[crazyanurag]

crazyEdit:
okay, i'm at a Starbucks which has free internet, and thank goodness i can log on to GTAF from here...this is a bit rushed, but whatever...

well, it's out finally! how strange that i wasn't around for the final leg...great job Alex - we don't expect anything less than that from you anyway...this is the best topic i've seen in recent memory...

i think a pinnage is in order...and give the man some karma stars!

You'll Never Walk Alone

This post has been edited by crazyanurag on Sunday, Jun 10 2007, 16:33

[JAJ]

Wow! it really turned out good! Great videos, the music really goes with the action & seems to add another dimension to it!
Very thourough & complete!
I'm still dying but I'll keep at it - there's still abunch of the tips that I haven't tried yet.

QUOTE (crazyanurag @ Jun 10 2007 @ 12:31)

i think a pinnage is in order...and give the man some karma stars!

I'd like to 'second' that...

[Gray_Eagle]

what can i say??? obviously a lot of time and effort which means

Well done!

Edit:

Wondering whether you'd want to put in how to take down choppers with one sniper bullet??? It seems relevant to me

This post has been edited by Gray_Eagle on Tuesday, Jun 12 2007, 15:38

[rubregg]

@crazyanurag
Hey Anurag, thanks and great to hear from you!! Wasn't sure whether you could make it here during your trip... -- "...the final leg..." ??? haha, maybe not... a lot is being discussed since the release, so I think there's still potential for future additions or changes...

@JAJ
Thanks, mate. I'm sure the music might not be everybody's cup of tea, so I'm glad to hear some people do like it. Happy to hear the sound editing is being noticed too.

QUOTE (JAJ @ Jun 11 2007, 02:33)

QUOTE (crazyanurag @ Jun 10 2007 @  12:31) i think a pinnage is in order...and give the man some karma stars! I'd like to 'second' that...

umm, eeerrrr, what can I say.... THANKS!!


---------------------------------------------------------------------
This now is stuff from ongoing discussions in the current chain game (round 16). Due to on-/off-topicness we decided to continue those in here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

@Gray_Eagle
Thanks for praise & cookies - and *really* good to see you're trying this. Congrats on the successful Bike School

QUOTE (Gray_Eagle @ Jun 12 2007, 14:31)

@anybody who give a sh*te about bridge barriers: On the Martin Bridge ( Badlands to LV), you can ride a bike (i was on a Sanchez) along the red railing and get over the barrier

Cool, I couldn't manage to do that so far... Last time I tried the railing of Fallow Bridge (the next one east of Martin Bridge) with a Sanchez, but only made it to where the railing goes downward for the 1st time. After a couple of wet tries I ended up just walking over on said railing...


Talking of bridges, OrionSR reported this about Gant Bridge (screenshots are in his original posting):

QUOTE (OrionSR @ Jun 12 2007, 07:09)

Gads, the barrier on the Gant Bridge is huge. Not just in height, but it extend more than half way across the bridge span. It's definitely a flying hazard. The other bridges connecting SF and LV also have very tall barriers, but they extend only a short distance on either side of the blockade. The barriers are roughly 80% the total height of the structure, and seem to be simple rectangular prisms. Here's a couple of screenshots from Gant. [...] In the 3rd shot, CJ is facing the SF side of the barrier. This explains a lot of the plane crashes back when I was more inclined to fly into the restricted areas.

Now about horseshoes. I mentioned in the guide that I can do 43 without flying. OrionSR described here how to get a few more by mega-hopping, i.e. bunyhopping on a bicycle and firing an SMG shortly after releasing the jump key. This will give you some extra upward boost - and so far I knew nothing about this

Here's a little more on the mega-hop, and finally:

QUOTE (OrionSR @ Jun 12 2007, 07:09)

I'm not sure I'm going to use my programmed mega-hop all that often. It kind of feels like cheating. (...) I don't think it's necessary. I do pretty well without it. But keep in mind when it isn't working, it might not be a timing problem. There are often other factors, and that what I'm hoping to learn with the programmed button. For now, coast a little so... CJ can get his feet set. Try to take off from a level surface - it seems to help. Lift the front wheel and turn a little in case it doesn't work. The wheelie seems to help reduce falling, and turn to get the front wheel off the wall before landing. There's a BMX spawn in the far north of LV, parked at the Burger Shot. I can't tell a difference between the BMX and Mt Bike quite yet. I seem to prefer the maneuverability of the BMX. But the Mt Bike appears to have a low gear, and it might be faster - haven't checked yet, so I'm not sure which will be best in the long run. The mega-hop height is the same for both vehicles.

