Wanted Level in GTA III Era: Difference between revisions

At a one star wanted level, any [[police|police officer]] that spots the player will give chase and attempt to arrest him. The police will attempt to knock the player down with their fists (in [[Grand Theft Auto III|GTA III]]) and [[nightstick]]s (in other [[GTA III Era]] games). They also do not shoot unless they are threatened by the player (in GTA San Andreas, if you are holding a gun or a thrown weapon, officers will shoot at you, and also if you run over an officer but not getting killed). An exception to this rule is if you are inaccessible to the police officer; for example if you are standing on top of a vehicle (also applies to high buildings in GTA Vice City), he will pull out his gun and start shooting. [[Police Car|Police cars]] will follow the player, but they can be easily outrun. If the player stays out of sight and does not commit anymore crimes, a one-star wanted level expires on its own. If the player is on foot, police will exit their vehicle and chase you on foot. Only one police officer will give chase on foot at a time even if there are multiple officers in the vicinity.

At a three-star wanted level, pursuing police vehicles become more aggressive, driving at maximum speed, and the police will also begin to set up armed roadblocks on main roads. A [[Police Maverick|police helicopter]] is also called in to assist and its crew follows the player, putting a spotlight on the protagonist (at night), and shoots at the player via an invisible machine gun on the fuselage if they get a clear shot and yell various humourous remarks over a loudspeaker. Additionally, in GTA Vice City, the police helicopter may occasionally deploy a [[SWAT]] unit onto the ground to attack the player. From GTA Vice City onwards, police officers begin to deploy spike strips to puncture the player's tires, making driving difficult. In GTA San Andreas, from this wanted level on, officers who come out of either a [[Police Car]] or [[Ranger]] will also ocassionally wield [[Pump Action Shotgun|shotguns]]. Additionally, in [[Grand Theft Auto Vice City|GTA Vice City]] and [[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories|GTA Vice City Stories]], undercover [[Vice Squad]] detectives armed with Uzis and driving [[VCPD Cheetah|Cheetahs]] also give chase.

At a four-star wanted level, the police will drive more aggressively and [[SWAT]] teams join the chase. SWAT members wear body armor and are armed with Uzi sub-machine guns (in GTA III, they also drop pistols when killed). Roadblocks now consist of the heavier and larger [[Enforcer|SWAT vans]], making them more difficult to ram through. The pursuing police helicopter fires at the player more frequently and, from [[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City|GTA Vice City]] onwards, [[:wp:Rappelling|rappels]] SWAT members down to the player's location. In [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas|GTA San Andreas]], the police helicopter is often joined by a [[News Chopper]], and [[Hydra|military jets]] now pursue and attempt to shoot down the player if he is flying an aircraft.

At a five-star wanted level, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] takes over the chase and completely replaces local police on the ground (local police will still chase the player if they see him) and the streets begin to clear of civilians (in GTA Liberty City Stories, however, there are still lots of pedestrians in the streets). Four-FBI teams of heavily armed and armored FBI agents drive armored cars and SUVs ([[FBI Car]] in GTA III and [[Grand Theft Auto Advance|Advance]], [[FBI Rancher]] in GTA Vice City and San Andreas, [[FBI Cruiser]] in GTA Liberty City Stories, and [[FBI Washington]] in GTA Vice City Stories) and make for formidable opponents. The FBI agents are armed with [[AK-47|AK-47s]] and 9mm handguns in [[Grand Theft Auto III|GTA III]] and [[MP5|MP5s]] in later games. Their driving is even more aggressive and they usually opt to ram the player's vehicle head on at high speed and then batter it to pieces before he/she can recover. In [[Grand Theft Auto III|GTA III]], the pursuing police helicopter is joined by a second, and both stick to the player doggedly and fire at the protagonist whenever they get the chance. The roadblocks now consist of FBI vehicles, which are easier to ram through, but the FBI agents' MP5s tear through most [[vehicles]] fairly quickly. The waters are saturated with [[Predator|Predators]] at this wanted-level. Trespassing inside a military base will release a five star wanted level and cops swarm in and attempt to kill the player. The FBI are particularly perilous to engage, as their SMGs are likely to make short work of the player's getaway vehicle. Due the increased risk of being shot to death, use of a motorcycle as a getaway vehicle is especially not recommended. All officers employ more advanced driving techniques, such as the PIT maneuver, as they try to make the player spin out of control and crash.

