GeneticallySuperior

Would certainly give the team a reason to imbed their trademark brand of social satire upon the sporting world. They kind of hit along those lines with Brucie and all of his steroid usage back in Liberty City.... ..or whatever it was... Either way, I would have to agree, ever since the film 'Any Given Sunday' came out, its proven that the world of sports has a criminal/shady underbelly. Not to mention that film stars and sports stars are heralded in equal light, so the setting of a faux Hollywood...(ahem)...would be perfect to include such characters. Solid comment, Sir!

Loving the idea of a zoo. What better place for the game designers to showcase all of their animal models than including a zoo/aquarium?

I forgot where I read it, but I know I read one of those articles on the 2nd describe Los Santos West on the map and Blaine county was to the extreme East (or maybe it was the other way around)...so what's going to be North and South? Has anyone else noticed that the only few photos we've gotten of the wine country was the viewfinders released with the pre-order of the game as a Target exclusive? This one: This image doesn't have a Blaine County feel to it...or maybe I should get a Blaine County feel from it because of how rural it is. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if Blaine County occupies one extreme of the map and Los Santos represents the other, then what lies North? or South? Does anybody else get a feeling that Rockstar still has one or two very BIG cards they're holding close to their chest? Waiting to play their 'ace card', so to speak, closer to the game's release date? Like another large area of the map they're not talking about? I'm not trying to say San Fierro or Las Venturas is in the game, don't get me mixed up with those guys, but I still have my reservations about another small town, somewhere snow-covered, somewhere high up in the mountains where players can ski... ...and damnit did I really want a Mexico and a Mexican border...

If they're including farms, I would assume the game's designers would do everything possible to make the farm feel like a farm...which would include farm related animals like horses, cows, chickens, pigs, etc. Riding horses would definitely be a possibility since a previous Rockstar title had horse riding...my only issue with that is the context...unless there were only designated areas to ride said horses. It would be cool, however, to buy a property...like a ranch...or one of those vineyards, which included a gated area for horsey riding....

Exactly...and we all know how well bookies fit into crime/dramas...

Thanks for the compliment sir. I try my hardest, this forum deserves that as much from me... Underground poker, fight-clubs, and race-tracks are certainly plausible. In fact, I love the idea of horse-races or dog-races. The latter I would like to see because we already know this will be the first GTA that includes an animal population, but tracks would be a creative way to use those animal models/animations to serve an in-game function other than littering the surrounding area for the sake of realism. Furthermore, getting involved with the seedy underworld of horse betting similar to the short-lived HBO series 'Luck' would be pretty cool, in my opinion. I can see it now...crooked, very crooked, and yet teeny-tiny Jockeys needing there fix of favorite pharmaceuticals before a big race... Only to be rewarded with an insider's tip for some easy money...

Well, there is this picture: And again, zoomed in: Found this while dredging through Trevor's trailer. Also: "Despite the carnage, this area is beautiful: the sand is ruffled, shaped by the lapping waters of the sea, sun winking in its water-slick surface, while the wave physics are some of the best we've seen in any game this generation." That quote was take from the CVG article released May 2nd. So, with the waves physics being as authentic and realistic as possible (not to mention the fact that it's supposed to take place on the West coast, a place synonymous with surfing), we may just get surfing and wakeboarding in GTA V. Oh, there was also this: That could also support the theory of surfing being a practical mini-game in the next GTA. Cheers, everyone. Oh, while I'm still on the topic of possible mini-games, I wouldn't be surprised if mountain-climbing was an option. Consider these early screens from the famous G.I. article: If all of the necessary animations were programmed for the trio to rappel against buildings, I would assume a mountain side would translate well with the same animations. I would hate to think that the rappelling feature would only be wasted on one mission...or not to be used anywhere else. Especially considering that there are taller peaks in the San Andreas area to climb then the skyscrapers in downtown Los Santos. It would be really cool to negotiate certain mountainsides to reach impossible heights or areas that no roads or trails could lead to. Only to jump off them of course... I'm sure mountain climbing is an old idea, so, please, do not think I'm trying to claim it as my own...just personalize it... A very long time ago, I thought GTA V would revolve around a native american protagonist and have a story very similar to the comic series "Scalped". It would revolve around the Native's reservation, taking place in the middle of a huge desert, far away from the temptations of Los Santos. Gambling, of course, would have to be included. ...but, that was a long time ago... ...keep this in mind buddy, one of Red Dead Redemption's most successful distractions was its version of poker. I wouldn't be surprised if Trevor, Michael, or Franklin found themselves in an illegal poker game or two come September.

Hahaha...well, although your words of sentiment makes my heart swell, it is nonetheless broken because of news, official news that fishing will not be an option for GTA V? My question for Rockstar is why take time out to model and program a bevvy of underwater life when it will serve no in-game purpose??? So what if sharks can hunt and attack players if we can't do the same to them? I'm not talking about utterly destroying the shark with a spear gun or even a lucky toss of a grenade...I'm talking about deep-sea fishing, angling the bastard and looking into its cold dead black eyes... ...anyways, my question still stands with: why make the schools of fish? Just for the aesthetic? I don't know how reliable this source is, but I really hope it's wrong. Fishing would have just made sense...with the lakes around Blaine County and the ocean off of the coast of Los Santos, fresh water and deep sea fishing could've been an amazing distraction from terrorizing San Andreas. I digress....

