Topic: PC Gaming

[Jimmy]

You have mention "Niko" a couple of time and I was wondering : Who is he? A guy who always follow you and that you must always keep alive

[RossRoy]

You have mention "Niko" a couple of time and I was wondering : Who is he? A guy who always follow you and that you must always keep alive

Well, you'll have to play the game to find out! 

It's the name of the main character in GTA IV

[Achim]

You don't have to search for the wallet. If they have money on them, once you kill them, it'll just float there. Walk to it, and Niko will pick it up.

Goes to show I may be too much of a nice guy to play this game I beat up those people, but didn't care to go all the way and kill them Of course, now that I know those guys on the street and in the parks better watch out when I am coming.

What happened when I stole the cop car is that I was driving around and lost control of the car cornering, and crashed into another car. The driver got out of his car! So of course, I got out of mine. The other guy complained about his car and how much of an ass I was, and proceeded to beat the crap outta me! Thing is, the cops were right behind me. They turned on the lights, got out of their car and proceeded to try and arrest the guy. He jumped back in his car, and sped away. The cops turned around to go back to their car and give chase, just as I was stealing their car! They yelled something about me having to stop and started shooting at me! I got away, and found I was now the proud owner of a police approved standard issue shotgun (without only 5 bullets though).

Wow, I never saw them try to arrest someone else. They always come right after me! But, I found I could upset the cops in one car by trying to hijack their vehicle, then step back a little so they'd come out and then just run for it! They hit me (with bullets, of course) once or twice while I got in, but once I drove off I was fine. Seems I was luckier though, I found a fully loaded gun with a spare mag even...

The cops don't joke in this game. I'm sure that they are just another gang... at least it was my impression with "Vice City"

That is so true. Once you beat up one of them they come running in hordes and gun you down like a pig. Don't sem to be adewuate measures somehow...

I was driving around at full speed, finally managing to somewhat keep control of the car, when I slammed head-on into a tree. I got so disoriented when the camera left the car that I was wondering what was going on. Guess what? Niko had been flung right out the window! 

Occasionally he well yell "Ouch" while that happens too!


Another question, Sebastien:
I tried to take a look at that Online "Social Club" thing (and the PS3 browser said I would need a newer version of Flash Player to go there. However, so far all checks online came up with "not available for the PS3" What's up with that? I don't think Rockstargames would create a website we couldn't actually use...?

[RossRoy]

Another question, Sebastien:
I tried to take a look at that Online "Social Club" thing (and the PS3 browser said I would need a newer version of Flash Player to go there. However, so far all checks online came up with "not available for the PS3" What's up with that? I don't think Rockstargames would create a website we couldn't actually use...?

On the PS3 side of things I don't know, but with the Xbox 360 version, you can create an account at the Social Club, and then I can link my XBox Live gamertag to my account and all my game stats show up there. At least, that's what I understand of it. I haven't been there much. All of 15 seconds, to create my account.

[RossRoy]

I just browsed some around the social club. Meh. Doesn't seem to be much there.

• The whole 100% completion contest is a no contest to me, as I don't have the patience to actually do 100% of all that has to be done.
• The LCPD blotter is interesting (daily crime rate report), but pretty useless
• The story Gang I've no idea what it is, and I will probably only find out when I complete the main story, which could take a WHILE
• The liberty City Marathon looks fun though. There's a list of tasks you have to complete. This is something I might try to do, but not to get the medals, for for my personal satisfaction.
  
  • Walk & Run 400 miles
  • Drive 4,000 Miles
  • Swim 40 miles
  • Activities 400 visits
  • Fire 120,000 bullets
  • Jack 2,400 Cars
  • Stunts 8,000 stunts
  • Public Transport 400 miles
  • Arrested 120 times
  • Wasted 600 times

[Achim]

Another question, Sebastien:
I tried to take a look at that Online "Social Club" thing (and the PS3 browser said I would need a newer version of Flash Player to go there. However, so far all checks online came up with "not available for the PS3" What's up with that? I don't think Rockstargames would create a website we couldn't actually use...?

On the PS3 side of things I don't know, but with the Xbox 360 version, you can create an account at the Social Club, and then I can link my XBox Live gamertag to my account and all my game stats show up there. At least, that's what I understand of it. I haven't been there much. All of 15 seconds, to create my account.

Doh! Didn't think of "half" the GTA 4 gamers being on a different system to begin with... Well, still somewhat odd that a) Rockstargames implements something that not all people can use and/or b) Adobe and Sony can't get their act together to update the Plash Player for the PS3...

So, thanks for looking through the available content. I didn't expect highly specialized content there which one "needs to have", but maybe later on that could be how they serve updates to the game (assuming they do that at all).

[RossRoy]

So, thanks for looking through the available content. I didn't expect highly specialized content there which one "needs to have", but maybe later on that could be how they serve updates to the game (assuming they do that at all).

Updates to the game should be coming through XBox Live or PSN accordingly. I don't think they'd release a patch on an unnecessary website that is of no interest to most gamers.

