Multiplayer in GTA IV

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File:4299-gta-iv-multiplayer-roof-party.jpg
Pre-release screenshot of an Xbox Live Cops 'n' Crooks session.
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Multiplayer is a new feature in Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA IV's multiplayer features:

  • A total of 15 game modes divided into three main categories (Player Match, Ranked and Party Mode), each with unique objectives and gameplay types.
  • Support for up to 16 players on console, and 32 on PC, depending on game mode (some modes allow fewer players).
  • Configuration of each mode can be adjusted by the host. Volume of traffic, number of pedestrians, police presence, weapons, auto-aim and weather can all be controlled.
  • Characters are customizable — the player can adjust their avatar's hair (apart from facial hair), sex, race, clothing (apart from shoes), etc. Additional options can be unlocked by increasing one's rank in Ranked multiplayer matches.
  • Game populations are fluid. Upon choosing a game mode, the player will either be thrown into an already-made game, a lobby, or will start their own.
  • Killing an opponent will earn the player $100, and a dead player will usually drop approximately $15. Killing oneself will cost the player $100. Killing police officers will not earn the player money, (except in Deal Breaker and Bomb da Base II, see below), however it may be useful for collecting their weapons and ammunition. However, money earned ONLY COUNTS DURING RANKED MATCHES (Does not apply to PS3 because there is only ranked match on PS3).
  • Ranked matches, like everything else in multiplayer GTA, require money to get ahead. The amount needed to gain a rank increases exponentially.

Starting Multiplayer

ACCESSING MULTIPLAYER To enter multiplayer, do the following:

  1. Bring up your Cell Phone.
  2. Access the menu.
  3. Scroll down to Multiplayer.
  4. Enter the Multiplayer submenu, at which point one can access multiplayer matches, customize one's character or view a multiplayer tutorial. This tutorial will provide all of the information needed to jump into multiplayer games.

Using the game's cell phone controls before the mission It's Your Call (wherein Niko gains his phone from Roman Bellic) will still bring up a cell phone, however the phone will only show the Multiplayer option in the menu.

For Multiplayer Tips, see GTA IV Tips.

NOTE: Since The Lost & The Damned patch, a new menu/setting been put into the multiplayer menu on the cell phone. It is titled "Preferences," found between "Player Model" and "Tutorial." Within, there are 3 options: "Auto-Aim," "Police," and "Friendly Fire." These options have 3 possible settings: "Allow," "Do Not Allow," and "Don't Care." If a player has not changed these yet, they should be set to either "Do Not Allow" or "Don't Care" by default. These settings will determine whether games that player joins will have auto-aim, a police presence, or friendly fire, respectively. For instance, if a player have Auto-Aim set to "Do Not Allow", Police set to "Allow," and Friendly Fire set to "Do Not Allow," that player will only join games with Auto-Aim disabled, police present in the map, and no damage inflicted by friendly forces. If a player have all options set to "Don't Care," that player will join any game, regardless of what options are enabled or disabled.

Game Types

Player Match

Player Match puts the player up against other GTA gamers in every possible multiplayer mode. Scores in these matches are not carried over into other matches, and are irrelevant once the time is up. You also cannot earn money or achievements in this mode; it is a casual mode, well-suited to socialising and to getting a feel for the different modes before jumping into Ranked matches.

Ranked Match

Ranked Matches — either on PSN or Xbox Live — give the player a rank which will gradually increase (to a maximum rank of 10) as they advance and earn money. Advancing in rank unlocks additional clothing for one's multiplayer character. Below is a chart showing the amount of money needed to get to each rank. Ranked money from regular GTA IV will carry on to TLAD and BOGT.

    • Ranking System
  • 0=0
  • 1=1,000
  • 2=10,000
  • 3=50,000
  • 4=100,000
  • 5=250,000
  • 6=500,000
  • 7=750,000
  • 8=1,000,000
  • 9=2,500,000
  • 10=5,000,000

Modes

Freeroam Modes

Mode Players Objective
Free Mode 2-16 This mode is similar to the single-player game, except played with friends. It is a complete free-for-all, with no rules, objectives or score. Police can be activated or deactivated, and will not arrest offending players, but attempt to kill them. Screen messages reading "<<PSN/XBL name>> Died" will appear whether players are killed by other players, or by police. Like Party Mode, Free Mode does not gain the player game money or achievements.
Party Mode 2-8 An invite-only variant of Free Mode. Party Mode throws everyone on the same team and sets everyone to respawn in the exact same location (complete with every single weapon, as well as vehicles, First Aid kits and body armor). There are no police in Party Mode. As the name would suggest, Party Mode is simply for fun, and does not gain the player game money or achievements.