Oh, so it's possible with the BMX as well?? It hasn't worked for me with the BMX so I thought it's only the mountainbike... I think the mountainbike has a smaller gear than the BMX, like you said, and I also think it may have a bigger max speed? That's just a feeling though, I haven't checked yet...


Edit:

QUOTE (Gray_Eagle @ Jun 11 2007, 16:19)

Wondering whether you'd want to put in how to take down choppers with one sniper bullet??? It seems relevant to me

oh. can you? snipe the pilot??



This post has been edited by rubregg on Tuesday, Jun 12 2007, 15:59

[Gray_Eagle]

QUOTE (rubregg @ up a post)

oh. can you? snipe the pilot??

Its tricky to explain but you sort of need to shoot where the spinny bit that spins the rotors meets the roof. I'd just get a Maverick and take some shots to see exactly where. I can always record it and put er on youtube. Ah even better - a screenshot!!! (it is 4 in the morning....)


EDIT: Yes you can do the mga-hop on a BMX, aswell as a "Bike"

This post has been edited by Gray_Eagle on Tuesday, Jun 12 2007, 18:15

[crazyanurag]

'grats on the karma, Alex...well deserved!

crazyEdit:
and the pin

You'll Never Walk Alone

This post has been edited by crazyanurag on Tuesday, Jun 12 2007, 21:35

[OrionSR]

I also tried riding over the rails of the Fallow and Martin Bridges using an NRG. I could only make it past the first barrier, and couldn't find a way to ride over the 2nd blockade.

Bridge Barrier Notes:

The invisible barriers over the bridges seem to have different heights. The train trestle between LS and LV has a medium height barrier that extends a few meters above the large yellow sign. The nameless bridge between Fallen Tree and Blueberry and the Mako Span (LV/LS Freeway) also have medium height barriers - the Mako Span only has one barrier, or a short rail if returning to LS. The Fallow and Martin Bridges both have short barriers that extend about a meter above the yellow sign, but this height still requires a mega-hop. Other bridges between LS and SF territories appear to have tall barriers that a mega-hop cannot clear. The barriers on the bridges between SF and LV are very tall; about 80% of the height of the structure.

50 Horseshoes in 1 Trip to Las Venturas

It has been a goal of mine for some time to collect all 50 horseshoes in one save. When rubregg suggested there were 43 horseshoes that could be collected without using aircraft, I had to go back and take a hard look at some of the horseshoes I've been collecting by air. Flying in restricted territory is extremely risky, so this was the major limit on the success and completeness of a collection run. Then just to prove him wrong, I found a way to collect 4 more horseshoes using mega-hops. However, one of these is the billboard horseshoe, and it's a very difficult jump, so I still think this horseshoe is easier to collect with a parachute. Below is a list of challenging horseshoes and the methods used to collect them.

My current horsehoe tally is: [dark52 horseshoe #s]

