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Subject: "Grand Theft Auto Online"     Previous Topic | Next Topic
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Gryphonadmin
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Oct-31-16, 04:59 PM (EDT)
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"Grand Theft Auto Online"
 
   So the GTA franchise has a lot of long-standing structural and cultural problems. We all know this. They are, after all, games where one is specifically intended to play the role of a violent criminal. (For the record, and I think I mentioned this a few times in the CoH board back in the day, that's not my scene. I tried GTA 4 and never got anywhere with it, because I just don't cotton to being the bad guy.) When it came out that GTA 5 was going to have an online multiplayer free-roam mode, it seemed to me like a recipe for a perfect storm of Internet shittiness: all the things that suck about MMOs, overlaid on a game designed to appeal to players' worst impulses in the first place.

And, well, there is certainly a large element of that. And the base game is just as... morally challenged?... as it always was. But you know how they say "the street finds its own uses for things"?¹ This is also the case with GTA Online. The game world is so big, so detailed, and so inherently ridiculous that it's sufficiently fun just to wander around it, dicking around at random. Sure, you can go berserk and run over everyone in Sandy Shores, or see how far you can get into the military base before the army guns you down (note: not far), but equally, you can just as viably jog uptown from South Los Santos, arriving in Vinewood just in time to see the sunset light up the hillside sign. Or doing stunts on the many, many features of the landscape cunningly included for the purpose. Or mountain bike up Mt. Chiliad. Or buy stuff in the convenience store run by the nice Pakistani gentleman, rather than robbing it.

Mind you, there isn't a completely legitimate alternate pathway through the online game. It will constantly importune you to get out there and do some crimes. There doesn't seem to be any non-criminal way of actually progressing, or of making an in-game living. And unless you're playing in passive mode (and a big thanks is due to Rockstar for including same), the insane legions of five-year-old Xbone players will blow you up a lot while you're minding your own business trying to find an ATM. But still!

I've only recently started playing (having been convinced to try it by the many YouTube videos of people Randomly Sandboxing Around that can be found on the various Yogscast channels), and since I'm not actually doing a bunch of crime I'm only like level 4, but I have to say I'm finding it quite fun in an off-label, I Know I'm Doing It Wrong kind of way. :)

--G.
¹ William Gibson, 1982
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
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  Subject     Author     Message Date     ID  
Grand Theft Auto Online [View All] Gryphonadmin Oct-31-16 TOP
   RE: Grand Theft Auto Online zwol Oct-31-16 1
      RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Oct-31-16 2
          RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Bad Moon Nov-01-16 3
   RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Bushido Nov-03-16 4
      RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Verbena Nov-03-16 5
   RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Nov-04-16 6
   RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Kendra Kirai Nov-04-16 7
      RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Mephronmoderator Nov-04-16 8
          RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Nova Floresca Nov-04-16 9
      RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Nov-04-16 10
          RE: Grand Theft Auto Online BeardedFerret Nov-05-16 11
   (Story Mode) Christ, these controls Gryphonadmin Nov-19-16 12
      RE: (Story Mode) Christ, these controls Star Ranger4 Nov-19-16 13
      RE: (Story Mode) Christ, these controls ebony14 Nov-21-16 14
          RE: (Story Mode) Christ, these controls Gryphonadmin Nov-21-16 15
      (Story Mode) Christ, these controls again Gryphonadmin Dec-05-16 21
          RE: (Story Mode) Christ, these controls again Gryphonadmin Dec-06-16 23
              RE: (Story Mode) Christ, these controls again Matrix Dragon Dec-07-16 24
      RE: (Story Mode) OK, that's eerie Gryphonadmin Dec-14-16 30
   RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Nov-21-16 16
   RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Nov-22-16 17
      RE: Grand Theft Auto Online StClair Nov-22-16 18
          RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Nov-22-16 19
              RE: Grand Theft Auto Online ebony14 Nov-22-16 20
                  RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Dec-06-16 22
                      RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Dec-14-16 28
   Obey and Survive Gryphonadmin Dec-08-16 25
      RE: Obey and Survive Peter Eng Dec-08-16 26
          RE: Obey and Survive Gryphonadmin Dec-08-16 27
   RE: Grand Theft Auto Online Gryphonadmin Dec-14-16 29
   ha, wow Gryphonadmin Dec-15-16 31


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