I feel like I am playing Grand Theft Auto wrong

[EdgeXL]

I have played all of the GTA games except for the PSP titles (getting to those later). With every game I feel like I am not getting the intended experience out of them.

My main issue is I find myself avoiding doing damage to "civilians". I know it is just a game but I genuinely don't get any pleasure out of gunning down NPCs that are not a threat to me. I'll steal cars to complete a mission and I'll unleash on other criminals but I generally avoid attacking regular people unless the game requires me to do that in order to progress.

Does anybody else play GTA games the way I do?

 

[joe_zazen]

The intended joy is pretending to be a psychopath?

 

[TheTylerRob]

there is no right way to play a video game

 

[The Albatross]

There's no right or wrong way. I mostly try to play GTA as a good citizen as well. I've always liked the missions and the balance between playing missions and just taking it easy.

After beating the game soemtimes I'll go around and be a bad guy, but usually I stay on the right side of things when it comes to really being bad.

 

[ChosenPredator]

Not really I kind of had that what if experience with L.A. Noir and it felt kind of weird not to be able to do anything although it made perfect sense why you couldn't, grandtheft auto whole theme to me is about that kind of chaos i guess but i feel like a spaghetti western and wild west is more fitting for that kind of thing

 

[luulubuu]

I have played all of the GTA games except for the PSP titles (getting to those later). With every game I feel like I am not getting the intended experience out of them.

My main issue is I find myself avoiding doing damage to "civilians". I know it is just a game but I genuinely don't get any pleasure out of gunning down NPCs that are not a threat to me. I'll steal cars to complete a mission and I'll unleash on other criminals but I generally avoid attacking regular people unless the game requires me to do that in order to progress.

Does anybody else play GTA games the way I do?

Boy, I even respect the streetlights and never go to fast if im feeling like it.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

Gotta go fast.

 

[Ash735]

Well, you have the choice, it's what Grand Theft Auto is all about.

PS: With this thread and the "I don't understand how to play Sonic" thread, have we really reached a point where people NEED to be told exactly what to do in games that give some choice?

 

[Unaha-Closp]

I play them the same way. Running over generic npc's does nothing for me. Serves no purpose and even undermines some of the story telling in those games to me. Tell me about your past Niko. It was senseless killing by young men of young men perpetrated by old men.....bump.....off flies a granny.......oh Niko you poor man. Kills any immersion for me. I sometimes even say sorry if I accidentally run over a npc lol

 

[JusDoIt]

I never shoot civilians in GTA.

I just shoot cops.

It's fun.

 

[yunbuns]

I've never been one that goes around destroying things and getting stars for fun either tbh. I just played VC and SA for their stories + liking the settings.

 

[w0s]

Boy, I even respect the streetlights and never go to fast if im feeling like it.

lol I do the same thing.

 

[FreeMufasa]

I go ham. Favorite thing is to drive on the sidewalk or park up on a mountain/building and start sniping random people. When it gets boring i do the main mission, finish that and back to the fuxkery.

 

[Common Knowledge]

When I'm going through the story, I typically try to be as civil as a GTA protagonist reasonably can outside of missions. Works for a good portion of the game but eventually I start getting more and more reckless with my driving.

V is interesting cause I found myself reflecting the three characters' personalities with my gameplay. So with Trevor I'd go batshit insane a lot while with Michael and Franklin I try to be more generally lawful unless situations call for otherwise.

 

[Yarbskoo]

Well I'm certainly not gonna hit the brakes when someone's walking across the street.

 

[SScorpio]

Try Sleeping Dogs. You might find it a better fit for your play style.

Or Saint's Row if you want to break your habit of caring about civilians.

 

[xenorevlis]

It's a sandbox title. It's not intended for you to kil Innocents at all times and caused havoc non-stop. Completely optional. We're talking about a game with land racing, air challenges, golf, parachuting, etc.