1 collected by parachute (billboard) - I'm starting with this one. [#44]
3 collected with a Sea Sparrow (1 on top of Emerald Isle, and 2 inside of Come-A-Lot) [#8, 30, 31]
3 collected on a bicycle using mega-hop, or aircraft (Four Dragons, Chinese themed mall, Old Strip Casino) [#29. 43, 46]
1 horseshoe just SW of Emerald Isle can be collected by mega-hop, or an insane jump from the top of Emerald Isle [#10]
1 horseshoe collected by swimming and climbing under fire [#38] (get #40 from around back or mega-hop to the roof)
1 horseshoe collected with mega-hop, bike stunt, or military vehicle (Fuel Depot) [#50]
1 horseshoe collected by bike stunt, mega-hop, bunny-hop, aircraft (ring around pyramid) [#36]
3 horseshoes can be collected by climbing a vehicle (or mega-hop/wall walking) [#16, 15, 47]
7 horseshoes collected by climbing walls (or maybe bunny-hop/mega-hop) [#32, 42, 39, 11, 13, 14, 3]
3 horseshoes locked in the airport collected by bike stunt, mega-hop, or climbing [#19, 20, 21]
26 horseshoe that don't have distinguishing challenges [# all the rest]

I'm starting to get the hang of using a cycle with 4 stars. It doesn't take much to get laid out and quickly busted, but last night I finally met my goal of collecting all 50 horseshoes in a single trip/save. I started by parachuting to the billboard, then busted on out to get the Sea Sparrow for the flying horseshoes. I didn't take any hits, so I grabbed a the mall and Old Strip horseshoes with the Sea Sparrow before switch to the Mountain Bike. After I had collected the mega-hop horseshoes, and a couple of the climbing ones, I switched to the safety of a motorbike for the remained of the collection. This morning I tried again, got the billboard and 3 flying horseshoes, and collected everything else using the Mountain Bike. It's still taking more than an hour to complete, but I should be able to make better time once I've worked out the new strategies and routes. Also, I'm having too much fun hopping from roof to roof and over rails to shake the cops, so I'm wasting a lot of time.

[OrionSR]

Mega-Hop Analysis

I ran a few tests on mega-hop, mostly using my programmed mega-hop button. My gamepad allows me to record macros with releases and pauses, so I've got Joy10 set to hold hop for .4 seconds, and then release the hold and fire .1 seconds later. Tenths of a second seems to me the finest resolution possible - maybe I can edit it manually. I turned on the Frame Limiter in the hope that it would improve consistency, I'm not sure that it helped.

I observed CJ's animation during bunny-hops and mega-hops on a BMX while holding the look left button. During a bunny hop, CJ's animation has him crouch down, and the SMG is pointed downward. When he releases, the animation for the tip of the SMG has it flip up a little during the jump before coming to it's resting point. When CJ fires his weapon, he lifts the gun from the handlebars to shoot. The mega-hop seems to occur when the flipping animation is replace by raising the weapon. Too soon, and CJ will aim then flip, too late, and CJ will flip then aim. Get it just right, and CJ's aim doesn't flip the tip of the SMG. Maybe someone can make some recordings and slow it way down. That might help with the timing issue.

I kept a tally during 100 jumps. CJ was stopped on the airport runway during the test, and I used whatever camera angle it provided. 55% of the time my mega-hop was successful. I tried to manipulate these numbers based on a superstition that perhaps mega-jumps that occur when the clock is close to ticking over another second are less likely, but in the end, it all seemed rather random. Also, the mega-hops or bunny-hops tended to occur in batches. It'd be working fine for a while, then nothing for a long stretch.

Mega-hop height is 36 feet for a short hold time, and 40 feet for a long hold time. This assumes that CJ's cycle skill is at 100%. I'm reasonably sure that more skill leads to more height on the mega-hops, just like the bunny hops.

This post has been edited by OrionSR on Wednesday, Jun 13 2007, 00:31

[imut_knight]

Good job rubregg
Especially with the NRG jump to LV!
I also completed my 13.37%, but I always swim to reach LV.
On some ocassion when I need to bring NRG to complete unique jumps in LV, I always used both NRG + Packer

[crazyanurag]

QUOTE (rubregg @ Jun 12 2007, 21:25)

"...the final leg..." ??? haha, maybe not... a lot is being discussed since the release, so I think there's still potential for future additions or changes...

in that case, you might want to have a look over here...

You'll Never Walk Alone

[rubregg]

I'm just home from work and really really knackered. So I've got to be brief, but I wanted to Thank everyone involved in the pin and the gift of karma!!! Wow!!!

