Slashdot Mirror


GTA3 and Vice City now Online Multiplayer

glengineer writes "A deep bow and an "I'm not worthy" to Kent Simon, at the University of Kentucky, Ed Lyons in London, and Chris McArthur in Canada who have made the dream come true for GTA fanatics like me - GTA3 and Vice City online multiplayer! Now I can streetrace and play Liberty City Survivor with real people, not just use the "crazy pedestrians" cheat. Rockstar would be nuts not to hire these guys. So, anyone up for a deathmatch? Meet me at the Malibu Club in Vice, or the construction site on Staunton Island."

283 comments

  1. Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    This isn't new, and it's been covered on Slashdot at least 5 times (possibly more, but Slashdot's search sucks and they don't set it up right to allow Google to index everything.)

    Next on Slashdot: Free Unix clone developed by some Finnish guy
    1. Re:Welcome to 2003 by justforaday · · Score: 5, Funny

      Next on Slashdot: Free Unix clone developed by some Finnish guy

      I'll believe this when I see some proof...

      --
      I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
    2. Re:Welcome to 2003 by ggvaidya · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't worry, it's been proved to be fake :).

      For more details, check out the real owners of the Unix clone ...

    3. Re:Welcome to 2003 by justforaday · · Score: 1, Funny

      Hah! That's what I thought. Nobody could ever be able to program something as complex as a Unix clone...

      --
      I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
    4. Re:Welcome to 2003 by WormholeFiend · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'll believe this when I see some proof...

      I remember reading somewhere that Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy are involved.

    5. Re:Welcome to 2003 by mobby_6kl · · Score: 3, Funny

      Just you wait, Hurd will be out in less than a year now!

    6. Re:Welcome to 2003 by kuzb · · Score: 1, Funny

      It's probably because all the editors run Macs now, so they've forgotten what games are.

      "You mean, there ARE games OTHER than super breakout?"

      --
      BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
    7. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      Will they give me a refund for my subscription? No, so until then, I'm going to complain that every dupe I've unfortunately paid for. One of the big promises of the subscription was that we could help them eliminate dupes. We do our part, but they don't do theirs.

    8. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Don't like it, don't read it" is kind of a defeatist position to take, don't you think? Wouldn't it be better if the editors actually listened to these complaints and stopped posting the same damn story over and over?

    9. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Is someone holding a gun to your head and forcing you to read it?

      Yes, and please stop with comments like that it makes him angry.

    10. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Paul8069 · · Score: 1

      This is my first time seeing it and I am thankful it was put up. Especially as it was put up under "Developers" instead of "Games". The firewall here at work won't let me get to any of the "Games" stories on /. but I can get to all the others.

      --
      Paul
    11. Re:Welcome to 2003 by gunpowder · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Why bother? Hurd should be finished anytime soon!

    12. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      *Bang!*

      Now look and see what you made me do! How am I going to get this stain out of the carpet!

    13. Re:Welcome to 2003 by alatesystems · · Score: 4, Informative

      Paul, just replace the subdomain in the url, and you can access it. I change it all the time so I don't have to see that godawful "It is what IT is" theme on it.slashdot.org. I just change it to hireadesigner.slashdot.org.

      Hope that helps you get your games.slashdot.org fix at work.

    14. Re:Welcome to 2003 by ArsonSmith · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Not Santa Claus, it was Santa Cruse, or Santa Cruse Operations. Bettern known as SCO. And I think they were sueing the Tooth Fairy.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    15. Re:Welcome to 2003 by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

      see how good your firewall/proxy is. Just take games out of games.slashdot.org. keep the rest the same. bet you can get to it.

      games
      no games
      make it ugly

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    16. Re:Welcome to 2003 by justforaday · · Score: 1

      I just saw something that said that HP is doing something with the Hurd.

      --
      I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
    17. Re:Welcome to 2003 by xtracto · · Score: 1

      Wow!
      So this is a new standard:

      Sixupe

      --
      Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    18. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Xiaran · · Score: 1

      I just saw something that said that HP is doing something with the Hurd.

      Finishing it ?

    19. Re:Welcome to 2003 by justforaday · · Score: 2, Funny

      No. Having it run the company.

      --
      I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
    20. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Xiaran · · Score: 1

      Well it cant do worse that Carly.

    21. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Hogwash+McFly · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You wouldn't accept a newspaper that duplicated articles on different pages would you? Yeah, you could say that a newspaper is paid for, but remember that we all pay for Slashdot in some way (subs, time, ad impressions etc.). If someone was surfing late at night, sees the 'Next story ready soon' blurb and decides to go to bed after reading it, it's a bit of a kick in the balls if they've read it a couple of hours ago.

      It's not like Slashdot is some tin pot operation, it's a globally famous service approaching a million members. It's for these reasons, also including spelling mistakes in summaries and titles (yes, titles!) that people are irritated at every occurance. I never post these complaints myself, but I can sympathise with those who do.

      How about this: we'll stop complaining when you can employ editors that can proofread and carry out a little research, ok?

      --
      Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
    22. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is this a troll?? This guy/gal pays money to slashdot and has to put up with dupes. I think he should either get his money back or the asshat editors should get asses in gear and listen to what the readers are saying!

    23. Re:Welcome to 2003 by jericho4.0 · · Score: 1
      So someone, somewhere, at your company, has decided that games.slashdot.org is non-productive, but the rest of /. is!?

      Weird.

      --
      "A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing" - Alan Perlis
    24. Re:Welcome to 2003 by ifwm · · Score: 1

      "It's not like Slashdot is some tin pot operation"

      Um, are you new?

    25. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Hogwash+McFly · · Score: 1

      Yes, redundant choice of wording, I know. I could have said '20 member LAN party discussion board for 12 year olds' or similar, but I just never really get the chance to use 'tin-pot operation' in everyday language, and I like that particular phrase.

      :)

      --
      Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
    26. Re:Welcome to 2003 by MADCOWbeserk · · Score: 1

      Well it cant do worse that Carly.

      Carly hasn't been promising a free /gnu printer since 1984.

    27. Re:Welcome to 2003 by NemosomeN · · Score: 1

      More likey: games.* is unproductive.

      (Ok, more likely the overly broad *games*)

      --
      I hate grammar Nazi's.
    28. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh man---that is funny. It is called Linux (duh).

      But seriously I am so glad that GTA has finally again gone multiplayer because now maybe people can use the program to make friendships with other playser and perhaps do something constructive (that is construct a playhouse for young children in Vice City) by piling cars up on top of each other.

      WICKED AWESOME

    29. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree completely with you. So what if it is a dupe, why make a big deal out of it? Pointing it out is just as lame as the grammarnazi crap. Get past your childness people and post something new for a change. If you are going to complain about dupes, please don't post a dupe doing so.

    30. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bullshit. There is no asterix next to the Anonymous Coward. If this was really important to the poster and he thought his point was valid, as a subscriber he/she would do their part by not posting AC. Anyone could claim to be a subscriber; if the poster wanted to be believed then proof would have been given. But instead... nope, just a lousy AC. (Same as me.)

    31. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Koiu+Lpoi · · Score: 1

      Right, and Duke Nukem Forever's on shelves today.

      By the way, you get a free sled ride with Satan with ever purchase!

    32. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The difference is that I was the subscriber that wrote that AND gathered the links on the previous stories. Believe me or not, I don't care, but I am a subscriber and I am sick of the editors ignoring the problem of dupes when there are easy solutions... like reading Slashdot.

    33. Re:Welcome to 2003 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The funny things about comments like that making people like that angry is - unless you're going to walk around on eggshells around them, they're going to get angry.

      So I say fan the flames. Destroy that person's chances of contributing to the gene pool as quickly as possible. Because prison lovin' doesn't count as procreation, and after he's been through it, what woman would want him?

  2. Any chance of litigation? by -kertrats- · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can't imagine that what they've done doesnt break some copyright law somewhere-what are the odds Rockstar sues?

    --
    The Braying and Neighing of Barnyard Animals Follows.
    1. Re:Any chance of litigation? by PoPRawkZ · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Like the article says, these guys should be paid, not sued. Hopefully they aren't worth anything to sue over. If there is no lawsuit over this I'm going to go and buy the game myself for the multiplayer.

      --
      peace,
      -Grokent
    2. Re:Any chance of litigation? by another_mr_lizard · · Score: 5, Informative

      Previous new posts on the MTA:VC site indicated that they had support from Rockstar in developing it.

      --
      "My parents were strict, but they never pitted me against livestock" - Doug Stanhope
    3. Re:Any chance of litigation? by Lussarn · · Score: 2, Interesting

      what are the odds Rockstar sues?

      Just because some companies always sue doesn't mean it's correct. They mostly do it because they know the people they sue has no chance of defending themselves. Well, SCO may have picked the wrong target.

    4. Re:Any chance of litigation? by k98sven · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I can't imagine that what they've done doesnt break some copyright law somewhere

      They're not circumventing a copyright-protection device, so they're not violating the DMCA.

      Possibly, they could be violating the End-User License Agreement on the game, if it includes an anti-reverse-engineering clause. Although it's anyone's guess as to if they'd be able to enforce it.

      what are the odds Rockstar sues?

      "Very, very, small" Seems like a good guess to me.
      Why would they?

      1) These guys don't have any money.
      2) They're not making any money off it.
      3) Rockstar isn't losing any money off it, more likely the opposite.

      Doesn't seem like they'd get much in damages. Hardly enough to outweigh the lawyer costs and PR damages.

      Besides, there are only upsides to people doing this stuff. It extends the life of the game and generates more interest and sales. Game developers know this. The general trend in the last 10 years has been towards accomodizing people who want to mod games, not sueing them.

      It's not like this is a trademark issue, where you have to go after people or you risk losing it.

    5. Re:Any chance of litigation? by djwavelength · · Score: 1

      3) Rockstar isn't losing any money off it, more likely the opposite.

      Unless Rockstar planned to release this feature as an expansion to the existing PC games.

    6. Re:Any chance of litigation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Unless Rockstar planned to release this feature as an expansion to the existing PC games. ..which is just pure speculation on your part. And even if they did, the damages would have to be pure speculation, since this 'expansion' hasn't materialized.

      The burden of proving damages is on plaintiff, not on the defendant.

    7. Re:Any chance of litigation? by k98sven · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Unless Rockstar planned to release this feature as an expansion to the existing PC games.

      Not very likely. No games are developed today without seriously considering multiplayer. Rockstar obviously took the design decision not to include it.

