Entering Grand Theft Auto Online has never been more tempting, and that’s by design. In May, Rockstar opened the doors to Los Santos giving away Grand Theft Auto 5 in the Epic Games Store for a limited time, along with millions of dollars in-game just to log in. Fans have relied on that hype through viral alien gang wars that encourage rookies to log in and choose a side. But anyone who jumps for the first time will be hit with a terrible truth: Veteran fanatics are rich, angry idiots who can afford tanks and orbital cannons.
According to the most recent call from Take Two Interactive investors, GTA Online had broken records for player numbers in July 2019, and then broke that record every month from December 2019 to March 2020. Rockstar has never confirmed the exact game player base hasn’t given a ballpark figure but Grand Theft Auto 5 It has sold over 130 million copies, giving it a massive potential population.
In many ways, this is a blessing: an online game needs fresh blood continuously, so that the community does not wither. But as I recently learned from my time in the game, new players who don’t know how something works tend to cause problems in GTA Online. I’ve heard similar complaints from more experienced players, who feel like rookies often break unspoken rules, like making a mistake in someone else’s escort charge so they don’t accomplish their mission.
The new player’s situation only worsens during game-ending content, such as the Diamond Casino Heist. Just as seasoned gamers try to pull off the perfect fast heist for a lot of money, their new partner fumbles through the level, alerts the guards, and turns a smooth job into a shitty show.
In short, GTA Online veterans are used to having their litter box in a certain way, and now these sweet summer kids are stomping on sandcastles. And what happens when two groups of fans have a dispute? They usually dodge it. Except in this case, the sides are not entirely fair. The older players, who have been around since before the servers were even stable, have already accumulated great fortunes in the game. They have accessed each new DLC as it arrives, unlocking powerful weapons that are capable of murdering even the most skilled and cunning criminal.
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Image: Rockstar Games
These are not just sniper rifles or armored vehicles. Longtime players have assets like orbital cannons that can attack from space, flying cars with blocked missiles, sci-fi flying bikes with powerful arsenals, and impenetrable tanks. The APC, for example, is a military-style piece of hardware (and one of the weakest tanks in the game), and can be purchased for $ 3 million in-game. That’s a hefty sum, and prices only go up for more powerful models.
“Sometimes it’s brutal,” says PJ, a new GTA Online player who resumed the game in late 2019 via Twitter. “I used some of my Rockstar money to buy a vehicle store because it seemed like a good way to earn money. Once, I was just trying to get this high-end vehicle, and this guy with a tank kept rolling and decimating me. I didn’t want to give up, and I thought I could last longer than him because he would get bored, but I would just reappear on a hill and they would shoot me instantly. ”
The tank was impenetrable by any weapon PJ possessed, and even escaping to his sports car didn’t help. “I could chase my car, flatten it, and then get to me just as it appeared. It was like a baby fighting Terminator.
GTA Online is extremely good at spoiling silly pranks. I once spent an afternoon laughing and using a concentrated gravity pistol to flip cars down the street with my friend, who was playing a terrible game of Frogger. It wasn’t until after that that I realized I’d splashed out a few low-level, weakly armored, innocent players who were just trying to visit the clothing store.
Nate is another GTA Online player who has enjoyed tormenting lower-ranking criminals, especially since he’s been playing for years.
“I didn’t intentionally camp them because they’re low-level,” Nate told Polygon, “I find them more often because they don’t have bunkers or arcades to be in, or an oppressor to stop a blockade.” . So if they screw up my delivery or try to start shit, yeah, I’ll launch an orbital attack on them. It is a movement of power. “
Some new players are reeling, sending requests for people to join their heist lobby that rarely get a response. Who wants to play with someone who has no idea? Old players occasionally wipe them off the face of the Earth, either in response to a slight, or simply despite new people leaking into the game.
GTA Online launched in 2013, but the game is still going through increasing difficulties. It’s a good problem for Rockstar, and over time, these rookies will learn the ways of the game (or resign in favor of a less fierce player base). For now, though, it’s fascinating to see how it’s settling online. in those who have and those who do not have.
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