[Saget]

QUOTE (rubregg @ Jun 9 2007, 21:35)

Wow, thanks for your lovely comments and the good ratings, mates. I'm glad you like it!! @Demarest hehe, yes I actually *have* thought about text limits and 1 posting vs. multiple postings. but no one could tell me how to link to a place in the middle of a posting, so if I had put it all into one posting, there couldn't be any cross-references. this way I can at least cross-reference to the main chapters. @Saget glad you like the music!! ...since I just spotted your Brazil flag - have you ever come across the label Editio Princeps? They're a really small label in Rio de Janeiro, they have excellent music and they're very friendly too. [The song in the Chiliad Challenge video comes from one of their cds - 'Akinetón Retard - Ao Vivo']. Anyway, in case you're interested, their website is http://www.editioprinceps.com. (and no, I'm not affiliated to them) @quartet1977 I'm happy to include your trucking video. after all it was this video that first inspired me to try trucking level 8 without using the railtracks.

I've never heard of that label, I guess mainly because it is from Rio.
But some of the artists look really interesting, I'll check that out this weekend.

[rubregg]

I'd like to continue shifting ongoing discussions from other places to here on-topic-land. A lot of it was contributed by OrionSR, thanks again! --> some of his videos are linked in the next two paragraphs <-- / Thanks also to imut_knight for your feedback; just so you don't overlook it, you're quoted somewhere in the middle of this lengthy posting... ...oh and congrats on the 13.37% !!!!


Enter/Exit strategies:

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

I hardly ever use planes to access restricted territory anymore. But I suspect this is more because I became bored with those routes than anything to do with safety. Usually I enter SF by jumping across the channel at Flint Intersection. It's a super easy jump from LS to SF in almost any reasonably fast vehicle. Then I head across the field to the tracks and have a fairly safe, but bleeding stars, trip into SF. In the recent chain games I've started trying out different 4 wheeled vehicles in order to pad the driving stat a little more. The other easy jump into SF is across the channel from the Panopticon to Fallen Tree. I've even made this jump with a Wayfarer. The trick is not not have too much speed until the bike has good traction coming down the hill. I tend to use this jump more when Mulholland is my base of operations. I'm weird about the unique jumps, and prefer not to save them, so I only use that jump into the SF airport in the videos, or when I'm just messing around. Oh yeah, you can just walk across the Panopticon Bridge without any trouble, except maybe jacking a proper vehicle on the other side.

I haven't had a chance to try these out yet, but I will next time I have a chance. While practicing my mega-hops I went over Panopticon Bridge on top of the railing on a BMX, but that was in a completely open map so I guess normally the barrier won't allow that. Your access to Panopticon Bridge - without triggering the wanted stars - looks like a good way to get at least one snapshot safely. I'm *nowhere* as good as you with snapshots (btw, amazing video, OrionSR!!! "Full Zoom" - this has *got* to be the ultimate snapshot-speed-run!!), but I usually get the two at the airport while I'm up at Panopticon Bridge, so for me that would be 3 completely safe snapshots.

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

I still haven't found a reliable method to access LV with a vehicle. I thought that NRG jump was going to do the trick for me, but now I'm having a problem finding the sweet spot. Or maybe it's just because I'm experimenting with other bikes. But I made it a Freeway once, so I'm encouraged to keep trying.

I *cannot* do that NRG jump reliably either. Maybe around 30-40% of my tries... I've only managed it *once* with another bike, but honestly, I forgot which one it was. Definitely not a Freeway though... For a while I tried getting an NRG from LS to LV as cargo in a boat, but that was really tricky. It tended to just fall out on acceleration.... But maybe I haven't just found the right boat yet - Kusak reported he has done it a couple of times.

Additionally there's imut_knight's suggestion (thanks for your feedback, mate! ):

QUOTE (imut_knight @ Jun 13 2007, 03:49)

On some ocassion when I need to bring NRG to complete unique jumps in LV, I always used both NRG + Packer

(Why that smiley? ...sounds like a completely valid way into LV...)