Play however you want. If you're on PS4/XB1/PC you can even use Director Mode to make cinematics and such.

 

[Tenck]

Why would you constantly want to ruin your playthrough by running over pedestrians and having the cops after you nonstop?

For me I avoid hitting pedestrians and other cars as much as possible. I've beaten every one of the games in the series, and generally love everything about them. Play however you want.

 

[Dremorak]

Thats kinda how I play it too. Nothing wrong with that

 

[pinballsummer]

I'm surprised you think this is unique. The game deters you from killing civilians. If you're actively just trying to progress through the game and 'play it the right way' - you will avoid causing random chaos and deaths unless the game asks you to.

 

[Slate Soda]

Yep. I have no desire to gun down citizens, cops or just cause general mayhem. The idea of it doesn't seem fun to me at all. It's why I've never been big on GTA although I don't think it's a bad game to play.

RDR is much more fun to me although it's probably has more to do with the setting and circumstances I couldn't possibly replicate in real life. I don't NPC grief in that game either

 

[Triteon]

I avoid most mayhem in GTA as its usually detrimental to what im going at the time.

 

[Conor_Fool]

Well if this thread is anything to go by, I'm a fucking monster when I play GTA

 

[brickarts295]

Lol I often find GTA a worthy challenge (and somewhat fun) to play the game realistically. Like following the traffic rules and not stealing cars unless I have to.

 

[Conor_Fool]

I go ham. Favorite thing is to drive on the sidewalk or park up on a mountain/building and start sniping random people. When it gets boring i do the main mission, finish that and back to the fuxkery.

My favorite is sniping from on top of a crane and seeing how long I can last. Grenade launchers at Helicopters/sniping the pilot provides some of the most exhilarating feelings in the game

 

[Tagyhag]

You play it how you want, there's no reason to run down civilians if you don't want to. All you get is annoying cops following you.

When I replay GTA games, I like to replay them semi-realistic. As in, how I'd act if I was in the world. So I follow traffic rules, I don't steal cars etc.

 

[Sweet Bellic]

I also generally avoid senseless violence toward civilians. Sure, I'll drive like an asshole in GTA

Spoiler

(and real life)

, but not like a complete batshit maniac with a death wish. And I'll only carjack someone in the middle of a police chase or sticky situation... otherwise I discreetly steal unattended parked cars.

Furthermore, I disable auto-save and only save my progress when my in-game actions are appropriate to my character. If I go on a 6-star rampage as Niko, killing civilians and police and such, I'll have my fun, sure, but won't save my progress as I feel like that makes it canon. With Trevor, I'm a little more comfortable treating indiscriminate hit-n-runs and rampages as canon since he's a psychopath, but still try to limit these actions since he'd be the most wanted man in America ffs and keeping a low profile feels more realistic.

But you do you man. You want to stop and traffic lights and drive the speed limit? You can do that. Want to kill a hooker and end up in a high-speed chase and shootout with the national guard, you can do that too. The beauty of GTA is it gives you a lot of tools to (role)play your own way (at least in between missions).

 

[Toxi]

Is this the new meme

 

[yuoke]

Tharody Pread?

 

[family_guy]

I used to stop at traffic lights.

 

[Ironballs]

I used to stop at traffic lights.

Definitely did this the first time I played GTAIII.

 

[dietdracula]

I stop at traffic lights and will just cruise around at reasonable speeds, avoiding pedestrians when possible.

Occasionally I get the itch and I'll cause some mayhem just to keep it interesting, but otherwise I'm just not interested in mowing down pedestrians anymore. Not the way I was when I was 16-years-old playing GTA3 with my friends, passing the controller around when one of us died or (rarely) got arrested. Those were the savage, grandma-sniping times.

 

[theRizzle]

I mean, you don't have to get pleasure out of it. Can't you just ignore it? They're not real.

 

[Arc Christelle]

Gotta go fast.

The only way to play GTA.

 

[NoctisVsStar]

Is this a sonic meme thread now?