Rockstar has always used innovative new gameplay features for its GTA titles. However, a significant portion of these features are often times carried over from games made in between. For example, Red Dead Redemption gave players the ability for John Marston to set up camp, practically anywhere on the map. This feature came in handy, because if players were far from civilization, setting up camp was also a clever way of saving one's game. Although GTA V's setting will be more modern than the wild west of Red Dead Redemption, personally, I think it would be cool to allow players an in-game escape (while video games already provide me with an escape, it would be an escape, within an escape)... ...a place somewhere far from the busy streets of L.S., a break, not just in the scenery, but a break from the fast-paced gameplay too. From Computer and video-games' article: "Straight off the bat, it's hard not to be impressed. Incidental detail is king here:...gradually, the river edges closer, shimmering in the sunlight, and we can see two people fishing on its banks, a Winnebago parked next to them." That little bit of info right there makes me feel like the concept of a vacation might be a reality for GTA V. Now, within the recent series of trailers, Trevor's specifically, I noticed this picture popping up around the forums: I'm not sure what this is, personally it looks like some kind of trailer used for storage, with electrical hook-ups, but 'camper' wasn't the first thing that came to mind. However, in the same trailer, the scene before that had a pick-up pulling this: See where I marked it? Again, same pic, but zoomed in: This, to me, looks like a bonafide pop-up camper attached to the Truck's hitch. I also photoshopped a picture of the two side-by-side so everybody can compare and hopefully agree with me that the two units are, indeed, two different hauls. Now, what I'm hoping for more than anything, from the picture of the pop-up and from the 'Winnebago' described in the article, is that these camping-related vehicles will actually be functional in-game. Similar to the 'tent feature' from Red Dead Redemption, I'm hoping that these camping-related vehicles will provide players with a save option for those of us who are deep within the wilderness surrounding Los Santos, far from a safe house. So these pop-ups and R/V's could be thought of as mobile safe houses. Furthermore, it would be REALLY COOL, if the bigger and more luxurious R/V's allowed players entry. So these mega R/V's could provide players with not just a save function, but could store an extra closet for clothes, a TV to watch one's favorite nature/hunting/fishing shows (come on, you know it's coming), and could store scuba gear, as well as fishing and hunting equipment. That way, when players finish up a major heist, where everything goes according to plan and whole shebang goes off without a hitch, GTA V could allow us to hitch up a pop-up to our favorite truck and just get out of the city for a while.... P.S. yes, I do realize 'camping' isn't an original idea or aspiration for this game, nor am I trying to claim it, but more so personalize it.

YESSSSS! Eyefind...that's excellent. Great, great, great find! Gunsmith mentioned that each street will be given a name, similar to GTA IV, which will HAVE to be included for GTA V. Dozygamer also noted the blueprints, which slipped my mind altogether. I'm not sure how players will be able to acquire blueprints. Will they be available within the in-game internet? Or will it be a physical location? If I had a beard, I would be stroking it inquisitively... However, Gunsmith makes a very good point. Knowing how far away police stations are...or finding a good alley way to stash a getaway vehicle...etc. The more and more I think of the planning periods before these heists, the more I'm starting to think players will have a lot of flexibility with performing these jobs. I mean, Rockstar gives us the ultimate sandbox, they give us the freedom to do whatever we want to do, but the only aspect of GTA games that lacks freedom is the story related missions. I mean, sure, you can choose which blip you want to visit first, but when we are assigned to missions, they become as linear as a first person shooter. Maybe, just maybe, GTA V will be different in that respect. Thanks everybody for seriously considering my rants...makes my soul smile... DUUUUUUUUUUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's so freakin' awesome...SO, SO AWESOME!!!

Thanks. I'm long winded. I also speculate on various features of this game and most of it would sound completely illogical unless I supported my theories with evidence. That's why these posts are so long, most of the time. Thanks for reading and considering them by the way.

This is going to be a strange post for some...amongst the many forums that are discussing more interesting topics like car customization, story mission possibilities, and what players will be able to spend their millions on, here I am bringing up a bland topic like addresses. When I watch the GTA V trailers I watch them several times. I watch them over and over again in real time, finally slowing it down frame by frame, examining them like a series of still screenshots. Recently, I was going through the latest series of trailers and while watching Trevor's, there was a few details that jumped out at me: Notice the very large, visible address to the left there. Here's another one, again taken from Trevor's trailer: Even from a distance, the numbers of the address are very visible, noticeable from a few dozen (in-game) yards away. Remember the very first GTA V trailer and all of the different conspiracies that stemmed from it? I'm sure everybody remembers this scene: Remember how we all thought that the '2405' was going to be the release date? That it matched the exact release date for the album 'Ogden's Nut Gone Flake' by the Small Faces? How it's also (supposedly) Sam Houser's birthday? Including myself, I didn't think twice about the addresses having any kind of in-game significance. They were just cool details Rockstar included to make the game more realistic and believable. Well, one of the screenshots that Rockstar released May 2nd included this picture here: Again, this is the same picture, but zoomed in on a very interesting area: Notice where I made the marks. If you look to the right of Michael's head, you'll notice that it is a bird's eye perspective of a street, most likely the street where the jewelery store is located. To the top left is the name of the website that provided the bird's eye map. The screenshot only shows half of it, but the first part of the name is "Eye...". A little below that is what can only be the search engine. Now, the words within the search engine are very grainy and can only be guessed upon. The top part looks like "Los..." something, could be Los Santos. The second part, well I can only make out the first letter being a 'v' or a 'w'. Not too sure, but I have a theory of what it says... This screen is from Michael's Trailer: Notice the name? Here it is again, zoomed in: That says "Vang Elico" which is, of course, a jewelery store. Onto my point. GTA V will be such a sophisticated, in-depth game, that every building, every house, every convenient store, restaurant, bar, theater...etc. will have their own unique and individual address. I know what you're thinking. Big deal, so what, they have addresses...and? Well, not only addresses be unique and individual, but players will be able to use their iFruit phones, or in-game laptops, to search for individual addresses. Consider this quote, taken from the article by computerandvideogames.com: "Although Rockstar didn't want to go into too much detail, there were a total of nine apps on your cellphone display: camera, internet, contacts, social media, a calendar, and an option to go back and replay individual missions. That leaves three others it wasn't prepared to talk about. Well, actually, in truth it wasn't prepared to talk much about the other six either, but while camera, internet, contacts and social media all seem relatively self-explanatory, as does the replay mission option, why would you need a calendar? Our take: if you're planning super-dangerous, super-detailed heists, you're going to need to do prep work. We reckon the calendar will be used as part of the planning process, for reminders about meetings, addresses and times." If the internet is at the player's fingertips, why wouldn't we have the option of using GTA V's version of 'google maps'? Last, but not least, let's put this into perspective using an in-game example. I'm going to share my opinion of how this system of addresses will work. Relying on this theory, if each building has an individual address, player's will be able to do a search over the in-game internet and obtain more information about the address in question. For instance, if players search for the Vang Elico Jewelery store, players can get photos of the place, maybe the name of the store manager, what type of security system it uses, etc. I can imagine players getting a contract to kill a target, but players are just given a name, so players will have to do an in-game internet search, etc. etc. Maybe the locations of some story missions aren't as straight-forward? Perhaps an address, every now and again, will be up to the player to acquire. Then again, maybe it's just for decoration...

