GTA:IV Official Thread

[Shoes]

Why can't I go on Helitours? I assume there should be a yellow arrow but there isn't anywhere.

[christaylor]

I won one of Brucies races last night, but afterwards he liked me less, (well I got a little thumbs down icon anyway). No idea why. I was driving a Sentinel - does he only like you to race in proper sports cars?

Dunno, but some of the races are hilariously unbalanced.

I turned up to one in the 360Modena-a-like and everyone else was in 4x4 trucks!

I didn't see them again after the 2nd corner, apart from when I lapped one of them!

[Eighthours]

Why can't I go on Helitours? I assume there should be a yellow arrow but there isn't anywhere.

Have you unlocked the second island yet? The icon's in the bottom right hand corner of that island, and you hold "Y" next to one of the choppers to go on the tour. There's no yellow arrow, just get in a chopper. I have found that when out on a date, the choppers aren't there for some reason.

[robotattack]

Why can't I go on Helitours? I assume there should be a yellow arrow but there isn't anywhere.

You enter them the same way you do taxis if you want to be a passenger. I can't remember if there are yellow arrows there but there are usually at least two or three helicopters waiting in that area. That said, the first time I went there all the helicopters flew off just as I approached them, but when I went back not afterwards I could get in one fine.

edit: Assuming you are on the second island and can get to the area where it's marked on the map of course.

[jonathanhoey]

I really, really despise 'Waste Not, Want Knots'.

I've tried it twice now and both times I've failed it because

Gordon and Michael got themselves killed

.

I couldn't be bothered to try again last night because of the unending, unskippable drive there, filled with Packie talking incessantly about nothing at all.

The very worst thing is that

even the other NPCs start taking the piss out of Packie during the journey for being so incredibly boring.

[Wallace]

Why can't I go on Helitours? I assume there should be a yellow arrow but there isn't anywhere.

The pilot should be in the helicopter waiting for you, just get in the passenger seat like you get in a cab by holding Y.

Or is this a spin-off of the "how do you hail a cab?" question?

[therev]

I've only tried a race once. Was leading by a long way until the last corner, when I clipped something and noticed my car was on fire. I bailed out, losing a fair amount of health, and looked around for another car to get in to finish the race.

At which point all the other racers came zooming over the crest of a hill at full speed. I tried to run, but they were too quick and one of them hit me full on, causing me to fly a long, long way in black and white slow motion.

I haven't had the heart to try another one since.

[SomeNaiveChump]

I really, really despise 'Waste Not, Want Knots'.

I've tried it twice now and both times I've failed it because

Gordon and Michael got themselves killed

.

I couldn't be bothered to try again last night because of the unending, unskippable drive there. filled with Packie talking incessantly about nothing at all.

The very worst thing is that

even the other NPCs start taking the piss out of Packie during the journey for being so incredibly boring.

You are exactly where I am and I can't be bothered to retry since

1/ the mission would be very, very easy if you could go alone (or just tell the others to stay out of the way, like you could in GTA:SA and Saints Row) as I am in no danger of dying whatsoever

2/ the unskippable drive... WHY? Especially as it would be skippable if I could go alone, which is exactly what I want to do anyway

[therev]

I've finished the story and only once in any mission did an AI teammate die in a shoot out.

And that's only because I threw a grenade at them by mistake.

[Shoes]

Thanks for the Helitour advice, peeps. There's never a chopped in there, though. It's odd. And I've unlocked all the islands.

Synch, if you ever get to Three Leaf Clover I think you're going to go apeshit.

[SomeNaiveChump]

I've finished the story and only once in any mission did an AI teammate die in a shoot out.

And that's only because I threw a grenade at them by mistake.

That's not so much what bothers me, I would just persist and overcome were it not for the unskippable drive and the fact that on SR and SA you could just tell people to stay back.

[SomeNaiveChump]

Synch, if you ever get to Three Leaf Clover I think you're going to go apeshit.

Is there a 5-minute unskippable custscene at the start of it (which is exactly what that drive is), massively discouraging retrying?

And would it be really easy if it were in SR or SA?

[Sponge]

I'm not sure why you guys are having so much trouble with that mission. Other than the seemingly infinite spawning Italians towards the end I never had a problem with any of them dying. First time I died by being too close to the italians, and the second time I just left them all to it whilst I legged it.

Might be worth mentioning that I hardly use the cover system, which generally takes longer, so maybe they just wasn't enough time for them to get injured.

Edit: about the "waste not, want knots" mission

[christaylor]

I've only tried a race once. Was leading by a long way until the last corner, when I clipped something and noticed my car was on fire. I bailed out, losing a fair amount of health, and looked around for another car to get in to finish the race.

At which point all the other racers came zooming over the crest of a hill at full speed. I tried to run, but they were too quick and one of them hit me full on, causing me to fly a long, long way in black and white slow motion.

I haven't had the heart to try another one since.

Similarly, I clipped a kerb on the last lap of a race, and very slowly rolled my car. I got out, very angry, got hit by 3 or 4 of the other racers in succession, managed to finally find another car, which was a piece of shit, and then - having given up the race - went into a rage-fuelled driving rampage, culminating in me smashing into some woman's car and machine-gunning her face off through the windscreen.

I felt better after that though.

[Shoes]

Is there a 5-minute unskippable custscene at the start of it (which is exactly what that drive is), massively discouraging retrying?

Yeah!

[biglime]

Is there a 5-minute unskippable custscene at the start of it (which is exactly what that drive is), massively discouraging retrying?

And would it be really easy if it were in SR or SA?

It only took me two goes. Great fun.

All this complaining about the drive to get to a mission - I find the drive totally necessary. It allows you to get tooled up with whatever you might need, armour or whatever.