 

[AlfredX1990]

Is this a sonic meme thread now?

Isn't everything in life a Sonic meme thread?

 

[Arc Christelle]

Isn't everything in life a Sonic meme thread?

Do we ever get truly get the Chaos Emerald? Or are we doomed to spend our lives chasing it?

 

[Slammin_Hammon]

Depends on my mood, but for the most part I don't go out of my way to tear shit up.

 

[ckaneo]

Grand Theft Auto was never good.

 

[RedSwirl]

Until very recently I actually didn't like the gameplay of GTA at all. I was absorbed in the worlds and with the characters for the most part, but the controls and some other design decisions made all the games before GTA V borderline unplayable for me.

I'm starting to get the swing of it now that I went back and gave San Andreas another choice, but even currently I don't go out of my way to cause destruction. I don't go out of my way to follow traffic laws or anything either though. If I need a car, money, or guns, I'll take them. Whatever happens in the course of that, happens.

 

[The Argus]

Never felt the need to be a good guy in GTA. While playing the story I do go out of my way to avoid civilian death, but I'm certainly not law abiding. Out of the campaign I just love causing mayhem and hiding in a backyard as cops storm the neighborhood.

However, RDR's John Marston made me want to play a good guy. I would only go nuts on a separate save with the bandana on

 

[Northeastmonk]

I have played since GTA2 and I still don't focus on killing civilians. I've only visited the prostitute once in each game since 3.

I honestly enjoy playing the missions and cruising the streets. I do however run people over for the joy of being in a city. I think the whole "I'm not playing this game right" comes from those gamers who only think of GTA in that way.

Those who make the "prositute joke" more than once or they think it's a bigger deal than it is. I'm not trying to be rude or judgmental. It's just how I think.

I also don't play GTAO either. I did a few times. The series has always had its Rockstar charm. The music, the vibe of the city, and the radio stations. I love the GTA series, but I know there's a lot of different kind of fans.

I had a coworker whose brother and him were into GTAO and they never touched the campaign. To me, I want to invest my time with the story. Visit a new mansion I got for progressing in the plot, meet new characters, go somewhere the open world won't let me.

If you watch YouTube videos you'll see GTA Online being played a lot and that's it. There's a big difference.

I bought State of Emergency on launch for PS2. I got a lot of enjoyment from the whole civilian/carmgeddon element. I enjoyed GTA3 a lot more after that because it had a plot, a world full of life, and I could do whatever I wanted to when it came to breaking the law. I just never focused on that part. I tried maybe 3/4 times trying to get all the stars in GTAV.

 

[capitalCORN]

it's an open world. Do as you wish.

 

[joecanada]

If you like that play style Trevor will ruin it for you . I don't even play as good person and I wanted the option to kill him after 5 min

 

[ChouGoku]

You dont gun down random NPC's? GTA games are hard. For me to beat because I get distracted gunning down random NPC's

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

That's the right way to play Michael and Franklin, but the wrong way to play Trevor.

 

[lastplayed]

lol I hate it when Xbox automatically records it when I snipe random people from the top of a construction tower or something. I like to murder in private!

 

[travisbickle]

I have played all of the GTA games except for the PSP titles (getting to those later). With every game I feel like I am not getting the intended experience out of them.

My main issue is I find myself avoiding doing damage to "civilians". I know it is just a game but I genuinely don't get any pleasure out of gunning down NPCs that are not a threat to me. I'll steal cars to complete a mission and I'll unleash on other criminals but I generally avoid attacking regular people unless the game requires me to do that in order to progress.

Does anybody else play GTA games the way I do?

You can play any way you wish. In fact if you complete the game, there's a psychological profiling sheet that diagnoses your psyche from your play approach.

 

[nekkid]

Gotta go fast.

So apparently we ARE getting one of these threads for every game.

 

[shmoglish]

Some people here make it sound like you habe to go on rampage against civilians.