The five-star wanted level is considered by many players to be the most difficult wanted level in the entire GTA III era, as FBI agents always spawn in groups of four, drive very fast vehicles, and carry very strong weapons.

:* Entering or flying over a restricted area,such as over the [[Easter Basin Naval Station]] in [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]] (only after completion of [[Are You Going to San Fierro?]])

:* Entering or flying over (at low-altitude) the [[Area 69]] research base in GTA San Andreas. Doing this will results not only in the wanted level, but also attack from SAM Sites and enemy [[Hydra|Hydras]].

At six stars, the National Guard will take over from the FBI and will give chase in [[Barracks OL]] trucks and [[Rhino]] tanks, making travel in ordinary vehicles extremely hazardous. Civilians have almost completely disappeared from the streets at this point (In GTA Liberty City Stories, however, there are still lots of pedestrians in the streets), and the soldiers drive with total disregard for anything but ramming the player into oblivion. Roadblocks now consist of Barracks OL trucks. At six stars, police helicopters rule the skies, the sea is thick with police boats and in addition to the army, police officers are everywhere — appearing from all directions in large numbers. If the player cannot get to a [[Pay 'n' Spray]] with a suitable vehicle, stealing a [[Rhino|tank]] or taking to the skies in a helicopter and trying to pick up police bribes around the city are often the only practical options for reducing a six-star wanted level. The Army soldiers carry [[M16|M16s]], [[MP5|MP5s]] or [[M16|M4s]] depending on the game. Unlike in the story mode where enemies often miss, the soldiers are pinpoint crackshots, and a gunfight is considered suicide as the army will take the player down very fast. Unlike the FBI, soldiers always come in pairs instead of groups of four, making them somewhat easier to fight than the FBI. Survival and escape is most difficult, and a very fast and/or durable vehicle is recommended. All law enforcement vehicles fire upon and ram the player relentlessly with very little regard for collateral damage. On foot, the player must move and/or retaliate quickly to avoid being cut down by gunfire; however, fleeing is the better option when pitted against several officers.  

* Go to any nearest [[safehouse]], [[asset]] or save point and save the game. Then, load it again. (GTA Vice City onwards)

* Collect [[Police Bribe|police bribes]] around the city.

* [[Pay n Spray|Respray]] a [[vehicles|vehicle]] in any [[Pay 'n' Spray]] garage. (certain vehicles, however, like Military, police, SWAT, FBI and emergency vehicles cannot be resprayed). Also, committing crimes while the stars are flashing will reinstate the full wanted level (in GTA III, the player's wanted level is instantly cleared).

* In [[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas|GTA San Andreas]], start the [[Freight Train Challenge|freight train challenge]] and the wanted level will instantly clear.

* In most cases, completing a mission will instantly cancel any wanted level attained. There are some missions, however, that are programmed either not to do this (e.g. [[Messing with the Man]]), or to give the player a wanted level (e.g. [[Jizzy (mission)|Jizzy]]).

* On a 2 to 4 star wanted level, a sports (also a muscle or a tuner) car is a better vehicle to be used as its speed easily outruns most police vehicles.

* On a 5 star wanted level, where FBI vehicles tend to knock the player off road, heavy vehicles like the [[Coach]] and [[Flatbed]] are recommended since their size makes them difficult to be pushed around.

* A slow vehicle is NOT recommended for escape from any wanted level higher than 2 stars.

* In GTA San Andreas, if you have a 4-star wanted level or higher and use the "turndowntheheat" cheat and get another wanted level under 3 stars, any SWAT, Army or FBI in the area will not go after you or shoot you unless you attack them.