch.

I discovered something yesterday too (spoiler regarding Playboy X/Dwayne):

Spoiler

If you kill X, you get to use his penthouse as a safehouse. Check the wardrobe - there's an outfit in there akin to Claudes outfit from GTA III. Black Jacket and green trousers.

 

[mastag]

I really need to watch some TV in this game. I watched the 2 stand up comedians and was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of Ricky Gervais. I watched a bit of Bas Rutten's show, pretty funny.

 

[Cap'n Sharkbait]

That sounds brilliant, I'm awaiting a PSP version!!

What do you think will be left out of a inevitable PSP version?

 

[Tyguy]

have fun waiting

 

[Gargantou]

I'd call a PSP version highly unlikely TBH.. One of the reasons it was easy developing the Stories game was that they used the same engine etc as the PS2 games, now Rockstars are using a totally new engine custom made for the next-gen consoles, if anything its more likely you'll get a GTA on some form of "PSP2" or something

 

[Direwolf]

Yeah, the power just isn't there. They'd have to simplify the world down to GTAIII levels again to make it work.

 

[PvtRyan]

Heh. I threw a grenade which damaged a car, but didn't destroy it, it just crumpled the front side. I got in it, and the front side was so mangled that the body of the car was blocking the front wheel and prevented it from rotating.

 

[Raziaar]

I don't know if any of you have noticed this, but I think it's awesome. When police cars get shot, they can take damage to their light casing it seems, also individually to their rotating light flashers(that are encased). Even still, as their siren light things take damage, it seems to distort the sound of the sirens, so you can get some funky sounds. I haven't actually tested to see how dynamic this is, but it is certainly awesome to be driving in a police cruiser that is all shot up and with the sirens on having it sound completely alien to any sirens you're used to.


Oh and I totally forgot to test at one point how RPG rounds can ricochet. I kept shooting in this one mission near ground level, and was frusterated how it wasn't exploding near this one guy. Until I realized, LOL it was sliding across the floor because I fired it at an almost parallel level.

 

[Baal]

Holy jesus christ

Does anyone remember the mission where you and Ray go to meet with Phil in....well, I'm gonna call it New Jersey, but I think it's actually called Alderney or w/e.

Anyway...the clock behind Phil's desk, it actually keeps time with the game time. Not sure if anyone noticed that, but that's pretty hilarious.