San Andreas PC ver - First Impressions

> Saving. Can you save at any point? The stickler for me with GTA3 PC was
> that you had to drive across the map to save.

I generally only buy games where one can save anywhere.

But I made an exception with Vice City and now San Andreas because the
games are so much fun. There are MANY save/safe houses in San Andreas
(but I guess you have buy them first). From my experience so far,
having to get to the save house is less an issue in San Andreas than it
was in Vice City.

But one thing... saving advances time by 6 hours! I'm not sure what
impact that has on the game/story. I liked going on treasure hunts and
coming home to save over and over again in Vice City. Will doing this
in San Andreas advance time too much and ruin any missions/story?

On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 15:57:32 +0100, Toby <google.RemoveThis@asktoby.com> wrote:

>That's another reason I gave up on GTA3. The tiny map circle was too
>small to be of any use, so I was always getting lost on Liberty Island.
>When I opened up the bridge to the second area and the play area
>doubled, I spent all my time getting lost and ended up giving up.

I think a lot of the fun in GTA3/VC (my copy of SA is in the post) is
in learning your way around the maps, even if it does take many hours.
Exploring at leisure lets you find the fun bits that are scattered
around, but also helps you learn shortcuts that are invaluable for the
missions or when being chased.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
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"JoeSmooth" <f DeleteThis @ke.net> wrote in message
news:42a6edc4$0$3458$4d5ecec7@reader.city-net.com...
>
> The highest screen resolution is 1024X768X32 + Wide screen.

erm... I think you mean 2048x1536

[¬_¬]

Walter <waltersibbons.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:J9Hpe.7377$Nd3.556383@news20.bellglobal.com:

> But one thing... saving advances time by 6 hours! I'm not sure what
> impact that has on the game/story. I liked going on treasure hunts and
> coming home to save over and over again in Vice City. Will doing this
> in San Andreas advance time too much and ruin any missions/story?

I'm unsure at this point, but I think it influences things like
eating/physical development. You can only work out so much per game day,
and if you don't eat enough or work out enough over time, your physique
suffers.

Geo
--
George Mealer
geo*AT*snarksoft*DOT*com

"Alright, it's Saturday night...I have no date, a two-liter bottle
of Shasta, and my all-Rush mix tape. Let's rock!" -- Philip J. Fry

JoeSmooth wrote:

> Autotargeting is referred to but it's either not supported or I can't figure
> out how to use it.

There was auto-targetting in GTA:VC when you were aiming with the keyboard
- ain't no need consolish auto lock-on when aiming with da mouse, homeboy.

Word to your mother.

On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 10:06:43 -0400, "JoeSmooth" <f DeleteThis @ke.net> wrote:

>(It's still okay to talk about games in this group, right?)
>
>The DVD actually comes with a 77 page hardcover book made into a kind of
>mock city guide. (also includes map and serves as CD case/holder)

>The highest screen resolution is 1024X768X32 + Wide screen.

No, it's not. It's probably dependent on your video-card or, perhaps,
your monitor. Currently I'm playing at 1280x1024x32 but I can go up to
1600x1280 (widescreen or not).

The game runs slowly but the engine is really showing its age. Low-res
drab textures, angular models, noticable fogging. So far GTA:SA
doesn't look as nice as GTA:VC; San Andreas just doesn't have the
color and vibrance of the older game. This may be intentional; the
game might start looking better further into the game. Or it may be a
limitation of the engine (in order to fit in a bigger world into the
restricted memory of the PS2, maybe Rockstar had to drop texture and
model detail?). As I've only played an hour or two so far, I'm
unwilling to pass judgement at this time

The music, however, sucks. Blech. Its hard to top Vice City's
soundtrack, but even GTA3 had better (and more varied) music.
Thankfully, I can drop in my own MP3s.

On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 10:06:43 -0400, "JoeSmooth" <f.RemoveThis@ke.net> wrote:

Oh, one more thing:

I can't understand what the characters are saying. I'm sorry, I don't
speak Ebonics. It's hard for me to follow the plot much less
understand the instructions as where to go and what to do to complete
a mission.

Am I the only one?

On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 03:12:35 GMT, Spalls Hurgenson <yoinks DeleteThis @ebalu.com>
wrote:

>On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 10:06:43 -0400, "JoeSmooth" <f DeleteThis @ke.net> wrote:
>
>Oh, one more thing:
>
>I can't understand what the characters are saying. I'm sorry, I don't
>speak Ebonics. It's hard for me to follow the plot much less
>understand the instructions as where to go and what to do to complete
>a mission.
>
>Am I the only one?

Turn on subtitles. I find them mandatory.