      Had they decided to make a multiplayer add-on they would have done so already. GTA3 has been out for 3 years now. It's been very successful, obviously they have the resources. Not to mention they already know the internals of the game engine.

      If they wanted to do something like this, they'd have done it already.

    8. Re:Any chance of litigation? by op12 · · Score: 1
      Previous new posts...

      Doesn't that make them old posts?
    9. Re:Any chance of litigation? by pilgrim23 · · Score: 1

      In related news, Hillary was last seen driving a moded Patriot throuh Sin City with 26 cop cars and 47 tanks in hot persuit. Don't let the Rasta dreadlocks fool ya, that really is Clinton

      --
      - Minutus cantorum, minutus balorum, minutus carborata descendum pantorum.
    10. Re:Any chance of litigation? by notthe9 · · Score: 1

      Unless Rockstar planned to release this feature as an expansion to the existing PC games.

      If you've ever played the multiplayer, you will notive that the game REALLY wasn't designed for it.

    11. Re:Any chance of litigation? by QuantumG · · Score: 1

      Blah, they could sue these guys for making a derivative work. That simple.

      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
    12. Re:Any chance of litigation? by Teancum · · Score: 1

      There is nothing wrong with making a derivitive work... or illegal for that matter, as long as you either:

      1) Get permission from the original copyright holders (the path usually done by dead tree book makers)

      2) Require the purchase of the original product in order to "modify" the binaries to put in the new original items (the route usually done with computer software)

      Sure, you can find court cases that suggest otherwise, but the point here is that it doesn't matter. Also, it would be much harder to prove either economic damage (not really necessary with copyright, but it helps in a jury trial), and more importantly, that the modification contain any copyrighted material by the original vendor (if they do, then it might cause some problems).

      Otherwise it becomes an EULA case, which is on ground much shakier than the GPL, and has never really been tested legally anyway. I doubt that the vendors of GTA are going to want to be the "test case" for something like that.... leave these kind of challenges to a company like Microsoft who has something to prove.

    13. Re:Any chance of litigation? by k98sven · · Score: 1
      Blah, they could sue these guys for making a derivative work. That simple.

      Yeah. Real simple if you don't know what the heck you are talking about.

      You don't even need to get into the particulars of relevant case law to debunk this idea. Perhaps you should actually look at the US copyright law some day?


      103(b) The copyright in a compilation or derivative work extends only to the material contributed by the author of such work, as distinguished from the preexisting material employed in the work, and does not imply any exclusive right in the preexisting material. The copyright in such work is independent of, and does not affect or enlarge the scope, duration, ownership, or subsistence of, any copyright protection in the preexisting material.


      A derivative work is something which includes parts of the original. From what I understand, this program does not. So it is not a derivative work.

      End of discussion.
    14. Re:Any chance of litigation? by QuantumG · · Score: 1

      pah-lease. When you run the game, with modifications, the work you are using is a derivative work of the original. There isn't a court in the land that would not strike such unauthorised modifications down.

      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
    15. Re:Any chance of litigation? by k98sven · · Score: 1

      pah-lease. When you run the game, with modifications, the work you are using is a derivative work of the original. There isn't a court in the land that would not strike such unauthorised modifications down.

      And what land would that be? Presumably one inside your head. Seriously, study the damn subject before making moronic declarations like that.

      Yes, modifying copyrighted material creates a derivative work. So what? Creating a derivative work is not illegal. Anywhere.

      Copyright law is about reproduction, publication, public performances, and distribution. You are not allowed to do that with a derivative work without permission. Creating on is a completely different matter. As long as you do not publish, distribute and so on the derivative work you are not violating any law, anywhere.
      (and the program which modifies the original GTA is *not* a derivative work in itself, since it does not contain any parts of the copyrighted original.)

      What you are saying is that it is illegal for someone to go and buy a book and go home and rewrite one of the chapters in it. Do you really believe this yourself?

      What you are not allowed to do is to take that rewritten book and distribute it.

    16. Re:Any chance of litigation? by QuantumG · · Score: 1
      Software and books are not the same thing. The US, Europe and Australian courts have all ruled that copying software into memory in order to run it is "making a copy" under copyright law. So every single time you run a piece of software you are subject to the license under which it is supplied to you. Proprietary software like GTA 3 is supplied under a license which prohibits making derivative works. That means you are not permitted to make a derivative work by combining the software with other software in memory.

      Is that fair? Hell no. But that's what those wacky judges have ruled. You can't run software without copying it and therefore you are subject to copyright law whenever you run software.

      Now I hear you, you're going to say that even if the user is violating their license with the supplier of GTA3 the creators of MTA are not breaking any laws, right? Well no, because they are encouraging others to break copyright law. That's contributory copyright infringement.

      So yeah, if Rockstar Games wanted to shut down MTA they could easily do so, and they could be awarded punitive damages in the range of millions which presumably would bankrupt the creators of MTA.

      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
    17. Re:Any chance of litigation? by k98sven · · Score: 1

      Proprietary software like GTA 3 is supplied under a license which prohibits making derivative works. That means you are not permitted to make a derivative work by combining the software with other software in memory.

      Yes, they have. So? That encroaches on fair-use provisions. Point out a ruling enforcing that part of the license.

      Now I hear you, you're going to say that even if the user is violating their license with the supplier of GTA3 the creators of MTA are not breaking any laws, right? Well no, because they are encouraging others to break copyright law. That's contributory copyright infringement.

      That is an even more specious argument. Point out some case-law to support that. There is certainly cases saying quite the opposite. See Vault vs. Quaid for instance.
      (Although that case specifically is about a program which removed a copy-protection device, now illegal under the DMCA, I cannot see why the court would rule differently for a similar program with a different purpose.)

    18. Re:Any chance of litigation? by QuantumG · · Score: 1

      Nintendo vs Accolade man. That's the case that determined that copying into memory is making a copy under copyright law. It has been upheld in every case since.

      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
    19. Re:Any chance of litigation? by k98sven · · Score: 1

      Nintendo vs Accolade man. That's the case that determined that copying into memory is making a copy under copyright law. It has been upheld in every case since.

      So? I'm not disputing that either. But you have gone from saying it's a derivative work, to saying that it's an 'unauthorized modification' to saying that it's banned by the EULA. You're not making any sense. If 'any court in the land' would slam down on 'unauthorized modification' what does Nintendo vs Accolade have to do with anything?

      Firstly, Does the GTA EULA disallow modification of the copy you have in memory? Disallowing modification of a program you have in memory would inable you to even *run* the goddamn thing. Where in the EULA is this prohibited?

      Secondly, even if such a paragraph exists, it's highly doubtful if it's enforcable. EULAs as a whole are doubtful, and Vault vs. Quaid showed exactly that an EULA which prohibited reverse-engineering and modification was not enforceable.

      Thirdly, modifying a program you have legally purchased, without redistributing the modified version will almost undoubtadly fall under fair-use provisions. Nintendo vs. Accolade isn't relevant to that.

    20. Re:Any chance of litigation? by QuantumG · · Score: 1

      Dude, you don't get it do you? The EULA doesn't *have* to "disallow" it. Copyright law prevents it. You're making a copy, copyright law gives that right exclusively to the copyright holder. The user is permitted to do the things solely authorised by the license. The license does not state that you are authorised to make a modification of the software for the purpose of playing it multiplayer. That's it. You're making a derivative work, the license does not permit you to make a derivative work, therefore you are not allowed to make a derivative work. Fair use laws states no situation in which you are authorised to make a derivative work without the permission of the copyright holder.

      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
  3. So.. by Ligur · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will we be able to pay eachother for sex and then murder oneandother to get our money back?

    --
    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
    1. Re:So.. by knapper_tech · · Score: 0

      So...how do you play as a hooker in online GTA3/Vice?

      --
      "There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell them." ~ Louis Armstrong
    2. Re:So.. by gallondr00nk · · Score: 1

      you could do that anyway, but your neighbours might not be so fond of you

    3. Re:So.. by knapper_tech · · Score: 1

      Until they need some health, and I need a cheap trick :) "asparin" - the end of hookers

      --
      "There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell them." ~ Louis Armstrong
    4. Re:So.. by CreatureComfort · · Score: 2, Insightful


      Gotta appreciate the relative morality...

      In-game fantasy rape is immoral, but in-game fantasy murder is a great wholesome pastime.

      Even better, real-life public endangerment and the possiblity of actually killing someone in an accident are great times... "Man those were the days..."

      --
      "Unheard of means only it's undreamed of yet,
      Impossible means not yet done." ~~ Julia Ecklar
    5. Re:So.. by ifwm · · Score: 1

      I thought that too. I was reading thinking "yup, whacko, but seems reasonably coherent" until I got to the part about ACTUALLY COMMITTING CRIMES IN REAL LIFE.

      That's when I started thinking "moron"

    6. Re:So.. by biglig2 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Wow, you live next door to Senator Clinton?

      --
      ~~~~~ BigLig2? You mean there's another one of me?
  4. Nothing new here... by kmartshopper · · Score: 3, Informative

    I used this quite some time ago... fun to play but when I tried it, it was pretty laggy if you were playing over the net and not on a lan.

    1. Re:Nothing new here... by esukafurone · · Score: 1

      Yes, I have tried this on a lan with a friend and it was laggy as hell... can't imagine how bad it must be online.

  5. GTA online by Turn-X+Alphonse · · Score: 5, Insightful

    GTA online won't work. it's far too easy to die in GTA to some bastard in a fast car, unless you've got a rocketlauncher you arn't going to stop that little kid who repeatedly runs you over outside the hospital.

    --
    I like muppets.
    1. Re:GTA online by telstar · · Score: 1
      "GTA online won't work. it's far too easy to die in GTA to some bastard in a fast car, unless you've got a rocketlauncher you arn't going to stop that little kid who repeatedly runs you over outside the hospital."
      • Note to self ... stay away from the hospital.
    2. Re:GTA online by sjf · · Score: 1

      It's a while since I played, but isn't the hospital where you get teleported to when you die ?

    3. Re:GTA online by Zorilla · · Score: 3, Funny

      That's when you have to master the 40 MPH carjack. I was such a bastard playing against my brother in GTA 1 and 2 because I would simply jump over his charging car and kick him out of it.

      Even funnier was putting oil slick on a road next to the harbor and watching an ambulance with its sirens on slide and fall off into the water.

      --

      It would be cool if it didn't suck.
    4. Re:GTA online by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I remember doing that kind of thing, too... But I don't think it quite works in GTA3. Something to do with three dimensions.

