Author Topic: Eating In San Andreas.... (Read 153 times)

Montana00 · « **on:** July 28, 2004, 06:41:42 PM »

I read this thought id post it for those of you who enjoy reading about this upcoming release.

July 27, 2004 - Everyone has already heard about the inclusion of dietary needs in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but the specificities of how it works still haven't been explored very heavily. In an effort to clear up any confusion on this matter, Rockstar Games has released an official breakdown of the system and what players can expect when they utilize this feature on October 19.

From what we can tell so far, it's obviously a far more complicated system than what's found in Konami's "other big masticator" Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Instead of just using the system as a means to increase character health as that game's does, GTA's version of the hungry-hungry goes far deeper. Granted, Carl Johnson can simply eat to keep his health meter up, but if he chooses to, he can do a lot more than that.

For starters, not eating on a regular basis will drain CJ of his natural muscle mass. The result is a skinnier, weaker version of his default character and clothes that fit differently. Additionally, being thinner makes CJ a lot weaker too; so lifting boxes becomes more difficult, swimming and cycling stamina is drained much quicker, and the force of his hand-to-hand combat is severely affected.

To avoid becoming emaciated like this, CJ will need to eat his food regularly. But to keep things realistic, Rockstar has given each food type its own calorie value that, in turn, alters the amount of energy and fat given to Carl Johnson. Of course, eating too much can have the opposite effect of what you want; as CJ can become incredibly overweight as well. In fact, CJ can eat so much food at one time, that it could actually force him to throw up --- and if that happens, any stamina and nutrition that was consumed earlier is immediately lost. Additionally, vomiting frequently prevents you from buying more food for an undermined amount of time; further lowering your chances to increase your health.

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But even if players don't throw up and continue to pig out, they'll be affected by their diet. In no time at all, they'll become absolutely gigantic with every animation and texture being affected. Their fattened CJ character will waddle instead of walk, stop and catch his breath after running too much and he'll even bulge out of his clothes should he get too big. This extra size affects gameplay performance too. Lifting, swimming, climbing, running, or doing anything else that involves frequent movement are all more difficult; and his reaction time is a lot slower too.

Another detriment to being too heavy is that Carl becomes an easier target for firearms and attacks (he is easier to see after all), and he'll even be made fun of by San Andreas inhabitants, complete with tailor-made fat jokes. With side effects like this, we'd say it's time to get in shape there fatty.

In order to do so, CJ can actually spend time at the gym and work out. Building better muscle strength gives CJ more stamina, faster running abilities, and stronger hand-to-hand combat power. Lifting things will be easier too. CJ doesn't necessarily have to be a walking, talking tank, either. With two internal factors at work at all times (fat and muscle), players can tailor their character to be exactly how they want them to be. Creating a thin CJ with strong punching abilities is a good example of the type of mix and match possibilities that are available, and Rockstar plans to unveil other interesting hybrids somewhere down the line.

Regardless of what kind of eating and exercise habits players will form, however, they'll always need a place to eat. And places to eat are something that San Andreas has plenty of. The Chicken Bell, for example, features plenty of poultry dishes -- with burritos, fried chicken, wings, and chicken burgers all a part of the menu. The Burger Shot, on the other hand, is all about beef, beef, and more beef. We'll give you one guess where you can find the best burgers in town. If pizza is more your speed, however, then the Well Stacked Pizza parlor could be more your speed. Pick a pie in any size you want and get ready to pig out for some maximum Italian filling.

One final note that Rockstar wanted to stress, is that San Andreas will not all be about eating. This is simply a customization feature that its development team has included to add an extra bit of spice and customization to its already-sizeable living world. That said, it still remains to be seen just how necessary and strict the eating regiment will be.

We'll be back with more on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and its dietary feature as we approach its release this October, and invite you to click on our media page below to check out the all the latest screens.

RXL · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2004, 08:45:10 PM »

I'm glad to hear that this is being implemented, but that the game will not be all about eating. Don't want the character being hungry to get in the way of me killing people.