Guys, I applaud everyone for powering through that post earlier...sometimes I get carried away. Oh...Pee-Wee was definitely on my mind when I wrote 'exhibit A'...Francis is still all about that damn bike...I kept trying to convince him that playing Godzilla in his ridiculous pool was more fun, but he wouldn't listen.... Anyways. I wanted to return to touch up on where I was going with the whole 'criminal identity' thing. Okay, so, I live in New Orleans and several of our billboards, in an effort to catch criminals at large, will list several different wanted suspects. Just in case anybody lives in a small, non-violent, town I'm going to pull up a picture: So, of course, these billboards help stop criminals. Plain and simple, you see one of these guys, you call the numbers. Sometimes there is a reward, but most of the time there is no real reward. Either way, anytime I see these billboards I'm reminded of this: I can't help myself, they are modern day wanted posters. Now, take a look at what I found in Franklin's trailer: Do you see it? Here it is again zoomed in: Looks pretty identical, in theme anyways, huh? Okay...now, for my point, and I'm going to make this quick, easy, and simple. As far as a criminal identity, I'm going to detail it like this, and this is just an example of how it COULD work. Now this theory is only valid if the player commits crimes WITHOUT concealing their face, AND ON FOOT (THIS IS IMPORTANT, I'LL GET TO IT LATER): Level 1 notoriety - Players recognize a few wanted signs (which were in-game photos take from where players comitted the crime) - Other criminals recognize you Level 2 notoriety - Aside from wanted signs, a few radio bulletins are heard on the lower budget radio stations - Small percentage of peds recognize you and notify the police Level 3 notoriety - Getting into warmer territory here, player's picture starts to show up on billboards all over Los Santos - Most peds will recognize you and notify the police Level 4 notoriety - Short clips of the player's major crime starts to show up on commercials in between TV programs, major radio stations will remind listeners about the player's identity, internet ads will have pics of the players, etc. - Almost everybody will recognize the player and notify the cops. Level 5 notoriety - This will be PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER 1 stuff. I have a feeling that the highest notoriety level will be some kind of epic in-game challenge, so only players who are deliberately wanting to increase their notoriety will get to this level. Okay, again, this is just an example of how it might work, if the players perform crimes in broad daylight, without a mask, and leaves witnesses. Over time the player's notoriety level will increase, which makes it more difficult for, let's say Trevor to walk around Los Santos without sunglasses on or a hat or some combination. Either way, expect some kind of notoriety leveling system, because if there was not one, Rockstar would not have made it such a huge deal to mention that Trevor, Franklin, and Michael had to aquire masks for the job...or that every screen or clip (from the trailers or of screenshots) of the trio performing major crimes, their faces are concealed. Criminal identies will be a tremendous deal for GTA V and will completely make players think a little bit smarter before stealing that random car with tons of people around. Another thought: what do you think happens if cops bust you WITH A MASK ON? Quickly: Pee-Wee thing....hilarious...

