After weeks of anticipation, the online portion of Grand Theft Auto 5 has finally arrived, allowing players to jump into the world of Los Santos and experience it with their friends through a number of events. These include gun battles, races and casual get-togethers at apartments, which are actually a lot more fun than you might expect.
As big of a world as it is, you might need a little help getting started with it. Not to worry, as we’ve got the tips you need to enjoy yourself.
Be Patient With the Servers
The first thing you should realize is that Grand Theft Auto Online is going through major strain with its servers at the moment. Rockstar Games even acknowledged that it’s aware of the problems and working on getting things back up to full speed.
As a result, you may run into some log-in issues in the beginning. If that’s the case, just either keep at it or try it again later. It’s not a contest to see who can get into the world of Los Santos first. You’ll get there eventually.
Create Your Character, or in This Case, Your Family Tree
When it comes to creating a character for Grand Theft Auto Online, you’ll go a little more in-depth than with most building systems. You’ll actually start from the ground up, designing your grandparents. Yes, you’re essentially putting together your own family tree, first with the grandparents with facial details and other little things. From there, the traits will carry over to your parents, whom you can also adjust with physical sliders and other settings. After that, you’ll be “born” into the world.
That said, you don’t always need to stick to the strict traits from your bloodline. Available sliders will let you adjust your physical appearance however you wish, even if your general look stays intact. These include age, hairstyle, and hair color, as well as any accessories you wish to put on, including a beard and sunglasses – in case you feel like taking the Heisenberg route from Breaking Bad.
After that, it’ll come down to developing your character’s attitude. You can’t do this right away in the customization system. Instead, how your character grows depends on the activities you choose in the game. If you spend some time sleeping, you’ll build up stamina and strength. If you party too much, you’ll lose some of that, but gain skills with shooting and stealth. What you do affects your character in the long run, with a 24 hours span in which to divide activities. Don’t have too much fun, but don’t be a tightwad, either.
As we stated, it’s a strange system, especially with…grandparents? Eventually, though, it all comes together and creates the ideal you for the Grand Theft Auto universe – which is what you want, right?
Not Everything Has to be a Contest
Once it gets to a fully operational state – which shouldn’t take too long – Grand Theft Auto Online should be chock full of activities to take part in, with new ones being added constantly by Rockstar Games to assure that the party doesn’t die down anytime soon.
Still, when you’re online, you should take a little time to kick back and relax. Head over to your virtual apartment and chill for a bit, and send out some invites for friends to come over. With the way the apartment set-up is now, you won’t have to worry about rival players invading, or any of your virtual stuff being stolen. You can simple have piece of mind as you invite over friends and/or Social Club members and plan your next move.
While you’re at it, seek out leisure activities, like the ones you’d experience in Grand Theft Auto 5. Go watch a movie if you’re bored, even if it’s not a cinematic classic. Stop by the strip club and drop a few dollars, without fear that you’ll be kicked out like Trevor would. You can even use drugs, if you’re so inclined.
You can gain better properties as the game goes on, but for now, enjoy your living space and enjoy the world as it opens up.
Let’s Get Together and Have Fun
Don’t forget your other members of the Social Club. You’ll be able to roll with them through a number of activities, whether you feel like a round of golf or darts, or want to race them through the streets of Los Santos. With the number of events available, it’s helpful to coordinate with them and see what they want to do – like in the apartment – then set a course and make it your next stop.
The game will also have Story missions that you can tackle with your crew, though they don’t tie in with what happens with Michael, Trevor and Franklin, since the events of Grand Theft Auto Online take place before GTA 5. That said, don’t be afraid to complete these missions, as you’ll earn some bankroll for activities, cars and, best of all, weapons.
Also, keep an eye on your reputation with your crew. Don’t be selfish, but don’t be afraid to show your strong side, so you can slowly work your way up in the Social Club, as detailed in our previous article. Start out slow and see how well you fit with your crew. If you don’t have one, check around to see what your friends are up to, and ask to team up with them.
Go Nuts
Though there are missions to complete in Grand Theft Auto Online, as well as Social Club standings to watch, you are pretty much free to mess around the city and enjoy yourself. Get in a road race and cause a huge pile-up. Go base jumping and land on unsuspecting citizens. You can even set out and create your own events once you get used to the world, so don’t be afraid to look around and see what it has to offer for you.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available for download now on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, as part of Grand Theft Auto 5. Be sure to check out our Free Guide for complete coverage on the game!