Competitive Modes

Mode Players Objective
Deathmatch 2-16 A complete free for all. Anything goes. Combat is confined to specific areas of Liberty City in order to keep the action focused. Police (including NOOSE and/or FIB) are optionally present, depending on the host's chosen settings, and will not attempt to arrest players, instead attempting to kill them.
Mafiya Work 2-8 Working under the direction of Kenny Petrovic via the cellphone, the player competes against other players in a series of mini-missions. This may involve picking up recruits for the firm, taking out a target, or even finding and disposing of a dozen severed heads.
Car Jack City 4-16 Car Jack City pits the player against everyone else in a race to nab vehicles for Kenny Petrovic. The amount of money gained trumps the amount of cars delivered. If the host has allowed police, they will try to stop players from taking vehicles to drop-off points.

TIP: Destroy other players' cars.

Team Modes

Mode Players Objective
Team Deathmatch 2-16

(up to 8 teams of two)

Players work as a team to rub out other team(s) for money; the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins. There are no restrictions. Each player will gain the money they have personally earned by killing opponents. Police are present in this game (including NOOSE/FIB at 4 wanted level stars).
Team Mafiya Work 2-16

(up to 8 teams of two)

The player is a member of a crew doing contract work for the mafiya - these are time-limited missions including escorting wanted men, picking up items and stealing cars. Rival crews attempt to accomplish the same task. Interfering with other crews will slow their progress and increase one's chances of earning the money. Each contract completed gives the team cash, and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins.
Team Car Jack City 2-8 teams Cars spawn in random places on the map, and teams must steal them and take them to a drop off point. The cash received for dropping off stolen vehicles generally depends on the vehicles' good condition, however there are exceptions: some special bonus cars contain drugs, and give a set amount of cash on delivery no matter how damaged they are. Police will be present if the host permits, and will do whatever they can to stop players from taking vehicles. Whichever crew makes the most money wins.
Cops N' Crooks 4-16

(two teams only)

A team-based mode in which the Crooks must get their Boss to safety, while the Cops have to take him down. The Boss is marked with a cross hair. This mode has two sub-modes: All for One and One for All.
  • In All for One, one team is made up of Crooks and a Boss, and the other team is made up of Cops. The Cops are trying to hunt down and kill the Boss while the Crooks are trying to protect him. The Cops win by killing the Boss, and the Crooks win by getting the Boss safely to the getaway vehicle and escaping.
    • TIP: Since only the "Boss player" needs to get away, having other players hang back to slow down the cops may be helpful.
  • One for All is similar, but there is no Boss. Here, the Cops win by killing all of the Crooks, or destroying the getaway vehicle; Crooks win by filling up a getaway vehicle with members of their team, or killing all the Cops. Only 4 people can escape in the getaway vehicle. Players cannot respawn in this mode.
Turf War 2 teams only A timed capture-the-base mode. There are a number of bases around the map which can be taken by standing near them for a short period of time. The more players that stand at a base, the faster it can be captured. The more bases a team owns, the faster their cash score increases. If a gang is on or near a base, their rivals won't be able to take control of it. The team with the most cash at the end of the round wins.

Cooperative Missions

Mode Players Objective
Deal Breaker 2-4 Players work together to bust a deal which is going down; take out anyone in attendance, grab the goods and wipe out the witnesses. Don't get busted, don't get killed.

TIP: There is a helicopter near the mansion a couple of blocks north of the starting point.

Hangman's NOOSE 2-4 Multiplayer mission featuring co-op play. Mafia boss Kenny Petrovic has illegally flown into Francis International Airport, and someone has tipped off the cops. The objective is to escort Petrovic to safety while being pursued by the Liberty City Police Department's NOOSE (SWAT) division. Only 3 respawns are granted, making sustained survival a priority.TIP: While some players lay waste to the NOOSE agents, get one player to sneak away, and drive around the airport to the opposite end of the airstrip. You should find 3 choppers, which are easily jacked. Swing around to grab your crew, and fly to freedom.
Bomb Da Base II 2-4 Bomb Da Base II (its name referring to a mission from GTA III) requires a gang of players to work in unison and sabotage a large cargo ship. Like Hangman's NOOSE, players can respawn up to three times before being dropped out of the mission.

TIP: When you get to the boat, there are some good sniper spot on the surrounding buildings and crane towers. Get your best marksman to take a point and pick off the thugs on the boat.