    5. Re:GTA online by bcmm · · Score: 1

      No, he meant in GTA
      Now go and get that leg fixed. Hospitals are perfectly safe, unless you catch resistant infections.

      Sheesh, all these people who can't distinguish reality from video games...

      --
      # cat /dev/mem | strings | grep -i llama
      Damn, my RAM is full of llamas.
    6. Re:GTA online by ArsonSmith · · Score: 4, Funny

      Note to self: Don't die.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    7. Re:GTA online by mobby_6kl · · Score: 1

      Respawn players at another hospital if they get killed more than x times near one hospital.

      Problem solved.

    8. Re:GTA online by MikeFM · · Score: 2, Interesting

      So? Why shouldn't it be easy to die? Just make the results of dying minor so it can happen frequently. Offer some good body armor. Jeez I'd love to have that Rhino tank and take it roaring down the street blowing up other players until they finally capped my ass.

      I've been wanting a MMORPG version of GTA for a long time now and have written the authors requesting it several times. It'd be cool to form gangs that have to compete with each other, the peds, and the cops. Killing, drug deals, pimp'n out girls, hook'n, bad drivin.. it should all be part of the game.

      A good Player versus Player MMORPG like GTA would kick ass. I'm so sick of these weenie little MMORPG's where all you can fight is NPCs and it's all so formulatic that you may as well put your player on auto-pilot. Unleash some mayhem. It's be the inverse game to City of Heroes. By encouraging players to form criminal gangs they can introduce some actual strategy. (Gangs would be more like guilds and less like parties in standard MMO jargon.)

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
    9. Re:GTA online by TrippTDF · · Score: 2, Funny

      Dude, If Hillary Clinton sees this, you are totally fucked. You'll be in some mental ward within the hour.

    10. Re:GTA online by damiam · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not in Multi Theft Auto - you get teleported to your character type's spawning point.

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
    11. Re:GTA online by wondafucka · · Score: 1

      Just wait for APB (All Points Bulletin) It's a MMORPG being developed by a former Rockstar and will have a GTAish like game environment.

    12. Re:GTA online by Doctor+O · · Score: 1

      Geez, that would ROCK! Would have to be careful though that my children don't catch me playing that. I guess telling them that violence never solves anything might lose some of its authority.

      --
      Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk?
    13. Re:GTA online by MikeFM · · Score: 1

      Where do you think this is being written from?

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
  6. GTA 4 by xtracto · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe someone should note that the mod is for GTA3. The original Grand Theft Auto had multiplayer right out of the box. I can't remember if it was LAN only or if internet play was possible as well. But then that was a PC only game, right.

    I wonder if precious features such as multiplayer will get rarer, now that many hit titles are ported from various consoles to proper computers. In this case the game was released with the unfinished multiplayer code and some dedicated people are getting it to work. Why did the original programmers give up at what appears to be more than half way through?

    --
    Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    1. Re:GTA 4 by shawb · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I wonder if precious features such as multiplayer will get rarer

      Not really. Right now multiplayer seems to be the easiest way to implement anti-piracy measures.

      --
      I'll never make that mistake again, reading the experts' opinions. - Feynman
    2. Re:GTA 4 by jasonmicron · · Score: 1

      The multiplayer code was finished, just not implemented.

    3. Re:GTA 4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "But then that was a PC only game, right."

      Emm not sure why you think this, the original GTA was launched on the Playstation at the same time the PC version was released.

    4. Re:GTA 4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe someone should note that the mod is for GTA3.

      Yeah, having "GTA 3 and Vice City" in the headline totally threw me off there.

    5. Re:GTA 4 by GigsVT · · Score: 1

      The original GTA used IPX/SPX only and was slow as hell in multiplayer.

      --
      I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
    6. Re:GTA 4 by SquadBoy · · Score: 1

      WTF would something being written for a console have to do with it having mulitplayer code or not?

      --

      Cypherpunks: Civil Liberty Through Complex Mathematics. Those who live by the sword die by the arrow.
    7. Re:GTA 4 by pilkul · · Score: 1

      Multiplayer deathmatch isn't very appropriate for GTA: the maps are too large, the weapons are too cheap, the cars are distributed too randomly. It seems to have been added as an afterthought to the early games. I don't think it's much of a loss that they decided not to bother in the 3D GTAs.

    8. Re:GTA 4 by stinerman · · Score: 1

      Right now multiplayer seems to be the easiest way to implement anti-piracy measures.

      Imagine that. Those dirty commie-pirates have increased the quality of gaming through their dirty, filthy communist stealing.

    9. Re:GTA 4 by Babbster · · Score: 1

      It's also the easiest way to avoid making a compelling single-player game.

    10. Re:GTA 4 by labal · · Score: 1

      I remember playing GTA1 over a modem with a mate of mine who lived only a couple of suburbs away. There wasn't much lag at all and it was pretty cool. It was also easy to set up. Both of us were pretty new to online gaming (and networking in general) and found it much easy to set up play via a modem in GTA than it was in Quake.

      --
      hellboy1975 http://www.foutheye.net
  7. It always stuns me by BHearsum · · Score: 0, Troll

    A very specific location is given for the American, a city is given for the Britist dude, and then we are told that the Canadian guy lives in Canada. It's the second biggest country on the fucking planet! He could be in 4 different timezones. Seriously people, learn some fucking geography.

    1. Re:It always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      You make it sound like Canada is relevant somehow.

    2. Re:It always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      You have a good point, but to some, geography consists of "here" and "over there." Similarly, you get us vs. them.

      It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

      -- (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

    3. Re:It always stuns me by Eu4ria · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I'm not even canadian but i know ...

      Pacific,
      Mountain,
      Central,
      Eastern,
      Atlanti c,
      Newfoundland/Labrador

      There are even a couple of areas that are slightly different from this too. Like parts of SK where they dont adjust the time for daylight saving.

    4. Re:It always stuns me by glengineer · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Jeez, lighten up, fer cryin' out loud. Did ya read the article? It doesn't give much more info than I posted, and who give's a flyin' anyway where they are, beyond being on different continents? Well, on the other hand, this is also a great example of cross continent collaboration.

      --
      Evil Overlord Rule #86. I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.
    5. Re:It always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Last time I checked Canada has 5 times zones... (-8, -7, -6, -5, -4)... 6 if you count Newfoundlands 30 minute offset.

      For those who need a visual:
      http://www.indiana.edu/~animal/fun/conversions/con vertpix/timezone647x331.gif

      Just thought you should know if you are going to be complaining about it.

    6. Re:It always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A pretty terrible one?

      (Yeah, I know Canada's a nice place to live, but that ruins the joke)

      (So does that parenthesis)

    7. Re:It always stuns me by tehwebguy · · Score: 0

      i would have said that, but i'm at work and "[I] do not have the proper privelage level to change the System Time."

      --
      -- lol pwned
    8. Re:It always stuns me by Zorilla · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It's the second biggest country on the fucking planet!

      Please ignore China, Russia, and maybe Brazil and Australia.

      --

      It would be cool if it didn't suck.
    9. Re:It always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like parts of SK where they dont adjust the time for daylight saving.

      All of SK doesn't have daylight savings time.

    10. Re:It always stuns me by uberjon · · Score: 0

      Geographic size

      russia being the largest

      check for yourself

      --
      Dick Laurent is dead.
    11. Re:It always stuns me by Coltman · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Still honestly not many ppl care. And for the record Canada is the largest country in the world(unless we sold some large islands I wasn't aware of). USSR was the largest until it split up into Ukraine and such. Suprised that no one else mentioned this. Be glad they mentioned Canada, most people around the world just group us as American as we live on North America. Or they come from Vancouver and most Americans think Vancouver, WA, and Canadians think Vancouver, BC.

      --
      - my $.02? - you can't have it...it's all I have!!
    12. Re:It always stuns me by WormholeFiend · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I think it's due to a lack of hockey season this year.

    13. Re:It always stuns me by Reignking · · Score: 0

      Area wise, Canada is the second-largest country. Population-wise, Canada is a distant 37th.

      --
      One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
    14. Re:It always stuns me by Chrispy1000000+the+2 · · Score: 0

      No, actually we are all on daylight savings time, the whole friggen year. They want to add a super-double-secret-probation-bonus savings time to it, but that would be stupid.

      --
      Sig
    15. Re:It always stuns me by donscarletti · · Score: 1, Insightful
      --
      When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
    16. Re:It always stuns me by wisdom_brewing · · Score: 1

      one thing i found amuzing and slightly amazing, australia doesnt even come in the top 50 by population

    17. Re:It always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      wikipedia is full of bs, they consider greenland as a country, where it's part of denmark, they include all the islands owned by brazil, but not the ones owned by france (polynesia, etc.), so the comparison is a bit useless.

    18. Re:It always stuns me by Snowdog668 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      most Americans think Vancouver, WA

      There's a Vancouver in Washington? I guess I'm not part of your "most" since when I hear Vancouver I immediately think of BC.

      --
      I wouldn't say I'm a bad gambler but the last time I went to Vegas I even lost a buck on the soda machine.
    19. Re:It always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe if you live in Portland. In Seattle, you say Vancouver, it means BC.

    20. Re:It always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So what the US has 7 total timezones...we win again. lol Sorry Canada.

      Atlantic Standard Time (AST)
      Eastern Standard Time (EST)
      Central Standard Time (CST)
      Mountain Standard Time (MST)
      Pacific Standard Time (PST)
      Alaskan Standard Time (AST)
      Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST)

    21. Re:It always stuns me by Freaky+Spook · · Score: 1

      Ammm Australia only has a population of 20 million, we just think we are one of the biggest & most important countries in the world.

    22. Re:It always stuns me by Trepalium · · Score: 1

      There's one address I saw recently that confused me for a moment -- Ontario, CA. Is that Ontario, Canada? No, it's apparently Ontario, California. Can't people get their own place names?

      --
      I used up all my sick days, so I'm calling in dead.
    23. Re:It always stuns me by donscarletti · · Score: 1

      Considering that greenland + denmark and france + french polinesia + new calidonia + whatever else comes close to being bigger than canada, the list is good enough for the perpose.

      --
      When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
    24. Re:It always stuns me by donscarletti · · Score: 1
      Australia is 40% desert, 40% extremely dry grassland suitable only for sparse cattle grazing and indigenous lifestyles, and the remaining 20% is prone to salinisation, erosion and frequent drought.

      Couple this arable land shortage with the consumption of the predominantly fat and rich Australian populace and you will probably be able to understand why they can't fit more than 20 million of them onto the island.

      --
      When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
    25. Re:It always stuns me by lachlan76 · · Score: 1

      That and the birth rate is barely self-sustaining.