Steve

--
www.thepaxamsolution.com

On 2005-06-09, Spalls Hurgenson <yoinks RemoveThis @ebalu.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 10:06:43 -0400, "JoeSmooth" <f RemoveThis @ke.net> wrote:
>
>>(It's still okay to talk about games in this group, right?)
>>
>>The DVD actually comes with a 77 page hardcover book made into a kind of
>>mock city guide. (also includes map and serves as CD case/holder)
>
>>The highest screen resolution is 1024X768X32 + Wide screen.
>
> No, it's not. It's probably dependent on your video-card or, perhaps,
> your monitor. Currently I'm playing at 1280x1024x32 but I can go up to
> 1600x1280 (widescreen or not).
>
> The game runs slowly but the engine is really showing its age. Low-res
> drab textures, angular models, noticable fogging. So far GTA:SA
> doesn't look as nice as GTA:VC; San Andreas just doesn't have the
> color and vibrance of the older game. This may be intentional; the
> game might start looking better further into the game. Or it may be a
> limitation of the engine (in order to fit in a bigger world into the
> restricted memory of the PS2, maybe Rockstar had to drop texture and
> model detail?). As I've only played an hour or two so far, I'm
> unwilling to pass judgement at this time
>
> The music, however, sucks. Blech. Its hard to top Vice City's
> soundtrack, but even GTA3 had better (and more varied) music.
> Thankfully, I can drop in my own MP3s.

Can you point GTA:SA to a folder of MP3s on a network?
e.g.
\\myhousemusicserver\mp3s
or do you have to copy them all into the GTA:SA install directory?

--
Toby.
Add the word afiduluminag to the subject
field to circumvent my email filters.
Ignore any mail delivery error.

Sam Jones wrote:
>
> The PC version of Vice City seemed even *worse* than the PS2 for duplicate
> car spawning. I once drove on the main road that circles the big mall at
> the north of the eastern map, and every single car that spawned was of the
> same type. Drove into the multi-storey car park attached to the mall, and
> every car in it was the same. That was unsettling, and 'broke the metaphor'
> a little.

Sounds like GTA: Eastern Europe.

I've got a great photo somewhere of a car park in East Berlin (as it
was then). All the cars are identical Trabants, but in different
bathroom suite colours. All except one, which is still a Trabi, but
it's red and has got spoilers and go faster stripes.

On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 10:06:43 -0400, "JoeSmooth" <f DeleteThis @ke.net> wrote:

>The DVD actually comes with a 77 page hardcover book made into a kind of
>mock city guide. (also includes map and serves as CD case/holder)

Nice glossy totally over produced manual that I will never read. The
pull out map is all I ever want in a GTA game package.

>The highest screen resolution is 1024X768X32 + Wide screen.

Dependent on your monitor, it will go higher.

>No First Person POV on foot.

Well, duh, this is a GTA game.

>Takes up 4.7GB Space on your HD.

Yes, despite the install routine saying it will take 1GB!

>So far on my 1.83 Ghz Athlon, 9800 pro with 512 RAM mem, I've had no trouble
>running with almost everything maxed out (but frame limiter on).

My XP2500+/6600GT/1GB RAM is running everything maxxed, no limiter,
all smooth. The much reduced pop-up graphics over VC is very welcome.

>Autotargeting is referred to but it's either not supported or I can't figure
>out how to use it. You do have to hold down a key to get the crosshairs to
>come up, but I'm used to this because it's like the Iron Sites on MOH.

Autotargetting is to emulate the console weeners - does not apply with
the much superior KB/Mouse.

>From what I can tell it takes just one button to get into a car although I
>haven't yet met anyone resisiting much.

Same as the previous games.

>That's all for now... I was worried it would feel too much like a Vice City
>extension mod, but it's done well taking things to a higher level. HWY
>chases are cool...

I have just had my first hour of playing it and I have taken to it a
lot more than with VC, although I am not sure if that is good or bad.
It took me about a week to get over GTA3 and work out why VC was
better, this one has grabbed me straight off.

I like the setting of it, it seems a lot more real than the artificial
day glow colour's of VC, the dialog is a lot sharper, funnier, and the
cutscenes are more enjoyable for me. From what I have heard of the
soundtrack, it works for me.

I am really enjoying it so far...gotta back to da hood mother
f'ers...erm I think I will play it some more!
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

In article <J9Hpe.7377$Nd3.556383@news20.bellglobal.com>,
Walter <waltersibbons.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>But one thing... saving advances time by 6 hours! I'm not sure what
>impact that has on the game/story. I liked going on treasure hunts and
>coming home to save over and over again in Vice City. Will doing this
>in San Andreas advance time too much and ruin any missions/story?

No. The only lasting effect is to increase the "days passed" counter
in the statistics section. The missions will be patiently waiting for
you

Cheers
Bent D
--
Bent Dalager - bcd.DeleteThis@pvv.org - http://www.pvv.org/~bcd
powered by emacs

In article <J9Hpe.7377$Nd3.556383@news20.bellglobal.com>, Walter wrote:
>> Saving. Can you save at any point? The stickler for me with GTA3 PC was
>> that you had to drive across the map to save.
>
> I generally only buy games where one can save anywhere.
>
> But I made an exception with Vice City and now San Andreas because the
> games are so much fun. There are MANY save/safe houses in San Andreas
> (but I guess you have buy them first). From my experience so far,
> having to get to the save house is less an issue in San Andreas than it
> was in Vice City.

Plenty of Save points in San Andreas, but money tends to limit purchasing
them at first...

> But one thing... saving advances time by 6 hours! I'm not sure what
> impact that has on the game/story. I liked going on treasure hunts and
> coming home to save over and over again in Vice City. Will doing this
> in San Andreas advance time too much and ruin any missions/story?

It does occasionally affect missions... I never noticed time not advancing
a fair bit of time in VC. It advanced 6 hours in GTA3 right?

Smid