Race Modes

Mode Players Objective
Race 2-16 Race to the finish through each checkpoint in order. If the player takes a wrong turn or otherwise messes up, they can respawn at the last checkpoint passed. There is a large selection of races for cars, boats, and helicopters - players can choose laps and vehicle class/type. There are two types of races: Free Race and Cannonball Run.
  • Free Races are point-to-point races, where the first one to the finish wins.
  • Cannonball Runs are races where participants must traverse several checkpoints in any way possible.
GTA Race 2-16 Similar to the orthodox Race, but with the added element of combat. This is a checkpointed race where participants can also pick up weapons spawned en route to help take out opponents. The vehicle can be exited during this type of race.

TIP: Even if you don't complete the race, you'll still get money for every kill you make. So if you're lagging behind and know you're not going to get 1st place, trying setting up choke points by blocking the track with parked cars, and use RPGs to kill other players.

The Lost and Damned

Main article: Multiplayer in The Lost and Damned

The Lost and Damned removes several of GTA IV's multiplayer modes, but also adds five new exclusive game modes, many of which are based around the biker gang theme of the single player episode.

Mode Players Objective
Club Business In this competitive/co-operative hybrid mode, the player receives tasks which must be completed to gain standing with the Lost gang; once enough tasks are completed, the player becomes gang leader.
Gang War This team-based mode’s main objective is to take as much territory as possible. The territories are drawn on the map and guarded by NPC defenders. Players must eliminate all defenders and rival gang members in a territory before being able to capture it. The winner is decided based on the percentage of territory captures.
Lone Wolf Biker 2-16 In this mode, a player starts as "The Lone Wolf", and is on the run while everyone else is out to get them. The Lone Wolf must go through a series of checkpoints (which only they can see) while the rest of the participants attempt to kill him/her and thereby take over the role of Lone Wolf. Passing through checkpoints gives the Lone Wolf pipe bombs, and keeps the clock ticking. Failing to reach checkpoints within a certain amount of time prevents the Lone Wolf from accumulating time credit until a checkpoint is reached.
Chopper vs. Chopper 1-1 A checkpoint race pitting a bike racer on the ground against another player in an Annihilator armed with with explosive rounds.
Witness Protection This is a team based mode where one choose to be either N.O.O.S.E or The LOST. There is a prison transport bus that must drop off prisoners at different police stations across Liberty City. N.O.O.S.E must deliver the prisoners safely to LCPD stations across the map to win; the Lost members are on a mission to destroy the heavily-armored buses, which contain snitches.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

Main article: Multiplayer in The Ballad of Gay Tony

As with The Lost and Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony removes several of GTA IV's multipalyer modes, but, contrary to the first episodic expansion pack, it does not add any new game modes. However, it does modify many of the modes that remain to help make them feel new a fresh.

Mode Players Objective
Deathmatch/Team Deathmatch Deathmatch games are now played out over far smaller areas, often consisting of just a few city blocks, and players are 'contained' (or rather, encouraged to remain) within these areas by limiting weapon spawn points to said areas.
Race/GTA Race 2-16 The game's race modes have also been modified to incorporate the new nitrous system implemented in the Triathlons featured in single player. However, it should be noted that in GTA Races only the player's original starting car will be equipped with nitrous, and if it is destroyed during the course of the race any other vehicle the player steals will not have it.
Free Mode Free mode has also bee slightly tweaked, now featuring a compulsory setting that permanently deactivates friendly fire, thereby effectively making every player invulnerable to other player. However, it should be noted that hazards in the environment (AI traffic, falls etc.) can still kill the player.

Vehicles in Free Mode

Vehicles in GTA IV Free Mode

Not all of the cars in GTA IV are found on Free Mode. Here is a list of the cars WILL spawn during unmodded Xbox 360, PS3, and PC Free Modes (NOTE: This is only for the original GTA IV, not TLAD or TBOGT). New cars spawn every game hour in a specific order. Any gang variant of a car that spawns online will be in the game (i.e. the Cavalcade has a gang variant. The Cavalcade spawns online, meaning it's variant will too.)

Vehicles in TLAD Free Mode

Here is a list of the cars WILL spawn during unmodded Xbox 360, PS3, and PC Free Modes (NOTE: This is only for TLAD, not GTA IV or TBOGT). New cars spawn every game hour in a specific order. Any gang variant of a car that spawns online will be in the game (i.e. the PMP 600 has a gang variant. The PMP 600 spawns online, meaning it's variant will too.)

Vehicles in TBOGT Free Mode

Here is a list of the cars WILL spawn during unmodded Xbox 360, PS3, and PC Free Modes (NOTE: This is only for TBOGT, not TLAD or GTA IV). New cars spawn every game hour in a specific order. Any gang variant of a car that spawns online will be in the game (i.e. the Presidente has a gang variant. The Presidente spawns online, meaning it's variant will too.)

External link

GTA4.net - Multiplayer: Gametypes, Modes, Online

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