    26. Re:It always stuns me by Eu4ria · · Score: 1

      No, in the border city (Lloydminster) and area to the east - which is in SK they use Alberta time.

  8. I still dont understand by xtracto · · Score: 4, Interesting

    i still dont understand why Rockstar didnt implement some kind of multiplayer mode in Vice City. The multiplayer in GTA and GTA London was by far some of the most fun (and ridiculous) LAN gaming experience I have ever had. Theres only so much fun you can have fragging - but once you start playing silly mini games like (kill as many pedestrians as possible in 2 mins) and (hunt each other down with only the rocket launcher) it showed the actual completely silly fun you could have with the game. I do enjoy Vice City, it is a good (however a little overrated) game. But it would have benefited tenfold from a proper built-in multiplayer mode.

    --
    Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
    1. Re:I still dont understand by Junks+Jerzey · · Score: 1

      i still dont understand why Rockstar didnt implement some kind of multiplayer mode in Vice City.

      Because implementing multiplayer is a large undertaking?

    2. Re:I still dont understand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      They did, but they never could quite get the multiplayer bit to work properly (it still doesnt, really)

      Rather than release a game with broken multiplayer, they released it with NO multiplayer.

      Otherwise they wouldve been torn to shreds in all the gamer forums.

    3. Re:I still dont understand by Tim+Browse · · Score: 2, Insightful
      i still dont understand why Rockstar didnt implement some kind of multiplayer mode in Vice City.

      Possibly because they realise (like a lot of people who develop games) that adding multiplayer isn't just a case of adding some network and client/server code (and testing it, of course).

      Your game should be fun - as some people have pointed out, the mechanics of GTA mean it's not that fun in multiplayer - too many things people can do to be annoying, etc. Maybe they tried it out (the reason some of the code is in there, I guess) but found that it just wasn't fun without changing the gameplay mechanics of the game in some serious ways.

      GTA probably(!) cost a lot to develop, and they didn't want to add on the cost of properly implementing multiplayer, changing game mechanics, and testing it all (it would be expensive to test).

    4. Re:I still dont understand by blechx · · Score: 1

      From what i've read they scrapped that idea cause they where afraid that the PS2-versions sales would suffer.

    5. Re:I still dont understand by eggsome · · Score: 1

      Theres only so much fun you can have fragging - but once you start playing silly mini games

      Right ON! Am I the only one who played two player soccer on the tennis court with a trash can?
      Hours of fun!

      --
      If they made a movie of your life, would anybody buy a ticket?
  9. Hire? by foxtrot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Rockstar would be nuts not to hire these guys.

    Or, given the current US corporate attitude,

    "Rockstar would be nuts not to sue these guys."

    1. Re:Hire? by WarwickRyan · · Score: 1

      Thank goodness Rockstar (North) are British (more specifically Scottish). Take Two who own Rockstar (North) are American though, based in NYC.

    2. Re:Hire? by mattmentecky · · Score: 1

      Also, I just somehow doubt that a company that is capable of developing and programming a game from scratch, just doesn't have the skill to have implemented this in the original game. If they wanted GTA/VC to be multiplayer...they would have done it.

    3. Re:Hire? by faloi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You're right. Rockstar can't afford to hire them. As ramped up as some Senators appear to be to go after 'em, the thought of having it online and "encouraging violence against specific others and not just random people" is probably frightening to their lawyers. And even if they liked the idea, and wanted to hire 'em, it probably increases the liability Rockstar faces. But then...I'm not a lawyer. Most of my soul is still intact :)

      --
      "It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." -Albert Einstein
    4. Re:Hire? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For releasing for free while taking advantage of Rockstar's copyright assetts what rockstar was probably planning to sell?

      Oh noes.

    5. Re:Hire? by FLEB · · Score: 1

      So they turn it into a publicity stunt. Plaster some "UNRATED" and "BANNED IN xxxx" stickers all over it, market around it being the most badass game since Pong, and sell it for twice the price.

      --
      Information wants to be free.
      Entertainment wants to be paid.
      You just want to be cheap.
    6. Re:Hire? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Actually, Rockstar would be nuts if they did either of those.

      Mods like this provide free advertising, and increase the replayability of the game, which equals more sales of the game. This sort of activity is not to be discouraged, it's to be encouraged. So suing is out of the question.

      At the same time, why would they want to hire these guys? Seriously, why would they pay people to do something that those people are happy to do for free?

    7. Re:Hire? by eAi2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      As a MultiTheftAuto developer, our main limitation to what we can do with MTA is time, if we were employed by R*(N), we'd clearly have more time. Plus, the added bonus of access to the source code ;)

  10. Yay! Now they all must die! by gameboyhippo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Alright! I guess this is a dream come true for a right winger like me who very much dislikes GTA. This could be the one thing that destroys GTA forever (and the reason Rockstar never made GTA online multiplayer). Please read the following steps to figure out why.

    Step 1: GTA player downloads online capability.
    Step 2: GTA player starts shooting other players online.
    Step 3: GTA player no longer desires to kill hookers and cops, but other badguys.
    Step 4: Since videogames influence behavior, there are less Cop shootings and more GTA player shootings in real life!
    Step 5: Less GTA players means less profits.
    Step 6: Rockstar sells company to "Big Idea" since they no longer make money.
    Step 7: "Big Idea" starts making really cool VeggieTales games using Rockstar's old resources!!! :)

    IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION!!!!!!! :)

  11. I wonder if it works on wine by FidelCatsro · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Ive been following MTA(multi theft auto ) for a couple of years now (im sure its been that long) and played the various versions along the way .
    I have to say that this is one of the best mod projects going ,IT adds a feature that was sorely missing fromt he origional game , Many many hours have been spent with my mates having a few Buds(Budiwar chezch beer ,not budweiser) playing turn about ,The moment i lernt about MTA i was enthralled , i even installed windows on one of my machines to test it out , Honestly its a great deal of fun .
    I have yet to look too deeply into it , but i would like to test it out on linux X86 and see how the network code fares with wine or cedega .
    MY point being has anyone tried to get this running under linux in some form , if so how (Was it just install and play).

    ps the site seems to be suffering : http://osdir.com.nyud.org:8090/Article4775.phtml I have yet to make the correl cach link as i can not really access the site

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    1. Re:I wonder if it works on wine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If i had of accessed the site i would have seen what a dope i was in using .org as opposed to .net ...
      Real link
      http://osdir.com.nyud.net:8090/Article4775.phtml
      I apoligise for the error , the OSDIR.com site is yet to work also

      FidelCatsro
      (anon to avoid the karma)

    2. Re:I wonder if it works on wine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree with parent, grandparent has issues.

    3. Re:I wonder if it works on wine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ? it is improted , but im in Germany , it costs less than The stuff from the USA and tastes alot better :P
      I know this is an american site , but alot of non US residents also browse the site ,
      PS: look up on the legal case between the two beers this is why i mention it ,The Budweiser corperation vs a beer from the region in the country ;)

      Dont assume everyone is a literatie trying to come down hard on your good honest working mans beers
      FCAT

    4. Re:I wonder if it works on wine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can not reply to yourself as anon coward and get away with it . You do realise that editors "Wonder who they are" browse the site" and can see IPs.
      Yes he had issues with the abuse of the trademark

    5. Re:I wonder if it works on wine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Many many hours have been spent with my mates having a few Buds(Budiwar chezch beer ,not budweiser)

      if it works on chezch beer, then it probably works on wine. but you really shouldn't drive drunk.

    6. Re:I wonder if it works on wine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The funny thing is , a beowulf cluster joke will get moded +5 whilst a gem like that will get left at 0 . thanks for brightning the evning up
      -F

    7. Re:I wonder if it works on wine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ? did you get molested by an imported beer when you were younger

  12. What would Hillary say about these guys? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  13. site died by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    move along :P

  14. Can players create their own content? by jimbro2k · · Score: 1

    I Don't play GTA, so I don't know the answer. But if I could mod the game to include my own models (perhaps modeling the hookers and hoods after senators and congresscritters), Then I just might buy it.

    --
    There is not nearly enough love in the world, but there is far too much trust.
  15. Really? by ggvaidya · · Score: 5, Funny

    Really? But he just got here!

    Oh well ...

  16. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Step 8: ???
    Step 9: Profit

  17. Um, quite old.. by LiNKz · · Score: 1

    If you read a bit about their history (back when I read it, like, years [implying not very "now" like the submitted states]) ago, they speak about how it was once just a pretty memory hack. It still is a pretty memory hack, where they have mapped out different parts of the program's memory and alter it. There are other additional changes also done but I don't believe they ever touch the exe, thus they're not doing anything illegal (replying to some comments).

    --
    Proceed with Format (Y/N)? Y
  18. Annoying problems in previous versions by bmw · · Score: 1

    Does anyone know if this new version addresses all the annoying problems in the previous versions? Things like the terrible inaccuracy of the shooting, jittery movement of both vehicles and players, and weird glitches like random vehicles being found stuck half-way in the ground. I've been waiting for multiplayer GTA for quite a while now but last time I tried multitheftauto it still had a long way to go.

    Either way, keep up the good work guys!

    1. Re:Annoying problems in previous versions by chalkoutline · · Score: 0

      Yeah, for sure. I was in a server and somehow my shooting sped up (shotgun reloading was instantaneous) and I killed 3 people in about 8 seconds, one of whom was the admin. I then got kickbanned for 'speed hacking'. I hope they've fixed up those random bugs because as fun as it is to play GTA online, there will always be whiny admins who can't accept that someone beat them without cheating, and the less excuses the mod gives them to accuse us, the better.

      --
      There are 2 types of people in the world, those who find that stupid binary joke funny, and those who don't.
    2. Re:Annoying problems in previous versions by Tavor · · Score: 1

      Well, part of that may have to do with the persistant problems with clipping in GTA3 and up. I've actually gotten a car halfway stuck into the ground in unmodded GTA3 several times, and once even got all the way through into the blue abyss.

      --
      Windows has detected an undetectable error.
    3. Re:Annoying problems in previous versions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just wish they could get the AI traffic implemented in multiplayer. The game is pretty boring when theres no traffic to dodge thru.

    4. Re:Annoying problems in previous versions by bleckywelcky · · Score: 1

      Or the ability to hack the game easily? After loading up MTA a few times I figured I would check to see if you could change car settings and such. Well, you could, but then MTA reported an error and wouldn't load. Took all of maybe 10 minutes of investigation to hack it and load up insane cars in MTA. Like a cop car that weighs more than a tank, accelerates 10x faster than any other car in the game, and has a top speed of like 200 mph. I messed with those for a bit but returned it to normal so I could have fun with other people. But probably 25% of the people just kept hacking and it ended up not being fun.