WILL WORK ON GETTING THE CORRESPONDING PICS INTO THIS ARTICLE ASAP!!! SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE Well, it certainly has been a while since I have visited this thread. Gunsmith117, I really appreciate coming back to this post yesterday and giving me credit for my observations. With the wealth of new info about GTA V released yesterday, it seems that security cameras will be making its debut for the next installment of this great series. Now, the reason for my return to this thread is to provide further photographical evidence of surveillance systems in GTA V, but also speculate how they will operate and how that will completely change the way we, as players, interact with the world. First of all, I wanted to add a user submitted picture, that I'm sure most of us are aware of and familiar with. Just in case any of you out there are still skeptical about the role of surveillance equipment in GTA V, I'm going to rebuild my case starting with a user submitted picture from the second trailer. EXHIBIT A: Just to be clear, this picture was not taken by me or manipulated by me. I don't want anybody to feel like I'm trying to steal credit from anyone's hard, analytical work of the GTA trailers. Moving on...the picture above shows us what appears to be Frankllin hopping into a very expensive looking car, driving away, and clearly pissing off somebody in the process (see pink circle). Well, we already know Franklin repossesses cars for a living. I think it's safe to assume that Franklin just found the target vehicle to repossess and I think it's even safer to assume that the guy in the yellow shirt has been neglecting his car notes. Now, we know that heists will be a main focal point of the game's story campaign and a lot of story involved missions will have players taking all the precautionary steps to plan and execute the perfect heist. I don't rob banks for a living, but I can assure everybody that it takes a lot of patience, planning, and homework to successfully pull off a robbery...and get away. GTA V's heists will be no different. The success rate of a high stakes robbery will be more in the player's favor if all of the preliminary steps have been completed beforehand. These facts we already know. What we don't know, or fully know, is what obstacles players will have to overcome to pull off a smooth robbery. Private security (like the ones in Michael's trailer and from the detailed run through of 'Blitz Play' in the various articles released yesterday) should be the most obvious obstacle. Of course higher end banks are going to employ ex-military personnel to guard their banks. Yes, some will be outfitted with the most sophisticated weaponry and I'm sure others will only patrol areas with a flashlight. Depending on the target players are planning to knock off, the difficulty will variate. Those obstacles will variate as well, which finally brings me to my first point: Exhibit B: Now, this is a closer look at the camera from the above picture. Yet, this doesn't look like a bank or a jewelery store. This looks like a private residence. Well, I'll tell you... Security cameras, like everything else within GTA V will vary in degrees and difficulty. This type of camera, one that is meant solely to monitor that white car Franklin is taking off in, I'm going to redub "Level 1 Camera". These will be the most common of surveillance systems within the game. As players, we'll probably see a lot of these around homes, owned by Los Santos middle-to-upper crust. These "Level 1 Cameras" will be singular and independent, only meant to monitor a single target location or target object, like this car for example. Notice the cables that run from the camera's mount, left, and across the length of the garage, finally dissapearing to some unshown area around the back of the house. "Level 1 Cameras" being the most common, will also be one of the more simpler camera systems the player will be able to overcome. I believe that those cables will lead to the camera's cotrol panel where players can either destroy the camera's function or will be able to manipulate the camera's angle. So, in theory, players can either destroy the control panel, risking nearby NPC's of the player's intentions or players can somehow manipulate the camera system via a hack in order to position the camera's direction away from the target its monitoring, or just plain turn the camera off. Either one of these options sounds plausible. Finally, I want to draw attention to the security sign posted in the yellow-shirted guy's front lawn. I feel that these will be subtle indications given to the player so players will be able to determine what specific kind of security systems they will be dealing with. I'm not one hundred percent sure, but the name of the system appears to be "Suncat". Perhaps, the "Suncat" company provides the NPC's of the world with these "Level 1 Camera" systems. That way, before players decide to trespass onto some strange property, a patient and observant player will be given a visible warning that a "Suncat" surveillance system is monitoring the property and must be dealt with accordingly. So, you maybe asking yourself: how will these cameras operate within the game world and how does it translate into gameplay? Well, I have a theory based upon a quote I read from Kotaku's article released yesterday. It reads: "They make the police encounters sound better, too. In this new game, we can still try to escape the circular zone that flashes on the mini-map when cops come after our malcontent protagonist(s). But, this time, we'll be able to try to hide inside that alarm radius, if we'd like. The cops will use a line-of-sight system, so they won't just magically know where you are. If they have a helicopter in the sky, they'll be able to see plenty. And you'll see them use hand signals to communicate what they're doing." Those of us who have played any of the Metal Gear series are very familiar with the 'cone of vision' concept Konami equips its patrolling a.i. with. Those of us who are unfamiliar with it, refer to the picture below: I realize it's a small pic, but if you look at the very top right of the screen, players are given a mini-map on their HUD. The small yellow dot is the player's location and the white dot is the approaching enemy's. You can kind of make out the semi-translucent, triangular shape extending out of the enemy's location on the mini-map. That is what is called a cone of vision. If the player breaches the 'cone of vision', the enemy becomes alerted to your whereabouts, and of course, will try to kill you. The closest the player is to the enemy, the risk of becoming spotted increases. Metal Gear Solid's gameplay revolves around this system. It's a stealth based game and it become very difficult (if not impossible) to complete if the player chooses to ignore the stealthy approach. How will that translate into GTA V? Specifically regarding the camera systems? Well, referring back to that quote, it seems like the LSPD (and probably any enemy characters in GTA V) will have a similar 'cone of vision'. I love this concept, because it adds more realism to the game's wanted system for one, but two, yes it was very frustrating that the police in past games always knew where I was, even if I killed the first wave of police officers, and their were no witnesses when I relocated. So, GTA V is changing their enemy A.I. in that respect. Enemies will have to have first detected players before pursuing them. This singular change in GTA V's enemy A.I. is revolutionary to the series. So, just a few questions before I move on: -Does anybody feel that a 'hide option' will be something we will see debut in the series? For instance, if we're running down an alley way, still within the circular wanted zone, but are out of the police's line of sight, could we potentially hop into a dumpster and wait out the wanted level? Or shimmy up a ladder and hide on a rooftop, if no police choppers are present? Finally, if we are able to hide from the police, depending on the wanted level, I'm curious if police canines will be able to sniff us out and blow up our hiding spot....could make for some very intense and suspensful police pursuits. Since GTA V's enemy A.I. have adopted this 'cone of vision' concept, then I'm putting all my stock into surveillance cameras possessing the exact same system. Depending on what kind of camera (i.e. Level 1 or Level 5) the 'cone of vision' will variate, some being somewhat simple to avoid, others being impossible. So, what if players are detected? What happens then? I feel that player detection will always result in a negative consequence, but those consequences, again depending on the camera and alarm system, will variate in different degrees as well. The picture above shows a guy running after Franklin as he drives off with a car. Either the yellow-shirted man was standing right in the drive way when Franklin jumped in, or that "level 1" camera alerted him of Franklin's intentions. If we assume the latter, then I feel that some cameras, upon being detected, will trigger an NPC confrontation. The "level 1 cameras", when detected, can either send an armed security guard or some other hostile NPC to the player's location and depending