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

Boats on the otherhand, I've given up for safety reasons. Most of the time I can make it back safely, but sometimes I get caught with a dead boat and swimming from a helicopter as a cop boat circles, and there's nothing worse than losing a large collection.

Generally I don't use boats too much either, same reason. But the escape routes I'm describing will not have many coastguards along the way and I hardly ever lost my Jetmax using these routes. From SF to LS you'll meet 2 of them, roughly around the last corner before you reach Sta Maria Beach. The complete SW coastline seems to be refreshingly coastguard-free. My route from LV to LS has 2 coastguards at the very start, before you reach the railway bridge between LS and LV. If you chose the route to the stadium/Johnsohn House, that's it. If you go to Willowfield, there'll be 2 more coastguards in LS harbour, just where you take the right turn into the drainage ditch. Well, on very rare occasions, these 2 did finish off my Jetmax, but that was already in the drainage ditch and I was just jumping out anyway. Generally in the Jetmax, just floor it and get out of reach of their bullets as fast as you can and you should be safe along the escape routes I've described.

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

I needed a safer method to return, especially from LV. But then GTA_Phreak told me about riding bikes over the rail of the freeway bridge from LV to LS, and I haven't felt the need to look for anything better. A Sandking with hydraulics raised has no problem making it over the rail, and racing through the oil fields is great fun in that vehicle. But the Sandking is out of the way, and it might take quite a few respawns before I get one with hydraulics. The Dune can also make it over the rail, but it requires stopping with the nose pressed against the rail (heading east), and then pushing over the rail with the accelerator. I've been getting sloppy recently with my return trips from SF. The helicopter is usually safe enough. For some reason the Hydra doesn't go after it for quite a while unless you exit and re-enter, plenty of time to clear the stars with bribes or switch to a ground vehicle, but not enough time to collect horseshoes. I can usually make the jump back across the Flint Intersection with an NRG, and this has been my preferred method, but recently I've been getting greedy and trying to collect a Bullet, Banger, or Bandito. But the difficult lead into the jump makes it a very awkward jump in a car. I usually end up swimming a short distance up river to the ledge CJ can climb, running up the hill to avoid the cops in the ped zone, and jacking any vehicle handy to make the short dash for the Pay'n'Spray. When I get bored with that I'll probably head back to the Panopticon again. I keep getting wet when I try to ride the bike along the slim ledge around the invisible wall. However, I suspect it won't be very difficult simply walk across and jack the first vehicle in sight in order to grab the bribes.

various comments by OrionSR:

In the current round (16) of the chain game, there were notes on the parachute glitch and an unrestricted way across SF Bay, several spawning issues at the Emerald Isle [most notably that the PS2 ("version 1 at least") won't spawn vehicles there!], the way the game actually handles / accumulates those wanted stars, and flying horseshoes, more on the Emerald Isle, more on evaded wanted stars, and trains.

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

In all fairness, I learned about the AT-400, riding over the rain [rail??] from LV, and crossing the Panopticon Bridge from GTA_Phreak, but how deep can one nest the credits?

Thanks for letting me know, I'll work that in eventually.

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

Have you encountered the parachute glitch where it opens but can't be controlled, and CJ always dies unless he lands in water?

oooooh yes. haven't found out any details about it though. it seems rather random to me...

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

I haven't done this in a while, but you[r] Molotov comments reminded me: Put a Satchel Charge on CJ's vehicle and when it comes time to abandon it, detonate the charge to clear the chasing cops. There's another way into the LS airport.

I've learnt that way into LS airport from your video. Actually I intentionally left it out of my guide because I felt it's more appropriate in yours...

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

Am I the only one that gets killed in three hits by the LV Gym Trainer?

No, you're not. Sometimes it happens to me when I'm having a bad start. That's why the gym trainers are always things I do *first* after entering locked-off cities....

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

Ever notice that CJ can take a significant hit and remain on the bike if he pulls a wheelie just before impact?

Yes I have, but certainly worth mentioning here.

