Re: My adventures in GTA V Online
So, back in July I posted about my early experience in GTA V with some questions about its mechanics. Cristiano graciously offered to show me some ropes (I'm sorry that I didn't take you up on it, Cris. I actually left the game completely alone shortly after that post and forgot when I did return to the game).
Okay, so maybe a month or so ago, I returned to give the game the old college try. I was armed with the Criminal Enterprise Pack as well as assorted Twitch Prime advantages. I watched a fair number of guide videos.
I'll start off by saying that I tend to be a loner in games. I'm in my element the most in single player games, with rpg's being my favorite genre. It is difficult for me to just begin speaking with people that I do not know in an mmo. I generally avoid such games altogether. SL was actually my first experience with an mmo. GTA V would be my first foray into a multiplayer environment, unless you count something like Pinball FX3 where you simply play against others to garner the most points.
With all of that in mind, here's how it has gone. Initially, I appeared to be cannon fodder. Upon spawning into the game, I would wander about learning the ropes, but then be killed by some person for unknown reasons. This was usually accompanied by a big splash upon the screen telling me that I had been Obliterated. I now know these times were likely the orbital cannon. I decided that I would focus upon gathering both money and skills to strengthen myself. I spent a lot of time in my own invite only lobby maxing out all of my skills. Once that was complete, it was time to move on to making the moolah and experience what the game has to offer. I have been greatly helped along by whatever activity was giving 2x money/2x RP for a given week.
Slowly, I used my counterfeit business to gather money, which I then used to buy all of the other MC businesses and max them out, alongside a number of warehouses and a nightclub. I took advantage of sales, like the terrorbyte and the Oppressor MKII. As fast as it was coming in, I was putting it back out in the recognition that to make money you initially, at least, had to set up a means of further opportunities. The main problem that I was having was having my cargo (and myself) completely destroyed by others during sell missions. I wrote it off as losses. I learned though, that the people who were destroying said cargo were only getting $2k and a bit of RP, while they were destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cargo. What was in it for them? Well, the game itself tells you that so and so is transporting cargo. Destroy it for money and RP. Hmm...very little money and RP.
I learned a trick. Block certain ports via firewall and, voila, you are in your own lobby permanently. You lose out on extra money that is granted in delivery missions for taking the risk of being blown up by other players, but you are guaranteed a certain amount of profit. No risk except for the missions themselves and the npc's that the game throws at you, which is very doable. If you want to do missions with others, you just disable the block in the firewall.
So, this is how I've turned GTA V Online into my own little game. Yes, it's pretty anti-social but it has allowed me to play the game on my own terms. I have amassed, apparently anyhow, according to my stats, $50 million, spent $43 million and have $20 million as of right now (I just purchased a facility, avenger and a number of other items.) I am level 129. I own all businesses, maxed out, except for a vehicle warehouse. I've participated in most types of activities except for heists, for obvious reasons.
I believe that I still have a long way to go before I tire of the game and I am glad I have tried it, but I do believe that the game itself is structured to frustrate you right into buying a shark card. I believe it's $100 for around $8 million. I have been able to amass that in a week's time with 2x activities so that doesn't appeal to me, really. It IS a great game, with a number of flaws. I may yet attempt to play with others, as I reckon that would be playing the game to its fullest, but I don't use voice, so communication would perhaps be difficult, but for now, this is how it has gone.
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