  19. The Senator by ch-chuck · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sen. Clinton should get online and try to clean up the place.

    --
    try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
  20. Re:Hey fuck that ad. by thunderbee · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    bfilter
    Just works.

    --
    In my opinion, Scientology is a cult you should avoid.
  21. Your attitude always stuns me by CMiYC · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Seriously people, learn some fucking

    When I visited Eastern Europe this past fall, I learned the truth to a myth. The rest of the world doesn't know anymore about the United States than the United States knows about the rest of the world. Turns out, Europeans are pretty "me-centric" too. Many of them only know about the immediately specific area around them. I was amazed at how hypocritical this type of attitude is.

    I also found that after I introduced myself, nobody cared what specific-city (or state) I was from. I was, "the American dude."

    1. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by tehwebguy · · Score: 0

      i visited my friend in england a few summers ago. i was "the guy from miami" though, since "people get shot in the streets there!"

      --
      -- lol pwned
    2. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by vertinox · · Score: 1

      The rest of the world doesn't know anymore about the United States than the United States knows about the rest of the world.

      And all this time I was under the impression the problem was that people from the United States couldn't point out their own hometown on a US map nor name their own state capital. ;)

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    3. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by RoundSparrow · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Turns out, Europeans are pretty "me-centric" too. Many of them only know about the immediately specific area around them. I was amazed at how hypocritical this type of attitude is. and .... I also found that after I introduced myself, nobody cared what specific-city (or state) I was from. I was, "the American dude."

      Europe has seen too many Americans, and too many insulting movies that portray europe.

      I've been living 6 months in South America (Chile) and things are very different here... Especially in the slightly out of the way places.

      1. They have very little real experience with the USA... travel is still expensive to the USA. And they know a lot from movies and actually think the USA is a great place... but not based on direct experience.
      2. They often are very interested in what city I am from (Seattle)... they are actually happy to see someone from the states here, to pratice their English, etc.

      But your main point is right (you said "I learned the truth to a myth. The rest of the world doesn't know anymore about the United States than the United States knows about the rest of the world.")... The USA does not have a monopoly on ignorance.

      HOWEVER: People in the USA have the education and the financial resources to go out and make friends... but they choose not to. This is a bad thing, to squander the wealth and freedom. With the advent of Sea and Air travel it was considered an ideal to go visit distance places... most in the USA would rather seem to just stay home and watch it on TV and build fences. This is not a good policy... and how are we supposed to bridge these knowledge/personal relationship gaps?

    4. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by rjshields · · Score: 0
      I was, "the American dude."
      Well, it's better than "the loud, annoying twat" which I hear Americans referred to as more often here in Europe.
      --
      In this world nothing is certain but death, taxes and flawed car analogies.
    5. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by CMiYC · · Score: 0

      Hate to point this one out to you. I think you missed it because you're too busy spouting-trolling-crap.

      Yea, and if some European was in class at school you'd no doubt call him "The Spanish dude" or whatever.

      Then you (this is the best part) go on to say:

      You refer to somebody born in Europe as "European" (such a classification is laughable) despite the fact that EUROPE IS NOT A COUNTRY (it will be at the current rate of things, but isn't yet).

      Nice! Burned yourself!

      I'm not sure, but I think you may have actually made my point in your post. You (you as in yourself, not a general group of people) were so ready to jump on something I did "wrong", yet you did it yourself.

    6. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Mant · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Way off topic but what the hey, so was the parent and it got modded up.

      I'm from the UK, and I lived and worked in the US (Chicago) for a while. The thing I noticed was that in the US you had to go to more effort to get news about the rest of the world. The news was pretty much all US, or foreign things the US was directly involved in. You were exposed to less about the rest of the world unless you put a bit more effort in. However, it didn't take much (news.bbc.co.uk ;) ).

      Also, I don't know about Eastern Europe, but a lot of Western Countries like UK, France and Spain still have close ties to their former empires, as well as quite a lot of immigrants from those countries bring those cultures with them.

      I've not visited Eastern Europe, but the impression I think most people in the west would have (rightly or wrongly) is they are more insular.

      Of course you can be exposed to foreign countries and cultures and still be ignorant. Most people will be me-centric and mostly concerened about what happens around them, human nature.

    7. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by glesga_kiss · · Score: 1
      Nice! Burned yourself!

      No. The poster pointed out your hypocracy. You cannot point out this same hypocracy in his answer, as he didn't make the same complaint. He just did the same thing you did; the thing you moaned about, not him. It's very different if he himself is not complaining.

    8. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Erwos · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "HOWEVER: People in the USA have the education and the financial resources to go out and make friends... but they choose not to."

      Travelling to the other coast of the US is like travelling from Spain to Russia. Americans don't get out of the country too much because they already have way more country to explore than your average European does.

      You are also forgetting that the current exchange rates make it a much better option for Europeans to come to the US than vica versa. When the dollar rises a bit, and the cost of travel becomes cheaper, I would expect to see more foriegn travel.

      "With the advent of Sea and Air travel it was considered an ideal to go visit distance places..."

      This was "ideal" was most likely invented by the travel industry. Different people and cultures have different priorities, often influenced by geographical factors.

      -Erwos

      --
      Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
    9. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Europe has seen too many Americans

      You mean like the Americans who laid down their lives to help defeat the Germans in WWII? Or the ones who kept the USSR out of Western Europe from 1945-1989?

    10. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by rjshields · · Score: 0
      Fear mongering, freedom hating, genocidal manics with a liking for covert global domination of all natural resources is more akin to something I'd say if I really wanted to piss you off!!
      Ouch! The truth hurts! :)
      --
      In this world nothing is certain but death, taxes and flawed car analogies.
    11. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by reflexreaction · · Score: 1

      I think that the big difference is the size of the countries. The UK is relatively a small coutry, roughly the size of New England, (Maryland to Maine), but news in New England isn't restricted to New England, we get information about Florida, Seattle, Texas and California. The U.S. is roughly equivalent to the size and population of Western Europe, so your area of expertise (Western Europe) is roughly comperable to the size of most American knowlege of it's own continent.

      --

      We had to destroy the sig to save the sig.
    12. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by vigour · · Score: 1

      Another awe-inspiring generalisation.

      I'm going to be captain obvious here (so spank me), but generalisations are pointless (as is this one).

      Maybe they're not "me-centric" and just not interested in the US? (damn, another potential generalisation) It's a pretty big world out there, and for some people there are more interesting places than the states. I don't know what part of Eastern Europe you were in, but you can't equate what small percentage of the total population you met there with all of Europe, with it's myriad cultures and opinions. Exact same way I wouldn't equate someone from Buffalo with someone from Denver.

      A country's media is a good test to see how "me-centric" a country is.
      Here in Ireland, in quality newspapers, (I'm not sure about tabloids, I don't read them) and on the news shows, a large proportion of it is devoted to world news. Then again we're a feckin small country.

      It is the same over in Britain, BBC news is probably one of the best for unbiased (or as close as you can get) news coverage worldwide, and their quality broadsheets also have good world coverage.

      It's the same for the rest of Western Europe (& I'll admit I know nothing about the media in Eastern Europe).
      BR However, the same cannot be said of the media in the states. The major networks devote a pitiful amount of time/column space to news from outside the states.

    13. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by hkb · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Turns out, Europeans are pretty "me-centric" too. Many of them only know about the immediately specific area around them.

      This is a good thing, not a bad thing. People need to worry about "their own shit" and stop being so "globally aware".

      "Globally aware" people are the kinds that voice thier uneducated opinions about something they don't know. See also the DMCA, privacy, anti-gun rights people, etc.

      If more people just stuck to being "me-centric" the world would be a better place.

      Interesting comment though, thanks!

      --
      /* Moderating all non-anonymous trolls up since 2004 */
    14. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, 'dispel' a common 'myth' by starting up a new one ('Europeans are as bad as Americans at geography') which is patently bullshit. You actually said 'the rest of the world' but since you only visited Europe that bracketed comment stands. I'd bet a fucking ton of money that if you carried out some random testing, America wouldn't perform as well as you would like.

      I'm not saying this because I hate America, or because I'm a terrorist. I like America and want to visit again (might be in Florida this summer). I say it because less than 10 percent of your citizens carry passports, a shocking amount of Americans couldn't even map-point on their own soil and both your media and government reinforce the idea that the rest of the world doesn't matter, despite that many of you care.

      Look, forget that bullshit they teach you in high school, at those pep rallies or whatever. It's OK to not be first at everything, and not every fucking thing is a pissing contest. Fact: Americans don't do geography well. Same as beer, but that doesn't stop the kneejerking, flag waving crybabies popping up in the beer threads proclaiming 'Waa more American bashing'.

      When you guys comment on the state of our (British) teeth, I laugh it up and nod in amusement and agreement and then get on with my life. I don't make it my mission to try and prove that 'actually' our teeth aren't as worse of as you Americans', despite the fact everyone really knows the truth.

      OK, so you yanks can't point out where Germany is, big fucking whoop. Take it on the chin like a fucking man. You beat us in many other endeavours - athletics, dentistry, plastic surgery etc. I'm thankful for many of your exports - movies, music, The Simpsons and others.

      Now let's all put our penises and the ruler away and go get fucking drunk, afterwards you can buy me one of your tasy, juicy cheeseburgers that you do so well. We spilled blood in the fucking World Wars together, for christ's sake.

      :)

    15. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by lewiz · · Score: 2

      Americans don't get out of the country too much because they already have way more country to explore than your average European does.

      What about all of those different cultures? I can imagine there are a lot of different cultures in America (I've never been) but there is no way that you'll experience as much culture travelling all around America as you would visiting a few places in Europe or Asia, for example.

    16. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by listen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The population of the UK is 60 million. It is a fifth of the US. So its not *that* different - its bigger than any of the states, the region or the city you decided to mention. I have a hard time believing that you think land area determines how much news a place generates...

      Could you please try to experience the media in another country before making random judgements about it? American media is horribly insular, and no one I know who has lived outside the US would dispute that. The main reasons are the general insularity of the popular culture ( especially away from the coasts), and the monopolisation of the news media by tycoons with vested interests. Its not normal, please don't take it at face value.

    17. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Gondola · · Score: 1

      Troll. /sarcasm on
      Yes, the world would be a much better place if we all stuck to our cultures and ideas and standards and said "screw you" to the rest of the world. /sarcasm off

      Are you deliberately burning kharma because you have an excess?