on how the player reacts to his/her detection, the police will be or will not be notified. What about the more sophisticated systems of cameras? How will they operate? How can players work to overcome them? Like the picture below, higher risk locations will be monitored by a series of cameras, unlike the singular one we discussed previously. These cameras will be controlled from a centralized hub, very similar to real systems. I'm still on the fence of whether or not the player will be able to completely deactivate these systems, which I'll call "Level 5 cameras" for discussion purposes. "Level 5 cameras" will be systems within larger businesses, government buildings, etc. These are going to be the systems that, upon detection, will immedietly trigger an alarm that alerts the cops of the player's whereabouts and crimes. So, for example, that high end bank located in downtown Los Santos? That bank will be protected by these "Level 5 cameras" and alarm systems. Before starting any kind of larger risk job, like holding up the jewelery store we're all familar with from the first and second trailers, players will have to do their own personal homework in order to be fully prepared for the heist. Some places like convenient stores and liquor stores, I assume, will involve little amounts of homework compared to robbing the aforementioned bank or jewelry store. So, how will players know if they are completely prepared to hold up a robbery at a place like the jewelery store we've seen in the video? I'll show you... Allow me to present the bulletin board. Notice all of those in-game pictures that parked with pink sticky notes, one reads "alarm" and another reads "vent" and so on. "You can take pictures with your iFruit phone that you can then upload to Rockstar's Social Club. The in-game internet can be accessed via the phone too now." That quote was taken from the article released yesterday from destructoid.com. Where I'm going with this is: the player, before pulling off major heists, does his/her own research on the target location themselves. The player will be responsible for compiling their own "bulletin board" so to speak. The "bulletin board" concept or feature is going to be like the work bench of certain higher end jobs. The "bulletin board" will at first be completely empty, save for the title of the job or the target, and it will be up to the player to fill in the spaces. I cannot tell how flexible this system will be, for example, will one of the first bulletins be filled in via a direct story mission? For instance, before robbing the above jewelry store, Trevor has been tasked with visiting the jewelry store in the form of a story driven mission. Trevor needs to go to the location and cause a ruckus, like picking a random fight, to determine how long it takes for the police to arrive. Completing this mission will fill in one part of the bulletin board and the player will now know how long they have until police arrive, if the police are notified. Or will the bulletin board system be completely up to the player? In other words, the bulletin board is not apart of story missions and is an option feature all together? Yet, players can still choose to use it by scouting out target locations. What better way to do that, then actually visiting the bank player's plan on robbing and secretly snapping pictures of the security system's flaws? In theory, before robbing that Los Santos bank, players will have to scout the location first. Players will be able to, for example, note what times the Los Santos downtown bank gets visited by it's money trucks, what time armed guards go to lunch or change shifts, etc. That way players can narrow down ideal times to perform their robberies. Consider this quote: "Although Rockstar didn't want to go into too much detail, there were a total of nine apps on your cellphone display: camera, internet, contacts, social media, a calendar, and an option to go back and replay individual missions. That leaves three others it wasn't prepared to talk about. Well, actually, in truth it wasn't prepared to talk much about the other six either, but while camera, internet, contacts and social media all seem relatively self-explanatory, as does the replay mission option, why would you need a calendar? Our take: if you're planning super-dangerous, super-detailed heists, you're going to need to do prep work. We reckon the calendar will be used as part of the planning process, for reminders about meetings, addresses and times." Regarding this feature, the player's iFruit phone will be able to organize and manage all of the details that players will collect to pull off perfect heists. Now, I have discussed some of the varying factors players will need to consider before performing heists, specifically surveillance cameras. Now, I want to talk about the player's "criminal identity". Like Red Dead Redemption, players had to conceal their faces before committing crimes. The way that system worked, is if John Marston had a bandana around his face, witnesses to your crimes and furthermore, the authorities could not identify the player. On the flipside, if John Marston did commit a crime, in front of a witness, without concealing his face, Marston's identity and description would wind up on a wanted poster and John Marston's noteriety would be known to all authorities. The more crimes player's would commit the more notorious John Marston would become which increased the chances of NPC's and authorities recognizing him. Not to mention, as long as players were "wanted", bounty hunters would stalk Marston's trail and seek to collect the bounty. In order to wash John's hands clean of his crimes, players would have to pay a fine. The badder the crimes the bigger the fine. Sounds real inconveniencing doesn't it? All John had to do was put on that bandana. Take a look at the picture below: See that? That's Trevor kicking some ass, but to his left is an NPC filming the whole fight. Here it is again: Considering that the majority of NPC's will have the capability of whipping out their iFruit and catching us players causing crimes (don't forget security cameras too), it's safe to assume that the feature that I detailed above from Red Dead Redemption will carry over into GTA V. Identity concealment, especially when the player plans to commit crimes, will be a HUGE feature in GTA V. In past games, players never thought twice about walking down the street, say as Niko Bellic, and opening fire in the middle of broad daylight. The cops are going to respond and it's up to the player whether or not they can shake the authorities and clear their wanted system, or go down guns a blazing. GTA V will change the way players think about committing crimes. Regarding everything I've mentioned so far, all of the surveillance cameras, the different alarms, the NPC's ability to film player's nasty decisions, all of that has lead to this point. GTA V will include a sophisticated noteriety system unlike anything players have ever seen in a game of this kind. Since GTA V takes place during present times, we all know how fast one can aquire information. All it takes is a capable phone, a decent wifi connection, and an infinite ocean of knowledge is at one's fingertips. Modern tech has also changed the way we communicate with one another. Not being able to get in touch with somebody is quickly becoming an extinct concept. We can reach people and communicate with them on several different portals, with several different devices. If you don't answer your phone, I can e-mail you, text you, Facebook you, etc. etc. So imagine you walk outside, you happen to have your camera app on, and suddenly your in the middle of a fire fight. Three guys, WITHOUT MASKS, are firing high-powered weapons, spraying the encroaching police officers. There is a helicopter overhead, surveying the entire scene from up in the sky. Slowly but surely, the criminals pick off each police officer. One of the criminals takes out a rocket launcher and brings down the chopper overhead. You are literally the only witness left and you have your camera pointed at all three criminals, recording the entire scene. Your clip ends up on the afternoon news, the evening news, national news, international news, in which three men are seen killing a bunch of cops, who were just trying to apprehend the criminals. However, their identies now, are all over television, the internet, and youtube. Within one day, somebody recognizes them and they are arrested. If they would have been wearing masks, however, they would have probably still gotten caught, but it would have taken a lot longer. In GTA V...players will have to worry about, at least, three different aspects when committing crimes with witnesses around. They have to worry about their identies, if there is a getaway car involved then its license plates, and the make and model of the car. This is why in all of the pictures we have been shown, Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are wearing masks. It's not just contextually fitting, people think, robbers = masks. Nope. It's because the wanted system for GTA V will be so sophisticated that police officers will respond to these three details of players: FACE, PLATES, MAKE/MODEL. TO BE CONTINUED....

