GTA IV - Multiplayer Mode Settings

This incredible game has one flaw. No one know how the #*%&*^ to play Multiplayer. It’s getting much better as more people enter this 4th installment of the series. Part of me feels this is the ultimate downfall of switching to consoles (Xbox 360 for me), coming from a long time PC gamer perspective the average (and I mean most common) XBL player doesn’t have experience with working together to accomplish goals, or how to focus on competitive play, of course maybe I’m curmudgeonly. 

My more basic tips:

  1. Stop yelling for people to turn off Auto-Aim, it really doesn’t matter, and you don’t have to use it, prove how genetically superior (lol) you are. It doesn’t help and it doesn’t hurt, this is not a FPS, Auto Aim really only helps you find your target quicker, not aim. If you just squeeze the the left trigger all the way and unload, a better player will simply locate you and get the headshot by switching to free aim after targeting you. Seriously.
  2. Get Armor (the Blue Shield Icon on your radar) as quickly as possible. The odd thing about armor is it’s also usually found in places that have good cover.
  3. The M-4 rifle is one of the most effective weapons. The Sniper rifle is only useful if you can scramble up to a high point quickly. Find out if anyone on your team knows good sniping spots if you pick up the rifle

Read on to learn more about Multiplayer Settings and having a more GTA like experience.

gta 4

So what irks me and seems to be largest of problems? Settings. Certain Settings are vital to the experience you are trying to have. There are so many modes to this game, it makes for a bewildering experience for those who don’t seem to understand that these settings can dramatically affect game play. Below I’m going to detail some of my favorite modes, and how setting can affect them.

Mafiya Work

As I play this mode I see it as having the most potential to generate awesome experiences. Many times due to server settings it decends into a chaotic deathmatch, which can be fun, but this is not the way the game was designed. If you want a fast deathmatch start a deathmatch set the settings to 20 minutes and leave blips on in a small area like Dukes, Happiness Island, or even Airport. The best Mafiya work experiences I have had have been with the settings below, reasons are outlined as well:

   Pick for the size of the group and how hectic you’d like to see the game. Smaller areas make for more hectic games with more players in the mix. If there are only a few people pick a smaller area to keep the pace moving.

Blips should be off for smaller areas, or smaller games. A fun option is to put the Blips on leader. If you are using all of Liberty City for Mafiya work, with a large group, or a team game. You could set the blips to far as well. I’ve found that Blips All during Mafiya work is distracting, basically turning the entire game into a Deathmatch with newer players who don’t pay attention to the goals just running towards the first colored blip and laying down fire.

Cash limits are preferred to Time limits in Mafiya work. Once people try it out, I think they will enjoy trying it. For a short game try something like $2500. Adjust the ratio of cash for the amount of people you have and the amount of time you want to spend. You might think cash limits are slow, and when you get to like $20000 you’d be right, but it adds up really fast. This also gives everyone a chance to earn.

Proximity or Team

Far! or 5 seconds, at least. Otherwise killing opponents serves no purpose.

Please Police Off. For the love of all that is holy.

Turf War

This is yet another potentially amazing mode. Most people seem to not understand that dying makes your teams score lower. If you find yourself dying too much in this mode, fall back and defend nodes. It is not as boring as you might think, I also like to pile up cars when I’m defending:

Once again, size of the group is an important consideration, but not the most important one. This is one mode that can be quite tactical if spread over a large area. Even with a large Group.

Blips should be off for smaller areas, or smaller games. A fun option is to put the Blips on leader. If you are using all of Liberty City for Mafiya work, with a large group, or a team game. You could set the blips to far as well. I’ve found that Blips All during Mafiya work is distracting, basically turning the entire game into a Deathmatch with newer players who don’t pay attention to the goals just running towards the first colored blip and laying down fire.

40 minutes is good and gives everyone a chance. A high cash limit is nice too, with a larger group.

Proximity is good, especially if there are lots of people.

I’ll get into more mode settings later. This is a good start.

 You can check the strategy guide out for general info on how to play the game (the reviews are particularly illuminating)

May 18, 2008 | Filed Under Gaming 

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