    18. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yeah right... like the dollar was always this low. but even worse, most americans and europeans as well for that matter, they travel in what i call paced-japanese city frenzy... You go for a month or two and travel from Moskau to Berlin, to Paris, to Rome and Madrid. Get drunk in every city or visit some stone exhibition. This is not the way you get to now other peoples culture, ideas and values. At best you receive a handfull of averagly funny, fairly racist jokes, about an other people behavior. Go to one place, stay there for months or even years... then talk...

    19. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a Canadian .. I always hear whining from others about "Americans are so stupid - they know nothing about Canada .. yet we're attached to them" ...

      I find it quite humorous when you ask a Canadian how much they know about Greenland ... and the answer is "Greenland doesnt matter .. it doesnt affect me" ...

      i'm no american fan .. but there are certain world wide stereotypes for americans .. this is one of them. However - I can't say that America hasen't earned those stereotypes.

    20. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not american. Well, south-american. But I can tell you the whole "other culture" thing is overrated. I've been to the USA and europe, and after you get past the different language and architecture, it's the same thing. Groups of people going about their daily lives, just with coffee shops, or bigger/smaller apartments.

      Visiting a place is not enough to apprieciate a culture. Unless you're a history or architecture buff, traveling is going to dissapoint you. If you're after fun, go on a cruise, or to a theme park. If you're after experiencing different cultures, move somewhere for a couple years. I suggest looking for a radically different culture (China, Japan, etc.) rather than south america if you're from the USA. The cultures are so similar that once you get past the language shock and some of the attitudes (a kiss on the cheeck to greet, etc.), you'll be dissapointed.

    21. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      -2 Obvious Strawman and offtopic. FAILURE SI YUO!

    22. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by tekunokurato · · Score: 1

      Haha, yeah--the mall of america has a significantly higher Gap/Starbucks ratio than my local mall. The differences are compelling and fascinating.

    23. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by eventhorizon5 · · Score: 1

      >and the monopolisation of the news media by tycoons with vested interests

      BBC anyone?
      One corporation owning all...

      -eventhorizon

      --
      #Secret Windows Source Code, in MS C% - if (uptime >= "24 hours") then bsod() else print "Windows License Violation!"
    24. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by dubl-u · · Score: 1

      "Globally aware" people are the kinds that voice thier uneducated opinions about something they don't know. [...] If more people just stuck to being "me-centric" the world would be a better place.

      I hope to god you're being intentionally ironic.

    25. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Teancum · · Score: 1
      What about all of those different cultures? I can imagine there are a lot of different cultures in America (I've never been) but there is no way that you'll experience as much culture travelling all around America as you would visiting a few places in Europe or Asia, for example.


      I take it you aren't that familiar with North America then.

      There are just as many diverse, perhaps more diverse cultures in America than you can find in Europe. You can go from Hollywood to Las Vegas to a Polygamous Mormon settlement to a Navajo Reservation in less than a day's drive. And that is not to mention places like Chinatown (in many larger cities... San Francisco's is a little bigger... where many residents speak only Chinese with just a little English on the side), going off to Arcadia in Louisiana, and for the truly adventersome, running off to Quebec (and avoid speaking English unless you want to be considered a stupid tourist).

      Yes, I will admit that there is a bulldozing of American cultures with big corporations like Wal-mart, McDonalds, Home Depot, Pizza Hut, Coca-Cola, Disney, etc. that make a more homogenous cultural context for many Americans. That said, to experience the cultural diversity you need to get away from the strip malls... especially business districts built in the last 50 years or so. The cultural diversity is there... just harder to find.
    26. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then you never been in Europe if you think that there is more diverse cultures in USA. Think of it as it would be like each state had a different language and a different governing system. They dont today. Dialects are not different languages even if you might have trouble understanding Texan english, its still english but German is sure not French. And the GOP is the same in California as it is in Maine. Socialdemocrats in Sweden is not the same as Socialdemocrats in Spain. You pay your bills the same way all over the country, that is not the situation in Europe. The tv shows are the same, not here. Radio same, not here. Etc. Etc. Etc. Everything that defines a culture is different in each country in europe and its not (or very little) between the states in USA. I admit, USA is not Canada and there is a difference there (Canada seems a lot nicer than USA).

    27. Re:Your attitude always stuns me by Teancum · · Score: 1

      I'm not suggesting that Europe is devoid of many cultures. I'm merely suggesting that Europeans on a "holliday tour" of America are going to get a very different view of what is America than what ordinary Americans know to be true.

      I would suggest you spend some time in the Pennsylvania Dutch region (they speak German to a very large degree there), or visit an Indian reservation (if you can get away from the Casinos).

      BTW, the GOP is quite a bit different from one state to another as well, as is the Democratic Party and other political interests. Yes, there tends to be broad generalizations that will apply from Texas and California, but you would be surprised at how many differences there are as well.

      And no, you don't pay your bills the same way all over the country. With a common currency, there is not the same problems that you found in the past with Europe (with the Euro that will change). Still, there are different utilities and regional stores that vary quite a bit from one end of the country to another.

      I was also pointing out in my post that there certainly is a homogenizing force with popular media (notably television and radio, but also many magazines and some newspapers, not to mention American cinema) that tends to smooth over the differences from one region to another, together with the nation-wide or even international mega-chain stores and brands. Indeed, that you can order a Big Mac in Rio de Janeiro or Berlin and have it taste almost the same shows that this is not just an American issue either (and a source of some anti-American sentiment).

      As the EU becomes much more firmly established, this will also become more and more of an issue in Europe, where the cultures of the various countries in Europe will blend together even more and become more alike. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as this is needed in order to create new ties beteen countries (or states as it were), and with your uncle living in Germany when you live in France and a brother working in Poland, it will be quite unlikely that those countries are ever going to go to war against each other again in the near future. That is also a very good thing. This is precisely the situation that most Americans find themselves in, with family being found almost all across North America... and has been that way for several generations.

      BTW, each state does have its own seperate government and governing system. That most U.S. states mimic the federal government organization (actually... mimic Virginia and Massachusetts) is besides the point. When you get into details, however, there are some big differences between states, even though the ignorant tend to ignore them. Somebody arrested in one state, for instance, must go through formal extradition arrangements to be transfered to another state, and there are treaties between American states as well. The nice thing is that there are (usually) no border patrol agents on state boundaries.

  22. Changing vehicules stats by Misroi · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wonder if the vehicle stats are still local? I remember I played a while ago to vice city multiplayer, however I had modified the bike stats. I can still remember the surprise of the guy who tryed to ram my bike with his garbage truck, but instead went flying the other way. Who would have thought that a bike can weight a few thousand tonnes.

    1. Re:Changing vehicules stats by Zorilla · · Score: 1

      This reminds me of my "tuned" VW new Beetle in Midtown Madness. I screwed around with it in a multiplayer free-for-all, and seeing it whizz by from the other player's camera angle at 800 MPH (no exaggerations here) and seeing run into a building and climb up it is hilarious.

      --

      It would be cool if it didn't suck.
  23. MMORPG? by flatass · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The idea of a GTA3 death match is nice and all, but what about an MMORPG based GTA3? Obviously, lots of the way the game works would need to change; Larger cities, leveling up, etc. but it seems like an interesting idea to me anyhow. This coming from someone who has never played an MMORPG before, but perhaps this would be the title to pull the monthly fees from my pocket....

    1. Re:MMORPG? by uberjon · · Score: 1

      Perhaps a way I could live out my life long scarface dream

      *sigh

      --
      Dick Laurent is dead.
    2. Re:MMORPG? by glesga_kiss · · Score: 1
      The idea of a GTA3 death match is nice and all, but what about an MMORPG based GTA3?

      That's precisly what I thought when I first heard about this mod. Several years ago, go Slashdot, stuff that's stale.

      Anyway, my thoughts were that it would work very well with the asset buying. You could make it like Monopoly, go bust and you are out. You could sell/mortgage property between players and the bank, and have a series of missions you can run at any time to make more money. Some of the missions would involve inflicting damage (i.e. cost) to opponents.

      In future versions you could go the whole hog and make everything purchasable. If you aren't allied with the owner of the paint and spray; you can't use it. Certain players friendly with the local cops, less harsh punishment if you get busted. On GTA:SA rival gangs would duke it out in realtime while you aren't online.

      This would create a rich gaming culture. Might be thing that actually gives me the drive to spend time in a MMORPG game; I tend to go for the quick-fix type games.

    3. Re:MMORPG? by British · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I wrote up my 2 cents on the possibilities of a GTA-based MMORPHG here. Instead of classes, you would get occupations(cop, thug, fireman, etc). Put in the skill sets from San Andreas, and the game writes itself.

      If Rockstar offered a monthly fee to host servers of a GTA "America", yes, i would happily pay for the priveledge.

    4. Re:MMORPG? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have a look at this:
      http://pc.ign.com/articles/588/588064p1.html

      -Sambjo

    5. Re:MMORPG? by flatass · · Score: 1

      You have some good ideas there. As much as I and most likely, many others, would enjoy a well implimented version of this, I doubt we will see this from Rockstar.

      It just doesn't seem like their cup-o-tea. I mean, hell they dont even bother coding basic multiplayer suppport into the games. But hey, the games sell better than hotcakes, so I guess they have no incentive to do so.

    6. Re:MMORPG? by Feanturi · · Score: 2, Funny

      An MMO where people run around killing people randomly for no reason at all, with no roleplay involved? Hmm, sounds like every MMO I've played. :)

    7. Re:MMORPG? by PedanticSpellingTrol · · Score: 1

      That actually sounds a lot like star wars galaxies.

  24. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by Zorilla · · Score: 1

    Even though Chex Quest came out before the Columbine shootings, people still blamed it on Doom :)

    --

    It would be cool if it didn't suck.
  25. Pedestrian problem by cablepokerface · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Wasn't multiplyer impossible because you couldn't share all the pedestrian information across players? How did they solve that?

    1. Re:Pedestrian problem by jcuervo · · Score: 1
      Wasn't multiplyer impossible because you couldn't share all the pedestrian information across players? How did they solve that?
      Guessing they don't need to; they just need to share the random seed. (Wild guess.)
      --
      Assume I was drunk when I posted this.
    2. Re:Pedestrian problem by Norgus · · Score: 1

      Last time I played there were no peds, or random spawned vehicles either. It made it feel a tad deserted.
      I guess what would be needed is something like a MMO server running it and relaying everythings positions to each player (within a certain radius of the player).