That's what I'm talking about... Although its a little off topic...I have a feeling that one out of the three (at least) will end up being the villain towards the very end. Think of every heist movie ever made...there is always one of the guys involved in a robbery that gets greedier than the rest and tries to either cut, or kill, others involved out of the score. So in theory, let's say Trevor ends up backstabbing Michael and Franklin, would we get to play as the antagonist too? Plotting against the other two, for instance? How cool would that be? Playing as the "enemy" making moves toward eliminating his former partners and, at the same time, playing as the other two who are being being doublecrossed. Oh...one more thing...after this I'll stop, I promise, what if as Michael, we can go after the other two protagonist's unique friends/crew? Because its only a matter of time, while we're playing as one character, running around Los Santos making moves, robbing places, before the others feel like they're being cut out of the "heist game". I can just see how this could be a "new and bold direction," being on both sides of the narrative, playing as the protagonist and antagonist. Maybe certain playthoughs Michael is the villain...or even Franklin...etc... I digress...

^that from page 37. Thank you sir!

This is clearly a surf shop...will the tide in GTA V be that realistic? Could players paddle out into the surf and ride waves back in? On the sign it does say...lessons...hmmm...interesting. Also, notice to the right of the surf shop, there's a swimsuit store and to the right of that is a place to buy sunglasses... In the distance, the faded white sign with faded red lettering says: "T-Shirts, Towels, Hats, and Souvenirs"...god I love HD...lol

Since the game informer article detailed that whole "google earth" zoom out to locate the other playable characters, has anybody thought of that early map leak as a plausible, genuine, bonafide leak? This one: Those white blips could be the two other characters to choose from. I'm not trying to validate the leak and I honestly didn't do too much homework regarding whether this was proved false or not, but the grayed out map is very reminiscent of GTA 4's bleak looking map. Either way, this map was supposedly leaked many, many months ago, before the Game Informer article stated anything about a "google earth" style zoom out to choose characters. Does anybody know whether this map was proven wrong? If not, could this be what the player will see when we switch in between characters? Yet, now that I look at this, there's an area called "Onlay Hills" on this map, which, in my opinion is referring to real life Beverly Hills. Yet, in the Game Informer article, Michael is said to live in "Rockford Hills" which is GTA V's version of Beverly Hills...so, now that I think about it...yeah, this map is probably fake...

On the subject of drug dealing, everybody take this with a grain of salt, but within the "hidden vehicle list" from Max Payne 3's files, there was specifically modelled boat, bluntly named "DRUG BOAT". Although, this list has not been confirmed or denied to be legit or what, I based my anticipation of BMX and mountainbikes returning based off of this list and we have since been confirmed that bikes make a comeback. Plus, a "DRUG BOAT" could be a reference to a certain story-based boat that will be used in a mission, but you never know. Maybe specific vehicles can have storage containers that could hide drugs? Speaking of hiding drugs, dogs are making there debut for GTA V, why couldn't these dogs sniff out the player's hidden drug cache? Seems a little impractical, because cops rarely force players to pull over. Usually a one star means that the cops are going to chase you like you've just kicked the president in the head. A drug sniffing dog would mean that the cops would have to request the player to pull over in order to search a player's vehicle. Then, the question arises, what reason or indicator could the player give a cop to search their vehicle for drugs? Unless GTA V will include some kind of notoriety system...wow, tangent. Anyways...I think drug dealing would be a cool distraction from story missions and provide a way for players to make some quick cash...however, imagine this...what if GTA 4 had the same drug dealing system of Chinatown wars. What would be the point of drug dealing/trading? If the player was profitable, there would be nothing within the game to spend the money on...except for more drugs...seems a little redundant to me. So...in order for this system to makes its way into GTA 5, the "shopping" aspect of 5 has to be very expansive...I mean very expansive. We were told recently in game informer that properties won't be for sale, but they were including "loads of other stuff", I hope its enough to last even the most financially successful players. There not only needs to be toys, but our toys need to have toys... If the economy is as big as I'm hoing it is...then yes, bring on the drug traffiking!

Yeah...I just have that feeling security cameras will provide a single obstacle to robbing businesses. Others could be alarms, private security guards, guard dogs, etc. Another way these security obstacles could work into gameplay is recruiting guys who have a specific skill set to overcome said obstacles. In the game informer magazine, when they were detailing the specifics of "the extraction" Trevor was all up in arms about rescuing a dude named Brad, right? Later on in the article, Brad, who you were extracting (for whatever reason) was being interrogated pretty aggressively by their version of the C.I.A. The article included the quoted dialogue from Brad (paraphrased here) that he "did not do surveillance, but installed cameras only". My theory...and its not based off of any hard facts, just speculation...is Brad is one of Trevor's unique friends. Remember that part of the article? How each main protagonist had his unique round of friends? That got me thinking...maybe heists are something that players can prep and perform at anytime. The same article mentioned that coming across Money Transport Vans (used for banks, I think) can be overtaken for a quick score. So why can't hitting a 24/7 (convenience store) any time the player wants? We could do this in past games, like Vice City and San Andreas. Expanding on this same idea, of pulling off heists anytime, would each protagonist's friends bring something to the thievery table too? Could Brad ride along with Trevor and for example, take care of a business' surveillance cameras? It would certainly reduce the risk, but Trevor would have to split the score with Brad. What if the story based heist missions are just a way to get the player started and we can take it from there? Furthermore, Franklin would have a unique friend who is good with locks and Michael would have a unique friend who could crack safes quicker. Remember the trailer. The pest control van had a total of 4 different characters robbing the place. Michael looked to be the ring leader, Franklin (I remember somone really zooming in as the back doors opened and spotted Franklin in the van) was behind the wheel, but Trevor didn't look to be apart of the heist. Even so, if he was, that still leaves one more dude. So would it be possible to hire as many guys as you can fit in whatever vehicle your using at the time and organize a robbery at any point in time? Oh, one last thing, I'm going to use a quote from the game informer article this time: "We want to move from having one character in a mission to having two to having three...This makes the missions feel distinct in that they feel high action but they will have a very different tone depending on who's on them, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THEM, and how much we're using switches to make it feel different." I know Mr. Houser might be referring to how many MAIN PROTAGONISTS are on them, but still and all, there was four guys apart of that "Pest Control" gig... That last post was a little off topic, but I wanted to provide another example of how security cameras are just one factor apart of several that could keep the player from successfully pulling off a heist and how it could tie in to "skill sets" of playable characters and their friends. Back on subject...maybe I should rename this topic, like, "heist obstacles," but if security cameras could work against the player, could the player potentially use the camera systems to their advantage too? Would a specific "skill set" include tapping into a business that could potentially be robbed and surveying the area for weaknesses? Or at least to survey how many guards it has...etc.? Maybe the more "homework" or prep work the player does before engaging into a heist, the more the player is rewarded? I'm not sure, but that would be an example of how surveillance systems could be anything besides a system to destroy or override. I think it would be pretty cool to "hack" into the surveillance system and find that one guard who is asleep behind a desk somewhere, who could potentially trip a business' alarm, and would have been dealt with properly if the player would have "hacked" into the surveillance to begin with...but did not because they didn't want to bring on one more crewmember and split the score.