Which is something I find really irritating about the direction "gaming" is taking these days. Why do you think the Wii is so popular? Easy. There are plenty of games that you can play at home with friends. Nowadays, it seems that anytime I want to play with a friend, I have to tell them to buy their own console, with a copy of the game, to get on Live to play. Why are Guitar Hero and Rock Band so popular? They both have offline multiplayer capacility. What's so hard in doing that for other games?

Oh well... Rant mode off.

[Jimmy]

It's always possible to play sport games on the same console, I hope  . The last one I've bought on my PS2 permit this, a chance since it was boring against the AI (that's why I've gave it to my brother after one week). But I've play it with him one month ago and we had a lot of fun, mostly with the all star competitions (it's an hockey game, espn nhl hockey I think)

[RossRoy]

It's always possible to play sport games on the same console

Sports games yes. But where's the split screen racing in more recent offerings?

See this - Commandment #7

[Jimmy]

Sports games yes. But where's the split screen racing in more recent offerings?

This is not something new for the racing game. GP2 an old computer game had a weird system to play with another person. You has to decide how many turns each player control his car and after those turns the player change, but the computer take the control of your car while the other player play his turn. Not funny since the computer never does a good job with your car in the race (when he doesn't crash it  )

[Achim]

Updates to the game should be coming through XBox Live or PSN accordingly. I don't think they'd release a patch on an unnecessary website that is of no interest to most gamers.

True. Burnout: Paradise City recently got updated and it apparently checked online by itself and then let me know about the update...

Sports games yes. But where's the split screen racing in more recent offerings?

See this - Commandment #7

I loved that article! Fun writing style and all too true (again, not that I'm a big gamer, but having a friend in on the fun would be great). (FWIW, I am still looking for a noce multiplayer game for my PS3...)

[RossRoy]

nice multiplayer game for my PS3...

Rock Band or Guitar Hero


Rock Band more for the multiplayer. But Guitar Hero is more challenging, although they cheat it to make it more challenging.

[RossRoy]

(this post is about GTA IV)

Argh!! I don't know how far you've gotten Achim, but I'm stuck on the mission "Destruction for Beginners", the first Playboy X mission

I've tried 5 times now, and I still can't get the fourth union leader. But it's still fun, as I've died in a lot of cool ways! I've fallen off a building and landed right on a car (comments by the bystanders were hilarious!), I've been blown up by an explosive barrel (entirely my fault for taking cover right next to it during a shoot-out  ).

I still love that game! 


Oh and I did the first stunt jump! I might actually have to hunt them down, because they are cool! The camera switched to a front view in slow motion, and you can control the speed of the slow motion cam. I missed the first time (too slow) and the game said "not good enough". So I jacked a fast car, went up the hill, and drove all the way down at top speed and hit the jump! The car landed nose first right into the top corner of a building, so I got flung right out the window across the street to the top of the building on the other side! 

[Achim]

(this post is about GTA IV)

Argh!! I don't know how far you've gotten Achim, but I'm stuck on the mission "Destruction for Beginners", the first Playboy X mission

I have kept things a little slow. Not only have I not played as much as I could have (I have been concentrating on the marathon a little) but also I was simply talking it easy within the game; maintaining the relationsships with Ramon and Michelle (they start complaing if you don't do that... ), exploring the environment, testing out stuff (hijacking a bus or trash car and running amok with those is great fun!) I think I only completed four or five missions so far.

I think I'll advance a little more during the upcoming weekend, as I have no other plans yet.

I still love that game! 

Me too! I am very happy I went for buying it.

Oh and I did the first stunt jump! I might actually have to hunt them down, because they are cool! The camera switched to a front view in slow motion, and you can control the speed of the slow motion cam. I missed the first time (too slow) and the game said "not good enough". So I jacked a fast car, went up the hill, and drove all the way down at top speed and hit the jump! The car landed nose first right into the top corner of a building, so I got flung right out the window across the street to the top of the building on the other side! 

I know what stunt jumps are from Burnout, but didn't know we get to do them here. Will have to pay attention to the environment to find the places where those are.

That reminds me of the end of that one mission, where you chase the guy, ending up on a roof and then have to decide whether to kill him or not (I went for it, thought it will impress Vlad and otherwise thought it will get Vlad angry if he finds out later I didn't...). After the mission is completed you are stuck on the roof, with no obvious way down; jumping back to the roof where I came from seemed impossible. Eventually I just jumped off the building, taking a little damage which was easily repaired... Seemed somewhat weird though.

[Achim]

(this post is about GTA IV)

Argh!! I don't know how far you've gotten Achim, but I'm stuck on the mission "Destruction for Beginners", the first Playboy X mission

Have you advanced yet? Not? Well, there is "guides" out there... I found them a few days ago at GTA4.TV. Admittedly, I used one of them already (I believe I may have mentioned it). Anyway, I saw that the mission you're stuck in has a guide there too... I don't feel there is shame in reading a guide ; only if you need to read all of them