    3. Re:Pedestrian problem by Xeger · · Score: 1

      If every copy of GTA in the game received events from the outside world at the same time, then that approach (sharing a random seed) would work. Unfortunately it ain't quite that simple.

      Initially, everyone's game will be perfectly in sync. But when Johnny squishes Alice with his car, Johnny's game knows about it before Alice's, because the message needs time to propagate across the network. So Johnny's game makes his pedestrians react a split second before Alice's pedestrians react, and those in turn react a split second before Fred's peds react, and so forth.

      Repeat 100,000 times, and peoples' games quickly become desynchronized.

    4. Re:Pedestrian problem by jcuervo · · Score: 1

      What about retroactive corrections? I've seen it before in SOCOM (I and II). "Oh, you mean I got shot five minutes ago? Okay, I'm dead now." (Followed by about three minutes of bitching over the mic (in 10-second increments). Really sucks when that happens. Thou shalt not download pr0n when playing FPSes online.)

      Not the cleanest solution, but it'd work, no?

      Works for ircd-hybrid, anyway. ;-)

      --
      Assume I was drunk when I posted this.
    5. Re:Pedestrian problem by g-san · · Score: 1

      If there were peds in the shared games, you could just cruise down the sidewalk on foot all slow, acting like a dumb game bot, then when you realized there was a real player near you, quickly switch to the rocket laucher and BOOOM!!!

    6. Re:Pedestrian problem by Xeger · · Score: 1

      That'd work pretty well, as long as you chose one person's computer to act as the judge, or tiebreaker, or whatever you want to call it .. basically, one client has the last word on what happened when in the game. He sends updates to all the others about his idea of the game's state, and the others reconcile their views with his as best they can.

      It wouldn't necessarily be pretty -- witness the frustration of so many SOCOM players -- but it'd be a good first attempt at true multiplayer GTA. I personally would be willing to tolerate any number of miniature errors and inconsistencies in exchange for the chance to play that game online!

  26. Wondering by speed1001 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Wondering if the Multiplayer version allows for teaming up or clan type scenarios. A roving gang of street thugs has a whole new meaning when there are actual players controlling them.

    1. Re:Wondering by uberjon · · Score: 1, Funny

      I can imagine West Side Story dance sequences breaking out!!!

      --
      Dick Laurent is dead.
  27. Suh-WEET!! by IdJit · · Score: 0

    I want to be the first to get OWN3D by Sen. Clinton!!!

  28. Screw deathmatch by stinky+wizzleteats · · Score: 1, Funny

    One word:

    Chicken.

  29. sweet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    now we can all beat up on Hilary Clinton as she does her "research" on violent video games.

  30. Re:It always stuns me(way off original topic) by Fox_1 · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Please ignore China, Russia, and maybe Brazil and Australia.

    if you mean size - then it's Canada at #2 - if you mean population then China(1), India(2), top the list ahead of everybody else, Canada doesn't make the top 20, but that's ok, because of other good stats:
    In terms of per capita foriegn aid Canada's around #4
    Among the G-7 countries - the richest economies in the world - Canada's per capita purchasing power is second only to the United States.
    And somewhere I read a stat about being #2 in production of garbage - again second to the US if I remember correctly. (but seriously who studies that?)

    --
    The rock, the vulture, and the chain
  31. Good One! by doublem · · Score: 1

    Asking a politician to actually accomplish anything personally. What a hoot!

    Next you'll claim The Shrub should do more to protect our right to due process, and enforce the separation of Church and state.

    --
    "Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
    1. Re:Good One! by baz1860 · · Score: 1

      Shrub only likes due process when it keeps him out of jail for snorting coke..

      --
      He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security
  32. Correction by p0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    GTA3 and Vice City now OFFLINE Multiplayer. Thanks to Slashdot.

    --
    This is my sig. There are thousands more, but this one is mine.
    1. Re:Correction by aztektum · · Score: 1

      That would be funnier if the article linked to the MTA site and not an OSDIR interview with the developers -- which is the site that has actually been slashdotted.

      --
      :: aztek ::
      No sig for you!!
  33. Nice Troll by doublem · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Dude, nice job on the Troll post. You got a lot of people eating out of your hand with just a couple of lines.

    Sweet.

    --
    "Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
    1. Re:Nice Troll by BHearsum · · Score: 1

      Hey now...I was being serious. It really does piss me off. Bad day + stupid people == accidental troll I guess.

  34. Re:I'm still waiting by PhilHibbs · · Score: 1

    Well, you'll have to wait at least for the PC version to come out!

  35. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by CDarklock · · Score: 1

    You know, I have a theory about why people dislike GTA. The first thing you do in a new situation is test your boundaries; once you know where they are, you can settle down and think about where in that space you want to be. But GTA doesn't have a lot of boundaries, so people go to where they think a boundary ought to be, and when it isn't there they get uncomfortable. After milling about in that area for a while, they realise they're outside the boundary they felt should be there, and they blame the game for not having it.

    So what's your reasoning? Do you have any particular reason for not liking the game, or is it just "cool" in your circles to dislike GTA?

    --
    Microsoft cheerleader, blue flag waving, you got a problem with that?
  36. South Beach and Vice City by hankaholic · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is a bit off-topic, but as the story is a dupe of a dupe of a dupe I don't feel too bad about mentioning it.

    I visited Miami's South Beach over the weekend and was amazed by how well Vice City represented it. Like the stretch of beach all along the right island, South Beath stretches far along a strip of colorful restaurants and hotels. It was eerie at times -- I really felt like I'd been there before, especially when I showed up two nights in a row and saw some of the same exotic cars parked in the same spots.

    For the interested, this included a Rolls Royce and a classic Corvette. I'm pretty sure the Corvette was owned by the establishment in front of which it was parked. Nonetheless it was amusing that much like in the game, coming back the next day revealed some of the same cars parked in the same places. My girlfriend and I joked about grabbing the Corvette and coming back the next day to see if it had respawned.

    The eeriest thing about it was that the bridge between the mainland and South Beach was closed and barracaded due to a motor accident which had occurred slightly earlier -- in GTA:VC the bridges are closed until you accomplish certain missions, so it didn't quite surprise me that we couldn't take a cab across the bridge.

    South Beach is a neat place to be, and any Vice City fans that find themselves in the area would do well to take a cab on over and enjoy the place that inspired the game setting.

    --
    Somebody get that guy an ambulance!
    1. Re:South Beach and Vice City by IncarnadineConor · · Score: 1

      Now I've been to South Beach but never played the game: Does the game have as many crazy homeless people?

    2. Re:South Beach and Vice City by autocracy · · Score: 1

      Watch the movie Scar Face.

      --
      SIG: HUP
    3. Re:South Beach and Vice City by jcruelty · · Score: 1

      i had the same experience when i went to south beach! it really is remarkable how the colors & everything feel familiar even if you've never beeen before in real life.

    4. Re:South Beach and Vice City by hankaholic · · Score: 1

      No, nor does it have as much trash on the beach. That was the major disappointment of seeing it in real life -- I expected there to be many more people in real life, but I didn't expect people to have such little regard for what is a very pretty setting.

      --
      Somebody get that guy an ambulance!
    5. Re:South Beach and Vice City by GtKincaid · · Score: 1

      But what the politicans want to know is ... Did you go on a killing spreee inspired by the game

  37. Other Mod's besides online play by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    should check out my friends site with camera hacks and force feedback for vice city @ http://toca.game-editing.net/files

  38. Breaking your myths by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm European and not to "me-centric". I also have friends in both the U.S. and Canada and they know what's going on the world today (especially one friend from Canada as he happens to have two nacionalities -Canadian and one from the E.U.-). I guess I have just broken your myth. Sorry :)
    I have heard from ppl who have visited the US and met some Americans who thought Spain was next to Mexico.
    I hate national-centric kind of news... that's why I got a satellite dish.

  39. Re:I'm still waiting by flowbee64 · · Score: 1

    Yeah, Kent has been reminding me of the release date of San Andreas for PC for months now. The guys can't wait for it to come out so they can start modifying MTA to work on it.

    --
    "I, for one, welcome our new %INSERT ARTICLE SUBJECT HERE% overlords."
  40. Which has what to do with the parent poster? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    America is right here under Canada, and yet damn near everyone here thinks saying "from Canada" is very specific and helpful. You know the huge pink think above us in maps of the country? That's Canada, it is bigger than we are. They have cities and provinces. If we can say someone is from Des Moines Iowa, we can take the time to say someone is from Red Deer Alberta.

  41. I tried it a while back by hairykrishna · · Score: 2, Informative
    I agree that a properGTA:Vice city multiplayer mode would be the best thing since sliced bread.

    Unfortunately multi theft auto is so flawed it's unplayable apart from a few minute novelty value blast. It's laggy, collisions (bullets and cars) are screwed, there are no pedestrians. Oh, and all the car and gun stats are local so the few games that are available are filled with 14 year olds with 5000000 round capacity superlight chainguns who can run faster than your car.

    I understand that this is because the game in no way was designed to be multiplayer friendly. Unfortuantely I think we're going to have to wait for GTA4 (or whatever) for a 'proper' multiplayer game.

    --
    "Physics is to math as sex is to masturbation." -R. Feynman
    1. Re:I tried it a while back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem is an inherently flawed design. This is also the reason they claim they can't go open source, because everyone would be able to spot their crc checks and write their own cheating clients.
      (As if this isn't already being done, using the same methods as they managed to create MTAVC in the first place).

      Handling very import things on the client side wand practicing security through obscurity will only cost valuable time for writing workarounds and more and more patches, time which could have been used for other useful improvements.

  42. mnb Re:I still dont understand by Murphy+Murph · · Score: 1

    My friend and I would very carefully park hundreds of cars, tight as sardines, and set them all off in a wonderful chain-reaction with one shot from the rocket launcher.

    You had to be very careful when stacking cars together because one bump could cause the entire set to bounce apart - preventing the chain-reaction.

    --
    I dub thee... Sir Phobos, Knight of Mars, Beater of Ass.
    1. Re:mnb Re:I still dont understand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      incidentally.. this is how i passed the first mission set from liberty city in GTA1. you do like 2 easy missions to get your multiplier up and then stack the cars and kablamo, you suddenly have a million dollars in the bank.

    2. Re:mnb Re:I still dont understand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      exactly.

  43. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by MrScience · · Score: 1

    You left off "Step 8, Profit!!!" :)

    --

    You quitting proves that the karma kap worked. The most annoying of the whores shut up. --CmdrTaco

  44. Re:METAMOD this fool!! by glesga_kiss · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    How can a post with two smilies, blatantly written in humour, be flamebait?