Didn't the game informer article mention a "Salton Sea" area? Isn't that pretty far south of Los Angeles? Closer to San Diego and the Mexican/American border?

I have a theory that surveillance cameras and security systems will play a major role in GTA V. My theory originated while combing through the premier trailer and finding two signs that warn players of areas that are monitored: Finally, I found an actual camera modelled within the trailer, here: Because the game will revolve around prepping and pulling heists, I figure that a working surveillance system for bigger risked jobs (like this Rodeo Drive inspired jewelry store) would make sense. I think that these security systems will work similar to the "bandana" mechanic in Red Dead Redemption. Although the old west didn't have any cameras to monitor John Marston's criminal behavior, he concealed his face with a bandana. Witnesses to his crimes could confess to the local authorities and a wanted poster would appear in the towns describing John Marston. If John was creating crimes without his face concealed, the authorities and bounty hunters, had an easier time finding John. This system was remedied by paying a fine. GTA V's system would have to be a little more sophisticated. For instance, if the player was robbing the same jewelry store without anything on to conceal the player's identity, the camera could i.d. players and help the police pursue anyone who matched the player's description. Could security cameras also trip the store's alarm? Could some be motion-detected? Furthermore, as the game progresses, I'm sure there will be more creative ways to get around being recorded, such as destroying said cameras or removing their hard-drives they record on (or tapes?). Places like Pleasure Pier would be difficult to perform crimes on because of the security systems, which would ensure that authorities would arrive onto the scene quicker. Maybe there's a bounty system Rockstar is carrying over from RDR and updating/modernizing for GTA V. What else could security systems mean for GTA V?

The following comment is going to be based around the theory that a wide variety of animals do exist in GTA V and the possibility of hunting/fishing will be included in the game... From the first trailer I was wondering what heck was up with that sign "NO FISHING OFF THE PIER". I thought about it for a really long time too. I finally came to the conclusion that fishing, perhaps, could be included in the next Grand Theft Auto title. With the emphasis of the countryside and outdoor activites, both displayed in the trailer and the screenshots released prior to the game informer article, fishing started to become more of a plausible passtime for Rockstar to include in GTA V. Then, I read the "secret list of GTA vehicles" found in the files of Max Payne 3. I'm sure everybody has either seen this or scoffed at it, one or the other. However, I happened to consider the list as a serious find. First off, I rejoiced at the return of such bikes, planes, etc. Yet, there was a few new vehicle names that really caught my eye. Several models of boats referenced fishing. I realize that these boats could have been designed specifically for NPC's and to enrich the gaming world and add depth to Los Santos. Yet, part of me felt that a fishing mechanic might make a debut for this title. "Grand Theft Auto V takes place in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California in the largest and most thriving game-world we have ever created set in the sprawling city of Los Santos and for miles beyond – from the tops of the mountains to the depths of the ocean." When Dan Houser was quoted and he mentioned the depths of the ocean, not only did I imagine a beautiful ocean floor, with coral reefs, canyons, caves, sunken ships, etc. I imagined a vast ecosystem that exists below the waves off of the coast of Los Santos and under the lakes in the countryside. A vibrant world of fresh water and salt water fish. I mean, taking that amount of time to recreate the ocean floor without fish would be pointless? Right? The game informer article reaffirmed these suspicions when they mentioned scuba diving. The interview with the art director, from the same game informer article, stated that the same time and effort used to recreate the streets of Los Santos went into designing the ocean floor. So we've got scuba diving, "fishing boats" (if you believe the Max Payne 3 list of vehicles; remember this same list had bikes on it and bikes have since been confirmed), and the "NO FISHING ZONE" sign from trailer 1 for evidence. Animals, like dogs appearing in GTA 5 has not been a secret since November 2, 2011. A lot of us have since been aquainted with "CHOPS" from the GTA artwork of Franklin. Since dogs were making its debut in GTA V, why would Rockstar stop there? Why not populate the national forests, countryside, and deserts with several species of animal life like Red Dead Redemption? Well...it made sense seeing animal life in the untamed frontier right? It was a sensible game mechanic that not only helped stimulate the RDR economy, but provided a means for John Marston to eat and heal. With that said, I would not agree with Trevor, out in the desert, picking off a rabbit with his pistol, and skinning it for its hide or meat. Society doesn't work like that anymore...well, in most civilized parts of the country anyways. However, that huge map with its "miles and miles" of countryside would feel pretty empty without animal life, wouldn't it? So what is going to stop a player from slaughtering deer with an AK-47? Or throwing grenades at bears in the mountains? Who is going to make sure the player does not fish off of Pleasure Pier? I have a feeling that GTA 5, with the inclusion of animals, will have a fully functioning authority system to police the illegal poaching, hunting, and fishing. Someone mentioned park ranger earlier. I think that was a very thoughtful claim. Think about it. If we're playing as Franklin, driving out to the base of Mount Chiliad, stopping short of its bike trails to shoot some innocent campers, would it be realistic that the city police show up first? Not at all. Yet, a park ranger would. Or Los Santo's own department of animal life and fisheries agent. Someone to stop the player from committing crimes against nature. If hunting will exist in GTA V (personally, I think it will) I could see Rockstar including a hunting preserve players could go to and hunt legally. Animals that exist outside of the preserve are explained in-game as protected for example and a player that finds themselves hunting these "protected" animals would face prosecution, or a one star wanted level... That same system would work for fishing. Now, inside the city limits of Los Santos, the LSPD could handle something like fishing off of Pleasure Pier. Yet, deep into the recesses of the countryside, these Park Rangers would be the authority. Yes, I know...I'm long-winded.