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

The stars earned during Land, Air, and Sea are cleared when the lesson is passed. To collect the mini-gun in the construction site, I parked my bike inside the fence so it can easily be retrieved. The opening is on the east side. I had Barbara at 43% in one of the saves from my first attempt at 4 star exploration - the one where I took the deaths and arrests because I hadn't learned to survive yet. I'm not sure what happened, but I think she kept incrementing while I was doing... something, somewher. She was completely off the stats page for a while, and when she returned, she was at 43%. I've never managed to repeat this glitch. Try that car spawning zone on the 4th floor of Emerald Isle in order to spawn a Broadway. It might take a few tries, but it's the most reliable method I've found so far. I have read that the Broadway gets something like a 400% boost to vehicle health when the mission starts, and this is apparently cleared if the car is painted. The taxi timer will stop if CJ is out of range of passengers. I was using this in a trial run at Taxi in SF. When painting was needed, I'd avoided ped zone until I could get to the pay'n'spray by the auto dealer. Still didn't make it far, but haven't really tried. Tricky Tag: If Vigilante is completed, starting it again won't increment the attempt stat, so Vigilante provides the most time to stash a vehicle and get out of the neighborhood - just don't chase the targets. Burglary provides plenty of time after sunrise to mess around in Grove Street before CJ needs to get to the lockup, but always increments the attempt stat.

Those are all well woth mentioning, but as I think the most helpful tip for new 4starers is possibly this:

QUOTE (OrionSR @ PM)

I've been recommending that people try to get to the Hippy Shopper and Burger Shot missions before collections. Both GTA_Phreak and myself have commented on the fact that the real breakthrough in understanding how to survive the constant 4 star wanted level came during these missions.

Great tip, absolutely correct. In 4starland I find myself in a completely different "mode" of playing the game, especially when it comes to driving. The courier missions will absolutely help you to understand some basics.


And finally, as for *this topic* itself...

@crazyanurag & Demarest:

QUOTE (crazyanurag @ Jun 14 2007, 00:27)

in that case, you might want to have a look over here...

Thanks, great tip and very helpful topic!! [drools with excitement] This will definitely get worked in as soon as I have the time.

@Saget:
Yes, I know Brazil is huge -- thought worth a shot, it's the only Brazilian label I know after all...


This post has been edited by rubregg on Thursday, Jun 14 2007, 15:22

[imut_knight]

QUOTE (rubregg @ Jun 14 2007, 21:46)

Additionally there's imut_knight's suggestion (thanks for your feedback, mate! ): QUOTE (imut_knight @ Jun 13 2007, 03:49) On some ocassion when I need to bring NRG to complete unique jumps in LV, I always used both NRG + Packer (Why that smiley? ...sounds like a completely valid way into LV...)

It is a valid way into LV, however, your video with NRG jump a lot easier than swimming or NRG+Packer

[rubregg]

Announcement:

Thanks to DrSnuggles I can now host my videos in much better quality than on youtube. The download link has been included in the link collection in chapter 0. [ Video details: 512*384 / avi / xvid (2pass vbr) / mp3 ]

Also, but less exciting, I slightly brushed up the guide's formatting. It's mainly a bit of added colour so you can easier find what you're looking for.

QUOTE (imut_knight @ Jun 15 2007, 14:31)

It is a valid way into LV, however, your video with NRG jump a lot easier than swimming or NRG+Packer

Thanks! But well, like I said, I'm not *that* successful with my jump yet....

[Gray_Eagle]

Rubregg, did you want a vid of the chopper take down thing? Cos i can make one easily for ya.

[rubregg]

QUOTE (Gray_Eagle @ Jun 16 2007, 13:23)

Rubregg, did you want a vid of the chopper take down thing? Cos i can make one easily for ya.

omg - sorry Gray_Eagle, after all that quoting and summarizing, this one has actually slipped through... Yes, I would be really interested in that, haven't had a chance to try it out yet. And if a video is too much bother, a screenshot of CJ aiming at the correct spot of the parking SF Maverick could be just as helpful. Thanks

[Saget]

QUOTE (rubregg @ Jun 14 2007, 11:46)

@Saget: Yes, I know Brazil is huge -- thought worth a shot, it's the only Brazilian label I know after all...