    I'd have accepted "off-topic" or the ever-ambigous "overrated" without question if you'd really felt the need to knock it down.

  45. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by gameboyhippo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That's an interesting theory, but in all seriousness, I just don't like games that emulates such evil behavior. We as humans, whether on the right or the left, instinctivly know that murdering is wrong. We pay taxes to protect our cities with cops, why make a game that involves murdering them?

    But GTA goes a step beyond that. Prostitution is a desperate profession. It's something people do when they are poor and have no idea how to make money otherwise. To have a game that shows them being murderd and thus despite their desperation, they are killed in cold blood is cruel.

    I suppose it would be cool in "the right" not to like GTA, but I've never worried about being cool. :) Believe it or not, there are people who just aren't entertained that way. I personally like games such as Mario or Sonic. The most violent game I'd play is something like Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts.

  46. Re:METAMOD this fool!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're a fucking idiot.

  47. /.ed by sznik · · Score: 2, Funny

    GTA Offline by /.

  48. Wow by trezor · · Score: 1

    Im not even into gaming and I knew this.

    Anyone else suspects that the slashdot editors are merelely a random (accept/submit) function?

    --
    Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
    1. Re:Wow by petrus4 · · Score: 1

      Nothing random about it. I've only made two out of 10+ submissions that have been accepted. I submitted info about the Microsoft "Get the Facts" campaign in particular before ESR had updated the Halloween Docs about it, and it got rejected...and then of course when someone submitted ESR's article on it, that went straight through.

  49. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by CDarklock · · Score: 1

    > I just don't like games that
    > emulates such evil behavior
    [...]
    > The most violent game I'd play
    > is something like Final Fantasy

    So you have a problem with criminals killing criminals, but you don't see anything wrong with wandering around the countryside slaughtering innocent animals for gold and experience?

    How much of that is because FF games don't look like Real Life? Would GTA be acceptable with cartoon characters instead of realistic people?

    --
    Microsoft cheerleader, blue flag waving, you got a problem with that?
  50. This is old? New to me! by Mad+Ogre · · Score: 1

    All I have to say is that this is evidence that God lives, and that he loves us, and prayers work. Now, let's go kill all the Haitians.

    --
    MadOgre.com
  51. Reality Check by benzapp · · Score: 1, Troll

    Does population really matter? Do you know what is going on in China, or Japan, or India, all of which are far, far larger than little, irrelevant England?

    The UK is 244,820 square kilometers

    California is 404,298 km
    Texas is 678,907 km
    Washington State is 184,824 km, not far behind the UK.

    The reality is the UK has little to offer the world except population culture and being the secondary headquarters of the international usury racket, after New York. My touring of many British cities shows a broken people, whose lives are eternally spent trying to escape the reality their society and culture is rapidly crumbling before their eyes. Whether people listen to yet another crappy pop band, or get drunk, or do drugs, or watch a football game, the overall reason for being is the same.

    I think your vision of the UK is a product of the very media monopolisation you abhor, as it certainly isn't based in reality.

    Few things can be said with certainty in this world, and one of them is that the UK is dead. When the international financial system is finally wrested away from the weasals in London and New York, there will be nothing left for you. The future belongs to the East.

    --
    I don't read or respond to AC posts
  52. Leeches by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    "A teenager is looking for a trainer for his favourite game GTA3 on google. [...] He also downloads the source code since this trainer was open-source. [...] and the first GTA3 multiplayer game was created." ...

    " MTA isn't open source... And likely never will be." ...

    Blokker_1999 / The MTA Team (Sun Sep 28, 2003 3:45 am): "i was thinking about releasing the source anyway"

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Leeches by eAi2 · · Score: 1

      Hm... If you read the topic where that "i was thinking about releasing the source anyway" comes from http://forum.mtavc.com/viewtopic.php?t=4201 refering to the server config tool, not MTA.

    2. Re:Leeches by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no hope of educating the ol' Doc, see he is just whoring himself out for the karma.

  53. Do you know her username? by ByteMangler_242 · · Score: 1

    If so, I could get behind this. Too bad it would only be a game...

    --

    Rule of the open mind
    People who are resistant to change cannot resist change for the worst.

  54. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by bosshoff · · Score: 0

    Man, you are so fucking socialized. No one instinctively knows murdering is wrong. I bet your among the camp that believes the Nazis were spawn of satan or some such bullshit. Nope, they were taught that Jews were not really human, so killing them didn't matter, just like you or I could've been taught.

    So, the question becomes: does a game influence behavior? I have seen some studies (Observational Learning - Albert Bandura) that would conclude that this is the case. I do agree that a kid shouldn't play these games if he is being raised by an incompetant parent, otherwise he should've learned the differences between "right and wrong" well before being able to grasp the concept of this game.

    Oh, and as to not publishing something because it doesn't serve the greater good (paying taxes for cops so we shouldn't have a game in which killing them is an objective).. I'm pretty sure we were living in a Democracy last time I checked. I think there is a shitload of stuff that could easily be done away with if we pursued your line of thought. For example, why don't we do away with NASCAR since it is counterproductive with efforts to reduce speeding?

    If we can't tell the difference between reality and fiction, then we are in a shitload of trouble.

  55. MOD PARENT UP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    +1 Great Troll!

  56. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thank you!

    It's not video games that are screwing up kids today, it's parents that don't want to take the responsability of being parents.

    All these right wing retards get off on pointing blame when the blame usually lies on them for being parents. They want a baby sitter for their kids and when something violent comes along and they have to take the time to sit with their kids to teach them right and wrong, real and make believe they blame the game.

    Honestly... what is this world coming to. Nobody wants to take responsability for themselves or their own. Blame everyone/thing else!

  57. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, I bet you get laid a lot..

  58. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by Kent+Simon · · Score: 1

    I am a Republican and a Christian, and I have some issues with the content of the single player game for VC.. yet I am on the MTA team :-p But My views as a republican are based on the protection of every one of our constitutional rights, 1st and 2nd included. I personally find it more disturbing that church youth groups will take trips to play laser tag or paintball, not playing a mulitplayer video game. Paintball involves actually carrying a gun (which to some people could look very realistic) and shooting at your friends, in the physical form. To me the line between reality and fantasy is more blurred here than when viewing it through a CRT. My $0.02 Kent

    --
    Kent Simon Multitheft Auto
  59. Corporate attitude? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't you mean the liberal left? They started it. They and the lawyers, looking to extract their pound of flesh.

  60. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by Agarax · · Score: 0

    Step 8: Make a Beowulf cluster of hookers.
    Step 9: ...
    Step 10: Profit!

    --
    Remember folks, slashdot doesn't have a -1 "disagree" moderation!
  61. libjpeg code by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It should also be noted that as of the Current the MTA [Multi Theft Auto] project uses libjpeg in their project without any recognition to libjpeg itself (which violates the libjpeg licensing agreement). So if you want a real story, why not add another project that violates open source licensing to your list. (By decompiling the DLL's you can clearly see code from the libjpeg project as well as a copyright notice from Thomas G. Lane).

  62. Friggin' Cheaters by Karl+Tacheron · · Score: 1

    Last time I played MTA with Vice City it was crawling with people using trainers/cheats. It got pretty insane. You'd shoot a guy with a shotgun 4 times without him falling down, you'd accuse him of cheating, he would deny it, then he would proceed to jump 200 feet into the air and board a helicopter...

  63. GTAIII (x86 version) was a bad port by eventhorizon5 · · Score: 1

    I bought the game soon after it came out, mostly due to how much I liked 2. Originally the game was so resource intensive that it barely ran on any machine I had (only new machines at the time could run it). Now, with an Athlon 2600+ and a 128mb video card, the game runs nice and smooth, but crashes like crazy, has strange random lags, temporary freezes, etc (and none of these are hardware related - trust me). GTA3 would be an awesome game if it actually worked - but thousands of people already know it as one of the worst porting jobs in history.

    -eventhorizon

    --
    #Secret Windows Source Code, in MS C% - if (uptime >= "24 hours") then bsod() else print "Windows License Violation!"
  64. MOD PARENT DOWN: OFFTOPIC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seriously people, I'm sick of cockshitters being modded up for this BS and equally sick of reading all the poop that you cumsnakes have been modding up.

  65. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Man, you are so fucking socialized.

    Only on /. would that be used as an insult.

  66. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by DJCF · · Score: 1

    I could (and should) mod you up, but I'd rather reply. I, too, do not like GTA. I reckon the reason GTA is so popular is that it's so freeform. You wanna do such and such? Go do it! Now, I'm very much a hard-core gamer, having played many many games. Freeform is nothing new to me - Deus Ex, Thief, while not exactly comparable to GTA are certainly freeform when compared to, say, Max Payne. Now two of the most popular games are MP and GTA. MP, like Doom 3, and many other games, is rather less than freeform, while GTA offers practically unlimited freedom. But that's all it has going for it. And, to me, freeform is nothing new.

    I also think it's very Freudian. In GTA, where the game doesnt 'punish' you for killing policemen, or anyone else for that matter, there's no motivation not to do so. At least in Half Life killing Barney means you dont have a useful sidekick to draw fire. In Driver, it's not possible. Faced with a lack of dis-incentive not to do these actions, the id takes over and the superego is thrown out of the picture. Pure impulse + desire should = alot of fun, as there is no ego to rationalize ethics or morality into the picture.

    Yes, I think GTA is the lowest of the low, mostly because it relies on such a cheap gimick for popularity, but also because it's just plain boring.

    (FYI: I consider myself very liberal, although, coincidentially I *did* just buy Kingdom Hearts today. Looking forward to playing it!)

  67. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

    Yeah, I bet you get laid a lot..

    Why yes. Yes I do. Thank you for asking. I'm married and my wife and I very much enjoy such things.

  68. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1


    It's not video games that are screwing up kids today, it's parents that don't want to take the responsability of being parents.


    I agree that it is a parent's responsibility to monitor what games their kids play. However, there are a lot of parents who either don't mind, or don't know. So in that sense I think that the developers for any game that is readily available at a common store, say Wal-Mart, should take responsibility for the content of a game.

  69. Re:Yay! Now they all must die! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually, Wallmart is the one that *has* been taking responsibility for the content of what they sell. They sell edited movies and refuse to sell various media they don't like. I hardly think that every developer should be responsible for who sells their game. The seller does have a choice, and in this case Wallmart actually does have some standards. You or I might not agree that they're high or low enough, but I think the responsibility is being used in the right place.