Regardless of where this idea "fits", I think its very plausible for GTA V to include a variety of authority based departments and not just city police. In one screenshot we saw, Trevor is riding a jet-ski that says "Life guard". So will GTA V include a working life guard system as well? How will that work into gameplay? Will we see life guards swimming out into the ocean and rescuing less than average swimmers? Or will they just monitor criminal activity on the beaches? Could there be a system that regulates how safe the waters are? For example, if the waves are rough and really choppy, due to a storm, will the life-guards be on duty to ensure no one tries to swim in the water? Or will there be a system to warn players and NPC's alike, if there is a threat of hostile ocean-life? Like sharks and that sort of thing? However, to be more on topic, I don't see much realism in the concept of the LSPD patrolling throughout the map of GTA V. Maybe a San Andreas State Trooper could help regulate the interstate system, miles away from the center of Los Santos. I could even see Rockstar spinning its own version of immigration control patrolling the southern most parts of the map. Think about Red Dead Redemption too. When John Marston created a crime, without the disguise of a bandana, bounty hunters pursued him across the map until players took care of their fine. I could see GTA 5 reusing this system. Especially since with the evidence of multiple screens showing the protagonists wearing masks or bandanas. It would be pretty cool, in my opinion, having to lose modern day bounty hunters... More on topic this time?

Okay...looks like most of us agrees that GTA 4 did not include a whole hell of a lot of "stuff" for the player to spend his hard earned money on. This is the problem that we ran into while playing 4, we merely continued the story missions because we either really wanted to complete the game or the we found the narrative and plot to be that good. Either way, the economy of GTA 4 was practically non-existant. In contrast, GTA: San Andreas gave the player hundreds of rewards for not only completing story-based missions (besides furthuring the game) but also willingly taking on side jobs...it rewarded us with not only cash, but our character reflected our progress within the game. There was no greater feeling, after taking over the casino is Las Venturas, to return to Los Santos and have enough money to shop in their version of Rodeo Drive. I felt accomplished cycling through the designer suits, choosing that really expensive chain, and wrapping the rolex based watch around C.J.'s wrist. I'll never forget when I bought GTA 4 (after every purchase of their games actually) first thing I do is unfold the map, get a scope of how large the setting is, and try and memorize all of the different symbols of the map key. I was really disappointed to only find three different clothing stores in Liberty City. Not only was 4 lacking in the clothing department, but there was no tattoo parlors, barber shops, etc. I remember thinking to myself, what happened? Didn't GTA: San Andreas sell more copies of the game than any previous GTA title? Why would they leave out all of those great options for customization? All of those questions were answered when I got to know the character Niko Bellic. I'm not saying that C.J. was a materialistic dude, but I got the impression that C.J. enjoyed nice stuff...especially if he felt like he earned it. Niko, on the other hand, never game me the impression that he was interested in money at all. Niko had one purpose for putting up with Brucie, Elizabeta, and the likes...he was looking for revenge. He was never interested in money. So if Rockstar carried over all of the customization from San Andreas, it would have clashed with Niko's character. Afterall, I can't see Niko going on elaborate shopping sprees. With GTA V, Rockstar has no excuse. The three main characters are thieves of some kind...their only interests are in money. So, from a literary point of view, it would make sense for these characters to not just make huge risks for loads of cash, but if their motivations revolve around dolla' dolla' bills, these guys would be the type of folks to spend a lot of dolla' dolla' bills. I would be really surprised and disappointed if GTA V only included a few shopping options like in 4. Los Santos strikes me more of a place where status is practically based upon one's outer appearance and possessions. In the Game Informer article, Dan Houser mentioned that the absence of anything to spend money on was considered before desinging GTA 5, so hopefully this won't be a problem with this title. The economny system in GTA 5 is supposed to be vibrant, fun, and packed with LOADS of stuff to buy...although safehouses won't be available to purchase. Okay...so what am I bringing to this forum's table, so to speak? Instead of focusing on the return of outward appearance, I'm thinking more of gameplay. Yes, it's super cool to have that suit, but does it really improve gameplay? Don't get me wrong, GTA V needs to include thousands of different variances of clothing...because players need to spend their money on something. If the shopping system is limited again, players aren't going to be stimulated to take on those extra side missions... My idea, with the confirmed inclusion of scuba diving, biking, tennis, golf, and triatholons (hopefully more, too) I'm wondering if these mini-games will have accessories for purchase as well. Let's say the golf mini-game is really fun, but the game only starts you with a very basic and worn set of clubs. The clubs you start with don't quite deliver that 'A' game like you would like. How cool would it be to upgrade those clubs? This same idea can be carried over to tennis, scuba diving, and all the other mini-games. Could GTA V include a sports and recreation store? To pick up better tennis raquets? Somewhere in Los Santos is there a bike store? So the player can purchase a professional mountain bike that might include speeds so the player can pedal faster or bike up a mountain with greater ease? A scuba store to purchase improved wet suits, flippers, bigger oxygen tanks, etc. The list could go on... By including better "tools" for GTA V's mini-games, that gives the players more to think about improving besides their looks.