Rio de Janeiro isn't THAT far from São Paulo, but each place has its own culture and stuff.

By the way, is that jacket and the underwear some sort of "registered mark" of yours?

[rubregg]

QUOTE (Saget @ Jun 17 2007, 03:52)

By the way, is that jacket and the underwear some sort of "registered mark" of yours?

Haha, no it's not ...just some stupid habbit of mine... I'm often trying to make game characters look as silly or inappropriate as possible. For some sick reason I find it funny to go on rampages wearing underpants and snakeskin boots, or something like that. The videos I just tried to make similar to each other so I stuck to the clothing.

Edit:

Mega-Hops

I practiced mega-hopping a bit recently. I don't have a gamepad, so I can't program buttons. But I have the feeling too that successful ones come in bundles. I couldn't find any rule to that so far, I just noticed that sometimes it just won't work repeatedly, whereas at other times it's going alright a couple of times in a row.

I couldn't tell any difference in hopping behaviour of BMX vs. Mountainbike, but to be honest I wasn't paying as much attention to hopping heights as OrionSR.

I tried a lot of surfaces and angles and I couldn't tell any difference there. As for different speeds, for me it seems to work better at slow speeds or standing still. But possibly I just haven't got the hang of the timing yet...

To me it so far looks as if it's all down to how long you press and hold the jump button, and how long after releasing that you have to fire. Maybe I can do a slomo video on some point for a closer look at the animation...


Horseshoes

That's a great list, OrionSR, could prove helpful
While practicing my mega-hops (without wanted level), I could get to 3 of the tricky locations: the Four Dragons, the casino on the Old Strip and the chinese themed mall. From there I tried to get to the one on the billboard, but couldn't do it. That's a really tricky one. I also tried inside Cum-A-Lot but I can't seem to get the last jump high enough...

Also I so far haven't done all 50 in one go, maybe I'll give it another shot in the next round of the chain game. I think last time I had to cut my turn short... And now I know about mega-hops...

QUOTE (OrionSR @ Jun 13 2007, 00:02)

I'm starting to get the hang of using a cycle with 4 stars.

I'd like to second that. I'm still not that experienced in good cycling routes yet, but I like losing cops by hopping better and better. Do cycles actually protect CJ from bullets, like other vehicles? They certainly do not take any damage themselves.



This post has been edited by rubregg on Sunday, Jun 17 2007, 10:31

[OrionSR]

Once I was able to jump a PCJ across the channel into LV by using a Packer. I had just returned from LV so Packers were spawning in memory, otherwise, I never see Packers in the area of the jump. Trying to get a Packer and an NRG all the way to Montgomery without either one unspawning seems like more work than is necessary for 1 jump. I assume were taking about the east bound jump along the north side of the Pyramid. I've been using Bullets, Banshees, and Infernuses (Inferni?) for that jump. I usually have an easier time landing that jump with those vehicles than I do with an NRG anyway.

I should probably retract some of the superstitions I suggested about mega-hops. Surface, speed, and coasting don't seem to make any difference. Holding the hop longer increases the height a little for the really high jumps, but usually isn't necessary. Since the mega-hops tend to occur in batches, I've started to get in the habit of testing the mega-hop as I approach the required jump to increase the likelihood that it will work when needed, but most of the time I try to find a safe location where I can take a few shots at it.

I managed to finish another single-save horse run, this time using my own mega-hops and not my programmed button. The major danger with the bikes seem to be running into peds. CJ is very likely to fall sprawled on his back in front of a cop and get instantly busted. I don't think the bicycles offer much protection from bullets. My experience trying to use the BP cop bike for vigilante was that the vehicle offers no additional protection to the rider, so I suspect the same rule applies here. However, I have noticed that CJ takes very few hits while riding the bike, so maybe there's something more going on - interesting observation.

This post has been edited by OrionSR on Tuesday, Jun 19 2007, 00:46