[Looper]

Can you not just get in a cab with him and skip the journey (I haven't played the mission...)?

[Puck]

Dunno, but some of the races are hilariously unbalanced.

I turned up to one in the 360Modena-a-like and everyone else was in 4x4 trucks!

I didn't see them again after the 2nd corner, apart from when I lapped one of them!

I've noticed that. I turned up for a race in the best car I could find, one of those little Coquette things, thinking I was going to be severely out classed only to dicover that all the competitors on the grid were in "soccer mom" people carriers.

I'm enjoying the races though, (only done four so far). I've found that slow and steady really does win out in the long run as everyone else drives as if they're pissed.

[SomeNaiveChump]

It only took me two goes. Great fun.

All this complaining about the drive to get to a mission - I find the drive totally necessary. It allows you to get tooled up with whatever you might need, armour or whatever.

I don't need anything when retrying. It wasn't me who died, so I still have everything from before.

It is precisely the same as an unskippable cutscene and everyone would be all over it in that case.

Can you not just get in a cab with him and skip the journey (I haven't played the mission...)?

No, there's too many guys.

[Shoes]

It only took me two goes. Great fun.

All this complaining about the drive to get to a mission - I find the drive totally necessary. It allows you to get tooled up with whatever you might need, armour or whatever.

One time is fun and it adds to the scale of it; two times is okay; more than that is just boring, especially when that git Packie is in the car.

I still loved the mission, though.

[jonathanhoey]

Waste Not Want Knots...

I never had a problem with any of them dying. First time I died by being too close to the italians, and the second time I just left them all to it whilst I legged it.

Might be worth mentioning that I hardly use the cover system, which generally takes longer, so maybe they just wasn't enough time for them to get injured.

I didn't take any damage at all on either attempt, I don't think. The first time I tried taking my time and shooting everyone, the second time I drove straight in through the doors of the building and ran for the stairs. Both times they got themselves killed before I could get to the green target upstairs. I don't use the cover button either, it's too slow and unintuitive.

I'm with Sync on this. It'd be fine if you could either go it alone or trust them not to get themselves killed. And if it didn't have a lengthy unskippable cutscene at the start.

Even the cutscene (ie the drive) might be OK if the dialogue actually advanced the plot at all. But as I mentioned before, Packie says nothing of consequence and the other NPCs even take the piss out of him for being so boring. Which essentially boils down to Rockstar taking the piss out of the player.

[Timmo]

I don't know why the NPCs keep dying on people - you realise you're meant to take out anyone near them, right? I think I've had one die ever. Generally, if someone is close to you or an NPC then you or they are in danger. Anyone at any distance will take your health much more slowly. Kill close people first.

[Rowan Morrison]

I got a bit annoyed with Deconstruction for Beginners, even though I only failed it three times (chiefly because the non-boss enemies don't show on your radar, and once because of bad reload timing). Even if you take a taxi and skip the initial drive, you have to take the platform up to the roof and snipe the watchmen, and then take the platform down again, which is zero fun even on the first attempt. By this stage in San Andreas I was engaged in that fantastic Terminator 2 bike / truck battle, though I suppose that game's equivalent would be the sodding burglary mission... walk as slowly as you can, and now go back and do it again and again.

[Garwoofoo]

I've just done Deconstruction for Beginners first time. It was the first mission for me where the cover system really made sense, and I felt properly in control as I darted from cover to cover popping off shots at the bad guys and planning my route across the building site. I was a bit afraid it was going to turn into a timed chase at the end but it didn't and I coolly sauntered up to the final guy and executed him just as the sun was coming up. Excellent stuff.

[kerraig UK]

I don't know why the NPCs keep dying on people - you realise you're meant to take out anyone near them, right? I think I've had one die ever. Generally, if someone is close to you or an NPC they you or they are in danger. Anyone at any distance will take your health much more slowly. Kill close people first.

on that first little jacob mission where you shoot the guy through the window, i did that first time and little jacob ran straight in and got headshotted straight away, before I even had a chance to unlock from the wall outside.

I guess these things just happen sometimes when you have too many random elements

[SqueakyG]

I really, really despise 'Waste Not, Want Knots'.

I've tried it twice now and both times I've failed it because

Gordon and Michael got themselves killed

.

I think that's the mission that confused me the first time I played it. I got to the point where enemies were infinitely spawning, and I had spent literally 10 minutes shooting them, running low on ammo and health, thinking, "What the hell am I supposed to do?? They're infinitely spawning!"

On the second try, I realised there was a back door, and I had to leave the back way. Doh. Excuse me for not seeing the hint at the top of the screen, I was busy in a firefight!

In general though, I'm doing a lot better than I expected on the missions that have a notorious reputation. Everyone talks about "The Snow Storm" -- did it on the first try -- and "Three Leaf Clover" -- did it on the second try. The missions I tend to fail are the easy ones that I fail for stupid reasons.

[therev]

In what possible way is the drive like a cut scene?

Surely if you don't enjoy driving in a GTA game you're playing the wrong fucking game?

Isn't driving part of the core appeal of the thing?

[Timmo]

re: NPCs

Granted, maybe I've just been fortunate.

[jonathanhoey]

In what possible way is the drive like a cut scene?

Surely if you don't enjoy driving in a GTA game you're playing the wrong fucking game?

Isn't driving part of the core appeal of the thing?

I'm playing the missions to advance the plot, so I usually just take taxis. Driving is fun for my own time.

[Timmo]

In what possible way is the drive like a cut scene?

Surely if you don't enjoy driving in a GTA game you're playing the wrong fucking game?

Isn't driving part of the core appeal of the thing?

Exactly. I guess it's tedious doing the same drive tens of times but two or three is ok because the driving is so rewarding and such a joy when you get good. I like taking an ace line through the turns and beating the dialogue finishing.